Anna Harty Photography

black and white or color?

2012-01-23T01:21:00.001-05:00

Photography has taken a major backseat in my current life. I have lots of rolls of film I can't afford to get processed and with a rather irregular work schedule it makes scheduling a shoot difficult. But occasionally on quiet nights I'll feel "inspired" or maybe just curious. But then I never decide what I want the final product to look like.

merry christmas

2011-12-25T15:36:00.000-05:00

Every year since I was thirteen my dad has asked me to give him a self portrait for Christmas. Here's this years.

Merry Christmas.

better

2011-12-05T19:55:00.001-05:00

I finally got around to hanging curtains in my apartment today and it instantly turned my windows into big softboxes and made the light so much better in my apartment. They're the same curtains that I had on my windows in Philly that contributed to the lighting for my entire these bones project.

one

2011-11-30T19:19:00.001-05:00

I haven't photographed since I moved to LA, which I felt really bad about. But now that I have a place to live (with not good window lighting) and since it's pretty empty I thought I'd try photographing a little. I spent a long time photographing, trying new things and had what I thought were a bunch of interesting images until I got them on the computer and ended up with a singular image. Normally I would find it pretty easy to photograph on my own but not being surrounded by the constant creative presence of school, I find it taking a back burner to just trying to make a living. It might take a little while to find the balance of continually photographing and trying to make a living since for a while I dont think the two will be one in the same.

on the road-the end

2011-10-20T20:45:00.000-04:00

So after having my computer stolen and my car totaled I am finally in sunny LA. Finally with a computer, maybe a car, job and apartment (still waiting on those). But things are looking up and I'm enjoying my new city. These are from the past few rolls of Colorado, New Mexico and Arizona. I had a wonderful trip but am glad to be on the verge of settling down and getting back to a relatively normal life and hopefully getting back to photographing and maybe even getting paid for it!

on the road- kentucky to colorado

2011-10-03T23:58:00.000-04:00

Most of these are actually from Kansas which took me about two days to drive through and was one of the weirder places I've been. Giant open fields, lots of abandoned buildings and towns that look western movie sets.

These last two are from a tourist attraction, that from the road just said point of interest ahead. I pulled off out of curiosity and after going down several dirt roads I saw the "See 6 States" sign with a rickety tower off to one side and lots and lots and lots of junk out front. It was a dollar to go up the tower and check out the "museum" or piles of junk. Also the guy running the place was a funny old guy who kept asking all the visitors to guess what the different antiques were. But now more than half way there and looking forward to getting to see the Southwest which I've always wanted to see.

on the road- wv to in

2011-10-01T12:15:00.000-04:00

Two of my dreams have been to live in California and do a cross country road trip. I'm currently in the process of making both of them come true. I left Treadwell nearly two weeks ago and so far have made it to Philly, PA->Buckhannon, WV->Greencastles, IN-> Lexington, KY-> and am currently writing this in a Panera in Jefferson City, MO and leaving shortly for Salina, KS. I'll slowly work my way across the southwest and eventually to Los Angeles. I've been trying to photography along the way but it's proving a little more difficult than I thought and and weirdly seeing cornfields for several hundreds of miles is not that interesting. But I will try and update this as much as possible and take as many photos as possible.

icelandic tourists

2011-09-22T18:38:00.002-04:00

One of the weirdest things about Iceland was the complete lack of people anywhere except for major tourist attractions.

icelandic animals

2011-09-13T19:31:00.001-04:00

Since there were so few people to be found in Iceland most places I photographed a lot of animals.

the last of maine

2011-09-09T17:33:00.001-04:00

Sorry for the lack of posting recently, after coming home from Maine it was right off to Iceland for two weeks. But after getting nine rolls of film developed, seven from Iceland I got back these last few shots from Maine which was nice surprise!

And although I may not post here all the time I try and post at least an iphone photo everyday on twitter, you can follow me here.

night

2011-08-17T09:03:00.003-04:00

I light these with a flash light app on my iphone out on the beach at night. I was really excited to figure out that my iphone makes a pretty good light source.

bangor state fair

2011-08-06T12:12:00.003-04:00

I've had this past week off from work and in addition to trying to find a job out in Los Angeles, before I make the big move, I got to go to a state fair. I tried to photograph people without them noticing, but a few of them noticed.

This one is my favorite. This girl stared at me for a several minutes and I snapped her picture without looking through the lens. Seems slightly unbelievable that my summer up here in Maine is almost over and that soon I'll be driving across the country and starting a new life and trying to become a working photographer.

interview

2011-07-26T17:24:00.002-04:00

One of my students at the Maine Media Workshops keeps an amazing website of interviews she does with photographers she finds. She asked to interview me, check it out here. And if you're interested she's always looking for new people to interview!

2011-07-20T09:33:00.004-04:00

More point and shoot Maine. Haven't had a lot of time to shoot anything else but the thirteen hour days have been worth it.

maine

2011-07-02T17:54:00.008-04:00

Everything in Maine is going fantastically.

good bye philly

2011-05-24T07:50:00.002-04:00

Last week I graduated college and this week I'm leaving the city I've called home for the past four years. It's bittersweet to leave because leaving means bigger and better things but it also means leaving a place and people I've gotten to know so well. It's also a bit odd because I don't know when or if I will be back. But for now it's up to Maine where I got a job as a teaching assistant at the Maine Media Workshops and then in the fall hopefully out to LA to truly start my career as a photographer!

slide film

2011-05-18T13:10:00.003-04:00

I found an old roll of slide and film and put it through my little 35mm point and shoot. Mostly from going to New York in March and my trip to Maine in April.

may

2011-05-11T17:29:00.002-04:00

Just a few random images from a roll of film I processed yesterday.

