John Cameron. 10/29/09. Idea Concept/Blog.

This week I plan to photograph injury. I've been wanting to shoot an injury type image for a few weeks now, but other ideas have come first. I've had a niggling minor injury all week, and it's just been so annoying. It's a deep abrasion on my hip, from being tackled at speed into a tough dirt surface. This injury, although small, has been annoying and has kept the tackle from the game in my mind all week. I was outplayed and the defender said something to me after the tackle that made me want to get him back.

Injury Photograph found off Google

From this I want to show how injury from a sport relates to things in life outside of the sport. Showing how it effects the person around the house, or in school. I haven't got a planned out idea yet, but I plan to shoot on Friday on location. I think that I'm going to show an actual moment when an injury took place. As I said last week, I don't want to use the same jersey that I have used over previous images, rather a training/practice type shirt.

Injury Photograph found off Google

I may even crop in on a certain injury location. I talked to Jeff a few weeks ago, and he mentioned cropping in on parts to give it an abstract meaning. I might do this, and have other objects around it making it relate to my other images. I would do this by showing how it effects your body, and then how it effects you in everyday life for the next week or so.

John Cameron. 10/24/09. Artist - Paul Nelson

This week my favorite artist is Paul Nelson. I have looked at a fair few conceptual artists this week, but Paul Nelson's interesting ideas have stuck out the most. I have seen photographs on google that I like, but sometimes there is no information on who took the image. The downside to Paul Nelson is that I can't show you much of his work. But his website is www.paulnelsonphoto.com

I found one of his images on google, but couldn't find any to paste anywhere else. This image isn't my favorite one of his. But it shows a little bit of his thought process, and his talent for a clean cut beautifully executed image.

By Paul Nelson

His conceptual ideas are once again an easy thought, like the other conceptual artists I have talked about. It is a talent to be able to think like this. But I feel as though I always struggle to try and think of similar conceptual ideas. I am practicing, and I'm trying to tell myself to think of objects, and how they can be used in other ways to relate to other things in life.

Paul Nelson's website is beautiful. His photographs are amazing. They are clean cut, and they contain outstanding lighting and photoshop techniques. They are definitely something to look up to, and a website, that I will definitely go back to look at. Paul is a Minneapolis based photographer, shooting advertising, editorial and conceptual work. There is a quote on his blog that says "His clean vivid style has an arresting visual impact", which sums up his style in a nut - shell.

www.paulnelsonphoto.com

John Cameron. 10/21/09. Idea/Concept Blog

For my next photograph, I plan to evolve it around pain and being hurt. I've used rugby uniforms in my previous images, so I'm either going to change it up to basic training shirts or a different jersey. I found a photograph from artist Trent Bell, and I want to do an image with the similar angle and depth of field. I have been doing shoots in the studio for my past three images, and now I'm ready to get out on location. The way in which I want to make it conceptual is by showing the background, and the look on the person's face. Why is the person upset, is the person upset because of the sport or because of other things going on in their life? I'll play with that when I shoot, and come up with a more valid idea next week.

By Trent Bell

This image has an easy angle, and depth of field, in which I might try and do. I'm most likely going to keep the rugby sport theme going. However, I might show a player laying down looking injured, tired, or upset. I like Bell's lighting in this image, it has a nice showing of light coming from the right, and I might just plan to take out my camera, and a flash, and then have a white styrophome sheet to the side to take the image. I want to keep my style going that I have been using with my other images. Where I dodge and burn on the shadows and highlights, and then give it a soft light overlay. But in this image that I do next, I want to focus on the angle, and low depth of field to focus on the face.

Experienced, 20"x30" 2009 digital photograph, By John Cameron

As for last week, I came up with the idea of making a boot/cleat very large next to a young man starting his career. I related the two by saying that the boot, is slightly aged, not old, but experienced. To then compare to the man, who is not old, but not young. The man is in business attire, and looking at the shoe to think about where he has been in life, and how the shoe "looks" as though it has done the same.

John Cameron. 10/05/09. Aaron Kotowski

By Aaron Kotowski

Last week, I found the artist Aaron Kotowski. I found him from the website where I also found Calvin Lockwood (www.wonderfulmachine.com/specialty/conceptual/usa/photographer/aaronkotowski). Last week, I needed help with an idea. I was lost. I was searching through websites trying to fid something I liked. However, nothing popped up. I had the idea to go back to the website that I looked at a few weeks ago (url above). I saw this image and wanted to do something similar to it.

Aaron Kotowski has a really nice website, with beautiful images. www.aaronkotowski.com/Artist.asp?ArtistID=9937&Akey=G4YBGL8X

His style is similar to what I have been researching over the past couple of months, so I'm glad that I found his work. He focuses on the shadows and highlights, and also the overlay style to add a soft-light to give it that 3-D, painterly mix photograph. But what makes his work unique to previous artists, is that he has a lot of conceptual work. But it is a must that you check out his website. He shoots all kinds of photography. After looking at many websites over the past few months, his definitely stands out.

