#20 Describe some common aesthetic/formal qualities, content, and conceptual threads in “snapshot” photography.
When I think of "snapshot" photography, I think of photos of family and friends (at concerts, in front of famous landscapes, at graduations/birthday parties, etc.); I also think of photos of signs of places, landscapes, and family pets. I suppose I see the contact of snapshots as pieces of memories and certain parts of a person's life. The general concept of snapshot photography is relative to this, as we take snapshots in order to record memories of important times in our lives. I do not think of any really formal qualities for snapshot photography, as I see it as being very informal. Maybe common aesthetic and formal qualities could be keeping every subject in the frame, using the flash when necessary, and capturing certain poses (smiling).
#21 Brainstorms! (In an effort to expand, improve, push your thesis projects further, pick 5 of the following to discuss.)
d. Type twenty words or phrases that relate to your project.
Abstract, composite/tiled (put-together), colorful, four images from one image, order from disorder, chaotic, orderly chaos?, detailled attention to frame and image, natural images, synthetic images, lighting, contrast in the image, four corners each used once as the center of the image, fun problem-solving type imagery, different from the norm, experimental, shows that there are different sides to everything, directions of subject and shape of subject is important, line is important, creating 3D-like sculptural images, painterly-like images.
e. At the deepest core, describe why you like this project. Dig deep!
I like this project because I believe it reflects something of my personality and also the style of art that I find most pleasing. I have different sides to myself, as many other people do. Four images are created from one image by changing which image is the central point of the larger image. This shows how different things can be created from one thing, and though they are all from the same thing, they are a bit different. I believe this reflects my personality because there are some different sides to me, but I am still the same person, I am still from the same essence. Another thing is that I love symmetrical imagery and art that has a center focal point. I always end up with imagery that is not purposefully symmetrical, and I think this plays into what I like a lot about art. Also I like painterly-like photographs, and this shows certain design elements of that type of imagery (very colorful, abstract, design-like imagery).
f. Expand your project. If time, money, materials, etc would not affect you, how would you expand your project?
For my images, I want to take my four images and display them 2 by 2 on a large matte board. So I will have four images to one matte board. I would like to have GIANT matte board and four large pictures and print an endless amount of them. I would like to make these incredibly large and put them in a big empty room where they can be displayed from ceiling to floor on all the walls. This way people can look into them and find little intricate patterns and really be able to explore the inner parts of the photographs.
g. Contract your project. What would it boil down to if squeezed and contracted to its simplest form?
In simplest form, the idea (I think this is what you are asking) of my project is creating order through the reflection and repetition of chaotic, disordered images. This is being done to show the different aspects of the same thing.
l. Remove something from your project. How does it change?
If I just decide to do one photo instead of four, it takes away the idea of showing the different aspects of the same image. I would just be showing one option of the image instead of four. It would still be order from disorder, but it would not show the different sides of the same thing!
