Finding a way to use the macro lens creatively was a challenge for me. Sure, I could have photographed flowers and had you saying “oh look at that beautiful stamen” or “wow that pistil is just fantastic” but decided I’d challenge myself to find something less popular to photograph. My subject of choice was a set of antique books. My goal was to photograph them in such a way as to make the most of the textures, erring on the side of abstraction. The books are fantastic, beautiful in their lines, colors and textures. The old pages and woven covers made the lens really work for a shot. I wanted you to be able to almost feel the rough woven spines and smell the old pages. I think macro shots are the least popular and digestible to the mobile photography community when it comes to lens use, so I approached it in a way that made it interesting or at least different that the normal macro shots. I was amazed the amount of texture the lens picked up. It performed better than I expected. I think I ended up with some pretty strong shots that had the characteristics I wanted. Some off the cuff tips for you while shooting macro:
•be steady – whether that means bracing yourself or using a tripod of some sort, stabilize your self.
•hold your breath- I know it sounds stupid but it helps
•take lots of shots
•look for strong lines and dramatic light
•look for textures
I really enjoyed getting to know the ins and outs of the Olloclip macro lens. The picture was more clear and crisp than the other lenses I have used. I particularly love the DOF this lens renders. My results were across the page more predictable. I also found that my camera focused more easily with this lens compared to the others I own.
Fisheye/wide angle lens
I really enjoy having the options and ease Olloclip allows the iPhone when out and about shooting. The effect the fisheye lens gives you reminds me of Alice in Wonderland with its bowed lines and bulges. It has a definite look to it and I had a blast playing with different architectural subjects. Before I started shooting I made some comparison shots just so I understood the range of each lens. This lens will give you almost a 180 degree view in your view finder, whereas the wide angle comes close to doubling your range. Both the wide angle and fisheye bend lines so be aware of that while you are shooting and use it to your advantage. Either be ready to crop some of the photo beyond the cropping you have to do to take care of the empty “lens line” or go with the rounded effect of the fisheye. I shot with hipstamtic so I can’t speak to how much of it would need to be cropped using the native camera. I found I liked the shots where I really centered on a subject more than when I took large open shots, but that is just a personal preference.
I shot mainly with hipstamatic and while that helped with the cropping it also made me focus more on what I was shooting. I tried to find high contrast subjects that would play to the lenses strong points. The above shot is taken with the fisheye lens and I was quite taken with how it made the lock look more dynamic that the regular shots that I took of it. The added dimension really gave it a life of its own. The photo below was taken with hipstamatic tinto lens and super grain and the wide angle lens. The feeling of the building almost crowding the viewer appealed to me. The lens added more character to a building that already had a large personality.
Without a lens, the doors and a small part of the bricked windows are seen in the photo frame, as compared to what you see above. Although, I also did the shot with the fisheye I preferred the wide angle for the minimal bending of the lines. Once again, finding a subject with good contrast to highlight I think the lens created a more dynamic image. Overall, I was happy with the results while shooting with the wide angle and fisheye. If you go into the shoot knowing the amount of effect the lens will have on the scene if definitely helps. I found myself thinking of the lens as I would a hipsta combo, meaning, which lens would work best for a certain scene. Sometimes I guessed wrong and the shot was askew other times I was pleasantly surprised.
Suburbia, an environment in which all of its classes, qualities, and ideas can be both easily distinguished, and blurred, verging on the point of invisibility. There are those who love it, hate it, avoid it, and those who dwell in it. This essay is an analytical yet simple visual dissection of the given environment, in a sociological context. The goal is to achieve a better understanding on this place as a whole, and to understand its many issues.
“Important News In Suburbia”
There are those who support the idea that suburbia is a place where everything is “perfect” and correct. Other common ideas regarding this place deal with the political, social, and economical hierarchies that have been established, and usually stem from the opinions of those who don’t live in this place. It is normal for people who have seen it at a glance to generate negative thoughts about what they have seen.
“A New Generation In Suburbia”
The reality is, there is a point in which the suburban setting can have a negative effect on those who are grounded in it. Different from a city setting, there is a lack of balance in the social, political, and economic classes, ultimately causing people to be extreme in what they believe, and how they act. There is also a heavy sense of pride that is developed among opposing parties within this social group, as they believe there is no reason to find common ground. This can cause future generations to grow to either fear or despise different people, in other social situations and different environments.
“Young Woman In Suburbia”
There are many different results of the actions performed by those who consciously and subconsciously choose to conform to the suburban lifestyle. This in itself isn’t a negative thing. The negativity is exposed when people choose to turn the suburban lifestyle into something that makes it harder for a community to connect and learn from each other. Adolescents raised under the negative side of this lifestyle find themselves searching for something different, and in the end, are left to develop their own opinions on this society which they are apart.
“Buildings In Suburbia”
It is valuable and healthy to recognize the flaws in your community. It is a way to start change, wherever you are. I am apart of a suburban community, which is why I chose this as my focus for this photo essay. I often find myself saying things regarding the “boring” nature of my community and how I never want to shoot here, but I have realized that there’s a lot more to this environment that you can’t see at a surface level glance. I encourage you all to do the same, wherever you might be.
“War Memories In Suburbia”
The inspiration behind this essay is mainly based on my reaction to the notion that you will only find important news in the grittiest, lowest places. This idea challenged me to look for a story in my area, and really pushed me to take a crack at a plain, but mysterious subject that has been a popular topic ever since the establishment of this type of environment. If you would like to respond to this, feel free to comment with your thoughts and opinions on this society, or any other environments and social situations. I am grateful that I had the opportunity to share my thoughts with you all, and hope you have enjoyed this not so hard hitting exposé on suburbia.
