DIANA EDELMAN TASK #3 - ALEX PRAGER

KILL THE QUEEN

When I researched Alex Prager's work I notest a theme of 60/70's era woman photographed through various low and high angles. They'd appear to be almost doll like, perfection if you will. I found using a barbie best established the appeal of the woman Alex Prager photographed. Flawless, beautiful, and you almost want to hate them. I felt that it'd be fun to steer away from using people for this week's photo considering Alex Prager's work doesn't consist of any still life. I thought i'd go for something a little bit more disturbing but with a comical twist, I created a barbie dart board. 

Hope you guys like it :) 

Pedro Hespanha - Task #3 - Alex Prager

After doing some research on Alex Prager, I noticed one thing that all her images have in common. They all look as if they are still plucked out from a film. I wanted to emulate this idea -- a picture looking as if it is part of a story, a fragment -- but without trying to copy his style. I feel that fire, something that consumes and engulfs, can be fleeting in certain situations. Newspaper, for example, when introduced to a flame, will dissapear in a matter of seconds. In this shot, I had only a few seconds before the newspaper itself disintegrated entirely and possibly even burnt me. I feel that this fact -- the fact that this is a moment in between two moments, makes it an appropriate submission for this week.

Amir Farokhpour - Task #3

What i really like about Alex Prager's work is how her photos are somehow mysterious. Her photos look odd and i really enjoy that about her work. Since most of her photos is staged i tried doing the same; something different from what i usually do. Any thoughts?

Anthony Bui Task #3

Alex Prager inspired me to do a photo shoot.

This is my first photo shoot, I don't often shoot people but I hope to practice more on portraiture in the future.

I lack the ideas of creative poses, thus some may appear as cliche. Too bad I was limited from my small room and was not able to get the studio. Wish I was able to explore more angles if I had the space.

I've incorporated different styles from Alex Prager and focused on them individually in each photograph.

Such as: retro clothing, excessive make up, dramatic lighting, and using bold colours.

I uploaded 4 as a  mini series, but if you guys have a preference of the strongest one and think I should take the rest out let me know.

Hannah Hollatz - Task #3

What I love most about Alex Prager's work is the use of vibrant colours. I decided to experiment with colour and lighting to create this image.

NICOLE HAYNES, TASK #3

Looking through Alex's photos on her website I came across a collection she has of images that are eyes. I wanted to recreate this idea that she had. Although I'm not sure if I am happy with this idea at the moment, so I am still brainstorming for this artist.

Sarah Wong #3 - Alex Prager

This is a rough draft only: my final photo will include a pile of books over the person with only her upper body and arm showing and will be shot in daylight.

I was influenced by Alex Prager's Compulsion 2012 and Weekend 2010 series.  In the Compulsion series, Prager created photos of the worse case scenario which people think of, and through her photos, she shows what it might actually look like.  This is shown through her photos from survivors in an ocean after a plane crash, car hanging off a cliff, to a woman jumping off a bridge.  But I feel there is a even wider stretch of imagination in her photo entitled 2pm Interstate 110 (Compulsion Series) when she shows a car sinking into a massive puddle.  This launched me to think of what are my own reasonable and unreasonable worse case scenarios/nightmares.  As I am often in the library, with what feels like a lot to read, I sometimes imagine what if all the books were to fall down on me as I walked through the aisles (or at least having to read so much feels like that).  Not able take books off the library shelves, I plan to create a pile of books, in my home library.  In the meantime, I have someone pose in the position she would be in and later, I will put a pile of books on her when I reshoot the final image.  I also tried to incorporate 70s style clothing, unexpected perspectives, and a female subject, along with elements that could create a narrative to match the themes in Prager's photos.

I have included two possible views.  Feel free to let me know which one is better and what I can do to improve it.  Thanks!

Task #3- Alex DeMelo

I was inspired by Alex Prager for this work. At first, I was EXTREMELY exited to give my own spin on her work, but my dreams got crushed (slightly) when I remembered that it looks like Eight Below outside. Her work is nostalgic, and summery. Two hard concepts to grasp considering the most nostalgic thing in my life in gameboy color (no "u") and the groundhog lied about there being two more weeks of winter. Anyways, I tried my best to copy her aesthetically. I read in an interview that she uses wigs for all of her models, which I found very interesting, because she is not concerned at all with presenting a model naturally, but instead exactly to her vision, which I respect. I put my own spin on her work in a more awkward, less colourful way. Not sure which colour to make the top, any suggestions? What do you think? Am i spanning too many decades with the coca-cola, persian rug, chihuahua combo?

