Liam Drury's ART 240 Blog

 Matt Black works in series based on location, and topic. Somewhat similar to what I did, although instead of going after capturing the people there, I looked at the cars. Of course, my series was much shorter than that of Black's works, but we have a similar idea in terms of capturing what is around us in that specific place. This first image sort of introduces the scene. Black makes it sort of like a POVshot, as if waking up from a daze in the middle of a valley. The picture sort of gives off the feeling of confusion, as if Black isn't used to this type of environment. The exposure is very nice though, not having too much contrast, sort of giving off the impression of the dusty landscape. This next image captures another interesting angle, showing the people of the Valley. It looks like another POV shot of Black getting onto the bus with all of these people. Perhaps he infers to it being one of the only ways people get around there, or at least the most popular. Black's c...

 Sebastiao Salgado, a Brazilian photojournalist who works in human crisis, and captures world changing events from all over the globe. His images have been some of the most influential pieces of work to ever surface in terms of getting help to people in need, and exposing the atrocities of mankind as a whole. Salgado would spend his life dedicated to capturing and documenting the world around him to an extreme degree. This first image is of the oil fields in Kuwait that were set on fire. Firefighters and Emergency workers from around the world came to help stop this seemingly endless blaze, and Salgado helped capture and even further publicize it. The deep contrast really helps emphasize the extreme circumstances of the situation.  This image was taken of penguins in the Arctic, jumping into the water. It isn't an image that documents human interactions, but it captures yet another intense and harsh environment in which he chooses to do his work. The way he captures the landsc...

 Arnold Newman is an American Photographer who's known for his environmental portraits. He uses a range of different backgrounds, displaying people in the most extravagant of ways possible, letting the viewers know about their personality. Newman's approach to exposures varies a lot though, so I sometimes find it hard to distinguish when a work is his. This first image captures Igor Stravinsky. Right away you can tell he's a skilled musician. Newman spent lots of time figuring out just how to crop Stravinsky in the image. Despite the image being about him, he isn't really the main subject of the image. It's the shapes, the black and white and the piano, looking like a musical note. It's a really interesting way to capture someone, especially in their element. This next image features former president John F Kennedy. Newman portrays him in such grand architecture. Yet he makes Kennedy look small compared to the rest of the background. I feel like this image is di...

 Ralph Gibson is an American photographer who shot with Leica film cameras. He's very well known for his many books he's made, and his black and white photos in general. Some of his images are rather sensual in nature, taking things out of context and making the viewer take a second look.  This first image by Gibson is of the inside of a rowboat. But something about the shape of it reminds me of a person's legs, almost looking like an anal shot. The way the two hands come up along the side, and the middle of the boat's bow is a bit darker really pushes this, as well as the ball sitting towards the bottom of the image. It looks like a very odd representation of fecal matter, or possibly a male scrotum. This observation is honestly unsettling, but it is what I see in the image. It definitely made me have a double take when I saw it. Something tells me he had very child like humor upon making this. This next image is a lot more tame, nicely composed with a good sense of ne...

       "Not only can art simplify in order to show what matters, but it can also often show us things previously unseen; art shows us more." (Leslie 36) Was the first quote that stuck out to me. This quote however is not necessarily true. Sure, in the most honest and wide range sense can art show the bigger picture, but artist also have the ability to crop out and filter unwanted things from their works, thus displaying a false truth. The use of selectively documenting specific aspects of something in general can be seen as untruthful, or deceitful. There is an attempt to hide something, to write a specific narrative, even without the photographer being conscious about it sometimes.    " Art persuades, in part, by evoking emotions and feelings. The emotional impact of art can influence and communicate just as effectively as spoken, elucidated ideas." (Leslie 39) This quote, I agree with entirely. It's sort of like racing a car with music on, changing how ag...

  Self Portrait Photography is extremely common among photographers. Of course it isn't like just a selfie where you take your quick photo with your arm stretched out. A self portrait defines what a photographer is. It shows who the person behind the camera is, and how they wish to display themselves. I for example, have a poor sense of humor, so I placed myself in front of this water spout in front of my crotch. I figured it would reflect my attempts at being "a funny individual." The top image is a bit more serious. My face is of course obstructed by the camera. Perhaps I just see myself as the camera...

 Paolo Pellegrin's of the construction of the new Audi E-Tron really interested me. How he was able to beautify the process of automobile construction is spectacular to me, especially as a car enthusiast. His images all have a specific feeling to them, a deep sense of contrast, even when capturing in color. He mentions his interest in photography that is unfinished, and I feel like this project reflected that through another piece of art, the automobile. This first image displays the painting operations of the body of the vehicle. It shows the very human like arms spraying, and the beautiful lighting of the paint booth to catch any imperfections of the paintwork on the car. This is probably one of my favorite images. The beautiful bare metal, displayed in an almost erotic lighting. The contours of the body lines are very pronounced by the way the light hits the door, definitely something being done intentionally.  This last image uses reflections, matching colors and shapes, f...