Paper

I decided to go with the Gloss paper. On the sample images that were printed off on three types of paper, I think the Gloss made the light pop and add depth, that the canvas and satin couldn't do. There isn't a lot of the Gloss paper, so the scale of the images won't be as large as we discussed in class. But they should turn out great.

Me

Pictures say a thousand words. That is a fact, and it could probably say more than a thousand. Pictures like the famous one of the Kent State shooting, where the girl kneels over the body of someone who was fatal shot. The man who stood in front of those tanks in the famous square over in China. These pictures tell thousands of stories. But what about the people who took them? They're not LeBron James, or George W. Bush. They're people like me, some no body from no where. That's pretty awesome. I'm just an average person, and for that reason when there is any unusual moments, I should be next to take the photo of a lifetime.

Food For Thought 2

I know I've already thought about this before, but I couldn't stop thinking about it last night. I was reminded because I was so hungry and my friend ordered a pizza with all kinds of things on it. I only like plain cheese, so I wasn't going to eat any of it. Certain smells bring up memories...good or bad, and I couldn't help but think of art at the same time. The pizza reminded me of my light pictures. All the nasty green and yellows, and the red sauce. In a way, it is like making food when you're taking pictures. There is a certain procedure that one follows in order to make great picture. Just like the oven baking the picture, the lens and camera work together to make or bake a great image.

When I was at home, I had no internet, so I wrote down this blog. I will be posting something tonight as well.

Breathe of Fresh Air

Man is it cold here. Not a whole lot of wind to chill, but the first step outside, it bites all the way down to the bone. Joints just aren't as smooth. The way I can see my breathe outside, is beautiful. I want to take a picture of it. All is movement, rotations...pretty neat stuff. I'd like to take some pictures tonight, but we'll see, because it is so cold. And my black lab, Lucy, has been feeling under the weather all day. I hope she feels better too.

History Channel

I was watching the History Channel tonight, and there were two programs that I couldn't turn away from. They were both behind the scenes, one was Air Force One, the other was the White House. Now, I love history. I love Washington D.C., I've been there twice, and I know I would love to go back. In a heart beat. I love the museums. I love the historical feeling that's in the air and all over the city. I love Arlington National Cemetary. The graves, and their precise rows. There are so many different things to take pictures of...I would be overwhelmed! The structures, size, color, architecture, and life. Wow, I'm getting excited just typing and thinking about it. I would love to take pictures of everything at night there too. My mind is racing and I can't type that fast so I'll just stop but at least I got some down. Later.

Bummer

I live in an apartment right across the street from Ashland Community Stadium. Last night there was a steady snow storm. The snow was coming down quite nice, over the stadium and field between the stadium and high school. It would have been a neat picture, because it the darkness of the night, the snow created a smooth fog scene. It was pretty cool. I didn't get a shot though. Bummer.

Sunday

I just found a whole bunch of notes that I had for my series. It had idea's of places to photograph, how to photograph, and a couple of artists/photographers to research. I've gotten probably 85-90% of my series done, I just want to add one or two more images to the series. I also have to come up with the size of the images too. I'm still thinking about the gloss varnish, I want to see how the sample image works on the gloss paper.

Hurts so Good

I am experiencing pain in my left shoulder and my left thumb. I was playing basketball yesterday when I must have tweaked something by driving on the floor. I didn't feel any pain until right before I went to bed, 10 hours after it occurred. It still hurts. I had someone massage my shoulder, and I tried to get it to crack. In the process, the pain was pretty intense. It was so intense that it actually felt good. Weird. I remember about a few weeks ago, I had a bad ankle from basketball. One day I happened to roll the other ankle, so it evened out the pain. That actually made me feel better. It got me thinking about the brain and nervous system, and how psychological things are. Its just crazy that everything in the universe works together.

I edited a few of my images yesterday in the lab, and I started a couple more today.

Thursday

After the critique I went and fixed a few things that were talked about. I took out a few images that didn't really appeal to my peers. I went in and fixed some of the whiteness of the light in a few images, also "Gaussian blurring" a few of the lines to add some depth. Overall, the series is really coming a long. I'm happy with my progress and I wish to have a few more images to add pretty soon.

Let it Snow

I enjoy the winter. Something about the white powder falling ever so softly from the sky. I love the fat chunky snow. Its so huge that you can't see that far ahead. There is one part that I don't like. That is the wind chill. I don't like when I first walk outside and the cold wind hits me, it almost takes me breathe away. It stings all the way to the bone, but maybe that's because I'm getting old.

