IN THE STYLE OF A PHOTOGRAPHIC MENTOR- Annie Leibovitz

    Annie Leibovitz was born on October 2, 1949 in Waterbury, Connecticut. With the intent of studying painting, she enrolled in the San Francisco Art Institute while taking night classes in photography.  It wasn’t until she travelled to Japan with her mother in the summer after her second year that diminished her ambitions to be a painter, but confirmed her raging passion for taking photographs. That fall, Annie returned to the Institute, but this time to pursue her career as a photographer, which was evidently the right choice for she is one of the most aesthetically gifted photographers the world has ever seen.

    In 1970, Annie approached Jann Wenner, a founding editor of Rolling Stone Magazine. Thoroughly impressed with Annie's portfolio, Jann hired her on the spot and assigned her to her first task to really prove herself: shoot John Lennon. Annie used this opportunity to its full potential, with the pearly, mysterious, black-and-white portrait landing the front cover of the January 21, 1971 issue. Two years later after her infamous photo shoot with Lennon, she became the chief photographer for Rolling Stone Magazine. She learned a lot from this, and had to adapt her techniques and skills to match with the direction the magazine was going. For example, in 1974, the magazine started to print in colour, and since Leibovitz learned only black-and white-photography in school, she had to learn how to shoot in colour.


    In 1983, Leibovitz left Rolling Stone to begin working for the entertainment magazine, Vanity Fair, where she shot subjects that ranged from working citizens to presidents to music icons. With Vanity Fair, a small selection of people she shot included Demi Moore, George Clooney, Angelina Jolie, Ellen DeGeneres, and John Lennon. She even received the honour of shooting England's Queen Elizabeth. She had an infectious persona about her, and others who have shot with her describe her as quirky, humorous, picky about her work, and infatuated with photography.

    After watching a documentary about her in class, I was immediately fascinated by her. Her confidence, self-assurance, and the way she knew exactly how to get the result she wanted instantly intrigued me. It was as if her and the camera became one whenever she was on set. Annie is an inspiration to photographers worldwide; I being one of them. She puts her heart and soul into each photograph she takes. Leibovitz' photographs, with their legendary contrast, definition, and compositional particularity, are a clear indication of her unmistakable talent. She is an exceptional inspiration to women on a major level, not just because of the success she has earned herself through her gift and hard work, but also because of her undeniable self-confidence and power she radiates, which all women should possess in their lives, especially in the working world.

"A thing that you see in my pictures is that I was not afraid to fall in love with these people."

-Annie Leibovitz

Annie Leibovitz, My Brother Philip and My Father, Silver Spring, Maryland, 1988.

Annie  Leibovitz, John Lennon and Yoko Ono, the Dakota, N.Y. December 8, 1980.

Annie Leibovitz, Meryl Streep for Rolling Stone cover, October 15, 1981. 

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For my photographs, I attempted to emulate Leibovitz' signature aspects of simplicity, compositional rule of thirds, the use of lines to frame and shape the photos, great contrast, intense definition, and a variety of warm and cool tones. My objective was to focus on the facial and body expression of my subject, highlighting the blank and "empty" feeling she portrays. I know it would be extremely difficult to shoot photos on par with Annie's, but I hope I was at least mildly (and humbly) successful at capturing an essence of her in my photos! 

Bibliography

"Annie Leibovitz | Vanity Fair." Vanity Fair. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Jan. 2012. <http://www.vanityfair.com/contributors/annie-leibovitz>.

Somerstein, Rachel . "Annie Leibovitz - Life Through A Lens | American Masters | PBS." PBS: Public Broadcasting Service. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Jan. 2012. <http://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/episodes/annie-leibovitz/life-through-a-lens/16/>.

For all you fellow Earth-lovers, let's get GREEN people!

The process of silk screening is quite unique; and in order to achieve my result, the materials I needed were fabric stapled tightly around a wooden frame, fabric paints, the canvas bags, and something to spread the paint across the fabric.

This was my test silk screen. I used block paint for this paper tester which is washable, unlike the fabric paint I used on top of the canvas bags.

These three silk-screened canvas bags were my final marketable product. I enjoy the distinct and bright colours, don't you?

