Feedback

Mackenzie,

What I really like about your project is that the ideas you choose to explore are really backed up by your photography. The photos are really cool and unique and give the viewer a sense of your creativity. My favorite photo of yours is when you explore cubism because I have never seen two mirrors mirror each other. Solid job.

- Jake Poxon

Final Photo Project

This photographic series will work to explore the concept of an abstract view to photography along with their ability to create a specific message to the viewer about viewing everyday life. More specifically I tried to show how unusual views to ordinary situations could produce intriguing and appealing images. Abstract art and photography itself has always been interesting to me, I would like to learn and explore the ability of images to tell a story that would otherwise not be created. Furthermore after finishing our research papers I grew to be more excited about looking at a scene with a new outlook, and how it can appear through a camera lens. Taking inspiration from Alvin Langdon Coburn’s work with architecture and his creation of Vortographs, I put to use his idea of vorticism to create the images, as well as be the basis for the series, and specifically the idea of reflection. However, instead of attempting to duplicate Coburn’s work, I went further with some of my images and just used two mirrors to create the same idea of abstract lines and lighting. My other images go beyond his basic concept of vorticism by using the idea of distortion; the reflective surfaces create a lens in which to show an ordinary object that is changed due to the process of taking the image. This photographic series takes into account the history in the idea of abstract photography and where it came from, it uses historic methods with a modern approach to achieve photographs that are new and appealing. It shows the impact of the original photographers such as Alvin Coburn and his influence on how we use a camera to show contemporary visions.

Mackenzie Lee

This image relates to the idea of distortion as well as reflection. I used the lens of the glasses as something to reflect off of, viewing what would appear to be a normal view of a desk through the glasses. Also the choice of lighting impacted the reflection as well as how the desk is scene in the image. 

This image again connects to the idea of distortion because the light post in the reflection off the bike's bumper is elongated due to the shape of the bumper. The reflection of the lamp post also is changed because of the angle the photo was taken, as well as the details of the bike itself. 

This image is interesting relating to reflection. Obviously it is known it is a picture of a car window, however the scene in which it was taken, depicts the tree that is directly to the left of the car and is not in the direct line of sight. The reflective quality of the glass allows the viewer to see something that is not there, which creates an artistic approach to the image. 

This picture is one of my favorites. It has a direct connection to Coburn's vortographs, however it is created using only two mirrors. When Coburn created his work he clamped three mirrors together to create abstract line, I used two and specific lighting to create this image. The funny thing about its creation is that I didn't use anything blue when shooting, the light somehow turned blue when the flash on the camera went off. It created lines that are abstract and the lighting allows for a modern view to a vortograph. 

This image was created in the same way as the previous, two mirrors leaning up against each other and placing the camera in various ways allowed to achieve interesting images such as this one. The lighting of this photo is the same as the other, however this photo was taken without a flash which created the dark areas. 

This last photo was taken with the same idea in mind, the concept of cubism and creating a kaleidoscope effect out of the two mirrors and the flash of the camera. The color of the surroundings allowed for more depth to the photo as well as a kind of arrow look to the lines. 

Asymmetrical Photos

I approached these photos in a way that allow the viewer to think they have symmetry and balance but also have concepts of asymmetrical photos. The first image uses a mirror to show the viewer a new perspective. The seam of the mirror is where the boundary of the photo is symmetrically divided. On the one side of the mirror is the word love spelled correctly from the viewers perspective while the right side of the photo shows the opposite of the word. It shows the same object on both sides of the seam which adds an idea of symmetry while showing that both sides of the photo don't match. The next photo is divided almost horizontally down the middle but the seam is tilted a tiny bit. This gives the viewer the viewer an opposite view of the object, it shows both the front of the object as well as the object from the back and backwards. The last photo shows a divide of the objects at almost the diagonal across the frame  but it is off by a little. This shows how you can use symmetry while still showing different things on different sides of the image.

Repetition Photos

I approached repetition in a very different way than viewers would think. You could also think of these photos not only as repetition but as unity through repetition. The first photograph shows all different clocks, I used the idea of repetition through all things that could tell time. This emphasized the aspect of the clock part of the object and other objects that also function as clocks. The next image represents the repetition of the word love. I found random objects that I had that said the word love and grouped them together in a way that showed off my object while also emphasizing the word itself. The last photograph uses repetition in color. All the objects in the photo use the color gold as an anchor, while sometimes bringing in other outside colors. The purple and pink add a depth that would otherwise not exist but are still unified by the color gold of all the objects as well as my object. 

Lighting Photos

These photos are examples of lighting. My approach was to use artificial lighting in a way that made each photo different. The first photo is with the light source coming from behind illuminating the object enough that we can recognize what it is but not enough that the front is the focal point. The next photo is with the light source coming from the side of the frame shining onto the front of the object. This allows you to view the front of the object while keeping the background objects and the back of the object in the shadows. The last photo is not with a lamp but with a flash on the camera. The flash illuminated the tarnish and little imperfections on the object, it also allowed the shine of the object to become prominent. It showcases the front of the object because the light source is coming directly from the front while still not looking at the object in a full frontal situation. Lighting can change the look and the impact of any object with very subtle changes. 

Texture Photos

On Tuesday during class when we were given time to look around I found a tree that I thought was very interesting and it inspired me to look at the textures of surrounding trees. The first picture presented is a photo of the tree from which I got my inspiration, this specific tree had numerous textures but I felt I captured this one very well. This picture allows the viewer to see the thick corse texture of the bark as well as the smooth side the tree has as well. The second picture is a picture of a tree I found that looked almost like chipping paint. The bark on this tree was peeling off revealing a smooth new colored surface. The last picture is of a tree that caught my eye because the bark resembles alligator skin. These pictures allowed me to see the textures that exist everywhere including the nature that surrounds us. 

Perspective Photos