In other good news I found out that I got the teaching assistant job at the Maine Media Workshops! So I'll be leaving Philly for good at the end of May and heading up to Maine the first week in June, which I am very excited for!

chanel

2011-05-03T18:43:00.003-04:00

For one of my liberal arts classes I had to do a report on Coco Chanel and we also had to do a "creative project" so I kept it pretty basic and emulated some photos of Coco Chanel in her little black dress.

just a few

2011-04-15T19:43:00.003-04:00

Just a few random images that were on a roll of film I had been meaning to develop for a while. Some from St. Paddy's Day in New York and some from that shoot I did with Carin a little while ago. They're really grainy because I was a little lazy when developing them but I like it. It's always so fun to get an old roll of film developed and see what's been on there for the past few months.

The rest of my life however is not developing rolls of film for fun. This coming week we are hanging our senior show, which means mounting and framing seven pieces, updating my website for my professional practices class, printing my fashion portfolio and then the week after next I have two days of lots of random strangers in the art and photography world coming to critique my work in both my professional practices class and my thesis workshop class. I am both very excited and terrified for these days. But after that only a few more papers to write, our big opening for the senior show, possibly a new job and graduation in just about a month.

Academy of Natural Sciences

2011-04-11T09:56:00.004-04:00

For our last shooting assignment for professional practices we had to shoot the dioramas at The Academy of Natural Sciences here in Philly. The main challenge was that these are all behind glass and anything you put in front of it showed in the image, so lots of black fabric later I got these. I wasn't actually in class when we critiqued them but apparently everyone liked them!

the end is near

2011-04-04T21:07:00.003-04:00

I think I am done shooting my thesis, for now at least. Which is kind of unfortunate because I've stopped shooting sinceI really don't have time to and I have to get everything framed and have it hung on April 20th, which is much closer than I'd like it to be. Along with that I've got a second portfolio to put together, a website to update, several final papers to write and two "creative projects" which are liberal arts classes desperately trying to incorporate your artistic side into the course work. Oh and the big one....writing an artist statement. I am struggling with this more than I've struggled with anything this year. I can barely think of a single sentence to write about this work. Mostly because I want to keep the statement simple. I never like statements that are intensely conceptual and dig through all this meaning that is never really there. I would like something nice and thought out but I never imagined it'd be this difficult.

business cards

2011-03-25T20:14:00.002-04:00

So I just took these with my phone real quick but I finally have business cards! After a little bit of trial and error with a different printing company and then trying to figure out how to use illustrator I finally have what I think is a nice business card to represent myself. I just wanted something very simple and clean, with a little bit of color. It lets people know I am photographer and it doesn't pigeon hole me in anyway but still has a bit of my style. And now my portfolio book is in the mail, I just need to print for it and I will be on my way to becoming a professional photographer!

Coyote

2011-03-22T19:09:00.003-04:00

I was shooting some stuff for my thesis today with the coyote skull and thought I'd try some other stuff with it too. I just thought these two were fun.

I have been working really hard on a lot of things that aren't photo related and it was really nice to shoot just for an hour and feel like I knew what I was doing and was getting good results, unlike my research paper. I also just got my business cards and promo cards in. Unfortunately the business cards look awful because of my inability to read directions and had to order some more, once I fixed the mistake. Also just ordered a portfolio and am having a friend make a nice wooden box for my thesis portfolio to go in. It's all starting to come together.

Sienna Freeman

2011-03-16T19:10:00.002-04:00

The last assignment I had, besides constant work on my thesis, was an environmental portrait for my professional practices class. In class we were assigned a person and just given some small details and contact information, we then had to contact them and schedule a shoot. I was assigned Sienna Freeman, a graduate of UArts and now the director at the Wexler Gallery here in Philadelphia. She asked me to shoot in her in her studio instead of the gallery which was nice because her studio was very fun. The first image was my favorite. I really liked the natural lighting balance between the lamp and the daylight, seemed like it created a bit more of a mood. The second image is the classes and Sienna's favorite, also my second favorite. I think I liked it a little less because of the lighting but I think it really shows how she works and what she does well. Beginning this assignment I was very nervous of having to contact someone out of the blue, but it went very smoothly and Sienna was great to photograph and great to have the experience of what an actual job may be like.

Unsure

2011-02-23T16:33:00.003-05:00

More thesis. I keep shooting this and am still really unsure about why I am shooting it. If someone asked me to write an artist statement for this I don't think I could. I think I have figured out how to hang it for the show and how I want my final portfolio to look. However I also want to make a fashion portfolio, since I would like to get work from it eventually. On top of this I am trying to figure out my "brand" for professional practices class and possibly redesign, if not at least update my website, which is long over due. And decide exactly what I'd like to do after graduation.

The Rest

2011-02-14T14:39:00.004-05:00

The rest of my images from the shoot with Carin and Renee. I am quite pleased with the results!

Holga in the Studio

2011-02-13T19:13:00.003-05:00

Last week I had a shoot with Carin (model) and Renee (make up artist), both of whom I worked with on the mythical creatures shoot. I shot mostly digital but I though I'd experiment a little and try using my holga with a strobe. I've done it once before and it didn't come out that well but I figured out the exposure a little better and got some fun results while also experimenting with multiple exposures. Expect some more digital shots soon!

