Photoshop Project

Photoshop Project: Postcards

Place: Newaygo, MI

Setting: Croton Pond

Issue/Problem: The wildlife in a natural setting tend to fade into the background and become a part of the scenery.

Relevance: A lot of the beauty of nature comes from the interesting wildlife that makes it up, letting wildlife go by unnoticed results in a less fulfilling experience.

Goal: Bring attention to the wildlife in nature and how they are connected to us and the experiences we have.

Introduction:

          I have spent many summers on Croton pond, and have personally experienced the problem of letting the wildlife go unnoticed. Initially, I thought the birds, fish, and river's edge animals were interesting and beautiful. Over time, the wonder and amazement faded from being a novelty to being either unnoticed or an irritation. As I've gotten older, however, I've come to appreciate their existence and beauty again. The focus of these pieces is to bring attention to wildlife and convey their importance and beauty in a way that I, and possibly many others, have ignored. In addition highlighting the creature's beauty in nature, they attempt to show the connections between both they and nature as a whole as well as their connection to us, the observers.

Back of Postcard:

Crane Stamp courtesy of: https://www.nps.gov/subjects/centennial/postage-stamps.htm
Ink Stamp courtesy of: https://www.etsy.com/listing/58639142/snail-mail-postal-cancellation-rubber
Newaygo Crest courtesy of: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Newaygo_County_mi_seal.png

Postcard 1: Repetition

          For the first postcard, I used the concepts of repetition adapted from the the works of Tom Bamberger. I started with a picture of a single crane, chosen because they are rarely seen on the pond and are near exclusively solitary. Using a second picture of the crane, I made copies of varying sizes and distance to create a small flock. I then took the layers and created repetitions of them to grow the flock. With the flock created, I took the cranes, water, and reeds and placed the imagery in front of the Hardy Dam. 

          The Hardy Dam is a sight-seeing spot for many visitors to the pond and a local landmark. So by placing the unnatural flock of cranes in front of it, I hoped to evoke a sense of importance to the wildlife.

Postcard 2: Transformation

          Using works from Sandy Skoglund as a reference, the second postcard works as a foil for the project. While the other pieces in the project focus on the natural fauna of the pond, this transformative piece focuses on the unnatural and out of the ordinary by using mythical creatures.

          The creek was transformed in its coloration and the magical creatures were altered and added to the piece. The coloration of the creatures and the modified creek was chosen for its harsh contrast. The creatures varied in size and orientation and are somewhat hard to identify. There are two fairies on the edges of the picture to hint at the remaining creatures and increase the sense of curiosity. The piece is supposed to be a contrast to the other images in the project, like the coloration of the photo itself; It draws attention to the lack of natural creatures to make the inclusion of natural wildlife in the other pictures more noticeable.

Fairy Images courtesy of: 

https://marketplace.secondlife.com/p/Gaeline-Animations-Flying-Fairy-AO-Also-compatible-with-the-PETITE-Mesh-Avatar/4778984?id=4778984&slug=Gaeline-Animations-Flying-Fairy-AO-Also-compatible-with-the-PETITE-Mesh-Avatar

Postcard 3: Text

          The final piece takes inspiration from artists like Barbara Kruger and Jenny Holzer. The postcard uses the inclusion of text to strengthen the message of the image. I used phrases form a poem by John Donne. The first phrase is “No man is an island”, used alongside a bevy of swans. The words are illustrated as a reflection of the swans in the water. The second phrase is “It tolls for thee”, placed in the water as a message to the observer. 

          Like in the poem, each swan is a vital member to the bevy; the loss of one diminishes each swan and the bevy as a whole. As observers, the loss of our appreciation and respect for nature is something to mourn; as the loss of wildlife or our understanding and respect for it diminishes us in turn.

Lines of Poetry taken from: John Donne's "For Whom the Bell Tolls"

Concept Map:

Created with: https://www.mindmup.com/