Photo Story 9/28/08

This is a photo story about a college student named Jon.

Jon is a college student at SFCC. He spends most of his time in the Computer building where he is wanting to obtain a A.A.S. in Information Technology. (Establishing Shot)

He is taking 18 credits this fall quarter and doing a 40hour a week job. (Portrait)

He often will drink energy drinks like Wired or Sojo's to help himself to keep going between work, school, and studing. (action shot, hense using a motion blur with him turning papers)

"Studing and doing well in school will pay off in the end and help me to do a job I enjoy." -Jonathan Weidman

Quotes

“Thinking should be done beforehand and afterwards - never while actually taking a photograph. Success depends on the extent of ones general culture, on one’s set of values, one’s clarity of mind and vivacity”
-Henri Cartier Bresson, Harpers Magazine, November1961

I think this quote is true to an extent. The snapshot isn't exactly thinking before and afterwards. Sometimes if a situation comes (a good photographic opportunity) and you have a camera, you think "this is an important moment" and you just begin to photograph it. In a way, you think that is an important moment, but that moment wasn't planned out or thought about for a long period of time before hand. So sometimes you don't think a whole lot before when it comes to certain types of photography. I do believe it is important, as Bresson says, "never while actually taking a photograph." In a way that reminds me to be in the moment. Take the photo in the moment, be in the moment and that can be very successful. Success really does depend on what is happening in the world, what the world needs to see, what the world wants to see and so forth.

“Pointing a camera at a live event is not journalism. Journalism is sifting the wheat from the chaff and selecting what to include and what to exclude and put things into some sort of perspective”Ted KoppelInterviewed by Marvin Kalb

Part of being a successful photo journalist is selection. Simply taking the photos is not enough. Depending on what perspective and what you want people to see is where the photo comes in. The photo then tells the viewer a story, or a view, or something that is so loud and clear that you can't simply ignore it. Thought, selection, and a photo. That is important in photo journalism.

“Let us first say what a photograph is not. A photograph is not a painting, a poem, a symphony, a dance. It is not just a pretty picture, not an exercise in contortionist techniques and sheer print quality. It is, or should be, a significant document, a penetrating statement which can be described in a very simple term - selectivity”
Bernice Abbot, 1951

I don't completely agree with this quote. More over the part of saying what a photo isn't. I believe, with not just photography but other forms of art as well, it depends on the person to say what that piece of work is. An example would be; let's say there is an image of a clock. It is a red clock with very pointy hands. To someone it may mean waiting at a denist office to be called in, because of a recolection of the image of the clock reminds them of a clock that looked very similar that they recall as a child. To them, that image is fear, apprehension, and nervousness. So I do believe that a photograph could very well BE something to someone. It just depends on the person and how far that photo brings them into something else. Love, one could argue, can be a state of mind. Looking at a photo and remembering can be a state of mind, so why not then, could a certain photo=love or dance or a painting.

However, photography is, I would say, is definally a document. It can be ugly, it can be sad, it could be a lot of things. Infinate possibilities lie within this subject. That is powerful.

My-O-My my first, fresh blog

This blog was created for the purpose of a class called Photo Media. I have written blogs, never on this site, before. I do enjoy to write, as it can be another creative outlet for myself. I feel that art is not only something that I do, but a part of who I am as a person. After years of self reflection upon who I am and what I want to be, artist was always a word that stood strong.

How did I know that I wanted to get into photography?

It all started in a small town. Very small. So small that we only had one stop light and the local hangout was the Shell gas station. This town, called Priest River, was just over the border of Newport, WA. I felt like I didn't belong at all. Mostly because it was a logging town and constisted of "red-necks" and "hicks." This is no way condeming that life-style or trying to portray a negitive light on this life-style, it is merely stating that it is a life-style I don't find appealing for myself.

Anyways, I moved to Priest River when I was 7. Time went on and I ended up graduating from high school there. I had always taken pictures with my friends when I was younger. We would dress up in different outfits, attempt to do make-up styles, fix our hair, and then we would take silly photos. When I got into high school I realized I really liked art classes more then anything and found myself looking forward to my creative endeavors. Eventually I took a class that would change my whole perspective on art, creativeness, and what not. It was a class called Video Productions.

This class was awesome! I got to write scripts (which I can recall in 3rd grade saying I wanted to be a writer when I grew up), I got to sketch out scenes (which I used to love doodling in class, especially in math YUCK!), I got to direct (I've always had a bossy side to me), I got to use the video camera and choose new and interesting angles (which was super-creative), and I got to edit and ad music (which music is another huge part of my life, I have been singing since I can remember). This was PERFECT!

I put a lot of time and energy in this class. Instead of boring math or snoore-ville biology, I was doing something I loved and it was at school. Could this be? Yes! And it was amazing. I started to think about going to college and pursuing video production, at this point.

After I graduated I moved to Eugene, Oregon. This was more of a rebellion "f**k yeah I'm out of high school and I can do whatever the hell I want." So I moved. I bought a cheap digital camera and started to take pictures to send to my parents and friends to show everyone how I was doing. Then I was asked by my roommate Demian at the time to take some pictures of him for his myspace. So I did. The responce was pretty awesome. He had comments on this images like "wow this is one of the best pics I have seen of you." It made me feel good. Finally someone who I met it Eugene saw this pictures of my roommate and asked if I could do some pictures for his myspace. I told him "yes of course." He then mentioned, "have you ever thought about becoming a photographer or going to an art school for photography?" I never had really thought about photography, just the video productions, and told him, "no, but do you really think I could do something like that?" He then told me that he thought I could do it and that I should look into some schools.

Almost a few years later, some things fell through. These have to do with relationships and yadda yadda yadda, something that I wouldn't feel comfortable posting on a school blog. I still enjoyed taking pictures but didn't know anything techincal about photography. Anyways, I ended up back in Hicksville, USA with the parents. I decided I should look into college and do something positive for myself. That is when one of my best friends at the time said "hey you should go to school with me, I am going to SFCC for photography."

After some time thinking about it, it made sense. I needed to save up some money so I could move to Spokane to go to this school. So I got a job at Wal Mart as a photo technician. The job sucked, but I was learning a little bit about things relating to photography and the money was racking up. All while this was going I was going to school in Newport, WA at an extended learning center ( a branch off the community college of spokane) to get the math, english, and other classes out of the way. This way when I moved to Spokane I would only be taking art and photography classes.

So eventually the day came and I moved. I have been going to SFCC for photography ever since. It has been a rollercoaster ride. But a fun and rewarding one.

"I think the most important thing about photography, except for being able to create, is how much of an appreication I have for life. Even something small, like a leaf, becomes the subject."

-Rachel Austin
inspiring photographer