GCBlogs

[kellanstudios.com...] -- Throughout the semester, I've learned that sometimes you have to develop your unique style. There have been many assignments where I find myself pondering and thinking way too hard about what I want to do. Considering that I've recently become engaged, I spend a lot of my time searching a scrolling through hundreds of pictures looking for a style or technique that intrigues me as well as expresses my own personal style. I have found a lot of professional photographers that take portrait and wedding photography to a whole new level. I came across Kellan Studios today and I instantly fell in love with their style. Their pictures are like no other photography site that I've looked at. The couple uses natural lighting in ways that I can only dream of. They also push the boundaries on vintage style photography, integrating engagement and wedding shoots with an amazing look. I also love how they can tell a story or express the personalities of the models in their pictures. As I embark on graduation next year, it is my goal to develop a specific style whether I make photography a profession or not. It is important to please a customer, but also be as creative as possible in your own way. I LOVE KELLAN STUDIO!

[www.crystalshadow.com...] -- As I find myself looking at wedding photography and blogs for my up and coming wedding next summer, I become more and more accustomed with the current trends in photography. When someone thinks of photography, I'm sure one of their initial thoughts has to do with weddings. Even though Ryan's portrait assignment has nothing to do with weddings, the aspects of his photos strongly resembled the websites I've been diving my nose into the last couple weeks. Bright colors, high contrast, and beautiful smiles are some of the many trends in wedding and portrait photography. Ryan's photos have those qualities and I find myself drawn to them. The simple yet blue background with colorful lights adds a lot to his pictures but doesn't take away from the people posing in them. I really like that about them. I also enjoy the way he used a shaped pinhole to distort the shapes of the light. Whether he meant to have a vignette around the edges, I like the way it looks against the bright background. Wedding and portrait photography has a lot of potential for artistic yet practical photos recently and I am hopeful in the fact that I can someday take a stab at it. I enjoy Ryan's pictures and the creativity they bring out of a rather boring posed picture otherwise!

[www.marcyankus.com...] -- I went into this assignment looking for someone that captured a picture that I wasn't used to looking at, a picture that would cause me to evaluate in a whole new perspective. Marc Yankus has a very unique style and when I came across his website, I was immediately intrigued by his very distinct style. With blur and soft focus being two very specific qualities of his work, I found myself drawn to the simplicity of the pictures as a whole A lot of times I get caught up in the overall look of a picture, how I can make it stick out the most, and exactly what I need to do to accomplish that. In Marc's pictures I just see a simplicity that is often taken for granted. You can look at a city scene for hours, picking out each light and detail that comes with a big city. But in Marc's photos, those distinct details are masked by a beautiful blur that just feels comfortable. With this blur mask over the pictures, the lights of the city become the main focal point. I really like playing with light and this is a whole new way of playing with light besides taking portrait shots with huge lights in the back. His pictures almost seem like painting with how smooth and well the colors blend within the photograph. I love the feeling I get from that as well, a very calm and comfortable feeling. Marc's style is very repetitive within his photographs and I hope to accomplish a certain look or style as well. He is a very good inspiration for me.

Topics and Issues #2
Hung Liu was one of the biggest art presentations I've attended here at Goshen College and was set up in a manner that caught my attention from the beginning. As I sat in the Reith Recital Hall, I was intrigued by the number of people in attendance and the amount of clarity she presented for each piece. Liu went through each of her pieces on the big screen, explaining in detail the background and meaning behind each one. During most Topics and Issues sessions, I am sitting on a cold hard floor in the art display room learning about the history of the artist, not necessarily each piece that is being displayed. I really enjoyed being able to hear about each piece and her thought process behind each piece. It was like I was stepping into her head and seeing the painting in the way she envisioned it to be. There were multiple ideas that she presented frequently throughout her work and some of them included: cultural revolutionaries, multiculturalism, and women of color. She also expressed her fascination with fortune cookies and the irony they have with her actual culture, her culture never invented them! She also talked about how each experience in her life provokes a new idea for her artwork. A lot of artists, including myself, have many experiences that rub off into their work. Since I have experienced those memories myself, it is easy for me to express those memories through my work. Liu was very good at provoking ideas for her work from her very own life experiences. Liu also discussed the fact that she went against traditional cultural traditions and displayed those reverse ideas in her work. A lot of artists are trying to relay messages through their work and Liu capitalizes on this concept with her false depictions and wacky setups in her work. It says a lot about her work ethic and personality to paint pictures like that and she had a very spunky personality that rubbed off in her work as well. I really enjoyed this topics and issues session and felt as though it was an honor to have her present at our school. I really enjoyed everything she had to say and my favorite part was learning about each painting. It really opened my eyes to how an artist at her level works and thinks.
Posted at 15:13 #

