for the love of photography: summer 2

1. open your eyes

2008-08-26T22:07:00.000-07:00

"Photography takes an instant out of time, altering life by holding it still.” (Dorthea Lange) Photography essentially immortalizes moments in a way that we cannot do with our minds. Although we have memory, our perception shifts with time, and only with photography can we show someone what it is like to see through our eyes. "Photography is a way of feeling, of touching, of loving. What you have caught on film is captured forever... it remembers little things, long after you have forgotten everything.” Aaron Siskind

We all bring our own experiences to the table when reading a photograph (projections, associations, etc), but by using the tool of photography to create physical momentos we can in some ways show others what it is like to be us. Take, for instance, this photograph turned in during our first critique:

[Image (c) Copyright 2008 Kesha West]
What do you see? A face? An expression of surprise? A pattern? We all saw different things. This is the beauty in Abstract Photography. The vague subject matter is purely an abstraction of the artist's view of the world, and we are stepping into it, experiencing something totally new, and all our own.

Image (c) Copyright 2008 Jonny Roman

Image (c) Copyright 2008 Kathleen Dawson

Image (c) Copyright 2008 Deidra Smith

Image (c) Copyright 2008 Kesha West

Image (c) Copyright 2008 Krystal Skeen

Image (c) Copyright 2008 Deidra Smith

Image (c) Copyright 2008 Valine Ritchie

Image (c) Copyright 2008 Krystal Skeen

Image (c) Copyright 2008 Raul Martinez

2. not your average park

2008-08-25T20:55:00.000-07:00

This week we took a trip to a very interesting place that is practically in our back yard, Poustinia Land Art Park in Benque Viejo. At Poustinia, artists from all over the world have contributed to an amazing collection of sculpture that interacts with the environment in such a way that it seems like a constantly evolving relationship. While interacting, they help to define each other.

"Poustinia Land Art Park is an environmental project, in which nature interacts and develops, simultaneously. Poustinia was once a sprawling, eco-insensitive cattle ranch called El Dorado, where trees were cut and hills leveled to produce flat land for grazing. When the pot-of gold failed to materialize, the goals changed and over the years since the late 1980s, the land has been transformed into a magical, eco-sensitive art centre where one can lose oneself in the admiration of nature, and find oneself both intellectually and spiritually. It is a place where the beauty of human inspiration can be contemplated within the beauty of nature. Poustinia has introduced to Belize a new art form- environmental art.

House for resident artists

Artists from England, Wales, Norway, Brazil, Uruguay, Venezuala, Guyana, Barbados, Guatemala, the USA and Belize have contributed to Poustinia. Once the artists has completed his work, nature is allowed to take over and reshape the piece. If it is wood, it slowly decays; if metal it will rust; trees will grow up through it and distort the shape eventually, or even dislodge it when the roots grow large enough. The pieces take nature as their home while at the same time providing a home for nature, such as tree seedling, spiders, other insects, bird’s nests, centipedes and snakes.

Caretakers home on-site

To view these sited pieces at their best one must trek the trails, climb the steep hills and temple mounds, tramp through the bush, and around the pond, actively interacting with the unexpected stations- a carved face looking out at you from a tree, a giant spider poised in her web- the trip becomes an exaggeration of the classic maze found at the peak of the lookout."
(excerpt from the website)

Our task was to make our own art of the sculptures and flora we found at the park. Each of the artists had a message behind the piece of art and sometimes to best illustrate or know how to portray a sculpture, we had to find out what the artists intent was. We began to see how art can be a vehicle to deliver a message, and we began to appreciate how much work goes into delivering that well.

Some of the photographs that were turned in for critique did an excellent job of speaking for the artwork. Take for instance this photograph of "Hand and Axe" created by artist Winslow Craig from Guyana. The axe is carved from a branch in the tree, and it is in the act of cutting itself down. This is a commentary on our self destructive and suicidal tendencies as humans to destroy our environment and thus ourselves. This piece sparked some conversation about sustainable development, because at Galen University, the college is founded on a promise to educate with sustainable development at the core of its curriculum.

Image (c) Copyright 2008 Olivia Dakers

Below we see a tower that is made of trash that was collected locally that has been recycled to be a part of the sculpture. This is an interesting idea for community arts projects and some people are doing just that, but not in Belize yet.

