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Photo: Bennett Lee

Posted on May 18, 2012 by Bennett Lee

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PHILADELPHIA, PA–Coatings capable of completely repelling water could raise the bar in the near future.

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……….A new startup, Nelum Sciences, has developed a transparent superhydrophobic coating based on silica nanoparticles to help surfaces repel water as well as other liquid nuisances.

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Photo: Bennett Lee

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Superhydrophobicity, also known as the “lotus effect” gives a water contact angle over 150°. a superhydrophobic coating causes drops of water to bead up and roll right off. In addition, surfaces become self-cleaning, since the rolling droplets can carry with them any dirt or other unwanted particles. The technology was created through research done by Prof. Shu Yang at the University of Pennsylvania and is currently patent-pending.

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Photo: Bennett Lee

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The technology is fun to watch with several demonstrations available on Youtube, including one where drops of water are seen accelerating right off of a pair of safety goggles.

Photo: Bennett Lee

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Prof. Yang sees vast potential in the technology with the potential for it to be applied in everything from car windshields, safety goggles, optical lens, and any other application that needs to quickly repel water to maintain clear sight. Other applications could even include solar panels, which could repel accruing materials that block sunlight and inhibit efficiency.

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Photo: Bennett Lee

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Nelum has gained traction and already acquired an SBIR Phase I grant and is currently in the process of further developing this technology.

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Photo: Bennett Lee

About The Author: Bennett Lee is enrolled in The Jerome Fisher Program in Management and Technology – The Wharton School | School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, University of Pennsylvania Class of 2013 – Copyright 2012
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Editor’s Note: To read more articles by Bennett Lee, go to the search bar at the top of the page: enter name and click green icon.

Photo: Bob Shell

Posted on May 16, 2012 by Bob Shell

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……….Nothing new to report on my case. But I really don’t expect to get a ruling from the court until around the middle of the year. Courts move at their own speed, and the general rule seems to be the longer the better, because that means they are actually considering everything. My case generated a massive amount of paperwork, and the court must go through all of it to consider my claims.

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I got a letter the other day from one of the models who worked with me on the bondage book back in 2003-04. She said she got to wondering about what had happened to me and did a Google search and found out where I am. Like every model I ever worked with, she knows that I am not guilty. I told her about TWS and suggested that she post here about what it was like to work with me, so maybe she will.

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One lawyer I know made the point that the cops and prosecution had from June 2003 until my trial in August of 2007 to search for any model I worked with who would say anything negative about me. They couldn’t find anyone. If I really had been the serial molestor they portrayed me as being, they ought to have been able to find at least one of my earlier victims, but they found no one. That should have meant something to the jury. I don’t think they really thought things through and simply voted with a knee-jerk reaction.

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I also don’t think the jury understood how sentencing works. Not one of the sentences they gave me was very long, and I believe they assumed that all of them would run concurrently. Indeed, running sentences concurrently is the norm. But in Virginia the judge makes that decision, not the jury, and the jury can’t even be told that they have the option to recommend concurrent sentences. My judge ignored the VA sentencing guidelines and ran my sentences consecutively. The guidelines called for 1 1/2 to 3 years. But the Virginia guidelines are merely recommendations, they carry no force, and judges routinely ignore them. I don’t know why they even bother to have guidelines.

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If the jury in a state of Virginia case asks the judge if sentences will be run concurrently or consecutively, the judge will tell them that it is none of their concern! The jury is not allowed to know!! But the law requires that jurors be fully informed prior to their deliberations. None of this makes any sense, since a jury can intend a light sentence and a judge can arbitrarily convert it into a very long sentence. The more research I do on this, the less sense it makes.

About The Author: Bob Shell is a professional photographer, author and former editor in chief of Shutterbug Magazine. He is currently serving a 35 year sentence at Pocahontas State Correctional Center, Pocahontas, Virginia for involuntary manslaughter for the death of one of his models, Marion Franklin. He is currently working on his appeal.
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Editor’s Note: To read more letters from prison by Bob Shell, go to the search bar at the top of the page: enter name and click the green icon. To learn more about the case log on to www.BobShellTruth.com.