By Aaron Kotowski

Aaron Kotowski is a graduate of The Rochester Institute of Technology with a BFA in Professional Photographic Illustration. He has a quote on his website that I like, "My goal is to not make images you see, but images you feel". This is a interesting quote, and a successful "goal" in life. He is an award winning artist and he has worked in advertising and documentary work for Land Rover, Caserta Design and Arrive Magazine just to name a few.

I had a shoot last Friday, and here is the result. I will talk more about the image on Wednesday in my idea/concept blog.

Experience, 20"x30" Digital Photograph. 2009. By John Cameron

John Cameron. 10/14/09. Idea Concept/Blog.

So I have another shoot scheduled for Friday (10/16/09) and I'm still in the process for an idea. I'm thinking of using a model that is in a suit, a nice business work uniform (Kakkis, Button up shirt, and tie) and relating rugby or a different sport to the idea. Last week, I took a photograph relating the athlete to school work and tiredness. But this week I want to change it up a little and not make it so repetitive. I remember an image from a few weeks ago, where NBA basketball star, Dwayne Wade was in nice clothes, with the background evolving around his life/job. Tim Tadder took this image, and I plan to do the same lighting and photoshop techniques that I have done in the previous weeks (dodging and burning/soft-light overlay).

Dwayne Wade, By Tim Tadder

With this image, It just reminded me of the similarity with what I want to do. I'm not going to go do the same thing as this. But I told myself after last week's shoot, that I wanted to photograph an athlete in a suit and have something with sports relating to the person.

Image by Aaron Kotowski

I found an image, with a technique that I may consider to try. As I said, I want to relate sports and an athlete's job. So I'm either going to try and use an object that is similarly used in both work and sports, or simply use a sporting object to be blown up, and have the person next to it relating to the image. It seems like a lot of fun, and I look forward to it.

Artist Lecture - Brian Ulrich. John Cameron 10/14/09

Brian Ulrich's work was inspiring to me. I thoroughly enjoyed his night photography photographs of "Dead Malls". During a semester, a year ago, I focused on night photography, and I did similar techniques to Brian with long exposures and painting with light.

Dixie Square Mall - 2008 by Brian Ulrich

Not only did he have good humor, but he talked about his art very well. I think that his night photography photographs were more of a technical art aspect. Whereas his thrift store photographs were more conceptual. With his Thrift store images, he had more stories to tell about each image. He would show an image from a thrift store, and explain the meaning behind it. Making it conceptual. Whereas with his night photography, he talked about how he would leave the shutter open for 30 minutes, and then light up the building by flash lights.

Circuit City - 2008, By Brian Ulrich

I shot long exposure night photography a year ago as I mentioned earlier, and I have to admit that I miss it. It has actually made me want to get back into it. I may decide to do it for one of my assignments coming up, where I have to relate the photography to conceptual work. So I look forward to it. I really enjoyed Brian Ulrich's lecture, as everyone else did. He spoke to us as though he was our friends, and mixed in simple humor to make everyone enjoy the photographs a lot easier.

Kids r Us - 2008, by Brian Ulrich

John Cameron. 09/27/09. Artist - Calvin Lockwood

I accidently put this in the class blog sunday night (10/11/09).... just changing it now (10/14/09)

By Calvin Lockwood

This was the image that stood out the most to me. It's a simple idea, water and grapes to make wine. It is shown in a unique way, and yet it is an interesting image. When I saw this, I immediately thought of using water in relation to sports/rugby in which I want to shoot in this portfolio. In the beginning of the semester, I wanted to show/photograph how a college athlete (without a scholarship) deals with studying, their job and then practice and games. So I chose to get one of my rugby team-mates and take him into the studio. I wanted to get him to act like he was studying with books and paperwork, and to then show his rugby side by wearing the uniform. I then brought in the water aspect to show that when you're tired and out of breath in a game, you want water to re-charge yourself. So I wanted to relate that to studying. You get tired of studying, and sometimes feel out of breath, and feel the need for a break. Therefore water can relate and be an energy booster.

Energy. 2009. Digital Photograph 20"x30" by John Cameron

After looking at Calvin Lockwood's website, I didn't see much conceptual work. His work is more for advertising in magazines, like food, bedrooms, drinks etc. But when I saw the image of his (with the grapes shown above) it just stuck out and I looked up to it. He does have a unique style though. He likes to use a lot of blown out sections in his photographs. This is interesting because I don't see it that much at least. Calvin Lockwood has 25 years of experience now, and he works out of Atlanta. He has worked mainly in commercial advertising and product catalogs. Lockwood has won numerous awards from MAGS Gamma Magazine.

www.calvinlockwood.com

John Cameron. 10/07/09. Idea/Concept Blog

So my theme for my portfolio is sports. Yeah, I can shoot sports, but who can't? So I have been thinking about conceptual ideas to make my photographs have more meaning. I realize that when I talk about my work, that it's pretty basic. Not much to talk about. Sure I can talk about the lighting, angles, color values etc. but there hasn't really been a true meaning to the photographs I have taken before. I feel as though it's been easy to figure out my work. I haven't really made the viewer guess or think about my image, other than the techniques in the image (how long was shutter open in a long exposure etc). So I plan to do some conceptual ideas. Make the viewer question what each image means.