"The artist is Kjetil Berge and is from Norway. He built the tower in 1997. The artist has towers like this one in Portugal, England and Norway. After one year he has them removed. This sculpture at Poustinia is the first permanent sculpture. The tower is built of pre-cast concrete blocks with recycled colorful plastic items embedded in the concrete blocks. The plastic items have faded and are disintegrating giving the once brightly colored tower a faded and skeletal aspect. The height is 12 feet diameter and 6 feet. The concrete and plastic that were used to build this sculpture were all collected at the dump site. The artist was trying to show that recycling could be a work of art. As we all saw it was and it helped to keep the environment clean." -Kathleen Dawson

Image © 2008 Kathleen Dawson

Image © 2008 Jonny Roman
There was meaning to the following piece the hit deep for some in the class, there were comments made about relatives having been involved in the mahogany trade, and this sculpture was entitled "Returned Parque Floor", consisting of enough mahogany parque to account for the amount that would come from one tree. It was laid in the jungle floor after its two transatlantic voyages and finally lays rotting in its final resting place and home. (By Tim Davis from Wales). It ironically lays in the shape of a floor as it probably laid in a wealthy persons home from Wales.

"The returned parquet flooring was the piece that touched me the most; not because of its beauty, because it is in a rotting and mildewed stage, but because of the history embedded in it.

In 1638 English buccaneers first settled on the coast of Belize. The settlers turned to cutting logwood during the 1700s as the wood yielded a fixing agent for clothing dyes. As the mahogany was exported, it ended up in many European countries to use for dyes and to beautify the homes of the rich. This led to the British raping Belize of its natural resources: mahogany.

It can be said that the mahogany wood, which turned into the parquet floor, has gone full circle. It originated in Belize, traveled abroad and has come home to find its final resting place in its place of origin: Belize.

Artist Tim Davies worked on this piece. In 1999 Mr. Davies was invited to participate in the Belizean Biennale. Before his coming to Belize, he came across stacks of parquet flooring in a warehouse in his native home of Wales. This parquet apparently beautified a grand house in Swansea, Wales for about one hundred and fifty years because it was discarded. The parquet was shipped back to Belize and later to Poustinia where it is currently sitting in the forest and succumbing to the elements. Mr. Davies’ intent was to return to Belize that which was taken away." -Olivia Dakers

Image (C) Copyright 2008 Kesha West

Many of the students made what they saw their own by cropping and framing and using unique techniques, most discovered just by playing around!

Image © 2008 Valine Ritchie
"My favourite piece was titled ‘The Watcher.’ The artist was Winslow Craig and it was done in the year 1999 he was from the country Guyana. The watcher was a sculpture of a face 3 feet high on an old sapodilla tree. Two of the trails that lead from the main trails to the sculpture were cut by the artist. This piece is based on a legend of the watcher of the forest in Guyana." -Photo & excerpt Valine Ritchie

Image © 2008 Valine Ritchie

Image © 2008 Krystal Skeen

Impala Towers, tower of old film reels
"This piece of art [Impala Towers] was named after the old cinema in Benque. As a movie lover, I love that this is there to remind people that there was a cinema in Benque, and for those like me who didn’t know, now I do! It is also a part of history because cinemas today have projectors and to find one with film canisters would be exceptional. The artist is Luis Alberto Ruiz who is also the founder of the park. The park is opened to all artists who would create a piece that is three dimensional and uses natural materials or those from dump sites. It is an environmental project aimed at showing how human art could coexist with nature. It is clear that he is an art and nature lover to establish such an entity and the fact that it is nonprofit proves his love. I’m not sure what his intent was for this particular piece of art but I feel that he is trying to preserve a piece of history through art." 2 Photos above and excerpt by Deidra Smith

Image © 2008 Deidra Smith

Image © 2008 Deidra Smith

Image © 2008 Keisha West

3. capturing essence

2008-08-24T21:58:00.000-07:00

What is essence?

"In people essence are qualities that they possess. These are beauty, honesty, kindness, modesty, tact and other characteristics that are also known as virtues. Virtues are known as the ‘essence’ of humanity. According Webster online dictionary essence is described as the basic qualities which belong to any object. In photography we must use all the attributes of the subject. That photo must be able to explain all that the subject is about." Valine Ritchie

When trying to learn the difference between a snap shot and a good photograph, we can always talk about composition, exposure, lighting, etc., but perhaps it is the subject matter itself that holds the key.

"There are two concepts that lie at the heart of unique photography- The Concept of Essence is one, the Concept of Experience is the other. Essence refers to that "underlying strata of meaning" - from which all secondary characteristics radiate. Hence, it is "the core," the heart, the central motive- in short the essence of a person, place or event, or gesture...
To reach essence, the photographer cannot work as the painter does. The photographer cannot "pile up" characteristics until an essence is synthesized; he must wait until a face, gesture, or place goes "transparent"- and thereby "reveals the essence underneath.
It is difficult to photograph essence. Essence photographs are rare because only rarely can the photographer put himself in place of something else- and at the same time be aware of himself or his own existence."

To try to figure out how exactly a still-life could possibly capture essence, we went to the master himself, Edward Weston. Among his photographs are some of the most beautiful still-life shots ever taken, and they may be among some of the most simple in terms of subject matter.

Cabbage Leaf
Peppers

In his essay "Seeing Photographically", Edward Weston writes about the recording process.
"The Nature of the Recording Process
Among all the arts photography is unique by reason of its instantaneous recording process. The sculptor, the architect, the composer all have the possibility of making changes in, or additions to, their original plans while their work is in the process of execution. A composer may build up a symphony over a long period of time; a painter may spend a lifetime working on one picture and still not consider it finished. But a photographers recording process cannot be drawn out. Within its brief duration, no stopping or changing or reconsidering is possible. When he uncovers his lens every detail within its field of vision is registered in far less time than it takes for his own eyes to transmit a similar copy to his brain.
Recording the Image
...Since the recording process is instantaneous, and the nature of the images such that it cannot survive corrective handwork, it is obvious that that finished print must be created in full before the film is exposed. until the photographer has learned to visualize his final result in advance, and to predetermine the procedures necessary to carry out that visualization, his finished work (if it be photographic at all) will present a series of lucky- or unlucky- mechanical accidents.
Hence the photographer's most important and likewise most difficult task is not learning to managed his camera, or to develop, or to print. It is learning to see photographically - that is, learning to see his subject matter in terms of the capacities of his tools and processes, so that he can instantaneously translate the elements and values in a scene before him into the photograph he wants to make.
By varying the position of his camera, his camera angle, or the focal length of his lens, the photographer can achieve an infinite number of varied compositions with a single, stationary subject. By changing the light on the subject, or by using a color filter, any or all of the values in the subject can be altered... Thus within the limits of his medium, without resorting to any method of control that is not photographic (i.e., of optical or chemical nature), the photographer can depart from the literal recording to whatever extent he chooses.
Subject Matter and Composition
...Photography is basically too honest a medium for recording superficial aspects of a subject. It searches out the actor behind the make-up and exposes the contrived, the trivial, the superficial, for what they really are... It provides the photographer with a means of looking deeply into the the nature of things, and presenting his subjects in terms of their basic reality. It enables his to reveal the essence of what lies before his lens with such clear insight that the beholder may find the recreated image more real and comprehensible than the actual object."

© 2008 Deidra Smith

This assignment can be summed up very well by an excerpt from one of our own:

"In this conceptual world, Photography has become a form of communication: A personal communication between the photograph and the viewer. A photographer therefore has to be an avid expert in capturing the actual essence of his subject matter. To me, ‘Essence’ is the heart and soul of an object. If a photographer fails to capture this essence, viewers may find it difficult to connect. What good is a photograph that holds no connection?
I have created a list of things that I believe a photographer must have in order to properly capture the essence of his subject matter. They are listed as follows:
-Lighting and Environment
-Perspective
-Purpose."
(Krystal Skeen)

In class, we learned different lighting patterns to light a still-life, and then the task was to try a still life at home of all the various fruits that Belize offers us.

(Example from Class, (c) 2008 Jonny Roman

© 2008 Deidra Smith

© 2008 Deidra Smith

© 2008 Patricia Young

© 2008 Patricia Young

© 2008 Krystal Skeen

© 2008 Krystal Skeen

© 2008 Deidra Smith

© 2008 Deidra Smith

4. sustainable stories

2008-08-23T13:52:00.000-07:00

What does SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT mean? We hear this term tossed around a lot these days, but not everyone has the same definition. In the dictionary, we find the following description:

Sustainable Development: Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability to meet needs in the future.

or: "Any construction that can be maintained over time without damaging the environment; development balancing near-term interests with the protection of the interests of future generations."

The last one may be the most familiar definition, tying back to the environmental aspect of developments far-reaching affects. But maybe we should go to our student body at Galen, seeing that our school is founded on a promise to incorporate the applications of this concept into all its classrooms:

"I have had the opportunity to talk to several Belizean to get their views and opinion on the concept of “Sustainable Development”, whenever this question of what is sustainable development would arise; some Belizeans would associate the concept with recycling and preserving the forest... I think of sustainable development and how an individual can brace him or her for the many social, financial and economical challenges ahead of us, I strongly believe and support the idea of incorporating these terms with the concept.

