3200 Speed Film

Final I Am Me

My idea was inspired by my experiences of being with people with special needs, like my brother who has autism. I have formed relationships with people that normally aren' t given a chance at a friendship. I've taken photographs of people with disabilities in order to try to portrat them in a different and unique way, highlighting what is special about them. I want to try to exemplify people with disabilities through my eyes, depicting them as something other than deformed, dumb, or scary.
At the beginning, I started exploring by taking pictures of my brother in different situations. I tried photographing him while out with his friend ans while he went exploring around the park. As I became more comfortable photographing my brother, I began broadening my horizons and photographing other people with special needs. I found it was easier to achieve what I wanted to portray through shooting the subjects alone. I also really like right, close-up shots, which I found to be better in achieving a connection between the subject and the viewer; the close up allows one to see more into the subjects expression and thoughts. Through photography, I have tried to capture a moment that shows something special about each person through shooting them in their environment being themselves.

Reflection

This year has been a good year. I started off excited to be doing photography again and already knowning what I wanted my concentration to be. I didn't know how much work it was going to be, but I was ready for anything. I had to surpass a few obstacles on the way, but in the end I am really impressed with how much I have grown as a photographer. My shooting has improved as well as my developing and darkroom printing abilities.
I'm not really sure what the future has in store for me. Right now, photography is a hobby I enjoy. I'm not really sure if I will end up incorporating it into my future career, but I know that I want to keep taking pictures with my camera. I love taking black and white pictures. I guess I've always been a somewhat traditional girl, and I love the emotion a black and white photo can evoke. Hopefully in college I will be able to continue pursuing photography. If not, I guess I will have to learn how to use DSLR. I'll just have to wait and see what the future has in store for me.

Cyanotype

Narrative Panorama

I wanted to portray the relationship between my mom and her dog. I say her dog because the dog is helpless without her. He follows her around all day and when she is not there he waits for her on the couch or at the door. It is as if he needs her to survive. He even gets jealous when she pays attention to guests, especially guys, as suppose to him.

Fun with Pancake

Here are some of my "creative" collages in my Pancake sketchbook.

Funky Darkroom Tricks

I used an old negative of my brother and painted on developer to create this picture. I felt the picture altogether had the tone of being alone, so I maximized it by writing it in to the photograph.

Surrealist Self Portrait

I digitally manipulated this image on photoshop and then printed out a negative that I developed into a picture in the darkroom. It was an interesting and new process for me.

I Am Me #5

My friend Nick enjoying the moment at the Special Olympics.

Cole exploring.

I Am Me #4

I Am Me #3

I was trying to portray a softer, more childish side of my brother - his own little unique characteristics.

I Am Me #2

I was trying to portray my brother's world. On the right is a picture of him exploring a playground while trying to connect with me. The one on the bottom is of him connecting with my mom, his hero.

Mark Robert Halper

Mark Robert Halper is a commercial photographer who has been in the business since 1989. He has a talent for not only meeting the needs of the client but also making great images with what is on hand - most of his work isn't planned in advance. His first experience with photography was with a Mickey Mouse camera, but his first more technical experience was with making Super 8 films in junior high. After graduating from USC, not really having any idea of what he wanted to do, he began using his Pentax camera and asked for a darkroom as a graduation present. He was first hired to take pictures of homes for an interactive video system. He then went back to school at UCLA and began taking courses on photography Halper's inspiration comes from his love of photography and his love for different things, like women. He doesn't look at other photographers because although they do great work, they are already doing it. Halper shoots in color and black and white. He does environment and studio shooting, as well as different projects he works on.

For my concentration, I would like to take portraits of people in their own environment as Mark Robert Halper does. He has inspired me tio go out and set up unplanned photoshoots of people being themselves. He also likes to focus in on the subject and do a lot of close ups, which I have always been interested in doing.

High Contrast

I was experimenting with using high contrast and shooting different subjects in different lighting situations.

I am Me #1

For my concentration I plan to photograph people with disabilities and bring forth their character. I would like to portray them in their environment, being themselves, and highlighting what is special about them. My idea is being inspired by personal experience. For most of my life I have been an advocate for people with disabilities, like my brother who has autism. I have gotten to interact and form a relationship with so many unique people that normally aren’t given a chance at a friendship. I would like to try to show people with disabilities through my eyes, portraying them as something other than deformed, dumb, or scary.
In order to achieve this, I will follow around and get to know each subject personally, that way I have some idea of what I would like to portray of each subject and shoot without a specific plan. After getting to know them, my plan is to follow different subject around for a day or event. Whether they are going to play in a soccer game or just have dinner with their family, I would like to shoot them almost candidly – without any plans, catching them in their own special moment.

Identity

For my identity shots, I was trying to portray a side of me that not everyone knew and wasn't obvious from looking at me.