Project 10 - Fine Art vs. Commercial Portrait

Photographer: Ashlan Grey

Photographer: Kevin Abstract

The first picture is an art portrait because there's no noticeable product in frame. The feelings depicted are more melancholic than the emotions most advertisements try to capture to sell products (satisfaction, glee, relief). The second example very clearly displays a t-shirt in both photos in the set. The model's face is also visible, unlike the first example. He's clearly smiling to give off the image that the shirt makes him happy.

Commercial Portraits - Pre Work

A commercial portrait is a picture of someone that's designed to grab viewers' attention so that they consider buying a product. I like the commercial portraits above because they both aim to grab people's attention using absurdity. The first picture is trying to show off clothing and a bag, and it does so by putting them in front of a dark green background, making the brighter purples and blues pop out. Also, the duffel bag is floating. The second picture is and advertisement for Critters 2. It grabs attention by juxtaposing the Critter with a conventionally attractive model.

Fine Art Portraits - Pre Work

Philippe Halsman

Brian Lau

A fine portrait is a picture taken of someone to express the emotions of either the subject of the photo or the photographer. In addition to expressing someone else's emotions, a fine portrait should ideally evoke an emotion in the viewer of the photo. I like the the pictures above because not only are they visually interesting, they also show very raw emotions. The first one is harshly lit and the woman depicted is incredibly serious looking, making it an intimidating and threatening photo. The second one feels very nostalgic to me. The soft colors of the sunset and the flower being tucked into the man's hood are very innocent to me. However, I also like the inclusion of the dark black hood, consuming the man like the flower seems to be consuming the moon in the background.

09 Surrealism

Project 9 Pre Work

Surrealism is a movement/style of art that creates a world that's extremely unusual compared to reality, mostly by using incongruous juxtaposition, critical paranoia, and levitation.


Marja Pirilä, Camera obscura, Anu, Tampere, Finland

Marja Pirilä creates a sense of surrealism by juxtaposing a girl sleeping in her bedroom with a forest and a driveway in the sunlight.


Landon Nordeman, Garfield

Landon Nordeman creates a sense of surrealism by juxtaposing a plain, simplistic room and someone in fairly formal clothing with someone in a Garfield costume.

Project 8 - Digital Alternative Process

Cyanotype

Cyanotype is a process of photo development where paper (or any other substrate) is coated in a mix of chemicals. Once the paper dries, the negative is exposed to ultraviolet light while on the substrate in order to make the print. The solution is then rinsed off of the print after drying.

Gum Bichromate

Gum Bichromate is a printing process that originated in the 1800s. A negative is printed onto a substrate and then, to add color, single layers of paint are added at a time. Meaning each color added is added to the substrate, registered, and washed.

Tilt Shift