Education is linked to sustainable development in that it is highly recommended that we lead our children and future generation in the direction towards getting a quality education which is a key to success... By being educated and performing to the fullest of our ability and wanting to do good for one self, we can move towards a sustainable future and a sustainable Belize." -Kendra Arnold, Photography student Summer Session II

For this assignment, we did some thinking, some research, some traveling, and paid homage to the companies and businesses in Belize that are contributing to Belize's sustainable development. We had a wide range of stories and answers to the challenge, some companies contributed to the social development, some to the economical, some to the cultural development of our country.

TAIWAN TECHNICAL MISSION in BELIZE. A series by Kendra Arnold, © 2008.
The Mission works to package and distribute 2000 packages of dried fruit snacks and soy products to the school children in the districts of Toledo and Corozal.

This picture depicts the screen house at the organization, where all the plants of the papayas, and other fruits are sown. All natural organic fertilizers are used and the plants are screened and protected from pest and disease.

This is a picture of one of the organization's personnel doing his daily inspection of the orange plants that are used to generate the natural orange juices.

This picture is the processing of the soy bean to make soy milk. It is to be notes that these bean were first planted at Central Farm and then taken to PG for further production, where the man powere lies.. employment is being created here and a healthy product.

Processing of the soy milk and soy sauce.

Boiling of the milk to cure the milk of it's poison.

This is a stage of preparing the dired fruits that are produced at TTM.The worker has sprinkled corn starch on the fruit stired it up and is now taking this amout to be packed.

Production is heating up, the room is hot, and every one is working.

This male worker was into his work, weighing these packages, making sure that there was 4 grams of goods in each pack.

WESTERN DAIRIES. A series by Patricia Young. © 2008.
Established in 1967 by small farmers at Spanish Lookout, the Western Dairy company is contributing to the development of Belize in a sustainable way, by providing jobs for more than forty Belizean families presently. These employments are found in the production of milk, cheese, ice cream, juices, yogurt, and of recent purified water. The industry does not only provide employment for employees working in the manufacturing plant, but also for the small farmers that started the company. These small farmers come to the industry on a daily basis to drop off their product in turn for money. By providing jobs for these individuals the company is playing its role in the development of the country of Belize to be economically sustainable.

Here a sample of milk is being taken where an antibiotic assay of the milk will be conducted by the lab technician. If there is a negative result the milk will be used for manufacturing purpose if a positive result the product will not be used.

At the lab the milk is being tested and if proven to be of manufacturing quality, the milk will be pack off for consumers consumption. If not the milk will be disposed of.

The plastic caps with tamper evident seal combined is placed by hand on filled container.

BACAB ECO PARK, Photos by Olivia Dakers, © 2008.

"The Bacab Eco Park is just off the Boom Road in the Belize District. This park boasts over 200 species of tropical flowering plants including massive hardwood trees, palms, orchids and ferns and supports a large and diverse wildlife population. It is said to be a unique, natural destination that will bring you as close to nature as you want to get. This park features horseback safari rides, jungle adventure bike trail, kayak creek expedition and a rainforest nature trail."

BELMOPAN PUBLIC MARKET, Photo Story by Deidra Smith, © 2008

"The market is contributing to Belize’s sustainable development. It is a local business, where crops are produced by our farmers. It contributes to our economical and cultural development. It is economically sustainable because it provides profits for our locals. It is culturally sustainable because agriculture is a part of our culture and because it is a meeting place for cultures. The agriculture trade and show ground was an event where Belizean farmers would bring out their best produce for the year. That was a cultural event. However, this show has lost its meaning as our country is influenced by globalization. Produce from farmers are only a small part of the show, sad but through. On the plus side, the market has kept this tradition going. Vendors come out and compete in selling their produce. In addition, it is a meeting place for Belizeans. You’ll see all cultures selling and buying. I saw Mennonites, Creoles, Asians, Mestizos, and Mayas."

AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT AND SERVICE LIMITED, A story by Keisha West, © 2008

"I went to Agricultural Development and Service Limited (ADS) which is a private agriculture service offered at a village near by in Hope Creek village in the Stann Creek District. It is sustainable because it encourages replanting because they sell citrus trees to farmers by the thousand sometimes even more, they sell flowers as well single and by bunch to flowers lover and small as it may seems it is a sustainable practice that helps the environment. They sell a verity of different plant like the young citrus trees, exotic fruits trees and both in and out door flowers, shrubs and flowering trees. Apart from selling plants they offer a variety of other agricultural services to farmers and the general public on a whole. Mowing, ploughing harrowing, fertilizing, hedging, and even vehicle servicing are few of the service they offer. ADS just recently upgrade Belizean Dream Resort in Hopkins landscape. I got a chance to see some of the picture and it was amazing. Their work was really nice and very beautiful."

