Lifelike

This past weekend, I went with a friend to visit La Jolla, a suburb of San Diego.  During our trip we decided to visit the La Jolla Museum of Contemporary Art.  They had an exhibit called "Lifelike" that I had heard of, and was really interested in seeing.  Located in the middle of La Jolla, it was a walking distance from our hotel, and ended up being one of the highlights of our trip!  Here are a few of the pieces in the exhibit.

Vija Celmins, 1967

Image Courtesy of mcasd.org

This may look like an eraser, but it is actually three feet long, and made out of balsa wood and acrylic paint.  It looks so much like the real thing, you have to look really close and carefully to see what it really is.  I really like this piece of the exhibit because of how the artist made a simple, everyday thing into a piece of art.

Jud Nelson, 1981

Image Courtesy of walkerart.org

This piece is so realistic, I almost leaned over to pick it up when I saw it in the middle of the gallery.  This realistic looking trash-bag was actually made of marble, and intricately carved.  The details are so accurate that it took the artist 6 years just to make this one piece!

"(Old) No One - in Particular #6, Series 2," by Evan Penny

This piece REALLY creeped me out.  Made of latex, animal hair and many other material's, it looks like someone chopped the bottom part of a real old man.  The wrinkles and details in the face must have taken forever to form.  The eyes were what made this sculpture look so real.  With eyelashes and everything, these eyes look unnaturally real.

Overall, this exhibit went beyond my expectations, and I would definitely recommend going.  From mini elevators to giant milk cartons, this gallery has a range of pieces.

Photography Inspiration: Pinterest

This week I decided to post a few pictures that I have found on Pinterest that are really neat examples of cool photography.  I'm sure most of you have been on Pinterest before, but if you haven't, I highly suggest you check it out.  Not only are there great DIY's, fashion, hair and makeup tips, but there is also a pretty good variety of the visual arts as well.

Image Courtesy of Georgiana Lane

This is one of my favorite photographs ever.  The bright color of the roses, contrasting with the dark, blended background emphasizes the beautiful flowers even more.  The natural shapes of the flowers with the hard contrast of the sign makes the picture even more visually interesting.   The vintage, french feel really makes this picture more than a simple photograph.

Yes, more flowers
Image Courtesy of Pinterest

This is another picture that I found on Pinterest.  The way the photographer focused in on the details of the main flower, and blurred everything in the background, in a mindful way, created the emphasis on the main flower.  The way the light was captured in orbs, and the blurred background gives the photo a dreamy, vintage effect.  

Finding inspiration on the internet can be hard, if you don't know where to look.  But once you find a good source, it is easy to find your desktop overflowing with hundreds of inspirational pictures.  I know that I did.  Pinterest isn't the only place to look for neat photographs.  There are hundreds of other websites out there, with thousands of pictures for you to look through.

Holga: Camera Review

I'm sure that not many of you have heard of the Holga.  I hadn't either until I got one for Christmas this year.  The Holga is a plastic film camera that has only four settings.  It is really great if you just want to take pictures, and not worry about settings, flash etc.  It is also a really good camera for beginning film photography.

What I got in my stocking this Christmas!
 Image Courtesy of docksandgreens.blogspot.com

When I first got my camera, I had no idea how to work it.  It took me a week to figure out how to put the film in, when to turn the knob, and how to open and close the camera without ruining the film (which I did a few times).  However, after you have the hang of it, it is super easy.  Unfortunately, I haven't gotten a chance to develop the three film rolls that are sitting on my desk, so instead I'll show what the pictures can look like.  

Image Courtesy of fivetdsisters.blogspot.com

This is picture taken of the film that contains this picture...  confusing right?  However, as you can see, the camera takes really cool, faded looking pictures.  The Holga also captures light in a really cool way!   Here are some more examples.

Image Courtesy of www.liadcohen.com

Image Courtesy of alexibullock.blogspot.com

Both of these photos are taken from a really neat perspective.  The first one was taken using green tinted film, and the second one was just using regular colored film.  I really love the way the details fade out at the corners.  All pictures taken with the Holga have a slight vignette around the edges, that can really give a picture personality.  

So if you ever decide that you want to try film photography, I would definitely start with the Holga.  It really does deliver at just the push of a button.   

P.S.  I'll post some of my pictures as soon as I get them developed.