2016 May » You Can Sleep When You're Dead: Blog by Colleen Miniuk

Behind the Image: NAU Guest Blogger – Carissa Schattke

May 112016

“Lauren” || Photo copyright Carissa Schattke

“Lauren”

Over the course of this semester there has been endless photo assignments that I am supposed to complete, and with that comes the rushed photos done right before the deadline because with being a student with a job and five other classes definitely gets hard. Although at the same time there are the photographs that you have been thinking about for a while and you know just exactly how you want to go about them and execute them well. With this photograph, I really wanted to do something simple, but at the same time create a photograph that speaks. What really pushed me to create this image was my desire to photograph a subject in natural light.

When it came time to actually doing the shoot, it was quite the feat. The room I chose to work in had shutters on the window, which in a way really helped control the light; this made things a lot easier because the lighting was all round even. The tough part was making sure that if I opened the shutters a little too much, it ended up placing sun lines all over her face, which were not ideal in this situation. On top of that, the walls were not in the sun so I ended up having to hang the sheet in front of the windows with poles.

On the odd chance that I choose portraiture; I like to make my subject feel as comfortable as possible, whether that is playing music or watching funny videos. With this case, I chose to show Lauren a video of me being caked in the face for my 19^th birthday and then a video of her being caked in the face with our friend Haley for their birthdays last year. Needless to say, the videos worked because she started laughing and smiling, all while remembering the good times that we had when we lived not even ten steps away from each other.

For this photograph, I used my Canon Rebel T5i and a Canon18-55mm lens set to f/6.3, an ISO of 200 and a shutter speed set to 1/25 of a second shot at 32mm focal length. Once I went into to post processing there was very little I did to the photograph. I changed the white balance to daylight and upped the exposure a little and lowered the contrast and upped the shadows and highlights just a smidge. After I edited the whole photo, I went in with a brush and I darkened and smoothed the background some just to have her stand out from the background.

About the Photographer:

My name is Carissa Schattke and I am a second year student at Northern Arizona University currently studying Strategic Communications with a Public Relations emphasis and also Photography. I have grown up around photography and come to appreciate it at a young age, especially with my grandfather being a professional photographer. He was the one who inspired me to become a photographer in the first place. I was the photo editor for my high school’s yearbook, which has offered me valuable insight. I prefer to shoot landscapes and nature more often than not, so shooting portraits is definitely new to me.

To read more about the Northern Arizona University “Behind the Image: Guest Blogger” project on our blog, please read the introduction at youcansleepwhenyouredead.com/wordpress/4th-annual-northern-arizona-university-behind-the-image-guest-blogger-project. Please take a minute to leave your thoughts and constructive comments in the Comment section below – Carissa would love to hear from you!

Behind the Image: NAU Guest Blogger – Erica Colegrove

Guest Blogger, Making the Image 2 Responses »

May 112016

“Skull Savvy” || Photo copyright Erica Colegrove

“Skull Savvy”

Two Guns, Arizona, sends chills down my spine every time I think about my trip. It was a popular tourist stop along the famous Route 66, but now lies completely abandoned. In the 19th century, it was also the area of a major confrontation between the Navajo and the Apache. In any sense, being there alone was terrifying, but I had to go get some shots of it. Among the many pictures I left with, this shot promotes the exact feeling that I intended; which is a combination of mystery and terror. I am not exactly sure what this building used to be, but it is located to the right of the gas station as you head into Two Guns, (nowadays, it looks just like an old shack). Writing and graffiti covers everything in the area, but this skull really stood out to me. The air radiates some sort of dark presence.

Since I was too afraid to step into the shack alone, I decided to use the outer window as a frame around the dark doodle. Ironically, through the other side of the shack, a beautiful landscape of Northern Arizona is visible. The green and yellow hues of the plant life seem to balance out the dark and decrepit interior of the structure. A hint of blue from the sky peeps in through the corner of the far left window, which I think brings the entire color spectrum of the photo together.

I use a Canon Rebel t5i. I have always used Canon. I shot this particular photo with the 18-55mm kit lens. At the time it was one of three lenses that I had available, although now I have a few more from saving my money wisely. I use the lowest ISO possible, so this photo has an ISO of 100 with an aperture of f/7.1, shutter speed of 1/80 of a second and a focal length of 26.0 mm.

About the Photographer:

I realized my passion of photography from both my mother, and believe it or not, my ex. We spent a lot of time in my past relationship shooting together and I learned a lot despite not being together anymore. I regret nothing because we shared such an important role in each other’s growth as photographers. My mother is the person who pushed me to start in the first place, and who bought me my first camera body. Other than photography, I am a freelance charcoal artist. Art is incredibly important to me and always seems to find me wherever I am. In the future I want to think of a new way to incorporate both sides of my art into one, but for now I prefer to focus on one at a time. Within photography, my interest revolves around events such as concerts and also fashion photography. Although I do enjoy getting out into nature by myself when the idea of being around people overwhelms me. My ideal life would be as a paid photographer, traveling around the world to capture the essence of life. I am inspired by that goal alone, and hopefully one day will find myself doing just that.

