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Photo Safari

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Photo Safari

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Photo Safari

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Found Type/Signage/Text (unrelated to American politics):

From Conception: This image was from one of our first days in Dublin as we prepared to do the James Joyce walking tour. At first, I didn’t realize exactly what this part of the mural was representing, but it was chilling to realized the yellow, rather non-descript shape in the center is a fetus. Combined with the words beneath, written as though spoken in an Irish/English fusion accent, suggested that every Irishman, throughout his country’s turbulent history became indoctrinated into the national cause whether he wanted to or not, before he could speak for himself. The colors and the noise in the photo are striking and represent the hot burn of Irish independence.

Very Minded: My experience of Camden Market was one of rich cultural diversity, and I think their cheeky signage reflects that reality. The addition of the words “very” and “minded” to the “come in we’re open” is clever and clues visitors in to what they’re about to experience. I like the way the horizontal and vertical lines interact in this image, as well as the contrast between the layered light and dark tones.

Dublin Decor: I stumbled upon this little guy while walking to the Jennie Johnson tour with Abby. The rich texture of the brick and the aged look of the graffiti fits right in with the aesthetic of much of Dublin’s street art. Dublin has a good layer of urban grime everywhere you go, as well as a charming warmth, and this little piece of art showcased the personality of the city perfectly to me.  

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Vantage Point:

Resting: This image is from the cemetery housing William B. Yeats. The way the sun broke out to create a reflection in the standing water in the grass caught my eye, and I loved the texture created by the blades of grass using a shallow depth of field. When taken from this different angle, the grass became the most beautiful part of the cemetery, and the light pulled the yellow in the grass to the forefront, casting an illuminated hue over the whole frame. This set a tone that contrasted the setting, feeling almost hopeful and content.

Witching Hour: This tree is located on the grounds of Blenheim Palace and was used in the fifth Harry Potter movie, The Order of the Phoenix. In this instance, the wide angle of the fish eye lens I was using allowed for me to capture nearly the entire tree in a single frame, and the curved warping creates a larger-than-life effect. The way the branches sprawl through the whole frame gives it that mystical effect that made it Harry Potter worthy.

Lazy Grazer: This horse was happily snacking in a field in Connemara National Park, which we drove through after our time in the Aran Islands. I was unsure whether she would let me approach, so it took me a while to get this close. She couldn’t have been more friendly and I got to shoot her from plenty of angles. I chose this image because of the way the grass curves up and around her head, framing it as the focal point. The ridge line of the hills behind her also lead to her head, and the growth line/hair pattern of her mane draw the eye down to her scruffy ears and bright white lashes. The texture of her wooly fur and the grass surrounding her combined with a shallow depth of field create a highly detailed image. 

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Solitude:

Ambleside Rambling: Abby and I took a hike through Ambleside’s hills and did not see a single other soul for the hours we traversed the trail. Taking a look at the “public footpath” sign, I could tell it had been a while since it had seen someone it could direct, and the solitude of the place became more real to us. The lines of the photo trace the path we had just come from, and the wire fence adds interesting texture. 

Syrian Trader: This skeleton is that of an ancient Syrian trader excavated from the Roman baths in Bath. His existence struck me as lonely, as he lays the sole representative of one of Rome’s most prolific cultural customs. Far from his original birthplace and encased in glass, he is the only skeletal specimen in the museum, and though he is seen by thousands of eyes each week, he remains quite removed from those viewers.

Una Bambina: I gave this photo an Italian title because of its origin in Arezzo. Una Bambina, or “little girl” refers to the young child portrayed in this paining by Roberto Merli. I love the way painting was framed to a similar size as the one portrayed on its canvas, creating an equal scale of easel to canvas between the painting itself and its subject matter. This parallel, as well as the matching color in the wall within the painting and behind it, is what drew me to the painting in the first place, as it was a sort of mirror to my own actions. I related to this painting, and I wanted to capture its effect on me in an image. The lines of the easel draw the eye from the top of the frame to the center focal point, and the neutral colors set a soft tone. The girl’s stance and the small size of the actual painting force the viewer to look closer, as I did, with curiosity to see just what’s going on. The moment captured on canvas and the moment in time I experienced are one in the same, characterized by a solitary captivation with a piece of art. 

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Found Type/Signage/Text:

I did not anticipate creating a political portfolio when it came to this prompt, but while in London I came across three separate instances of Londoners’ reactions to our president and American involvement on the global stage. They appeared in vastly different venues with various levels of legitimacy, and I was felt it was a unique opportunity to showcase the reactions of foreigners to our country’s role in the world. A later post on the blog will include other examples of found type/signage/text to add a bit of diversity to what I have pictured here, in case more breadth of subject matter is favorable.

A Pump of Trump: Caleb and I were exploring Camden market when we were drawn into this coffee shop by its vast hot chocolate menu. As I sat down to wait for my order to come up, I noticed the tip jar. When I read the words above it, I was honestly shocked. It wasn’t the sentiment behind them that surprised me—it’s far from uncommon to see a distaste for Donald Trump both on U.S. soil and away from it—but rather the casual nature with which it had been written and displayed. To joke about the death of a world leader has its place, I suppose, in certain settings (political satire, perhaps), but the contrast between this mundane environment and such a drastic concept was truly unsettling. I wasn’t prepared to entertain the murder of a president as I reached for a lid and a sprinkle of cinnamon on my latte. And to top it off, the jar sits there nearly full.

Mad Dog: This photo is straight off a financial building in the heart of Canary Wharf, London’s longtime banking and commerce headquarters. The banner rolling across the side states “ ‘Mad dog’ anti-Trump leaflets, suspected floated in from North Korea.” Here, in the sector of London most crucial to its economic success, with highly educated and well-respected people working nearby, one of the most pressing news items told yet another ridiculous Trump tale. But, as is becoming more and more clear, the moves made by this administration continue to make headlines because of what their implications could be, especially when it comes to North Korea. In addition to the significance of seeing this news headline in one of the world’s most prevalent financial centers, the photo’s geometric and greyscale qualities provide a visually interesting yet neutral background for the bright orange headline itself. 

Just US?: This fence is part of the surrounding border of Russel Square park, no more than two minutes from the Royal National Hotel. Here, one man put up posters similar to the ones pictured in the image, and they were repeatedly taken down for the duration of our time in London. Each time they were removed, he would put them up again, and after a while, he would rotate which corner of the park he set up his signage in. His display only continued to escalate after what is pictured here, with flags from many nations finding their way onto the fence in solidarity with his message. This first round of signs touches on a great many American issues that erupted during our time in London, complete with a direct challenge to Nuclear weapons and a play on Trump’s campaign slogan. I found it powerful that a foreigner could pack such emotion into conversation of American events, but it reminded me that the words on his cardboard were those of human stories, relatable beyond borders.The cardboard, tape, and simple printer paper speak of both urgency and desperation—like these events need to be treated with urgency and seen for what they are, unpolished. 

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Noise:

Sari Style: Named after one of the booths set up for the Diwali celebration in Trafalgar Square, this image captures London’s diversity and its bustling population. I was immediately struck by this woman because I heard her speaking to one of the people taking a photo with her. She is not of any Indian heritage, but has adopted a Hindu lifestyle in adulthood. To me, that story was a powerful example of freedom of expression and a statement about the different elements of our identities. Our preconceived notions about what religions and cultural customs correspond to which ethnic backgrounds may be based in historical examples, but they don’t always have to ring true—the world is a whole lot bigger and more fluid than that. In the midst of the Indian music, food sizzling on hot grills, phone calls, side conversations, camera shutters, and footsteps, this woman spoke of diversity simply with her presence. 

Kidding Around: This image also came from my first encounter with the Amazing Bubble Man. I love the way his net and the bubbles about to lift off from it draw a line between the children to the right and adults to the left. The children storm toward the net with beaming smiles and cheers, while the adults leave much more space between themselves and the chaos. Despite their distance, though, the adults sport smiles and watch the children intently. It seems like the boy closest to the net is about to grab it and throw it out of the way, eliminating the barrier between the two groups as the bubbles life into the air between. That, and the mother’s hand reaching toward the net from the left foreground seem to tell that the adults might just be drawn in by the inner child and convinced to “kid around.”

Daytime in Derry: Walking the walls in Derry, it was fascinating to turn a corner and see the city for what it is: split between two countries and rife with tension. Just out of the frame to the left were huge political murals and graffiti that revealed the tension below the surface. This image, if you don’t know the context of Derry’s day to day existence, looks like any other city with some road construction and some residential housing—nothing especially noteworthy. The noise in this photo is commonplace. The construction equipment, the cars whizzing by, the families in homes all suggest normalcy. But behind the mask is a still-hot political divide that keeps the city at odds with itself. This image, for me, captures the feeling of being in Derry—it seemed as though its citizens worked to cloak the tension with the business of everyone simply going about their business. The divides were not spoken of, not acknowledged, but clearly felt and deeply splitting. It was overwhelmingly strange and being there it was difficult to know how to act. The real political noise was masked by daytime in derry and its white noise. 

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Things I Carry/Wear/Want:

Rose Colored Glasses: Taken on the grounds of Blenheim Palace, this photo was a fun experiment with texture and compositional planning. I wanted to utilize my sunglasses as a divider between the parallel textures of the clouds and the white specs on the stone wall. The green frames of the glasses pair nicely with the green in the vegetation, and the rose lenses add a pop of color to the center of the image, which becomes the focal point due to the lines the arms create. The view through the lenses also becomes significantly less clear than the rest of the image, which is the inspiration for the title of the image. When viewed through rose colored glasses, the world is simply less clear and more distorted. 

Black Fort Bank: This peculiar little spot at Black Fort in the Aran Islands brought the modern world to an age-old historical site. To the left of the coins, out of the frame, is a stone seat that appears as though it was dropped on the cliff straight out of the sky. The coins rest on a small stone table just in front of it, and through the years visitors have left pocket change nestled in its ridges—almost like an offering to whoever is supposed to sit behind the table. The colors of the boys’ shirts in the background compliments the colors existing in the image but amplifies them, and their presence gives more context to the image, revealing how the coins must’ve ended up where they are. 

Robbed Blind: While on a hike in Ambleside with Abby, I turned around to take a photo of this Highland cow’s compatriot, and when I turned around he nearly had his nose in my backpack. I waved him off, and he just stood a little ways away, staring at his missed opportunity to explore. I knew I wanted to keep that story, so I snapped a photo with a shallow depth of field focused on my backpack. Ironically, after spending some time with these guys, I would’ve given anything to pack one into my backpack and carry it right back home—they’re gentle giants to be sure. 

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Of/On/About the Street:

Calling all Remianers: I captured this image through the window of a cab the political science students took to Dover Castle and museums one weekend with Dr. Aeisi. Given that the vote to leave the European Union was relatively recent, the mural pictured here is no more than two or three years old. The angle of the image makes the painted ladder and man with a chisel and hammer look truly real, and his destruction of the European Union flag had distinct political undertones. To me, it seemed like a commentary from the side who prefers to remain in the Union because it shows the flag being dismantled as though it were a perfectly normal, insignificant activity—like scrubbing graffiti off a wall. If the mural was the work of pro-Brexit painters, it would likely be painted in a more celebratory light, even if it was meant to represent the breaking of the union for the freedom of Britain. The fact that the stoplight happened to be red as I snapped the photo occurred to me later as a significant coincidence based on my interpretation of the mural; for, it seemed to be a plea to stop the separation, but a plea that has gone unanswered. The two large anchors in front of the mural also struck me as significant, as Britain prepares to untie itself from the anchor that has been the EU.

Latin Fusion: Halloween weekend at Camden market was teeming with activity. While there, we stopped to get food from its copious street vendors, who represented countless cultures and countries from around the world. This friendly, snaggle-toothed jack o’lantern welcomed customers to a Honduran food stand that served up traditional dishes like grilled plantains. Standing next to our friend pictured here, I couldn’t help noticing how well the moment captured London’s melting pot of cultures. The jack o’lantern originates from an Irish folktale, and he was sitting the a windowsill of a Honduran vendor in the middle of London. To his left and right were steamed buns, empanadas, curry, and macaroni and cheese, all served up by people with legitimate ties to the foods’ origin countries. His wide-open arms and gnarly smile represent, to me, the way London takes on and embraces cultural influences from around the world, especially in recent years as so many refugees have sought safety from the Middle East. London’s streets are full of stories from all around the world, and this image captures the crossovers the walk past each other every day.

None for the Weiser: The strong point of this image is the way the sunlight and the color of the wall and the beer can work with one another to set a warm and almost hazy tone for the whole frame. The way this can was discarded I almost missed it—the leaves kept it out of view, but I caught its reflection in the sun and discovered it hiding there. I liked the color palette of the image, so I looked closer and discovered that in Ireland of all places, so known for its love and production of beer, it was a Budweiser can. On a tiny island in the middle of the north atlantic someone had found themselves a bud and tossed it in the ivy to be forgotten. The sight of it, as well as its unlikely beauty, put a smile on my face.

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Mirrors, Windows, Reflections:

New Place Shutters: As we toured the site of Shakespeare’s second home in Stratford, now commemorated as “New Place,” there were ample opportunities to try our hands at photographing reflective surfaces. This was one of the first times I brought my camera along and a particular image for which the fish eye lens was rather effective. The curved, oval-shaped lines it created with the distortion of the mirror’s slats at the top and bottom draw the eye to the flatter lines in the center, where the majority of the color and texture of the photo lie. Interestingly, both myself and the woman to the right of the frame have our faces covered by reflection, which is difficult for the brain to reconcile and causes one to stop and study what’s going on. The section of mirror covering my waist reflects a cross section of the door that fist almost exactly to my body’s proportions. The grass and the many shapes created by the reflections and the distortion add layers of texture. Overall, the image is intriguing and allowed me to work on developing my compositional and creative approaches. 