Coyote Jaws

2011-02-07T18:49:00.002-05:00

My ebay purchase history is starting to look a little weird. I've been scrounging ebay for all of it's bizarre bones and hides to photograph for my thesis. Surprisingly there is a lot of stuff out there. I could even buy a giraffe hide if I had $3000. Now that my semester is in full swing and the end is much more near than I care to think about, I've started photographing again for my thesis. I feel I'm getting a little stuck with these. I'm not sure how to make each of them different and am worried that in the end they will all look exactly the same, but no one besides me seems to mind that.

Also if you'd like, follow me on Twitter. I've been trying to make my photographic presense a bit more known and have been doing a photo of the day on Twitter.

Album Cover

2011-02-04T16:52:00.002-05:00

This semester I am taking a class called Professional Practices and so far it is proving to be one of the most useful classes I've taken. Our first shooting assignment was to redo an album cover and I choose Tigermilk by Belle & Sebastian. The shoot was a real lesson in professional practices for me because I showed up had forgotten my soft box for my light, but managed to rig something up with a reflector and then of course it turned out I had forgotten the memory card for my digital camera. However thankfully I had my little 35mm point and shoot, but no light meter so I had to bracket form f/22 to f/5.6 but thankfully they turned out and I think the low fi look really works with the actual image of the band as well.

film LA

2011-01-19T17:36:00.006-05:00

Here's my film from LA! I truly love using this camera, since it's automatic it really just lets me snap away, and yes I get a lot of duds but every now and then there are some fun ones.

Orange trees every where!

The place we ate breakfast where I saw Jake Gyllenhaal coming out of! Also really good french toast.

Also check out the blog for the UArts Senior show: http://uartsphoto2011.blogspot.com/. And don't forget to donate a little to help make the show possible! http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/uartsphoto2011/2011-uarts-photography-exhibition

iPhone LA

2011-01-18T17:39:00.005-05:00

I just got back from LA and truly enjoyed the sunshine, food and the work! It's been a really interesting project to get to be part of. The poets were all very interesting and I wish I could have stayed for the rest of the shoots, but alas I have to return for my very last semester. While I was there I found myself taking lots of pictures with my phone almost as much as with my 35mm point and shoot. And since it will be a bit until I get my film developed here are a few fun ones from my phone.

Maine

2011-01-06T16:59:00.004-05:00

For Christmas we went up to Maine to visit some family. It was nice to be up there, Maine is always really beautiful. Also while we were there, there was the big snow storm which was fun. These are just a few shots from my 35mm point and shoot. The other exciting thing is next week I am headed out LA to assist my dad on this project he is part of called America Now and Here. Several poets have written a renga poem (each one writes a small piece) and my dad is filming each of them reading their piece. I'm excited to assist on this seems like a very interesting project and also my first time being in California!

softbox

2011-01-03T16:32:00.003-05:00

One of my Christmas presents was a huge softbox and since I've got a lot of extra time because of winter break I thought I'd use it. It was kind of hard to really experiment with it in my room, not quite enough space. I feel like I should be shoot stuff for thesis as well but I'm not sure what else to shoot for it with out feeling like everything is looking the same. I had tried a few other things but I wasn't satisfied.

Happy Holidays

2010-12-29T14:27:00.001-05:00

Every year for Christmas I give my dad a self portrait, I've been doing it since I was about thirteen. Here's this years:

Fashion Final

2010-12-13T21:28:00.005-05:00

These are my images for my final for my fashion class. I was expanding on my original idea for the fantasy assignment, however this time I had an awesome team of two models, Emilie and Carin, a stylist, Jordana, and a make up artist Renee. It was the first time I've worked with such a big team and I am really pleased with the results, there is no way I could have gotten such great images without each of them.

In our class critique I was told my color was too "white bread" so the first image is the one I showed in class and the second one is trying to make it less "white bread". I don't know if I 100% like the second image color but I suppose it's a bit different, even though I had already tweaked the colors a bit on the original images.

I only have two days left of the semester and then home for Christmas and next semester I only have one class where I am actually shooting so it will be all thesis work all the time. Maybe by then I will have a bit more direction.

More Thesis

2010-12-08T17:58:00.003-05:00

Last week was our senior reviews, which is where we put up all the work we've done so far and lots of teachers/other artists come to look and critique. Mine went well and was not nearly as scary as I thought it would be. People seemed to respond more to the black and white work I was doing and someone mentioned Dutch Venitas paintings which I found interesting after spending an entire term last year researching them. So I am going in that direction and using the body as a way of presenting the objects. These are just experimentations right now.

Also we've started fundraising for our senior show that's going to be this April and it would be great if you could help support us! Click here to donate!

Florida

2010-12-01T17:31:00.003-05:00

Every year since I was really young my family has gone to Florida for Thanksgiving and only in the past few years have I actually starting photographing it, I even did a project on it one year. But it's always a lot of fun, sun and food.

Fantasy

2010-11-23T17:41:00.002-05:00

My most recent fashion shoot for class. Our theme was fantasy, I didn't go all out as much as I wanted to with this so I am going to to continue it for the final project and get a few other people and other animal props. The first two I shot with holga and I really like the feel of those and might shoot the final with holga as well, but with more than just an on camera flash.

Recent

2010-11-22T15:16:00.002-05:00

Just some recent random images from my little point and shoot.