Tragedy

Last night, the unthinkable happened. I can not believe what took place on campus. I remember getting a call from someone who told me what happened. I could hear screaming over the phone. On the scene, there was a feeling in the air. A horrific feeling. I can remember everyone's faces. I had my camera with me, but there was no way I was shooting the emotion and expressions of the people at the scene. I knew who she was. My heart goes out to her family, and loved ones. I will not sleep because of the horror. The scene, the horrific scene. The glass. Blood. The screams. I just thought about the one picture of the Kent State shooting back in the 70's. Its hard to think about anything else. For this to happen, in all places, AU...a night that will be remembered like 9/11.

I can't believe it. I just can't believe it.

Nov. 9

What I need to be doing this week...I need to print off a few of my light graffiti pictures. I think I'm going to have 8 images all together. There are a few that are too busy that I'll have to crop, a few that are two blurry so I might have to shoot a few more pictures. Overall, I've got some work a head of me, but enough time I should not freak out. I already know how large they will be. Like I said, I've got to print some out this week.

Light Box

I know it might be too late to start a light box series, but is there any information about light boxes. I'm interested in learning about light boxes. If anyone knows anything about them, or people who have constructed them, please let me know.

Here Are Some Photos

This first photograph was taken at a cemetery just east of Fostoria. The car lights give this picture more creepiness.
Jackson Street, facing west.
Main Street, downtown Fostoria, facing north.
Jones Road, facing east.
BNSF engine, on Jones Road, facing east.
A Norfolk & Southern heading west out of town. Photograph was taken on the Tiffin Street overpass.
Railroad Crossing on Jackson Street, facing east.
Railroad Crossing on Jackson Street, facing east.
Railroad Crossing on Jackson Street, facing east.


These last two images were taken at the intersection of Jones Road, and N.Countyline St. (or US 23).

The Low Down

My sister's surgery went very well, thank you for your concern. My dad is also getting back to his old self too. I had a great time with him over the weekend. And, like I said I would, I got some 30 plus pictures. I will be posting some of them soon, but I'm excited to show everyone what they look like.

News

So, I will be going home today because my sister is having surgery. She will be in Toledo, and I will be there as soon as I can leave AU (noon). I will take my camera, for if I get my opportunity I will be taking pictures of Toledo and back home.

Monday, Monday, Monday

I've got some great idea's that everyone should get to see on Monday. I plan on showing my images, talking about the series itself, and other ideas and topics. I've got a series with the light motion. I'll be asking your opinions about those tomorrow, as well as how you feel when you look at them. I plan on taking more photos, using the best ones for the series. Size-wise, some will be large, others will be decently sized. I think that will help enhance the series too. I had a talk with Jess, and I know what she thinks, and I believe she knows where I'm at and where I want to go.

Thinking

I'm thinking about what it is I'm doing with my semester here in computer art. With the pictures I have right now, and those still in in the process of going out on the shoot still, I've concluded that I might end up doing multiple series. I will do the light in motion, which everyone commented on before. Night images of different scenes that are related, i.e. the highway. And I still want to try the light graffiti too. So that's what I'm thinking at the moment.

Up and Down

This weekend was something else. I didn't end up going to cedar point. My girlfriend and her parents decided they wanted to go up on Sunday instead. Well, I had to work, so I couldn't go with them. No pictures from that. Decided to go to the haunted Mansfield Reformatory, but that fell through too. So, no pictures were taken over the course of the weekend.

I will try working on light graffiti and doing the highway series. I'm hoping to go back to St. Rt. 103 again at dusk tonight. I'll try to make it over to Mansfield on US 30, too. I'm also going to get into the classroom to sharpen up the images I've already taken. So that's the plan. I'll post the images after I take some new ones and work on some other ones.

Weekend Approaching

This coming weekend, I will be headed up towards Lake Erie, where I will be at Cedar Point. I'm not 100% sure if I'm going to take my camera, but I don't want to carry it around all day, waiting until night time. I will promise everyone, I'M NOT RIDING ANY ROLLER-COASTERS! They're too fast, too high, and I hate that feeling in my stomach. I'll check out the haunted houses though. Peace Out.

