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Sarah and the Daguerreotype

Posted on March 12, 2012 by Leah Apple

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I decided to make this entire series black and white, although I did give some of the photos a more greenish hue in an attempt to capture a more dream-like, ‘Wizard of Oz’ kind of an environment. The purely black and white photos represent the undeniable reality.

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Early 19th Century to Present

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Sarah lives inside of her own head. She has recently been experimenting with a sort of “old-world” look: high-neck, drop waist dresses, and modest collared blouses. She enjoys shopping for antique art, and together, we have enjoyed admiring daguerreotypes in second hand stores. The daguerreotype (next to Sarah’s portrait) inspired the lead photo because I was struck by how much power and emotion it captured in spite of the fact that the viewer does not see the girl’s eyes. Similarly, the photograph of Sarah next to it explores the ridges and texture of her face without being distracted by the eyes.

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Sarah

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The Eyes are the Window to the Soul

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Sarah finally lifts her gaze and momentarily, invites me into her world. I see that what I first perceived as aloofness is actually depth. Her penetrating stare reveals someone who is deeply contemplative, and perhaps lonely and vulnerable. Sarah reveals that for the first time in her life, she feels “weak” within her relationship. Whereas she’s used to feeling like she wields the power, Sarah now feels like she might be more in love with her boyfriend than he is with her.

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Sarah

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Passion

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As she begins to expose herself, I notice subtle changes in Sarah’s gaze. She is still collected, composed, but she cannot mask her sadness. The intensity of her stare is emblematic of Sarah as a person: she is passionate about everything she does. Now though, when she feels that her passion is unrequited within her relationship, Sarah wonders whether she needs to lower her intensity level, and ponders how to go about changing herself.

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Sarah

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On her Turf

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“I need to have a discussion with my boyfriend,” Sarah states vehemently. “I need to tell him how I feel.” She wants this conversation to take place on “her turf” though, so that she can feel like she has control over the location, even if she doesn’t have a say in the relationship. We head over to her apartment to take photos in her own environment.

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Sarah

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Confidence

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It’s nice to see Sarah in her own environment. She radiates confidence in every pose, and it strikes me now, just how difficult it must be for her to feel as if her love is not reciprocated. But this photo proves that she has not lost her ego altogether; she is still well-aware of what a striking young woman she is.

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Sarah

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Laughter

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Albeit brief, Sarah finds herself smiling and laughing in front of the camera. She is so unaware of herself, and it is charming. I am grateful to have been able to capture this moment if for no other reason than to remind her of what it is like to not feel as though you’re posturing every moment, consciously acting in a certain way in the hopes of gaining another persons affection. Sarah’s naturalness is her greatest strength.

About the Author: Leah Apple is a junior enrolled in the College of the University of Pennsylvania, Class of 2013

Photo: Carolina Ernst

Posted on January 8, 2012 by Carolina Ernst

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You want her; you crave her, but don’t know if she’ll have you. Her confidence intimidates you, but there’s something about her that intrigues you. You want to know her, but don’t know if she wants to know you. She is modest, and won’t show you too much, which makes you want to see more.

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Photo: Carolina Ernst

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She is one of the most beautiful, confident women I know. She doesn’t care what people think of her, and will do whatever she wants when she wants. She plays by her own rules. You never know what to expect from her. I never know what to expect from her.

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Photo: Carolina Ernst

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These photographs are about sugar and spice. They are about seducing the viewer within a familiar mise-en-scene. He has been there before, but not with her. It is about his relationship with her and his vulnerability.

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Photo: Carolina Ernst

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She is so much more than the girl next door. She has secrets: dirty little secrets.

Copyright 2012

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About The Author: Carolina Ernst is enrolled at The Wharton School of business, University of Pennsylvania – Class of 2012

Self-Portrait

Posted on November 23, 2011 by Sofia Gerard
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……….I was feeling sick the day I took my pictures; I had a cold that didn’t seem to go away and was having one of those mornings when somehow nothing seems to be going right even though nothing bad has actually happened. That’s when I decided that my self-portraits should portray my mood during those mornings: gloomy, a little bit sentimental, and quite pensive. I chose to have a neutral background so that the emphasis would be on my own emotions and not on anything. I also decided to have a mirror behind me so that I could play with the idea of my own reflection; on the idea of how one’s mood is affected by how one sees oneself. While I was taking the pictures I played the role of a girl getting her hair ready in the morning in front of the mirror while making sure that my storyline didn’t take away from the emotions I was trying to portray.

