Final Constructed Poe

This project was such a fun project and I learned so much from it. I think my overall compositions improved and my lighting effects. Below are the ones I liked that I took over the weekend.

When we got studio time, I talked to Tyler and he pointed out things that was "wrong" with them (to which I agreed with) so I took some more photos during class and came up with these.

Before saturation ^^. Just to show the general color I was working with before fixing it. Most of my photos came out with more of yellow light.After saturation^^.

The horizontal and the vertical are essentially the same composition but with different framing. I think they are a definite improving to all my last ones. I took so many photos but so few worked out. Which I guess is good because it was hard choosing just one. The very last picture, the vertical one, is the one I chose to print big for the final critique. Personally, I love it more than the horizontal one but they are both good. So I went around and asked people and they were torn as well but after hearing some good reason, I feel good about the vertical one.

Poe Images

Here are some shots I took for the constructed image. This one has no color correcting yet which proves that most of my pictures turned out with a yellowish, brownish tint to it.

But I wanted another feel to it so I desaturated it some and ended up with this. (different image of course)
Which I like but I wanted to see what black and white looked like. (same picture)
Yea, not so much love for this. So I think I'm going to stick with the desaturated image. Below is the one I think I will print out and tile for Wednesday. I like how the colors turned out and the composition seems to be better and tighter than some others I took.
Yup. :D

Edgar Allan Poe

So for my project 2 in Image, I chose Edgar Allan Poe as my person. I think everyone knows what type of character he is but here are some facts about him:

• Born 01.19.1809; died 10.07.1849
• Part of the Romantic movement
• Best known for tales of mystery and the macabre
• Considered the inventor of the detective-fiction genre
• Wrote on and off but "The Raven" really made him famous
• Gothic style works
• Had recurring themes dealing with questions of death like physical signs, effects of decomposition, concerns of premature burial, reanimation of the dead, mourning, etc.
• Wrote a lot of satires, humor tales, hoaxes, and horror
• Used irony and ludicrous extravagance for comic effect

Below are the list of indexes and symbols I came up with.

• raven
• dead branches
• haunted mansion
• graveyards
• alcohol
• kingdom
• castle
• sea
• waves
• dirt
• casket
• love symbol (heart?)
• dungeon/dark basement
• wood floors
• letters
• calligraphy
• ink pen/feather/fountain pen
• shadows
• conscience
• cognac
• red roses
• darkness
• decay
• skeleton
• robes
• candles
• tombstones
• cellar
• crypt like place
• moon
• night
• dark
• joker
• journal
• skull
• rocks
• pale skin
• pocket watch

Out of all of these, I'm leaning towards creating a dark set that has dirt/rocks at the bottom with like cement or rock like walls. And in this setting, there will be a notebook that has a quote and his name written in calligraphy with a fountain pen. Around this notebook will be a red rose/petals, raven, branches, candle, pen, and shot glass/wine glass. I was also thinking of shooting in black and white to capture the dark feel but I will also try in color. I feel like all of these things separately could define someone else that is like a dark writer, but put together with like the setting and the raven would define it as Poe. Hopefully it will all work out. And now for quotes, I think I'm going to aim at more of a "dreamy" quote because it seems to define Poe better than other quotes. So, quote options!

• All that we see or seem is but a dream within a dream.
• Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there, wondering, fearing, doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before.
• Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered weak and weary.
• The death of a beautiful woman, is unquestionably to most poetical topic in the world.
• They who dream by day are cognizant of many things which escape those who dream only by night.
• We loved with a love that was more than love.
• Words have no power to impress the mind without the exquisite horror of their reality.

Yup. I am aiming to get all my objects and things before tomorrow and then bring them into class and set it up, that way, I can rearrange things while working on it in studio/class.

Project 2: The Constructed Image

I'm quite excited for this project. It brings back memories from my Staged Photography workshop freshman year. I am thinking of doing Edgar Allen Poe. He's one of my favorite writers and his life story is intriguing. He is one of those people that you would have a preconceived notion of already so I want to bring him into another light, one that people probably won't recognize. I think I am going to base the image on one of his lesser known poems/stories but still have the essence of Poe in it so the people can recognize him yet see another side of him.

Type. Image. Message

Reading from pg. 132-135 and pg. 150-153

This reading really put project 2 into perspective for me. The reading was interesting and the pictures were awesome examples. I learned that the relationship among type, image, and message must be continuously integrated from the beginning of the design process. Collage making is also a good starting point so see where you want to head towards. It is important to begin making forms without any preconceptions first and then go back and revise. Accidents might be the best thing that happens and working back and forth between the figure and the background begins to create a seamless photomontage. The reading in general was inspiring with all the montages and the way all the elements overlap to make an interesting and meaningful picture.