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Mt. Laurel Cemetery

Posted on April 22, 2012 by Jake Liberatore

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……….Every photograph captures the image of people, places, or things; forever sealing that which could otherwise be heard and not seen in a visible entity. Although photographs may distort what really existed in the brief moment of exposure, rarely do they fail to provide the belief that whatever scene is captured on film truly did exist in some form. As Susan Sontag, legendary writer, On Photography wrote, “whatever the limitations or pretentions of the individual photographer, a photograph — any photograph — seems to have a more innocent, and therefore more accurate, relation to visible reality than do other mimetic objects.” Indeed, there is a prevailing thought that photos capture reality in a unbiased way, but photographers have as much room for interpretation as do conventional visual artists. The ambiguity in every photograph grants it meaning, and therein lies it’s message.

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Mt. Laurel Cemetery

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This pair of photographs taken at Mt. Laurel cemetery in Philadelphia, ostensibly illustrates the slow decay of man’s once beautiful, yet humble tribute to the dead. The faces of the once intricately detailed statues, worn down throughout the decades to almost unrecognizable, half-human forms, project from blurred backgrounds of leafless trees. While a viewer could reasonably interpret the supposed bleakness of the photographs as a projection of malaise upon man’s all too obvious mortality, the intent of the pair was to contrast such mortality with the only thing that is eternal: the afterlife. Without any indication or suggestion of what characterizes an afterlife, the images of the statues represent an omnipresent watchful eye on the living from the dead; a guide through life, which is simultaneously the longest thing we ever experience and yet an insignificant grain in the sands of time.

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Jacob Liberatore: Self-Portrait 2012

Copyright 2012

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About The Author: Jake Liberatore is a sophomore studying Engineering at the University of Pennsylvania. Class of 2014.

Ryan Feit: Cuba

Posted on April 9, 2012 by Ryan Feit

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……….Make no mistake, times are hard in Cuba. Cuba has been frozen in time for the last 50 years. As a result, Cubans have struggled through countless bouts of famine, rations, and crises. The economy collapsed with the fall of the Soviet Union and has been in a downward spiral ever since.

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The older Cubans believe the Socialist propaganda they read in the papers. They seem completely unaware that the world has evolved since 1960. They argue about world events from decades ago and assume that mobile phones and the Internet are simply science fiction.

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Ryan Feit: Cuba

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The architecture is timelessly breathtaking and is evidence of its storied history. However, the houses and apartments have been washed away by time, exposing the real Cuba.

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Yet despite the relentless challenges, the people endure. Music carries the Cuban people just as it has for decades. Havana moves to a collective Salsa beat which puts a smile on the face of even the poorest Cuban.

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Cuba: Ryan Feit

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And they work with what they have. You won’t hear a single complaint that once again it’s a pulled pork sandwich for lunch and rice and beans for dinner.

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Ryan Feit: Cuba

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But the younger generation is excited for the future. They stand up tall, realizing they posses something special. They know that the time is getting close now and they are ready to reveal themselves to the world.

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Ryan Feit: Cuba

Photos by Ryan Feit: Copyright 2012

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About The Author: Ryan Feit is enrolled in the MBA program: Wharton School of Business, University of Pennsylvania.

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

Layla

Posted on March 7, 2012 by Prathima Mia Rodrigues

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Layla is a strong confident modern woman. She is Parisian and embodies the light, romance and the antiquity of that beautiful city. As a photographer, I was drawn to her beautiful eyes – I believe that they draw your gaze into the picture. They stir a sense of curiosity in you and you want to know her story.
The girl in my photographs finds it hard to come to terms with lost love. Past relationships that she has left behind to follow her own dreams, love that she has stifled, commitments that she has run away from – because of her fear of what this would do to her ambition and her career. She is in search of true love or maybe even what it means.

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Layla

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Layla to me represents contradictions. She is afraid of the commitment of a steady relationship and yet she craves permanence. She wants to find love and a person she can trust and love but yet she believes that attachment and dependence can only lead to disappointment.