Wedding Dress

Posted on May 14, 2012 by Natalie Franke

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INTRODUCTION

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……….It all began with a question, “If I don’t like the way I look in my images, you can make me skinnier – right?” The bride looked at me questioningly across the table, with an insecure and completely serious stare. She did not hesitate in asking the question, she was not joking nor would she take my response lightly. As a professional wedding photographer, whether or not I am willing to digitally alter the human form has become an issue of increasing concern for my clients. My ability and desire to make these virtual alterations has a direct impact on which weddings, and how many of them, I am able to book each year. Sitting across from this bride to be, I was suddenly I faced an issue much greater than I was ready to understand.

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Wedding Day

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For me the question was not whether I could manipulate her images to make her resemble her bridal magazine covers – airbrushed, nip-tucked, and perfected in Photoshop – but whether I should. A trend that flourished across the magazine and advertising world was now filtering down into the wedding industry and was affecting soon to be brides on a deeply personal level. I couldn’t fathom why a young woman wouldn’t want to be herself in her wedding photographs, let alone where she would find the audacity to ask her wedding photographer to sculpt away her arms, waistline and all of the “imperfections” that make her uniquely beautiful.

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What happened to cause this cultural and societal mentality? At some point in the feminine race for the ideal, natural beauty was no longer enough. Teaching young girls to simply love themselves was traded for an increasingly scrutinized and virtually plastic portrayal of womanhood. Why do women feel the need to deceptively change themselves in the digital darkroom rather than accepting themselves, embracing their unique and natural beauty?

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Photoshop

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Even more perplexing is that the majority of women who inquire about digital manipulation have, in my personal opinion, already met or surpassed conventional notions of beauty. But somehow these women, despite all attempts to make themselves fit into the mold that society deems to be perfect, are still so dissatisfied with their nautical image that they desire to be digitally altered. The drive to reach ‘perfection’ has become magnified across nearly all aspects of our visual culture and women are being affected to a degree that I find extremely concerning.

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As a professional photographer, an image-maker, and a young woman, the ethical rules governing the manipulation of images are so blurry, so undefined and debated that they are arguably nonexistent. Levels of digital manipulation vary from photographer to photographer and the expectations from clients are equally as opaque. And even with stronger ethical guidelines in place or a system of identifying images that have been altered in some way, will it do anything to stop the self-inflicted comparisons being made by impressionable young women?

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Although my brides may or may not be aware that their magazine covers and favorite fashion models undergo drastic digital alterations, this falsified perception of beauty will still have a deeply ingrained impact on body-image and perception of self. The conscious awareness that an image has been manipulated, may not stop their drive to compare, scrutinize, and compete with the societal ideal that lies before them. It doesn’t change the underlying associations between what is naturally possible and what is digitally sculpted in Photoshop.

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Photoshop Pharmacy

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All of these issues and questions initiated my search into the implications of the digital manipulation of photographic images in the media. This exploration is equally motivated by my drive to define the implications of these practices as a photographer as well as my concern over the welfare of young women, like myself. It is both a personal and professional area of importance, which has pushed me to question the very morals of my own artistic practice. Before I step forward into a career in full-time photography, before I begin this new life as a creator of visual culture, I must be aware of the impact of modern photographic manipulations.

About The Author: Natalie Franke is a professional wedding photographer based in Washington D.C. and has recently completed her Visual Studies senior thesis at the University of Pennsylvania. To learn more about Natalie Franke, log on: www.NatalieFranke.com.
Copyright 2012

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To Be Continued……….

