Urban Elements

The psyche of the city has its very own complex and fascinating perspective. Urban areas create an impressive mixture of personalities, and I attempted to express this in my photographic series entitled "Urban Elements". Utilizing the versatility and vibrant persona of my model, Breanna Demont, I captured just a few of the lively dimensions of the urban lifestyle. By placing her own unique and inspirational style in the Santa Fe Art district of Denver, I demonstrated some of the bits and pieces of what makes urban areas so oddly beautiful.

Cindy Sherman

                                             Photograph of Cindy Sherman by Mark Seliger

Untitled Film Still #56, Cindy Sherman

"I think people are more apt to believe photographs, especially if it's something fantastic. They're willing to be more gullible. Sometimes they want fantasy. Even if they know it's fake they can believe anything. People are accustomed to being told what to believe in." ~Cindy Sherman

Untitled Film Still #13, Cindy Sherman

Untitled #424, Cindy Sherman

Cindy Sherman is an American photographer born on January 19, 1954 in New Jersey. Her relationship with art started with painting and progressed to photography as she found painting too limiting. Although she failed an introductory photography course at Buffalo State College, she retook the course and became quickly involved in the world of contemporary art. She is most well known for her photographic series which feature her as the main subject. These portraits often show her in a variety of dramatic clothing and makeup that she selects herself and then models and shoots herself. For most of these portraits she often must take on the mentality of an actress in order to portray a persona completely different from her own. She has created a large variety of works that have often been seen as calling into question the role of women in society, yet she does not personally view her intentions as predominantly feminist per say. A monumental accomplishment for her as a photographer was when her 69-photograph series of "Untitled Film Stills" was completed in 1980 and bought in 1995 by the Museum of Modern Art in New York for approximately one million dollars.She was also awarded a MacArthur Fellowship of $500,000 for 5 years in 1995, which is a tremendous feat for an artist.  In a few of her photographic series she will occasionally remove herself as the main subject, such as in her 1989 Sex series where she utilized mannequins posed in a somewhat graphic and dramatic manner. In 2003 and 2004 she created the Clowns set, which involved extravagant makeup and a variety of colorful backgrounds. This work can also be related to her 2011 partnership with the makeup company MAC, where she used MAC makeup in an eye-catching and creative way to create a similar clown look. Needless to say, her photographs are very creative and dynamic and are excellent illustrations of the her unique talent as an artist.

Untitled A-E, Cindy Sherman

My Evolving Relationship with Photography

For the past few years, photography has developed into a passion and a bit of an obsession of mine. I have passed many milestones to reach my current skill level, but the beauty of photography is that it is a never-ending process filled with challenges of reflection and self-improvement. Throughout the duration of this course in Paris and London, I was constantly pushing myself to live in the moment while capturing it as effectively as possible. At the same time, I was delighted to befriend my peers and have the ability to document our journey together. I found myself shift throughout the course from being focused primarily on photographing interesting landscape to becoming captivated with the human subject. Photography became an interesting means to connecting with my peers as we were often one another's best subjects. In reflection, the photographs of the people I know are far more meaningful to me now than any beautiful landscape. This was an wonderful trip which left me feeling more evolved as a photographer and a human being. I have seen an exciting maturation in my photographs as they are much more skillfully executed as well as thoughtful. I look forward to the memories I will capture on film in the future, and the times I will undoubtedly look through these photographs fondly. The final photography assignment was "A Day in Your Life", and the photographs can be seen at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/89539116@N04/8273301297/in/set-72157632251278008