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Self-Portrait

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When I was printing my pictures I made the decision to keep the prints low-contrast and gray since this sort of picture fits the mood that I was trying to convey. The pictures have an old feel to them, and look a bit nostalgic and romantic. I thought this would help me express the emotion of the shot. I wanted the viewer to be right there with me, getting my hair ready in the morning, feeling gloomy about the day ahead and fighting off a stubborn cold. Much like the photographer Gertrude Kasebier used gray tones in her prints to convey emotions, I wanted my series to express one particular emotion throughout and thus I kept all of my pictures low-contrast and soft. Some of the prints have my face in more shadow and some of the have more light in my face. I did this explicitly in printing as a play on the fact that light is there to show and conceal emotion; light exposes my vulnerability in some pictures, and shadows and darkness show my hesitation to be completely open with the viewer. My goal with this assignment was to connect with the viewer by making him or her feel the emotion that I was feeling on the morning I shot my rolls. I wanted my pictures to be emotional and showcase how a single picture can tell a viewer a lot about the mood of a moment.

About The Author: Sofia Gerard is a finance major at the Wharton School of Business – University of Pennsylvania, Class of 2012 – Copyright 2011

Cyclist And A Car

Posted on May 23, 2011 by Scott Roslyn

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……….As the weather improves along the Eastern seaboard, not only shorts, sundresses and flip-flops are being seen out on the streets on a sunny afternoon. Folks are back on their bikes too. When commuting from Philadelphia, a bike is oftentimes a more efficient –and certainly more enjoyable – ride than your average SEPTA bus. Even on a day when the weather was not so nice, however, this writer saw many cyclists pushing their pedals across the Schuylkill River on their way to class or work. What is this sub-culture all about? A different breed of folks, driven by different motives, I sought to delve deeper into this biker (or rather is it cyclist) world.

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The first incarnation of the bicycle was developed by Baron von Drais in 1817 and was known as the walking machine since one actually walked alongside it rather ride it. In 1865, an improved version was known as the velocipede, or more commonly the boneshaker, a reflection of the still less than ideal ride the early bicycle offered. We have clearly come a long way.

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Pushing Walnut Bridge

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The bike is back. We are seeing its resurgence in daily culture across the country. Urban planners and architects in Portland, Oregon are re-imagining the city with a vision of bikers having a more equitable share of the roadways with cars and buses. In New York City, the young and blossoming New York High Line has become an incredible thoroughfare for walkers and bikers along the previously tough-to-access West Side of Manhattan. Across many corporate campuses, shared bicycles dot the entrances of many office buildings and sidewalks, offering an easy connection from meeting to meeting.

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A recent ideation project launched by San Francisco-based innovation consultancy IDEO imagines the modern day bicycle as an environmentally conscious vehicle as well as energy generator. The turning of the gears charges a portable battery affixed on the handlebars, which can then be unplugged and used to charge smart phones, portable music devices, laptops and other technological gadgets.

About The Author: Scott Roslyn is an MBA Graduate, Class of 2011, The Wharton School – University of Pennsylvania

Infinite Pathway

Posted on May 15, 2011 by Brandon Fischer

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The way we see the physical world is very dependent on our position in space and partially on our mood. Pictures are a way of sharing a particular moment in time and space with someone else but they do not quite capture the whole image. The emotions felt while observing the scene are lost. Different people react differently to a given image or moment. Photographers attempt to get around this limitation of imagery with words; titles carefully chosen to focus the observer on the meaning of the image. The image becomes more of a message than a scene; a message trying to instill some emotion.

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Post Horizon

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This series of pictures showcases a very simple distortion of reality: perspective. The deception that parallel lines appear to approach a single point in the distance is just a trick of viewing angles but can distort the perceived dimensions of an object. I focused on larger objects such as roadways, buildings, and sidewalks to emphasize the shrinking distance between the parallels. I’ve always been fascinated by distortions of reality due to having two eyes and only occupying one space. The view from your location is difficult to share with someone. You may see the trees while someone else might see the cars. These views can switch too for different times of day or levels of happiness.

