bec's photography: 2008

Christmas - A Season of Love

It has been a wonderful Christmas break. Partly because of the sale items on sale at Banana Republic, but mostly because of my family. I must note that there has been a ubiquitous void with my brother and sister-in-law missing but I guess Scotland can have them for a bit longer (a bit I said). But I will tell you this....along with it being a season of peace, kindness, giving, laughter, fun, games, and joy, love has reigned.

You see, my sister got married about 4.5 months ago and last Christmas this guy wasn't even an idea in my sister's head. Luckily, he found her and recognized her awe-inspiring nature and she his compelling heart. So it's been fun to see her so happy and them so in love. We are all more than willing to welcome him into our home for the holidays and into our lives forevermore.

But, you must also see that I have yet another sister. Sure, she loves us as much as we love her and so was excited to be home with us for Christmas. However, it was obvious that she missed her boy who consequently was across the nation at his home. Or so she thought. Instead he was in cahoots with my parents and showed up on our doorstep Christmas Eve not only to surprise her with his presence but with his great-grandmother's ring! Shock is an understatement. So is bliss. I'm overjoyed that he has noticed her distinguished essence and fallen in love with her. And she has noticed his warmhearted qualities and fallen in love with him. I'm glad that he likes our family for we sure like him and are delighted to have him as an everlasting addition.

Of course the break has been full of other happenings as well like sleep, yummy treats, and a lot of dirty marbles. All of which have been beyond wonderful. But I admit, next to my mother's annual peace reading (which nothing can trump), the witnessing of a union's first Christmas along with a match made perfect it is no wonder that the season of love has reigned.

Thursday

I don't have many favorites in the world, it's often too hard to pick one thing that stands out above the rest in any given category. However, with days of the week it's really easy. Thursday. I choose Thursday (this is, of course, with the understanding that Sunday stands on its own and isn't even really a 'day of the week' to me). It's actually been a really good week. I've been diligent in my personal studies, gone to the gym multiple times, been productive with my time and am actually feeling hopeful about getting everything done, and even have plans to play a bit (yes Dad, I am allowing time to play). Now if I could only work on my grad apps....then it will be a miraculous week.

I've also done some more film portraits. I'm really enjoying this project and think that they're turning out well. I'll explain more about the purpose of this project later....maybe on another Thursday.

> Annie Pence

> James Ballard

> Aaron Hatch

More Recent Work

These are more images from the project I explained in an earlier post. I still don't know what I'm doing exactly, but I do like these images. I've been talking to another art professor here named Hagen Haltern who also does abstract pieces only through other mediums. To look at his art is to escape the present moment,or perhaps escape everything else but the present moment. Either way, there is some kind of reaction, something more than a 'hey neat' response. So we've been talking a lot about symbolism and the purpose of art and what is beauty and I think I'm starting to understand. Starting. (I want to share more about what I'm learning from him, but I'll save that for another post.) Of one thing I'm sure, this type of application does not come about in one single piece. It's achieved through a process and maybe one day will be culminated in a grand masterpiece or maybe it will slowly seep through waxing and waning which itself will relate much to life. I think the latter is more likely which is good because I think I prefer it anyway. Though, the semester is drawing to an end and I don't know what will happen next...

Random Thoughts and Some Pictures

The most wonderful thing happened the other day. First, I should set up a bit of context. I aspire to be like my sister-in-law who loves cooking and seems to know all the secrets. A love for cooking is not innate within me and because of this I'm afraid that there are some basics that I simply don't know. And now we're back to my most wonderful experience. I was at the store with my roommate buying ingredients for spaghetti when I went over to pick some ground beef to put in my sauce. I started voicing my frustration to my roommate about how all I wanted was some beef and how am I supposed to know which kind of all the choices they offer is the best? Then, this kind young lady who was standing next to me said, "Excuse me, but I happen to be a nutrition major and we actually just learned that round is the best cut of beef to buy." Oh! Thank you! Wouldn't it be wonderful if every time you didn't know something there was someone by your side to say, "Excuse me, but I happen to be an expert on...."

I saw two darling little sisters walking together and the younger one, about 6 years old, said to her older sister, "I like holding your hand. Your hand makes my body feel warm." Made me smile.

Being surprised with flowers from a good friend also makes me smile.

I like shooting film, though I don't do it often. Here are some older pictures that I finally scanned into the computer. I am working on doing more portraits with 4x5 film so hopefully you'll see more recent film work soon.

Bodies Are Amazing

"Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Tulp" - Rembrandt (I like the name 'Tulp')

Once upon a time, the side of my face hurt and over a progression of a few days it went numb and then finally swelled. I was diagnosed with Bells Palsy. I vote for a name change because it sounds quite a bit more terrifying and permanent than it really is. It is a mysterious thing in that they do not know what causes it and there is really no rhyme or reason to who the lucky ones are that get it. However, it is curable and recoverable and it looks as if I will be just fine.

The purpose of this post is not to focus on what my brother so lovingly calls 'hells bells palsy' but rather to express the awe and respect I have for our bodies. It has been an interesting recovery and maybe even a little enjoyable because of the things I've felt. You know when you suck the air out of an empty milk jug and it starts to crumple in in abrupt portions? That's the best way I can describe how it felt as my face deflated, of course, on a much smaller scale. Then, ever since the swelling has gone down it has felt as if my muscles and nerves are dancing as they try to tighten back up (I would classify it more as a ballet than hip hop). The doctor said that what I'm feeling is my nerve regenerating. How neat is that! The fact that our bodies can heal themselves is simply amazing to me(even when they need some extra medicinal help...in fact, here's a shout out to modern medicine...thank you!). A while ago I found this quote by Elder Nelson of the Quorum of the Twelve and I feel it's very applicable,

"The Fall of Adam (and Eve) constituted the mortal creation and brought about the required changes in their bodies, including the circulation of blood and other modifications as well. They were now able to have children. They and their posterity also became subject to injury, disease, and death. And a loving Creator blessed them with healing power by which the life and function of precious physical bodies could be preserved. For example, bones, if broken, could become solid again. Lacerations of the flesh could heal themselves. And miraculously, leaks in the circulation could be sealed off by components activated from the very blood being lost."