Psychological Differences Between the Same Subject, Painted and Photographed

There are a number of obvious and not so obvious differences across varying art modes such as painting and photography. All of these differing factors would have an influential role in determining the psychological mindset of the subject, and ultimately how they may be perceived through the final work of art. The first would be the skill set of the artist, as well as their ultimate vision for what they want to portray. The artist has the power to control everything from how the subject is posed to how the subject interacts with the artist, and this process would greatly differ from photography to painting. The second factor would be the actual personality and physical characteristics of the subject. Photography is a much easier method to give a realistic depiction of how someone looks, which may be intimidating or more liberating depending on the perspective of the artist and subject. Painting is also generally a more time-consuming project requiring attention to detail, but also allowing for more artistic liberties as the image can be manipulated and changed at will. The time commitment and ability to stray from reality has the potential to influence the temperament of the subject, which could perhaps be seen in the final product. From my personal experience, my subjects relationship with the camera is increasingly comfortable in proportion to how comfortable my subjects are with me. That is to say, strangers are often very distant and wary of the camera, and good friends are at ease and playful with the camera, and this can clearly be seen in my photographs. Please refer to the following link to see some examples of this in today's assignment of "A Sense of Time and Place": http://www.flickr.com/photos/89539116@N04/sets/72157632262121961/

The Photographers' Gallery

Men & Women. A superb mixture of photographic styles, photographer Tom Wood has created a wonderful exhibition within the Photographers' Gallery. The room is neatly divided in half between diverse snapshots of men and women, each photograph reaching out to tell its own unique story. As I circled the room, I searched for the meaning behind each subject, their setting, their personality, and what Mr. Wood may have been trying to show through his images.

I am drawn to several photographs for a variety of peculiar reasons, but the one that was immediately imprinted onto my memory was a simple black and white photograph of a women with a potentially complex story. The woman is a bit older, and the photograph is a portrait taken in what is presumably her home, which would heighten the intimacy of the photograph. First off, I absolutely love black and white photographs as they strike me as more classic, and seem to miraculously cast everybody in a flattering light. This woman has clearly defined wrinkles, is not smiling, seems slightly exhausted with her hand on her hip, but she is stunning. Her eyes look straight into the camera and she holds herself in an entirely composed manner that suggests she has lived enough life to know she has nothing to prove to anybody else. This is the exact kind of photograph I am personally striving to achieve, as human beings are the most fascinating and diverse type of subject available. I like the idea of taking a single moment from daily life, either candid or posed, and capturing that in a simple and effective way for others to interpret. The photography assignment for today was "The Human Street", so please refer to the following link to see my attempt at capturing the human existence which surrounds me: http://www.flickr.com/photos/organize/?start_tab=sets

Letter to William Henry Fox Talbot

Dear William Henry Fox Talbot, What a lovely home you have. Due to the nature of this course, we of course had to stop by Lacock Abbey to see THE window, I hope you don't mind. You have become famous for your invention of the calotype process, and the oldest photographic negative in existence was developed by you at that exact window we got to visit today- incredible. Photography has evolved into an irreplaceable component of life as we know it, and you are one of the founding fathers of this beautiful form of expression; words cannot express my gratitude. Life slips away at a terrifying rate, but there is comfort in having the ability to capture and solidify these moments in a photograph. Although photography has changed quite a bit from the way you knew it, we are now more able to capture and alter images in any way we want. Photography has become more than a hobby for me, it is now a very personal and therapeutic way for me to express myself and reflect on the beauty of my surroundings. For everything, and more than I could ever say with just words, thank you. Sincerely, Vanessa

The Journey, so far

Reflections on the journey from Wednesday, November 21 to Wednesday, November 28... In a desperate attempt to shake the horribly ill feeling caused by my last night in Paris I got a table for one at Pizza Hut this evening. I have never felt more American. Embarrassing as it may be, this was the perfect opportunity to take some time to myself and reflect over everything that has happened thus far. This has been a surreal journey full of irreplaceable experiences and surprising life lessons. I could not have asked for a more perfect group of peers to travel and share these experiences with. To put it briefly, I have played in the Gardens of Versailles, indulged in French wine and pastries, learned not to make eye contact with gypsies, gotten lost in the Cemetery of Piere-Lachaise, toasted a glass of champagne at the top of the Eiffel Tower, played with shutter speed at the Sacre Coeur, discovered inspiration and beauty from every little bit of the city, and taken an absurd amount of photographs every step of the way. I have discovered a very artistic and curious side of myself and cannot wait to live in Paris at some point in my life and pick up right where I left off. Truly, Paris, je t'aime.