My favorite thing about this camera is it has a flash sync and can be used in the studio. This is from a shoot in my fashion class.

more more more

2010-11-17T18:08:00.003-05:00

More pseudo thesis work...Since I am unsure about the home work right now I am sticking with this work for a bit. It's quite easy for me to do and experiment with. It comes much more organically than a lot of the other work. However I am very unsure what this work is about and with senior reviews the week after Thanksgiving, that's a bit concerning. We also had a crit today and I showed this work and didn't get a single response which was a bit unnerving. At this point I guess I'll just have to wait and see how things go.

Outdoor Lighting

2010-11-16T14:27:00.002-05:00

My most recent assignment for fashion class was to use lighting outdoors. I wanted to try and achieve the look of several of Annie Leibovitz outdoor portraits, however my light source was not nearly as large as the ones she uses. It was hard to find a balance between the ambient light and the flash, however I got a few that were successful. Since I was a bit concerned about the light, I focused less on the subject matter and concept so I ended up with very catalog-y looking images. This weekend I'm going for a bit more of production and turn someone into a mythical beast that included wings and (hopefully) some deer antlers.

Wheat Grass

2010-11-10T12:51:00.003-05:00

I shot these for the senior workshop class. I felt I was getting a little lost with the home things so I decided to just go completely somewhere else. My teacher seemed to really like them, especially the first one, and didn't really care that I was doing something completely different. But he did say if they are going to be so simple they need to be perfect, so that means that things are in perfect focus lighting, cropping etc. So I think I might continue with these a bit and try and work on things like that a bit more.

Beach

2010-11-05T04:46:00.003-04:00

Just over a week ago my senior workshop class (well some of us) went to the beach for a day of photographing. It was pouring rain for quite a while and very chilly but a lot of fun!

Magazine Spread

2010-11-01T21:41:00.005-04:00

This is my latest assignment for my fashion class, which was to photograph something that would be at least a three page spread in a magazine. So I went with the cleverly titled "Fall Styles". I had fun doing this and I think I got a few really nice images. The model, Emilie was also great to work with. However it was very hard to edit them as group and find what works well together. I also got some good critique on these about things that I didn't even think about. Things like how the first image is a much warmer look than the others and how the ones in the t shirt aren't fall enough. I guess things like that could be easy changed through a title change. But it would have been nice to have a stylist with me because I get wrapped up in taking the pictures and don't think as much about that stuff.

This next one is my favorite. I love how casual it is. This and the ones below seemed to be the ones the class liked the most.

These are two I didn't even show in class but I kind of liked as well. I felt they weren't "styled" enough.

And of course I somehow changed the settings in Photoshop and they are now uploading very desaturated.

Treadwell

2010-10-31T16:44:00.003-04:00

A few weekends ago I was able to go home and photograph. It was nice to be home for a bit but I don't know if I really got the results I wanted. I like some of them but I also don't know if I want to continue with this theme for my senior thesis, however I don't have a lot of other ideas. I think I need to stop photographing this stuff for a bit and do more of what I did in Glasgow with creating a sketchbook and researching, but I haven't had a ton of time to just sit and do something like that. I feel like I've been working much harder on my fashion class work than thesis work and maybe it's just because I don't have a solid idea yet.

Expect to see a magazine spread and some beach pictures soon.

Published!

2010-10-25T22:05:00.003-04:00

I've been published in a magazine! It's called Our USA Magazine. A while back I saw a craig's list ad asking for photographs representing "America" and what you like about it. I submitted a few of my travel photos from around Maryland and Maine and about a month ago I got email saying they'd like to use my photos and just today I got the published magazine in the mail. It's a very small magazine and it's their first issue and I believe all of their content is submitted by outside people. However it is exciting to say I am now a published artist!

Make Your Own Prop

2010-10-19T10:12:00.002-04:00

Another Fashion assignment, make your own prop. I made a cake and since I went home this weekend I used my dad as a model. This maybe on of the biggest set ups I've done for a shoot, with all of the props and everything. It was fun though. These first few I shot with a 35mm point and shoot to get that "classic birthday shot". And the last three are digital and unfortunately I was told that one of them looked like a great stock image, which really I hope to make images that are more interesting than just stock images.

Philly Style

2010-10-12T13:25:00.002-04:00

Our second assignment for Fashion class was to photograph "Philly Style" most of us in the class found this difficult since we didn't really think Philly had much style. I tend to think of Philly as pretty gritty and masculine. I photographed my friend Nick who is a sculpture major in his studio. I think they came out alright. I can't say I am thrilled with them but I think I managed to fulfill the assignment. The assignments for this class are much harder than I thought they would be, it's hard to come up with these ideas on rather short notice and shoot them.

Home

2010-10-11T18:21:00.003-04:00

Here are a few images from an idea that may or may not be my senior thesis. Like I said I am working with the idea of home and what exactly makes a home. I thought of this because since I have graduated high school I have lived in several different places, however in some way each of them has been my home. This weekend I am going back home (the home I grew up in) to photograph the house there and my parents as well. I'm not really sure what I am doing with this idea yet or where it will lead to but I am getting some nice results. Also sorry the colors are a bit off I had some trouble scanning.

La Mode

2010-10-02T18:44:00.003-04:00

I was recently asked by a make up artist, Niki Fadeyibi, if I could photograph her work. Niki found my website and called me out the blue and I was very flattered to have her ask me to do this. Make up and beauty work is not something I have done a lot of and it was good experience to work with other people, make up artists and models, and try and achieve what a client wants. Although maybe not entirely "my style" I am pleased with the results and I believe Niki is too! Please feel free to check out Niki's website here.

