Enter the Matrix

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Utata’s latest weekend project to get the creative juices flowing is “Utata goes to the movies.” I chose the Matrix as my inspiration.

Enter the matrix

My first thought was to recreate the poster of the original movie. I had to give that idea up due to space limitations in my apartment, and a lack of the right props. Instead I decided to go with this poster as my point of reference.

The image is a combination of the following two shots:

I used the radial blur filter on the shot of the dryers, lay it above the self portrait and then partially erased it using layer masking. The binary numbers were created in photoshop, and were blended with the rest of the image by changing the layer state to colour burn.

Holga portrait

Noriko

Taken with the Holga 120 CFN, using Lucky 400 ISO film.

I don’t usually take portraits with the Holga because it’s always seemed like a ridiculous thing to do. I can’t get close enough to my subjects in the way I like, and the camera distortion didn’t seem right for portraits. Now after getting this shot back, I’m not sure why I’ve shied away from photographing people with it. I obviously need to reconsider.

Edward Burtynsky

I recently came across the terrific photography site Lens Culture via Caterina.net. It’s a very informative site and seems to showcase a good variety of photographers from around the world. Each article includes a gallery of images as well as an audio interview with the featured photographer speaking about what they do. I highly recommend it if you want to fill your brain with more things photography-related, and expand your knowledge of modern photographers.

Currently the site features Canadian photographer Edward Burtynsky and his latest series of the monumental changes taking place in China and its impact on the environment. His photographs are taken with a large format camera, and his subject matter always deals with industrialization and its effect on our ecosystem. To quote his artist statement, “nature transformed through industry is a predominant theme in my work.”


Photo by Edward Burtynsky. Nickel Tailings No. 34, Sudbury, Ontario 1996

I last saw Burtynsky’s work at his 2004 show, Manufactured Landscapes at the Art Gallery of Ontario in Toronto. It was a very powerful show because it captured in minute detail the environmental devastation we humans are wreaking around the globe. The above image is one that has always stuck with me from first viewing, because it contains a terrible beauty. The stunning colours really drew my eye (even more so in the large scale print) while my mind struggled to comprehend the posioning to the land this visual likely indicates.

I’m a photographer not a speaker.

Or so I thought until this past weekend. The following is a cross-post from my personal blog:

At the Northern Voice blogging conference on the weekend I had the challenging, but interesting, experience of stepping into the roll of speaker.
I was asked to speak because a last minute replacement was needed on a panel talking about blogging, passions and personal expression – an ideal subject for me.

Blog now!

My initial reaction to this request was a flat out refusal because public speaking, especially when I’m not prepared, scares the living crap out of me.
I’ve never felt comfortable being the centre of attention, even in small groups, because I’m too self-conscious.
I was very shy growing up, and even though I’ve worked hard to overcome that shyness, it’s still never entirely left me.
But here I was being offered an opportunity to do something on a larger scale that I do anyway which is to share my experiences, my passion for art and photography, and also inspire.
I hate missing opportunities I should take, and I really hate letting FEAR stop me, so I decided to do it.

I can’t really give a good summary of what I said because it was kind of a blur, and I was working off the top of my head.
I do know I mentioned all the blogs I write for, how my writing has changed, the Vandigicam gang, and spoke about the effect flickr has had on my life.
I was really nervous and uncomfortable for the most part, but I think I clearly made my points in the short time I was given.
Afterwards I wished that I’d had more time to talk, to interact with the audience and other speakers, but maybe next time.
(I can’t believe I’d want to do that again, but I think I do.)

I’m glad so many of my friends were present to convince me to do it and offer encouragement, because I don’t think I could have done it without them.
Special thanks to Kris Krug and Darren Barefoot for asking me.

Freakshow

The 5 senses

Titled “The 5 Senses”, the above image is a standout amongst the usual photoshoping trickery that I do because it’s so surreal. I came up with this to illustrate the five senses, and created it in Adobe Photoshop from five separate shots blended together using layer masks.

Elemental

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To my surprise, over the course of the past year self portraiture has become part of my artistic practice. What began as a very tentative and conservative foray into taking pictures of myself is now an endlessly creative outlet for exploring ideas and personal expression.

My most recent foray into self portraiture builds upon a series of shots taken in the summer called “Burning” where I created the illusion of fire by playing around with sari fabric and in-camera blur. I’ve since decided to turn this into a larger series exploring the four elements, with water as the natural succession to fire.

Burning

The idea for the water images was inspired by the underwater portraits of Howard Schatz.I specifically had in mind his beautifully published book “Waterdance” which is now out of print but I was lucky enough to come across in a used bookstore. With “Floating” I sought to simulate the murkiness and lighting quality of underwater using textured fabric in front of the lens and a wavy lighting pattern falling on the black background.

Swimming to the surface Floating in darkness

I am fairly happy with the results from this shoot, but feel they could be stonger with a further exploration on the same theme. Stay tuned for the next attempt.

Homage

Man Ray Tribute

When deciding upon a photographer to pay homage for last weekend’s Utata project I chose Man Ray. Members were asked to produce a photo that was a direct imitation of one made by a master photographer or one which was made to copy the style of a particular photographer. I selected the above image for a photoshop treatment to emulate the solarization technique Ray used in some of his work, an effect which is normally created in the darkroom. Solarization or “sabattier” involves taking a partially developed paper print and fogging it with light before developing is complete, yielding an effect in which some areas are positive and others negative.

The Utata Pays Homage project is worth checking out for lots of information on a wide range of photographers, from historical to current, and the members creative interpretations of their work.

Doll Parts

I was a witness to the aftermath of a doll masacre, and it was very disturbing…

This shot is another to be used as an image projection in “Bear.” Try to imagine a large scale version of this and the previous shot of the doll projected onto a wall. Oh the creepiness!