Lighting, Also, nature again.

 After so long in Atlanta, I find myself missing this:

In any image, I personally feel it is the shading and lighting that effects what a viewer perceives more than anything else. After all, with no light, there is no image. What's more, when light is visible in the form of pylons such as those seen between the trees. This leaves the viewer to decide what the light is reflecting off of. Could there be a fire in the distance, something ruinous to add a touch of desperation to this tranquil scenes beauty? Or is it simply early in the morning, the sun reflecting off of condensed water and adding to the peacefulness of the scene? This lighting effect gives multiplicity to the ways this piece can be perceived in ways that a pure daytime or nighttime capturing of this image would grant.

Around Atlanta- About my photographic "At"venture

For my photo essay, I chose to take pictures from various "hotspots" in Atlanta. The majority of these places were restaurants, while others were trendy shops, theaters, or parks.  This project truly surprised me- taking pictures of things became quite entertaining once I got started and began to think of all the cool things that are considered or could be considered public art. Getting to ride around Atlanta on a bicycle- despite how unsafe this might sort of be- was also very fun. I think my favorite photos are those taken of the Coca Cola museum at night and of the Junkman's Daughter in Little Five Points.

The Coca-Cola museum lights up at night, and when I originally got my pictures it was early in the afternoon, so I eventually drove back, took a secret and totally NOT illegal run through the park the museum sits in and got my nighttime photos (actually I was only in the park after hours when I went to retrieve my bicycle, which I had to carry over the fence since they locked everything up).
By far my most challenging subject, Junkman's Daughter resisted photography with all it's might. Two tree's- nice, broad fir trees- covered the main sign on the building. The whole length of the front of the building also just could not fit into a single shot. Even worse, the cool UFO jutting out of the front is really difficult to show off when the angle of the shot isn't correct- it will look flat if an image is captured directly in front of the building.

More amazing nature photography

I have always really loved tranquil mountain scenery, and when I get out of Georgia Tech most assuredly want to be near something similar to what has been captured in this image. It is really need to me how everything in this photo emphasizes stillness. The water reflects as a mirror. The snow- that which coats the trees and the hillside- appears undisturbed, as if not a soul has dared to violate this seemingly perfect veil of ice. With the trees holding as much snow as they have, this picture must have been taken at a time in which there was little or now wind, which would most definitely ruin the peacefulness of this scene.
The small chair in the bottom half of the image gives causes this piece to seem as if it is more welcoming than it would regularly be if it were completely undisturbed by human hands. The fact that someone went out of their way to carve a small chair and a fence shows that this place is tame to some degree, but not so much that it's true beauty has been tainted.

Graffiti!

Despite the number of negative purposes graffiti may serve and how the law tends to treat artists who make graffiti, this form of public art is still very interesting and can effectively disturb the "plain-ness" of a large, blanks wall or other structure into a mural. Graffiti styles vary from area to area, and graffiti itself is most often found in large cities. Often times the messages of graffiti are either gang related or reflect on the challenges an area poses upon its inhabitants. In other cases, some people just get crazy with a spray can and start making all sorts of cryptic looking symbols and images.I myself have encountered a very large amount of graffiti in Atlanta, most of it coats older buildings, bridges and retainment walls (going towards Little Five Points, graffiti becomes much more common).

"Mona Lisa of the Depression"

In Mitchell's text, he refers to an image of a woman as the "Mona Lisa of the Depression". I found this to be very interesting,the effect of combined tranquil and worn features of her appearance displaying a 1920's version of the Mona Lisa. Regarding the section in which this image is found, I also now understand how having images with no text regarding their content could be received as being more powerful and meaningful for a spectator than an image that has its context accompanied by a caption of any sort. When a photo is isolated from any text, it allows a viewer to come to their own conclusions of what is occurring, with no mental strings or attachments to misconstrue or add content to the original image.
 After reading Mitchell's piece, I was also reminded of a personal favorite regarding Depression-era images that I would like to share (and that you have probably already seen).

I'm hungry, but I want more than just a meal...

Quite probably the best burger in Atlanta, hands down.

Despite my current lifestyle being that of your typical college ragamuffin, every now and then I prefer for my food to give me a good reason to eat it as opposed to simply inhaling anything that is placed in front of me.

It's not that you're gross, it's just that... okay yeah, it is.

