User:Amanda Mc

=Freshman Seminar=

Always Wanted To Schedule

 * Topic

'' My goal is to shoot a concert with a DSLR camera. It is something that I have always wanted to do, but have never been granted access to a show with professional equipment. ''
 * Research Component

I will research types of gear commonly used at concerts, what to expect at different venues and with different styles of music, and study the techniques used by professionals.
 * week 1

begin research on camera gear


 * week 2

look up local shows at the showbox, el corazon, etc. contact a professional who is willing to disclose information, if at all possible. begin contacting bands


 * week 3

continue contacting bands.


 * week 4

continue contacting bands. if responded to, begin planing shoot.


 * week 5

continue contacting bands. if responded to, plan shoot. research that band, watch youtube videos, study their musical and performance style.


 * week 6

continue contacting bands. if responded to, plan shoot. find out where to get the necessary camera gear.


 * week 7

attend show. edit pictures.


 * week 8

edit pictures and prepare cds.

Midterm Assignment 1: Taste & Aesthetics
Stinger is a 6 ft. 6 in. x 33 ft. 4 1/4 in. x 33 ft. 4 1/4 in. box made out of steel and black paint, created by American Tony Smith in 1967-68. Smith, a theorist on art, trained under Frank Lloyd Wright beginning in 1939 where he was first introduced to the idea of concrete blocks as he studied architecture. A part-time student at the Art Students League of New York, Smith dabbled in painting before he began sculpting in 1956. His first exhibits were being held a mere 8 years later in 1964, where he was known for his minimalist formations. During the ‘40s and ‘50s he became friends and allies with artists Barnett Newman, Clyfford Still, Mark Rothko, and Jackson Pollock, whose abstract styles greatly influenced his own work.

To be completely honest with you, going into this assignment I considered myself a very open minded person in regards to abstract art. Apparently, this is not the case. At least, not as readily as I believed. The sculpture in question is supposed to represent a sort of ancient fortress, with three closed sides and one open, beckoning the viewer inside as it rests on a single point and seems to ‘hover’ above the ground. Smith changed the piece’s name from appropriate One Gate to Stinger, after a cocktail that is “deceptively sweet but slyly intoxicating.” I can tell you I tried to change my mind… maybe not to the point of tears, but I did attempt it. I regarded my initial distaste as merely not understanding the artist’s intent. However, after researching the history behind this structure I have found that I may like it less than I did before. I can respect Smith’s desire to engage the viewer in the negative space of the piece, creating both a physical and spiritual passage into its interior… but this is not my cup of tea. I am in no way discouraged or disillusioned by the fact that I have not convinced myself to like something contrary to my own tastes. I believe that there are choices (such as ice cream or TV shows) that are completely determined by each person’s preferences, as well as other choices (like the choice of insulin to battle diabetes) that are fact based with a clear-cut right or wrong answer. This choice falls into the first category of preferences, so I am not too worried about not changing my mind. I do thoroughly enjoy abstract painting, which is why Smith's association with Jackson Pollock put him slightly more in my favor, however the piece itself leaves me feeling empty and desiring further meaning. Maybe that was the original intent, and if that was the case, well done Tony Smith. But I am still not a fan.

Midterm Assignment 2: Manipulation

 *  Bandwagon Argument (Peer Pressure) 
 * This fallacy plays on one’s natural desire to belong to a group and fear of being rejected, or left out...


 *    Levi's - O Pioneers! (Go Forth) commercial: '''
 * http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HG8tqEUTlvs


 * False Dilemma (Either/Or reasoning) 
 * A false dilemma takes a range of options and reduces it to two—a hero and a villain...


 *    Apple Get A Mac "Stacks" Commercial: '''
 *  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KeVjSQ7GYcc

Midterm Assignment 3: Always Wanted To Progress Report (100 words or so)
My “Always Wanted To” project is actually going a lot better than I had anticipated. There was a week or two in the middle that I slacked off a bit, but then I contacted the son of a woman in my church who is friends with a local band and they are willing to let me come shoot their show this coming weekend. The band is virtually unheard of, so I’m excited to be a part of their promotion. It would be cool to say I knew them before they were big and was at one of their first shows. I think I will probably check a camera and lens out from the school to use as a back-up body so I don’t have to keep switching out lenses between wide angle and telephoto at the show. I have also contacted a few larger names (Norma Jean, The Classic Crime, The Used…), but have yet to hear back from them. I’m not holding my breath, but it would be cool.

Final Presentation

 * Topic (10%)

Concert Photography with a DSLR


 * Research (20%)


 * 1) Internet site: Owyoung, Todd. "Gear Guide." Gear Guide. Todd Owyoung, 17 July 2007. Web. 19 Oct. 2009. .


 * 2) Book: Mulhern, Tom, and Jon Sievert. Concert Photograpy: How to Shoot and Sell Music Business Photographs. Daly City, CA: Humble, 1997. Print.


 * 3) Scholarly Journal: The dying art of gig photography: Today's concert photos strangled by restrictions (2008). Buzznet. MiseryXchord, 13 Oct. 2008. Web. 20 Nov. 2009. .


 * 4) Other (interview): Deitz, Isaac. "Question, from one artist to another..." E-mail interview. 4 Nov. 2009.


 * Your accomplishment (20%)

I completed it! With the help of a woman in my church (whose son has connections with a local band) I was able to shoot a show for the first time with my Canon 40D. The concert was a house show at The Black Lodge in Seattle and the band was a small, upcoming indie group called X-Ray Press. I took all of my fastest equipment (and then some) to the tiny venue with me, only to find that the house promoted total darkness with only a small light to the right of the stage, another light behind that was pointed toward the wall, and some Christmas lights along the ceiling. I was able to turn the light behind them up so that it pointed at the members, sometimes creating a cool silhouette effect, but I was still forced to shoot with an aperture of 1.4, a shutter speed of 1/30 – 1/15 of a second, with an iso of 1600, which resulted in the ridiculous amount of grain in my images. Only after the show did I learn that I could have used flash. Overall it was a fantastic learning experience and I am very grateful for the opportunity.
 * If anyone is interested, they have music on their myspace at http://www.myspace.com/xraypress


 * Project Review (50%)


 * 1) What went well: The band members and my contact were extremely nice and loved that I was there shooting their band. I had a few good concept shots and managed to work the grain into the aesthetics of the pictures fairly well. Also, I learned to research a location more than I did before the show.
 * 2) What went poorly: The lighting was terrible. Absolutely terrible.
 * 3) Future strategies: I will research venues more thoroughly and find out what I can and cannot use (esp. flash) before the show.