“Who knows where thoughts come from, they just appear” – Empire Records
Since coming back to IG after a long break during my pregnancy I haven’t felt the same sense of community. I thought perhaps I had changed but I began to see that the community had been degraded by the influx of stars, kids, and reposters. Understand I’m not hating on any of those groups they just changed the face of IG. Then the mass exodus occurred over the ToS a couple weeks back and now it feels like a ghost town. I’ve been exploring other apps but none had captured my attention like IG did. They are just variations on the same theme. A few days ago a friend of mine, @monoccur, pointed me to Backspacesand I took an instant liking to it. The basic premise of the app is to share stories, not just a single picture. Which, if you know me, you know I am totally down for sharing a story. In fact, most of the Juxters fall in this category. So wasting no time, I contacted the developers over at Backspaces for a chat. I am pleased to report that they are a great set of fellas with the determination to build something awesome and lasting. And the best part? They are community minded, which is at the heart of mobile photography.
The three fellas behind backspaces are New York based Adrian Sanders (@sandersAK) who manages the business end of things, and the developers Wylie Conlon (@wylie) and Dmitri Cherniak (@dlc). What originally started as a way for Dmitri to share photos from his walks around NYC with his family ended up being the seed idea for what is now Backspaces. Dmitri started building the app in May and brought Wylie in for the front-end work in August. In the beginning, they created it as a tool to share multiple photos at once bypassing the “feed bomb” that would happen on platforms like IG or tadaa but as stories where uploaded their thinking changed. In Adrain’s words, the app went “from tool to typewriter“. Not only could people share their photos but could use Backspaces as a platform to share their thoughts, emotions, or stories. What I love the most about the app is the subtle shift in thinking. The photos are important, yes, but so are the thoughts behind them and the users are there to read! There is none of the pressure to keep captions short so they will actually be perused. The users on Backspaces want to read stories- that is why they downloaded it. That, in and of itself, makes me giddy as a school girl. I won’t lie, there are some bathroom duck faces and boys in their boxers being uploaded but if you want to avoid all of that ignore the recent upload tab. I stick to tag searching, the featured tab, and looking through what my friends have liked to find new artists. In a perfect world, duck faces and bathroom shots would have their own app, but alas we don’t live in Perfect.
In the past few months, Backspaces has seen a gigantic jump in users and has risen in the ranks in the app store. It has been listed in the New and Noteworthy section also. Recently, two big name tattoo artists started using Backspaces and word spread through the tattoo community like wildfire. Overnight, the number of users jumped exponentially. When you get on the app you will notice a huge community of tattoers. At first, I was a bit daunted but then realized they are just some of the more active users. Adrian hopes to build more of these micro communities within Backspaces, so everyone will have a “home” within the app.
Then the Mass IG Exodus of 2012 happened and the number of users shot up to 50,000. The fellas have been working almost around the clock to keep up with all the new traffic. All three developers are very active on the site and I have yet to see a story that at least one of them hasn’t liked or commented on. Communicating with them is also really easy and can be done in app or by email.
In light of the recent IG fiasco I thought perhaps it would be wise to pursue the current Backspaces ToS. Taken from : Backspaces: Use of Your Content
Backspaces will never use, modify, delete, add to, publicly perform, publicly display reproduce or translate any of your Private Content. “Private Content” shall mean any Content that you mark as “private” when uploading such Content on or through the Backspaces Services.
Backspaces may use, modify, delete, add to, publicly perform, publicly display reproduce or translate any of your Public Content on the Site or Services, including without limitation distributing part or all of the Site or Services in any media formats through any media channels. Our primary purpose for the above uses of your Public Content is to promote it. Nine times out of ten, we will be using your Public Content in the above manner because we are stoked about your awesome story.
Backspaces will never enter into an agreement with a third party through which it will directly profit from the above uses of your Public Content through advertising sales, marketing sales or any other method of sub-licensing, redistribution or similar means, WITHOUT YOUR EXPLICIT PRIOR WRITTEN PERMISSION. Backspaces promises to always allow you the opportunity to first opt-out from such uses of your Public Content.
In Adrian’s words,Generally speaking what we tell people is that there is definitely a way to build a sustainable, strong business without screwing content creators. Great publications (Nat Geo, NY Times) and platforms (YouTube) have found a way to monetize while building value for their creators. We believe that you can build a great big platform and have everyone win. We don’t have all the answers yet but we’re committed to creating the solution with help from the community.
The app itself is easy to navigate and the developers are working every day to make it more user friendly. Since interviewing them privacy settings, the ability to curate, and auto complete for screen name have all been added. The interface is being refined with every update and the developers are listening to the users!
Features like an in-app camera, hashtag searching and filters are already in place and are easy to navigate. Posting your first story is as easy as choosing photos and writing text. There is even a preview feature so you can see what the finished product will look like and go back and edit. Once you have published you have the ability to go back and edit your stories. The only drawbacks I see to the stories right now are the comment boxes and photo cropping. I know the guys are working on the cropping issue and I have also seen stories where you just turn your phone landscape to view without cropping. As for the text boxes, the artsits on Backspaces are using text apps and creating all sorts of great text options like this one from @fabsgrassi.
One of my favorite features of Backspaces is the website. The website enables you to send the link to the story to whomever you chose then they can then use the link to view your story. Adrian explianed the difference between the app and website to me saying, one thing to note is that right now if you login to Backspaces via web: http://backspac.esyou can browse stories, like, comment and search for hashtags, but you can’t create stories. We’re keeping that in app only for the time being. And if you just want to share a story privately, make your story private then send the link to whomever you choose and they can view it without everyone being able to see it.