Barlow Holley

Posted on May 12, 2012 by Barlow Holley

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……….I despise imposing my own subjective idea of this photographic message upon you the viewer and wish to leave its meaning as open-ended as possible. That being said, one could reasonably say that this image is of a more humorous rather than serious nature in comparison to some of the other exhibits in The Philo Project series. To me, this picture hints at a variety of themes: a parody of the concept of “erotic art” through the absurd juxtaposition of a formal space and stodgy musical instrument with near complete nudity, a glimpse of the sitter with see-through vision, or merely the whimsical appreciation of the human form in the position of musical performance. Is erotic art a nominal practice more than other genres of art, does erotic art require reference to physical acts or parts to be erotic, what is erotic art’s place in the hierarchy of artistic content, assuming that such an ordering exists? These are just a handful of my personal musings.

To Be Continued……….

Love

Posted on May 10, 2012 BY A.H. Scott

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……….It’s ironic that some of those who are most vocal against same sex marriage are those who have dinosaur bones in their own closets. Archbishop Timothy Dolan, here in NYC, said that ‘it’s a sad day for the children’. WTF?!!!! Now, I know I’m probably going to feel a little pitchfork in my butt for saying that. But, c’mon, Catholic Church. You above all other institutions want to talk about sin. Look inward instead of outward for what sin truly is. And, then there’s Mitt Romney who says “I believe marriage is between one man and one woman”. And, when I heard him say that, I was waiting for him to add ..”I believe marriage is between one man and one woman….and one woman….and another woman. WTF? That’s the history of Romney’s own ancestors of multiple wives. And, of course, Newt (Mr. Married Again and Again) Gingrich. And, all the other hypocrites down the line speak morality for themselves only. So, those who have all these rights already (and never have to enter a court to validate them) are always bitchin and moanin about the destruction of the institution of marriage, if gay men and lesbian woman get married would live by the words they love to always spout; show some Christian compassion and brotherhood and – LET LOVE RULE..!!”

Copyright 2012

About The Author: Editor’s Note: To read more of A.H. Scott, go to the search bar at the top of the page: enter name and click green icon.

Christopher

Posted on April 6, 2012 by Madeleine Shiff

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For this series of portraits, I was influenced both by Diane Arbus’s photographs of so-called “deviant or marginal” individuals, as well as Nan Goldin’s candid style of photography. I admire both of their photographic styles for their abilities to create photographs that are blunt and honest. They also both raise questions about a photograph’s ability to reveal hidden truths.

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Christoper

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My series depicts a man getting ready for a night out, and in the process of transforming himself into a woman. Each photograph is a different step in the process and conveys him methodically putting on makeup and changing his clothes until the transition is complete.

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I chose to explore the boundaries of gender and sexuality through my series. In the process, however, I also learned about the boundaries of photography. Diane Arbus’s work is controversial both for the starkness with which she depicts individuals’ defects, and for the questions it raises about a photographer’s potential exploitation of his or her subjects. My friend Christopher, the subject of this series, has never before dressed in drag. This raises questions about the authenticity of the photographs. Is it enough that Christopher was eager to explore a side of himself that he had always been curious about, or must a photograph always depict reality for it to be credible? Does Christopher’s background really matter? Christopher explained to me that as a gay man he is far more open to exploring his sexuality and femininity than a heterosexual man. His point lends itself to questions about the very nature of the society in which we live. If individuals are born with a range of sexual orientations than why does society impose restrictions in which one must adhere to one of two categories completely. Contemporary debates in American society regarding gay rights, address the core of these questions of societal restrictions on gender identities. I became interested in these issues when I moved to America two years ago. I am Canadian and unlike the United States, gay marriage has been legal in Canada since 2005. Although Canada is by no means perfect, it has provided equal rights for those considered by other countries to be “marginal or deviant.” Nevertheless, it is likely that sexual orientation and gender roles will continue to be explored and debated in both Canada and the United States for the foreseeable future.