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Layla

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My photographs capture two Laylas: a confident and solid Layla – she knows what she wants and how to get it and a lonely Layla who is confused about what love really means. Some of these photographs have a distant expression as Layla reminisces about France. She has recollections of her childhood – fleeting memories of objects and senses – the smell of freshly baked croissants, the arrival of spring in March, the sound of her father’s car pulling up in the driveway, the electronic music she danced to in high school. Her memories reflect in her expressions – happy with deep gashes of loneliness.

About The Author: Prathima Mia Rodrigues is enrolled in the Wharton School of Business, University of Pennsylvania.

Photo: Luciano Ruiz

Posted on March 3, 2012 by Luciano Ruiz

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As soon as I was given the task to photograph a friend, I knew exactly whom I would choose. Deciding on a subject to shoot wasn’t heard at all, and convincing her to do it wasn’t either. As soon as I pulled out the camera she instantly became electrified. Not only did she know how to act in front of me, but her emotions were entirely honest. We have been friends since freshmen year, and therefore it was extremely easy to talk about anything and everything. When she began to tell me about her day I immediately noticed her captive smile. The way in which her smile turned into an enchanting laugh was my main inspiration.

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Photo: Luciano Ruiz

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There was no need for me to tell her what to do. She naturally moved her face around, allowing me to capture her cheerful laugh. However, as we continued to talk, I noticed a change in her mood. She suddenly became increasingly anguished and desperate. Her facial expressions changed dramatically, revealing agony.

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Photo: Luciano Ruiz

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I knew something was wrong and continued to shoot as her face began to melt down. She immediately began to tell me that she had broken up with her boyfriend from home, and that she was feeling miserable. Suddenly, her eyes started to get cloudy and in no time she was crying.

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Photo: Luciano Ruiz

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I felt the sudden need to comfort her, but at the same time I knew how wonderful these shots could be. Her sense innocence and suffering were creating the perfect frame. Being as close as we are, I was certain that her emotions came from deep within.

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Photo: Luciano Ruiz

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As she continued to innocently murmur the details of the gloomy breakup, she began to wipe the tears off her face. She said she would no longer shed tears for him. I sympathized with her while continuing to shoot frames in which I could clearly see her genuine feelings.

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Photo: Luciano Ruiz

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As I put my camera down to continue talking with her on a more personal level, she suddenly smiled again. She began to tell me that life goes on and we must learn to move on. It was as if she suddenly realized how happy she was, and it was a matter of seconds before her catchy smile was back. I quickly picked up my camera and captured the joy she was feeling in the midst of the moment. As I look back at the pictures I produced, I have come to realize that photography is all about what happens on the spur of the moment. I could have never known what was coming my way when I first asked her to pose for my project. But in the end, the result was astounding.

About The Author: Luciano Ruiz is a Candidate for Bachelor of Arts, University of Pennsylvania – Class of 2013

www.ClareDin.com

Copyright 2012

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About The Photographer: Clare Din is enrolled in the College of Liberal and Professional Studies at the University of Pennsylvania, and is also an alumni of Penn Engineering, Class of 1991.

Yang Hu

Posted on January 14, 2012 by Yang Hu

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……….If I could have the power of changing the proportion of day and night in one day, I would make every single minute of a 24-hour period – full of sunshine. Growing up in a tropical city, that has only one season a year, which is summer: I’m used to being spoiled with unlimited sun light. I didn’t realize how I took wearing sundresses all year long for granted until I came to Philadelphia. I always like to work and hang out in places with big windows that let in a lot of light.

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Yang Hu

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For this series, I chose windows/glass and architecture as my theme. The Comcast Center, La Colombe Coffee Shop, McDonald’s, Pottruck Gym; seemingly unrelated subjects magically came together because of their common possession of glass windows – which embrace a generous amount of sun light.

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Yang Hu

. Sunshine is a theme that can be traced back to my childhood. Thanks to photography, I understand who I am and where I came from better than any other moments in my life.

