Photographic Mentor

         How many people wouldn't give up on their passion?  Julia Margaret Cameron (11 June 1815 – 26 January 1879) was a British photographer. She became known for her portraits of celebrities of the time, and for photographs with Arthurian and other legendary themes.1 Some people may have not liked her work but it didn't mean she gave up but  instead she continued her work. Although her style was not widely appreciated in her own day, her work has had an impact on modern photographers, especially her closely cropped portraits. I admire her passion for her career and for her not giving up although people didn't like her work. Even though she didn't succeed the first time , she tried again. Most people would say ‘you just can’t beat the person who won’t give up.’ Julia Margaret Cameron’s photos were significant because of her enthusiasm, she strove to capture beauty and her photos are the only existing photograph of historical figures.

        Julia Margaret Cameron’s photos were significant because of her enthusiasm. She took up photography later in life at the age forty-eight when her daughter presented her with a camera. This simple gift sparked enthusiasm in Cameron and led her to become one of the most colorful personalities in photography. For example, her enthusiasm for her craft meant that her children and others sometimes tired of her endless photographing, but it also means that we are left with some of the best of records of her children and of the many notable figures of the time who visited her.2 Although there are pictures of Julia Margaret, all of portraits of her follow her other portraits, a long far off look.  For instance, in this photo she handing something to someone but she seems as if she is sad and isn't there, a long distant look.

          Julia Margaret Cameron’s photos were significant because she strove to capture beauty. For example, She wrote, "I longed to arrest all the beauty that came before me and at length the longing has been satisfied."3 This picture may show a woman looking very sad but the beauty behind it is that the peaceful look of the baby sleeping. It is almost as if the woman yearns to have that peaceful slumber. She approaches beauty from another angle or point of view. For instance, people may think this photo as no beauty but they should know everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it. Her portraits were ethereal, soft-focus, and sensual. She produced close-cropped portraits of children and young women, as well as dreamy allegorical and historical tableaux, all in the pursuit of “arresting beauty”.

      
             Julia Margaret Cameron’s photos were significant because her photos are the only
existing photograph of historical figures. she access to models by way of her own children
and servants, and even to celebrities by way of her sister, who hosted a regular salon in Kensington that brought the cream of the literary and artistic world together on a regular basis. In many cases, her portraits of the great figures of the day are the only — or in some cases, the best — that survive. Ellen Terry, Charles Darwin, Lord Robert Browning, William Rossetti — her lens opened and closed on a brief moment Tennyson,  of time in each of their fascinating, turbulent lives. Many paintings and drawings exist, but, at the time, photography was still a new and challenging for someone outside a typical portrait studio. Her mesmerizing portraits and figure studies on literary and biblical themes were unprecedented in her time and remain among the most highly admired of Victorian photographs. Even though these historical figures were important, at times it could get lonely and tiring, as you can see in this photo Ellen Terry’s sadness.

          In conclusion, I would like to talk about how my photo portrays what Julia’s intent was. In my photo I was trying to portray that long far away look and sadness that her subjects feel and I think the reason she takes these picture is because she wanted to study nature attentively, so as to know how to express them. Because Julia was from a family of celebrated beauties, and was considered an ugly duckling among her sisters, I think she was trying to say everything is beautiful no matter what it is. Thus, Julia Margaret Cameron’s photos were significant because of her enthusiasm, she strove to capture beauty and her photos are the only existing photograph of historical figures.

1. "Julia Margaret Cameron." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 18 Dec. 2012. Web. 09 Jan. 2013.
2. "Julia Margaret Cameron." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 18 Dec. 2012. Web. 09 Jan. 2013.
3. "Julia Margaret Cameron." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 18 Dec. 2012. Web. 10 Jan. 2013.

Silk Screening                                  

Silk screening was easy but the hard part was coming up with an idea.

