MOPA Artist Inspiration Week
This past week we were asked to visit the Infinite Balance Exhibit at the Museum Of Photographic Arts (MOPA) in San Diego. Each of the Artists in the exhibit are on the shortlisted for the Prix Pictet, which is the world’s leading prize in photography and sustainability. After viewing all the photos, we were given the task of choosing one of the photographer’s featured in the exhibit, and then take photos of our own that reflected our chosen photographer’s style.
The photographer I chose was Thomas Joshua Cooper. Cooper’s photos consist of stunning black and white landscapes, most of them containing water in some way or another. The deep contrasts between black and white in the images are what stood out most to me. The white really pops, but does not overshadow the deep black and gray tones. Many of his photos contain a beautiful ethereal glow, usually the white glow of crashing water contrasted against sharp black and grays.
To reflect Thomas Joshua Cooper’s style I traveled to the beach to take my photos like I have many times before. I focused on getting close up shots of the ocean and crashing waves. I tried to create as much contrast as I could in the photos, creating really stark black and whites. These images really fit the black and white beach collage I did a few weeks back, I even featured one of those shots, a static shot of ocean foam, in this series as well. Here are the photos that I took trying to best reflect the style of Thomas Joshua Cooper.
Agua Hedionda Lagoon
The solo photoshoot I did towards the end of the semester was at the Agua Hedionda Lagoon in Carlsbad, CA. The lagoon is a coastal reserve that contains many different endangered species of flora and fauna which help make up its beautiful exterior. The Agua Hedionda Lagoon foundation was founded in 1990 to help conserve, restore and enhance the environmental features of the Lagoon and promote balanced recreational and commercial uses consistent with assured future lagoon vitality. Visiting the Lagoon was a great way to end the semester and reflect on all the experiences and knowledge I obtained.
Book Project
For the book project we will be doing in class my subject will be the beach areas of North County San Diego, like Oceanside pier, D Street, Moonlight, and others. I will try and add images to the book that I’ve messed around with in photoshop, as well as some of my own drawings and sketches. I might even decide to add some of my own writings into the project too. Here are a few examples of photos I’ve taken that would be included in my book.
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