Work in Progress

2010-09-28T19:40:00.002-04:00

I've been working nights in the color darkroom because nearly every week my teacher wants to see new work, which is both good and bad. Hard to produce everything so quickly well also taking four other classes, but good to constantly be photographing. But since I usually only put up finished images and ideas I thought I'd put up something showing the work in progress. These are a potential idea for a senior thesis, which since at this point in time I have nothing else, I will be working with. It's the idea of home and what makes a place home and maybe even with the idea of family. Right now it's very general and unknown. I would also like to work in book form again since I think I succeeded quite well with making the book last term in Glasgow. However nothing right now is very solid.

Fashion Photo

2010-09-27T12:32:00.003-04:00

This fall I am taking a fashion photography class and our first assignment, besides buying two fashion magazines, was to take a classmate's portrait on a white background and make it as creative as possible. I don't know if I really succeed 100% but I still enjoy the picture.

Eastern State Penitentiary

2010-09-18T16:01:00.002-04:00

I recently went to Eastern State Penitentiary for the first time a few weeks ago. It's a giant old abandoned jail with some of the most amazing natural lighting. Since it was cheaper to have giant skylights than tons of electricity the entire building gets gorgeous natural light pouring in every space. It was fun to shoot there especially since I always love abandoned spaces.

Also just got done shooting my first assignment for my fashion photograph class so hopefully in the next week or two those should be up!

7am

2010-09-17T13:41:00.002-04:00

Over the summer I got a job that currently requires I work the night shift, although the hours can be a bit tough one of my favorite things is my bike ride home at 7am. The city is serenely quiet and this time of year the sun is just coming up. These are just some of the things I see on my way home, taken with my little 35mm point and shoot.

A Website!

2010-09-07T19:52:00.002-04:00

So finally after a great deal of designing decisions and trying to understand hosting, domain names and FTP (still don't understand it) I have a website! www.annaharty.com Please check it out and tell me what you think. I'm very glad I managed to get this completed and truly got my "vision" across and the final results are just what I imagined in a website. Finishing this means I got my final thing on my summer to do list crossed off, just a week after summer ended. It's been a funny week back at UArts, of feeling like a new student all over again, having to actually go to classes and the world of homework again. All this has made me really miss the loose structure at Glasgow, because really all I want to do is take pictures and have lots of free time to work in the darkroom and just research the things I find important. However I am hoping after another week or so I will get back into the swing of things and get back to making things. But for now I leave you with a few photos a took today:

B&W Trip 35

2010-08-26T13:53:00.003-04:00

First roll of black and white through my little point and shoot. I like some of them but recently I just prefer color. When I used to shoot in black and white all the time I would see the photo as a black and white photo before I took it. However it was much harder this time knowing my film was black and white, I kept seeing pictures that would look great in color but knew they wouldn't work in black and white. My favorite thing about this camera though is the randomness of all the photos you get.

Classes start in a week, can't believe it's my final year.

Very Last Pictures of Glasgow

2010-08-18T13:24:00.002-04:00

Or at least I think they are. I had a few rolls of film I had yet to get developed and I was surprised when I picked them up today and the one roll was from the holga at the Glasgow Botanical Gardens. I know I have several pictures of the botanical gardens, but something about that place enchanted me. There was always amazing light and when you walked around through the plants it was like you were a completely different place. I'm pretty sure they day I took these was one of the two days it was actually warm enough to wear shorts and I even got a little sunburnt. Anyways I hope you enjoy these because I really do!

Still Lifes

2010-07-30T14:55:00.002-04:00

Just fiddling around today and took a few simple still lifes, nothing too exciting, just nice colors and simple images.

I recently got one of the newest iPhones which of course is very exciting, as is the camera, with flash, as are all the exciting photography apps. I could only bring myself to spend money on one, which is the ever popular Hipstimatic. It's fun although since the app is so popular you could never get away with pretending you didn't take it on your phone. Having a phone that takes ok pictures makes me wonder about how I will end up using it, will I take most of my snapshot pictures with it now? Or will it just be the occasional thing when I have no other camera?

Gas Station

2010-07-16T18:23:00.003-04:00

Another picture from the most recent developed roll from my Trip 35, a Sunoco station outside of Baltimore (I think). This was the only picture on the whole roll that seemed noteworthy. I also found it interesting because my dad and I had been discussing a photo he had taken of a gas station, that is in some ways similar. His photo was very Gregory Crewdson-esque, mine not quite as much.

In other news I am hoping to have a website up by the end of the summer, but even choosing the photos to put on it is a massive decision making process, I can't imagine how the design and layout will go.

Ellsworth

2010-07-04T16:02:00.003-04:00

My new apartment is finally starting to feel like home. Although the living room is still a bit bare my room is near perfect and has become my own little oasis, mostly because it has air conditioning. This room is also a photographers dream, I have a giant bay window and wonderful whitewash walls. It gets really amazing light during the day and also when the sun sets.

My summer so far has been slow moving, my internship is just starting up and the job hunt is, as usual, going no where and I can only spend so much time in the park, especially since it's supposed to reach 100 degrees this week. And of course what did both of my parents suggest when I said I was bored...go photograph! So today I finally got myself out of my slump and dragged my tripod out of the closet. I also wanted to try and get better and more knowledgeable at editing digital photographs after my dad gave me a mini lesson when I first got home. These haven't turned out nearly as nice as when my dad helped me edit some but I'm starting to get the hang of what exactly I can do and how to do it.