PANIFICADORA LA POPULAR, A story by Raul Martinez, © 2008.

"The company that I choose is a Bakery. The Bakery’s name is Panificadora La Popular which is based in Orange Walk Town. Panificadora La Popular is the biggest bakery in the country of Belize. They have two Bakeries one that produces sweet bread and one that produces loaf bread. This bakery is contributing to the development of Belize by offering jobs, buying locally made materials, providing scholarships to students, giving donations to charitable organizations and helping the community with a basic food source.
Panificadora La Popular employs around 100 workers at their bakery. They are helping 100 families in the community of orange walk to live a better life. This is economical sustainability as they help the economy grow by circulating money in the community. The bakery also buys majority of their materials locally. This includes sugar which is purchased from Belize Sugar Industry and flour which is purchased from Belize Mills. As they are the biggest Baker in Belize, they would buy in huge amounts every week and this is money that will be circulating in the community.
This company also has the heart in helping unfortunate children that cannot afford an education. The owners of Panificadora La Popular started a scholarship program to help children in their local neighborhood to go to school. This is one way they are helping develop the country of Belize. They said that education is the only gift a person can give to you that you will cherish and never lose for the rest of your life. Donations are another form of way that the company helps develops Belize. Giving help to needy families and different organizations is something that the company did since their doors were open. They would donate Bread, money and other materials to NEMO or The Red Cross when a hurricane hits Belize. The bakery also contributes to the development of the country sustain ably by producing their own food to sell to the rest of the country at an affordable price. Since bread is a basic food source and a dietary supplement for most household in Belize, they try to provide a high quality product at a low price."

THE BELIZE ZOO, A story by Krystal Skeen, © 2008.

"The zoo boasts a total of over 125 animals – all native to Belize, which includes the national bird, the toucan and the national animal, the tapir. The zoo promotes cultural patriotism and teaches the 15,000 schoolchildren who visit the zoo every year to be proud of their Belizean heritage. The zoo also teaches why it is important to protect the animals, which is where ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY comes into play. The zoo’s mission is to promote these animals as a natural resource and by so doing prepare children from a younger age to want to protect the species and their habitats. They do this by partaking in yearly events such as summer camps, Science Fairs, and Student Career Training. Furthermore, the zoo is also ECONOMICALLY SUSTAINABLE as it is a major tourist attraction. It brings exposure to Belize and attracts thousands of tourists throughout the year."

5. lights.. camera..

2008-08-22T17:37:00.000-07:00

Today we had Phil Koenig, a photographer from Toronto, Canada, come in and tell us about what it is like to be a portrait photographer. He showed us examples of his work that gave us many good ideas for our assignment, which was obviously going to be portraits. But better yet, Phil set up professional lights during class and showed the class how to use them and everyone had a chance to take some photos. Thank you Phil!!

Our man Phil! Phil lives and works in San Ignacio, Cayo.

Images © Phil Koenig

"A photograph of any kind – be it still life, action or glamour – has the power to capture and freeze emotions and feelings in time. I found that a portrait goes so much further by closing in completely on the lines of emotions on a subjects face. It captures the eyes, the nose, a frown, or a smile. It captures close up and in-depth images of anger, resentment, sadness, happiness, remorse. Capturing images that display raw emotions has become important to many people in an array of ways. For example, culturally, portraiture has become a concrete medium through which many cultures can be preserved." Krystal Skeen

"To me portraiture is the act of capturing the essence of human beings. It entails exploring beyond their normal limits. In a cultural since, it allows you to visualize and capture a moment in time that is essential to the model. Portraits also capture the mood, appearance and if done right, the inner beauty and the spirit of a person." Valine Ritchie

Image © 2008 Jonny Roman

Image © 2008 Kathleen Dawson

Image © 2008 Daniel Martin

Images © 2008 Krystal Skeen

Images © 2008 Deidra Smith

Image © 2008 Valine Ritchie

6. feild trip!

2008-08-21T18:13:00.000-07:00

Today was a special day- we were guests to Richard Holder in his very fancy studio in Belize City. We had the chance to listen to stories about his experiences as a photographer working in the industry here in Belize. He works in many different areas of photography including advertising, photojournalism, and portraiture.

Richard tells us photo secrets

Portfolio Review

Does Raul know what is behind him?

Looking at the art in the Image Factory gallery adjacent to the studio

All tired out!

7. Belize Through the Lens- our gallery show!

2008-08-20T18:39:00.000-07:00

What a semester! We have all grown as artists and to celebrate that, we put on a gallery show of our best work for everyone to see. Thank you to all who came!

3 photos above © 2008 Deidra Smith