Savannah

Savannah giggled as she opened the door and didn't stop through the entire shoot.  With hearing loss she used sign language but mostly she just used the language of a 2 year old, squealing and moving to pose, or not pose, at her own free will and choice.

To create her 'under the surface' flip side image I actually used texture from the current malformation on her arm (with permission from her mother) as the background.

See the finished results here:

Savannah's Flip Side


Read more about Savannah's back story here:

http://www.brenslade.com/backgroundstories

The Flip Side- Under the Surface

The situations of these children can be very complex, not only for the children but often their caregivers or entire families as well.  Yet if you met these children, and watched and interacted with them you would see laughter, silliness and play.  I want to create images that explore these contrasting emotions.  For the first image of the twins I wanted to represent the transition from their dysfunctional home and their stay in foster care.  Here is my image:

For a child such transitions are unsettling and full of confusion.  They are surrounded by adults but trust is unsure.  The children are represented as shadows only since Foster Children are the invisible refugees in their own country. 

I realized that this image is more powerful in juxtaposition with the Healing Heart images to bring out their true contrast but instead of just showing them side by side the idea evolved into making one image an appendage of the other.  I have some interesting ideas of images I can do this way in the future and I am excited to see how the project progresses.

You can see the final combined image here:

http://www.brenslade.com/theflipside

And So It Begins...

First Shoot- Luke and Livvy 
Here are some SOOC images (straight out of camera) from the photo shoot:

 It takes many (many!) images to create one finished piece.  The cats were particularly easy to work with (insert sarcasm here- cats were crazy maniacs).  After hours of editing I was happy with the results- you can see the finished images here:


http://www.brenslade.com/

Two Saturdays later I had the opportunity to travel to shoot a very special boy- Logan born at 27 weeks weighing barely over 1 lb and now celebrating a healthy 8th birthday!  Word grew and at the end of the day I had 4 kids scheduled to shoot (Adorable Savannah who suffers with vascular malformations and hearing limitations, Quincy with his big eyes and FASD (Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder) and sweet David who was diagnosed 2 years ago with Autism.  That is more than I would typically plan on in a single day but since distance was a factor I was grateful for the opportunity.  It took some intense planning as I have to have the pictures firmly set up in my mind before shooting.  And in the rush I forgot to make the list of shots to take (rookie mistake!) I ended up missing one shot I needed and had to improvise a little bit.  Here are some of the SOOC:

You can see a lot of my issues are budget oriented.  Limited lighting is my biggest weakness.  I try to take advantage of large windows to go with my limited flash system.  I don't bother to set up a backdrop.  I find it makes kids nervous and unnatural and as long as I have something of a solid wall behind I can extract pretty decently.

You can watch for progress of these images here:
http://www.brenslade.com/

Healing Heart Images- Oral Presentation

Healing Heart Images, Oral Presentation 2018

Peer Commissioned Micro Project

     This week we have taken a look at both chance and serendipity as well as creative restraint.  Chance often plays a role in my own practice simply because I choose to shoot with a variable of unpredictable proportions: Children.  As with most composite photographers, it is vital for me to carefully plan and lay out each image well before shooting begins.  However with the wildcard of working with Children you have to be willing to keep an open mind toward 'anything goes.'  Because working with children anything really can happen.  Expressions are key in my images and many times the children present me with what I was expecting-not-expecting faces that often result in me changing the flow, composition, even the storytelling in my image.  Sometimes they are harder to work with, sometimes they create opportunities for an even better image than originally planned.  For example, this image started as a fairy creation but her whimsical expression soon led me to Christmas instead.

                                                                                           B.Slade 2017

     For our 'Peer Commissioned Micro Project' this week I teamed up with Clodagh Moreland.  Clodagh remembered America being mentioned more commonly for road trips than walking so she issued me the invitation for a micro series 'on the road' with the creative restraint of the color BLUE.  

     The project progressed in an interesting manner for me.  At first, the restraint of blue was a bit daughting as blue seemed to be the only color missing as I drove.  But soon enough the project took on a life of its own.  The 'blue' that first caught my eye was a simple American flag.  Love this country!  Interestingly enough the next several items of blue that I came across also seemed to represent America and the rights and freedoms of my daily life.  From the freedom of the press to the opportunity for clean water, take a look at the images I collected and see if you can distinguish how they are tied symbolically to life in America.