For the last type of media, I did a silk screen of a photograph I shot of a front-angle view of a bicycle in Stratford, Ontario. I am intrigued by and love everything about bicycles, from their practicality, beautiful complexity, and how amazing they are of a method of transportation due to its amazing environmental impact, so I was inspired as soon as a saw this vintage bike downtown. Immediately after capturing this photograph, I knew I needed to do something with it. I'm ecstatic I decided to do a silk screen of this photo, both inverted and normal. 

This process is by far the longest and most complicated process I have ever tried in photography; however, it is also the most rewarding. After deciding I wanted to use the photo of the bike for one of my three mediums, at first I chose to do a cyanotype. However, conditions like poor weather and lack of sunlight failed to provide me withany successful results. That is when I made the decision to make a silk screen rather than a cyanotype. For an interesting spin on the silk screen, I used the acetate of the inverted image that I would have used for the cyanotype, but also burned the non-inverted acetate into the silk screen as well. After vigorously scrubbing the silk screen with water and a sponge, I was ready to start seeing my results. On my first tester, I used the normal acetate as the black base, and then applied the inverted image in a different colour on top of the normal one (2nd image). I was thrilled with the results, and continued on doing the exact same technique for all three canvas bags, which I feel turned out to be an extremely successful and creative product.

I chose to use this media as my marketable item for a couple significant reasons. Firstly, I really love the photo of the bike. I decided to explore the theme of environmental consciousness and awareness, for its something I have been extremely passionate about since I can remember, and what better way to showcase my photograph than on reusable, recycled cloth bags, which implement the notion of reduce, reuse, recycle, just as the option of a bike over a car does. These bags can be used as reusable grocery shopping bags, a tote for the beach, and many more!

I shot the original photograph of the bike (below) with a Canon Rebel T2i with an 18-55 mm lens, with an aperture of f10 and a shutter speed of 1/80 of a second.

Photogram Collage Collection

For the second type of media, I did photograms. The process in order to achieve these images was to place a bunch of random objects that your creative juices conjure up on top of a piece of photo paper in the dark room. When you expose the piece of paper to light, whatever is exposed turns black. However, the beauty and fascination of this type of media is that the objects on top of the paper are protecting it, and therefore stay white, for they are never exposed. What I did to achieve an even greater effect was I moved a selection of the objects while the light was still exposing the paper, in order to get some greys in the photo, not just black and white. Some of the objects I used were a pair of sunglasses, a few necklaces, an intricate barrette, string, earphones, a silly band, a dog chain, a comb, and a Canadian dollar bill. If I were to choose a favourite item I would probably have to say the pearl necklace, for I enjoyed the structure and shape of it against the hard black, and also simply because I love pearl necklaces.

Glued to your Roots, literally.

Acrylic lift- photograph shot with a Canon Rebel T2i with an 18-55 mm lens, with an aperture of f9 and a shutter speed of 1/80 seconds.

For this assignment, our task as a class was to create three different types of media incorporating an interesting and meaningful photograph you took. For the first one, I did an acrylic lift of a picture of a tree's branches (taken from the bottom, under them) with a bit of an eclectic and quaint building at the top. I took this photograph while in the beautiful, downtown Stratford, Ontario, a very musical and artistic town. What intrigued me about this photo and setting is the symbolism and beauty of the point of view. In my mind, I imagined being the roots of the tree, taking it from their perspective. The roots of the tree are significant because they represent the strong and pure base. With the quaint building at the top, which shows the rich history and culture of Stratford, it all ties together the notion of sticking to your roots, or your people, or heritage, etc.

I chose to do an acrylic lift for this photograph because I imagined the way the branches would contrast with the light sky background, which would create a very interesting effect. In order to make an acrylic lift, there are a few required steps to do prior in order to get there. First, you choose a photograph of yours that you feel would be good for an acrylic lift, and then you print it using a laser printer. From there, you duct tape the paper down to a wooden board, start applying relatively thick layers of glue over top of the picture, and then making sure it's dry before apply the next coat. Just to be safe, I did nearly thirty layers, when really fifteen would have been sufficient. Once I had the layers and they were dry, I soaked it in water and proceeded the vigorous duty of rubbing off all the paper on the one side of the acrylic lift. Once all the paper is gone, all you have left is the multiple layers of acrylic with your image on it. It is a very unique and fun process, and I enjoyed it very much, with an end product I can be proud of.

Breaking Some Rules... of Composition

This breaks the concept of normal or ordinary. Typically, if I were to follow the guidelines of composition, the top of the gingerbread house (bottom of photo) would be in focus, as supposed to the tree and candles which are in focus. Also, I would have changed the background to make it more simplistic and balanced. This was taken with an aperture of f7 and a shutter speed of 1/80 seconds.

This photo was taken with a shutter speed of 1/15 of a second, with an aperture of f5. What intrigued me about this photo was its retreat against normality and regulation. The difference of light and strength is highlighted here, with the lights on the pillar versus the lamp. This photo breaks the rule of balance, rule of thirds, and other rules of composition.

After two years of training my mind and hands to follow the basic rules of composition of photography, this assignment did not come at all easy. When taking photographs, my initial instincts tell me to consider the rule of thirds, and if the photo is balanced, and whether it is simplistic or not, etc. However, with this assignment, I had to bottle up all those trained instincts and rules in order to be successful with this assignment. My tactic to tackle this assignment was to put myself in the shoes of a curious, care-free, inexperienced child. As children, you don't think about the complications or restrictions of the real world; you just do what comes natural, comfortable, and easy, and that's what I adore about the innocence of the mind and imagination of children. All photos were shot with a Canon Rebel T2i with an 18-55 mm lens.

(I want you to see) ALL OF THE LIGHTS

The concept for these photographs was to take them with multiple and varied light sources, rather than just the flash of the camera, or the provided light in a room, etc. I incorporated natural light from the sun, as well as light from a plugged-in bulb into these three photographs. I used these  light sources differently in each shot which, in the end, provided me with interesting, beautiful, and captivating shots.

For the first photograph, I placed the bulb beside the person's face, illuminating it and casting a pleasant, soft glow onto my subject, who stood facing the natural light. I also love the genuineness of her kind emotions, which added to the overall subsistence of this photograph. For the second photograph, my subject was faced with her back to the natural light, but the bulb placed relatively close to her face, lighting up half of it and casting a mysterious and alluring presence. A feature that I love about this photograph is the warm, orange hue that the light projects, which softens the photo. I also like how the natural light behind her outlines her figure, helping my subject stand out even more.  For the third photograph, I took the shot from the outside of the glass looking in, with my subject close to the glass on the inside, with the bulb lighting up her face from the inside as well. I caught the reflection of the breathtaking scenery behind me in the glass, and had my subject "smiling towards the sun" on the inside. For an instant, she appears to be in the same setting as the background, however she is posed inside which coincidentally fit perfectly with the reflection on the glass.

What I especially like about these photographs is that they are especially unique and beautiful in their own way because they are created through various types of light. They each seem to tell a story as well as showcase a piece of their personality. I shot these photographs with a Canon Rebel T21 with an 18-55 mm lens, a shutter speed of 1/60 of a second, and an aperture of f8.

Can anyone see me?

I always imagined taking portraits like these would be simple and easy; I never considered the multiple components necessary in order to capture a successful portrait photograph. I never knew the difficulty in capturing the perfect lighting, or the best aperture and shutter speed for the type of photo I want to take, or the perfect timing required so that the photo conveys your message or purpose. After this assignment, as well as every other assignment thrown my way, I truly appreciate all types of photography more and more.

My inspiration for these shots was quite clear to me from the beginning: I wanted to convey the message of someone who feels like an outcast; someone who feels invisible to the world around him. I wanted the viewers of this photograph to feel the model's sadness and desolation, as well as the lust to just simply fit in. I believe my photographs channel the theme of feeling like an outcast or a "nobody". I was trying to showcase someone who attempts to put himself in different settings, or at a fresh start or "new light" as some people refer to it as, in order to fit in, yet no one notices. I captured this message through this person's expression and positioning as well as my manipulation of the camera and the lighting I used. No matter what light he was in, whether it be spooky or "scary" lighting (where the light source is psitioned below the person's face), or side lighting (where the light source is positioned at the side of the person's face, highlighting only half their face), or of course, head on (where I used two light sources in order to light up the entire face), they all attain a certain mystery that draws the viewer in to the pictures as if they are being told a story; a story about a person that is just trying to fit in and "be seen", yet he unfortunately can't seem to accomplish this goal. For my photographs, I used a Canon Rebel T2i with an 18-55 mm lens, a shutter speed of 1/125 of a second, and an aperture of f12.