Alexis Ping-DiFiore

Alexis Ping-DiFiore

Tim Walker, "Like a Doll"

Vogue Italia- Jan 2012

Tim Walker is a famous fashion photographer who creates ads and images that intrigue the viewer with his wonderful world of fantasy. He is perhaps most well known for his Juicy Couture ads where the juxtaposition between classic femininity and pastel tones contrast with hard tattoos or neon hair of its subjects. He has so many intriguing series with exciting subject matter. I chose this particular image because it reminded me of a doll I had as a little girl whose name was in fact Big Doll. To me the image's subject is an exaggerated depiction of a memento from my childhood. In this image the doll grabs my immediate attention, but if I was flipping through a fashion magazine seeing the peculiar doll would stop me at this page and due to the sharp contrast of the dolls bright blue dress and the models pink coat both subjects are very visible against the dark forest background. Everything about this image flows as my eyes drift from the odd doll,  to the sad model, and follow the fallen tree trunk back to the initial starting point.

Jake Dobbs

Jake Dobbs

Lynn Goldsmith, "Neil Young"

1995

This is a photo that should never have been taken. Neil Young is difficult to photograph outside of concert. For Lynn Goldsmith he was impossible. Goldsmith made photos with countless music acts from the 60s to the 90s, but Young was seemingly unattainable. After a decade actively trying she decided to drop the desire. Goldsmith went to a secluded California desert health spa to help quash it, only to run into Young, in the flesh. Call it fate, random chance, universal forces, Divine Intervention, etc. However Young went by an assumed name, clearly wanting to keep his anonymity safe. Goldsmith couldn't break that by asking for a session. After days of photographic desire brewing, intensified by proximity, on her way to leave the spa she creeped up on Young, made this photo from around a corner. 

This photo displays how engrossed and obsessed a photographer can become with their subject. What lengths one may go to fulfill said obsession.

Caroline Laudon

Caroline Laudon

Annie Leibovitz

"Golden Gate Bridge", San Francisco, 1977

Looking at the world through the frame of the car – is how Leibovitz describes her life of growing up, always being on the road in a car with her family, heading somewhere – a new journey and a new place. In her third year as a student at Art Institute in San Francisco, her own journey began to take place and also her carrier – staring to work with The Rolling Stones. A long her journey she got new knowledge, did mistakes and learned from them.

This picture reminds me of a lot of my different travels in my life – to look at the world through a window of a car or an airplane, heading somewhere else. This photo makes me feel motivation and urge of moving on to new adventures. My move across the world – was a whole new type of journey for me, while leaving friends and family behind. Explore the world of my own, somewhere that was unfamiliar for me. I bought my first real camera just before the journey. I wanted to capture and share every moment with the loved once at home. I had no idea what to expect out of this more then it would be a beginning of something new. This picture for me symbolizes a beginning of something new, a beginning of a life journey – a new path. Where one path ends, another begins!

Chris Bell

Chris Bell

Daniel Reiter, "WelleVI"

2015, Lambda Photographic Print

I chose this image because as soon as I saw it, I connected with it. It took me back to a time in my childhood on the beach with my family, and when looking on the horizon, nothing mattered. It was a time without stress, without homework. A moment of complete meditation. The blue water and sky are so calming, and the whole image seems so relaxing even though it is very simple. Now that I live in California, this makes me want to go to the beach much more often as an escape.

Emily Pierce

Emily Pierce

Steve McCurry, “September 11, 2001”

2001, digital

 

Steve McCurry was one of the first photographers allowed access to the wreckage of the September 11^th bombings in 2001. The images he created convey the solemnness of the event, giving respect to the tragedy that was faced. This image shows a solitary staircase, enveloped in a soft golden light coming in from the windows. The color and quality of the light gives it an almost angelic feeling, as if the building itself followed the people that were in it into the afterlife. The debris left everywhere adds to this feeling, adding a more somber tone to the almost happiness created by the light.

Megan Lysholm

Megan Lysholm

Francesca Woodman, "Space2"

1976, gelatin silver print

I chose Francesca Woodman's "Space2" primarily because the image reminds me of the short story "The Yellow Wallpaper," by Charlotte Perkins Gilman. The story of a woman who goes crazy after being restricted to bed rest as a cure for her hysteria, she begins to see a woman hiding within the stripes of her yellow wallpaper. Woodman's image speaks to the insanity a woman experiences when she is confined by her gender. By covering her face and a portion of her legs, Woodman minimizes her body to a mere shape, accentuated by the floral pattern of her wallpaper covering. As such, the image becomes a study more of form than of sexuality, simultaneously commenting on and minimizing her femininity. Shot in black and white, and in an aged and rundown house, the image strikes a timeless chord.