Constructing Identity through Photographs

Today's photography assignment was "A Sense of Self", which proved to be more difficult than I had anticipated. I challenged myself to go beyond awkward selfie photos in the bathroom mirror and try to photograph more symbolic reflections of my identity. Ultimately, I believe the effort to capture identity in a photograph is an underlying theme in all photography, whether it is conscious or not. Individuals are always capturing themselves, their friends, their family, their surroundings and so forth, in order to share them with others or keep that memory for themselves. It always goes back to the individual taking the photograph and the story they wish to tell, which in itself is an indicator of who they are. The evolution of photography has grown at an impressive rate with new technology and styles constantly being created to allow more personal styles to be expressed. This particular photograph was taken at the Musee d'Orsay, and I thought it was a lovely indicator of how I wanted to capture myself in that one moment of time.

Photography and Death

     Photography and Death- what an interesting photo assignment. I have always seen photography as an infinite effort to capture the life which exists in a fleeting moment, yet there is still history and information that can be photographed within a cemetery. This afternoon I spent hours wandering around the Cemetery of Piere-Lachaise, in awe of how beautiful it actually was. I did get lost by myself most of the time searching for the tombstone of Felix Nadar as he was one of the founding fathers of photography, but had no luck. This cemetery is so much bigger and lovelier than I could have ever fathomed, with light moss accenting the tombstones of literally hundreds of people along endless cobblestone pathways. I could not help but wonder about the lives each of these people had led before finding their final resting place here. There is a particularly wonderful scene in the film "Paris, Je'Taime" where an American mailwoman from Denver visits the Cemetery of Piere-Lachaise and in endearingly horrible French reflects on visiting the tombstone of a Mexican dictator. She sat in front of it for quite some time, thinking about how this man had once held so much power, but now he could not move or talk as she could. It was a haunting thought, but touching as it reminded me to never take for granted even the basic functions life affords me. There was so much rich history within that one cemetery as there are famous artists, intellects, and political figures all around.
    

I regret not taking the time to visit Jim Morrison. the American songwriter, poet, and lead singer of The Doors. The Doors are frequently revered as one of the top rock bands of all time, and Jim Morrison is an icon in the world of classic rock. Born in Melbourne, Florida, he had an interesting childhood frequently moving, and seeing a traumatic car accident at the age of four which he frequently mentioned in his work. His long-term partner was a woman named Pamela Courson, with whom he had an open-relationship that resulted in numerous fights. They met before he became rich and famous, and after both of their deaths the court decided they had a common-law marriage. Morrison and Courson moved to Paris in March 1971, where he passed away a few months later in July under mysterious circumstances.
    

I also wish I had been able to see Gertrude Stein, as my friend Leah was so excited to see her. Stein was an American writer as well as art collector with notable acquaintances such as Picasso, Henri Rousseau, and Ernest Hemingway (she was his son's godmother). Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1874, Stein moved to Paris in 1903, where she stayed for the rest of her life. Stein is credited with writing one of the earliest coming out stories, and her partner was a woman by the name of Alice B. Toklas.
    

I did get to spend a little bit of time with Oscar Wilde, which was fantastic. Wilde was an Irish poet and writer, best known for his works such as The Importance of Being Earnest and The Picture of Dorian Gray. Born in Dublin in 1854, he attended both Trinity College in Dublin and Oxford. He moved permanently to England in 1878, joining the high social circles of London. In 1884 he married and had two sons with Constace Lloyd. Wilde's alleged first male lover was a Canadian journalist by the name of Robert Ross, who eventually became his literary executor. Wilde was imprisoned in 1895 on charges of homosexuality, and sent into exile in 1897. He passed away in November 1900 from cerebral meningitis, and he is now buried alongside the ashes of Robert Ross.

A Sense of the Other/Paris du Nuit

     This photography course has attracted a diverse and wonderful group of people and it has been a pleasure gradually learning a little bit about each of their unique backgrounds. Very few of us are actually art majors, but all of us are here to improve our skill level with photography, whatever level it may be at. The portraits I have selected from today’s photographs are of Roddy (our hilarious and irreplaceable instructor), Anna (one of our three brave freshmen), Janna (my roommate with an impressive background in art history), and Breanna (who comes up with some of the most creative poses I have ever seen).
     Due to the constant interaction with my fellow classmates/travelers I feel like I could write an excerpt about each of them. At the moment, the two individuals I have spent the most time around have been Janna and Breanna Janna is a very lovely and serene person to be around which has made her the ideal roommate. She is an art history major, so naturally she has been putting my little historical knowledge to shame in places like the Louvre Museum. She is a fourth year student as well, and did her study abroad in France, which has definitely made me feel comfortable traveling with her as she understands French culture on a different level. I believe that the photographs I took of her were able to capture her sweet nature and how at ease she is with her surroundings.
     Then there’s Breanna whose personality could never be fully captured by my words. An absolute riot, yet down-to-earth girl, I have definitely enjoyed getting to know her. She is a sophomore who has already started her own photography company, “Shredded Elements”, which I find very impressive as that is something I have always dreamed of doing. Her enthusiasm throughout the trip is wonderful, and has definitely been a reminder to enjoy every second we have in Paris and London as it is going by so fast.

A Sense of Place

Today, my photography was primarily focused on a combination of how to interpret “A Sense of Place” within the Palace of Versailles and simply making sure to get as many photos as possible to remember every detail. I can honestly say it was a success. The Palace of Versailles is an awe-inspiring place full of such a rich history I could not believe I was walking across the same grounds as royals had. Versailles is a location I had heard about in far off stories and movies, but I could not believe that was actually it. Place is simply a term of reference to one’s identity and can be interpreted in many ways. I was able to reflect on how my physical place was Versailles, yet my place in the grand scheme of life would be much more difficult to pinpoint. The royals who resided at the Palace of Versailles were obviously in a very entitled position, and I found it incredulous there were people starving in the streets of France with such an abuse of wealth on blatant display in a place like Versaille. While it is undoubtedly a beautiful museum, I could envision myself being outraged by so few being able to enjoy such luxury. This place had an aura of history In order to reflect how dream-like the entire experience was I edited many of my photos to give them an ethereal and darker effect. While the exterior of the entire setting is beautiful, there is a much more negative aspect to the historical gross misdistribution of wealth which I felt could not be ignored. The following are several of the images taken from this exploration of Versailles, but please check out the flickr page for more photographs: http://www.flickr.com/groups/2069577@N25/

Journeys, Physical and Psychological

     What an unbelievable 24 hours. This is something that goes beyond the limitations of a writing assignment; I wish I could express this experience in more than words. This is often how traveling experiences go as I struggle to show people through my photographs and messages how much each moment has the potential to change my perspective and who I am as an individual. I am so fortunate to have had the opportunity to study abroad in Australia and do some traveling through Southeast Asia, which has taught me two very important lessons: prepare to pay the consequences if you do not pack lightly, and try not to have any expectations.
     I have been particularly looking forward to this journey to Paris and London as I knew I would be able to meet up with some amazing friends I made in Australia while simultaneously taking a great photography course. I was honestly a bit nervous because so much time has passed since I have seen them, but it was absolutely incredible how natural the entire situation was and how completely at ease I was in their company again. We had each come a long way from our time in Australia and I have personally felt that that was an entirely different life experienced by someone else. Yet, I felt strangely at home with them, but also had a hard time believing it was not a dream.
     One of my biggest difficulties when traveling is actually fully feeling like I am living in that moment. I am frustrated with the idea of not being mentally present or as fully appreciative as I could be in a once-in-a-lifetime moment. Luckily, I feel like I have really been embracing this trip to London and Paris. Despite a 12-hour journey via plane and a rugged 2 and a half hour journey navigating the tube, I was so keen to catch up with my friends and enjoy every possible moment. I believe this is actually a result of learning and maturation from previous travelling, which I am so grateful for. I was able to have an absolutely lovely time with my friends making dinner, chatting the night away, seeing the changing of the guards at Buckingham Palace, finally seeing Big Ben, the London Eye, and Trafalgar Square, while simultaneously taking ridiculous amounts of photographs to capture every moment. The typical tourist sites were awesome, but the best part for me was spending time with these people who mean so much to me. There is no doubt that I am obsessed with traveling as it reveals so much about who I am, good or bad, and I am able to grow in a psychological sense as I physically experience these incredible locations. I am looking forward to seeing what the rest of this journey brings.

