So In Conclusion...

For several reasons beyond my power, I'm sad to say I wasn't able to complete my "Women In Bluegrass" series for this final photography project. It actually upsets me and I would love to do it next semester because I thought it was a really cool concept, taking photos of bluegrass music's pioneers from the1950's and replacing all the men with women. Alas, it just wasn't meant to be.

On a better note I did come up with another series of photographs. Before now I was thinking in terms of an elaborate, complex series to help portray an otherwise simple form of art. When you break it down, bluegrass music is about simple things: momma, daddy, a little cabin on the hill and a good hearted woman. Even sad bluegrass songs always have a harmony and a melody to put a smile on your face. It takes a talented musician to play a sad song on an instrument and make you happy while doing it.

This series, I feel, is intended to portray simple black and white photos of simple, hand crafted instruments that are predominantly used to create a traditional, "homey" style of music. Before posting my own work, I'd like to post one of my all time favorite portraits that I feel goes along with this theme:

I've searched and dug and looked under every theoretical rock on the internet but for the life of I have no idea who the photographer of this portrait is. Anyway...
This is a picture of Bill Monroe, the "Father of Bluegrass". I adore this picture for a few reasons. First of all, I think the contrast is great. His suit vs. the background and the dark wood of his mandolin...I think it's beautiful. And the way he's holding his 1923 Gibson like it's his world...it's so simple. Effortless beauty. That's what I see in the music he created. That's what I'd hoped to capture in these next photos. I hope you enjoy them. :)

The Final Four

Here are the final pictures for my "What's Important To You" series. Originally I had wanted 8 different people, but honestly, I liked the pictures of Matt and Emily so much I couldn't decide which ones to choose...so I chose 2 of each. :)

Slowly But Surely They're Coming Together!

First of Eight

Alright, here we go! I started shooting for our Portrait Series tonight. The lighting proved to be a bit difficult...it's hard to work in a dorm room on a college kid budget! I thought it turned out alright though...let me know what you think. :D

 My theme is "What's Important To You?"...can you guess what she chose? :D

DOF and Motion Assignment

We were asked to do an assignment that focused (no pun intended) on depth of field shots as well as motion shots. I thought this was extremely hard for me personally, only because I was convinced that my camera couldn't go depth of field. Lo and behold, Kara got to messing around with it and she got it to work. I did have several photoshopped but once I learned how to get my camera to do it I scrapped them (they weren't very good anyway). So here are the "new" pictures!

The second one is probably my favorite, followed closely by the first. If I had to have one of these critiqued, I'd say the cotton one.

Next, here are my motion pictures:

My favorite is the one of all the girls jumping up, if only for the reason that Miss Copous is getting some air! haha If I had to have one of these critiqued, I'd say that one. :)

Just Messin Around

I would have posted this assignment WAY sooner because to be honest, when I get bored I do this a lot for fun but I'd COMPLETELY forgotten about it. We were askedtp post a few pictures to show that we've been playing around with colors in Gimp. Here is a picture I took last week at the IBMA Convention of Alison Krauss and Union Station. The first one is the original and the next two are the edits.

If I HAD To Pick One....

After searching and oogling and "ooh"ing and "ahh"ing..I think I've finally found a photographer who rises above the rest. Gregg Lefevre is SO random and modern it's not even funny. The website won't let me copy and paste any of his photos so you'll have to go HERE to look at some of his work. His Gaga Gugu pictures are different as are his graffitti. I bet he has a fun, quirky, almost weird personality, but I could be reading into his work a little too much. lol Honestly? His work makes me want to live in the city and for an artist to make you want to do something like that, in my opinion, takes a good amount of talent.

Motion and Depth of Field

 Here are a few pictures I took while I was in Nashville this past week at the International Bluegrass Music Association business conference and fan fest. The first picture I've decided to turn in for our Motion assignment and in my opinion you can clearly see that he's tearin his guitar up! In the second picture, you can tell that it was the fiddle player who was up front and taking a break. They're two of my favorite pictures I took the whole week. :)

Motion

 

Depth of Field

Here Goes Nothin!

Well, in class we were asked to do an assignment ant put together a 5-picture portfolio of our black and white edited photos. Long story short, here they are :)

It's so hard to pick a favorite! I really like the first, third and fifth pictures. I guess if I HAD to pick one, it'd be the first one. I spent the most time on it trying to make it look the best, although I still don't think it looks the best it could. I'm not quite sure what to do with it though to make it look as crisp and get the contrast I really want. Nevertheless, I'm still a fan of it. If you have any ideas on any of these, PLEASE let me know! Thanks! :D

Now Life To Me Is Black And White

Thanks to our first assignment in photography for the past few days as I've been walking through campus I've been looking at EVERYTHING though a "oh, that would be a cool black and white shot!" point of view. Kara told me she has been too which I find pretty funny in a we're so freakin weird kind of way. This is why she is my twin.
So we were asked to take a whole big slew of pictures and to convert one to three black and white images. This proved to be a lot harder than in sounds simply because I took so many thinking "that would be a good one!"...and then I realize that it's pretty craptastic and "flat" and pick a new one. I think I finally found an ok one...let me know what you think. :)

The original:

Edit #1:

 Edit #2:

 Edit #3: