Hi to those of you following my blog. I now have the picks of images for my Final Project in the Pinhole and Plastic Camera class which I will present on Monday May 17th. I’m very happy with my series and I had a lot of fun along with a lot of hard work too, since shooting film means development, scanning, cleaning scans into masters and then printing and mounting the photos for the last class. I have returned to some of the places a few times waiting for the right light or cars to move from in front of the places, and other problems. I think the series turned out well and besides posting the images, I have also added an artist’s statement so you can gain some insight into my process. Hope you like them!
(I’m also pleased to announce that I have been given a “Full Pass” from the thesis committee for my Thesis Project, Surreal Montage: Dream Aquatic Landscapes, and will now be able to graduate… I will also be posting these on my website in the near future.)
Artist’s Statement
I chose my subject, Quaint Architecture because I was fascinated by seeing some of these buildings and barns as I drove throughout Marin and Sonoma Counties, and I felt not only did they draw me in and create a desire to investigate them more thoroughly, but felt they might be of interest to others as well and make an intriguing subject. I also see these types of architecture as more romantic, it’s how I see these places; and it’s how I think of the Holga and what it produces, a soft, romantic interpretation of subject and light. Using the Holga allows me to shoot for my own visual interpretation using what I know about how the Holga produces photographs. I was on an adventure to find quaint places that spoke to me, and the Holga is a camera that allows for me to have fun using it and it was perfect for my endeavor, with it’s variation of light leaks, softness, vignetting, and flaws, which aided my creative choices. It allowed me to stretch my visual perception and to shoot these places in my own unique way.
I feel the Holga camera supports the work that I have chosen to create because it allowsme to combine the fascination for the Holga and my fascination for the subject into one, a seemingly good match-up. The Holga and its dreamy, soft, romantic abilities coupled with its vivid color, I feel has been a complement to my subject matter. To me, quaint architecture seems to speak of a time long past when things were slower and life was less complicated, less technical and maybe a little more romantic; it’s the style of the building, the colors, the countryside around them, the ability to reminisce when I am in their presence. There’s nostalgia to the places I chose to photograph. The Holga is a bit like quaint architecture’s time; less complicated, less control, more romantic, a time I think I am sometimes longing for, which is the draw for me, to these places. I love the idea that shooting with this little plastic Holga is really a way for me to let go some of the control and break free of some of the dependence on technology, precision and super sharpness I rely on with other cameras. I love its amazing ability to keep me surprised by what we create together… Diane M. Pizza
St. Mary's Church_Nicacio_Ca
Union Emementary School_Marin_Ca
Two Barns with Silo_Freestone_Ca
Potter School House_ Bodega_Ca
St. Teresa Church_Bodega_Ca
Square Home_Bodega_Ca
Old Barn with Windmill_Petaluma_Ca
Watson School House_ Bodega_Ca
All images are copyrighted and protected. No use without express consent of Diane M Pizza Photography…