Behind the Image: NAU Guest Blogger – Nick Laessig

Guest Blogger, Making the Image No Responses »

May 102016

“Welcome Home” || Photo copyright Nick Laessig

“Welcome Home”

Real estate photography is often overlooked or not considered to be true photography, however, some of the biggest uses of commercial photography is that of architecture. I am driven by the desire to create an architectural image that cannot only sell the home but also leave a “wow” factor for my audience. I shot this image during one of my recent twilight shoots on a beautiful equestrian property. Shooting at the golden hour is unique and allows me to capture the strength and color in the sky while representing a very warm and welcoming feeling into the home. For me, it is important to pay close attention to detail and to create the best image by utilizing what is in front of me. There is very little change that I can do on my subject, therefore the angle at which I shoot is extremely important.

Shooting real estate photography has given me a chance to become better at the other genres of photography, mainly landscape and portraiture. I must view every shot and angle with a very critical eye, removing any unnecessary objects. Some days it’s only a tissue box or roll of paper towels, but other days it can be rearranging an entire living room in order to achieve a specific shot that will showcase the room at its finest. Before beginning real estate photography, I would just press the shutter button and edit anything I didn’t see in Photoshop later. However, for my landscape and portraiture photography I view each shot as if post processing is irrelevant and I strive to achieve the best image while I’m right there in front of it.

Most of the time I use exposure compensation to layer the sky and windows, instead of the common flash technique. I captured this image with my Canon T2i with a 10-20mm wide angle lens. I combined three different shots, at different shutter speeds, in order to create a strong and realistic-looking image. All three shots were at an aperture of 7.1 and an ISO of 100. It is important to be able to have great detail in the home and through the windows, while expressing the strength in the night sky. After I bring the images into Photoshop, I will enhance color, exposure, and clarity where it is necessary. My go-to tool that allows me to do this is the adjustment brush in the Camera Raw processor.

About the Photographer:

My name is Nick Laessig and I am currently studying Business Management at Northern Arizona University. I began photographing landscapes at just the age of 13 and by age 15 had established a business focused around real estate photography. Having shot over 300 homes in 10 different cities across Arizona, I understand the importance of commercial and architectural photography. I enjoy the business side just as much the photography and at the age of 18, I officially established my business as Nick Laessig Photography, LLC. Today, I offer daytime, twilight, and aerial photography as well as virtual tours for residential and luxury homes across Arizona.

Website: www.nicklaessig.com

Behind the Image: NAU Guest Blogger – Siobhan Webb

Guest Blogger, Making the Image 3 Responses »

May 102016

“Company by Computer Screen” || Photo copyright Siobhan Webb

“Company by Computer Screen”

I am drawn to humans and their complex genetic makeup. There are many vast natural beauties, and to me, the uniqueness behind each individual’s experiences and personal realities is truly amazing. Every day, I walk past hundreds of people on campus, each their own person with onion-like layers shaping their identity; and just like me, they all have their own community, goals, troubles, anxieties and so on. Each of us have a story to tell, a mood to convey or a perspective to share and yet sometimes we don’t have a platform to construct these messages. That is why, for me, photography is important. Humans are able to empathize and relate which creates a powerful sense of unity amongst a world of differences, and what better way to bring people together than through a single image. A single image such as the one I took the night of March 28, 2016.

Delirious giggles from lack of sleep bounced off the walls. My roommate, Rebecca, and I curled up on my twin sized mattress, side by side. It was late. The time was roughly half past midnight to be exact. We began wandering the Internet. Our fingers opened tab after tab and bounced from sites that ranged from Facebook to Tumblr to Spotify. Our mouths rambled unfiltered thoughts. My roommate knows my anxiety is worst at night; she knows I won’t sleep, so she provides some company for me. As I got up from bed, the room was dark and I stumbled trying to find my way to the bathroom. Right before I turned the main light on, I noticed the light of the computer screen illuminating on Rebecca’s tired face. Immediately, inspiration overtook me. This moment was raw, this moment was real, and this moment captured an indescribable, yet very relatable mood, that is: the reality of college at night. The reality that takes place when partying isn’t going on. The somber reality that takes place on sober nights.

My urge to go to the bathroom was gone. I turned on one of our secondary lights and raced to my camera bag. My roommate, very confused by the sudden burst of urgency, asked what the hell I was doing. I ripped off my puffy comforter speckled with black and white poke-a-dots and told her to stay put. After living with me for a few months, my random jolts of manic creativity didn’t phase her. As I pulled out my Canon EOS 6D and attached my 50mm f/1.4 lens, I instructed her to go back to messing around on her computer. The fact we are close alleviates an otherwise awkward situation. I expose her to my camera so often that being in front of the lens is not such a pressured experience anymore. She was comfortable. She was natural. Everything was dark, the only light source being Rebecca’s computer screen. I snapped test shots and adjusted my settings accordingly. The computer screen wasn’t enough light, so I turned the vanity light on around the corner. Perfect. My ISO was set to 2500, with an aperture of f/1.4 and shutter speed at 1/250 of a second. My intent was to create rich contrast with her fair complexion against the dark background to convert the image to black and white. After trying multiple angles, I was content.

