Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Friday, November 19, 2010
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Social Narrative
Vacant
By Kristen Phelps
Statement of Purpose
Littered across the U.S. is evidence of life, which has come and gone. People build and use their homes, garages, businesses, and barns and give them back to the earth. Thus, the epidemic of vacant, abandoned, neglected structures, which covers New Hampshire.
For me this project has been a long time in the making and still not nearly finished. Over the years I’ve taken a liking to old, abandoned buildings, rusted trucks, and falling fences. I think what attracts me is the story in which they hold. Unlike new cars, buildings etc. they have lived through many years of good times and bad times, their weathered appearances are proof.
As I’ve become familiar with disregarding “No Trespassing” and “Private Property” signs I’ve been able to find the real beauty in these old places. The reflections and sharpness of broken glass, the curvature of warped floors, the texture in rusted metal, the moss growing in gorgeous green patterns all over the weathered wood have become things I look forward to capturing with my camera.
Although most of the places I visit are beyond repair they still deserve a second look. For decades, even centuries for some, they served their uses well and should be appreciated for that.
My hope is to continue this project. Research more abandoned and vacant places and visit them. This is somewhat of an on-going process. This body of work is my witness to the old, vacant, abandoned, neglected and beautiful things scattered around New Hampshire.
Enjoy.
By Kristen Phelps
Statement of Purpose
Littered across the U.S. is evidence of life, which has come and gone. People build and use their homes, garages, businesses, and barns and give them back to the earth. Thus, the epidemic of vacant, abandoned, neglected structures, which covers New Hampshire.
For me this project has been a long time in the making and still not nearly finished. Over the years I’ve taken a liking to old, abandoned buildings, rusted trucks, and falling fences. I think what attracts me is the story in which they hold. Unlike new cars, buildings etc. they have lived through many years of good times and bad times, their weathered appearances are proof.
As I’ve become familiar with disregarding “No Trespassing” and “Private Property” signs I’ve been able to find the real beauty in these old places. The reflections and sharpness of broken glass, the curvature of warped floors, the texture in rusted metal, the moss growing in gorgeous green patterns all over the weathered wood have become things I look forward to capturing with my camera.
Although most of the places I visit are beyond repair they still deserve a second look. For decades, even centuries for some, they served their uses well and should be appreciated for that.
My hope is to continue this project. Research more abandoned and vacant places and visit them. This is somewhat of an on-going process. This body of work is my witness to the old, vacant, abandoned, neglected and beautiful things scattered around New Hampshire.
Enjoy.
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Contact sheets for Social Landscape
This project I tossed some ideas around, I wanted to take pictures of prisons, but after little research learned that was impossible unless you're the TV show "Lock Up". So I stuck with what I love to shoot, abandoned places.
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Monday, November 8, 2010
Inspiration
Since I missed the class this was assigned in I'm not sure if we're supposed to say who inspires us or what inspires us.
As far as what inspires me... I'd say a little bit of everything. I find the most inspiration when I'm walking around, people watching, or driving around. Since I began taking photography a couple years ago my eye is always searching for interesting compositions or pleasing things, I am always thinking about my next photo. So everything around me inspires me, the people I see, the places I go and the things I come across. Knowing this, I spend a lot of time researching different places and cultures and have cultivated a thirst to travel and photograph foreign people, places and things. When I look at a picture many questions come to mind, I always want to know more. I think that is why many documentary photographers really catch my attention. Right now I really enjoy Mary Calvert's documentary style work.
I am inspired and greatly admire the work of Elliott Erwitt, Sally Mann and Annie Leibovitz.
As far as what inspires me... I'd say a little bit of everything. I find the most inspiration when I'm walking around, people watching, or driving around. Since I began taking photography a couple years ago my eye is always searching for interesting compositions or pleasing things, I am always thinking about my next photo. So everything around me inspires me, the people I see, the places I go and the things I come across. Knowing this, I spend a lot of time researching different places and cultures and have cultivated a thirst to travel and photograph foreign people, places and things. When I look at a picture many questions come to mind, I always want to know more. I think that is why many documentary photographers really catch my attention. Right now I really enjoy Mary Calvert's documentary style work.
I am inspired and greatly admire the work of Elliott Erwitt, Sally Mann and Annie Leibovitz.
Why Photograph?
Why do people photograph?
I can only guess why people photograph-- to capture. People are always trying to make everlasting memories, and photos do that. They have the power to capture moods, emotions and feelings. Most people photograph their family and important moments in their lives. One qualm I have with photography is that if I'm always photographing other people and documenting their lives, who will document mine? I guess the answer is within my pictures. All the pictures I take hold a little piece of me, capture a sense of me. When I photograph, I capture; and that's why I photograph. I love the sense of being able to hold onto a moment once it's past. I love the feeling of looking through old photographs and reliving old memories and good times.
What do I want to photograph-- everything.
I can only guess why people photograph-- to capture. People are always trying to make everlasting memories, and photos do that. They have the power to capture moods, emotions and feelings. Most people photograph their family and important moments in their lives. One qualm I have with photography is that if I'm always photographing other people and documenting their lives, who will document mine? I guess the answer is within my pictures. All the pictures I take hold a little piece of me, capture a sense of me. When I photograph, I capture; and that's why I photograph. I love the sense of being able to hold onto a moment once it's past. I love the feeling of looking through old photographs and reliving old memories and good times.
What do I want to photograph-- everything.
My Creative Process
This is a catch up for when I missed class a couple weeks ago. My photographic process is based on everything I see. I've always considered myself a very visual person, I try to find beauty in wherever I look. I'm one of those photographers who always has their camera with them. Whenever I see something I find beautiful or interesting I take a picture. My photographic process is very simple, look around and photography all things I find beautiful, simple, or interesting.
Weekend Photographs
Catch up- Social Landscape Definition and Progress
Alright so I know we've had a class explaining what we think "social landscape narrative" means, but I interpreted it as it means something different to everyone. I still don't have a solid grasp on the concept and I'm not sure if it's because I'm dumb or because it's just a really broad subject (hopefully the latter is the case).
When Julee told us to come up with our own definition of it I kind of guess it was anything affected that told a story. Kind of like documentary photography, street photography or photography which you see an underlying meaning. Basically I gathered that it's not formal portraits or anything staged.
For my project I'm waiting to hear back from a jail in Manchester on their policies on photographing. But, with the time constraints I don't think that seems plausible. My back up plan is to expand on what I love, old buildings, anything abandoned or neglected. I think this would be cool if I did a variation of close up, abstract images and also zoomed out images.
When Julee told us to come up with our own definition of it I kind of guess it was anything affected that told a story. Kind of like documentary photography, street photography or photography which you see an underlying meaning. Basically I gathered that it's not formal portraits or anything staged.
For my project I'm waiting to hear back from a jail in Manchester on their policies on photographing. But, with the time constraints I don't think that seems plausible. My back up plan is to expand on what I love, old buildings, anything abandoned or neglected. I think this would be cool if I did a variation of close up, abstract images and also zoomed out images.
Thursday, November 4, 2010
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