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Username
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ldymacbeth3
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Status
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active
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Joined
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Jun 11, 2009
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Location
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NC
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Art Genre
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Photography
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Occupation
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teacher
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Interests
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photography, reading, hiking, playing board games, traveling
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Biography | Statement
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My journey into photography began my sophomore year in college when I decided to take the Photography in the Social Sciences class at Wake Forest University. The class sounded intriguing - a way to explore sociology through photography. Soon, after delving into the subject matter and snapping pictures (an unspoken rule for the class was “wherever we went, our camera traveled with us” - it usually hung around our neck or down by our side.), I discovered that I had a “gift for composition” and a “distinctive” style according to my colleagues-in other words, a hidden talent. During that semester and the ones that followed, my photographs appeared in the student literary/art publication. I am also proud to say that during these classes, I managed to produce photos that were definitely considered “thinking outside the box-”my tangerine picture and male anatomy picture among the few. After taking all of the classes with Dr. Perriconne, I still maintained contact with him during my time at Wake Forest and continued to frequent the dark room. The dark room was my sanctuary, a place where I could, ironically, find inner peace in pulling one print after 8 hours of work or in laboring over the rolling and developing of our bulk film.
After college, I lost my inspiration for taking pictures, so I decided to put the camera down rather than force myself to take pictures without having inspiration. I’m such a perfectionist when it comes to my photos, and I don’t the composition to look contrived. For example, one of my best photos is the picture of the bride walking through the park on the way to have formal pictures taken. I just turned and snapped without thinking about composition, etc. It turned out to be an interesting picture because she and members of the bridal party are dressed for the occasion, but their surrounding environment lacks the appropriate wedding attire.
My retirement ended in the summer of 2006 when I re-visited one of my original sources of inspiration-Washington, DC. Maybe it was being surrounded by the great artists in the National Gallery of Art or just being in a great “people picture” place, but my inspiration returned. I purchased a great digital camera, which was compatible with my old camera’s lenses, and have been taking pictures ever since. My dark room is now my IMac, which allows me to freely play with composition, color, and other digital techniques. Taking pictures also challenges me to strive to improve my technique and look for ways to portray common images in a different manner. For example, I am working on an assignment that I posed to my AP English Literature and Composition class. They have to portray either several characters or themes from Shakespeare’s Hamlet via a visual art medium-sculpture, photographs, painting, etc. I decided that since I assigned the project, I would also complete the assignment. So far, I have one picture completed depicting the theme of the diseased state of Denmark. I also have ideas for pictures representing Denmark as Hamlet’s prison as well as the character of Claudius. I can also be creative with depicting everyday images like houses. I have used my new darkroom to play around with light and shadow to photographically depict houses for builders to use in their real estate flyers.
As an English teacher, I try to incorporate art of any kind into my lessons. Sometimes, I can’t help but wonder what if my English teacher had incorporated photography and other art into her lessons like my journalism/yearbook teacher did, mixing words with art and photography? What if I had discovered my talent before my college years? What if? I don’t want my students to ever wonder “what if” about their hidden talents.
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Files uploaded
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76
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ldymacbeth3's profile
