Rust, Dirt, Paint

I shot these images back in September 2008 and up until about an hour ago had completely forgotten about them. It's funny how sometimes we get so busy with "things" that we forget what we've done in the past or we neglect to take note of what is going on today. Anyway, I was reminded of these photos after taking a class from the same instructor I had for this assignment at the Art Institute of Colorado. The criteria was to utilize the zone system to create a series of three images.

I began with the idea of how man can overwhelm the environment with our "things" and how it reacts to our presence. I specifically was focused on the idea that we can destroy the world around us when we think in the "now" and when we seek to take over our environment. I find it slightly ironic that I had forgotten about this project when the ideal of it was to be conscious of the past, present and future.

Technically, I wanted to shoot close up to concentrate on the shapes, forms, and lines showing the abstract view of nature and man. All the images were shot on medium format color transparency and then the chromes were scanned to computer utilizing a hybrid work flow. I also wanted to unify them through bold or dominate colors and hard edges.


Rust on a light pole


Dried and cracked dirt


Paint on a curb

Portraits

This is a portrait I took using all natural lighting around sunset in the summer. The assignment was to shoot either pain or passion. For me this photo represents the idea that outward appearances do not always represent what is inside and beauty does not bring happiness.



Flash freaks me out! Well it did before I did this photo session. Until this point I hadn't used multiple stobes on location, only in the studio. For this portrait I used three strobes on location in December. I worried myself a little more than necessary thinking I wouldn't get the light where I wanted or I would miss something and later find I wanted to change it after the session was done. But in the end, I am more than pleased with the way it turned out and the lesson I learned was to just get started and do it.

If something isn't right than move a light and shoot it again. Move the subject and shoot it again. Shoot a lot even after you think you have what you want that way when you're done you have multiple options to choose from. Also, I'm still learning and still in school and I'm lucky enough to have so many people (classmates and instructors) to give me constructive criticism. So if it's not perfect I have resources to give me their honest opinions.

Flash has intimidated me in the past but I'm looking forward to pulling out the strobes and giving them a chance. The only way to get better at a craft is to do it again and again until you can do it with your eyes closed.

Thanks to my patient model, Shannon, who posed for the above portraits.