Light Photography

This is becoming a concentration of mine in the fine art of photography and I've found an artist and some images that y'all might enjoy. The essence is using objects to create light as design, to create a space, fill that space, and use the dimensions of light to create aesthetic value. Enjoy!

Alan Jaras
http://www.neublack.com/art-design/alan-jaras-light-photography/

Light Art Performance Photography
http://www.flylyf.com/lapp-light-art-performance-photography/

I was grossed out by the huge spider sacks I saw in this window on a field trip with my nephew so but thought it made an interesting pic. The spiders in Texas are HUGE & another great reason to leave!

data transfer...

I'm using 32GB Cf cards for my photos.. so when they are full It has been difficult to put a system for transfer, that will work while I'm on the road... Sooooo I bought a net book for $300 (about the cost of several data transfer devices ).. So now I can 1st down-load to my net book... then I can transfer to a portable mini hard drive.. then I feel safe to erase the data from my CF card... this way I have two copies of each photo, should one crash.. I'm covered...

Be Well ! Jim

Guy Tillim

http://fansinaflashbulb.wordpress.com/2010/04/16/guy-tillims-joburg/

http://www.lensculture.com/tillim.html

150 Years of Photography, Life's 1988 Anniversary Issue

I have the Life magazine's - 150 Years of Photography - it's their 1988 Anniversary Issue!.. I'll bring it to class this thursday... :)

Hanna

So, I have 2 classes with Jon, meaning I have 2 blogs to keep up with. I'm cross-posting this, as it's just that good.

Yes, yes, I know this is a photography class, but you must see this movie. The cinematography, & editing alone are of an aesthetic I don't often see, particularly in more mainstream movies. This aesthetic captured my attention from the minute the movie started. For lack of a better word at the moment, it was beautiful. The score is a plus too & fits perfectly with the film in every way. Everything was very cohesive.

LINK

I am sure this has a ton of editing to enhance the color but I loved the vivid color, cheery yet kind of eerie. But the light reflected on the ground is what amazes me most. just thought I'd share.

Josef Koudelka

http://www.magnumphotos.com/Archive/C.aspx?VP=XSpecific_MAG.PhotographerDetail_VPage&pid=2K7O3R135R3G&nm=Josef%20Koudelka

Mauricio Lasansky - From "Expressions"

The following is an excerpt from "Expressions", a book written by Lasansky. For those who don't know who he is, there is more information on that website about him and his work. He is one of the most notable and inventive artists of the last century and his work has been displayed most anywhere that art is able to be displayed.

I found this excerpt to be quite revealing and inspiring when it comes to thinking about your artistic process and the things that you observe as an artist. He describes a process of drawing constantly, always switching between works as you see fit, and defining your medium, whether that's using one already formed or creating your own for your message. Along with other insight, reading about his work and about him is fascinating.

http://www.lasanskyart.com/artist/news/articles/expressions_14_31-42.shtml

tilt-shift

I got to try-out our classes' tilt-shift lens that "straightens out buildings for great architectural images... super for that type of work.. here is an example of what I did... Give it a go! any questions please ask me..

http://www.flickr.com/photos/9505367@N06/5583370827/lightbox/

Have fun! Jim Price

Visiting Artist!!!

HARMONY HAMMOND

The Boise State University Art Department Visiting Artist and Scholar Program is proud to present a free public lecture byHarmony Hammond. In conjunction with the lecture, there will be a free public screening of The Heretics, the 2009 film by Joan Braderman which features Harmony Hammond, Pat Steir, Ida Applebroog and other founding members of the magazine “Heresies: A Feminist Publication on Art and Politics” (1977-92).

About the Events

Free Film Screening – The Heretics – Tuesday, April 5^th, 2011 from 11:55am to 1:30pm in The Special Events Center, Student Union Building.

Free Public Lecture – Wednesday April 6th, 2011 at 6pm in the Lookout Room, Student Union Building (Free parking available in the Liberal Arts parking lot (between LA and SPEC).

About the Artist

Harmony Hammond is an artist, art writer and independent curator who lives and works in Galisteo, New Mexico. Considered a pioneer of the feminist art movement, she lectures, writes and publishes extensively on feminist art, lesbian art, and the cultural representation of “difference”.