This is one of a few hundred images taken in London during that first day. To view more of the photos from this day please visit: http://www.flickr.com/groups/2069577@N25/

(This post is an expanded and updated version of my previous post entitled “History of Photography Survey”)

The image above is the first known photograph in the world, taken by Nicephore Niepce in 1825. Photography has a long and complicated history full of major contributions from a number of people. Here are a few key terms and people who shaped the early history of photography. Nicephore Niepce: Nicephore Niepce (1765-1833) was a French inventor who is most widely known for creating the first photograph in 1825. He developed the first photographic process known as "heliography," which made him an early pioneer of photography.

Louis-Jacques-Mande Daguerre: Louis-Jacques-Mande Daguerre (1787-1851) is most widely known for his creation of the daguerrotype process, which he patented in 1839. This process is created with mercury and silver on a copper plate. His process came after working with Niepce for a number of years and the French government actually released it to the public stating that it was a gift "Free to the world."

William Henry Fox Talbot: William Henry Fox Talbot (1800-1877) was a British inventor who is attributed with the invention of the calotype process, which he was able to patent in 1841. This is the process which modern photographic processes stem from. He is also known for helping shift photography into an artistic medium.

Hippolyte Bayard: Hippolyte Bayard (1807-1887) was a French photographer who claimed to have invented photography before Daguerre and Talbot. While this is up for debate, there is no doubt he was very influential in the early development of photography as he was the inventor of direct positive printing, and held the very first photography exhibit.

Julia Margaret Cameron: Julia Margaret Cameron (1815-1879) was a British photographer most well known for her photographs of celebrities of the time, such as Charles Darwin. Her work was not widely appreciated in her time but has become an inspiration for later generations of photographers.

Lady Clementina Hawarden: Lady Clementina Hawarden (1822-1865) gained her fame primarily during the 1860’s as a portrait photographer. Her move from Ireland to London allowed her to set up her own studio where many of her portraits include her own children. Felix Nadar (Gaspard-Felix Tournachon): Felix Nadar (1820-1910) was a French photographer who is known for taking the first aerial photographs with a camera. While working in the catacombs of Paris he also pioneered the use of artificial lighting in photography. Gustave Le Gray: Jean-Baptiste Gustave Le Gray (1820-1884) was a French painter turned photographer who has been accredited with the title “the most important French photographer of the nineteenth century”. He made many technical innovations to the field of photography, which include improvements on paper negatives and combination printing. Diane Arbus: Diane Arbus (1923-1971) was an American photographer and writer whose fame is mainly attributed to her black-and-white photographs of “deviant and marginal people (dwarfs, giants, transgender people, nudists, circus performers) or of people whose normality seems ugly or surreal.” Susan Sontag: Susan Sontag (1933-2004) was an American filmmaker and writer. She was frequently photographed throughout her lifetime, and her essay “On Photography”, written in 1977 was an influential discussion on her own theory on what the meaning photography holds as you travel. Johann Heinrich Schultz (silver salts): Johann Heinrich Schultz (1687-1744) was a German professor who discovered that when certain silver salts come into contact with light they darken. Even though the silver salts continue to darken unless protected from the light this discovery laid the groundwork for the creation of fixed images. Thomas Wedgewood (sun prints): Thomas Wedgewood (1771-1805) created what are known as "sun prints" in the 1790's. He experimented with shining light on objects soaked with silver nitrate in order to change their chemicals and create outlines of the object. However, he was unable to fix the images so they would ultimately deteriorate. Hill and Adamson: David Octavius Hill (1802-1870) and Robert Adamson (1821-1848) were a Scottish painter and photographer duo that put Talbot's photographic process to creative work in the 1840's. They are best known for their portraiture photography, most notably their photographs of working men an women in the fishing village of Newhaven, but they also did a lot of architecture and landscape photography. Scott Archer (wet collodion): Frederick Scott Archer (1813-1857) is most well known for his creation of the photographic collodion process. This has a major advantage over the daguerrotype as one can create multiple prints from the plate negative. He died in poverty due to the fact that he never patented his process. Dr. Richard Maddox: Dr. Richard Maddox (1816-1902) was an English photographer who invented lightweight gelatin negative plates in 1871. He was also well known for his photomicrography, which involves using a microscope with a camera to photograph small organisms. George Eastman (Kodak roll film): George Eastman (1854-1932) was an American inventor who invented roll film, which helped make photography a much more mainstream practice.