 

 

 

To Capture The Emotions of Childhood

Loretta Lux1, a fine art photographer known for her surreal portraits of young children, is a very talented photographer who portrays children who don't seem to like childhood much.  Still poses and dreamy expressions seem to be her trademark (dreamy, not as in 'Christmas-is-coming' dreamy but more like 'I'm quite bored with life' dreamy).  Her images are simple with simple colors and negative space. And they are quite captivating and interesting to look at. 

Katie Watson2 has a similar style, but where Loretta's images are muted and painterly, Katie's are more like a real life version of Lorretta's. With a twist of non-reality. Again very interesting to look at. 

Hellen van Meene3 captures like Loretta and Katie, but advanced to the teenage years.  Specializing in teenage girls with the same sort of still and dreary appearance.  All of them tell a great story. 

Wendy McMurdo4 is like Loretta crossed with a bit of abstract.  Something lovely and purposely off at the same time.  Also wonderful storytelling. 

I don't mean to suggest Loretta as the inspiration of all the others, as I truly believe similar ideas can be born to multiple people, that is just the order that I viewed them in and therefore my own personal connection of them. 

I enjoyed studying all the above photographers, and I very much enjoy and appreciate their talent and unique styles, and am inspired by their work.  I find a connection to them in my own work but in a surprising way.  In capturing the emotions of children I want to capture the opposite.  One of the reasons their work is so captivating is because they go against the natural disposition of children- which is something we are not used to seeing, particularly in photography.  In my photography I want to capture a child's light and fight for joy- amidst difficult life circumstances.  This too can be captivating and interesting.  But I want to bring to life those difficult circumstances as well. 

My plan is to consult with the children themselves about their situation.  Their frustrations and fears as well as what brings them hope and joy.  I want to create an illustrated image to represent their darkness, and then using the same base, transform it into an illustrated image that represents their joy and hope.  These images, in juxtaposition will illustrate both sides of childhood struggles.  Anxiety filled life experiences, and the natural disposition of children to smile and dream. 

1 Lux, Loretta at:  http://lorettalux.de/
2 Watson, Katie at: https://www.katiejanewatson.com/
3 van Meene, Hellen at: http://hellenvanmeene.com/photos
4 McMurdo, Wendy at: https://wendymcmurdo.com/

Week 5: Power and Responsibility

As an image maker, and photographic storyteller, ethical and moral obligations are something I am greatly concerned about.  Particularly because I often deal with society's most vulnerable members- it's children.  Particularly for my project I am hoping to feature children as my subjects who have been through or are currently experiencing hard childhood things.  Sensitive issues and sensitive subjects I want to make sure they are portrayed appropriately. My purpose is to create nature based calming 'healing' images that will be donated to be used to bless the lives and give strength to many children currently experiencing similar anxiety filled situations but I would never want to be accused of exploitation for my own professional benefit.  It will be a fine line to walk on. 

                                                                                                Confidence by Brenda Slade 2017

The First Shoot

     Today was my first shoot that will be dedicated to my project.  Like many other types of photography, when creating a composite there is so much to do before and after any work with the camera and in this post I will walk you through my process.

1: There has to be an idea:
     People often ask me how I come up with ideas and the answer is that inspiration can come from anywhere.  This particular shoot idea came after viewing some images created by Lorretta Lux (you can find her work here: http://lorettalux.de/).  Lorretta Lux and her style of photography was mentioned and recommended to me during two different webinars so I took some time to look through her work.  I enjoy her use of simple lines and solid colors and her soft delivery of her children's images.  Even though my images will be very different than Lorretta's nevertheless this is where inspiration struck. 

 2: Aquiring and child models:
     Because my project is being created for children who are experiencing difficult moments or siuations I decided to use children in the pictures that are currently or have experienced hard childhood things as well.  I knew of a set of twins locally with a backstory I will share later on in the project who graciously agreed to sit for me.

