I'm Done!!!

(Me right after finishing all my finals!!! Do I look smarter? haha)

         I really enjoyed my first quarter as a freshman at DU, but I so happy to be finished with Business Calculus and Elementary Italian. I cannot wait to go home...as I have said a couple of times now, but I really did enjoy this class. I am very glad I got to meet and spend time with such great people.
         I had never had a blog before this class, but i really like having one. I want to try and continue the one picture a day theme or just at least try to keep a diary sort of thing going. We will see how well this goes when I actually tr to put it into practice when I get home.
        Thank you everyone!!! :)

Studying :( Instead of Having Fun

Studying is still my life. I am so sorry I could not attend class today and visit the exhibit, but there was an Economics review session that really helped me prepare for the final. I already regret not going with all of the class today, but if I get an "A" on my economics final it will be worth it. I hate that I favored getting an "A" over spending a great time with some new friends, but getting good grades and a great education is why my parents are paying an obscene amount of money for me to attend DU. If I could not work my hardest and deliver amazing grades then I would be letting my parents down and I would feel like a failure. 

I hope everyone had a great time! I am really sorry I missed it, but I could not reason giving two hours to have fun when I could be preparing for approaching finals. This is in no way a reflection upon the class...like I said I would have loved to come. I really enjoyed this class. It taught me about life experience through photographers like Sally Mann, Henri Cartier-Brasson, Hal Gould, and Annie Liebovitz, it taught me about the importance of timing, light, and framing within a picture, it taught me about cultures through meeting Ting and seeing how big the difference can be just within different states in the united states, but as it was teaching me about differences it also taught me about similarities and unity. I loved how people from all over the U.S. could get along so well in such a short period of time. (It really was short, and I'm sad about that.) I hope I get to see everyone next quarter...we should totally set aside some lunch or dinner outings! Roddy I will definitely stop in and stay hi and seek some more of your photographic advice. Roddy and everyone, thank you for a great Freshman Seminar and entrance into DU!!! 

Lost Pictures #3 and 4

I love the image of true laughter. I am so glad I got to catch  this moment. This picture was taken on my Birthday while waiting for our buzzer to buzz meaning we had a table at The Cheesecake Factory. Luna, the girl  in the middle had just proposed that in the next picture Rachel, the girl to the left, and Kit, the girl to the right, should kiss her on the cheeks. Rachel is pointing at Luna saying, "Look at her...what is she thinking!"

But as we all know; Luna always gets her way...

Lost Picture #2

This is my version of the window picture...I had been wondering where this went! The sky is gorgeous! I like that I still have the detail of the clouds and a detailed silhouette of Tracy. (Ex: look at her eye lashes and curls in her hair!)

Lost Picture #1

This picture was taken at the Denver Art Museum...it is just another example of the power and importance of light. The colors make this picture vibrant. The shapes of the windows also add ascetic to the picture.

Lost Pictures

I randomly found a memory card in my desk draw so I decided to see what pictures, if any, were on it. To my surprise there were over 100 pictures on this lost memory card. I am so glad I found them! I am going to share a couple of my favorites within these next few posts; hope you like them :)

Still Working

Still working on Italian and still love my desk lamp. The shodaw is perfect and the lighting is warm...not too white and not too yellow.

Italian

Italian is my first final and my hardest. I am not a language person so I will have to study immensely. This is how I will spend my next couple of nights; in my dorm staring at my Italian book illuminated by a single desk lamp. I love the lighting this desk lamp gives. It is not too bright so it does not make my eyes hurt after hours of studying. I cannot wait to get this final over with.

Finals Week

This is my life for the next week. Books, books, books. I am dedicating my time to eating, sleeping, bathing, and studying. Minimal contact with the outside world and all the distractions it brings. I'm about to have the best week ever...NOT!! I cant wait for this week to be over and be able to return home to my family, warm weather, and the holidays!!!! Just a few more days, I can do it!

Between the Sheets

Over the past few days I have been sleeping an incredible amount. Even more than usual, which is impressive. I look forward to my naps everyday because I stay up past midnight every night. I have been able to sleep amazingly well here at DU and now I am obsessed. Due to my new love of naps I decided to take a picture of my cute and comfy sheets. I can't get enough of them :) I love the texture you can see i the wrinkles of the sheets. Oh and if you cannot already tell purple is my favorite color. (example: blog background, sheets, etc.)