Photographer Presentation: The Lumière Brothers

     The Lumière Brothers, Auguste and Louis, were born in France in 1862 and 1864. They both attended La Martiniere, the largest technical school in Lyon, and they worked for their father's photographic firm. Auguste worked as a manager and Louis worked as a physicist. Louis made a number of improvements to the still-photograph process, the most notable of which was the dry-plates process. This process was a huge step in the creation of cinematography and the brothers are credited with being among the earliest filmmakers in history.
   However, their experimentation with cinematography was brief as they stated that "the cinema is an invention without any future." From that they moved into color photography and in 1903 they patented a process known as the "Autochrome Lumière."

 

How meaningful would photography be without the ability to choose color?

Cultural Event: University of Denver Spring Powwow

  On Saturday, May 21, 2011 the Native Student Alliance at the University of Denver held their spring powwow "New beginnings." The event was held outdoors on Driscoll green and was a smashing success. Our original intention was to have Grand entry be at noon and then have things wrap up at around dusk. However, the Law School had their graduation on the same day and wanted to use Driscoll green at the same time as us. Despite the fact NSA had booked the area months in advance we allowed them to use the area until one when we rescheduled Grand Entry.  

As part of NSA I had to be there at around 10 to help start getting things set up. It was already turning out to be a warm and sunny day and I could feel the energy in the air. By the time I got there there were already several vendors setting up their tents and tables. I started helping some of the more elderly vendors move their stuff from their cars to the grass and also moving tables and chairs for the vendors to use. It started getting busier and busier as more and more people showed up and the vendor I was most excited to see was Tocabe. Tocabe is an American Indian eatery and is one of the only places I have found in the Denver to get decent frybread. As a volunteer I got a free voucher for Tocabe and I would say I definitely put it to good use.

There were about seven drum groups and twenty-five vendors that showed up in total, which I think is a really good amount. Unfortunately there were not too many dancers as the Denver Indian Center was having another powwow on the same day (yet again we had scheduled and publicized ours months in advance). However, the dancers that did show up looked wonderful and it made me proud that we were sharing our Native heritage with the DU community. I am always disappointed with the lack of the DU community's participation during cultural heritage events, but a decent amount of people outside of the Native community showed up. NSA received a lot of positive feedback from the event which makes me excited to work on possible events like this in the future!

Cultural Event: "A Family Affair"

     On May 20, 2011 I attended a cabaret show held by the Lamont School of Music in the Frederic C. Hamilton Family Recital Hall at the University of Denver. Going into the show I had no idea what a cabaret actually was, and I was only attending because my suitemate Cecilie Nygaard was performing in the show and I knew she would do a wonderful job! I was expecting an exotic dance routing with flamboyant outfits and mainly women. However, a cabaret is actually an entertaining show full of song, dance, and even comedy.