Our bodies are wondrous, fascinating, incredible, and awe-inspiring.

Pretty

Joy in the Crunch

I love Fall, besides the obvious reason of Halloween, I love the weather and overall feel of the season, and......I do believe that it is officially here. In addition to the fact that the people who make the calendars have already declared it, the temperature has also suddenly dipped. It was a warm 70 degrees yesterday and then today it maybe reached 50 degrees for a minute. The air is nice and crisp and my hoodies are now a part of my outfit instead of being carried around for precaution's sake (blast those annually chilly rooms).

But here is the reason I love Fall most...fallen, crunchy leaves. My eldest sister blogged about this on her lovely list of simplicity a little bit ago and I must agree. When it comes to stepping on a big, curled up, dry leaf my alacrity never falters. Walking to and from school is much more adventurous when you're keeping a sharp eye for a good crunch. You see one about five paces ahead of you and so you make quick calculations in your head; I must slow down a tid, lengthen my stride a bit, and move ever so slightly to my left...then CRUNCH! Ahhhh, so satisfying.

When the crunching began this season I wondered if my delight in such an act was unwholesome, you know, delighting in destruction.....But, don't even worry, I've decided that that is the purpose of a fallen leaf! Alright, so obviously leaves must fall in order for trees to be able to brace the winter. And yes it only makes sense that without the nourishment from the tree they must dry up. But why are they so much fun to step on? Hummm? The logic only makes sense...

Here's to crunching.

My Current Inspiration

Ever since I transferred down to BYU in the photo program the professors have been asking us, the students, who our inspiration is. 2 years ago I had no idea, nope, not one. I didn't even know who were the big whigs in photography, past or present. I was thrilled to take the History of Photography class so I could finally find my inspiration. So silly. I remember a date I had where the fellow grew up with a father who was a photographer and had all kinds knowledge about the big whigs. When he found out photography was my major he asked who in the field I admire. I was currently in the Hist. class and I tried to remember a name, any name. I said Henry Brasthon. He told me he had never heard of him but he really liked Henry Cartier Bresson. Oh, that's who I was trying to say....I didn't tell him that, I played it off cool. Of course. Anyway, the moral of the story is that I fell in love with photography without ever knowing any of the Greats and without seeing any timeless work. It's a wonder I had made it as far as I had.

Thank goodness for education and an excellent program that has taken me to museums and galleries in various states and even to the doorstep of several successful and inspiring photographers. I have since grown to admire many photographers and their work; sometimes independent of one another and sometimes because of one another. Last March the Photo Department took us to San Fransisco. It was at a gallery there that I saw the above photograph.

It's a beautiful silver gelatin print by Brett Weston titled "Reeds, Japan, 1970". It caught me. I was lost in it. It was beautiful to me and playful. In fact, I'm pretty sure I giggled to myself as I admired it. Probably in part due to the awe I felt....an awe caused by this photograph I was looking at, Brett Weston's creation...

He was a direct inspiration for the following image I made this last summer:

We went as a Nature Photography class up somewhere neat (I cannot remember the names of any of the places we went...something I need to remedy). It was a beautiful park that had ponds and waterfalls and trees, etc. When I saw the pond plants I got so excited b/c I remembered Brett Weston and I wanted to try something along the same technique and see what i would find. It was a fun shoot, and a new way of photographing that I would not have tried otherwise.

These next images are not direct influences from Brett Weston in that I did not have him in mind as I took these photographs but all the same you can see his ideas echoed in them namely; abstraction from nature (or the things that surround us everyday), a closer look if you will.

One of the things that I love about Brett Weston's abstract images is that they are still very clearly in the realm of Photography. As I created my first series of abstract fine art images (one of my first posts) I struggled with this idea. My images became so "painterly" and slipped slightly outside the realm of photography. When I realized it I was troubled b/c photography is what I love and I wanted that to still be very much a part of the piece. I had to face the questions of "what is photography?" and "does the process of how you arrived to your final piece add to or diminish from the pieces?" Questions that we're currently debating in my Fine Art class; questions that I do not have answers to. All I know is that I want to take my abstract pieces deeper, I want to add meaning to them...something beyond aesthetically pleasing. That is the challenge I have given myself this semester. AND I want to retain more of a photographic quality, keep the elements that are particular to photography. I have to pull in the reins sometimes but to me it's worth it and makes a difference. Below is the first image I've created along these guidelines. Was I successful? (It's sad to me that you cannot view it on the scale I'd like you to via the blog. I intend to make this series BIG, as big as I can go without going broke.) I feel like I'm on my way and we'll see where I end up.

It's a fun adventure, whatever it is...

Summer Olympics 2008

The Olympics are here and I'm thrilled! I plan on getting my popcorn ready and being amazed by the talent and skill of these athletes. It's all so impressive and inspiring. I missed the summer Olympics in Athens and so it has been 8 years since I've seen gymnastics, swimming, track, or any of the several other events...too long, much too long! I can't wait!