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Uphill Walkway

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Recently, I’ve been feeling life close tighter in on me as if I’m travelling down a pair of parallels that start approaching each other. Looking at the bigger picture, I can see a straighter path but the nature of being a living person, my view comes with some perspective. I can’t quite make out the figures on the horizon that look so small and far away. I just hope they open my world back up.

About The Author: Brandon Fischer is a Computer Science major enrolled at the University of Pennsylvania, Class of 2012

The Death Of OBL: Artwork by Rebekah Boyer

Posted on April 13, 2011 by Tony Ward

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……….On the eve of our final class, media outlets reported the death of Osama Bin Laden. As reported in the news, Navy Seal team six commandos were given the orders to visually record that moment in history when the most wanted man on the planet met his ultimate fate. One of the Seal team members was also a photographer, an integrated part of his skill set as I often referred to the mediums relevance, applied and practical aspects in class. Think of the pressure this person was under at that moment he clicked the shutter and to make certain everything was properly exposed and recorded to have proof that Bin Laden was dead. The integration of the medium of Photography in to the hands of a Navy Seal was part of the job description for that mission. To record significant moments in history uniquely belongs to the realm of photography, like it has been since its invention in the 1850′s and just as it will continue to be as you record your moments in history.

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I predicted on our last day of class that there was going to be a fire storm of controversy regarding the release of Bin Laden’s death photos and President Obama correctly resisted the usual urge of some governments to use photography as a “propaganda tool” or as the president referred to as “spiking the football”. Mainstream media outlets reported that the photographs were rumored to be particularly gruesome- a gunshot through the left eye was reported to be the fatal blow and perhaps so gruesome that the release of the pictures would stir more violence around the world.

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Recently, there has been some softening of the administrations position with respect to the viewing of the photographs. Yesterday, 35 members of congress (senate and house intelligence committee members) have been given security clearance to visit the CIA offices in Langley, Virginia where the pictures have been archived. Eventually, those images will be leaked or released to the general public.

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In summary, when the Navy Seal took his first photography class and became intrigued by the technical as well as the magical qualities of the medium, it is very doubtful he ever imagined that an interest in photography would lead him to Abbottabad, Pakistan. That is part of the essence and nature of the medium and the reason why the camera should remain at your side. You just never know where the medium will lead you.

And The Journey Continues

Posted on May 12, 2011 by Taehyun Kim

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“The goal of education is the advancement of knowledge and the dissemination of truth”
– John F. Kennedy

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……….“Knowledge is power.” Long time ago, someone must have realized that it was useful to use tools for hunting and making fires. Ever since humans acquired this knowledge, people learned to use tools for their survival. They invented metal weapons, gun powder, automobiles, and now, we live in one of the most technologically advanced societies in the history of human civilization.

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Sunglass Purchase

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We live in a new world where information is available to everyone at no cost. After the invention of computers and internet, people have largely depended on these mediums to acquire information cheaply. The technology has advanced so far that it is now possible to connect with people on the other side of the planet using computers. People do their shopping, take classes, attend business meetings, and even socialize online. Photography has played a large role in this process of technological advancement. Capturing an image on a piece of paper has served to be one of the most important tools for our society. This was because pictures can capture so much information on one piece of paper, and they don’t lie.

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Pictures

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“All men by nature desire knowledge” -Aristotle

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Study

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I am passionate about learning, and as a result, I understand the importance of education. Education does not necessarily mean learning from lectures in classrooms. Education can occur anywhere and at anytime. I came to the University of Pennsylvania because it provides the finest education in the field of my studies, and there is no doubt that I acquired a vast amount of knowledge from my curriculum. However, I learned so much more outside the classrooms, whether that be dinner conversations with fellow classmates or visiting museums in Philadelphia.

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Self-Portrait 2011

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This is a little story about a boy and his journey that he set out about four years ago wishing to learn about the world. And this journey still continues…

About The Author: Taehyn Kim is an Economics major, enrolled in the College of the University of Pennsylvania, Class of 2011

Secret Window

Posted on May 11, 2011 by Connie Yuan

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As a freshman at the Wharton School, I am surrounded by a group of competitive, type-A individuals. The rest of the student body at UPENN often joke that Wharton students are unsympathetic to normal human emotions and are financial robots of some sort. However, I came into the school with one goal in mind—creating my own nonprofit organization. Although it completely contradicts the goals and career-choices of my peers, I attribute this desire to my temperament. Having taken the Keirsey Temperament Sorter, I discovered that I am an Idealist Counselor and thus, part of only 2% of the world. As a member of this temperament, I tend to notice and appreciate little things in life that are often overlooked or ignored by others.

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Alleyway

With this personality type, I subconsciously chose the themes in this portfolio. Choosing the subjects of my shots always takes days of thought and decision-making. I go through innumerable ideas before choosing one that satisfies my expectations. I cannot name one specific formula that I use to make this decision, because the choice is often made based on a vibe. However, when looking back on my assignments, I notice a pattern. I tend to go out of my way to find subjects that are under-appreciated.

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Hidden Garden

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This portfolio is a photographic journal of my journey as a Penn student. It follows me as I embark on adventures throughout campus as I go to different parts of the university and attend various events. The portfolio begins with my self-portrait as I depict myself as a prisoner of Wharton ideals. The rest of the assignments show the mindset, which helped me to break out of this suffocating mentality. By noticing the small things in life, I come to realize that I am but a small player in this universe. I am not all-important, and I am certainly not considered more important than the ignored fire hydrant on the empty street corner. With this portfolio and my photography posts to my personal blog, I hope to influence pre-freshmen as well as current students to change their way of thinking. My goal is for everyone who sees my portfolio to abandon the academic mindset for a day and just enjoy life. Find your own quiet niches on campus. Notice the animal life. Explore the city.

About The Author: Connie Yuan is a freshman enrolled in the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School, Class of 2014

Balance

Posted on May 6, 2011 by Scott Roslyn

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I like the idea that a photograph should reveal a perspective you’ve never seen before. A photo is nothing if you look at it and know that you’ve seen the shot before. This sense of creation, exploration, and moving things to a new place, a higher place, is what I love most about photography.

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What I also like about photography though is that it’s not about what that observer of the photograph might feel. It’s really about what the photographer himself is feeling as he captures that image.

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I create art because of this opportunity to see something new in my surroundings and in myself. It helps that I love it and that I can completely and utterly get lost in it.

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In this shoot with a rock climber at a nearby indoor climbing wall, I was interested in the study of the subject and his environment but I was also drawn to it because of the metaphor that I was wrestling with in my own mind about the walls we encounter in life, and the walls we build within ourselves.

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I enjoy studying what happens within the human psyche and the human spirit when we come upon one of these barriers. We all have a choice. We can either embrace that challenge and rise to it, or we can crumble under its weight and allow that challenge to crush us.

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Leap

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One of the things that I have learned over the last few years is that we are the ones who oftentimes build these walls for ourselves. Not always. Sometimes life is like that. No doubt. But other times we are own worst enemy.

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For example, over the course of our lives, we have constructed facades to allow us to be successful. We know the questions to things to say in an interview, the questions to ask at a dinner party, the right jokes to tell, to always put our best foot forward. Many of us had not experienced failure in our lives. The fear of uncertainty, the fear of failure, of not being perfect, and of what it feels like to not be superhuman, to not be invincible. We want to think of ourselves in this light, as indestructible, and oftentimes that’s how others have begun to see us too, and that’s what we want.

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But in the end, we are building walls that prevent us from seeing the real me. This is self-limiting. We are not at our greatest with these limits and these walls in place. We are awesome and we are extraordinary, but we must face these walls, and climb these walls to realize our true potential.

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Through the metaphorical medium of a climbing wall, a climber I had just met, and a 35mm camera loaded with TMax 400 film, I sought to document the walls that we climb, the walls that we build, and the walls that we overcome.

Trust

About The Author: Scott Roslyn is an MBA Candidate, Class of 2011, The Wharton School – University of Pennsylvania.