So I have been researching conceptual artists. I've been trying to figure out what they have to communicate through the photograph. For this to work, I have to do it by using objects involved with rugby, to be used in a different place, or different job. As you can see in the image, the shower head is producing water, and grapes to make wine. This image is by Calvin Lockwood.

This image gave me the idea of using a water bottle in relation to rugby. I previously mentioned in recent weeks, how I want to show how rugby players deal with playing a club sport at college, with a job and with lots of school work. How it may be a struggle. So I plan to shoot on friday. To show a player sitting at a table, with lots of paperwork, in a rugby outfit, and then to have the person drink a bottle of water (hopefully show water mid air). My idea is to show that water is our battery recharger in sports. When you get tired and out of breath, you drink water. I want to incorporate this to needing a re-boost or energy recharger while finding times tough in college.

By Calvin Lockwood

Artist Lecture, Spencer Finch, John Cameron. 10/06/09.

Spencer Finch's lecture was really fun. He was a good speaker, and mixed in a lot of humor while he talked, which made it work and win the crowd over very easily. Once again (like Umbrico), Finch was a conceptual artist. His thoughts were very interesting and his conceptual art definitely had a positive communication that worked well.

West (Sunset in My Motel Room, Monument Valley, 2007) Photograph by Spencer Finch

One of my favorite pieces of his work was where he had 9 televisions mounted on top of each other, three TVs wide, by 3 TVs high. Each television had video stills playing over and over all at the same time to create different colors. It is to be looked at from behind, and the colors are to be projected from the televisions into the bare wall. All in all it's just a unique and beautiful piece of work.

Another piece of work that I liked from Finch, was where he re-created the light temperatures from The Sight of Troy. He mentioned how so much history has gone through Troy, and how there isn't much left from it, other than the light. So he got long lights, and re-created the light temperature in a open room. Another conceptual idea, that at first seems like a room with lights. But really has a unique and stronger meaning.

None of his work really relates to mine as his is really conceptual and that he makes a lot of his art out of physical objects. However, I have learned from his artistic thoughts and how he thinks about making the viewer question what is in the art. From this, I will try to think like him. One thing I would like to do is to be able to speak the way he did. He seemed as though he just went up there and talked to a person face to face. I don't think he tried to tell jokes, but rather tell funny stories about his work and how different people perceived his art.

www.spencerfinch.com

Artist Lecture, Penelope Umbrico, John Cameron. 10/05/09.

Today, the VCU photography department had Penelope Umbrico as a visiting artist. Her conceptual ideas were smart and interesting thoughts. Her ideas as an artist are unique, and that is always going to make her work successful. She thinks outside of the box, and focuses on the little things in photographs, that seem to be different and incorrect. Like having a cup of coffee on a pile of books for example. Publishing this, and making art out of it, is humorous and interesting at the same time.

Suns from Flickr - Penelope Umbrico I thought that she spoke well about her work. She had a lot to say, and she explained her thought process on each piece very well. She said that she looked at the number of sunset photographs on flickr over a 7 year period and how the number got higher and higher every year. To then take thousands of these images, and re-create another piece of art from it (every year) was such a great idea. I think that her presentations of her pieces of work are what makes her a successful artist. My favorite piece was of the cropped out sunset/sun photographs from flickr. I thought this piece was sorted out very well. It consisted of a lot of redish warm colors, but then there were a few blue background images, that were also placed very nicely to make a beautiful piece of art. I don't really think any of her work relates to mine. Her work is conceptual, and mine is not. But I am surrounded by conceptual art this semester, and I am starting to think how I could incorporate conceptual art in my work. It's a interesting way of showing work, and it's also fun to try and figure out what the certain piece of work may be trying to communicate. Penelope was a good speaker, and her work is successful from this.

John Cameron. 10/05/09. Artist Joel Grimes

Vince - digital photograph by Joel Grimes. 2009

As I have mentioned over the past few weeks, I have become interested in HDR (High Dynamic Range) in relation to sports. It's weird, because I always assumed that HDR was more of a landscape related style. But, after researching many artists, I have seen it used with athletes and people. I have come up with the idea of using HDR in my sport photography. Joel Grimes has a remarkable website, and he also receives huge bonus points from me, because he has a blog demonstrating how he does all of his amazing work.

I tried this technique out with a studio shoot that I did a few weeks ago. I realized that the background was a huge part in making a nice HDR sports photograph work. So I plan to go on location and shoot outside with strobes and flashes.

Joel Grimes does amazing work on location, and his HDR style makes his images unique and feel like a new style to photography. Joel Grimes has a lot of images on his website (www.joelgrimes.com) that I like. His thought process on the scenes that he sets up is helpful to me in a way, because I can relate to it. I can also gather similar ideas to try and create the ultimate sports photograph.

Brittany, digital photograph. by Joel Grimes