I was hoping to finally start making some money from my photography this summer but any Craig's List ad I've answered I never get a reply. So I'll put a plug out for myself now and just say if anyone needs portraits or head shots done or an event photographed or even wishes to purchase a print please let me know, feel free to write me an email, hartya@uarts.edu and we can work something out! My book is also still for purchase at Blurb.com.

Undeveloped Rolls

2010-06-25T14:37:00.004-04:00

Since I've been carrying around my little point and shoot 35mm it means I often don't get rolls developed until long after the event. However since I am finally back in Philly I've had the chance to get the last few rolls I've shot developed. I apologize for the bad scans I had to have CVS scan them since I don't have access to a scanner. The first five are from Glasgow, as far back as when I took a trip up to the Highlands. It's nice to be back in Philly but I do miss Glasgow, partially for the cool weather.

These last ones are from where I grew up in Upstate New York. It was nice to stay there for a bit before I cam back to Philly. It's always nice to not be in a city for a bit and have your dad make you breakfast.

For now I am just trying not to sweat too much in Philly's 96 degree weather, find a paying job, organize my apartment and next week starting my internship. It almost feels like I never really left.

Good Bye Glasgow

2010-06-12T00:52:00.002-04:00

Good bye Glasgow! This evening (or afternoon with the time change) I will be back in the US and it seems unbelievable. I've had a great year even though it had it's ups and downs and met some amazing people who I hope I will get to see again someday. So I leave you with this parting gift, a very cheesy photo of (most of) my flatmates:

Gemma

2010-06-10T17:25:00.002-04:00

Tomorrow is my last full day in Glasgow and it is bittersweet. I am excited to go home and begin something (kind of) new, but it's also sad to leave behind the life I've created for myself and the good friends I've made here. Gemma has been probably my closest friend here and as a going away present I told her I'd take a nice portrait of her. Here are some of my favorites:

this is awkward

2010-06-07T12:49:00.003-04:00

The book is finished! I am really pleased with it as well, turned out just how I imagined it. Also had the final crit for it today and people seemed to like it, which is always nice. It was really interesting to see everyone's different versions of an artist book, there were some really amazing things. The book is also available for purchase here, if you are interested. Once again thanks to everyone who participated!

Botanical Gardens

2010-06-01T09:35:00.003-04:00

These are actually from before Easter and I never got around to posting them once my project and everything got started. But these are from inside the greenhouses at the botanical gardens. I think the greenhouses are really amazing, all the giant plants and great lighting.

Right now I'm just wasting time until we have our final crits and I have to start packing. It's both nice to have a lot of free time and a bit daunting. Now I am actually looking forward to going home, time for something kind of new.

The Highlands

2010-05-27T18:32:00.003-04:00

Just got back from a mini holiday in Mallaig up the in Scottish Highlands with my friend Gemma, and boy are they beautiful! It was a five hour train ride from Glasgow to Mallaig, which at first was a bit daunting but it went by really fast but there were such amazing views from the window!

We also got to go over the bridge that the Hogwarts Express goes over in the Harry Potter films! We are also pretty sure we saw the train as well, since it actually runs.

And then of course the beach! Not exactly the weather for lying in your swimsuit and sunbathing, but sunny (most of the time) nonetheless.

Also a hotel that was so badly decorated that it was fantastic.

Back home with some sand in my shoes and a few extra freckles and rosy cheeks. Also sent my book off to Blurb! Just hoping it comes in time for my crit!

By the River

2010-05-23T03:57:00.003-04:00

Me, by the river. And I am done photographing for this project! And let me tell you this is indeed one of the most awkward things I have done. I went out at 7am to the park, assuming there would not be many people around and I wouldn't feel so silly. However after taking just a few pictures a guy and his dog come walking through right where I am photographing. I felt so awkward and slightly embarrassed, covered in mud, that I immediately left. I only got about five pictures, but that was all I really needed

I am pleased with these and excited to finally start putting together the book!

Foot Bridge

2010-05-22T11:10:00.003-04:00

Amaya on a foot bridge.

Only myself left to photograph and trying to figure out how to lay out the book.

Restaurant Patio

2010-05-20T08:10:00.002-04:00

Ellen at a restaurant patio. There was this group of middle aged Scottish people watching us as we photographed and laughing. They didn't really seem to be laughing as mocking or an insult but just in amusement.

Mackintosh Stairwell

2010-05-19T14:48:00.002-04:00

Nathalie in the Mackintosh Stairwell. Again the Mackintosh building proves to be beautiful.

I had a long tutorial today and it made me think a lot more about the structure of the book and including text which I originally thought I wasn't going to include. So I need some suggestions, for each photo the opposite page is going to have some text, should it be the persons name or the location? Or something else entirely? Also I am nearly done photographing, just need to work up the courage to do a final self portrait.

Fourth Floor of the Mackintosh II

2010-05-18T07:53:00.003-04:00

Tilly at the top floor of the Mac. These also came out quite nice, although they are very dark I still think they look good, a bit more mysterious.

Fourth Floor of the Mackintosh I

2010-05-16T15:24:00.003-04:00

Tasha on the top floor of the Mackintosh building. I photographed three girls on the top floor of the Mac. I was a bit afraid they might look too similar but they don't and they all turned out quite nicely as the Mac is a gorgeous building with great lighting. I'll post the other two girls soon.

I've photographed fifteen people so far and hopefully have two more who will help and probably a self portrait and then I just need to put together the book! We also have to make a multiple, something small that needs to be in an edition of five. At first I thought I was just going to make a small box of actually hand made prints of each of the people, but now I am afraid that is too boring and am really unsure what I should do, but I'll figure it out soon hopefully!

