Critique 4

For this critique I focused on getting the images that I felt was missing from my portfolio options.  Last critique I had taken a picture that was of a larger scene and not such a close up which I liked and wanted to include a few of them in my final portfolio so I tried to take some like that.  I also was trying to think of some new ideas of places I could go to take some photographs.  I thought a cemetery would be a perfect idea since I am focusing on the overlooked human presence and to me a cemetery is perfect for this.  I liked the idea that the headstones are a reminder of the human that once was and also that the flowers and things that people leave behind are a reference to the human presence that still is (although not present) juxtaposed with the human that is gone.  After this week I feel very happy with the group of images that I have to choose from for my final portfolio.  I think the challenge for me now will be how to edit them down and sequence them so that I can make a strong and cohesive portfolio.  

Artist Statement Draft:
          The human presence is something we experience daily through all our senses.  However often times we overlook the human presence that is around us when we are completely alone. Even with this void, we can still feel the warmth of that presence that once was in the most common of places.

We are so familiar with our surroundings and the objects that occupy them that we often pass by such places and things without giving them much thought.  My photographs force you to look at these universal places and objects much longer than you typically would, leaving you slightly uncomfortable around something so comfortable and familiar.  Weather it be personal items someone left behind, something someone built, or even the stone that marks the human presence that once was, we are reminded that we are never truly alone.

The images are black and white with a slight sepia tint to it to give them an aged timeless feel; time is not a concern in this series.  Rich in detail and high in contrast, these familiar images are able to make a more powerful and significant presence.

This group of photographs captures the juxtaposition of warmth and alienation while being free from any physical human in the image.  My work offers and alternative way of seeing common situations and making them appear new and interesting; turning the mundane into something special.