Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Farewell to Larry Sultan


I was saddened to hear that one of my favorite photographers passed away today. Larry Sultan died of cancer at the age of 63. If you don't know his work, you should. This photograph "Mom Posing By Green Wall and Dad Watching TV" is one of my all time favorite images - brilliant. Sultan's NY Times obituary is available here.
-Kimberly

New Section of Digital Photography II & last day of labs

Due to popular demand, we have opened one more section of VAFA 210-Digital Photography II for the Spring semester. The new section will be on Monday nights from 6-10pm. If you are interested in this class sign up now!

In other news. . .the last day of open labs for photography will be Wednesday, December 17. If you have any work on the NewArts server or on the storage drive of any computer in M&M or Hicks 120 back it up now. Everything will be deleted at the end of this week!!!!!

Thursday, December 3, 2009

Sex, lies and Photoshop


There is an interesting article and accompanying op-ed video and in the NY Times today on the retouching of photographs in magazines and ad campaigns.

There is a political debate happening in France about requiring any photographs that have been retouched to label themselves as such. You can read the article and watch the video here.

I think that there are compelling arguments from each side, including the following;

Dominique Issermann, a French fashion photographer, thinks that Ms. Boyer has not only misunderstood the problem, but also the nature of photography itself. “There is this illusion that photography is ‘true,’ ” she said. But a camera can easily distort reality through the use of a different lens without any retouching. “As soon as you frame something you exclude something else,” she said, adding that photographs are “a piece of reality, but the reality of the world is different.

“If someone wants to make life a success, wants to feel good in their skin, wants to be part of society, one has to be thin or skinny, and then it’s not enough — one will have his body transformed with software that alters the image, so we enter a standardized and brainwashed world, and those who aren’t part of it are excluded from society.”

grab a coffee and discuss.
Chad

PHOTO CLUB MEETING THIS MONDAY!


Monday, December 7 - last photo club meeting of the semester.
We will be discussing plans for next semester, what we have accomplished this semester and. . . 
see the first THE PHOTO SLIDE SLAM!  Several students will have 7 minutes each to dazzle you with a quick presentation of their newest work! Come and see what your classmates are up to!  Sign up to SLAM during the next meeting!

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

This just in: second section of Studio & Light open!

Due to popular demand, we have opened one more section of VAFA 211-Studio & Light. The new section will meet on Thursdays from 8:30-12:30 during Spring semester 2010. Register now!