For my last assignment in the class, I really wanted to try my best to embody the artwork of the artist that I chose, Gordon Parks. Sharing a passion for social justice, highlighting Black people’s fight against racism, and his expression of issues from the 1940s through his photography, I really wanted my photography to embody the deep messaging and emotion that his work does. 

I feel like the image of my friends being freed (the MSU probate photo) was my best photograph I took, but this photo I am using for my blog was my favorite (and the most fun to shoot), since the subject was my boyfriend. I loved being able to photograph him, while also paying homage to the artwork of Gordon Parks. I think the most challenging part of this assignment was trying to obtain subject matter that could not only embody Park's work, but also be sensitive in the fact that the original work was aimed to highlight issues Black people were facing in America, during the time of the civil rights movement, and segregation; a lot of Parks’ work is deep in meaning, so choosing subjects to display a deeper level of photography, was important to me. Moving forward, I want to pay close attention to the subjects I do choose to emulate when producing photography, and also be conscious of how this could be interpreted, as “a photo speaks a thousand words;" I want to be conscious of the messages I am giving off in my work!

Critique on my classmate's photography

Link: https://jessiel99.wixsite.com/my-site-1/general-1

“Hi Jessica, I love the images you were able to shoot for our assignment. I was really drawn to this image of yours, as it incorporates similar colors to the work of Viviane Sassen, really embodying her photography as an artist. This photo in specific resonated with me also because I too am an artist, and understand the meaning of the use of color in artwork. I think you were able to capture movement and lighting in an interesting way, as none of the paint strokes are linear, and the lighting used emulates similar lighting to that of your chosen professional. The depth of field and focus compliments the artists, as your hand and the artist's hand both utilize the paint in similar ways. I think the use of natural lighting/exposure and contrast was very fitting for your photography, as color is exuding from the paint colors chosen; if you were to include other colors via lighting or color saturation, I think it wouldn’t have been as effective, as there is so much vibrance from the differing paint options. Overall, this image really exudes a sense of familiarity, as art is something I also hold close to me, so it made me happy to see this photograph in your project. You did a great job!”