Contemporary Fine Art Portfolio

I know this portfolio has been due for a while. I spent some of the summer finishing it up, and have slowly been working on final touches (in between a number of other non-photography summer projects).

I thought that being it has already aired on my see.me/ profile, it ought to have a little acknowledgment on its own.

To summarize the concept behind the series, I wanted to pull still life, and the idea of movement together. Adding a contemporary flare of color, to a more traditional/formal image of a flower, by overlaying blurred night scenes from behind the dash of the vehicle. I wanted to take the images a step beyond the beauty achieved through the compositional visual aesthetic, and technically sound image, to a piece that challenges the idea of what one would normally expect.

Fashion Shoot

Alright! This has been a slow process, but I've been working on editing some photos I took for my fashion shoot in people photography class. It was a fun experience, and really enjoyed the opportunity to photograph one of the exchange students attending our church!

Holga #2

Amidst the past couple first days of my summer break, I've been enjoying some of the beautiful weather (well, at least in comparison to freezing temps), doing some spring cleaning, and also working on some of the more tedious computer clean up for smoother operation. I'm organizing and trying to 'find' files I maybe miss labeled while working through a large flow of images during the semester. Anyway, .... while organizing I took a few moments to process a few more holga shots I took a couple days ago. Something fun to motivate me to press on with the heavier load of work.

I have found a great application for the lens, in a genre of photography I have been playing around with for the last couple months. Though, I'm not ready to do a reveal of any of those images at this time. 

Holga

As the semester is coming to an end, I'm trying to complete everything, make notes for things to touch back upon, set goals, and get things reorganized so that I can go back and finish up a few things that were unable to be completed during the semester.

In the mean time, I thought I'd post a couple photos that I took with my little plastic holga lens I purchased for a shoot. I am pulling things together in order to make my own pin hole camera, and practice along those lines too. Here's a digital version of some holga landscapes. These have only had some color and contrast enhancement applied through photoshop. The rest of the effect was in camera. Or should I say, in lens?

Multiples

I have had this in store for a little while, been meaning to post, but haven't had a lot of time. This was a particularly fun shoot of Jason. 

Human Identity

Retrospect

I was going through some old photo files, and found baby pictures of my children. 

Their cuteness almost makes me forget all of the challenges that early motherhood brings. These two have brought so much fulfillment to my life. What a blessing children are, no matter during what season of life that they arrive.

I am looking forward to the coming adventures of experiencing motherhood outside of the lens of a college student. I have been in college their entire lives. It will be a new adventure :) 

Mid Term Formal Rose

I have been informed that this is considered modern formal, because it is in color. This is one of the Mid Term images that I turned in last week, it is by far the most successful image that I have photographed of a rose. Even though my other images were not as well received I am very pleased with this one. 

Self Portrait

The Designer

I'd momentarily forgotten about this image... I took this of my brother while he was home for a visit over Christmas. I'm very pleased with the vintage effect that worked out so well, and really played off the lighting situation as well.

I was actually surprised to see in my inbox that it'd won an award, being it had been disqualified for the contest I'd submitted it to. Nice little surprise. 

A Touch of Vintage

I had the pleasure of driving north to visit a friend who had volunteered to model for a class assignment of mine. It was very nice to be able to bring my entire family along for a little weekend visit.

She and I both share a love for vintage cameras... and I might add that her collection is pretty impressive for being in its beginnings.

Nature

Images from a landscape photo shoot the other day. 

Are CFL's Worth It?

So, I'm currently taking a Fine Art Class on Contemporary Photography Processes. Last week our assignment was to create a conceptual image. In class we'd reviewed the work of the feminist Barbara Kruger, who was not so much known for her photography, as she was known for the images that she put together to portray a message.

I didn't go into my assignment intending to emulate her style, however this image is very strongly influenced by many of her works. 

I decided to touch on the topic of compact florescent's... are they worth it? We personally have refused to purchase them for our household, and I see no logical reason why we ever would. Why? 

To name a few reasons: 

#1. They Contain Mercury

#2. Because of reason number one, to properly clean up after a broken bulb, a hazardous waste removal team needs to be contracted out, on average costing about $2,000

#3. They cause the same radiation poising as Ultra Violet Rays (there is research that suggests this is minimalized through an added protective layer of glass, however I'm not sure I'm convinced enough to still go through with these)

#4. They emit a very unpleasant color tone 

#5. They take a while to warm up

#6. They are not 'environmentally' safe to dispose of, and very difficult to dispose of properly

Not all of those are major reasons, however reason enough for a product I'm paying for, and living with in my home. There is a larger list of reasons, but this is the quick version. 

Therefore I chose the slogan, 'Dying to save', proposing the perplexing irony of the potential risks that are presented, within a well accepted 'energy saver'.

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=are-compact-fluorescent-lightbulbs-dangerous

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/07/110706144459.htm

http://www.nbcnews.com/id/23694819/#.URy99hG9KK0

The Portrat/Scape

I'm slowly working on finishing up some edits from earlier this month, but this by far ranks as a favorite. 

The Concept Project

The concept project is a series of photographs that encompasses the visual

experience of what it is to live ‘a day in the life of Cassandra Carrascosa.’

We live in a society that is flooded with the projection of perfection, yet our 

realities fall short. The picture of successful motherhood equals the ability to 

maintain Superwoman status. While our schedules are filled with more ‘to-do’s’

than we have hours in the day. Sometimes the business of life overtakes us,

in a surreptitious manner, and before we know it, we’re lost in chaos. As a full time

stay at home mother, wife, student, and small business owner; my days are 

sometimes chaotic beyond the description of words. 

Through this series I have chosen to combine my artistic interests, and skills, while 

confronting reality. I have used the repetition of items through out this series,

i.e. the coffee stained list, coffee cup/mug, and glass of wine to express the 

demands of conflicting schedules and lack of sleep. 

The incorporation of my children represents their ever-present status; they are 

my priority. It has been a personal choice of mine, to remain within the home

while completing my education, in order to personally care for them. This is, at 

times, more challenging than immediately satisfactory.  

Close inspection will reveal that the image to the right of each diptych has an 

image within it that juts beyond its frame. This illusion is said to create a three-

dimensional effect, challenging the interconnectivity of the spaces within,

also adding the to the dimensionality of the narrative. 

Super woman wasn't a bad job description. The pay was lousy if you were talking about real money. But the payoff was priceless in so many other ways. 

-Roxanne Henke

The Abstract Portfolio

Hi Friends!

I've created a competitive portfolio through www.see.me, they allow the artist to promote their entire portfolio, in a contest setting, while providing opportunities to a larger range of exposure. They run contests that offer grants, and many more opportunities. The thing is, the more support a person gains, the more likely they are to be featured, or chosen for future grants. So I'm asking for your support.

I've chosen to use my abstract portfolio, as I believe that this grouping has stretched my artistic abilities the most, while it also achieved the greatest progress through the process over the semester.

If you're a friend, or fan of my work, please consider choosing to support me through www.see.me, and help me promote my work. It's quick and easy. All you need to do is click the link to my portfolio http://ccarrascosa.see.me/, hit the support link, and log in with facebook. People who choose to support me, will be entered in to a chance to win a free vacation! Win, win!

If you're interested in learning more about the portfolio presented, feel free to leave me feedback, and I'll be more than happy to respond.