Hammond was a co-founder of A.I.R., the first women’s cooperative art gallery in New York, (1972), and co-editor of Heresies: A Feminist Publication on Art & Politics, (1976). She was a Professor at the University of Arizona (Tucson), from 1988-2005, and has recently been a Visiting Artist at: Skowhegan, Anderson Ranch, the Santa Fe Art Institute and the Vermont Studio Center.

Her work has been shown internationally in venues such as Site Santa Fe; New Museum, NYC; Smack Mellon Studios, Brooklyn; National Academy Museum, NYC; Bronx Museum; Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles; Center for Contemporary Arts, Santa Fe; P.S. 1 Contemporary Art Center, Long Island City, Queens; Armand Hammer Museum, Los Angeles, Neue Galerie, Graz, Germany; Museum of Contemporary Arts, Havana; Museo Universitario del Chopo, Mexico City; and the Haags Gementemuseum, the Hague.

Her book Wrappings: Essays on Feminism, Art & the Martial Arts, (TSL Press, 1984), a classic on 70s feminist art, is out-of-print. Her ground-breaking book Lesbian Art in America: A Contemporary History (Rizzoli, 2000) received a Lambda Literary Award.

For more information contact carolineearley@boisestate.edu or go to http://www.harmonyhammond.com

Using the Content Aware feature in Photoshop

Here's a small post detailing how to use the Content Aware feature in Photoshop CS5. This feature lets you edit out pixels in your photograph that you may consider blemishes. This may involve getting rid of scratches on a scanned negative, or removing a stain (cat) from a carpet. This feature has some limitations that will be made obvious when you being to use it, but it may prove to be benficial to you at some point. It works as a function of both the Healing Tool and selection tools like the Lasso. It DOES NOT work witht the Clone Tool like I had originally thought. Just an F.Y.I. When using the Healing Tool, you will actually have the option to make a "content aware" selection in tool box that comes up when you select the Healing Tool. Check the "content aware" selection, then click and drag your mouse over the spot you want removed. When using a selection tool: first make your selection, go to 'file', and then click the 'fill' option . A tool box should pop up with several 'fill' options. Choose 'content aware'. BOOM! Done! I've attached a link to a professional video just in case my crystal clear technical document left anyone confused. http://tv.adobe.com/watch/photoshop-cs5-feature-tour/contentaware-fill

Dodge & Burn in Photoshop

Dodging and Burning in Photoshop

Under normal non-extreme lighting conditions the modern camera of today will give a well-balanced exposure for highlight and shadows, in some circumstances fill flash will also improve exposure. Where flash is not practical, editing techniques in your photo editing software will enable you to fine-tune the exposure short falls in the highlight and shadow regions to produce a well-balanced image. Two of the most misunderstood tools found in most editing programs are the dodge and burn brushes. Too many people don’t use them at all, and too many people who do use them do so incorrectly. With any kind of luck this tutorial will provide a little insight into what these tools do, and how you can use them to make better images.

Simply put, the dodge tool lightens the pixels you paint, and the burn tool darkens the pixels you paint. An old analogy is when you burn a piece of toast you darken it so the burn tool is to darken. It’s not entirely different from using Levels or Curves. The difference is that you are not applying the changes to the entire image; you’re applying them only to the places you paint with the brushes. Think of it as a way of selectively adjusting the brightness or darkness of your image. Also no adjustment layers are created & you don’t need to mask them so this is easy. Dodge tool is excellent to brighten eyes & teeth.

You can use these tools to improve your images in several different ways:

1. To improve the exposure of your photo and bring out detail
2. To direct your viewers attention through creative use of highlights and shadows
3. To create impact by adding dramatic highlights and shadows

Choosing “Highlights” will affect the lighter areas Choosing “Midtones” will affect the middle tones Choosing “Shadows” will affect the darker areas

As a rule of thumb, you will most often use the “highlights” setting for the dodge tool, and the “shadows” setting with the burn tool.

Exposure: In most applications, the key to effective dodging and burning is subtlety. If you create the effect you’re after without allowing the viewer to detect the changes, the image will have far more impact. For this reason, I suggest setting your exposure to only 3-5% and use repeated sweeping movements over the area you are trying to affect. It makes the changes far more gradual and harder to detect; it also requires a little patience. It’s slow, but it works. I promise. Put on some music or something to help pass the time. Protect the original picture & making another layer click on background, [control+alt+j], name the layer.