Dorothea Lange

She was born in Hoboken, New Jersey in 1985. At age seven, Dorothea developed polio, impairing her right leg and ability to walk-- she lived her whole life with a permanent limp. But this impairment didn't stop her from becoming successful. She started her education in photography in New York, and later moved to San Francisco in her early 20's and opened her own portrait studio. She loved California and lived in Berkeley for the rest of her life. She got married at age 25 to a painter by the name of Maynard Dixon. They had two sons, Daniel and John. She ended up divorcing Dixon in 1935 and married Paul Taylor, a professor at University of California, Berkeley.
Dorothea Lange is famous mostly for her shots of the Great Depression. As this ordeal arose all around her, she decided to stop working in her studio, and move to the streets and the people. She captured shots of the hungry and homeless both recording history and bringing the surrounding poverty to public attention. Together with her second husband, she documented this poverty and economic struggle; Paul gathering data and Dorothea photographing. She worked with federal companies like the Resettlement Administration and the Farm Security Administration, making her work icons of this era of depression.
She won many awards and recognitions due to this work, also for her work of wars and their effects. She died of esophageal cancer at age 70, but left behind an unforgettable legacy.


This photo shows physically and emotionally the state of not only this woman, but of many people during the time. Both the dirt and concern on her face tell a story and genuinely represents the Depression.


This frame also represents exactly what people were going through. It shows how men are searching for work and supplies to provide for their family, while others have given up hope. It tells the story intended through its great composition and contrast not in color, but in expression.



This photo shows the depression from a different perspective. It doesn't tell us about the concern of the people, but about what causes this concern. This officer represents the unfairness that some had to deal with.

journal #2

Before:
I'm excited about this assignment. I like how i'll tell a story with multiple frames instead of one-- it increases my number of options. Before and after: i could do an unmade bed and, then the same bed made. or maybe a full dish, and the plate after it's eaten. maybe someone right when they wake up, and after they're ready for the day. I'll think of better ones later. I also like the close closer and closest. The first will be boring, and i won't change the angle from straight on. The second will be the same, just with the subject taking up the entire frame instead of having a background. And lastly, I'll do an abstract one from a new angle; but you'll still be able to tell what the subject is. The end.

After:
Hmm. This didn't work out as planned. I liked my ideas, just not so much the execution. For example, my door. I photographed a house, then just the door, then just the handle. Loved the idea, hated how it turned out. Oh well. Then I did a clock for the far away and then close. The first image of a far away clock is awful. Horrendous. I can hardly believe it was me who photographed it. Probably worse than any eighth grader's first photograph ever. Sighhhhhhh oh well. The second on is great and abstract. That is what I printed. I also printed a picture of my little sister right out of bed, one when she was doing her hair, and one when she was all ready. These were not great photographs. They told the story they were supposed to but awful composition. I wish I could reshoot. Actually just the first is awful. Maybe I just don't like it cause it's the part of the day when she's ugliest, cause I love the other too when she's cute. Baha. Really though those have great focus with a mirror, and not so much the first. I also shot an apple and cutter, and then one of the sliced apple. I liked this best, but ended up not printing it. Hmm. Maybe I will later. It worked out pretty great. Mediocre idea but good composition. Hopefully next assignment will go better. The end.

Annie Leibovitz

She was born in 1949 in Connecticut, as the third child of six. Her parents were not her influence to go into photography, her mother was a dancer and her father in the airforce. Just like Ansel Adams, music was a big part of her life. She attended the San Fransisco Art Institute because of her endeavors to write and play music, and also to paint. But after she merely put her toes in the water, she was hooked to photography. After a trip with her parents where she discovered her love and talent for photo, she returned and immediately started some classes at the institute, and was encouraged to continue in that career.
Since she loved the arts, much of her photography is portraits of actors, musicians, and writers. Her first big project, with Rolling Stones magazine, was to shoot the one and only John Lennon. It was her first try, and her first success! She held on to this opportunity and shot many more musicians such as: Bob Dylan, Patti Smith, Bob Marley, Keith Richards, and Mick Jagger. She later went on to even more celebrities, but more actors. For example: Whoopi Goldberg, Demi Moore, Brad Pitt, Keira Knightly, Nicole Kidman, Scarlett Johannson, Ellen DeGeneres, Angelina Jolie, even Suri Cruise with her parents Tom and Katie. More politically famous people she shot were Michael Moore, George Bush and Bill Clinton. Even recently, she photographed Michelle Obama. These portraits showed up in magazines such as New York Times magazine, Vogue, Vanity Fair, the New Yorker and even more.
Leibovitz is an example of a photographer that took a different road than the ones we've studied. She is the more stereotypical version of a big shot photographer, and I researched her to look into the options open to anyone interested in photo.

The photos represented below are of the more famous images that helped Leobovitz climb the ladder. However, most of her strongest works of nude portraits, that would not be appropriate to present here; I'll show the images of celebrities that are clothed.


Bob Marley. The expression on his face mixed with the reputation of his name shows exactly what Rolling Stones was looking for; his passion for music.



Brad Pitt. She coordinated the color of his pants, the couch, and even his skin and hair tone all to match. His pose and expression represents the typical personality of famous actors.



Suri Cruise. This photo contradicts the one before; it shows that these celebrites are actually human and can love their child. The photograph represents the love from each parent to the child in their expressions and ways of holding her.


Michelle Obama. This shows her motherly, responsible, confident and supporting nature.


Angelina Jolie. Perfect portrait-- represents her reputation. (slut)

Lastly,

Keith Richards. Again, typical. Perfect representation.

Annie Leibovitz, as presented above, photographs each portrait telling a story, sending a message, explaining the person.

Project Proposal

Circles. That is my plan for this final project. I'll photograph all kinds of circles from rings to floor patterns to playgrounds to clocks-- lots of different circles. This relates to time in that it is never ending. Time goes on forever, just like a circle. The course of the day is often looked at as a circle, as the routine is similar from day to day, so voila. The end.

Journal Assignment #1

Before:
I hope I'm not just sitting at home during this assignment. I hope I'm out and about on a regular busy day, and I'll simply bring my camera with me. A few of my photographs will be outside, a couple from home, maybe some at a friend's house, some in stores. I originally thought I would represent what I was doing at each half hour interval but now I think I'll just find an interesting photograph at each place. But, my roll will start and end similarly, in my room, closing the sequence of the day.

After:
My plan didn't exactly work out. I did in fact sit at home all day. It was probably the most boring day I've had in months. So most of my images were simply of the decorations and objects that reside in my house. It was definitely not my best roll, but it'll do. No purple hearts.. yay!! And just a few dust spots. I did find a way to make each frame interesting using depth of field and such, and focusing on the closer main object, but it still was not a great roll. I could have done it better, but I am pleased.

p.s. Sorry, I once again found this in my drafts. Twas done on time though, I just forgot to post it.