There are many ways to do this, such as my meal literally just smelling so good that I can't resist eating or having decent atmosphere that I can enjoy while eating. Together, however, these two techniques can make a meal an experience are very enjoyable. When a restaurant goes out of its way to make its interior appealing to customers, the aesthetic value of the eatery provides vast amount of entertainment for people and helps make a meal something more than an act of fuel consumption.
One place that truly emphasizes on this use of atmosphere is Atlanta's own Vortex Bar and Grill (Love this place, my ap psych teacher's husband is a manager here). Rather than just having your typical diner, the outside has a giant skull with spinning eyes and blaring music that draws attention to itself. Surrounding the Vortex are many other odd stores and buildings, so perhaps the effect a giant crazy skull would have on passerby's is mildly weakened since it must compete for attention with a number of other buildings that demand just as much attention as itself.

Bioshock

Another game I have enjoyed for so long goes by the name Bioshock. Based off of Ayn Rand's Novel Atlas Shrugged, Bioshock is about a city in which anarchy is declared rule, and chaos ensues. The idea behind anarchy was not to live a life without rules, so much as to prevent the government-placed inhibition of people's lifestyles, such as research and art. The game has graphic displays of how drastic our world would be without some rules in place to prevent certain organizations from carrying out ruthless acts and labeling them as "research" or otherwise. It also shows how impulsive people become when left with no outer restraints on their behavior, by performing violent acts, submitting to drug use, or committing any number of other crimes.
 Almost perfectly modeled for the time period in which is takes place, Bioshock has many similarities with the 1960's style of buildings. Taking place in an upper-class underwater city, the environment is perpetuated by the dark sea surrounding the metropolis, while neon signs and lights flash at the player as they navigate the corrupted city. Posters that are similar in style to those used in wwII are seen plastered all over walls, some covered in smeared writings of rebels and crazed drug users known as "splicers". In terms of sound effects, old radio songs can be heard almost constantly throughout the game, such as whenever a player visits a shop or passes by a phonograph.
I highly recommend this game to anyone who enjoys first person shooters or extremely thrilling games. The gameplay is highly customizable, with different powers (called plasmids) and weapons that can be upgraded throughout the game. The storyline is equally interesting, and has spawned many groups that debate over what certain symbols and meanings are within the game.

A warning: Bioshock is EXTREMELY graphic and contains some disturbing content matter (but for the brave, it is wicked interesting).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lmw78t8NgIE&feature=related

Public Art: fountains

Fountains are probably the most serene form of public art I can think of. The white noise of rushing water coupled with the appearance of water temporarily defying gravity is often mystifying to all viewers. Fountains are often purely aesthetic, lacking any deeper meanings or political messages. One idea often associated with the owning of a fountain is wealth, being that fountains are difficult and costly to maintain.

Maryland Government House- Victorian fountain

Portal 2

As with another post I have made, I oftentimes consider the video game industry to be an art. As with paintings that are reproduced or take too much inspiration from one another, there are many games in today's industry that copy too much from one another and therefore bog down the market with look-alike, play-alike, feel-alike games that leave players devoid of a memorable experience and a gaping $60 hole in their pockets.
One company that has refused to take $60 without a fair trade has been a group known as Valve. Valve, once an offshoot of a small Microsoft company, now produces video games full-time. A common theme between most Valve games is a lack of cut-scenes, first-person viewing style, and a storyline that often has much more than meets the eye.
An example of this type of game would be Portal 2, a puzzle game in which players must survive rigorous and usually mind-bending tests provided by an extinct corporation called Aperture Sciences. Though dead in biological terms, the company's artificial shell still thrives and is still testing new products constantly. This link shows one of the assumed products, a robot that is capable of solving puzzles offered up by the long dead group. Better stated, these mechanisms can "Think with Portals".
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A88YiZdXugA&feature=channel
Consistent with the stereotypical post-apocalyptic scene, Portal 2 has an environment of decimated technology coated in undergrowth, with no human life other than the gamer. The colors gray, black and white are the most commonly seen colors, each granting a feeling of overall lifelessness to the game.

---For the record, I can beat the original Portal in about 50 minutes and am desperately seeking someone who wants a partner for the "cooperative testing initiative". If anyone reads this and wants to get together once this game comes out (Sometime next November, if I recall correctly) please leave a comment or send a message about that.