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Yang Hu

Copyright 2012

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About The Author: Yang Hu is a senior enrolled in the College of the University of Pennsylvania. Class of 2012

Clare Din

Posted on January 11, 2012 by Clare Din

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Can someone
Truly be in love
With more than one person
At the same time?

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Do I have so much love
In my heart
That there’s room
For two people…
Or am I being selfish?

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Whatever it is,
I am torn between two,
A man with whom I built a life
And a woman who adores me.

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Clare Din

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The wisdom and success
That come with experience.
The imagination and energy
That is marked by youth.

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When I am with one,
I feel a warm feeling in my belly
That he or she is the center of my universe
And nothing else really matters,
But the good feeling subsides eventually
And turns into cravings for the other
And I feel my heart being pulled apart.

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Clare Din

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Do I really know what love is
Or do I use the word too lightly,
Not really knowing its true meaning?
Not really caring?

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Is it fair to each of them?
Would they understand?
Would they both hate me?
Would they both leave me?

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What would I do if they did?

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What I do makes sense to me
And keeps me happy
And yet sad
At the same time.

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So I think about what it would be like
To be with just one person.
And I think about how the world sees me.
And I wish things were just a little different
And yet the same.
And I know that the world
Just isn’t that way, never was, never will be.
Because the world doesn’t yet understand me
And probably never will.

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Clare Din

Copyright 2012

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About The Author: Clare Din is enrolled in the College of Liberal and Professional Studies at the University of Pennsylvania, and is also an alumni of Penn Engineering, Class of 1991.

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

Try To Stop Me

Posted on December 24, 2011 by Carolina Ernst

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TRY TO STOP ME. I WILL RESIST. I WON’T WAIT. I WILL DECEIVE YOU. I WON’T NEED YOU. I DO WHAT I WANT.

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……….These photographs are about glitz and glam, mixing and matching, throwing everything together. Silver, gold, gems, diamonds, mustaches, watches, beads, … She loves it all.

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I Won't Need You

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She creates art with her jewelry: masterpieces that cannot be replicated because of their complexity. She is a party girl. She knows exactly what she wants: she wants everything. She loves excess. She will throw everything together, because she wants to. She is independent and doesn’t care what you think, which is why you won’t forget her. The decisions that she made aren’t calculated or formulated. They are spontaneous and depend on her mood. She makes the rules, and you can’t keep up. She won’t make excuses. She is who she is.

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I Will Resist

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I Won't Wait

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She is a contemporary Marie Antoinette.

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My brand is about beauty and the imperfections of beauty. Beauty isn’t about being perfect and planned and structured and put together. Perfection is a concept that unrealistic, unoriginal, and boring. Perfection is not beautiful: far from it.

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I Will Deceive You

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and you are the beholder. My brand is about being yourself, and finding the beauty in who you are. My photographs show you my interpretation of beautiful: my tastes and preferences, and the decisions that I have made as an artist to influence how you perceive me.

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I Do What I Want

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

Raven Willis

Posted on November 23, 2011 by Raven Willis

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………..In this editorial, I played with the ideas of contradiction and paradox. I met with a Penn student and designer, to pick out the looks for the photo shoot. Once seeing the mostly gown and dressy looks that we chose, I decided to go a different route than the usual clean-cut, polished style of an editorial you might see with this style of clothing. I found our unconventional model, Amanda via Craigslist and liked the idea of her fiery, red hair and tattooed arms – against the formal evening wear. For the location of the shoot, I picked out a place with city backdrops but not just the city landscape and skyline that you’d expect to see. I also picked a location underneath railroad tracks and amongst freight trains.

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Raven Willis

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This editorial continues to explore my views and beliefs on gender norms and stereotypes. I elaborated on the idea of photographing a woman who is “not what you expect” through the styling elements of the shoot. I photographed a woman who can’t be placed in a box and a woman who challenges the assumptions made of her. She is a woman who, as Nikki Giovanni said, “cannot be comprehended, except by her permission.”

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Raven Willis

About The Author: is a candidate for B.A. in Economics, Urban Studies at the University of Pennsylvania. Class of 2012 – Copyright 2011