     The show, entitled "A Family Affair," was directed by Catherine Kasch and it was composed of an assortment of musical numbers taken from shows such as West Side Story and Rent. The program stated that the show was "Broadway's version of a family portrait" and in total there were twenty-two songs. All of the music had some relation to family and all of the relationships that exist in the family unit. The cast had a good mixture of both male and female voices and I was impressed with the amount of talent that exists within the music school. The costumes and set were kept fairly simple with everyone in all black and few props being used, but the simplicity of the show worked towards its benefit. The focus was kept on their voices and the message they were trying to get across through music. My favorite number was undoubtedly Mamma Mia! which was sung by the entire cast and involved the most coordinated dance routine. There was so much life and energy put into this number I could not help but smile and feel proud that I knew someone in the show.

Final Project: The blurb book

Here is the link to preview the blurb book I made for the final project in the personal histories of photography class:
http://www.blurb.com/books/2208605

Movie Response: "What the Bleep Do We Know!?"

     For a little taste of "What the Bleep Do We Know!?" check out the trailer above!
This documentary is thought provoking to say the least. The plot of the movie basically follows a female photographer who is deaf and is struggling with deep internal issues that mostly arise from finding out her husband was having an affair. Throughout the movie there are a number of people who I assume are professionals in their field who discuss a variety of topics from quantum physics to spirituality as they start to relate to the point this photographer is at in her life journey.

     It was completely different from what I expected and actually made me question a great deal about what I have always believed to be "facts." I did not necessarily buy into everything they were talking about but I was able to understand that perhaps the way I perceive things and the way I have been taught to think may not necessarily be one hundred percent correct. I truly do not believe that anything is purely black and white, but there are always gray areas when it comes to "facts." Human knowledge is ever-changing and every day there are new discoveries and progresses being made. In truth these the ideas that were put into this movie seemed more like a shade of possibility rather than absolute truth. Yet again though, I had to ask myself what exactly absolute truth is. Every idea mankind has ever had has come from the human mind which is incredible, yes, but in no way perfect. 

 Question is: How far down the rabbit hole do you want to go?

Cultural Event: The Gathering of Nations

     On Friday, April 29, 2011 two Indians took a long trip to go to a powwow =) Viki Eagle (a fellow Native and photographer) and I left Denver on that Friday afternoon to head to the Land of Enchantment, more specifically, Albuquerque, New Mexico. Every year around this time the biggest powwow in the whole nation known as "The Gathering of Nations" is held in Albuquerque, New Mexico and any Native who can gather up the funds for it heads that way. The Gathering of Nations was being held at the newly renovated Pit at the University of New Mexico on both Friday and Saturday. However, due to the insanely high price of admission we decided to go see Grand Entry just on Saturday, April 30, 2011. Since I'm from Albuquerque I was ecstatic to be going back home to my own bed and to hang out with more brown people. I naturally had to take Viki to all of my favorite New Mexican restaurants and this could be considered a cultural event in itself. I do believe I got her hooked on everything from Golden Pride breakfast burritos to Blake's Lotaburger.
     Anyways, back to the powwow. We took Friday night to rest from our 6 and a half hour journey and get ready for the day ahead of us. We tried to make it to Grand Entry at noon but unfortunately I forgot to account for crowded parking and long lines to get in. We made it inside for the tail end of Grand Entry and it was mindblowing to see the entire floor overflowing with Natives eager to dance, and not all of them could even fit on the dance floor. Viki told me that a lot of dancers actually choose to not participate in the Gathering because they are afraid their feathers will get plucked from dancing too close together.

This is a small sample of how tightly packed the dancers are

     The entire thing is exciting and overwhelming at the same time. We tried to find a seat but we kept being ushered along by the crowd so we eventually decided to go check out the Indian Market that was being held in a tent outside. The Indian Market is generally where a ton of Native vendors sell their goods from jewelry to paintings. I'm always really drawn to what the vendors are selling but I know they are generally marked up for the Gathering of Nations. Once we made rounds and checked everything out we decided it was time to go outside for some good old-fashioned Native frybread. This is hands down the most deliciously fatty treat on the planet. The food is also super overpriced at the Gathering, and not going to lie I am super disappointed I paid $6 for a piece of frybread I could have made at home, but hey! It's all part of the experience. While standing in line for the frybread I swear I saw the actress who plays Pocahontas in the movie version with Colin Farrell. I thought she was someone I knew at first so I did the awkward wave thing where I realized I didn't personally know her so I was naturally just fanning myself because it was really hot outside.

