Blog Post 11

Alex Robinson: I really liked the concept she presented Because wa so unique and different from the other teachers, but I would have liked to see more of her actual work.

Joe Vitone: His work was AMAZING. Really inspiring as a photography student to see his work because it makes me want to stay in the program and study with him.

Robert Bryant: I like his approach to presenting because he went through his history in the industry which helps students see a path for themselves after they graduate.

I really liked this seminar because I got to see a lot of artists that are working in Austin. Most of them were inspiring, and made me feel it was possible to be a working artist in Austin. My semester overall went well.

Blog Post 10

Sean Pierce

The speakers at our last seminar were individuals who had created their own game. They were a husband and wife team who worked with several other people, including the mans brother in order to develop this game. What was really interesting was the amount of work that actually went in to building this game. I honestly had no idea how detail oriented you actually had to be to create your own game. The wifes’ art style was also really cool. If I could ask them one question it would be how exactly did he generate her art in to the game. The thing that I learned during the talk was that games could be in a 2.5D format. I had honestly never seen or heard of this before and found the concept really unique. I definitely want to start playing this game now.

 

A question I would ask a resident faculty member is: how do you cultivate and practice creativity?

Alec Soth

 

Alec Soth

 

 

I wasn’t at the last seminar so last time so I am writing about Alec Soth. Soth is an American photographer based in the Midwest that makes images primarily with a large format camera. He mostly focuses his work on simple, plain subjects, but looks at them in a unique way which creates for a visually interesting perspective. His first book, Sleeping by The Mississippi was focused on showcasing a forgotten and overlooked world to his viewers. I believe his goal was to in some ways commodifies lifestyle. I think he achieved this very well. I also believe his use of color and angles is really strong in his work and I think that’s what sticks out to people first when they look in to him. This is interesting because many of his photographs feature these as subtleties.

 

Three internships I could focus on are Thom Jackson Photography in Dallas http://blog.thomjacksonphoto.com/page/2

A health food product photographer in Austin http://www.internships.com/photography/photography-intern-health-wellness

A music festival photographer   http://www.internships.com/photography/photography-intern-wanted-for-july-chamber-music-festivalworkshop 

Creativity and Making: Waythhingsgo

Rube Goldberg

 

What inspires me about this work is the level of dedication, preparation, and practice that went in to making this “machine”.  I can’t imagine the amount of time it took this team to create the project, but it must have been countless hours of planning and preparation. I think this inspires me because I can apply me to my own work. If I have a vision I should put in the work and time to see it come to fruition. I think I can also see it as a way to let go. This Rube Goldberg is such a fun project I think it serves as a metaphor for letting go and not taking every project so seriously.

Post 5

Student Presentations

 

The photography major’s work was very compelling! I think she honestly gave me confidence that I am in the correct major. One thing that I found interesting was her use of large format film. I think it gave her work a really unique light quality and depth. Another insight was her use of the study abroad program to add to her portfolio. I thought her presentation was thought out as well.

 

The graphic design majors was very impressive. All of her work was very strong and you could tell she was really passionate about it. I also found the type face she created pretty which is something I didn’t think I would find myself saying. I think the most inspiring thing about her though was her passion for it. I thought she did a good job answering questions the audience asked as well. The insight into her workflow was interesting as well.

 

The art major’s work was impressive to say the least. I like how she showed her work from her earlier stuff before St. Edwards and how it has progressed to the point she is at now. I think it gives a good insight to art majors as to what they can expect to get out of the program. I actually thought her work was the most compelling and her presentation the most engaging because she was so funny. One take away I got from her was to take all of the projects seriously because you can use them for your portfolio later on.

 

The game design major gave good insight on the gaming industry and what it take to make it in the industry. I think one major take away from her presentation is that there is a lot of competition for jobs in the industry so you really have to put in the work to stand out. I think her work was less compelling than the others though.

 

https://negativefeedback.co.uk/ This is one of my favorite photographers and I think the aesthetic of his sight is well thought out. I also like that he presents his best work on the first page.

http://www.nickknight.com/ His work is amazing I think the way he presents his best photos in a slideshow format is really immersive and effective.

http://www.vivianmaier.com/ Her website is a very effective archive because her portfolio is massive, but it does a good job pf categorizing her work.

http://theartofphotography.tv/ Really interesting videos and an effective way to lay them out. I think he does a good job of presenting videos that are more relevant now.

Faculty presentations

Faculty Presentation Description

 

Tuan Phan: His information about Zines was really cool because I didn’t know there was such a community that existed around them! I also enjoyed seeing how his doodles and art became printed bags and other items. I enjoyed seeing how his creative workflow happened from begging to end. I also thought how he exhibited his workspace was a really fun, interesting idea.

 

Bill Kennedy: His work was interesting and I can say I haven’t seen anything like it before which is definitely a good thing. The most interesting part of his presentation was his explanation of his working process. I found it really inspiring and liberating as an artist. His ideal of letting yourself go and finding an inner recognition of when a piece is finished is really smart actually. I think it’s the truest form of self-expression in a way and kind of reminded me of Jackson Pollock in a way.

