For my final two concentrations I wanted to incorporated more color. Since it is spring now all the flowers are blooming and there are beautiful colors about. Even though it is spring, the Cincinnati weather has not been good to the plant life. It is still very cold so right after the flowers are blooming they seem to wilt and turn down. The plants are still dead which stays true to my concentration, but the colors of the flowers show the beauty that they still have even though they are dying. This is a great way to end my concentration and show growth.

For my 9th and 10th concentrations I wanted to do something a little similar to other photos to show a correlation and then something a little different to show growth. For my 9th photo i decided to do a similar approach to concentration number 6. I used the same point of view and focus with the subject being the only thing in focus. For my tenth concentration I decided to focus on something other then flowers to show that my concentration was about all nature and not just flowers. The barren look of the branches follows the idea of my concentration in that the tree looks empty, but the light that it let's come down to the ground makes it very beautiful at the same time. I think that these photos show growth because of the technical aspects that I used to enhance the meaning of my concentration.

In my seventh and eighth concentration I tried to really limit the color scheme. Obviously black and white photos are an easy way to execute that, but in my 8th concentration I experimented with lowering the saturation to keep some of the natural color. Looking back at the beginning of my blog I realized I have made a lot of progress and my photos are really showing growth. Having the subject in complete focus and the background blurred gives a lot of contrast and really draws the viewers eye right to the subject. Also, there have been improvements in point of view and depth of field in my photos as the year progresses.

My 6th concentration shows a lot of growth and development in my concentration. I experimented with point of view, color, and using diptychs. In concentration #5 I experimented with using a limited color scheme and contrast from the flowers and the snow. In #6 I also experimented with color. I really liked the photo in black and white and in color so I decided to use a diptych to utilize both. I hope to continue to improve and work harder on my concentration.

In my third concentration I tried to experiment with the lightness of the spurs in the center. This imagery personifies the beauty that can be found in what seems to be just a pile of sticks and leaves. I have been growing in my art through experimentation, but I know that I need to work on composition and more risk taking. In the 4th concentration I chose to photograph the bark on the tree because it had some sort of fungus or algae on it. But the algae/fungus added color to the tree; a sort of green tint that you don't normally see in the winter.

I find it hard to keep up with this idea, which really frustrates me because I love the idea behind it. My philosophy in life is that there is beauty in everything, but you just have to look hard enough to find it. I just need to work harder on getting my point across in my artwork.

For my next piece I want to try and put a bunch of dead flowers placed in a pattern similar to this link. The different flowers will give the picture texture.

These are just some pictures that inspired me, and kind of depict my concentration:

Concentrations numeros uno y dos

So, these are my first two concentration pieces. My focus is still the same, but I changed my approach. It's still the same theme of things being perceived as beautiful depending on how you look at it. I decided to explore death in nature as something beautiful. I am a little concerned on how well my pictures will correlate with each other, so that will be something that I need to spend time planning out. For my next work I think i want to do something with the snow. In literature winter is often a symbol for dying or suffering, so I want to try and incorporate that into my art.

In life I have realized that you can't feel sorry for yourself. There is always going to be someone in the world that has it worse than you. When you are faced with tribulation you are the only one that can help yourself and the only way to prosper is to keep on going and never pity yourself.

Dorothea Lange's "Migrant Mother" inspired me to explore people who are faced with hard times. The mother in the picture has three children and seems to be protecting them. She also doesn't look very sad. This picture was taken during the Great Depression when most people had nothing to there name, but this mother just seems like she is thinking about the future and what she has to do to keep her children safe.

I mainly use photography for my art. It's mainly because I have never really taken the time to experiment with other medias. Although, even if I was experienced in painting, drawing and etc. I would still use photography a lot because I love how it can capture a moment in real life better than anything. An emotion on someone's face can be caught in a picture that you might not have known was there.

So, for my first three concentration pieces I really want to focus on how people can step outside of themselves during times of adversity, find the good in all situations, and adjust to the harsh environment we all live in. A smile from a stranger can change my day instantly, or even when I chose to smile for myself my mood can change. I want to capture the moment when people realize that all you can do is look forward during the trials and tribulations of life. Irony will likely be prevalent in most of my pieces.