For these shots I really wanted to use the 100mm Macro lens and one thing that the macro lens does really well is make small items look very large. So, inspired by this, I wanted to play with the ambiguity of size in my photos. I tried to make the scale of all of these images ambiguous.
This week I decided to look at photographer Richard Avedon who was an American fashion and portrait photographer. I had seen some of Avedon’s work before but I did not know his name or even how extensive his influence on fashion photography was until I looked him up. His work has an extremely unique tone to it as most of his photos are in black and white and feature intense lighting with harsh shadows. This type of work is extremely interesting to me, especially seeing where fashion photography is today and where it was in the 40s and 50s. Instead of the flat tones and low contrast colors of fashion magazines post war we have high contrast, black and white images that give a sense of drama and seriousness that early fashion photography did not really have. I gravitate towards a more 40s and 50s style of photography with simple colors and low contrast and this is the opposite so I’m surprised at how intrigued and captured by this work I am. The intense focus on the face matched with the shadows really draws you into the photograph and keeps you there for a long time.
Be yourself; Everyone else is already taken.
— Oscar Wilde.
This story was stupefying from start to finish. Giles Duley, in the depths of Afghanistan, stepped on a hidden bomb and became a triple amputee. In spite of this he plans to continue his work and return to the place that almost killed him in hopes of telling others stories. His work ethic and drive are nothing to be scoffed at. Thinking about the situation, and if I were in the position of Mr. Duley, I am unsure as to whether I would be able to make those same decisions. Some days it’s a struggle just to get out of bed in the morning and I’m a relatively healthy 21 year old man. I don’t think I’ve ever had the kind of drive and willpower that Mr. Duley has shown in his determination to continue his dream and to help others in need, even when that cost him greatly. Mr. Duley’s story will stay with me for a long time and hopefully when I am feeling broken and beaten I can think of him and his determination, drive, and focus. His willpower to be beaten to the ground and get back up again with the same amount of optimism and vigor is inspiring. WE should all take, at least a small part, of Mr. Duley with us as we progress in our own lives and through our own hardships.
This is an example post, originally published as part of Blogging University. Enroll in one of our ten programs, and start your blog right.
You’re going to publish a post today. Don’t worry about how your blog looks. Don’t worry if you haven’t given it a name yet, or you’re feeling overwhelmed. Just click the “New Post” button, and tell us why you’re here.
Why do this?
The post can be short or long, a personal intro to your life or a bloggy mission statement, a manifesto for the future or a simple outline of your the types of things you hope to publish.
To help you get started, here are a few questions:
You’re not locked into any of this; one of the wonderful things about blogs is how they constantly evolve as we learn, grow, and interact with one another — but it’s good to know where and why you started, and articulating your goals may just give you a few other post ideas.
Can’t think how to get started? Just write the first thing that pops into your head. Anne Lamott, author of a book on writing we love, says that you need to give yourself permission to write a “crappy first draft”. Anne makes a great point — just start writing, and worry about editing it later.
When you’re ready to publish, give your post three to five tags that describe your blog’s focus — writing, photography, fiction, parenting, food, cars, movies, sports, whatever. These tags will help others who care about your topics find you in the Reader. Make sure one of the tags is “zerotohero,” so other new bloggers can find you, too.
Aaron's Blog