Valeria Zevallos-Guizado

Valeria Zevallos-Guizado

Martin Chambi "Cuzco Llama"
1934

This photograph seems very forward, man with a llama, nothing really out of the ordinary. But when I see this picture I see my culture, where I came from, and something that reminds me a little bit of who I am.  I am Peruvian, born and raised, and that is what inspired me about this photograph. I go to Peru once a year but last year was the first time I was able to visit the famous wonder of the world, Machu Picchu. Martin Chambi, the photographer, is also Peruvian and all of his photographs are from the city of Cuzco, Peru. He grew up taking pictures by the mine that his dad worked for and eventually discovered his passion for photography and decided to photograph the most beautiful parts of his country. That is what really caught my attention from this photograph, it could be a man a llama, but to me it means way more.

Anna Sellhed

Anna Sellhed

Dorothea Lange, "Hands" (Maynard and Dan Dixon)

1930

Love. The unbreakable bond between a man and his son.

This is the first thing that comes to my mind when I see this image.

The composition of just seeing the tiny body of the child, and the hands of the man without seeing their faces creates a more intense image. Because then you are able to create your own vision of what is really happening. Are the child crying and the man comforting him, or are they laughing together?

This is one of Dorothea Lange specialties, documentary photography.

The image was shot in 1930, during the Great Depression, and therefore it is shot in black and white, which enhances the feeling of the desperation that people were living in during this time. Even if it had been shot today I think that it still would be a stronger image in black and white, than if it had been in colors.

 

John Bedikian

John Bedikian

Hiroshi Sugimoto, "Lightning Fields 236"

2009, Gelatin silver print

"Ultimately, we know deep inside that the other side of every fear is freedom," Marilyn Ferguson.

It is overcoming that fear of failure that creates success. It is allowing what brings many misfortune, to bring you prosperity. To most photographers, negatives destroyed by static electricity are undeniable failures. To others it breeds thoughts of revolution. Using that very failure, not to destroy artwork, but to create it. To use the stormy waves Life hurls at you and steer your ship towards safety. For one to look not at what happened, but what can ultimately happen.

They say life is 10% what happens to you, and 90% how you react to it. So it's never too late to begin turning the tides in your favor.  

Rebecca Ballesteros

Rebecca Ballesteros

Dulce Pinzón, "Wonderwoman"

2006

 

Growing up, my mom would always yell at me for being so involved with my comic books. "Por que chingado te gusta tanto Wonder Woman?" "Why do you love Wonder Woman so much?" I would idolize these characters and get so distracted that I would never do my chores. Sure my mom would be pissed off, but I knew she couldn't stay mad forever. To this day she still calls me and yells at me to clean my room. But that doesn't bother me at all. As a Mexican woman who immigrated here, she did everything in her power to give my family a beautiful life. And as I got older, I think about all the moments she's rescued me, from car issues to bad breakups and never hesitated to save me. "Why do you love Wonder Woman so much?" Because, she's my mom.

Saul Aguirre

Saul Aguirre

Paul Strand "women of santa anna"

Mexico, 1933

I selected this image because, this shows the struggles of Mexico in the early 1900's. While Paul Strand traveled around he later ended in Mexico, where he took the picture of the women in santa anna. This picture shows the women are poor due the lack of shoes and clothing. One of them is holding a baby, which catches my eye because it the picture shoes a bit of poverty so I feel the boy/girl will grow up with that life style. One of the older women is holding a bowl of some sort which could indicate that she might have had dinner in bit or she might be reserving or feeding the other women that appears in the image. I will also assume the women in the picture might be religious because they are wearing head scarf in plan daylight.       

Daniel Abad

Daniel Abad

Mike Wells, "Hand"

1980

I chose this image because of the initial reaction I experienced from first looking at this image. It made me feel down but at the same time it made me feel extremely thankful and grateful. We take it for granted that we have access to clean water and food while on the other side of the world, we have children going to sleep hungry and thirsty because of the lack of resources. It hurts to see the small malnourished hand from this child on top of the other hand because we know that is not right and no child should ever be that malnourished. This photo can make one reflect on their own life and realize everyone should be grateful for what they have in their life because there are probably other people around the world who would love to live a life like yours.