[www.andreshernandez.net...] -- Hernandez is a native of Columbia and started exploring with art at a young age of six. As a young boy he adapted a fascination for the camera and that is where his heart has lasted. He then graduated from the Art Institute of Medillin and has been doing fashion photography since then. Fashion photography is the kind of photography that our culture is exposed to the most and consumes every magazine out there. I've never truly looked at the art behind fashion photography until I started taking pictures myself. I really enjoy Andres' work and the way he can capture one simple look. I think it is helpful to look through a fashion magazine to see what kinds of new and exciting things photographers are doing to get our attention. I also love to see how a picture engages me or even convinces me to buy something. This kind of photography is hard to master which is why I have such an appreciation for it. I also love the bright colors. :)

Topics and Issues 1
The first topics and issues covered Kristi Glick Shenk's adventure through Goshen College and Grad School. During her presentation, she talked about her early experience with art and how they influenced her work today. Some topics she covered included: Her first casting class at Goshen (her first time using found objects), her service time in Bolivia, her first enameling class at Goshen, and her rough but amazing experiences with grad school. All of these times helped Kristi realize what she enjoys making, her love for metal and found objects, and her constant attraction to bright colors. There was one main idea that Kristi talked about that really struck home for me. She said that the one time she went against her normal actions and let everything drop away, freely interacting with the materials. I always have tendencies to plan, plan, plan and sweat too much over the pre-stages of my art and it was really comforting to know that if I let go, I can make something just as amazing. From now on, I'm going to try my best to let go and experiment with the materials I have and maybe something brilliant will come out of it.
Posted at 12:44 #

Abercrombie and Fitch
[www.abercrombie.com...] -- This website has the simplest homepage I've seen out of all of these blogs. If you have ever been in this store, you will understand exactly why there page is made this way. The gray color scheme is exactly how their store looks and the attractive boy in the middle is all over their gift bags and merchandise. Once you scroll through the site, you are in awe of the awesome graphics and scrolling clothes there in front of you. They make the clothes look like angels and it works. People pay big money for their clothes and their site is no different.
Posted at 15:35 #

Charlotte Russe
[www.charlotterusse.com...] -- This website uses a simple container in the middle to deliver a sale and the navigation buttons. It uses simple colors of purple and gray. I really like how simple this homepage is and how it makes you dig in deeper to find the clothes you are looking for, it helps the homepage to not be so cluttered.
Posted at 15:28 #

Pac Sun
[shop.pacsun.com...] -- This website tries to grab your attention by using bright colors. The website gives you a completely different feeling than if you were to walk into their store and that confused me a little. Then I remembered it was Christmas time and that's why they made their site look that way. There are easy navigation buttons on the left side and a very cool drop-down menu when you scroll over the word "community." I really like the layout of this page.
Posted at 15:24 #

Snapfish
[www2.snapfish.com...] -- This homepage is very simple and not flashy at all. There are simple tabs throughout the page for easy navigation and there are cute colors of blue, green, and yellow. This site seems to be the kind of site that you need to be a member of in order to get the full potential of their products. This homepage does a good job of advertising to you and makes you want to become a member.
Posted at 15:17 #

Shutterfly
[www.shutterfly.com...] -- This website uses a lot of bright colors, pictures, and sales coupons to get the viewers attention. The scrolling pictures in the middle grabbed my attention right away and I found myself looking at them for a while. They are really good pictures as well. There aren't too many tabs to get lost in, but just enough to find what you need. I like this layout.
Posted at 15:12 #

Kay Jewelers
[www.kay.com...] -- This site also uses advertising as it's main source on the homepage. When you first look at the page, you are overwhelmed with all the tabs on the top and left. But then when you scroll over them, even more tabs pop up which is a little more helpful. There are really random colors of gold, black, red, and purple. The gold is fitting for this type of website but the other colors seem to not match. This homepage is mediocre.
Posted at 15:07 #

