Worth a 1,000 Words - Art & Photography

Here I am wondering why no pictures are being sent in as comments, but it never occured to me that you may not know how to. This is just a quick post on how to post a picture as a comment or post. There are tons of ways to do this, but this one seems easiest.

Step One: Open up your web browser and go to TinyPic. This website allows you to upload pictures for free without having an account.
Step Two: Click the BROWSE button and locate the picture on your computer. Once it’s highlighted click OPEN
Step Three: Then press UPLOAD
Step Four: After it’s finished uploading the site will give you five different choices in a list. The first one is the one you want “HTML for Websites”. Copy this code.
Step Five: Paste the code where you want the picture to show up in your comment or post.
Step Six: Publish the comment/post!

Simple as that!

Challenge of the Week: Post a picture.

Happy Photographing!
Cate

Where I live back to school is marked by early nights and cool mornings. No more sleeping in till 12 in the afternoon or staying up till well past 12 at night. I’m going to miss going on day trips and spending all the time I have on different projects I’ve come up with. As much as I dread school, I’ve definitely missed my art class. This year I’ll be taking two art classes and starting a photography club. Unfortunately my school doesn’t offer any kind of photography class, but hopefully the photography club will be a success.

At my pro-college program I discovered that a lot of the kids were lucky enough to go to art high schools that offered tons of different photo/art related majors as part of their curriculum. Sadly I don’t go to one of those schools and I’m sure there are other people who are in a similar situation to my own, if not worse. Since I know I would personally go crazy if I lacked art as part of my school day I’ve come with some ideas to help those who suffer from an art-lacking school situation. Below are five ideas on how to pack your year with tons of art filled projects so you never get bored.

One: Look into the art classes offered at your school. Some schools don’t offer much, but I think one art class is better than nothing. As graphic design and web design become more popular high schools are starting to teach basic classes in both of these areas. Even though this type of art class isn’t filled with colored pencils and crayons it’s still a chance to learn new art techniques and it can also help as a creative outlet.

Two: If for some reason your school is completely depriving you of some form of art, look into nearby colleges. Most colleges offer Continuing Education classes for students and adults. Like I’ve said before I take classes at the Rhode Island School of Design. These classes are taught by teachers who know their stuff and are happy to be helping out kids who want to learn more about a particular art form. Not only are these classes fun, they also look really good on college applications.

Three: Still can’t find any sort of art class to take? Make your own! Look into starting an after school art or photography club. Whether you go through your school or just make it a fun thing between your friends it’s always a good thing to get feed back from other people about your work. Also working as a group will help to push you to finish things and keep deadlines in site. If you’re constantly showing other people your work they’re going to want to see progress and this will push you as an artist.

Four: So maybe classes and club aren’t your thing, now what? I’d look into your school’s drama department. If not at your school most towns have a local group who put on assorted plays throughout the year. See if any of these places need help getting a set together. Most places aren’t going to turn down free help and I can’t see anything better than a college portfolio filled with huge landscapes.

Five: When all else fails there is always a year book committee. I don’t think I’ve ever heard of a school that doesn’t hand out yearbooks. Talk to the teacher in charge and see if you could help with page decorations or taking pictures at sporting events and dances. The only thing to make sure of is that you’re taking pictures of everyone, and not just your group of friends. If the teacher finds out that you’re only taking pictures of friends I’m sure he or she wont be pleased.

Challenge of the Week: Have any other ideas on how to pack a school year with art? Post them in the comments section. The only person you can blame for having a terrible school year is yourself if you fail to get involved and fill your year with things that really make you happy.

Happy Photographing!
Cate

I don’t know if anyone reading this has ever been to New York City, but I truly hope that at some point in your life you will try to visit. New York is a city like none other, and every time I go I’m amazed at how different it is from the previous time. Most people go to New York because they want to shop. I will admit that I love to shop, but my favorite store in NYC does not sell clothes or shoes. My favorite store in the city is B&H, which is located on 9th ave. between 33rd and 34th streets. B&H is a one stop shop for everything photo and video related. They have lights, computers, bags, cameras…you name it and I bet they have it. The over whelming two-level store is stocked from wall to wall with the latest and greatest technologies. With all the different things to try out (even a refreshment table in case you get fatigued do to the onslaught of information) this store is sure to be a highlight to any New York City trip.

My first visit to B&H was met by large amounts of people and a lot of sign reading. Everything is pretty well marked, which makes finding things easier, but if you’re still having trouble just flag down an employee (they’re usually happy to help). I suggest only going by yourself or with a family member who enjoys photography equipment as much as you do. I went with my aunt and she was more than glad to sit in the waiting room that is open to shoppers at the front of the store. Once you decide on the item that you’d like to purchase you can choose to bring it home with you that day or have it shipped to your house. Since I was going home on the train and already had quite a few bags I decided to have my item shipped. It made it to my house in about 4 days, which is normal for shipping to my area. After choosing how you’d like to acquire your item the person helping you prints up a receipt type thing with a bar-code on it for you. This confused me at first, but it made for the best part of the trip. With your receipt in hand you can walk over to the slue of cash registers where they scan the bar-code and a bunch of conveyor belts start moving. Slowly your purchase will make its way to the register area. You finish paying and they give you your item. Then you’re free to leave!

Everything in this store is so well organized and thought out that you can’t help but be part of the assembly line. I strongly recommend making the trip, if not to buy anything at least to experience the store in first hand. The store is about one ave away from Penn station, so that could be a bargaining chip if you’re taking a train in. Below is B&H’s website, which shows everything they carry, directions, and contact information.