 

Jimmy Luu: His presentation on the unique printing process was interesting because I was not familiar with the process and I found the results really visually compelling. I think his presentation was the most natural and most compelling for me. It seems like the graphic design department has a good sense of community and the professors seem passionate and involved which makes me more interested in the major.

 

Kimberly Garza: Seemed really passionate about her work and made me really want to check it out. I think her ongoing project would be really cool to check out. I think what I garnered most from her presentation was that I needed to revisit old work and focus on improvements. Also that I should begin blocking up time to work on personal projects. Her department seemed really cool too.

 

My five year plan is to complete my undergraduate degree and intern at a fashion publication. I would like to function ultimately as a photographer, but I think I could also see myself working as the artistic director for different projects the magazine was working on. My other goal would be to go on to graduate school to receive my MFA. For this to happen though I would need a lot of scholarships. My long term goals are to make money and be a creative force in photography. To accomplish this I need to practice and create a body of work. I also need to network heavily.

Hans Richter

Rhythmus

 

Hans Richter’s Film: Rhythmus 21 is considered to be the first abstract film. The visuals are very visually interesting and keep my attention throughout the film. The only thing that would have made this film cooler would have been seeing it on the bid screen. Richter uses positive and negative space as well as figure ground relationship in a battle over the viewers’ attention. Forms grow and shrink in tandem, single point perspective boxes suck you in as they disappear. Overall a very compelling work.

The film studies transitions by drawing your eye to different locations on the screen by movement and depth in the forms. By keeping the shapes and colors simple and recognizable he is able to have the viewer simply focus on the movement in the film. The black background serves and the space for the objects to interact. Richter uses this as his base for transitioning with the rhythm.

Pulp Fiction

Pulp Fiction

 

One of the most influential and progressive films ever made, Pulp Fiction, has an interesting take on just about, well everything. The topic of focus though is the use of time throughout the film. Tarantino uses many scene cuts that jump back and forth to different periods in the film. Some show a character die in one scene, and then later be riding in a car with another character seemingly at an earlier time during the day. I think Tarantino does this because he is so focused on creating an intense drama that you can’t look away from. An example of this is the scene where Samuel L Jackson recites the bible verse before shooting the character Brett. Later in the film we see that there is another one of Brett’s associates hiding in the bathroom with a gun. We do not see the ensuing shootout in the begging of the film because it would take away the impact felt from Jacksons monologue.

Another way Tarantino uses time is to highlight the overall more important narratives to the story. He shows Travolta being killed by Jack as a way to say that Jack will come out on top in the end and that the viewer should pay more attention to his actions as the film continues than Jackson and Travolta’s. It also creates an interesting narrative in that you follow all these different stories in the film only to see them all come to fruition together. It is a very interesting and effective concept Tarantino executed.

Degree plan

Degree Plan

 

My four year degree plan consists of continuing my education at St. Edwards University in the photo communications department. I wish to continue taking classes related to my degree to become proficient in digital imaging, as well as large format film photography. I want to take 15 to 18 hours consistently so I can graduate in four years. I think my parents would appreciate this. This major will help me become a talented photographer so I can enter the world of fashion photography. My back up plan is to start my own camera company, or a music production company because my second love is music. I also believe that I have to do something I’m passionate about.

 

I am interested in accounting or business administration as a second major because I think it will give me necessary information to manage my freelance work successfully.

My strengths and weaknesses

  1. My greatest strengths in Physical education include: My cardio stamina as well as a strong upper body muscle base.
  2. For greater success in this course, I need to: Diet more effectively

Don’t forget to submit the url of your finished blog post.

  1. My greatest strengths in rhetoric and composition include: an ability to pick interesting writing topics, and to write fast.
  1. For greater success in this course, I need to: go to office hours
  1. My greatest strengths in visual studies include: Creative and hard worker.
  2. For greater success in this course, I need to: Speak to my teachers about their expectations.
  3. My greatest strengths in HRLA include: Good listener and interested in topics.
  4. For greater success in this course, I need to: Arrive on time.
  5. My greatest strengths in photography include: Printmaking and creative photoshoot ideas.
  6. For greater success in this course, I need to: spend more time shooting.

Computer skills:

  1. My computer skills include: An ability to type relatively quickly as well as being able to find sources to write essays quickly. I am pretty proficient in Lightroom.
  2. I still need to learn: How to type without looking, photoshop command keys, and formatting images.

Research & writing skills:

  1. My greatest strengths as a researcher/writer include: An ability to find relevant and interesting sources to support my claims. I also have a good idea flow when it comes to writing an essay.
  2. I need to work on these aspects of research and writing: Sentence structure and grammar.
  3. I learn best & accomplish most when: I am given an assignment, but allowed to approach it in any way I wish. I think the freedom makes me creative.

ACTION PLAN

Choose one class that you are struggling with or are not doing as well as you could.
Now make a list of 10 ways you could improve your performance in this class.

  1. Finish all work on time.
  2. Study at least an hour a day for the class.
  3. Be present for every class
  4. Get to know my teacher.
  5. Attend office hours
  6. Ask questions in class.
  7. Seek outside tutoring.
  8. Practice, practice, practice.
  9. Start a study group.
  10. Speak to the teacher about course expectations.