Emulating a Professional Photographer
Nathan Welton is a sports photographer that specializes in climbing. I chose him to do this project on because of his ability to capture the purity of the outdoors. I did not include or simulate any of his climbing photos, but I have the up most respect for them, as an avid climber myself. Welton is published in many climbing magazines and is also a wedding photographer. The photos that I chose show a sense of adventure and risk taking. His photos are descriptive in the sense that they show risk taking and perseverance of the subjects. His subjects are not ordinary--for they are climbers, hikers, cats... Welton does a great job and highlighting the fact that humans are able to defy the norm. He expands upon this concept by taking advantage of different lighting scenarios, for example, the silhouette. He uses the rule of thirds in a lot of his photos, positioning the subject in the best possible position to draw the viewers eyes across the image to see the scenery and the activity.
"Experiences and stories are sort of like a weird currency: we collect them, we trade them, and hopefully we use them to do something for the greater good." -Welton
"Experiences and stories are sort of like a weird currency: we collect them, we trade them, and hopefully we use them to do something for the greater good." -Welton
Photographic Voice
About Final Project.
Something that fascinates me greatly are other people's life stories. I can pick up and drive away easily, and traveling through different towns gives me a sad longing feeling to know the people, past and present, their struggles, their joys. I decided to incorporate this into my final project--nostalgia. I drove around small PA towns and found myself in Oxford, PA. I have driven through countless times on a trek out to Pittsburgh, and ever since I was a little kid, I have wondered about their lives. I manly focused on buildings because they remain constant while people come and go. I spent time talking with locals and getting to know them and their shops, and spoke with people passing through. My goal for these photographs is to entice the viewer and challenge them to think about what occurred in front or in these places. What happened in the coffee shop that is now for rent? What were Christmas' like for the decades that the ornaments were displayed in homes? What were the families hardships, their joys? What do people show on the outside, what do they want to reflect, vs what happens behind closed doors in their homes?
As I was typing my reflection for my project, Jillian Linklater's song 'Walking Stories' came on. A lyric sung: 'we’re all walking stories, what’s yours going to say?' encapsulates my goal.
Course Goal and Acheivement
This course challenged me to get out of my comfort zone. It challenged me to go beyond the classic sunrise in the mountain range. I wanted to be able to capture emotion behind a picture, and to do this by utilizing perspectives. I learned that it is not just the perspective that plays into it, but also the lighting and color. I really thought about lighting throughout the course and how to utilize it to its greatest extent. While I did not take as many pictures of people, as I had hoped I would, I was able to capture photographs that provoked thought, which is my goal. I am very interested in photography, and I will continue to strive to take pointed and expressive photographs by utilizing the skills obtained in this course. I am glad that I had this opportunity to show my work and obtain feedback.
Something that fascinates me greatly are other people's life stories. I can pick up and drive away easily, and traveling through different towns gives me a sad longing feeling to know the people, past and present, their struggles, their joys. I decided to incorporate this into my final project--nostalgia. I drove around small PA towns and found myself in Oxford, PA. I have driven through countless times on a trek out to Pittsburgh, and ever since I was a little kid, I have wondered about their lives. I manly focused on buildings because they remain constant while people come and go. I spent time talking with locals and getting to know them and their shops, and spoke with people passing through. My goal for these photographs is to entice the viewer and challenge them to think about what occurred in front or in these places. What happened in the coffee shop that is now for rent? What were Christmas' like for the decades that the ornaments were displayed in homes? What were the families hardships, their joys? What do people show on the outside, what do they want to reflect, vs what happens behind closed doors in their homes?
As I was typing my reflection for my project, Jillian Linklater's song 'Walking Stories' came on. A lyric sung: 'we’re all walking stories, what’s yours going to say?' encapsulates my goal.
Course Goal and Acheivement
This course challenged me to get out of my comfort zone. It challenged me to go beyond the classic sunrise in the mountain range. I wanted to be able to capture emotion behind a picture, and to do this by utilizing perspectives. I learned that it is not just the perspective that plays into it, but also the lighting and color. I really thought about lighting throughout the course and how to utilize it to its greatest extent. While I did not take as many pictures of people, as I had hoped I would, I was able to capture photographs that provoked thought, which is my goal. I am very interested in photography, and I will continue to strive to take pointed and expressive photographs by utilizing the skills obtained in this course. I am glad that I had this opportunity to show my work and obtain feedback.