I turned the lights on and grabbed my computer. At close to one in the morning, Rebecca’s eyes were heavy and she returned to her own bed while I edited the shot. With a simple black and white conversion, along with a couple histogram adjustments, I completed the image. I turned off the lights and got under my blankets. I was tired but mentally awake from the rush of capturing a perfect moment.

About The Photographer:

I picked up photography in 8^th grade. I am drawn to forms of expression, like art and writing, but photography revealed this overwhelming sense of passion in me. Over the years, I have had my own gallery feature at Borelli Design in North Park, San Diego; I have volunteered at several local community events; I have had my work displayed on National Women’s Running website and; I have continued my small business with the addition of a few jobs interning for local photographers.

I am now a Sophomore at Northern Arizona University where I am majoring in photography and minoring in Graphic Design. I love photographing people. In the future, I hope to work in the fashion industry or become a photo-journalist.

4th Annual Northern Arizona University “Behind the Image: Guest Blogger” Project

Guest Blogger, Making the Image 46 Responses »

May 092016

Introducing the 48 NAU students who will act as Guest Bloggers on this blog starting tomorrow through early June (their photographs appearing in alphabetical order here):
First row (left to right): Miguel Alvarez, Erika Berry, Matthew Carlin, David Carballido-Jeans, Erica Colegrove, Cassandra Coyle, Mariah Doka, Faouzi Eletel
Second row (left to right):Kyle Erwin, Emily Frankel, Emily Gaudet, Darian Gibbs, Riah Grams, Nikki Hand, Jake Herbig, Kendra Horsfield
Third row (left to right): Erika I’Anson, Kaylee Johnson, Laura Jones, Francesca Kent, Danny Kimball, Cole King, Amelia Krieg, Jeff Kunkel
Fourth row (left to right): Nick Laessig, Hannah Laurie, Kelly Lienhard, Maxim Mascolo, Wendel Navenma, Andrew Ormonde, Michelle Raigoza, Ramon Ramirez
Fifth row (left to right): Jacquelyn Reimer, Ariana Ruiz, Katie Sawyer, Carissa Schattke, Ashlee Shifflet, Taylor Slevin, Kiely Sutton, Alyssa Tavison
Sixth row (left to right): Jessie Tofaute, Sydney Troxell, Jessica Vazquez, Megan Vey, Tyler Walker, Siobhan Webb, Jarrick Wenslow, Dakota Wolfe

The annual “Behind the Image: Guest Blogger” project by the Northern Arizona University (NAU) photography students is back in its 4th–and best–year!

Four years ago, I partnered with my good friend, fellow photographer, and NAU photography instructor, Amy Horn, to offer her intermediate photography students an opportunity to turn their school studies into real-world, practical experience. Thirty-five students participated in this inaugural project (to see their entries, select Guest Blogger and Making the Image categories from the right side of this screen). After receiving many positive comments from both the students and this audience, Amy and I teamed up again, where 24 students participated in our sophomore effort. In our third year, we saw 39 excited guest bloggers “show and tell” their work!

This year, I’m proud to introduce the 48 NAU photography student guest bloggers – bringing the total number of students who have participated up to 146 over the last four years!

On March 29, 2016, I stopped Amy’s Intermediate Photography (PHO200) classes to share my “Clowns, Snowballs, and Boats: Surviving as a Freelance Photographer” presentation and to share details about the “Behind the Image: Guest Blogger” assignment. The students received instruction to select a single image they created during this semester–and were excited enough about it to tell the story in 800-words (or less) about why and how they made their image. We encouraged them to share what process they used to create it, what inspired them to make the photograph, and the technical information for the resulting photograph. To help our blog readers get to know them better, we also requested a 100-word bio.

Their photographs and words will be shared exactly as they submitted (i.e., I’ve done no editing of their work). Some are blogging for the very first time! I hope you enjoy the diverse perspectives, creativity, and personal stories each student will present in their own post.

Even though my blog and personal photography focuses primarily on the Great Outdoors, the students were given free range to pursue their own interests beyond nature if they desired. No matter our own individual domains, I feel strongly that we can refine our own style and work by reviewing and evaluating any type of photography – and get lots of new ideas!

If you feel so inclined, please show your support for these learning student photographers by leaving your thoughts and any constructive comments you might have for them in the Comment section for each blog post. To not only provide your encouragement and perspectives to developing talent, but also to help you polish your own style, as you review the image and write-ups, ask yourself, “What do you like about the image? What might you improve? Do you have any similar experiences with this subject, technique, or approach?”

As I often share in my workshops and presentations (and the Austin Kleon book suggests), “Steal like an artist!” How can you apply what you like to your own work in a different situation? Share with us all your ideas!

Without further ado, starting tomorrow morning, please join me in welcoming the 2016 NAU Intermediate Photography students “Behind the Image” photographs and stories!

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