Scars (Help Needed)

My latest endeavor is one that has become of great importance to me.  It started out as a final in my Historical Processes class.  I was to complete a series of photos and print them using one of the many historical printing forms.  I explained to my teacher that I wanted to do a group of portraits using a large format camera (a film camera which uses a 4"x5" or more negative), using the kallitype process. He responded with "I like the idea, but why would you be grouping these people together?"

I thought.  And thought.  And thought....

Scars.

After shooting a few portraits, I soon realized that this was something that could mean something more to people more than myself, and it quickly became more than just a homework assignment, transforming into one of the most important works in my young career.  It is now the series that I will use for what is called a "BFA show"(Bachelor of Fine Arts Show), and will be a part of a BFA student gallery that showcases the work of graduating fine arts students.

 Here are a few examples of what I have done so far:

Return (of the Jedi)

A long time it has been.  A semester has come and gone, and so has my (very short) summer break.  Much has happened, yet so has nothing at all.

My semester back after India was one of the most stressful, and yet rewarding semesters of all.  I was taking 15 credits of classes, all of which were studio classes--meaning I was working on 4 projects at a time, with no time for breathing in between.

Here is a quick summary of what I did for the past 4 and 1/2 months:

rideinastuntplanenewapartmentstarfishesblackandwhitefilmyellowstoneandeverywhereinbetweenhoursinthedarkroom35mmfilmholgalargeformatdocumentarytattooparloursmannamedtrollwatchingpiercingsandtattoosgettingdonetattooconventioninslcattemptedseriesonchildpsychologyportraithoursinlightstudiomotorcycleinstudiocrashedlaptopmodelsmodelsmodelshistoricalprocesseslightsensitivechemicalsonpaperoriginalformsofprintingphotoscyanotypesgumprintsplatinumprintskallitypesvandykebrownsscarsindiapicturessummerbreaknew4x5cameravisitfamilyinmedfordinportlandinBoiseinCorvallisinSeattlevacationsanjuanislandsscarsworkdrastichaircutwhichleadsusto...

Now.

I have started work on my BFA (Bachelor of Fine Arts), which is like my photographic version of a thesis.  As part of the completion of my degree, I have to shoot and present a series of photos on campus in a gallery like setting.  It is what all my blood, sweat, and tears, and hours of work for the past 4+ years is for.  It is a very important and prestigious event, and an honor to be a part of.  Definitely not something to take lightly.

The Leave-Taking (My Hindustani)

It only took a moment to fully commit to coming to India. Once I had made the decision that I was going to go (rather come), that was it. I might as well have signed a contract in my blood. Although, there were many things that led to that decision. I had to experience truly wanting, that desire to have something so bad that I was willing to push myself, and do what I could to have that one thing. I had that need, that desire, and I took action, then I there was the final step: losing the thing that I longed for, failing to get what I desired. Unlike the decision to go to India, letting go was a long and painful process that I reluctantly went through. I stumbled, and fell apart. I had almost completed the puzzle, but it was thrown across a room, scattered and I was blindly trying to piece it back together.

In searching for the scattered pieces, I found a better way, a better option. I had shelved my dream of travelling, figuring that I wouldn’t have the funds or the chance to do it. I had been working a steady full-time job, and had a load of money.

I remembered a friend of mine from high school going on a study abroad with BYU. I was so envious of her when I looked at her pictures, and wished I could go. But, what was stopping me now? I approached the parental units with the idea, to which my mom replied “I actually had been thinking that same thing! I hadn’t thought of where you should go, but I felt like you should do something like this.”

We looked into it right away. It was only offered for the fall semester, and dammit, I had just missed the application deadline by a few weeks. Rather than wait a year and half, I figured that I would email the contact and ask if there was a late application date. Within 24 hours he replied, asking if I could call him that night.