Poetry In Motion

I wanted to get a view of Rochester that not everyone tends to notice or possibly even see. Being a voyeur is an interesting perspective when you are up high or in a position where the subject can not see the camera.

This is a not only a rough draft but the first serious attempt I have made at a time-lapse, the video still needs to be smoothed out to remove the jumps (I was shooting on a lot of very windy Rochester days).

Altered Landscape

Landscapes can be almost anything in the context of photography. The genre is no longer limited to the sharply detailed images of Ansel Adams; now it encompasses almost any subject matter imaginable. There are those who choose to photograph the body as a landscape, while others opt for a more traditional route and record the urban landscape. People look at photographs and see beautiful scenes but many times they are unaware that there have been major changes to the image to make it seem more “romantically” beautiful like adding a sky from another scene or other tricks that are so easy to preform in this digital age.

I chose a fairly straightforward approach to the project. My goal was to make somewhat believable images with completely fake materials. With a little inspiration from Andy Goldsworthy I created these landscapes to demonstrate the false permanence of things in this world.

Phone-y Cameras

I have always been interested in watching what people do when they think no one is looking. Some of the most incredibly bizarre things I have seen have been when I was driving and looked to my left or right. People seem to feel a sense of overwhelming security when they are in their own world; others must just be completely oblivious to their appearance.

My project was to follow unsuspecting shoppers in Walmart and photograph them with a cell phone camera. I was obviously focusing on the larger individuals I encountered. I was amazed by their love of horizontal stripes; which if before now any one thought they were not slimming… here is proof. The three images below are only a portion of this ongoing project so check back for more.

Class Portraits

As a transfer student, I anticipated having a tough time becoming part of the 2nd year class in the photo program here at RIT since everyone had already been together for a year. It may be because we all have to take the same classes and suffer through long nights sitting in the lab editing and printing that I had no problem becoming a part of this group. I still find myself not knowing everyone in a few of my classes, which shouldn’t be the case after 24 weeks of class since we are less than 200 total. One fast way to get to know everyone is a group project; even better is having to photograph everyone in the class.

Click ‘Read More’ to see closeups of a few of the photos and read more about the project details.

[Read more...]

Gaiwan Still Life

After the success of my two still life photographs last quarter I wanted to try something that was uncluttered and straightforward. I wanted a minimalistic image that could showcase the simplicity of an object as more than just an object, bordering on an abstract form, while emphasizing the quality of light.

This the object in this image is a Gaiwan, it is a brewing vessel for loose leaf teas primarily used in China. I brew Oolong tea from Taiwan almost on a daily basis, it is not only tastes far better than using a teabag but it is a great way to take a break from the stress and pace of life. It helps me to relax and compose my thoughts. This is more of a self portrait than just a still life; which is why I chose to use a reflective surface under the gaiwan to bring to mind the concept of looking in a mirror.

© 2009 - 2012 Brian von Glahn

(646) 727-0284 | brian.bvgphoto@gmail.com