Final Reflection

This semester has been filled with an immense amount of new discoveries. I came into this activity wanting to learn more about the inner and outer of workings of the commercial photography world and be able to have a solid portfolio of work before my graduation and I felt I have done just that. I have not only researched photographers but painters, writers and musicians as well to help me better understand how they view art and how those views could better my skilled behind a camera or computer when creating my various projects.

The most exciting things I wanted to speak about during my time with this course is the knowledge I gained from truly combining the worlds of art and commercial advertising. I have always found semiotics to be so interesting in the way humans understand and communicate symbols and signs to one another and across multiple cultures. Within commercial photography, the use of semiotics is key when producing advertising materials that speak to the masses. However, these methods could be seen as detrimental, at times, because they may force an unrealistic perspective onto a viewer. This is most commonly seen with the overuse of Photoshopped people or products found in advertising. I believe there is much more of a realistic and visceral way to reach viewers through the power of photography than simply retouching every flaw out of an image.

The word retouch means to “improve or repair by making slight additions or alterations”. I agree with this in the sense that retouching could add enhanced elements to a photograph or concept but that does not always mean the only way to “improve” an image is by erasing away everything that makes it relatable. I used the process of retouching to further the artistic concepts I came up with for each project. This ranged from color correcting images so they all matched in tone or feeling or cutting into, xeroxing or collaging layers of images on top of one another to build a stronger final image. I believe that by doing this and creating a strong portfolio of work to move forward with, I could be setting myself up for some type of success in the commercial industry because views about realism in advertising are beginning to shift. 

I loved this course and getting the opportunity to work closely with an advisor and get the one on one attention that works so well within an art context. The constructive criticism and constant feedback helped my projects to grow and looking back on them now, I realize how much my views and style have changed in only one semester. I believe this heavily correlates to the idea of change I want to incite in the industry as well as the many artists I studied in order to better understand the power of the image as a whole. I am grateful for this outlet I was able to immerse myself in without the confines of a classroom setting because I was able to really let lose and create work I wanted to see without the fear of letting my peers work persuade my own. I now have a wide range of work to show when trying to begin my journey through the industry and I have gained so much knowledge and tools to continuously create more!