Digital Photography 1

For my final project, I would like to shoot a series of individuals distracted by technology in naturally beautiful places. While working on my last series I noticed individuals in stunning areas were looking at their phones rather than the views in front of them. We are all guilty of being distracted by our phones and I want to capture it in hopes that individuals become more self-aware when in public places. I intend on drawing inspiration from the work of Robert Adams and David Hilliard to create these portraits.

My intimate portraits in addition to two bonus shots because the scene was pretty. The lighting was a bit harsh to incorporate facial features with background features without one or the other being blown out, so I opted to display her figure instead. 

I did my best to mix strong elements with ones that were lacking in my previous attempts. I continued to us the hiking boots as my subject, however this time I went to a lakefront park in Madison to provide a change of scenery. Unfortunately, this time of year is not the best for including a diverse color palette, but I was able to bring out some nice blue tones in this image that were not included in my previous series.

I struggled with creativity in this project, particularly because Wisconsin is shutdown with the exception of a few county parks, such as Indian Lake, where these pictures were taken. I tried to capture the essence of my relationship with nature, in some photographs as only the boots I hike in. One of the main points I tried to make with this series is that when I am in nature, I am not the focal point, and it is not my environment to control. I am a part of the environment, not the focus. Therefore, despite being self portraits, I was not even in the frame of a few photos. 

It's a strange time when my life can be boiled down to three images. School, television, and sleep. Just a short seven months ago (and hopefully once again in June) I was living and exploring a seemingly boundless area of Wyoming, surrounded by a stunning mountainous landscape, confined to nothing other than the greatest distance my feet could take me. Yet, today I am boxed into an area of a couple thousand feet, and even when I do step outside, there is hardly another soul in sight. Just days ago I found myself on the shores of the Gulf of Mexico, enjoying time with friends and coworkers alike. Yet today I find myself home in the midwest, some days not even reaching 40 degrees. Heraclitus' reminder that change is the only constant may never be truer. While impossible to know what the future holds, I remain patiently waiting for my freedom to return. Wisconsin remains on lockdown for at least the next month, so there is little doubt I will be itching for an escape wel...