Overall, this baby app has gigantic potential and the developers are working hard to make it a dynamic place for users no matter what they are sharing. I am really looking forward to seeing how this app grows in the next few months. Will Backspaces grow as large as IG? Perhaps not. But in Adrian’s words “50,000 people sharing stories and 100,000 reading them is pretty awesome.” I tend to agree.
If you would like to see some Backspaces stories from some amazing mobile photographers (there are so many more and counting) check out:
Violet Rothko for gorgeous railway photos and histories: Photographer, Mother, Boxcar chaser, Music fanatic, Art fiend…Former Photo Lab Rat…these are my photos, respect my copyright. Azulbandit for breathtaking landscape stories: The Sun, the Moon, the Stars and a place to watch the Clouds drift by… welcome to My Corner of the Universe in northern California
Marie stretchinghope for moving poetry: I shoot. I write. Never always in that order. // I’m not sure what I’m doing here. Damien Giard for amazing street from Montreal: Mostly Montreal thebrightdark for more street but from Portland, OR: There’s not enough light to get rid of all the dark. So they must co-exist.
Maria Muzbanger for amazing mobile artistry: N o M a t t e r Y o u r I n t e r p r e t a t i o n. I T ‘ S A L L A R T . Susan Myers for amazing travel artistry: A traveling naturalist with a camera
Thanks to the Backspace Boys for allowing us an all access pass to the story behind Backspaces. It was great getting to know you all and I look forward to more stories!
“We are not creating anything new – we are building on the work that has already been done for 500 years. We are not saying anything new – we are just carrying on the teachings of the people who came before us.“ – Roger Fernandez (RF), from the Klallam and Makah people
Idle No More rally in Seattle, WA
January 12, 2013
I have never been to a native ceremony. In a position now to be reporting on one seems foolish, almost dangerous. Perhaps this is also because I went expecting to be a part of something other then I was, as is often the case in my case. What I anticipated was a rally of sorts, a ragtag protest in the spirit of others I have participated in the past – demanding of you, chaotic and electric, people’s persona’s exaggerated by the experience of collective dissatisfaction. Indeed, the movement of Idle No More began in protest over a piece of legislation introduced in Canada called C-45 which calls for the opening of access to waterways in Canada including those qualified under treaties with First Nations people. Yet what I witnessed, and I use that word precisely, was so natural, seamless, and calm. In a word, they remembered. In a history of struggle that spans 500 years, there are bound to be many important actors. We remembered Chief Seattle and Chief Chetzmoka for their diplomatic contributions, and others like Vi Hilbert and Pearl Warren for support of Indian cultural development, and Crazy Horse and Geronimo for their firm stand against oppressive injustice. Together, these people were in the pivot points of native history and responded in ways that are worth remembering.
Photo by Bryce Stevenson
“Si’ahl, who we call Seattle – leader of the Muckleshoot, Duwamish, and Suquamish people – he fought for his people everyday of his life.” – RF
It would be no surprise to say that 500-year-old campaigns such as this go through periods of lull. For the Irish, it took 500 years for the British to conquer them, and another 500 to kick them out (of sorts). But on a patchy blue Saturday afternoon with the air biting at our skin, natives representing tribes of the Pacific Northwest were hootin’ and cooin’ and lamenting and singing as they joined, in spirited empathy for what has become a dwelling of solidarity for aboriginal peoples globally, the movement of Idle No More.
In this campaign, this point of call, this ostensibly free expression of life and the sacredness of it, native people brought all of themselves to downtown Seattle. It was a day where much more was witnessed than transcribed, and I had a hard time understanding if natives were a community ever really idle at all. Notwithstanding the obvious references to its origins in Canada with Chief Spence, how did this expressive movement of solidarity translate halfway across the continent and still holding meaning for these people here? Was there a time that native people of this region were idle too and now stand, or was it more than that?
“Vi Hilbert from the Skagit people who fought for us in the cultural way all of her life.” – RF
For some, like a few elders I spoke with, today was just more of the same. “We have been doing this for centuries in our ceremonies, in our canoe journeys, in our celebration, our dancing, theatre. Every weekend there are gatherings, community gatherings, tribal gatherings, honoring the veterans of the foreign wars, honoring the elders, honoring the children. It’s a continuous thing. It doesn’t stop because of the clock. So this is just one of those many things.“
As I asked people again and again what of it, they could not exactly say themselves, and at times, I knew simply did not want to say – a community habit for honor and respect of which I cannot help but think of fondly.
But something was different and people knew it. “A lot of our people choose not to be apart of this outside world and the Idle No More [movement] showed us that there are no boundaries.”
Maybe it highlights the seasons that separate young and old, but the younger of the crowd were sure that here, something important is happening. Said Gyasi Ross, a young man from Blackfoot Nation: [people now know] “its ok to sing our songs, our traditional songs in public places. We don’t have to be ashamed, and have to put those into a corner, into a powwow circumstance to be Indian. We can be Indian anyplace we want.”
So it is different then, and still the same. Nothing new here, just now public and proud – a change that is ostensibly a statement to Indians themselves.
Photo by Bryce Stevenson
Gyasi, continued: “of course its important…it’s a gathering of natives, gathering of indigenous people to better our lot in life, to be proactive, to not play the victim stance, but instead taking control…taking control of messaging, informing the legislation, informing ourselves…it is kind of passing the torch, both symbolically and literally, from one generation of resistance to another.”