Miriam Romero

​Miriam Romero

Brian Lanker "Birth"

1972

 

Brian Lanker was a photographer that was part of a journal which had a reputation of strong images. He accompanied twp of his friends into the labor room, his friends allowed him to photograph the birth of their daughter, Jackie Lynn Coburn. This photograph won the Pulitzer Prize, which is a price awarded to newspapers, online journalism, literature, and musical composition in the united States. The reason why I decided to choose this picture over so many other strong images was because of the woman's expression. Although child birth is an extremely painful process, you can see it's all worth it because of that smile. Bringing a life into this world is one of the greatest gifts humans were given. In this frozen moment you don't know if her laughter is due to relieve or pure joy. I chose to see nothing else but pure happiness and excitement caused by the birth of their beautiful daughter. Brian later mentioned not being able to recall taking this picture because of his involvement in the birth.

 

Bonnie Cruickshank

Bonnie Cruickshank

Robert Mapplethorpe "Dollar Bill"

1987

 

Robert Mapplethorpe was born in 1946 and died 1989. He lived through the pop art movement which inspired him to reformulate art of the past. He was known for taking picture of controversial topics such as sexuality. In 1987, the same year that Andy Warhol, a popular pop artist, died, Mapplethorpe took the picture the dollar bill. The picture was a close up full frame image of a dollar bill that was back lit to make it look like a double exposure. The image resembles a pop art picture and was done as a homage to Warhol. It is a picture of no big meaning but stood out among the rest of his work from the exhibit at the Getty Center. It was a piece of work I had never seen before.

Andy Rivera

Andy Rivera

Cornell Capa "Adlai Stevenson at his Illinois farm"

1952

The photograph I selected is called "Adlai Stevenson at his Illinois farm" made by photographer Cornell Capa. I chose this image and was inspired because when I first saw it the first thing I could think about is peace. I like this photograph because in this image you can tell the photographer invested his precious time and put his passion into this masterpiece. This image is black and white but, if you look at this image closely you can see the contrast of the light beaming from the branches of the tree and the shadow it reflects in the bottom of the grass. This image spoke to me because life is very messy, it's like a roller coaster you have your ups and downs. However, reflecting at this image you can't help to take a breather and feel relaxed. Sometimes we forget that we're human and we need to relax.

Michael Valdes

Michael Valdes

James Stanfield, “Anxious Eyes” 

1987, Medium Unknown

I selected this image because so many questions come to mind when as soon as I saw it. You can only imagine about what was going on during that surgery and how picture how intense that situation is. You really get a sense of realization about how hard it is to save someones life as a doctor, and you can tell by looking at the photo how long the doctor and nurse have been attending to this man on the operating table with no rest. The nurse in the corner who is taking a nap further displays how exhausting it is to be in that situation. The lighting and palette used was very pleasing to me, and helped make this image stronger and more powerful.

Linda Lee

Linda Lee

Aline Smithson, "Untitled"

2011 ,"In Case of Rain" series  

 

I don't remember the last time my family came together without being interrupted constantly with calls or texts from their phones. I don't remember the last time my friends and I went out and everyone put their phones away to just enjoy the moment. We're so consumed into capturing or talking about the moment that we forget to enjoy it fully.  The "In Case of Rain" series captured my attention with its simplicity through images of dolls, board games, and records. 

Not only are the items in each image "outdated" but also the color schemes seem to be the old versions of the color wheel today. I feel a wave of comfort while looking at these homey items but saddened because of their "extinction". There's one thing that Aline Smithson said in her statement about the series that stuck out to me: "I see them now as beautiful objects to be admired and preserved, if only on film." 

Jessica Arellano

Jessica Arellano

Tony Sweet, "Sparks Lane"

Year: 2002

 

I have decided to select this image because it grasped my attention due to the beauty within the nature. The reason why the nature spoke to me was because the perspective of the photograph was presented differently than the usual point of view. The usual point of view is always centered within the frame. Also, the photographer captured an asymmetry concept that makes the scene more interesting due to the color palette presented. The color palette presented shows a gloomy vibe and slight warmth feeling coming from the left side. When looking into the image in my perspective I feel the artist captured a nostalgic feeling when presenting nature.

Sara Sheltz

Sara Sheltz

Malcolm Browne, "The Burning Monk"

1963, black and white film

 

This photo portrays a Vietnamese Buddhist Monk in Saigon in 1963 burning himself alive. The monk was protesting the persecution and oppression of the Buddhist religion in Vietnam. The photographer, Malcolm Browne, drew international attention with this photo and even won the Pulitzer Prize for International Reporting. The photo was so revealing that U.S. President John F. Kennedy was persuaded to withdraw support from the Vietnamese government. Kennedy stated that "No news picture in history has generated so much emotion around the world." I chose this photo as one of my favorites because the story is a perfect example of how influential photography can be. Without the invention of photography, no one around the world would be able to actually see what was going on outside of their community. When people see a photo as powerful as this, they start to fight for what is just and right, like Kennedy did when withdrawing support from the Vietnamese government. 