Painting Studio Roof

2010-05-14T07:16:00.004-04:00

Martin on the roof outside his painting studio. This is the first person that I've shot that I didn't know. He's the flatmate of Diana and volunteered to help which was really great! I also think the pictures turned out pretty well, they have a very nice quality of light and I like the way the look out the window and that you can see some of the painting stuff from inside the studio as well.

No Entry Intersection

2010-05-11T15:59:00.002-04:00

Diana at the no entry intersection right next to the Mackintosh building. These were a bit stressful to shoot since we kept having to get up because cars were coming, but I think they turned out nicely. Like with the ones of Lorna in front of the subway station we got a lot more reactions and stares than any other locations. My favorite was a large, middle aged American man laughing and going, "now that's art, isn't it!"

I particularly like this one with the mother looking away but the kids both staring at Diana.

Architecture Studio Desk

2010-05-10T11:58:00.002-04:00

Arseni at his desk in the Architecture Studio. This was my first indoor place and it was a bit difficult to shoot but I think they turned out nicely.

Lots more to come.

Kelvingrove Park

2010-05-10T11:55:00.003-04:00

Anne in Kelvingrove Park. I love that she wore a red jacket, really makes these pop.

Behind the Richmond

2010-05-08T10:18:00.002-04:00

Lee, behind the Richmond. The Richmond is the photo building here at GSA.

Have had a bit of slump in photographing the past few days but means I will (hopefully) have one really busy day or something. But for now I am enjoying my relaxing weekend in the sun.

Kelvingrove Amphitheater

2010-05-05T11:04:00.003-04:00

Theresa at the abandoned Kelvingrove Amphitheater. Lots of these turned out particularly well. I think some of them could even stand alone. It was an interesting location and I feel like her overall look worked well with the location.

If you look closely up at the house you can see a woman in the doorway.

So far I have photographed eleven people! I'm really impressed with the amount of volunteers I've gotten. I really thought I was being over ambitious but now it doesn't seem like it.

Buchanan St. Subway Station

2010-05-03T09:56:00.002-04:00

Lorna in front of the entrance to the Buchanan St. Subway Station. She has been one of the bravest participants so far. She received several odd looks and people skirting around her as if she was something dangerous, but most of all she was just completely ignored. Except for the by the police who did not think that being art schools students was enough of an excuse to be "blocking a public walkway". Thankfully I had gotten most of the photos I needed when they asked us to move.

Doing this project has really made think about how we interact with people in public. In a way it's nice that people are willing to accept something so out of the ordinary, but are they really accepting it? Or just trying to ignore it? Only once so far have I been asked what I was taking photos for. I know that if I saw someone doing what I have been doing I might stop and look for a second but never actually ask. However my dad who goes and shoots in very secluded natural places often gets asked what he's doing. Lots of these seem however to be men into photography equipment and "nature photography". This project is proving to be an interesting social experiment as well

Car Park Near the River

2010-05-02T16:16:00.002-04:00

Steph at a car park near the river. I think these turned out quite nice. I really love the way Steph is lying, it is so much more relaxed than anyone I have shot so far. However that complete relaxation of the entire body makes this even more awkward for me. It really looks like she just fell over face first.

I've got at least two more people to shoot this week, but that only brings me up to nine so far. This might be more difficult than I thought.

Garnethill Park Slide

2010-04-29T11:11:00.002-04:00

Janni, at the Garnethill Park Slide. I haven't been this excited about a project in a very long time. I don't even find the any of the images particularly thrilling or of extremely high quality, I don't think they would work just on their own. But it's the actual process of gathering people and having that half an hour where they bring you some place they like and perform an act that I would personally have a very hard time doing if someone else had asked me. All of the spaces so far have been public as well. My favorite thing about this shoot was when I asked Janni to lie on the slide we we're like oh, hmm it's pretty dirty, but a woman with her small child who was on the swings immediately offered us up some baby wipes to clean it. She didn't seem to think what we were doing was in anyway unusual. I've been looking at a few artist where their photography is simply the documentation of a performance piece, like Lilly McElroy. She goes to bars, finds men larger than her and asks them if she can literally throw herself at them while her friend photographs it. This makes for really wild photos. She also does ones where she wears just a night gown and goes and lays in stores, subways and gas stations and is photographed. I think this project is like that, a documentation of a "performance". I've also been totally blown away by the amount of people willing to participate (still don't have 20 yet, but think I will get there).

Photographed three more people today, so expect quite a few post in the next few days.

Granite Staircase

2010-04-27T13:37:00.002-04:00

Gemma (whom I also have to thank for participating and putting up with all of my weird photo projects!) on the Granite Staircase. I like the way these are turning out. They are quite simple and hard to vary a lot besides the location, but I think that's what I want. When I was reading about Ruscha's book, Twenty-Six Gas Stations he said he originally took over 60 photos and edited out the ones that he found too interesting. Although I do want them to be interesting and nice photos, it is not as important as my last project.

I've also gotten a really good response with people willing to volunteer to be photographed, which I was not expecting, still don't have 20 people yet but it's a really good start!