The Light

So the other day, I went to my girlfriend's family reunion, and as much fun as it were, I came across an idea for my project. For the light graffiti, I could use glow sticks. I thought about seeing little kids playing with them at the fourth of july, or whenever there's a large group of kids outside at some function or another, at least one kid always has one. I was told I could pick them up at Flower Factory or Family Dollar, for like 50 cents a piece. So, I will be trying that sooner or later.

Home

I made it home over the weekend. As you may have read, my father's been having health problems. He hasn't been doing well lately, so he asked me to come home. It seemed to brighten his spirits, my mother said he hadn't had that smile he had when he was with me, and she hadn't seen him laugh in a week or so. I took my dad out to go on a photo shoot, to show him what it was I was working on (He later said that he might pick it up as a hobby, he actually enjoyed it). I did have a hard time on focusing on objects that are a further distance away (half mile or so). I did get a few more pictures, that we should see for the critique.
Thanks for all of you who are concerned about my dad. He and I both are thankful for the support.

Photos

Found this guy, sitting where the new stadium is being constructed.
This looked pretty cool to me. Tennis courts, lighting up the trees. The light poles look like mushrooms popping out of the ground.

These two images were from the shoot out on St. Rt. 103, looking both North and Southbound I-71.


Tried some more motion graffiti. Still coming up with more places to try this. I'm thinking about using different colors instead of traffic lights.

Run In With The Law

Last night I drove out to St. Rt. 103 (south) and I found a pleasant overpass of Interstate 71. I spent approximately 15 minutes there, taking 15-20 pictures. Some looked great, others were fuzzy or missing something. At least I found a decent place for what I wanted. I was just happy that I wasn't hit (close multiple times) or stopped by a patrolman.

The night before I drove around Ashland, and collected a few photographs that I can use. I was, however, approached by a police officer, who asked what I was doing. He seen my camera and tripod, but he was interested if I seen a particular person wearing yellow. I said I hadn't. Man, seems like whenever I take pictures at night, I always get stopped by the cops (another instant last semester and my brother was with me then, just as he was the other night too!). Anyway, I'm getting some good shots, but I haven't tried the flash light graffiti yet.

Down, But Not Out

I didn't make it out last night. I got back to Ashland too late. The mist stopped right after I blogged, so I was disappointed about that. However, I did get back and brainstorm places to go try some night photography. So, tonight I should make it out for a little while. I hope so.

Oops!

Tonight is a perfect night to go for a photo shoot. Unfortunitly, I'm 20 minutes away from my camera (which I left in my apartment). There is a misty rain coming down that would give me a perfect shot at some fog. I hope it continues tonight, because I won't be home for at least a couple hours. I hope I get back soon!!

Mr. Roboto

I'm in a robotics class, and I've assembled a LEGO Mindstorm robot. I know how it works, and what I'm supposed to do with it, and all that kinds of stuff. The things I find most interesting are the discussions we have during class. We discuss that we're committing sin's in religious eye's because we're trying to create something. We're becoming lazy as society so we've come up with robots to do our jobs. There are more arguments about robots, but I feel their pretty neat in a artssy like way. Their made to look like humans or animals. They are engineered to be unique or different. There are many different instruments that make them unique. I don't know, some of them just look appealing. They've got a futuristic feel to them too.

Recap

Just to recap what I'm going to be doing here this semester. I'm still looking for an object that will be appealing to me, which can be made into a similar series like "Headlights" (my last one). I am going to continue my experimenting with the motion images that everyone seemed to comment about (the colors and lines). Also I'd like to try the flashlight graffiti and maybe some night time landscapes. I do plan on going into Cleveland, Toledo, or Akron when I find free time that I can do this. If anyone has any suggestions as to good places to photograph at night, I will be happy to take pictures of them. Thanks.

Lately

Saturday I went to a rodeo. I had never been to one before, and I was pretty excited to check out the massive bulls first hand. I am not a cowboy or country by any means, but I do love sports. The rodeo had a few bulls that were ranked in the PBR (pro-bull riders), and they were mean! Some bulls actually had sponsors taped to them. It was like nascar and bull riding at the same time. This would be the only day that I had free time over the weekend. I do have some photos of the event.

Also, lately my father hasn't been doing so well. It's hard to stay focused when your worried about someone, especially when it's serious.

Photo's

These are a few images I have taken around town. The top two are from my apartment, the next three are in or focused on downtown, and the bottom two are from campus.

Stress and Marketing

I have no idea what I want to do after college, and it's stressing me out. I have a few idea's (and I'd share with you if you'd ask), but I'm not 100% certain about it. I'm excited about graduating, but then again I dread it too. I'm going to miss my friends, classes, and having free time. I feel really good about my classes thus far. I've been working my hardest since I've been in college, so I'm pleased about that.

