James Markus
Online
• • • • •
Upload & Sell: Off
|
Greg, Actually, I pretty much agree on that critic. "Grunge" (I named the photoshop action that - lol) is the exact word I felt was missing,
and it was what the toning was about in 'The Face of Hunger" image. I was given a choice of venues in a really large 3 story building. I
choose an unfinished office about 120 feet square...no ceiling few lights, and no interior walls. The guy that owned the building gave me
first shot at where I wanted to hang my photos. I felt the wires hanging from the ceiling, and grungy condition would help the images. I
did need a wall though, and he put 21 feet up - and I took the whole wall. lol, then a bunch of other artist also wanted to display in the
same space. There ended up being 30-40 pieces displayed there.
I really missed the mark on "will work for food" the desperation of the person I saw, how homemade the sign was...letters drawn with
dirt and fingers, at dusk with cars flying by unaware of this shattered soul. I was trying to recreate experiences I had in late 2008 - some
in situ, and some in studio. Thanks for the #1 comment - those are my seven kids milling about my model to convey how the world just
keeps going on when your world stops.
Things are better now, compared to 2008, but thanks for the well wishes, and critic. I think you nailed it.
gheller wrote:
Thank you for the story, that helps put the images in context.
That said, I find the images *too clean* if that makes sense. I don't feel the struggle without the grunge. I don't know, perhaps too posed as well.
For example, the one he is sitting and staring at bread. He is clean, the floor is clean, his feet are clean ... the overall image is just clean.
(4) with sign... obviously lit with external lighting that doesn't match the scene. Makes it look like a posed studio shot.
That said, Image #1 is really intriguing. I like it a lot.
Anyway, truly a moving story. Hope things make a turn for the better economically.
greg...Show more →
|
Most of my work was with the actual people that were the subject of a story being written by writers in our department. Lighting was always something I had to cobble together, and some shoots were very emotionally draining.