The Art of Photography

Is photography art? Or is art photography?

This has been a highly debated subject over the past century, ever since technology evolved into what it is today. You can call art vision, imagination, or seeing, but it all comes down to the same thing: art is the ability to envision a final result in your mind's eye, and then to make it reality with the tools at hand. Cameras are our tools and photos are the final result. It's never been about the device. It's always been about seeing something, knowing how you want it to look, and making it sculpting it perfectly to your imagination.

Making it so is the easy part.

Seeing it in the first place is what makes a photographer an artist.

Power of observation is essential.

And snapping a camera is trivial.

Photography and painting are the same. Each renders imagination in a concrete form. The difference is that painters can work from mere imagination while photographers have life as a starting point. Both can take lifetimes to master the tools to make imaginations exactly as we intend. 

Although, its only one facet in art, I believe photography is definitely art.

My favorite form of art. 

Arts/Cultural Event: Zac Brown Band

October 10, 2012. I see cowboy boots, jean shorts, and plaid everywhere! Including myself. My roommate, Sophie and I are strolling through the Bryce Jordan Center, followed by two other girls, Kiersten and Maria who live down the halls from us. The sounds of our cowboy boots clack on the shiny floor and we’re profusely rubbing our arms to warm up after walking all the way from East halls through the bitter, October cold. Just earlier that day, I remember feeling really sick in the morning and thinking, “I’m definitely not going to be able to go.” I had skipped almost all of my classes that day in hopes of getting better, but I still remained in bed all day with Zac Brown Band playing lightly on my Spotify. It was such a tease and I don’t know why I would put myself through that, but I just didn’t have the energy to get up and change it. Every time the song ‘Chicken Fried’, I died a little bit inside. Why of all days, does my immune system choose to fail me now?

Around five o’ clock that evening, Sophie gets back from class and begins to try on different country themed outfits. Kiersten and Maria would also casually stroll into the room and ask opinions on their own arrangement of plaid and denim. I was so jealous. By the time ‘Chicken Fried’ came on for what seemed like the hundredth time, I made a rash decision, jumped out of bed, and declared, “I’m going!” I quickly showered, changed into a simple white dress and a denim button down, pairing the outfit with brown boots, and out the door we went.

After a quick ten minute walk to the BJC, here I stand in the stands, feeling completely cured and absolutely completely in shock that I will be seeing my all time favorite band in mere minutes. After the opening band left the stage and the stage turned dark, I was shaking with excitement. All of a sudden, the lights went crazy and there he was, Zac Brown! The next hour was full of dramatic lighting, t-shirt guns firing into the crowd, and everyone in the BJC becoming one voice and singing together to the melody of the music. After a couple hours, I was starting to lose my voice, but I was waiting for just one thing. My waiting paid off during the very last song of the concert, Chicken Fried! The crowd absolutely exploded and I was screaming at the top of my lungs until the very end. I inevitably lost my voice the next day but it was worth it for the perfect ending to a perfect concert.   

Beginning of the End

Beginning of the End:

1) English 15 Seminar; my very first college class. August 27^th, set my alarm super early so I could shower, get ready in my preplanned outfit, and have even more time to navigate my way through Penn State’s enormous campus (with an even bigger map, making it obvious that I am indeed a freshman). That day was sunny, perfect, and the air just rang with the pending excitement of the start of something new. Stepping into Willard for the first time, I expected I would be stepping into a big auditorium where class would take place with a couple hundred other undergrads. I had been warned about how big Penn State classrooms could be before even applying here, and I had been bracing myself all summer for them. Therefore, much to my surprise I was quite ecstatic to learn that my first class only consisted of about 20 or so people. I walked in and there was barely anyone in the classroom so I checked the time…I was 15 minutes early. Guess I planned out too much walking time. That never happened again. The day went by very fast. We were informed about our several projects, met our very nice professor, and that was the end of it; so far, so good. I can’t believe that was more than three months ago.

As the year progressed, I found out that this English class was by far, not only my first, but also my favorite college class this semester. This is due to many reasons, the first of which being it was my smallest class. All of my other classes confirmed my previous fears of huge lecture halls. Another reason is my all of a sudden liking towards writing. I blame all of the blogging. When we were informed that our biggest project in the class would be to make a blog and write in it occasionally, I have to admit that I wasn’t too enthused. In the past, I had always dreaded writing essays and I never even really understood the concept of blogging. I always thought that bloggers were either just angry people venting or a place for moms to trade recipes. This class changed my past opinions entirely. I learned that could indeed be for normal people talking about their adventures. And we did go on many adventures in this English class, such as a trip to an arboretum, and art museum and even a university run play. Not any ordinary English class that I had experienced in the past. The only catch was that we had to blog about our adventures. At first, I was a little hesitant, merely because I disliked writing anything in general, but our blog project changed that. I learned that writing for enjoyment was much better than the essays from high school. Instead of sitting down, trying to write about some obscure subject that in no way relates to you at all, I got to sit down and actually write about my day. Such a nice change. From this I learned that writing can actually be enjoyable. Blogging for me was just like telling somebody about my day and then writing it all down. Easy Peasy. That, to me was the most important thing I got from this English 15 class; a newly found enjoyment in writing.

 

2) http://imporvedartsmarts.blogspot.com/2012/10/social-network.html?showComment=1355188752427#c6540779126841929729

 

http://colorfulspots.blogspot.com/p/in-the.html

 

http://articulatingtheartsatpennstate.blogspot.com/2012/11/in-red-and-brown-water.html?showComment=1355189327176#c3203788016328083364

 

http://contemplationsoacck.blogspot.com/2012/09/backyard-wonderland.html?showComment=1355189641355#c2664278043975910320

 

http://knaviello.blogspot.com/2012/10/animal-house.html#comment-form

 

http://jrose412.blogspot.com/2012/12/for-love-of-music.html?showComment=1355189901150#c3019474808931805010

 

http://the1meltingpot.blogspot.com/2012/11/in-red-and-brow-water.html?showComment=1355190302043#c5401115039648666618

 

http://haileyhere.blogspot.com/2012/09/do-i-walk-by-h.html?showComment=1355190763373#c8467344611836795684

 

http://knaviello.blogspot.com/2012/11/exit-through-gift-shop.html?showComment=1355190971484#c4218712677646672198

 

http://colorfulspots.blogspot.com/p/my-palmer-museum-visit.html?showComment=1355191184272

 

3) Ms. S, I filled out the SRTEs! J