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Christopher

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With regards to the question of the authenticity of these images, one might argue that my photographs are inauthentic because Christopher is not a “real” drag queen. However, I do not believe that any photograph can truly be “authentic.” Every photograph demonstrates either the subject or the photographer wishing to portray himself or herself in a certain way. The power of photography to distort reality yet also reveal hidden truths about its subjects is a concept that I find particularly interesting and have explored throughout all of my photography assignments this semester. As Diane Arbus once said, “A photograph is a secret about a secret. The more it tells you the less you know.”

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Christopher

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Christoper

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Madeleine Shiff: Self-Portrait 2012

About The Author: Madeleine Shiff is enrolled in the College of the University of Pennsylvania, Class of 2013.

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Editor’s Note: To access additional articles by Madeleine Shiff, go to the search bar at the top of the page: enter name and click green icon.

30th Street Station

Posted on May 3, 2012 by Florentin Juillet

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……….This series was inspired by a feeling of nostalgia. One photo sowed the seeds of my approach: a photograph of the French Alps, taken from a summit by the German photographer Michael Schnabel, in the middle of the night. To create a landscape with an extreme absence of light, he exposed the film for a prolonged exposure time for about an hour. The result was a dark, extremely cold photo displaying all of the range of grays that could possibly come to mind. The stillness of the mountains made the photos really sharp, except for the clouds that left lighter marks in the sky. At first, I could not say exactly what moved me most about the photo. Was it the cold aesthetics? The method used to take the shot?

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Apartment Tower

I soon found out what feeling it was: nostalgia. These photographs reminded me of the cold air of the Alps, the silence of the upper slopes when I used to go skiing with my family, reminded me of how it felt to be back home in France. This feeling was reinforced by the aesthetics of the picture – it reminded me of a dream, something surrealistic.

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Reflections

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These images were created during a special period for me; as I am about to leave the place where I have been living for a year, a feeling of nostalgia slowly emerges. Influenced by this feeling created by the night shot of the Alps, I tried to capture views of Philadelphia in the same way: night photos with really long exposure times of places I know by heart, with the goal to see them differently, and anticipate the way I might dream about those places in the years to come.

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Street Lights

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One of the main purposes of photography is to create memory, to find again an exact view we had back in time. By creating these kinds of pictures, slightly different from what my eyes are used to seeing, compelled me to create a variation of what I would have normally remembered. Is that cheating, lying? No: memory is exactly the truth anyway, it is always distorted by subjectivity and the mindset we had at the time, for the place remembered. I just wanted to shape my memories as I would like to remember them.

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Self-Portrait 2012

About The Author: Florentin Juillet is a junior enrolled in the College at the University of Pennsylvania as a foreign exchange student.

Jennie

Posted on April 19, 2012 by Jennie Shapira

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MISPLACEMENT

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……….For me, eroticism tickles the uncomfortable; it’s the delicate play of contrasting themes, acting perversely to make the viewer experience the combative feelings of ease and unease. It’s the product of a dichotomy between overt sexuality and something that both pushes you back and draws you in. What defines erotic as erotic is precisely this interaction. The concept of seeing only enough to force you to fill in the rest plays strongly with my views of eroticism, allowing a not-fully nude image to sometimes be more sexually driven than one where everything is purely raw.

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Jennie

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As a deeper conversation with the viewer, the creation of a scene which beckons for an accompanying narrative causes the interaction to deepen. In the end, it doesn’t matter if the story is the same as the stories imagined by all the others, nor the story imagined by the subject at the time of creation, as long as it is one that spawns a desire to know the character and know how the depicted situation managed to occur.

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Jennie

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In order to embody these themes and appropriately have them relate to the ‘philo’ environment located at UPenn’s College Hall, I imagined one half of the dynamic play to involve the concept of purity and intellectual soundness. The Philomathean Halls are gilded with knowledge, so a fair counter would be one that’s slightly disturbing and somewhat scandalous, which would eject itself from the ‘ivy-bubble’ as much as possible. To show eroticism, I plan to pose myself in an uncomfortable, tied-up fashion, as if just left in this building, for non-specific torture to ensue. Such would invoke much internal conversation, a discomfort with the image, and a great contrast with the neat, orderly, olden feel of the library.

