Natalia's Photography Blog

  Not only does Robert Mapplethorpe take dramatic and captivating portraits of people, but he also is able to capture dramaticism, moodiness, and deep feelings and thoughts in his still lives of flowers. I really really enjoy the image above because of the sharp darks and lights but also the beautiful transitional greys in between. I think the contrast of the flowers in the same lighting against both the dark and light background is really interesting to look at. I really like the look of the natural light creating shadows, and I wonder if Robert Mapplethorpe used flash at all for these that are in black and white.  These two photos give a much closer and clear image of the flowers. There is something captivating about the life and beaty of the flowers emerging from the darkness. These photos are simple but beautiful. Because orchids are zygomorphic (bilaterally symmetrical), he was able to position the flower in the unique symmetry of these flowers. I also find it interesting...

  Robert Mapplethorpe's use of black and white photography is astounding. His studio portraits are simple, but the unique angles and use of lighting gives a very unique experience to the viewer. His environmental portraits are very dynamic. I personally love the look of the chaotic backgrounds and the mystery of the subjects staring into the camera. I really enjoy the image above. To me, the subject feels like a vampire standing in front of a full moon. I really like the way his hair blends into the circle of light behind him, and the black turtle neck makes him blend into the darkness below. This connects him to the background, rather than giving him a separate identity and really allows just his facial features to pop out at the viewer. The photo above really stood out to me and has stuck with me since I have seen it. I really wish I knew two bald men so I could recreate this. I think the artistic choice to have the lighter skinned man positioned in the darkness and the darker sk...

When looking for inspiration for my final photography assignment, I actually stumbled upon Loreal Prystaj's work that she did with the mirror. This is what inspired me to try using a mirror in my work. I did don't see all of these photos, but without even trying, I think I created some photos that have a similar feeling to them, especially the one with the sky in the reflection. I think the idea of reflecting the sky in the surrounding nature can represent a few things, such as recognizing that all energy on earth comes from the sun originally and is then just converted into other forms of energy by living organisms. Especially in the photo below, the surrounding grasses look to be dead, which is heavily juxtaposed to the bright blue and lively sky. I think moving forward, I may try and also use the mirror to cover and distort my body. By replacing what should be the identity of her body with a reflection of nature, a whole new layer of how humans and nature go hand in hand is ...

  Alex Webb creates photos that seem so perfect that they almost look photoshopped, but from what I can tell, they are just highly posed and thought out as to make such a perfect composition with interesting subjects and colors. The photos all depict multiple people places around the scene in a very balanced way.  The picture above specifically has a perfect shutter speed to freeze the people in the photo but is slow enough to show the motion of the spinning globe. This looks like a different part of the world than in the U.S., so I think seeing it as someone who has never experienced this lifestyle makes the image more impactful. Even though it is different than I am used to, we are all on the same globe.  The precise composition and colors jumping out of the images are Webb's signature moves. I feel like Alex Webb also photographs different types of communities and explores the interactions between people in these communities. He captures these people in what seems like...

After Photography, written by Fred Ritchie, explores photography in a conceptual way and touches on a lot of the possibilities, limits and issues associated with photography.  The first paragraph on page 143 that talks about the possibilities of what could happen--and what inevitably would regarding photography, like implementing it into household items or using it on a molecular level. The one part that stood out to me was when he says cameras would ultimately be put in our skin and roam our bodies. Thinking about this being a possibility, which may not be very far off, could either really help the advancement of medical technologies or could reach an insane level of intrusion.  This leads into the next quote: "Paradoxically, the subject of the photograph is often voiceless, unable to contest his or her depiction. Often the photographer barely knows the person, yet the image could be used to define the person or to represent a certain theme." Capturing a photograph of someon...

  Arnulf Rainer's artwork stood out to me because it is very unorthodox what he does to his self portraits. First, he takes photos of himself that are not the typical "flattering" way of taking a portrait. Then, to add to this, he adds drawings or paint onto of his photos, which almost distorts his identity and the way the viewer views him. These photos evoke a very strong uncomfortable reaction, but it is this ability to invoke such strong emotions that makes these photographs so moving. The distortion of the face is really intriguing to me, because it questions the subjects identity by their looks and may represent how the person feels when other people perceive them.  All of his photographs seem to be initially shot in black and white, maybe toned with sepia, but he then goes overtop of these photographs with colorful paints. He uses a lot of yellow and blue. These colors feel very gloomy and sad. This along with the abstraction of the photos gives a similar feeling to...