Natalia's Photography Blog

  Hiroshi Sugimoto is a talented photographer who often uses black and white photography in combination with long exposures to capture images that surpass reality. I particularly enjoy the photos where he captures images of water and the sea and the long exposures of movie theaters. Sugimoto's images are simple and beautiful. I really enjoy the image above because of the clear cut down the middle where the sky separates from the water, and the beautiful blend of the tones of the water.  Especially with Hiroshi Sugimoto's series of using long exposure to photograph entire movies in a movie theater, he seems to push the boundaries of reality. While the environment seems to look familiar to the viewer, the idea that we are actually looking at an entire movie captured as one image can lead us to question what reality is. It makes me wonder about how we perceive the world on a daily basis. What is our "shutter speed," and how would the world change if this were different. ...

  Alec Soth is a very technical photographer who creates beautiful and visually interesting photos. His use of muted, pale colors brings a feeling of antiqueness, dream-like feel, or a distant memory. When I look at his photos, I begin to ask more questions rather than questions being answered. Although people are often present in a lot of Soth's photos, there is still a feel of loneliness and despair, especially in the photos I provided here. Even though the people are surrounded by beautiful scenery or partaking in things they assumedly enjoy, their face shows a blank, uninterested expression.  These photos show incredible details, giving an almost painterly effect. The serious longing faces of the subject make me feel sad and worried for them. It feels like they are all feeling the weight of the world, the depth of life on their shoulders. The use of all sorts of subjects, rather than a specific demographic of people, while they are all exhibiting a very similar expression ...

 Ralph Gibson is a very talented artist that approaches photography in a very simplistic, minimalistic way but also exhibits very technical qualities. I really enjoy the black and white, raw quality of his photos. Like we talked about in class, Gibson arranges his photos in a way that juxtaposes humans versus objects what would otherwise be mundane. Placing a photo of an object next to a human adds a layer of meaning to the object that would not be there without the other, but also adds a simplistic feel to the human that would not be there without the object.  Gibson also chooses to place photos next to each other that usually compliment each other beautifully with complimentary forms or contrasting tones. For example, the image above shows two of Gibson's photos. Both of these images show sharp lines created by light and shadows which compliment each other, while the first image is very light and has a lot of middle greys while the second photo has a lot of darks and lights ...

    At first glance, Uelsmann's photos feel very surreal and spiritual. I love his combines use of nature and humans/human infrastructure. He uses unexpected combinations and beautiful compositions to create very interesting photos. There is something about his work that really speaks to me. Of course I love the use of black and white and the very rich middle greys. There is also a level of complexity but it is technically done very well so it blends together beautifully. What I especially love about the photo above is how the shape of the rock fits into the empty space from the mountains eroding away. Maybe at one point it was even part of that mountain itself.  A lot of Uelsmann's work uses clouds which gives the dreamlike effect. When I look at most of his photographs, it feels like I am being transported back into a distant dream. The image above and below both use the contrast of the soft gradients and airiness in clouds against the harsh edges of geometric shapes, w...

  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...