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Jennie

To Be Continued………..

Jennifer Cole

Posted on April 18, 2012 by Jennifer Cole

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This recent shoot truly symbolizes this time period of my life where many “epiphany” moments seem to just keep on occurring. A more polished, sleek, mature look coupled with “edgier” fashion in these photos accurately depicts my new found self-confidence and Leo pride! The energy and aura captured in these images truly expresses my charisma, and refreshed appetite for life.

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Jennifer Cole

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Below is a list I came up with which through my experience, has shown me the ways I see myself maturing into the kind of woman I want to maintain:

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What it is to really “Grow up”.
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1. Taking better care of my physical self.
2. Dealing with my emotions and fears directly instead of numbing the pain.
3. Accepting failure & defeat as a means of forming new learning opportunities, thus becoming wiser, and stronger.
4. Walking through life with a strong confidence in my step.
5. Letting go of what I can’t control.

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Copyright 2012
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Editor’s Note: To see more pictures of Jennifer Cole, go to the search bar at the top of the page: enter name and click green icon.

Adachi: March for Trayvon Martin

Posted on April 12, 2012 by Ryun Hobbs

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……….On March 26, The 1,000,000 Hoodie March was held in honor of Trayvon Martin, the 17-year old boy shot and killed a month prior on February 26, 2012. There is still much confusion and accusation surrounding his case – such as whether the shooter, George Zimmerman, was chasing after Trayvon, or if there was an altercation. However, some facts are undeniable. There is a 17-year old who is dead and a big reason is because his hoodie made him look “suspicious. Communities of all racial and social groups throughout the nation became enraged at this unjustified murder, demanding that justice be served. This is a series of photos taken before the arrest of George Zimmerman, at the University of Pennsylvania’s Trayvon march.

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I first saw this woman pushing a baby stroller while holding the march poster in the early stages of the procession. Adachi (Adachi.photography@gmail.com) is no stranger to protests, having photographed many of them herself. Her passion for capturing the essence of justice, however, does not stop her from being a caring mother. Both of her children accompanied her as they made a stand together.

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Skittes and Juice

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Some people never are content with sitting back and staying silent. This woman is such a person – she is “armed” with the Skittles and iced tea that Trayvon also possessed at his death, but she is also armed with her voice. Her numerous badges, like military ribbons, flash ceremoniously in the sunlight, making statements about the different inequalities in the world.

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March for Trayvon

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Despite his tough exterior, this man is a peaceful giant. Holding up his sign with extreme ease, he calls for the end of violence and the beginning of peace. “Children are our future,” the sign says, and the image of the shaking hands between cannot help but evoke memories of the late Doctor M. L. King, who had dreamed long ago of a community that rose above racial tension.

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March for Trayvon

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Protesting is almost never a solitary thing. Here, a family expresses their dissatisfaction together, bound to each other not only by their blood but by their mission. It is often easy to forget about murder victims’ families when first learning of the case, but seeing this family and their signs made me wonder how the Martin family Is faring. Condolences go out to them for their loss.

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Love

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As seen in the pictures above, advocates for justice and equality come in all shapes and sizes – spanning multiple ethnic and age differences. After all, we are all a community that must stick together when it is necessary. What keeps everyone together is a bit of anger, a bit of dissatisfaction, and a lot of love – for each other, for the victims, and for what is right.

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R.I.P. Trayvon Martin

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Not everyone’s voice is always heard, but many want to try whatever they can to make their stand as strong as possible. Here, two people sign large canvases of the late Trayvon Martin, which were delivered to his family after the march. Although it may not be a protest sign, it is still a testament to the expectation of receiving equal rights, instead of stereotyped caricatures.

About The Author: Ryun H. Hobbs is a senior enrolled in the Wharton School of Business, University of Pennsylvania. Class of 2012

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Editor’s Note: To read more articles by Ryun Hobbs, go to the search bar at the top of the page: enter name and click green icon.