Being an art student, I learned about techniques that one might use to sell products. Advertising and marketing are some skills that a group on campus (Eagle Eye Marketing) is interested in. I recently joined the group and have been asked to help market area companies. It's something that will help build skills, and give real world experience. Plus, there might be job offerings too. Sometimes we get paid for the service we provide, and I'm asking if others would like to join, or just show up to a meeting and see what it's all about. It's nothing difficult, rewarding, and fun. Something you might think about. If you are interested, you can talk to me, or send me a message. You obviously don't have to be a marketing major if I'm involved in the group. They could always use artist's help to design things.

Irony

Today was one of those days that come along once a year. Hurricane Ike ripped through Houston, and it seemed like it was still packing a punch today once it go up here around north central Ohio. Due to the wind gusts up to 50 miles-per-hour, trees, power lines, and trash cans were all over the place. Since I talked about Thunderstorms in a previous blog, I figured I should shoot a few photos, which is what I did. I will post them later, but we should see them in class too.

As far as my idea's go for my next series, I'm still in search of something similar to the headlights used in my last series. I have been researching artists, and coming up with ideas from them. I hope to have a slide-show ready for our class critique.

Food For Thought

Seems like in the middle of the day there's nothing on TV at all. But there sure are enough commercials. The one thing about commercials that I enjoy, are the food ones. Yeah, I'm talking about food commercials that look almost as good as art.
You know you'll never go to Burger King, and the Whopper will never look like the one you seen on TV. The bun will have evenly dispersed sesame seeds but it will be smashed. The grease and oils pouring out onto the wrapper. Ketchup, mustard, and the garnishes will be all chaotic like a bomb went off between the buns. It may taste fantastic, but it sure did not look like art! Pizza's are the closest things that I think actually look like the commercial. But pizza's are supposed to be thrown together, and that's what they look like. The commercials are good at catching your eye when you're sitting around at midnight with nothing to do, when a sandwich pops up on the screen. It's steaming hot, juicy, fresh, looks like there is nothing out of place. The fries are golden, slightly crispy. And there's a large cold refreshing coke, with dew on the outside of the cup. Mmmm! So, you run to the restaurant and ask for the meal. What you get is nothing what you seen on TV. That's why they don't have signs that say, 'as seen on TV', on the wrapper. So you eat it anyway, and it tastes great. Now, you're not hungry anymore. Seems like those commercials give false hope, but still are tasty!
Maybe I should advertise using pictures of my cooking. That I could make some money, and still make great tasting food at the same time. I guess people don't care how it looks sometimes, just that it's fast. At least convo doesn't have commercials about it's food.

Thuderstruck

There are certain things mother nature provides that's just sublime. A thunderstorm is one thing that I feel is awesome. The power, speed, timing, and sight of the thunderstorm is just amazing. The powerful rain that pours down. The speed they travel, and the timing when they arrive is cool too. But the sight is what gets me. I grew up in the flat terrain of northwest Ohio, and you can see a thunderstorm coming from a second story window. The massive size and colors of the light hitting the top (from the sun) is breath taking. The lightning that strikes down and the thunderous bangs across the get big sky...it's almost indescribable, the power and beauty of a thunderstorm.

I just bought my new camera the other day, of which I'm really excited about. Can't wait to shoot a nice thunderstorm, or sunset.

Summer

Over the summer, I lived and worked in Ashland, OH. I worked for the Ohio Department of Transportation, the Ashland County Garage in District 3. While working, I've come across a lot of things that were interesting. Things that I felt needed to be photographed. Whether it were beautiful landscapes (St. Rt. 89 south of US 250, or US 42 just east of Ashland), the foulness of dead animals, or many other things, my outlook on the job seemed different. In a way, these idea's have kind of inspired me to further my artistic abilities.

Last semester I found my knack for car headlights. I would alter the photograph in Photoshop, by changing the colors, size, as well as adding something to make it abstract and flat. I was pleased with my efforts, so I feel as if I should do the same this semester. Maybe something different, like road signs, or hubcaps. I'm not sure yet, but I feel like I need to research an artist or photographer whom does similar things, and hopefully that will further develop my ideas. I'm not sure what or where I go from here, but hopefully soon (a week or two), I'll have a path that will lead me to where I want to go this semester.