To Gyasi and others like him, days like this are becoming more familiar. It was a day of coming out of sorts. It was part celebration and part demand, of cultural potential and present existence. Here we are! the day went. Every moment choreographed to tell the world we will not stand by as our brothers and sisters are disrespected in Canada. “We have been struggling for 500 years and we will continue to struggle, so do not mistake us. We may have been dormant, on issues that matter to us, afraid to publicize ourselves, but now
here
we
are
a bunch of noisy Indians.”
You could feel the pride, and this is how I could start to nail down what is Idle No More.
“To stand up for that life is what I do” one community elder said, “Any time I can represent who I am and where I come from I am more than happy to be a part of that.”
This is Idle No More.
Or Idle Never Was,
Or Invisible No More,
or whatever.
Whatever it’s called, Idle No More was the acts themselves. It was the prayers and hope for Chief Spence on hunger strike in Canada. Idle No More was the poignancy that helped us forget the cold, as leaders from different peoples stood, spoke, encouraged, bringing the best of their small band of warriors to the benefit of the whole. Idle No More was the passion with which people sang songs that have been passed down for generations. Idle No More was the way in which people leaned into the collective pain of historical loss, present isolation, and somewhat obscurity that native peoples are in what is American society today.
Photo by Shauna Causey
“Bernie Whitebear from the Colville people who fought to make this place a good place for the native people here through our culture and our education” – RF
But Idle No More was especially about the earth people said. It is about all these other things, but it is mainly about the earth, since this is how it all began. The dark and soft underbelly of Idle No More. Hope and pain – they come in pairs. The earth sustains, but must be sustained, and that, is not happening.
“The message that I gave there is not only the body and soul who we are, but its also a culture, and our culture primarily in this country is the birds, the bees, and the trees, and as long as that is going on then we have a life here, but if we don’t pay attention to that as a human being then our life is cut pretty short. We waste our water, pollute our air, destroy our land, and eventually that ozone disappears then we don’t have much left. That’s what I mean stand up for who you are as a human being.”
While festive, there was a palpable fear among the crowd – optimism couched in nervousness of dropping the baton. That in this 500-year history of native struggle, that theirs would be the generation that was truly idle, that let the issues before them pass unchallenged, that did nothing and went nowhere except farther into the isolation of their reserved land. As much as Idle No More is a circling outward to the world to say, “see us and respect us,” it is also clear that our ceremony that day was like an AA meeting where people and community are replenished and reinvigorated so that they can carry on. When I asked Ross what he wanted to see going forward he said: “What I want to see with my community is to see my community doing exactly what we are doing.”
For broader American society, I have my doubts Idle No More will mean much. But to the native community that is replenishing itself, this day was a day to caste out demons of idleness, to reorient oneself and ones community. Given by the elders who told story after story, we all drank from the cup of our humanity and were reminded to stand tall and proud and to live fully. I have not been apart of something so sacred on a Saturday in as long as I can recall.
So I sat down on my porch last night for a good 15 minutes in the rain.
I thought to myself, Will this world be safe for my children to live in when the future comes?
No it will not, unless we fight for what we believe in. For our rights to take care of this land that our ancestors fought for and have died for. Our grandparents that have put their own lives on the line to protect the environment that we live in today. We are not only supporting one person or one country. We are fighting for a whole nation, a whole generation of children that will be taking our places 20 years from now.
This is a revolution.
What we stand up for right now will effect a lifetime of decisions that the next generations after us will come upon. They will learn the respect that we have for the trees in our backyards, the oceans, lakes, and rivers that we swim in. And most of all, they will learn how important it is to take care of what is taking care of them, Mother Earth.
Let us stand up and fight the same governments that took away our clean lands, clean waters, and clean air. For we will be teaching our children what our ancestors have taught us.
Fight for our land and our land will fight for us.
We will be IDLE NO MORE.
written by Chad Charlie, from the Ahousat First Nation on Vancouver Island, BC Canada
Photo by BP
Contributors
Photos
Shauna CauseyTwitter / Instagram / Facebook
Shauna Causey has managed communications, community relations and social media strategy for companies, non-profits and elected officials. She’s worked for the Seattle Mariners, FOX, Fox Sports Net, Comcast and Nordstrom.
She was voted in the 100 Top Women in Seattle Tech by TechFlash and named one of Seattle’s 40 Under 40 by the Puget Sound Business Journal. Shauna serves on the board of directors for three nonprofits: Social Media Club Seattle, Leadership Tomorrow and Reel Grrls. She’s also ad advisor for Team Up For Nonprofits and Jolkona.
Bryce StevensonFacebook / Instagram
I am Bryce Stevenson, I was born and raised in Seattle, WA. I am an enrolled member of the Ninilchik tribe in Alaska, as well as descended from Gros Ventre (A’aninin) of Montana, and multiple other tribes in the Kenai Peninsula area of Alaska. I received my first (disposable) camera at age 9. Aho!
Michael SchmautzEmail
I’m just a guy from Seattle.
Roger FernandesWebsite
My name is Roger Fernandes. My native name is Kawasa. I’m a member of Lower Elwha Band of the Klallam Indians from the Port Angeles area of the state of Washington.
I was born and raised in the Seattle area. My mother moved to the city when she was a young woman and I was born in 1951 in Seattle. So I guess I’m what you would call an urban Indian, in some regards that makes life difficult in figuring out your native identity. In other regards it cam be seen as an asset. As when you do begin to look for your tribal identity it becomes a very focused search. That focused search led me to art and language and ceremony and story. So the past few years I’ve been telling Native American stories from this region for my own tribe as well as the tribes of the Puget Sound area.