B&H Website

Challenge of the Week: Nag nag nag for a trip to NYC. The photo opts are endless and a trip to B&H only makes everything better.

Happy Photographing!
Cate

Last Friday August 8, 2008 marked the first day of the 2008 Olympic games that are being held in Beijing China. I don’t know if anyone watched the opening ceremony, but it was one of the most spectacular art-in-motion displays I have ever witnessed in my life. Not only did the Chinese top every opening ceremony that has come before this, but people are also saying that this may have been the greatest opening ceremony to ever be. With over 15,000 performers, 29,000 fireworks, and a 482 x 72 foot large LED screen, the Chinese seamlessly molded technology with art. Production for the final show has taken about 3 years. There has been controversy over having the Olympics in China the past few months leading up to the event. The Chinese have put a lot of effort and money (over 300,000 million just on the opening ceremony) into this event in hopes to show the world that they are working towards change. Through this opening ceremony the Chinese have proved that they are capable of amazing things. China couldn’t have chosen a better time to shine while over 2.3 billion viewers watched with awe struck eyes at the opening ceremonies.

Instead of giving a recap of the whole event I thought it would be more interesting to list some of the most interesting facts I’ve found out about the ceremony.
• The LED screen at the center of the ground, which unrolled to represent a huge scroll detailing China’s 5,000-year civilization, measured 482 feet by 72 feet wide and contained a whopping 44,000 LED beads with a distance of 600 millimeters between each two.
• Technical monitoring systems were employed to keep track of over 18,000 performers through identification codes, a first for any Olympics.
• The fireworks used a digital ignition control system that coordinated blasts in over 30 locations across Beijing. According to Cai Guoqiang, the explosions maestro behind that part of the show, not a single of the 40,000 cannon shots faltered.
• The material used for the paper on the painting scroll was produced by the country’s aerospace sector. Similarly, most of the core technologies used in the ceremony had been developed by domestic companies.
• The event was held in the National Stadium AKA the Bird’s Nest. The Bird’s Nest seats 91,000 people.
• A total of 110 minutes of music was created by 18 composers for the opening ceremony.
• Altogether 2,583 special lights are used and lighting equipment weighing more than 300 tonnes has been installed.
• Electricity load for lighting totals 6,440 kilowatt.
• A total of 15,153 sets of costumes in 47 styles were created for the performance.
• Performers have spent the last 13 months rehearsing, and only started mass rehearsing in March 2008.

For pictures of the event go HERE
For a full background of the opening ceremony go HERE

Challenge of the Week: Watch the Olympics!

Happy Photographing!
Cate

While I was at camp I went to a seminar on how to pick an appropriate college and how to build a portfolio that will get you a scholarship to that college. Although I plan on majoring in photography, the seminar covered fine arts and new media portfolios. Hopefully the following information will make picking colleges this year a little easier for some people.

The teacher holding the seminar boiled down picking a college into four main categories.

Accreditation- No matter how wonderful a college may seem it’s nothing unless the government deems it a worthy establishment. Make sure the college you’re choosing is accredited otherwise you could spend a lot of money and years working towards something that doesn’t really mean anything.

Facilities- Go for a tour of the school and make sure all the equipment is up to date, and classes are easily accessible. There’s no point in going to a school for photography that doesn’t even have darkrooms or up to date computers for editing. Another huge thing to look into are the dorms. Most students spend at least their first year in the dorms. Find out from current students what the dorm situation is like. There’s nothing worse than having a tough time in school only to come home to a terrible place of rest.

Faculty- Every college is loaded with professors, so do some research on them. If you plan on majoring in illustration, find out what the teachers who are teaching illustration have done. I’d be more likely to go to a college that is loaded with professors that are right in the industry that they are teaching about, than a college who is filled with professors who are still trying to catch a break. Look at teachers as a way to network. If they can start getting your name out in the industry before you even graduate college, you’ll be way more likely to have a successful career.

Location- This is probably the most important of all four. Where do you want to spend your years in college? Sure you’ll be going to school and that will take up some of your time, but you have to keep in mind the time that you’ll spend outside of class. Keep in consideration the whole idea of networking again. New York City is the art capitol of the country. It doesn’t make sense to go to school in Vermont when you could be in New York where everything is the newest and freshest of your subject, but in the same respect there have been amazing artists that pop up from all over the country. In the end what really matters is that you’re happy and successful.

Tip: No matter what school you finally decide on make sure you do your research on it, and if you can, go visit it.

Once you’ve made a final decision on your school it’s important that you build a strong portfolio that will make getting into that school a breeze. Below is a rough guide as to what you should include in your portfolio.

Fine Arts
Self Portrait
Figure Drawings
Object Studies
Still Life
Interiors and Exteriors
Sculpture
Personal Work

Photography
Self Portrait
Portraits of Others
Object Studies
Still Life
Interiors and Exteriors
Personal Work

DO NOT INCLUDE: Pictures that include sunsets, homeless people, babies, flowers, or anything else that has too much information in it. Also make sure your pictures don’t look like they were all from one day. A portfolio is something that you are supposed to have worked on for a long time. If it looks like everything is from one day it’s not going to show all your talents.

Tip: No matter what piece you are including, make sure it tells a story. One dimensional work is not going to stand up against a college board.

Hopefully this will help with future planning. If you are having a tough time picking your strongest works show them to an art teacher or send them to me. I’d be more than happy to help.

Challenge of the Week: Do some research on colleges that you think might be right for you and set up days to go visit. Not old enough to start thinking about college? It’s never to early to start building a portfolio. Explore different types of art and see what you like the best.

Happy Photographing!
Cate