The idea I chose was world peace, so in my photo there are two quotes

about world peace one being "Let us not deceive ourselves; we must elect 

World Peace or World Destruction" and the other one is " We have a long 

way to go before we are able to hear the voices everyone on earth, 

but I believe that providing voices and building bridges is essential for the 

World Peace we all wish for". To represent world peace I did a city

 (which is my symbol) and it represents that even though we may not

 be the same race or people, we can still live in a city without destruction.

 The reason why the words are half gone is because I wanted to say that 

world peace has not yet been achieved. Weshould make it a goal to

 achieve it. The last quote is in different colors because it represents the 

colors of world peace. I hope people enjoy this and it was a fun process. 

Printing with Oil

 

This is a picture of a girl who has henna on her hands and words written in henna. I am from Somali so over there henna is applied to women and girls during Eid, weddings and visits to important people or relatives. In most countries, henna is seen as a way for women to beautify themselves, so when its applied it is well decorated with good care. The reason I wrote love unconditionally in henna is because henna has been loved over many centuries and is still a tradition till now. All in all, this was an amazing process and also really fun. I loved it and would do it all over again if I could.

 

 

 

 

Acrylic Jell

This is my Acrylic Jell Medium and what I decided to do was a city and one of my favourite quotes. To start off I will talk about the picture then why I chose this quote. This is a  picture of Downtown Toronto and the angle I took it at was directly infront of it from a buildings window. Although cities are packed and crowded I still like it because there is so much to do and see.When in cities you feel like you know so much about that particular city. Also, there is a line in the middle and it is an indication that some people within cities feel as if they are divided (between men and women). The reason why I chose this quote is because for so many years women were treated differently from men (which is such nonsense). We are both they same and can do most of the same things. This quote is a reminder that it's not about what you are its more like what you can do and have you done. People think men have done lots of great things but so have women! For example Nellie Mclung was a Canadian activist, politician and feminist. She helped women gain their right to vote in Manitoba. She was a women but yet achived a great thing. So why can't people see women have also done some pretty amazing things?

Breaking the Rules

Photo #1

Photo #2

Photo #3

       

      In the first photo the rule it's breaking is balance because it has a a tree right beside it and also the tree wasn't suppose to be there. Have you ever wondered why Christmas was never in the night but in the morning, so was I did was take the picture at night and to me shooting at night you can see all the beautiful lights being lit whereas in the morning you can not. The one of the most exciting part for a person is for Christmas time to drive around and look at Christmas lights and decorations. So why not have Christmas at night?
      In the second photo the rule I am breaking is rule of thirds, because you have one of the little girls in one of the points in rule of third whereas the other isn't,every little girls dream is to become a princess and have a happy ending so, whenever I look at this picture I remember the movie "A little Princess" the part where the characters says: Miss Minchin: Don't tell me you still fancy yourself a princess? Child, look around you! Or better yet, look in the mirror. Sara Crewe: I am a princess. All girls are. Even if they live in tiny old attics. Even if they dress in rags, even if they aren't pretty, or smart, or young. They're still princesses. All of us. Didn't your father ever tell you that? Didn't he?I totally agree with this and this is what I tell my little two nieces. 
     In the third photo the rule I am breaking is framing because in the photo the rose bush was suppose to be framed the houses around it but you can only see one side of the frame and also you can see the rose bush isn't in focus but the house and car.Some people are always grumbling because roses have thorns; I am thankful that thorns have roses. It shows even the most beautiful things can have flaws and nothing is perfect.

10 Studio Photographers!

 

Richard Avedon

The reason I love this photo is because of the facial expression. It looks as if she is sad or lonely. Although, Marilyn Monroe always puts up a fake vision of herself, Richard was able to get her at a time where she let her true self show. 

                     Mary Ellen Mark 

What I like about this photo is because it shows Mary Ellen's mom smoking in the hospital ward. Even though she maybe dying she still lives her life as if nothing happened or it might be her last smoke?

Stephanie Beeley 

What I instantly loved about this photo is the cuteness of the little girl and her posture, it shows her innocence.