 Kenilworth: This photo is another from the early days of the program. It is from our visit to Kenilworth Castle, the first castle of many we visited, but the one we were able to interact with most closely and fully. The exposure on this photo is one that I’m especially fond of because the inside wall of the window and the view below are both exposed correctly, and the dark shadow cast by the sun’s angle provides good contrast while also emphasizing the texture of the stonework. 

National Portrait Gallery: This image is from Trafalgar Square, where I first encountered London’s “Amazing Bubble Man.” The reflection of the National Portrait Gallery just behind me is clear within the bubble itself, as is the reflection of the sun on the top of its spherical shape. I love the movement created by the bubbles bursting and the way both the outstretched arms and the finger about to burst the bubble guide the eye to the bubble itself, which expands the frame to include information from the opposite direction.

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Portrait:

Aran Disposition: I took this self portrait on our visit to the Aran Islands one afternoon while on a walk with Maddie, Emily, Sophie, and Abby. We sat on a pier adjacent to the ferry dock and just looked out over the harbor for an hour or so chatting. It was one of the first moments of companionship we all felt with one another and one of the first times the sun came out and stayed shining. The combined warmth gave me a feeling of relaxed contentment as we started off the program, and I felt the need to capture that state of mind. The vibrant palette of blues and the movement of the wind captured by my hair blowing gives the image a wistful tone that reflected our group’s reaction to the Aran Islands.  

Urban Cowboy: I was captivated by this guy as I passed by him walking the streets of Arezzo. First of all, I wondered how in the world he ended up at a street market in Italy, but I was drawn in more by his expression. It appears simultaneously caricatured and packed with real emotion. As I stopped and stood eye to eye with him in the vendor’s booth, I wondered what his story might be, and where he might end up. The overcast day created a tone of light that mimicked his melancholy expression, and the texture of the brick wall behind him added richness to the frame. The horizontal brick lines provided contrast to his vertical stance, and the rich detail in the carved wood really brought him to life. 

Diwali: I chose this portrait because I enjoy the way the subject’s light features contrast against the dark-colored frame of jackets, black hair, and tree branches that surrounds her. I called the portrait Diwali because unless you had been present with me taking the photo, you would have no idea why I used that particular title. Just to the right of this column of people was London’s Diwali festival in Trafalgar Square, housing bursts of color, Indian traditional music, and aromatic street food. But off to the side, there was a small space for through-traffic that was crowded with people looking straight ahead, or at their phones, ignoring the warmth of the festival of lights next to them. This woman, though, had the softest, most thoughtful countenance in a sea of push and shove. The way her bone structure reflects the soft light and her dreamy expression pierced through the crowd like a bright beam inspired by Diwali itself. 

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You are what you eat: 

This prompt proved to be a challenge in creativity, but was a blast to brainstorm and to scan for as we experienced the British Isles. 

Order Envy:  We've all been guilty of eyeing other peoples' orders as they hit the table, and this photo, taken at a restaurant in York, captures my own order envy. The “overlooked,” out of focus plate in the foreground and the vibrant blue in the background frame Caleb’s plate in the center, illustrating exactly what my focus was on in that moment, both mentally and through the lens.

Eyes on the Prize: This little bowl of sugar was sitting on a table in a coffee shop in Arezzo, Italy. I was there visiting my roommate and was struck by the eyes staring back at us from this sugar packet. The arrangement of the chairs and the lines of the table drew my eyes to the small table by the window in the back of the frame, but it was almost like the bowl jumped up to the foreground from that table and was beckoning us to take of its contents. The jubilance on the face was powerful to me with its suggestion that it held happiness inside because of the way sugar creates dependency as it is continually ingested. We are what we eat, and sugar draws us in better than nearly anything else. 

World Market: Also taken in Arezzo, this photo’s significance lies in the contrast between its foreground and background. The print at the front of the frame represents the stereotypical idea of Italy’s cuisine as its smiling subjects dangle prosciutto above their mouths. Just behind, however, hangs a coke poster, written in english and displaying the traditional 1950s American housewife. As both of these prints capture the past and are sold in the present, they illustrate the rise of globalization and the world market through the years. With elements of various cultural traditions now fused to create new faces on those customs in the modern world, contrasts like this pose the questions: what constitutes the authentic, and as we become more interconnected, do we lose a sense of individual identity?