Gyasi RossTwitter / Website
Gyasi Ross is a member of the Blackfeet Tribe and his family also comes from the Suquamish Tribe. He is a father, a writer, an entrepreneur and an attorney. He is a graduate of Columbia Law School, currently practices law representing tribes for Crowell Law Offices-Tribal Advocacy Group and is co-owner and Vice-President of Red Vinyl Records. His first book of short stories and poems, Don’t Know Much About Indians (but I wrote a book about us anyways) was published in August 2011 and is in its second printing. The book has made an impact in Indian Country and beyond and has received universally positive reviews. Gyasi is also a frequent contributor to Indian Country Today Media Network, and has contributed to other publications including The Seattle Times and The Huffington Post.
Chad Charlie Instagram / Facebook / Website
Canadian born and Seattle bred, Chad comes armed with a heavy-hitting style, fine-tailored to make your stomach hurt. Chad got his comedy career started in 2011working with well known comedians such as Elaine Miles and JR Redwater, much to his surprise for this great amateur he opened for Elaine Miles and JR Redwater, and will continue to work with JR Redwater. Chad has always been a character, always has a something funny to say he is one comic not to be missed.
Seahawks Blue Thunder is the heartbeat of the fans. This high-energy entertainment drumline was established in 2004 at CenturyLink Field, performing throughout the stadium before, during and after games.
Have you ever really taken the time to observed the local people around you when you take your vacations?
Some of us save so long to take the journey of a life time. Others have the luxury of making frequent vacations .
We get to our destination. We are so in the moment that sometimes we never take a moment to observe the people who live there .
Welcome to the Bran Castle and the people who try to survive as the oblivious tourist walks past them each day, never noticing them, never understanding what they go through each day
|| Doamna de brânza ||
Each day I walked past her she sat in the same place selling the same items; the homemade cheese she made herself. She was there before the dawn and would leave right before dusk. She always had a smile upon her face, but her stack of cheese never got any smaller…
|| Nelinistit ||
When you walked to the west of the lady in my previous post; you would see this man. He too was selling homemade cheese, but never sat still. Always pacing back and forth in front of his tiny unstable table. He always seemed so nervous. I only saw him two of the three days I visited.
|| Domnu Sociala ||
With his tiny traditional hat upon his head, this man was in the better area to sell items to the tourists. He would sit and chat with his friend for hours and make sells in between. Each time I walked past him he had a smile upon his face as he looked at me sneaking in an unspecting photo…
|| Porc Pielii ||
His eyes were as blue as the sky on a summers day. His traditional hat positioned perfectly upon his head. He was the busiest of all the vendors. As I walked up to see why everyone was at his stand, he was the only one selling pig skin and pig ears to eat! Popular treat for the locals and inquisitive tourists placing dares to try it….
|| Mici ||
Getting to the center of the plaza, I ran into this pair cooking mici. The aroma of the traditional treat filled the street and with that smell brought the Hungary tourists and locals a by the dozen. The entire 12 hours, I never seen them stop…
|| Bucătar ||
The line was long and the smell of the mici were intoxicating. Everyone was talking about the tasty lil treats as they stood in line. One by one, this man was handed a metal tray full of the lil mici ready to be grilled. He would take great care as he placed them on the grill. A quick hip shot and days later I seen this photo
His eyes told a very deep story….
|| Doamna de la Flaut ||
The closer you get to the actual castle, you see the people selling traditional Romania keepsakes. This lady was selling hand carved flutes and other instruments. All were displayed perfectly for those who were visiting in hopes they would buy.
She played her traditional songs and you could see her countries pride beaming in her has she played….
|| Tristete ||
This man always looked as if he suffered so much pain. He was selling cheese on the outer perimeter of the castle. I remember the tourists with their cameras passing him by one by one. None even noticed him sitting there asking for people to buy his creations. His Romanian sang pass their empty ears…
|| Steaua ||
I had the opportunity to speak to this lady after two days of passing her. She would sit in this place with a single jar of jam she made herself. When I spoke to her she would smile. What a vault of history that was stored in her. She was 95 years old. She was healthy. She was the star that shined through the heart of this small tourist town…
|| Femeie de flori ||
She never smiled, only followed for a short distance asking in her native tongue if we would buy. The flowers never left this position. Her large basket that held tiny baskets of berries were decorated with leaves. The berries were all hand picked. She never took a break. Like the many others around her, she was there from dawn to dusk hoping someone would buy something…
————————
Next time you venture off on a vacation, whether it be something close or afar, take note of the people around you who rely on you to visit….
Art critique and criticism is an academic practice to promote growth of an artist. As we discussed here , criticism can take many forms but the facet we are interested in is the side that pushes us positively as artists. In 2013, we want to begin to build a forum that allows artists the freedom and opportunity to have their work critiqued. We are carefully planning how we should go about this to make it a worthwhile, healthy avenue for artists to get feedback on their work. The purpose of critique is to allow the artist a “safe” place where they can receive a honest look at their work. Respect for the artist and the work is understood before the critique even begins. Respect is something that has to be maintained for this kind of feature to work for the community.
Tony and I are planning a monthly multi genre critique forum but we cannot do this without community involvement. We are not only looking for photos for the critique but also for people who would like to be a part of a panel that discusses the submitted photos.
What we want to convey to the mobile community most is that critique and criticism isn’t a negative practice. It is simply an open and honest conversation about a work of art.
A critique of the work will touch on many different aspects. Critique is an objective practice. Meaning it is based on fact, not the viewer’s opinion. For these critiques we will be using a classic step by step breakdown: Description, Analysis, Interpretation, Judgment
A Description could contain to the answers to the following questions: What do you see when you look at the photograph? What is the context? Are there situational elements that provide clues? What is the title? Does that provide a deeper meaning?