David's Bridal
[www.davidsbridal.com...] -- This website uses sales and advertising as it's main source of appeal for the homepage. Also a simple color scheme of blue and gray makes the coupons stick out. There is a tab at the top of the page with a lot of sections which is a little distracting but it helps you find what you want as well. I like the simplicity of this page and how it works for the product being advertised.
Posted at 15:00 #

Geico Car Insurance
[www.geico.com...] -- I really liked the layout of this website. They used the gecko to their benefit like they do in all of their commercials. They made it very accessible and easy to navigate through. There is also a color scheme of pastel blue and green that works really well with this website. There are also pictures that make it more appealing to the eye.
Posted at 14:55 #

Chanel
[uma.chanel.com...] -- This website goes for the elegant look, which is exactly what Chanel tries to market with their products. There is a very simple color scheme of black and white with tabs that scroll down to make surfing of this site so much easier. There isn't a lot of information on the homepage, but it doesn't necessary take away from the overall feel of this site, the simple structure actually helps it.
Posted at 14:48 #

At&t Wireless
[www.wireless.att.com...] -- This website is arranged very conveniently when trying to find what you are looking for. There are tabs and search engines that make it even easier to find what you are looking for. There is also a simple color scheme of orange and blue that works well with this type of website. They also do a good job of advertising to you on the homepage with big graphics and big sales.
Posted at 14:41 #

Disney Channel
[disney.go.com...] -- This site is very appealing to the eye when you first arrive. I had so many pretty things to look at but I wasn't overwhelmed in any way. You can tell that this site appeals to the younger generations with the complex layout, bright colors, and glowing icons. The video constantly streaming on the page adds a lot to the overall feel and makes you feel like you are watching the Disney Channel right then. There is a navigation bar that is very self-explanatory and easy to follow, probably for kids who are visiting. I really like this site and the way it make me feel like a kid at Disney world again.
Posted at 14:25 #

National Geographic
[www.nationalgeographic.com...] -- This site has a lot going on when you first arrive. I was so distracted by all the moving pictures and scrolling lines and such that I had no idea where to look at first. However, there is navigation tools on the left and top of the page that help you to find what you need. I think I just like the simpler layouts and home pages to where I am not too distracted by the overall look of the page. There is although a color scheme of yellow, grey, and blue that works nicely throughout the page.
Posted at 14:20 #

Daniel Photography
[www.danielphotography.com...] -- This site also has a very simple layout at the beginning. There are all the different kinds of pictures he takes on the left with a sample on the right when you scroll over the words. Although, once you click on one of the subjects, it's almost like there isn't enough information there to go by. It has his number listed and then more links to click on to find what you need. I would rather have more information on that first page you link to so that way you don't have to scroll through too many pages to find what you need. This isn't one of my favorite sites.
Posted at 14:16 #

Bella Pictures
[www.bellapictures.com...] -- This website has a very simple layout with calm cool colors throughout the page. Beautiful pictures are scrolling at the top of the page which adds an elegant look to the page as well as the curiosity to look further into the website. The first page is not filled with a lot of information, which it makes it more appealing when you first visit it, but all the information you need is under the navigation tabs. I really like this site and its simplicity, which adds to the main focus of the pictures.
Posted at 14:12 #

Nylon
[www.nylonmag.com...] -- This is a magazine that I enjoy reading so I decided to visit the site. The site reminded me a lot of the magazine itself, with simple yet bright colors and blocky letters. There were a lot of pictures on the homepage that made it appealing as well. It has an easily accessible toolbar at the top of the page that changes colors when you scroll over it and the latest articles from their newest issue. This page isn't clustered and very appealing to the eye, I liked it very much.
Posted at 14:01 #

Popular Photography
[www.popphoto.com...] -- When I first visited this page, I was very overwhelmed with how busy the homepage was. There are so many articles and things to look at that I didn't even know where to begin. The site is obviously about photography but I had no idea it was a magazine until I clicked through about 5 different links. There is an easy navigation tab at the top of the page, but there is so much to look at, I didn't feel like I could possibly intake that much information in one sitting. There is also a simple color scheme with black, white, and maroon.
Posted at 13:53 #