Kiara Coronado

Kiara Coronado

Margaret Bourke-White, "Kentucky Flood"
1937, Gelatin Silver Print

Towards the last years of the United States' worst economic decline, a flood struck the Ohio River, sending those who lived in the houses of Louisiana, Kentucky, onto the streets. The billboard in the background holds a sense of irony; as the white, all-American family and their dog drive off into happiness and a bright future, a dozen and a half African-Americans are lined up, looking for hope in their new homeless life. The picture declares that Americans have the "World's Highest Standard of Living," and, while this may have held true, millions of people lived in despair and hopelessness as they were thrown out of their jobs and onto the street. Though the picture was taken during the Great Depression to capture the misfortune of the Kentucky Flood, this picture still holds true today. Millions of underrepresented populations live under the overbearing shadow of the rich, educated, straight, white man, including women and intersexual people, people outside the "European-white" umbrella, people who do not identify as straight, and people who are not educated beyond a high school diploma. If we live this is the land of the free and the home of the brave, then why are so many of us still suppressed in society today, just as we were back then?

Heather Shultz

Heather Shultz

Philippe Halsman, "Dutch actress Audrey HEPBURN"

1955, gelatin silver print

Philippe Halsman's series of portraits of people jumping happened almost by accident.  The photographer said he shocked himself the first time he asked a subject to jump for his camera after a particularly difficult session.  Halsman spent the following six years asking every famous or important person he photographed to jump for him.  The culmination of these photos was his "Jump Book," a study in the pseudo-academic subject of "jumpology."  Halsman claimed that the act of jumping forced people out of their preset expressions and into photo that was more representative of their true selves-without a mask.

I selected this image because it represents a carefree moment, frozen in time.  The playful nature captured in this photograph is a side of the art world that is often unseen, and a reminder to take life a little less seriously.

Ricky Ortuno

Ricky Ortuno

Marc Riboud "The Ultimate Confrontation: The Flower and the Bayonet"

1967

 

Marc Riboud was known for taking pictures about brief moments but express a lot of meaning. In this photograph it displays a young girl closing in on the soldiers with their bayonets while holding a flower. This was an anti-Vietnam march held outside the Pentagon with the National Guard ordered to hold their ground. In this photograph I felt both the discomfort of the soldiers and the compassion of the girl. The soldiers had no clue what to do for they were presented with a caring girl who wanted nothing to do with violence. This made me think of the constant battles my mother and I have had. Consistent fighting that led to no where but sadness. But one day after work I left a flower for her and it diffused the situation just like this one moment captured by Marc Riboud. We are all just people who want to live together in peace. 

Karina Lopez

Karina Lopez

Richard Avedon, "Veruschka"

1967

 

I chose this picture because it makes me feel peaceful. It looks like everything around her is dark and gloomy, like as if she's going through tough time right now. But she refuses to let it bring her down so she starts doing something childlike and fun like twirling around on your toes like ballerina. And its working, she seems so carefree and light like if she could just fly away in that blissful moment. She knows that Even though things aren't ideal she'll be fine, and It makes me feel like I'll be fine. So if things aren't going the best in life or things start to seem like they're falling apart you can put on a pretty dress and just twirl or dance around to forget about all the shitty things around you. All you need to do is disregard everything else and do something silly that makes you smile.

James Porcell

James Porcell

Robert Frank, "Charleston, South Carolina"

1955

 

This photograph, by Robert Frank is powerful yet hopeful. It is a photograph symbolizing the segregation and racism that once took over our country. It is a disturbing reflection of what our country's racial and gender roles used to be. Frank's photograph shows us the position that African-American women held in America as nannies. However, I believe that this photograph has an underlying meaning as well. Although the black woman's job is to take care of the white baby, she is holding the baby with such protection and love, as observed by the physical closeness. Even though it is very disheartening to see what the roles in society used to be based on the color of one's skin, I see this photograph as a sign in history that foreshadowed the hope for the end of segregation in our country. Just as the baby and the woman are so closely interacting, we now today interact the same way with others without feelings of hatred and segregation. 

--

Sincerely,

James Porcell