Project Six - Final

Project 6 - Second Progress Review

Project 6 - First Progress Review

    So far, I'm really happy with what I have. I'm looking forward to getting some different and more outside shots on Friday. Also want to mention for the critique, because it'll come up, yes, the black things (pots/pans) in the second photo need to be moved. I'll fix that in the future.

Cartier-Bresson Image Critique

USA. 1947. Fire in Hoboken, facing Manhattan.

   What really caught my eye here was the contrast. In the foreground, you see destruction. The wreckage and remains of a fire haunt the closest part of the photograph. Meanwhile, in the background, is an unchanged city: Manhattan.  The sad, destroyed part of Hoboken, New Jersey stacked against the towering silhouette of a bustling New York City is sad, haunting, and a little disturbing. It makes me wonder what exactly caused this destruction, who it affects, and if anyone in that far-off city cares, or even knows. It seems likely that this devastating fire turned someone's whole world around while the rest of the world continues to spin, unaffected.

    There are a lot of good textures in this photo. From the misty water coming out of the hose in the bottom right, to what appear to be icicles on the charred remains, to the clouded sky. The heat of the fire and the cold of the day and water are at war, until that coldness wins and the water freezes. The eyes move naturally through the photography from the foreground to the background, which are starkly different. The image of Manhattan is subtle, and I almost missed it. I had to double back on the image and look again and was faced with the stark contrast. There's contrast between the negative devastation of the fire and the positive building city. There's also various forms of water in the photo in the shapes of liquid, ice, and air (the clouds). The dark foreground pairs well next to a lighter background, both literally and metaphorically. 

    What first caught my eye is the frame within a frame. What kept my attention was the child in the front on crutches. The photo is from 1933: the height of the Great Depression in the United States and just a few years before World War II devastates Europe. It is also just 3 years before the start of the Spanish Civil War.

Project 6 Proposal

Proposal #1: Macular Degeneration

    My first proposal centers around my 72-year-old grandmother who has macular degeneration, which causes blindness. She lives alone with her dog, Willow, because my grandfather passed in 2018. I'd like to document her daily life as a woman who lives alone but has limited eyesight. Macular degeneration typically affects older adults, and my grandmother has had it for many years, since she was in her late 50s. While this condition is common, not many people really understand it and the effects it can have on people that were previously sighted.

Everything she does, she does differently because of her condition. From her dog companion, to playing games on the computer, to cooking, to interacting with people, her life is affected by her very limited eyesight. She is legally blind. I want to document her average day and how she does things differently, but just as affectively.

Short list:

    -Morning routine. Show what she does in the morning.

    -Meal prep. Show her cooking a meal.

    -Dog care. Show how she cares for her animal.

    -Grandkids visiting. Show how she interacts with my little cousins (ages 2-7).

    -Winding down. Show what she does to relax and wind down at the end of the day.

Proposal #2: Man's Best Friend's Best Friend.

I have a 5-month-old puppy. He has this nasty, old ratty toy. It used to be a chameleon, stuffed with a squeaker, but it has since been completely ripped to shreds. It is, quite honestly, gross. But he loves the thing. He carries it around, plays with it with our family dog, and it's probably his best friend. I'm planning on getting him a new one, exactly the same. I'd like to focus on his love for the toy, my journey to getting a replacement, and his reaction to a new "best friend."

Short list:

-Playing. Show his love for this destroyed, raggedy toy.

-Travel. Go to the store

-Finding. The toy he loves so much among the racks.

-Purchasing. Finally buying the toy!

-Replacement. Taking the nasty toy and giving him a new and improved version of the toy he loves so much.

Project 5 - Self Portrait

Document

Environmental

Symbolic

Project 4, Parts 2 and 3

Part 2:  Deliberately move an object while using a slow shutter speed & stabilize the camera

8/5 sec, f/4.5, ISO 100

Part 3:  Freeze motion with flash, blur motion with a long exposure

5/2 sec, f/5.6, ISO 100