Camera Obscura

              

              The Camera Obscura was an amazing little treasure or diamond in the rough as explained by Disney’s Aladdin. I feel like those who find it are lucky because they are introduced to something amazing, but too many pass by not knowing what they are missing. This makes me sad for the ignorant passerby, but it also makes me sad for the lack of appreciation given to Hal Gould. He deserves so much praise, but only a special select few get to see the extent of his talent. His wisdom, experience, and graciousness are something to idol at. I applaud his overall determination, talent, and absolute wisdom in mind and character that can only come with his extent of hard work and experience. I was honored to be in his presence and heard the extent of his presence in the photography world. I was glad I got to hear his amazing story. Truly a treasure…everyone should hear his story and recognize his impact in the art of photography. I was amazed that he could go unnoticed for so long, but that it a tribute to his character and humbleness.

            I want the surrounding neighborhood to know about the amazing person near them and I want more of the world to know of the Camera Obscura, but I think part of the charm and amazing experience of the Camera Obscura comes from the quite, quaint, and surprise factor offered by the secrecy. I would love to visit again. The shock I felt when I reached the upper level was astonishing. I was not expecting the fest of images that greeted my eyes when I ascended the old creaking staircase. With every image my amazement and knowledge of photography grew. I was truly inspired. I could have gazed at those pictures for days and days and days. The countless amount of photos would be able to teach me an unprecedented amount, but not in a traditional manner. I hope someone is inspired enough to actually take that time and evolve and develop as an artist in that small unordinary showcase. This would be what Hal Gould’s photos deserved…upmost respect and adoration. They should be cherished and learned from. Hal Gould’s knowledge should be passed down to the new generations. His name should be known thorough-out Denver. He definitely earned his own Hal Gould Day. I am so pleased with my experience at the Camera Obscura.  

      P.S. I loved the picture Chey took of Hal. His hand shows his wisdom. I'm mad that it is so blurry. This is still when I was afraid to ask if I could take someones picture, but now I regret not taking one.

Denver Art Museum

I’m glad we went on this field trip at the beginning of the year. It helped all of us get to know each other and it helped us get to know our way around downtown Denver. Learning where the Starbucks is was very nice, I definitely visited it a couple more times. I also felt more comfortable going downtown in my free time and taking a nice trip away from campus.

               The Denver Art Museum was beautiful on the inside and the outside. I loved the architecture; the use of windows and colors really added to the overall atmosphere. This trip made me realize how crucial light is. The lighting in the pictures and the lighting used to display the pictures is necessary to make the images pleasing to the eye. This trip added to my search for perfect lighting. I like doing studio photography because I can control the lighting, but I need more practice with natural light because it cannot be manipulated as much. Finding good lighting was one of my goals this year, but I did not meet it as much as I had wanted. This just means I need even more practice. I would like to try and continue my blog through-out the years and this should help me better distinguish good light from bad light. My search will continue.

               The exhibit was amazing. I liked learning about the different methods and ways to manipulate film. I never realized how liquids have such a large role in photography. Processing, developing, and printing all require liquids, but liquid can also be used as a way to distort film, add texture, or it can be the subject. Colored liquids are especially interesting. Liquids were used in several different ways within the exhibit.

This trip also made me focus on shadows because I was paying more attention to light. I discovered the intrigue of shadows, trying to determine how they are made is fascinating. Odd shapes can make very amusing and in my mind artistic shapes. I now enjoy creating shadows and I love how my eye is a little more trained and able to see them in everyday life. This, to me, is one of the main intrigues and purposes of photography. (Training the eye to see what others do not.) Like any other talent you must train yourself and your body above what is considered the normal.

This was one of my favorite pictures from the day because the lighting and shadows are great.



Hylaea-Library Showcase

           

            Timothy Weaver is a new media artist who used to be a life scientist. Knowing this helps me understand why he took the pictures he did. I liked having the background knowledge because it made me less disturbed by the art. I was still a little confused even after I learned his background, but only because I think I have a wall-up against death. I do not know why, I just know that I do not like thinking about it.

 In the pamphlet the exhibit was explained to be “part ecological ghost story/ part zoological bibliography” and I believe the pamphlet was spot-on in that definition. These two aspects of the showcase are very different and I think this is why I had such mixed feelings and reactions to the artwork. I did not know if the display was to be seen morbidly, scientifically, or sorrowfully. I guess it might be better not to know so you can see and think what you want, but all the emotions I had were too many for me to handle.

Overall I saw the artwork in a sorrowful manner. All of these bird species had become extinct due to human-induced measures. This made me feel very sorry for the ways that humans have selfishly destroyed nature. The price the birds had to pay was not fair; they had done nothing but what nature intended them to do.

