The Very First Amateur Photography Was Surprisingly Beautiful

Buzzed documented the incredible beginning timeline of photography, which really took off in 1888 due to Kodak's release of the first commercial camera. The article listed numerous photographs that were taken simply to document what was going on around them. However, it is apparent that many of these photographs look as if they were taken by skilled photographs even though they were amateurs. It's incredible to be able to have a way to look back in time and see how drastically different it was. The photograph's antique looking aesthetic, although it is natural, appears to give off an edited look which falls in line with many modern day photographer's goals. 

Photographing Time

I read through the timeline of photography and it was incredibly interesting. Something that specifically caught my eye was the first self portrait. The first self portrait was taken by Cornelius in 1839. It was interesting to imagine that there was a beginning to something that is currently known as a 'selfie'. People are constantly snapping selfies, or self portraits, and it was interesting to look back at the very first 'selfie' taken. 

Emile Cohl Fantasmagorie 1908

This is an extremely old video that was put together by Emile Cohl. The images run together smoothly without any choppiness. This animation is well put together, however the tone is unsettling. The creator was endlessly springing new scenes while marinating one focus. It was interesting to watch how the video would unfold second to second. This is incredibly creative and truly takes skill to create something this that at this time, I'm sure wasn't an easy task.

Grid Project

Flip Book Project

Nike, a multi-billion dollar company, operates by exploiting children, women, and men in foreign countries. They have broken child labor laws and place harsh work conditions upon these workers. They have been accused of 50 cent hourly wages, physical abuse, mental abuse, and lengthy work hours. These harsh conditions produce a dangerous, abusive, and controlling environment that hushes the worker's ability to stand up for themselves. If they speak out, they are fired. Nike is exploiting the poor in foreign countries because they are able to increase their profits exponentially at the expense of those that cannot demand respectable conditions. I decided to take on this topic by displaying a large Nike shoe being help up by children, men, and women that are on their knees. They look like they are being crushed underneath this massive shoe which represents the worker's lack of respect. They are depicted as slaves holding up this material item that appears to have more importance than they do. 

I had a difficult time putting this together because the Nike sign needed to be the focal point which is why there are two white bars connected. Also, I had to tape on the little pieces of paper that fell off in order to outline the worker's silhouette correctly. I plan on spray painting this onto a T-shirt in order to spread the word of the negligence and abuse taking place behind this popular brand. 

Blacks and Vaudeville - part 1 from documentary
This documentary is disheartening. There has always been controversy swirling around black face, but I hadn't realized the history behind the offensive gesture. This documentary highlighted the nature of the offensive, demeaning black paint. Black people were not allowed to take part in any play unless they were acting in outlandish ways that filled hurtful stereotypes. This simply perpetuates the stereotype while continuously harming an entire group of people. They are treated like animals and their real talent is negated.