Garry Winogrand

Garry Winogrand

I really enjoyed seeing Winogrand's work. I love looking at pictures of people, and I think he portrays them so creatively. In addition to the photograph we depicted in class, I found several others that I liked.

Ansel Adams

When we looked at Ansel Adams' work in class, I didn't really care for it. Everything seemed too perfect, and I grew tiresome of the image. I looked online to see his other works and found a few that I liked. They each had a level of mystique to them that I thought added more creativity.

"In The Garden"

Staged: Constructed Narrative in Contemporary Photography
Thomas Gustainis and Amy Montali

I have never been to an art exhibit before, and photography is the first art class I have taken at Stonehill. I was anxious to go and see the photography and learn of the artist’s perspective on the work.
The artists that presented had very different styles and approaches to photography. Amy explained that she was very impulsive in her work. With her background in stage and theater, she worked to capture images that looked like movie still frames. She did not frame the photos behind glass because she thought it reduced the cinematic effect. I thought this was an interesting technique and agreed with the reasoning behind it. Without the glass, the people appeared more intimate. The effect allows the viewer to feel more involved and connected with what the image is portraying.
While Amy was very spontaneous with her work, Tom took a more organized approach. Every picture he displayed was very planned out and strategically set. There was purpose and meaning behind every detail. He was very deliberate with the coloring as well.
While I appreciated the quality of each artist’s work, especially after hearing them speak, I enjoyed Amy’s style more. I felt as if Tom’s pictures were too impersonal for my taste. I liked the intimate look of the people featured in Amy’s shots.
In choosing a favorite amongst the works, I went with Amy’s “In the Garden.” The more I examined the picture, the greater I appreciated its quality. I loved the use of color and lighting in the photo. The woman featured had long strawberry blonde hair that was beautifully captured by the sunlight. While the woman appeared to be a tough looking girl, the impact of the lighting truly accentuated her natural beauty. Such an effect made the photograph and its setting much more welcoming. The woman was merely standing and smoking before the viewer, but the vibrant light and her innocent environment nicely accentuated her beauty.
Aside from the main woman featured, there is a woman standing in the background. I stood wondering the significance of the other figure present. How were they connected? Why was she in her underwear? The women appeared so free and honest. Was there a relationship between them?

After the art exhibit, I stayed and spoke with Amy about the photograph. I shared my thoughts on it and was curious about her intensions behind it. She explained that the women in the photo were a mother and daughter. She stressed that this was of no importance to the viewer though, because she did not want the status of the women to impact their impression of the picture. She said the women set themselves in the scene as the sun was setting. Amy viewed the picture as a portrayal of the aging youth. I was much more appreciative of the photograph after hearing her views on it.

My Nephews! Andrew and Lucas