3. Composition planning:
     Even though I had a general idea of the images I wanted to created I still had to fine tune the composition and all the elements I would use.  And I wanted to include the children and incorporate their personalities into the images as well.  After talking with the children, their mother and their nanny I had some great ideas.

     4: Next I start with drawings and lists:
     In composite photography you create one fluid image out of many so you have to be so careful to keep consistent lighting and shoot with accurate perspective and angle.  I sketch out (and I use the word sketch very loosely as you can see below why I am a photographer and not an artist of other medium) each image with all the elements and then make lists of the shots I need from each one, including important things to remember like where I want their eyes or the angles of their hands.  Here is a screen shot example- I like to call this the chicken-scratch stage.... since that is what my 6th grade teacher used to tell me my handwriting resembled :)

     5: Wardrobe and props:
     Now that I know what I want in my images I have to actually acquire them.  Since most photographers I know are not wealthy, myself included, I make a thorough use of all the local thrift shops, and often borrow from friends and neighbors.  Amazon or ebay usually is the last resource but comes in handy occasionally.  I'll have very specific things in mind and am known to cut, redesign, spray paint or hot glue until it resembles what I need.  For instance, in this shot I needed short pants for the boy and so I purchased some dress pants at the local thrift shop then chopped and sewed them shorter.  My sewing machine and I are not friends and typically I turn to the hot-glue gun first if possible but this leaned to seams only and I was able to complete the alteration without any unpicking or angry name-calling.

     6: Actual shooting:
     Once everything is ready the fun begins!  Referring to my lists, I systematically shoot bit by bit until I feel I have each piece to work with.  Working with children, and in this case cats, that is usually no small amount and for this particular shoot I shot over 200 images with which I hope to create 6 final pieces.  Now the editing process begins. 

Teaming Up

     This week we were invited to team up and collaborate to produce a micro project.  As I looked at the images from the others in the group nothing really struck me as coordinating with my own but Jennie's image caught my eye and it didn't appear as if she had an established group as yet so I reached out to see if she would like to team up.  She did.  Since we shoot different types of photography typically we tried to find a common theme or idea.  Jennie mentioned food photography and as we were discussing how very different our areas were (Malta vs. Idaho) the idea was born to do a comparison/contrast in things that can be grown locally.  We discussed the elements (angle, colors etc) of the shoot and decided to follow the main colors of food. 
     One of our biggest challenges also derived from our very different locations - in the form of the time difference!  One of us was almost always sleeping when the other was awake.  But in the end I think it all came together.
      Of the shoot itself I was reminded how 'not easy' it is to shoot food lol but I enjoyed trying to bring out a little personality in the images.  At least when you pose food it holds still (as apposed to children, which I usually shoot).  Here are the results.  See if you can guess which is which- 

                               
Figure 1
 

 Figure 2                       

                                              
Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Figure 10

Figure 11

Figure 12

Figure 13

Figure 14

Figure 15

Figure 16

   
Figure 17











Figures 1, 3, 5, 6, 9, 12, 14, 16, Jennie Scicluna, 2018
Figures 2, 4, 7, 8, 10, 11, 13, 15, 15, 17, Bren Slade 2018

Inspiring Photographers

During the week 3 webinar these photographers were recommended to me to take a look at for further research and ideas for my own project.  Here are some quick thoughts

Anthony Luvera- I found his assisted self-portraits quite interesting in concept and in product.  Though his style is different it is something to think about as I work with youth in my own project as far as involving them in the image concepts.  You can see his work here:
http://www.luvera.com/young-peoples-guide-self-portraiture/

Loretta Lux- I have studied Loretta Lux a bit before and I like her styles and concepts very much.  Her soft delivery of her images that hint toward caricature with such wonderful color schemes really engage the viewer.  Also the stillness of her images and the children's expressions expressions really send a message across.  I enjoy the clean cut edges and wonderful use of negative space. You can see her work here:http://lorettalux.de/

Gina Glover- Very talented in what she does and a completely different but well done sort of composite.  Lots of inspiring ideas you can see her work here:http://www.ginaglover.com/

     Of the three it is Loretta Lux's image I keep returning to.  I will enjoy diving in deeper as my project progresses. 

