Parker Fitzgerald

Parker Fitzgerald is a photographer/ illustrator/ designer. In his photography he shoots polaroid, medium format, 25 mm and digital. He's a multi talented artist with equally great logos, illustrations and designs. But his photography has this freedom and natural feeling that I admire. To be able to shoot these with a medium format camera is a true talent. His portraits are real and warm. I am really drawn to this style of photography, especially when shot with medium format. I know when I shoot, I take extra personal care to every photo and I can tell he does the same. 

Alec Soth

Assignment #1- The treasure hunt

My favorite image from this selection is from the winner Etienne Courtois. When I saw this photo I was so in awe at how completely perfect it was. Im not sure why but I was so drawn to this photo. The composition is dead on. The division of space in every corner gives such a controlled feeling.  The color helps a lot like the blue from that truck, but its really the choices that were made while cropping that makes this great. 

Assignment #2- To tell a short story through pictures. 

This photo by Manuela Costalima (website) is the last one in her short story series. As I was looking through all of them I thought they were all so beautiful and had a great sensibility to the light. The connection to these photos were truly so beautiful on the surface but they have such an emotional almost sad energy. As I was looking at these there was this underlying Italian feeling and It reminded me of my family and I'm not sure why. Soth says later on that this series has feeling like the italian photographer Luigi Ghirri.  Oh and one of her images was the winner for this assignment. 

Assignment #3- Take a picture of a non- photographer and have them take a photo of you

This photo was not a winner or anything but I really like this photo by photographer Richard Payne. He fitsr photographed his 2 year old daughter Ruby and then handed over the camera to her. Starting at his shoes after a few shots she finally got his head in a photo. He calls it her "hockney-esque" style. There's also something about the angle she takes this. Since the bottom one is a different perspective from when she ends its truly the odd view looking up. The photo of her is really just a beautiful portrait on its own. I like the colors and composition

Assignment #4- document an encounter with photographs and text

So this photographer doesnt actually have a name but "Seberome" (their flickr name) has a series of great images about a boy growing up. Even though all five are about the same length I feel like I know this family and this boy Ernst. In this paticular photo I really love the colors. They just repeat all over. All the images have a de-saturated color palate which makes this so much more depressing. Plus a few are in the winter. I like the simplicity in this whole series.

Larry Sultan

This series "Pictures from Home" published in 1992, Sultan photographed his parents in their home in San Francisco. This book features dialogue from his father about the work and photos from his childhood. The issues of aging and retirement play important roles considering his father was fired from his job for not moving with his company. What I like about these photos are not only the success he had photographing his parents but how he turned these sometimes odd moments into beautiful compositions. The use of natural lighting in these photos made me fall in love. I really like the directness of the first photo. The perfect composition and the warm colors make a comfortable photo. Plus he's barefoot so the carpet looks extra comfy. 

Not only do I love the lighting here again, I am drawn to the left side reflection where you can see the inside of the newspaper and his arm. This leads you to another dimension of the photo. Also that pop of yellow makes this photo much stronger. The newspaper is significant because Larrys father is jobless at this point so looking at the business section was a better choice then like entertainment or something. 

This last photo is a dark photo compared to the first 2. What I like about this though is that light again. I feel like his mother is awake before everyone else and is getting the first glimpse of the sunny day. It also makes you feel like she may be trapped by either old age, or just life.  

This photo is from a spread from Another magazine in s/s 2006. This has all of Shores compositional elements but just with a real model which made me very happy. What I like about this is the equal and tight feeling this composition has. Your eye travels to her face then stops at the paint and back down and around to the bushes then upwards. The space between her feet and her head and the paint makes this feel organized. The 2 triangles also break up the horizontal lines. Even if she wasn't in it, It would be just as strong. Another beautiful element is this muted color which his photos have. It works really well for these photos. 

What caught my attention first about this photo was the depth of field. They aren't even that far away from the hose and its blurred!! It gave me instant chills. This flat consistent lighting is my favorite and works really well with the cold, cloudy morning feeling of this photo. I really love the round shape the hose is making with the yellow lights inside the house. The shapes take your eyes across the photo. Also the gloves create even more of a strong diagonal. There is so much good about this photo the last thing I realized was that they were matching.

What I don't care for about this photo is the angle. Maybe its the only way he could fit his 8x10 in the bathroom but it's personally his least appealing. I love his photos that are straight on and forward so I think that some of the work he has done at this high angle is not the strongest

2nd reading assignment

Joel Meyerwitz

In one of my favorites by Meyerwitz, I dont think this composition could be any more dead on. His sense for lighting gives the feeling you are standing with him listening to the rain and thunder.  It's evident in his other photography, that he has been influenced by Eggleston and his color. Passing from left to right over the photo you really get the feeling of the cold of outside and warmth of inside, and that open window that brings the inside out. 

Todd Hido

For such a simple subject matter I find this photo extremely beautiful. Street signs are so everyday and common but here, Hido photographed them in a way never I dont think is often looked at. This wouldn't be half as strong without the orange signs but that small amount of color makes this something so different then what it would have been if they were not there. 

Doug Dubois

The reason I felt this was a great example is because Szarkowski mentions how in Egglestons work, he frequently shows us pictures of aunts and uncles, street signs where his photography could be more like a diary and that Is definitely how I felt about this series of family photos from 1984- 1992. These photos are true and would be just as beautiful if they weren't in color though he paid close attention to colors. The color contrast between the red and green are perfect with his red shoes. This definitely has the feeling of a snapshot, but is so much more closely looked at. Color was noticed here but maybe the subject matter first. 

William Eggleston

WILLIAM EGGLESTON

1. The subject is of an old woman smoking a cigarette sitting on an old couch

2. This particular photo looks ok in black and white. I prefer it in color, because there are so many beautiful and vibrant colors, why hide them?

3. What I like about the colors in this photo is that all of the colors compliment each other perfectly. If this was black and white then this would not be evident. Also the lines of the trellis in the background mimic the lines the couch make and the metal springs under the cushion.

4. Like I stated in 3, he uses compliments so well here that it's creepy (in a good way). 

1. Egglestons wife Rosa sleeping 

2. I enjoy this photo in black and white because there is a lot of tonal range. I prefer it black and white maybe as much as color

3.I dont know if I can say I dislike anything about this image. I chose it because I really really liked the composition and the situation. It seems so innocent and peaceful, even though the tv is fuzzy. I feel like I have a whole back story to this one. If I had to pick something it would be the white sheet/pillow in the bottom left corner. If a little was cropped from the bottem it would have only made it better. 

4. I think this situation spoke to him for a few reasons. He could have chosen any angle to take this but including the red light in the closet was such a great choice. It gives this eery quality because why the heck is the light red? 

1 little boy standing outside before sunset

2 This photo is ok black and white because it also has a nice tonal range. But better in color.

3 I was drawn first to the strong lighting. Then to the juxtaposition of the dark and stormy looking sky. And this child's face and stance looks so uncomfortable you cant help help but want to make him feel safe. If anything i wish he would have placed the boy a few feet further up past the road to take out the reflector because I think its detracts from the image. 

4. The red against the green and the dull blue sky give a dark feeling overall to the photograph.

Mike Bailey Gates

Mike is a an 18 year old photographer from New England who has been photographing since he was 13. He has an amazing resume already. Besides being featured in tons of magazines and Urban Outfitters blog, he has an art gallery showing at jesse smith and an exhibition in Brussels and France. His photography is very planned out and extravagant. He creates sets and scenarios that set him apart.
His choice of color and desaturation make a dreamy and light feeling.