Assignment #4: Abstracting Photographs

8 or more images that experiment with abstraction techniques learned in class.
Critique: Monday, April 24
Examples from past students:

Final Project

Assignment:

• Your final project will be a series of photographs that communicate a concept you are interested in.
• You will design this project for yourself by choosing:
• The subject (portrait, landscape, still life, documentary, etc.)
• Color or B&W
• Controlled or available lighting
• Number of images in the series
• Your process for taking the photos
• What elements you will keep consistent within the series
• However, all of these decisions should be based on how to best communicate your particular concept.
• You will write an artist’s statement to accompany this project.
• Proposal Due: April 7
• Artist's Statement Due: April 26
• Critique: May 4, 3:30-5:30 PM.

Concept?

• Here are some guidelines for developing a concept:
• What are you interested in?  What can you tell us about your interests that we might not already know?
• Is there anything you notice that you don’t see many other people paying attention to?
• Be specific.  “Hatred” is certainly a concept, but it is way too broad.  Try to narrow down your concept and see if you can make it into a statement.  i.e. “Deep down, even if we deny it, we all have a certain amount of hatred inside us.”  This is specific, and you could start thinking about what imagery could communicate this.
• If you have an idea of what you would like to photograph, but not why, then try working backward.  What ideas/emotions/concepts could be symbolized by or expressed by the subject you want to photograph?
• Once you have a concept, start making a plan for how to communicate it.  Make all of your decisions relate back to the concept.  Consider what you might want to avoid so that the audience isn’t accidentally misled.

Show off what you have learned!

• Hopefully you have gained some new skills and knowledge about photography that you didn’t possess before, so put it to use!
• This is the capstone project of the semester, so it should be the culmination of what you have learned and should show that you “get it”.
• Are you particularly interested in depth of field?  Incorporate it and show that you can control it!  Would blurred or frozen motion communicate your concept well?  Do it!  Did you really enjoy the experiments with lighting and want to explore it even further?  Excellent idea!
• Your color and/or B&W editing choices should also showcase that you understand what you’re doing and why, as well.