An analysis could address: Use of value Lines Negative space Subject matter Framing Lighting Editing techniques
The interpretation will use the information gathered from the first two steps to asses the message and emotion the photograph gives us as the viewer.
The judgement sounds scary but it isn’t. It is simply looking back at all the questions answered about a work to determine whether what the photographer was saying came through clearly. Was the work successful? Did the photographer utilize every thing they possibly could to make their work have more of an impact? If not, what could they have done differently?
We would like to have critiques in the following genres: minimalism, portraits, street, landscape, mobile artistry, architecture, and still life. We are also looking for people who shoot within these genres to be part of the panels that critique submitted photographs.
If you would like to be a part of this project send us an email to juxtcritique@gmail.com
Do you have some ideas in how we can make this successful? Send us your ideas also! We want this to be a community project.
First genre will be architecture and will be posted next month. If you have photos you would like critiqued send them to the email address above.
Recently, BP tweeted an article written by Joshua Dunlop about how Hipstamatic, Instagram and filters were ruining photography. While I agreed with the majority of the statements made, it got me thinking about why I write what I do for Juxt. I thought I would take the first school house of 2013 to talk about why I feel strongly about composition and why I think it is important if mobile photography is going to be taken seriously by the art world. We all want to take better photos right? Better photos start with strong compositions. Strong composition comes from knowing how to shoot a scene dynamically. Whether that means using the rule of thirds, utilizing dramatic light, or taking advantage of texture they all lead to stronger compositions. Make no mistake, filters can’t hide poor placement, lighting, or slanted picture planes, we know that, yet sometimes we try anyway. Our goal in the one screen school house is to make the original photo as strong as it can be and only relying on editing for fine tuning.
Do I think that sharing platforms are killing photography? No. If it is doing anything, it is bringing art to the masses and making it more accessible. Now granted much of the time the masses are a tad lazy when it comes to traditional photography methods and I can see why that would rub some artists the wrong way. But those that are lazy wouldn’t necessarily say they are photographers. In my mind, there are a few different sets of people sharing photographs across social platforms. There are those that use actual cameras and smart phones to capture photographs in a meaningful way and with intent and those that use cameras and smart phones without intent. The ones in the latter category are sharing to share, not to hone their craft and can be removed from the argument altogether. Then it comes down to traditional camera users and those that shoot mobile and the ever present argument of whether smart phone users can be photographers. In the traditional sense of photography, no I don’t think we can. But then in the traditional sense, digital cameras cannot be placed in that category either. That is the beauty of art, you see. It is always changing, expanding, and folding back on itself. That’s what makes it so interesting. Art is always redefining it’s borders. We are all innately creative whether it be painting, photography, or pottery. We all have a niche somewhere in the vast world of art and there is more than enough room for all of us. Why would any one want to put a cap on creativity? To say, yes you can create because I am comfortable with your medium but no, you over there, you can’t because I don’t approve of the size brush you are using. What sense does that make? Creativity is creativity is creativity. Mobile photography is new, a baby even, in the art world and yes we are still finding our footing but that doesn’t make us any less creative or our craft any less sound.
But. I digress. It happens. I don’t sleep much these days.
Back to the masses I spoke about earlier.
There are plenty of people using smart phones to document their lives in a meaningful way that have never gone to art school or cracked a photography book. But they love it and guess what? They are good at it. They have what you would call “an eye” for photography. The school house enables them to have the language to speak about their art and other’s work in a way they couldn’t before. When they are out shooting they can recognize leading lines or negative space and utilize those within their photograph. They are creating relevant, dynamic work and can use what they have learned to improve upon their craft even more.
More than anything, I want to arm this beautiful body of artists with the tools and the language to speak about and be confident in their work.
In 2013, I want to see more mobile shows and I want to hear more people say “oh wow, you took that on your phone?” I want us to take pride in our craft and grow it.
Idle No More calls on all people to join in a revolution which honors and fulfills Indigenous sovereignty which protects the land and water. Colonization continues through attacks to Indigenous rights and damage to the land and water. We must repair these violations, live the spirit and intent of the treaty relationship, work towards justice in action, and protect Mother Earth. (Via Idle No More)
Idle No More is an ongoing protest movement originating among the First Nations, Metis and Inuit peoples and their non-Aboriginal supporters in Canada. It has quickly grown and garnered worldwide support from other Indigenous Peoples as well as sympathetic non-Indigenous Canadians and Americans. It has consisted of a number of political actions worldwide, inspired in part by the hunger strike of Attawapiskat Chief Theresa Spence and further coordinated via social media. A reaction to perceived abuses of Indigenous treaty rights by the ruling Harper government, the movement takes particular issue with the recent omnibus bill Bill C-45. (Via Wikipedia)
The same crew who brought the “American Sikh”will be hopefully doing another more comprehensive article on the Idle No More/ Isolated No More from our local areas. This is the portrait series using Hipstamatic’s Tintype Pak (as you can tell I’m trying Hipsta real hard). The best part of taking these photos is the chance to dialogue with these folks. The sense of thanks they gave me for just being there in support was overwhelming. I started out in Seattle and ended up 60 miles away in Washington State’s capitol Olympia. I hope you all read through some of these links. Its educational and I must say this movement has gotten to me deeper than theOccupy coverageI have love for so much.
The movement is still young and growing and I plan on attending and covering it as much as I can. Please send prayers and meditations to Chief Theresa Spencewho has been on hunger strike since December 11, 2012.
I write today broken hearted. Over the past few weeks I have tried to sit down and write. Purge myself of the heartache, share it, own it, but have ended up wearing it like a shroud. I have pulled the sadness down over my eyes, hoping to blot out my heart that threatens to pull apart at the seams. So many of those that I love are broken in body or spirit or have left me altogether. I’ve written of onions and storms, chains and bridges but I can’t seem to find the words for this raw place deep in me. I have craved a cathartic moment to move me out of this position of writhing. An idea, something to focus on, to roll over in my mind and stroke to life with words. The need to forget my heart and the pain that builds daily has me trapped like a bird beating its wings against a cage. I’ve tried to lock it down, push it away. I know rationally that because I love I also hurt, that the openness of truly caring can also bring deep despair. But I find pain leaves me in a place that doesn’t obey rationality. – Locked Up
The act of grieving is a whole body endeavor. It affects everything you touch, every move you make. I had been searching for catharsis, a way to work through my pain. As always, creativity brought me to a place where I could idle and experience what was needed. C.S. Lewis said, No one ever told me that grief felt so much like fear.
Grief is visceral, tangible.
With every shutter click, I unpacked a bit more of my grief and left it. My heart is by no means at rest but I am to a place where I can celebrate those around me instead of mourning the losses.
So the conversation went a little something like this :
A: So I wanna talk to you about doing an Interview for Juxt.
G : You want me to interview you?
A : No silly, I want to interview YOU!
*dramatic pause*
G : Seriously, me?
A : Yes! I don’t know why I didn’t think of it before.
G : ….. huh ?!!…..Okay, deep breaths… **hyperventilates*… I’m not used to all this attention, I’m flattered, but can’t believe I’m here amongst well – insert seriously long list of talented individuals here – so many people who inspire me daily…
A: Anna G: Giulia
A: The above image is one of my all time top ten favorites I’ve seen on IG. There is something pitiful but proud about him. We have nicknamed him smexy and all I want to do is feed him soup.
Music playing in the background : Radiohead – All I Need, Jeff Buckley – Halleluiah , Massive Attack – Paradise Circus, Sia – Breathe Me, The Doors – Riders on the Storm, Jimi Hendrix – Stairway to Heaven, PJ-Harvey/Thom Yorke – This Mess We’re In, Stevie Wonder – Superstition, The White Stripes -Seven Nation Army
A: Tell me a little about you in real life. The real deal Hollifield. Giulia in living color.
G: G in Real Life … so you mean I’m not going to wake up & realise this is all just a dream? *pinch me* Well okay then let’s go right ahead and shatter all those who preconceptions about me being so “mysterious” why don’t we?!
A: I adore you! Maybe you are technicolor.
G: Let’s start off with location, people sometimes assume I’m from Europe (or Mars) – must be that Italian name of mine or my weird sleeping patterns – one or the other – but i’m actually based in Melbourne, Australia. My background though is Italian, both my parents were born there… I actually did some schooling there when i was about 10 – so can speak/read it fairly fluently – I also learned Japanese in high school – which i can’t speak at all fluently – & helped me zero amount when i visited Japan a couple of years ago. I have family all over the globe from Germany to Canada / New York / South America… & I like to travel.
A: Let’s talk moola. How do you make yours?
G: What do I do for a living? I am a Graphic Designer by day – albeit one with photographic & artistic tendencies at night. Do I consider myself a Photographer? No, but I’m learning & loving it & it has been a passion of mine since I first picked up my dad’s Minolta back when i was around 5 or 6 – I remember playing around with it in our backyard on the steps & in the garden (I was so curious about it so eventually he let me play – though i was so careful with it it seemed like some kinda mystical object – so heavy in my little hands – & even then I liked to zoom in on the details with the closeup lens). Its funny how vivid that memory is for me, feels like yesterday. There was always a camera around at every occasion, along with cake , either his SLR or video – I wish he’d kept his super8 camera, though there’s still reels of film from even older cameras somewhere gathering dust & fraying with time. I was devastated when his slr was stolen from my car when i was still at uni – it’s safe to say I had adopted that camera as my own. & it was the day before my folio was due. I was in complete shock – my lecturer told me to “go home, have a scotch & take a bath” – & he gave me an extension for my folio. & well … I haven’t really used film since.
Me? To sum up – I guess I see the beauty in everyday things. I like to capture it any way I can… I love the details. & my eyes are always open ready to take in any moment.
A: What’s a typical day look like for you? I know you LOVE getting up early. You always get the worm don’t you?
G: A typical day involves me groaning at the clock & rolling over not wanting to get up in the morning. Once I stumble out of bed I am barely functional before 12 pm. I usually start the day with by checking my instagram feed (yes i’ve been an addict ever since I first started on there around March 2011), & me easing my head around the idea that I’m awake by answering any personal or work emails that are waiting for me….
I’m lucky enough to work for myself now. My first real client when I graduated was a trial run – a dream really, working on a concept for a momento for a private collection of Japanese art – (I don’t know where those kind of jobs have disappeared to now!) She hired me after that. I worked there for awhile until she moved on to Film & closed the design business. I took off overseas for awhile & travelled. When I got back I fell into working in-house in a more corporate/retail environment – I became bored with that after rebranding & creating new identities/packaging/signage/websites for the various brands they’d acquired. So a few years went by & I began working at night gathering a handful of clients to start out with until i branched out on my own freelancing full-time in design. I have done a range of things, the usual logo & stationery / branding / packaging / ads / & have been involved in a few fitouts for buildings which is a challenge I enjoy working at a large scale & dealing with type & space & a free reign on concepts.
Currently I rent a space with some other creatives (an illustrator, printmaker, & photographer), in a beautiful old building which has some great exposed brick surfaces & arches & wonderful character mixed with some modern finishings. I love the flexibility & usually have Wednesday free for my own thing which I like to spend eating at the latest cafe on my list followed by hunting through thrift stores for vintage or retro packagingand clothes. I love Japanese books with exposed binding & pages of calligraphy, and fabrics & papers with distressed or deckled edges make me swoon…
A: If you could shoot anything what would it be? And don’t give me one of those crazy unspecific answers.
G: Hmmm I think I just know it when I see it.
A: Really G?
G: I’m impossible to walk with. I’m always running off down some laneway, or up some side street, ducking into old buildings, sneakily taking photos while I think no one is watching, trespassing on abandoned properties due for demolition – shhhh don’t tell, generally speaking I’m chasing the light often with no regard for my personal safety (um hello nearly setting foot into oncoming traffic, & um junkies in dodgy rundown places). Honestly I’m not sure my ‘real world’ friends really get it most of the time! They are usually scratching their head thinking what the hell is she photographing now? I gravitate towards textures & abstract shadows. Old posters, paper, type, tactile things with soul, anything calligraphic, graffiti, rusted locks, broken glass, discarded rubbish,things that look like they’ve been worn & weathered by time, but have been fascinated by expressions on faces lately. People watching is fascinating, it’s fun to make up stories to their lives just by observing. There’s nothing like that moment of realisation when you’ve “got it” that shot, & you can call it a day. I find myself going out whenever I have the spare time looking for the next perfectly imperfect moment. I’ve often wondered what it would be like becoming a food stylist, combining my love of food AND photography but I like doing that as a hobby for now – documenting my every meal. lol but there’s a food blog or recipe book in there somewhere I know it! Theres a few countries on my wishlist to go visit that i would need a limitless roll for… the mosques & shadows of Turkey/Spain are probably high on my architectural wishlist though. Though I’ve been to Spain it was more of a sightseeing visit than a photographic journey – I’d be armed with an iphone this time around. & give me an abandoned space any day of the week & I will come running, anywhere, anytime.
A:What inspires you? Other than me, lava cupcakes, and scones? Just kidding.. *puts on serious face* okay. Really, what moves you?
G: In terms of inspiration, it can come from anywhere at any given moment, if I’m feeling receptive I’m like a sponge soaking up everything in my environment. If i’m feeling uninspired or down I’ll often break out the ink, this tends to free me up creatively & is a kind of visual therapy. I’ve never considered myself “good at drawing” in fact I have always thought I was terrible at it. It wasn’t until my drawing teacher suggested I try ink, that I had that moment where I felt it somehow translated something I was feeling in a raw, emotive, way. In terms of artists, there are too many to mention them all but some which immediately come to mind given my fascination with ink, colour, and shape are : Twombly, Pollock, Franz Klein, Richter, Kiefer, John Cage, Miro, Kandinsky, Picasso, Rothko, Fornasetti, Serra. Photographers : I feel like I’m still learning about but a few which resonate with me : Mario Giacomelli & Siskind also Man Ray, Kertesz & Blossfeldt. I think Japanese & islamic calligraphy is the most beautiful thing with letters falling like rain on a page. Retro type from old magazines, old woodblock letters, handwriting, old postcards, woodblock prints from masters like Hokusai. & absolutely any words from the poet Pablo Neruda – they’re exquisite – I often quote them in my photographs & sometimes lyrics from songs.
A: First, can I just say I love your artist picks up there- Miro, Klein, Rothko *sigh* Anyway, next question. How has having a camera that’s a sometimes phone changed the way you look at things?
G: Not sure if how I see things has actually changed, but the method of documenting it certainly has. If someone could build me a darkroom in my house I would probably be eternally grateful. In the end I don’t think it matters how you take the picture but the fact that you do take the picture, noticing those details that a hundred or a thousand people walk right by is the first step. Turning it sideways & thinking how else can I view or perceive the situation fascinates me. Though I think I’m more keenly aware of my need to visualise emotions or interpret them through images NOW, & am drawn to pictures that have a soul – like someone breathed life into them & left behind only the traces. I feel, in a way, more receptive to the world around me, perhaps more acutely aware, though I’d say my graphic background has played a part in the way I see & “frame” things, only now I have a more immediate way to capture & share it with others. I also adore a bit of ambiguity in a story, engaging the viewer & leaving them often with more questions than answers. It’s all too easy otherwise. Point. Shoot. Perceive. What’s the point?
A: If you had to categorize your self were would you land artistically? I know you hate this question but I think your talent is multi-faceted. So you are totally allowed to circle D- all of the above
G: I really struggled to answer this question. I even asked some other people. For one thing, i hate talking about myself. I’d much rather listen to someone else tell me their stories than carry on about myself. I’m more than likely to launch into self-deprecating sarcasm than to spout endless adjectives about my own personal graphic style – I’d much rather talk about yours instead. Truth is, I don’t want to put myself in a box. Going through my photos I realised that, there is no singular theme… sure there are links, a love for light & shadows – dark & bright, black and white. Then there are sparks of colour, like splashes of ink, red is dotted through my photos in one way or another like little drops of emotion, & calligraphy weaves in and out through the urban graffiti. There is definitely the more abstract me,which i tend to fall back on by default – illustrated best in my book Whispers, & the street G,who has been emerging more slowly, and inquisitively recently. Honestly, shooting people scared me to death before, its much ‘easier’ doing textures.Choosing a couple of images to represent me was near impossible, since I don’t think I’ve taken my best shot yet, and, since there is no singular ‘style’ but a range of them. All linked by a common thread & a common voice – mine.
A: G you are more than fantastic. I have so enjoyed our late night/early morning chats when one of us is half asleep. If I had a lava cupcake I would go halfsies with you. Thanks for chatting me up.
|| Doamna de brânza ||
|| Bucătar ||