I wouldn't lie about this. It was totally her.

After frybread and celebrity sightings (we also saw the hottest Native woman of 2010, psh) we decided to sit and watch the dances for awhile. I was really enjoying myself but unfortunately after 3 hours of drumming and fighting the crowds I got exhausted. I left feeling satisfied but wishing I could return. The rest of the weekend was spent enjoying the Albuquerque experience! I was really pleased with the whole thing and Viki was the best powwow buddy I could have asked for!

History of Photography Survey

The image above if the first known photograph in the world, taken by Nicephore Niepce in 1825. Photography has a long and complicated history full of major contributions from a number of people. Here are a few key terms and people who shaped the early history of photography.

Camera Obscura: Camera Obscura translates as "dark room" and this is basically an invention which uses a box with a hole in one side to create a projection of an image. This was one of the earlier inventions which led to the creation of photography.

Johann Heinrich Schultz (silver salts): Johann Heinrich Schultz (1687-1744) was a German professor who discovered that when certain silver salts come into contact with light they darken. Even though the silver salts continue to darken unless protected from the light this discovery laid the groundwork for the creation of fixed images.

Thomas Wedgewood (sun prints): Thomas Wedgewood (1771-1805) created what are known as "sun prints" in the 1790's. He experimented with shining light on objects soaked with silver nitrate in order to change their chemicals and create outlines of the object. However, he was unable to fix the images so they would ultimately deteriorate.

Nicephore Niepce: Nicephore Niepce (1765-1833) was a French inventor who is most widely known for creating the first photograph in 1825. He developed the first photographic process known as "heliography," which made him an early pioneer of photography.

Louis-Jacques-Mande Daguerre: Louis-Jacques-Mande Daguerre (1787-1851) is most widely known for his creation of the daguerrotype process, which he patented in 1839. This process is created with mercury and silver on a copper plate. His process came after working with Niepce for a number of years and the French government actually released it to the public stating that it was a gift "Free to the world."

William Henry Fox Talbot: William Henry Fox Talbot (1800-1877) was a British inventor who is attributed with the invention of the calotype process, which he was able to patent in 1841. This is the process which modern photographic processes stem from. He is also known for helping shift photography into an artistic medium.

Hill and Adamson: David Octavius Hill (1802-1870) and Robert Adamson (1821-1848) were a Scottish painter and photographer duo that put Talbot's photographic process to creative work in the 1840's. They are best known for their portraiture photography, most notably their photographs of working men an women in the fishing village of Newhaven, but they also did a lot of architecture and landscape photography.

Julia Margaret Cameron: Julia Margaret Cameron (1815-1879) was a British photographer most well known for her photographs of celebrities of the time, such as Charles Darwin. Her work was not widely appreciated in her time but has become an inspiration for later generations of photographers.

Felix Nadar (Gaspard-Felix Tournachon): Felix Nadar (1820-1910) was a French photographer who is known for taking the first aerial photographs with a camera. While working in the catacombs of Paris he also pioneered the use of artificial lighting in photography.

Scott Archer (wet collodion): Frederick Scott Archer (1813-1857) is most well known for his creation of the photographic collodion process. This has a major advantage over the daguerrotype as one can create multiple prints from the plate negative. He died in poverty due to the fact that he never patented his process.

Dr. Richard Maddox: Dr. Richard Maddox (1816-1902) was an English photographer who invented lightweight gelatin negative plates in 1871. He was also well known for his photomicrography, which involves using a microscope with a camera to photograph small organisms.

George Eastman (Kodak roll film): George Eastman (1854-1932) was an American inventor who invented roll film, which helped make photography a much more mainstream practice.