            On a more technical note, it was interesting to see all the different mediums through which Weaver projected his art. The video, prints, and rare book installation meshed nicely and really helped make the subject of the art stand out. I liked how the library acted as a little treasure you never knew when or where you would find the next component to Weaver’s art showing.

            It is nice to know that our university is able and willing to put on exhibits like Hylaea. I believe it is important for the university to keep us informed and cultured. I know this was not a huge art showcase, but the university did what it could and I appreciate it. It is the little things like this that make our university so unique.

Eyes

These trees are so mysterious, seeing them always makes me wonder if trees are more alive then we think they are. These trees are also gorgeous...they are so different! I wonder what causes these trees to have such different bark. I also wonder why they make eye shapes and not other shapes. I wonder if you could genetically program a tree to make shapes like hearts or other shapes. It would be really could if you could!

Beautiful DU

I was walking back from my ten o'clock , Friday math quiz when I randomly notice how beautiful my surroundings were. The colors and architecture were stunning. I love how fall does this and I love that we have a campus that shows-off fall's amazing powers. I like personifying fall in this way. Interesting fact: I think the depth of field in this picture makes our campus look bigger than it actually is.

Sally Mann

(This is an eerie picture...I wonder what her children think of this picture. I do not have problems with the pictures Sally Mann took of her children, but I understand why others may question. I question a little, but It seems like her children turned out fine so who am I to judge?)

           Sally Mann is described as being able to see what others do not. She can find and make art out of ordinary objects and happenings. This is a true gift. She has been blessed with an amazing gift, a loving and happy filled childhood, a nice husband, three great children, and a wonderful career. I hope she appreciates what she has been given, but I understand that she also had to work and strive to deserve all the wonderful things that have happened to her. Even the bad that she had to experience, like her father’s death, influenced her work in a positive way. I liked learning about her process, her way of thinking, and what kind of person she is. By the end of the movie I felt like I knew her and I liked what I saw.

            I liked how she described that landscape has magic; she just needs to find it.  I also like how she described how she welcomed the angel of uncertainty. In my high school photography we sometimes made what we called trash art, which consisted of making a print that was not quite perfect then throwing it into the trash can in the dark room. In a few hours or minutes we retrieved our prints, but they had been transformed by the chemicals that were thrown on them while in the trash can; sometimes the prints were altered or “ruined” in just the right way that they became amazing works of art. I like how she admitted that some of her prints become amazing having nothing to do with her touch. She is giving credit where credit is due; I like this.

            When her project on death did not get to be shown at Pace I felt for Sally, but she should have thought about the situation more clearly. It seemed like she needed others to like and appreciate her work, but did she spend all her time working on the photos for herself or for others? I hope she did it for herself instead of others because she will never be able to control how others view her work, her satisfaction should be enough, but I understand needing to be liked and appreciated by others…it is due to our own insecurity.

Thunderhead, Ruth Thorne-Thomsen #2

      I am amazed by the talent Ruth Thorne-Thomsen has in order to put together a picture like she did without the modern day digital photography and programs like Photoshop. It must have taken her a lot of time in order to put it together. A picture like this takes determination, she must have really loved what she did or else she would not have invested the time necessary to produce such an outcome. I praise her dedication. It took a lot of learning to make a photograph like this. For example Thomsen received a BFA in painting from Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, a BA in photography from Columbia College Chicago, and an MFA in photography from The School of The Art Institute of Chicago. She worked hard in order to make extraordinary pictures like “Thunderhead.”

“Thunderhead” also makes you think when you look at it. I found myself asking…why make a picture like this, but when looking at it further I realized the deeper meaning. “Thunderhead” juxtaposes what is going on inside the human mind to what is happening in nature. The human mind is cloudy, foggy, confusing. So many thoughts take place at once inside the human mind. The mind changes thoughts feelings and emotions quickly like a storm. The human mind can also be loud like a storm.  There is juxtaposition because the head is surrounded by calm serine nature. The landscape/nature surrounding he woman’s head is the opposite of the mind. Nature is peaceful and unchanging. I think the head/mind wants to be like nature. Nature is praised in this picture…if the craziness of the mind was being praised a storm would not have represented the mind, because a storm represents a bad situation, not a good one. Nature is praised because it looks beautiful versus dark and scary like the head’s mind.

I wonder why a woman’s head was chosen versus a man’s. Was this part of Thomsen’s plan or does it play no role in the overall concept of the photograph? I also wonder why Thomsen wanted to portray this juxtaposition in the first place. Was Thomsen feeling this way? (Confused on the inside and wanting to be like nature.)   

Thunderhead, Ruth Thorne-Thomsen #1