New York Institute of Photography
[www.nyip.com...] -- The site isn't necessarily appealing when you first visit it, but has a lot of useful information throughout the first page that is probably the main reason you are visiting it. There is a scrolling picture/information box that has the main stories right there for you to click on, it also spices up the feel of the page as well. There isn't a distinct style or color scheme throughout the page, but instead has a simple layout with no color. It isn't that appealing but makes the pictures on the page stand out a lot more, which may be their initial goal. There is a lot of articles toward the bottom of the page that seem very interesting to the reader. The ads on both sides of the page are a little distracting though.
Posted at 13:39 #

Anne Geddes
[www.annegeddes.com...] -- This website has a simple orange color scheme throughout the entire first page that gives you a feeling for the fall season. There is also a large coupon sale at the top of the page for one of her products as well as other deals and news further down the page. There is a tab towards the top of the page for easy navigation. The only concern I have is for how many different locations you can go to throughout her page. I can find myself getting lost looking for something very specific but I feel like if you have a lot of time on your hands, you can find what you're looking for in the end. Also, if you click on the "home" icon in the the navigation tab at the top of the page, you are sent to another homepage that gives you a better feeling for what the site is actually about. Two home pages seems a little much to me, but I still love her work in the end.
Posted at 13:31 #

Game Spot
[gamespot.com...] -- This site immediately catches your eye with the countdown to the latest video game release. The background also consists of a set picture that adds a sort of 3-D look to the page. There are multiple navigation tabs on the top of the page that add a very easy way for you to find what you are looking for. There is also a scrolling picture portion and other pictures towards the bottom of the page that add a very visually appealing look to the overall page. And these pictures make you eager to see what lies behind them. I can see a video game lover looking at this site for a longtime.
Posted at 23:30 #

The Onion
[theonion.com...] -- This website is not necessarily appealing to the eye when you first visit it, but its accessibility and layout is easy to follow. There is a simple title at the top of the page and a simple green color scheme throughout the homepage. There is also a toolbar at the top of the page that allows easy navigation. The latest videos and articles are displayed throughout the page which are appealing to the eye because of your curiosity to explore them more.
Posted at 23:20 #

Converse
[www.converse.com...] -- I really really really like this site. When it first pooped up, I just looked at it for a really long time, mesmerized by the scrolling people across the background. The black and white color scheme really works for this site because of the original Chuck Taylor shoe is black and white. Also, when you scroll the mouse over certain buttons, they either change colors or enlarge, I wanted to scroll over the whole page to see all that it could do. I think this site really appeals to the target audience of teens and people in their early twenties.
Posted at 23:36 #

Verizon Wirless
[www.verizonwireless.com...] -- This is another example of a simple site for easy navigation. The color scheme of red and white reminds me exactly of any commercial I've ever seen for Verizon. The red buttons are very appealing to the eye but that the only thing that really grabs my attention. The slider that displays deals is handy but kind of slow, so you only really see one deal before you click on the button you want.
Posted at 23:24 #

Vera Bradley
[verabradley.com...] -- When you first see this page, you immediately think, "That's it?" But that is a quality that works for the specific product this site is selling. Vera Bradley handbags are all about the pattern and this simple web page layout makes those bold patterns stand out. It is also very easy to navigate through which is convenient for the target audience of older women. I also think that the simplistic looks adheres to that audience as well.
Posted at 22:57 #

CW
[www.cwtv.com...] -- This site uses a very good combination of colors with the yellow and green. It makes the overall look of the page appealing and creates a good first glance look. I really like the schedule feature in the middle of the page. If you are going to this site to check up on tv shows, it is very hand for that very purpose. If I'm completely honest, the page as a whole is kind of boring but very easy to navigate through.
Posted at 22:52 #

Animal Planet
[animal.discovery.com...] -- This website immediately grabbed my attention as soon as it popped up. The brown-fur like background has a very good contrast against the bright yellow letters and buttons. It makes the information on the page jump out at you in a way that makes you want to explore it more. There are also a lot of picture s on the page that catch my attention and I almost want to click on them to see the full size. The only thing that bothers me is how clustered or busy all the information seems to be on the main page. There is almost too much to look at and is kind of annoying when only wanting to find one thing.
Posted at 14:05 #