Sound

Sound

For the brainstorm assignment I chose to photograph "sound".  While you can't exactly photograph sound because it isn't a person place or thing, you can capture it through the actions or subjects in a photograph. When photos have a realistic quality, they almost seem to come with a soundtrack. Sounds and sometimes more images pop in my mind like a movie in my head.  I really admire this because I don't feel its possible with every photograph. I think what these photographs have in common is the energy they illustrate. A lot of it is personal preference and I think it's what makes it so special.  You could have one photograph, but many different people can perceive it in different ways.  

This photo is byYelena Yemchuk. Even in black and white I feel so much energy in this photo. The moment that it captures, kids in the middle of play makes you hear their voices and their feet running through the grass.

This photo from Ryan McGinley is a great example of sound. When I first saw this I felt like I was there in the truck and I could hear the tires, the wind, and her drinking from the straw. The motion blur of the background and the slight movement of her hair make this the prime example.

I showed this photograph by Jeff Luker a while ago and I still love it.  Its not only PERFECT decisive moment but I know whats happening next and you can't help but hear his wheels hitting the ground and then him skating away.  But even if he fell in real life or something like that, this photo could lead you in so many directions. Whether he is alone and the only sounds are of birds and fall branches, or he actually is with a bunch of friends you can create what you want to hear.

This photo is by Hannah Rose. It is taken with a panoramic camera which gives it that realistic cinematic quality.  There isnt much going on here. There is no movement or frozen motion but the simplicity is what lets you decide for yourself whats happening now. Is she alone at this diner or is there someone across from her at the booth that makes her uncomfortable? 

Jagoda Boroch- This photo has two main subjects; birds and water. The sound of ducks on water and flying away is what people will hear when seeing this. I chose this one though because of not only its simplicity but because it's common in the world. It's an everyday scene that is recognizable to human ears.

Mark Peckmezian-  This picture may be the worst example of "sound" because well, everyone looks to be somewhat relaxing. But for some reason that girl seems to have a lot of thoughts in her head and even though no one is speaking her eyes are open and shes thinking.

Alison Scarpulla- So maybe I have a thing for the sound of wind and trucks but I really really really really like this picture.  The blanket gives a dark and stormy feeling that mimics the clouds  that makes the wind so much more powerful.  

Laurie Kang- Children and noisy chickens.... I chose this one because It's not only my favorite from this photographer but I get a few frames before and after I see this.  I like to be able to see before and after while I look at someone's work, especially if its not set up like this one.  And if he was looking and it was, it would be just as good if not stronger because then it would be an interaction to connect to this instead of just surrounding noise. 

Keith Davis Young- Unless the back window is just very dirty, I'm really thinking it may have rained, or I'm just going to pretend it's raining in this photo because thats what I thought when I first saw it.  Weather makes a lot of noise and can make a HUGE difference in any picture.  Say that window was clean and all you could see was the headlights.  Though they play an important part as a car coming forward in traffic, raindrops, windshield wipers and splashing of water under the tires make the difference.

This image is my Nirrimi Hakanson. She is an eighteen year old photographer who has a beautiful variety of work in her portfolio.  This is such a simple composition and subject but what comes in my mind when I look at this is obviously the sound of wind and water. It is something so simple yet beautiful that makes the difference between just seeing the moment but hearing her hand brush up the water.

The images I chose have a lot of examples of people creating noise, but I plan to not include people in all of my photos. What I want to accomplish is to have my photos tell you something. Not just by subject and voice but by the scene, weather and atmosphere. I don't do much decisive moment photography, which is important in a few examples, but so many are successful without it. I believe strongly in the sound of a photo because as photographers we don't just see, but we listen too whats around us, and if that wasn't there to help us get inspiration I believe it would make photography a lot less meaningful. 

Alayna Giovannitti

Alayna is 22 and graduated from goucher last spring.  She was a year ahead of me in high school and she is my cousins best friend.  She is not a professional photographer what-so-ever as she studied English in college, but she has always taken some of my favorite pictures.  Her photography is soft and the lighting is always natural. which I love of course, and its a lot of outdoor stuff which I like too. 

Mark Peckmezian

Mark is from Toronto and is currently pursuing his BFA in photography at Ryerson University in Toronto. Bridget posted his link from 500 photographers on my facebook so I could check him out because he is all about portraits. I briefly glanced but wasn't really feeling it but then I went to his website and flickr and instantly fell in love. He uses natural lighting for a lot of his portraits and they are really beautiful. I couldn't be happier I was introduced to him because his work right up my alley. Sometimes I worry that my portraits wont be good enough for a whole book but when I look at his work I think that if I can make work as good as his that I know I would want to see it. He works with all types of backgrounds for his portraits which I wish I did more but plan to do in the future.

Annette Pehrsson

Annette is a 22 year old photographer based in Sweden.  She mostly works with film after working with digital in college because she prefers the more interesting results that film gives. She also works with polaroids. She also does a lot of self portraits but looks at them as a photo that could be an alter ego.  

Even if its sunny out her photos always feel like its an overcast day out.  They are so soft and desaturated they have a strong sense of calm which I really admire. By her work I can tell she thinks about everything before she shoots. 

Martin Wilson

Martin Wilson is a photographer that works with contact sheet prints. I came across this photographer on a blog and was intrigued by how he perfected this without re- cutting or pasting anything digitally or even after he shoots.  

"I’ve arrived at a way of working where I put every frame on display. The entire film is visible. The numbers underneath each frame show that each picture is taken consecutively.  Each work usually takes months to complete, as each frame is obsessively taken in sequence. No pasting together after the event, no cheating in Photoshop!  My working method is rather labour intensive; I build my images up frame by frame, using film. Each frame is taken sequentially, as you see it. If I make a mistake or take a frame out of place, I re-shoot the film from the beginning! Once the film is developed, I cut the strip into shorter lengths and scan it, then assemble the scans into a large contact sheet. It's not till then that I get to see the final picture myself. If it has worked the individual frames should join up into a composite image. If it hasn’t, I cry, and usually start again! I think it's interesting the way the pictures act as records of little (sometimes not so little) journeys; each frame documenting one moment in time and space. But there’s no doubt the whole process can be a little nerve racking! The works are all records of real journeys, the visual remnants of hours walking or cycling round town, bringing to life the unheard voices of the city."

When clicking on all of his pictures he gives a list of the locations of these signs and such that he has shot.  In the photo oranges and lemons, he had to start over twice.  He started in September 04 and finishes February 05.