Eric Watters Task 3

Planning on shooting this weekend - for now here's a nice picture of my friends all dressed up and girly (like the subject Alex Prager usually uses)

I'm inspired by her one shot from the Film Stills:

Erin Whittier - Task #3

"Tastes Like Regret"

When I read through Alex Prager's interviews, I found a few things that were really interesting. One particular method I found brilliant was that she doesn't start her photo with a particular story in mind - instead, she begins with an emotion. I found this rather startling because many people push us to tell a story with our photo to release a viewers emotion, but her method is the other way around - tell an emotion so the viewer creates their own story.

I began this with what emotions were going on with myself, as many things were going on in my life and I was overwhelmed with a variety of emotion. I chose the emotion of regretfulness. On a daily basis, whether a major or minor source, my own actions or others, theres always a moment I wish I could hide under a rock forever, or undo some action that cannot be fixed. And of course, in most things, you can eventually get over them, or speak with someone and work it all out, carrying on as if nothing has happened.

I decided I wanted to make a farce of this frase by taking it to the extreme - ironic contrition. But, I will let you figure out your own story with this image, and not taint it by my own interpretation of the story.

I also liked Alex's vibrant style. I mimicked this, and had a lot of fun with it, as I have begun having an affair with garish colours in my recent work.


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update:

Here is another image I have edited from the same shoot. As you can see I wasn't shooting in the studio because it was booked up with class all day, and I didn't know until my  model was already on her way. So I shot it on the floor with boards instead, but thats why the shadows are all wonky. What Evan said is pretty valid, so I'm going to post this as an alternative as well. Its not quite as cheery, and I have placed colour casts to mimic some of Pragers work in the way she uses different filters. I dont like this one as much but I would like to know what you think of it also.

Ashley Warrington Task #3: Alex Prager

Task #3 Hey Everyone! These 4 images are inspired by Alex Prager's photos on the eye. When I look at the eye pictures they are very neutral, and grey. So what I decided to do was take a different aspect of the face and make it vibrant and eccentric! I love using colour and in these pictures I took there are definitely a lot of colour!

Imogen Wallis-Mayer Task #3

Hey guys so I was inspired by the overall style of Alex Pragers photographs. Also I don't know which one i like best.

RE-SHOOT OF TASK #2, Imogen Wallis-Mayer

In Amy Steins Tall Poppy Syndrome series she explains "As Americans we are taught to strive for success and celebrate those who distinguish themselves from the crowd- the Tall Poppy Syndrome runs contrary to this". These two pictures are a play off of Amy Steins Tall Poppy Syndrome series. ALSO What one do you guys like best and any other comments ?

Emily Hole - Task #2 - Amy Stein

This photo is inspired by Amy Stein's collection Stranded. It was inspired by her photo of the pink coat on the side of the road. Both the coat and this bike is a useful part of everyday life for a lot of people which makes it interesting why they were left behind. I chose this bike because it has been sitting there so long it can not stand on its own which shows it has been completely forgotten.

Task #3: Ellie Bergeron

This task was inspired by Alex Prager's "week-end" series. I noticed she had a lot of photos with only one person with an event happening within the scene. Therefore I decided to portray my own image of someones "week-end".

Heather Cummings Task #3: Alex Prager

This photo is inspired by the overall asthetic and content of Alex Prager's series: Compulsion and Week-end. Any suggestions are welcome!

Task #3 - Megan Bates

After reviewing Alex Prager photographs i came across that they had a very creepy emotion to them, many of the models were in wigs or had hair that looked almost plastic, with the two photographs about I decided to recreate something similar, someone really dressed up but in a place were they look like they do not belong. I tryed to portray two different emotions, the top photograph being very vulnerable while the bottom is much more confident and fearless. These two emotions give the photographs different feelings and act as opposites.

Heather Cummings Task #2 Re-Shoot: Amy Stein

 Ok so my earlier post of this apartment building I think was too closely cropped to get my idea across (my idea being to capture the literal separation of people from each other and our culture's obsession with privacy). So this is the bigger picture, maybe it's better. But I also thought the following series of images of fences might illustrate this point better. Let me know what you think. Also, any advice about colour balance or anything of that sort is apprectiated. Thank you!

Emily Pleasance Task #3

Task #3 Alex Prager

For this artist, I finally chose a visual stimulant to influence me. The other photos I have taken all are inspired by conceptual ideas, but for Alex Prager's photos I was strictly inspired by the dated models, fashion, clothing etc... It inspired me to grab anything I possibly had in the house to see if I could capture a photo/portrait that looked as if it was a flash back from time, just like Alex Prager's.

