Chuck Close -- Tapestries

The photograph/tapestry I chose to focus on is titled "Lorna." This is, clearly, an image of an African American woman. She is smiling coyly at the camera, and the photograph is in black and white. One of the first things the viewer notices when observing the photograph is the "shininess" of her face, which Close probably achieved by boosting the contrast to bring out the white tones in her face. By doing so, he has given her face a slightly surreal and glossy look, which was fascinating to see transferred onto a tapestry -- the ability to portray three-dimensional texture on fabric is always amazing to me. "Lorna" makes me feel as if I've regressed into a childlike state, because of the stern yet playful look on the subject's face. It seems to mimic a mother looking upon her child. The angle of the shot is the main technique Close used to achieve this effect, in my opinion. By making her look down upon the viewer, this feeling of condescension is amplified in a physical sense as well as an emotional one. The shallow depth of field is crucial as well, because it allows the viewer to feel closer to the subject and therefore experience a more intense emotional response. This photograph is very inspirational to me, because I am working with vaseline and blurred focus for my independent work, and this is used (or at least portrayed) quite skillfully in this image. It goes hand-in-hand with depth of field in this sense to reiterate the focus on the face and the expression of this woman.

Jacob Sutton: Vaseline Photography

For my first project, I have decided to explore the technique of shooting through a vaseline coated lens. After discovering Jacob Sutton's "Underwater Portraits," my focus turned specifically to using vaseline to create an ethereal effect with portraits. His portraits are some of the most beautiful I've ever seen, because the subjects almost look as if they're drowning -- but in a serene and peaceful way. I am going to try to emulate this style by putting my subjects in a bathtub full of water (or a milkier substance), and then putting vaseline around their face as a sort of gradual frame.

Self Portraits

I think this first photograph really captures the way that I often tend to do ridiculous things in earnest, especially when I was little. I also think that confused yet skeptical look I have on my face is one that I have carried with me as I've grown up, and resonates with me as one that I still use today. I'm not playing with my sunglasses in order to make people laugh: I can tell that this was just something I felt like doing, and ended up being funny. I like to think that's how I am now as well, in terms of being unintentionally funny because it's simply a core part of my personality. I think the more recent picture really captures the way I look when I'm just in my natural state. People always tell me that I make this face all the time when I'm laughing, or talking with people about something I find enjoyable. Basically, it's my happy face. I tend to find happiness most through humor, whether it's by me saying something funny or by hearing someone else. I think that I tend to give off a somehwat shy yet friendly demeanor, and that part of me is shown well in the photo. I like to keep a balance between being funny and happy and making sure that I'm still taking life seriously, and I think the combination of these two photos captures this well. Sometimes I think that the young photo of me looks like I'm seeing into my future with a scared but determined look, while still being funny. I hope this is an attitude and perspective I take with me throughout my life, because balance is key to me.