         Suzanne Mclaren

  

What I like about this photo is it reminds me of women power and how they got their freedom and now how the rule and dominant certain job careers. Lets just say GO WOMEN POWER! and GIRL'S ROCK!

Anita Zvonar

Aw, tell me that doesn't make you wan to have cute kids like that, I know it makes me want to. What drew me to this photo was a father and son moment and not to lie the yawn. 

                                                                 Calvin Thomas

                                                          

This photo made me want to smile, I'm not sure whether it was the red or her smile. 

Helen Tansey

What I like about this photo is that the little boy looks happy but the girl looks like she is having a tantrum and her little sass makes her look adorable. 

                                                                    Eugene Choi  

                                                                             

What I like about this photo is the boy's eyes and how it matches his shirt. Also the lighting is very impressive.

Dan Abramovici

As you can tell I love kids and this photo makes you think she saw a ghost but also she looks as if she just likes having fun making faces at the camera.

            

                                                                    Anna Bratt

 When I saw this Photo it made me laugh whether it was because of the cuteness or the babies posture. It made me remember the quote "There is a garden in every childhood, an enchanted place where colors are brighter, the air softer, and the morning more fragrant than ever again." ~Elizabeth Lawrence

Renaissance

 

 The Virgin and Child with Canon van der Paele is a

large oil on oak panel painting by the

Early Netherlandish painter Jan van Eyck. One of his late works, it was commissioned in the autumn 1434 and took two years to complete. It was intended both to celebrate the still living donor's dedication to his church, St. Donatian's Cathedral in Bruges, and to serve as his epitaph. It is one of the earliest known Northern Sacra conversazione. It shows the Virgin Mary with the child Jesus on her lap, seated on an elevated throne decorated with carved representations of Adam and Eve, prefigurations of the Crucifixion and Resurrection of Jesus, and figures from Old Testament scenes. In the early 15th century Mary grew in importance as an intercessor between the divine and members of the Christian faith.

 

Shortly after it was finished (The Virgin and Child with Canon van der Paele ), the painting already enjoyed great fame.The Canon is portrayed dressed in a white surplice, kneeling down in front of Mary and Baby Jesus, holding his prayer book and his glasses in his hands. Mary is seated on a copiously decorated throne dressed in a red cloak. Jesus is sitting on her lap on a white cloth. He is playing with a green, ring-necked parakeet while handing a little bouquet of flowers to Mary. Next to Joris Van der Paele, his patron saint, Saint George, is walking into the scene, dressed in a harness. He takes off his helmet and salutes Jesus with 'Adona[i]' ('lord' in Hebrew) - as written on his harness - and introduces the Canon to Mary and Jesus. He is holding a white flag with a red cross clasped in his arm.On Mary's left is the bishop Saint Donatian of Reims. He is wearing a cope (a liturgical garment) decorated with golden and blue embroidery and a mitre. In one hand he is holding a crosier and in the other hand his attribute, a wheel with five burning candles. The scene is depicted in an apse or a rounded construction, of which the round arches are supported by pillars featuring ornamented capitals.The painting is still mounted in its original frame. This frame has several inscriptions amongst which is the artist's signature.

 

The panel's donor, Joris van der Paele, was born in Bruges c 1370 and spent his early career as a lay papal scribe in Rome before returning to his native city in 1425 as a wealthy man.Van Eyck's mastery at handling oil can be seen in the variety of brush strokes used to create the high degree of realism and minute details.Jan van Eyck is one of the most famous 'Flemish Primitives' and is credited with originating the painting style associated with them. As a court painter-he first entered the service John of Bavaria, the Count of Holland, in The Hague and afterwards served at the court of the Duke of Burgundy, Philip the Good-he is to be considered one of the most important painters of his era. He gained a reputation particularly because of his distinctive painting style, which is characterised by a great feeling for detail, a minutely accurate execution method and a vivid colour palette.