DIANA EDELMAN, TASK #2

This piece was inspired by Amy Stein's domesticated series. I wanted to focus on the idea of how animals and humans can be related to one another through basic characteristics of behaviour. Humans are for the most part scared by wild animals. They take caution and go to extreme lengths to protect themselves from harm. In reality, the animals are just as fearful of the humans. It brought my attention that the two are the same. They do exactly the same things, try to survive in the world. I wanted to create a photograph that would bring into question, what if humans became animals? What if these creatures switched roles and discovered the connection they have in regards to survival and life. 

I chose to have my model be nude because it is the most natural state someone could be in. Animals too are nude, therefore i felt it brought a connection to the piece. I then placed a wolf mask on my model because a wolf is a creature that is highly feared. The two can both be feared. Which brings me back to my question, what would happen in they became one another?

Hannah Hollatz - task #2

What I like most about Amy Stein's portraits is that she captures very average looking people in their everyday life but their expressions and the photos as a whole are very compelling and tell a story.

Megan Bates - Task Two

I was inspired by Amy Stein's series "Domesticated" the use of animals in there environments coming into contact with different elements from our world was a creative and inspirational. I had originally wanted to work with animals or cats or dogs, but being in the city, I had a lack of animals to work with where I could arrange so I had decided to work with pigeons, the annoying birds we come in contact with every day with being in Toronto  I think even though it is simple and plan, the lines in the branch in the foreground make your eye wander a bit more then if the branch was not there at all.

Michael Leighfield Task #2

Okay so for my Amy Stein photo I thought that I would do something similar to her "Stranded" series. Below is the photo that inspired me. I guess you could say that I basically just walked around and found items that were "Forgotten". What do you guys think?

Amir Farokhpour - Task #2

These photos are inspired by Amy's stranded series. In her stranded series, Amy's subjects seem tense and vulnerable as she mentions in one of her interviews. I basically tried to show these emotions but in a different way. I was trying to show a sense of helplessness in my photos. I have uploaded three photos from the set. Any thoughts? Which edit looks better? 

- Amir Farokhpour 

Sarah Wong - Task #2

My photos are based on Amy Stein's series called Women and Guns.  In her series, I felt that contrary to traditional views of women being all feminine and gentle, she showed that women had many reasons to engage with guns.  Whether it was for duty, for hunting, or for fun, she showed that women could be just as 'masculine' or gun loving as the typical male stereotype.  I felt she showed that women do not and need not conform to traditional feminine stereotypes and showed a reality that women choose to either act in masculine or feminine ways which are not innate characteristics.  In my own photos I took, I wanted to create a photo with suspense and mood, showing someone who uses a gun for another important reason, self protection, as opposed to hunting and fun.  I have selected 3 photos.  Please let me know if I should go with the full view (and which one) or the cropped photo and any other suggestions. Thanks!

Note: The gun is a only a BB gun which can't even shoot through paper.

Task #2 - Nicole Ackerman

The girl in the photo was standing in the middle of a four-lane road during high traffic, giving the sense that she was stranded there. Inspired by Amy Stein's work, I wanted to incorporate the sense of isolation seen in her "Standed" series, as well as the independence and strength seen in the woman in her "Woman and Guns" series.

Pema Phurpatsang: Task #2

My photograph was inspired by Amy Steins "stranded" collection.

Pedro Hespanha - Task #2: Amy Stein

It seems my submission for this segment of the assignment takes greatly after Amy Stein's series Stranded, which I consider to contain her most beautiful photographs and to be her most interesting series. I've always found photographs which depict solemn people, stranded or stuck in some way to be interesting. Although not all the subjects present in Stranded appear to be alone or even truly stranded, several of them do, tending to broken down cars or communing with bored family-members as they await rescue. I find her series contains two different kinds of images, close-ups that offer a stark glimpse into the lives of evident strangers and wide shots which serve more the purpose of establish the subject's surroundings and, by doing so, laying out for the viewer to see, the size of the subject in comparison to the all-encompassing location. I found the latter type to be more intriguing as I believe our relationship with the world around us is always a great subject for photographers. During our last snowstorm, quite possibly the most serious snowstorm we've had for years, I fought the urge to stay warm and ventured onto a nearby field with my girlfriend and my sister, not knowing exactly what I was going to shoot. As we made our way through the fields and I looked up at my sister walking away from me, I saw what you see now in front of me and knew that it reminded me of something. Stranded.

Imogen Wallis-Mayer Task#2

So i was inspired by the series Women and Guns, the picture that inspired me is the one above and mine is below. 

I don't know if i should do black and white or colour, comments would be helpful.