vstiba

[vstiba]

PHO 101 Final Portfolio

Living in an urban city always brings many opportunities and opens up wonderful views that you want to capture. Being in New York alone, I began to find inspiration by photographing busy public places, pieces of architecture, and colorful sunsets. Over time I realized that this is a good way to distract myself from the boredom of family and the warm atmosphere of childhood. This innocent feeling of being a child comes back to me every time I visit my parents in Chicago. Most of all, I love to spend time with my younger sister who lacks my attention so much. My camera is the only way to capture those happy moments of being around her. Each time looking at the footage of this smiling girl, helps me remember how much love and support she brings to me and inspires to try my best to be a good example for her. Karl Lagerfeld once said, “What I love about photography is that it captures a moment that is gone forever, which cannot be reproduced”. Despite this, I am grateful for the opportunity that gives me a photograph to repeat these moments in my mind and open warm memories.

[vstiba]

References:

Edwynn Houk Gallery, https://www.houkgallery.com/artists/48-gail-albert-halaban/

Out My Window, Global is a collaborative photography project by Gail Albert Halaban,https://www.outmywindowglobal.com/

Gail Albert Halaban: Out My Window By Polly Gaillard March 16, 2021 http://lenscratch.com/2021/03/gail-albert-halaban-out-my-window/

Source The Flair Index, ARTIST GAIL ALBERT HALABAN CELEBRATES THE MESSINESSS OF MOTHERHOOD https://www.theflairindex.com/women/artist-gail-halaban-celebrates-the-messinesss-of-motherhood/

Inspiration to Process: Gail Albert-Halaban https://www.bhphotovideo.com/explora/amp/photography/features/inspiration-to-process-gail-albert-halaban

Source Voltzclarke Gallery, https://voltzclarke.com/commissions/gail-albert-halaban-commissions/

[vstiba]

The Sisters

For my narrative project, I chose my little sister as a model to show the story of sisters' love and support. Unfortunately, we can’t see each other so often because I live separately from my parents in another State, but I can’t even describe our happiness when we’re together. Last week I finally was able to visit her and I decided to take photographs that capture all the emotions and warm moments when we spend time together. It’s incredible to watch her grow up and I’m so proud that she takes her older sister as an example. For some photos, I asked her to pose, but others are made in motion that conveys the moment. I also decided to experiment with editing, and it seems to me that black photographs go together pretty well with colored ones.

[vstiba]

The photo exhibition that I would like to introduce was found in the Howard Greenberg Gallery. This place is filled with incredible exhibits most of all from the past time, but my eyes immediately landed on the works of photographer Joel Meyerowitz. Most of his photographs are following the traditional style of Henri Cartier-Bresson and Robert Frank, but at the same time, he was one of the first photographers in the mid-’60s who experimented with the colors. His first book Cape Light (1978) described a completely unclassical approach to photography and thus managed to sell over 150,000 copies. Throughout his career, he used to travel a lot to make shots of beautiful places in America and he also began photographing portraits in the early ’90s. It is clear that he likes to experiment with light and many of his works are made both in the dark and daylight. In his photographs, he focuses on objects presented in the landscape, and also, we can clearly understand the time of the day and weather at which particular photo was taken. In a lot of his works, we can notice the presence of people, but there are also the ones taken in the quiet, deserted time.

The first chosen photo that conveys Meyerowitz’s style is included in the selection of exhibitions Between the Dog and the Wolf that was on view at the gallery from September 7 to October 21, 2017. This collection features images from the 70s and 80s taken during mysterious moments at dusk. This photo was made in Provincetown, Massachusetts in 1976 in the period when Meyerowitz started working with an 8x10 view camera. By experimenting with the colors and longer exposure he managed to capture a seemingly ordinary cafe in an incredibly vivid form. This exhibition makes us pay attention to every detail, from the reflections of led lights to the beautiful sunset in the background. It is the use of colors and contrast that conveys the entire atmosphere of the photo and subject. The second photo that I choose was on display at the gallery at the same time period. This picture was taken by the photographer in 1968 in New York. Unlike the previous work, this one already demonstrates the presence of people and shows Joel’s passion for street photography. The photographer himself said that he was glad that during his life he was able to experiment in different styles, comparing street photography with jazz and view-camera with classical music. And so it is, this photo is more active by its atmosphere. We can see the figures of the girls dressed in the 60’s style, but it also gives us a lot of meaning to the background of the café. The photo was taken using daylight and high contrast to demonstrate the clarity of the smallest details.

I choose this exhibition precisely because I’m in love with the style of the ’60s and ’70s. Thanks to the work of the photographer, we are able to see the difference and changes in our world since those spookier times. I think that nowadays this style began to be popular among modern photographers as well, and It’s great that they can find inspiration from the works of Joel Meyerowitz.  

References: Howard Greenberg Gallery, photographer Joel Meyerowitz

[vstiba]

September 11, 2021. 7:33 pm.📍Flatiron, Manhattan. Technic: Photo was taken on IPhone 11. Mixed lighting.

August 28, 2021. 5:36 pm.📍Brooklyn Bridge Park. Technic: Photo was taken on IPhone 11. Natural light, outdoors.

September 25, 2021. 1:50 pm.📍Brooklyn, Laundry. Technic: Photo was taken on IPhone 11. chaotic spaces.

August 30, 2021. 3:10 pm.📍Little Italy, Manhattan. Technic: Photo was taken on IPhone 11. indoors, muted color.

September 21, 2021. 9:58 am.📍Brooklyn, Bus. Technic: Photo was taken on IPhone 11 using portrait mode. Public spaces, natural light.

September 18, 2021. 8:15 pm.📍Caesar’s Bay Bazaar, Brooklyn. Technic: Photo was taken on IPhone 11. Mixed lighting, night time.

August 28, 2021. 6:35 pm.📍Brooklyn Bridge Park. Technic: Photo was taken on IPhone 11. Natural light, outdoors.

September 25, 2021. 8:59 pm.📍Brooklyn, Sushi bar. Technic: Photo was taken on IPhone 11. Mixed lighting.

[vstiba]

Most of all after reading “Picturing us” by Deborah Willis I was tempted by the atmosphere and coziness that was described at the beginning about her family lifestyle and traditions. Her childhood description tells us about the everyday life of a typical African American family in the early 50s, but at the same time by reading this we can picture part of the history of this ethnic group at that time. Even though Deborah and her sisters didn’t like to braid, she recalls these moments with warmth in her soul, describing her mother’s passion. 
“��it was the first book I had ever seen with “colored” people in it-people that I recognized, people that reminded me of my own family. I remember sitting in the “kitchen,” the upstairs room where my mom “did hair,” waiting my turn to get my hair straightened. I dreaded it. The wait was always filled with listening to my sister or my cousin crying and watching them pull away in pain from the hot comb” 
These lines from the book perfectly match the atmosphere of the photos that I found in the article, taken by the modern black photographer Jeremy Rodney. This photoshoot were made for the campaign of the creative director Josef Adamu who decided to show the power of hair braiding and help African American salons who struggle financially. 
References: “Picturing us” by Deborah Willis 
Photographer: Jeremy Rodney 
Article: https://i-d.vice.com/en_uk/article/9k4z33/inside-the-hair-appointment-the-salon-exhibition-celebrating-the-beauty-of-black-hairstyling

[vstiba]

After looking through the article I began to remember all the moments that happened in the United States over the past two years. Each self-portrait reflects some part of the event that people experienced at the hard for America time. For some, it was difficult, others tried to enjoy life despite everything. It is amazing how photos can demonstrate tragedy, joy, love, history, and even unite nations. I was inspired by photographer Nitashia Johnson who decided to put aside all bad information and enjoy the aesthetics of the human body. The message of this diptych is to demonstrate connection and support to the people who went through hard moments and didn’t give up.

Reference: Photographer Nitashia Johnson, Dallas 

The New York Times. (2020, June 19). Self-portraits from black photographers reflecting on america. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/06/19/arts/black-photographers-self-portraits.html.