Ad Buster

To me, Hummer advertisements are all about power and status. This add was not supper flashy but rather simple, almost as if saying that a Hummer is all you need to feel good about yourself. The add is targeting anyone who is wealthy enough (or wishes they were wealthy enough) to buy the huge, powerful vehicle. I don't think any audience is really being left out because if someone can't afford the car, they will want to be able to afford it. Its not directed at kids but if a child sees the add, they will think it is cool and want the car. This add is targeting everyone to get people to want to feel powerful and like they are wealthy enough or important enough to own a Hummer. However, I  think Hummers are completely unnecessary and that driving one is irresponsible considering their obscene gas milage so I decided to change the meaning of the add to show my view of Hummers. (I erased the original white text at the top, wrote in my own, and added the text to the car.)

The Body: Feet

            When talking about the body people often think about flat abs, muscles, and the sex appeal that is usually nowadays associated with the body. It is seen as a beautiful form or as something that can be perfected and worked on until it matches the expectations of society.  In contrast, the body is also very commonly used to show the problems of the human body in our society such as obesity. Thus, in photography, the body is almost always somehow related to the idea of desire or disgust.

            Although every part of the body has been photographed over and over again, I feel that feet are not a very common subject. I decided to photograph feet because they are not a part of the body that I, and many people for that matter, particularly like. I actually find feet rather repulsive. Because of this, I wanted to photograph feet in a way that would show them in a pleasing way so that they are not, at least in my eyes, a representation of disgust. I also wanted to show that even just by looking a photograph of a person’s feet you can tell something about that person. Feet can show a little of a person’s identity even though they are not a super defining part of the body. For example, I have a picture of a girl during a modern dance class. She is not doing an extravagant dance move but you can guess that she is a dancer and therefore know a little bit about her life.

            My inspiration for this project was our discussion of photographers like Orlan and Corrine Day who were photographing the body in a grotesque way. The images we looked at in class showed the more disgusting aspects of the human body and the distorted views of what people think is beautiful and how far they are willing to go to make themselves look a certain way. With this project I wanted to show the opposite. I do think is very interesting to see the body in a grotesque way but I wanted to take a part of the body that, to me, is not so desirable and try and capture it in a natural way that would make it more appealing.

            With this project I wanted to show feet, a part of the body not often associated with beauty or desire, in a way that would make them seen as a natural, and beautiful part of the body. This project goes along with the properties of desire versus disgust and also a little with identity because feet are a part of us that are not usually noticed that can say something about who we are.

Documentary - MMA

 I have never really been interested in sports such as MMA or boxing until I saw one of my friends compete in a competition and win. After seeing him at the end of the tournament bruised and bloody with a huge smile on his face I realized that it takes a certain type of person to enjoy this lifestyle.

Fighting is a way of life for some people. Through this project I wanted to show how, although it is violent and can be dangerous, it is a sport that many enjoy safely. For many, or at least for me, the world of fighting is kind of a mystery. It takes a lot of practice, skill, and mental toughness to get through a training session, let alone a real fight. I was inspired to document the type of people who do it everyday and to get a glimpse of them training.

Lighting

I chose lighting as one element to focus on because, like texture, I think it helps provide a full experience when viewing the pictures all together. I captured the light hitting the ruin near sunset when the light was soft which helped give the building a more natural, almost peaceful look. I also think the lighting helps to pass along the age of the ruin. Compared to my perspective shots, these images help show the ruin in a new light (no pun intended)!

Texture

I decided to focus on the texture of the ruin because it just seemed to fit given the primitiveness of the building. I captured three of the main textures to show the structure of the building but I think the textures help give the ruin more character. Seeing the texture helps pull together all the photographs to make the viewing experience more realistic. I really like how the textures help create a more rustic feel of the building.

Perspective