The Big Idea

Figure 1

My Project

            When I started this MA I had a few ideas in mind for a project.  Nothing seemed to solidify, however, so I kept my mind open during our first couple of weeks.  The section on 'The Global Image' really got me thinking.  What is the potential global impact for my particular photography?  At the same time, through a random play of events I was introduced to programs and studies involving Healing Art or Healing Images.

Studies in hospital environments shows the effects of creating an ‘healing environment’ by adding art to a previous sterile or plain environment.  The research suggested that adding art to the environment, particularly in medical facilities, had the following effects:

1. Reduce stress and anxiety.
2. Lower blood pressure.
3. Reduce need for pain medication.
4. Increase patients’ trust and confidence.
5. Be a positive distraction for patients, visitors, and staff.

          (See https://healingphotoart.org/about-us/scientific-evidence)

The art preferred in the order of preference was:

1. Nature landscapes (most popular)
2. Animals
3. Scenes of everyday life
4. Portraits
5. Urban landscapes
6. Abstract (least popular)

          (See https://healingphotoart.org/about-us/scientific-evidence)

       As this movement progresses a few organizations offer specially created photographic art at-cost to facilities in need such as :

www.ArtforHealing.org

www.HealingPhotoArt.org

www.HealingImages.org

But in each of these, the art for children is quite underrepresented. In Nancy Klein’s book Healing Images For Children; Teaching Relaxation and Guided Imagery to Children Facing Cancer and Other Serious Illness it states:

The immune system does no operate independently from the rest of the body or mind.  If you are experiencing stress and feel anxious or worried, chemicals such epinephrine, norepinephrine, and cortisol are produced and then received by cells all over the body.  When the cells in the immune system receive these chemicals, immune function may be suppressed.  However, optimistic emotions produce favorable chemicals such as interferons and interleukins.  When cells in the immune system receive these chemicals, the immune system is strengthened (Klein 2001).

Much research has been done and is quite conclusive that art and design can affect healing and help one fight off disease as well as all around provide a more positive experience, children included.

My goal would to create a series of images using nature and animals  and other elements of  imagination, with a whimsical aspect to encourage and elicit feelings of calmness, relaxation, hope and imagination to increase healing and patience and lesson the emotional anxieties the child may be experiencing.  I see these distributed in large prints released as a series or individually to facilities that deal with children in high-anxiety environments; such as hospitals, care centers, crisis centers etc.  I hope to use children to model in the images that have actually been or currently are experiencing hard things in life and to couple the images with positive self statements such as, “I am strong.” 

                                                                 "I Am Brave"*
                                    Figure 2

UPDATE:

I presented my idea in the webinar today and I had some really great responses, concerns and suggestions.  Overall it was well received as good idea.  One concern addressed was the suggestion that I don't include the quotes or positive self statements on the images because they may be a distraction.  A possible option would be to include all the images together in a book with the quotes there. Another argument for dropping the self statements is that my images are strong and speak for themselves.  When I explained that I would like to use children for the models that have actually been through or are going through a hard thing (such as a childhood illness etc) Michelle suggested that I let the children be active in driving the creation of the image itself and what it contains.  I like this idea very much.  She also suggested I add a deeper level of discovery within the image with clues to the struggle of the child featured. 
Michelle also gave me these names which I will research in a post in the Contextual Research section of this blog:
Anthony Luvera
Loretta Lux
Gina Glover
Lori Nix

I am feeling encouraged that my project seems to be begun and nervous at the same time.  It adds extra pressure for me to include these children and their families wherein if you take a picture of a doorway and it doesn't turn out you move on- I feel a lot more pressure when your subject is a potentially sick or struggling child and their family!! But I am excited at the prospect of what might be accomplished upon completion.




Works referenced:
    
        Klein, Nancy.  Healing Images for Children: Teaching Relaxation and Guided Imagery to Children Facing Cancer and Other Serious Illnesses. Wisconsin: Inner Coaching, 2001.

       Figure 1: Little Flyer's Club by Brenda Slade, 2017
       Figure 2: Little Flyer by Brenda Slade, 2017