Thistle Parking Garage

2010-04-26T11:01:00.002-04:00

Finally, the beginnings of my term three project. For this project we have to make an artist book. We were able to look at several artist books in our library's collection and some of the only photographic ones were by Ed Ruscha. I was immediately drawn to these. There are several and they have a very simple format. Some titles are Twenty-six Gas Stations, Nine Swimming Pools and Various Small Fires. The pictures inside are exactly what the title says. There are no words other than image titles and the photographs could never stand on their own as they are quite unremarkable. The ideas for the books came first and the photographs second. The books were meant to be a piece of art in their own. I love how bland and straightforward they are yet at the same time they make you smile because at first you expected something a bit more, but are almost glad that was all you got. I'm hoping to make my book in a similar format but with a different subject matter. The photographs I'm taking for the book were first inspired by Alison Brady. I really like how awkward her work is to look at, a bit like Ruscha's books. I also really liked her artist statement. Her work is about neurosis, anxiety, displacement, loss of identity and sexual compulsions and she plays with the line of real and fantasized, much like I've been trying to do. So the basis for this book is awkwardness, and maybe more specifically social awkwardness, as these are feelings that I have had since I was little. I am photographing several people laying face down in a place of their choosing. It is a very awkward action to do and even more awkward when in a public space and being photographed. It also conveys the sense of talking or interacting with people and hitting a wall in a conversation or any other awkward moments. Here is my first subject Reuben (whom I thank very much for putting up with several of my photo projects this year). He choose the top of the Thistle Hotel Parking Garage. This first one is my favorite.

I am very excited about this project and hope to have a very nice and professional book by the end of the term. I have also surprised myself by doing a project with a preconceived concept behind it. If you are in the Glasgow area and wish to participate in this project please let me know! It would be a great help.

Ukrainian Subway

2010-04-24T10:36:00.002-04:00

The very last photo from Ukraine. It is of the very, very long escalators that took down to where the subway was. Not being a fan of over crowded underground spaces the subway was always quite an event for me. However I really enjoyed riding the escalators and watching the people coming the opposite way.

Lviv, Ukraine

2010-04-22T12:35:00.003-04:00

One of the final sets of photos from Ukraine. These are from Lviv which is a slightly more relaxed city than Kiev, which was more enjoyable for me. However to get there you need to take a six hour train ride on a train that is so incredibly hot that you sweat just sitting there.

These next ones are from this very cool cemetery in Lviv. It was really wild and over grown and most graves had fluorescent fake flowers on them.

I still have a few more from Ukraine to post, hopefully get to that this weekend. Also just shot some stuff for my new project this term that I will get up soon!

Ukrainian Cats

2010-04-19T09:21:00.002-04:00

I love cats quite a bit, and thankfully in Ukraine there was quite an array of stray cats for me to photograph and try and pet. The last three may or may not be the same cat, as there were several cats who hung around the car park of my mom's building. Although strays they were quite well fed by the people living around them. Most days there were scraps of food left neatly arranged outside by the dumpster.

Kiev, Ukraine

2010-04-15T08:15:00.003-04:00

For my easter holidays I went to visit my mom who is living in Ukraine for the next four months. She's living in Kiev which is where all these pictures are from, although for a few days we went to Lviv which is a slightly smaller, more relaxed city. Ukraine was one of most different countries I have ever visited. It was a very beautiful city but it was the people that struck me as so different than anywhere I had been. Although I don't think I will be rushing back anytime soon I always find it exciting to visit somewhere new. There are quite a few photos (all taken with my 35mm point and shoot) from the trip so these are a small selection and in the next few days I will be posting some more.

An old woman who had a huge pack of sleeping dogs.

Women of all ages there walk around holding hands or linking arms. I also loved her red hat.

In my two weeks there I realized Ukrainians love to pose in front of things. This couple is taking it a step up and adding balloons. I really liked the bright color on a grey day.

The ballet! It was the first time I had ever seen a live ballet and it was very exiting, however we weren't allowed to take pictures during the performance.

Unintentional self portrait. I was trying to take a picture of the pastries inside.

Nice day in the park.

A long winding street with lots of vendors selling either nice handmade things or really horrible tacky things.

My mom's kitchen window.

Ukrainian fashion, fur, leather, short skirts and high heeled boots. But then a few years later and its straight to the babushka look.

Entrance into the parking lot of my mom's building.

Expect to see more soon, and hopefully some stuff for my artist book in a bit.

Browsing

2010-04-12T15:38:00.005-04:00

Holga, Holga, Holga

2010-03-21T11:07:00.003-04:00

The Holga is one of my favorite cameras to use. It is so easy and carefree and you never really know what you are going to get. These are just from around Glasgow.

And these are from the Art School Fashion Show which was very fun to watch. I did a lot of double or triple exposures.

Trip 35

2010-03-18T08:02:00.003-04:00

I just recently bought a little point and shoot 35mm camera called the Olympus Trip 35. It is fantastic. I bought a little flash to go with it too. It's small, easy to use and great to put in my bag and carry with me everywhere, just in case. Here's some of the first two rolls.

My sink after I dyed my hair that looks a bit like someone was massacred in it.

I have no idea what happened to this one roll it got really wonky and double exposed sprocket holes all over it. I think I might have loaded it incorrectly onto the spools when I developed it.

This one is my favorite. I sat in Starbucks for over an hour just people watching and pretending to read and this old man sat out front the entire time with his arms crossed and staring at the people walking by, maybe a fellow people watcher. He's just not so discreet.

Red Head

2010-03-09T08:36:00.003-05:00

Boredom struck.

Band Photos

2010-03-07T08:17:00.002-05:00

I took some photos for a newly formed band called The Nou (or The New), they were still deciding on a name I believe. But I was one of the first time I've photographed people had very little do with what was actually going on in the pictures. I came, set up some lighting and told them to do whatever they wanted. Made for a bit of a chaotic shoot but fun nonetheless. These were some of my favorites: