Dulce Fernandez
Digital Portfolio
Mr. Powhida
Date: 1/15/08
The advances and history of Technology/Photography

What is collage and how has technology affected the medium? Collage is a way to express oneself and the medium has changed it with the use of technology. What is photography if not a way to show a sense of independence and a form of art?

Photography was a small way of capturing a moment in life. The cameras used in each past life are different the next. The usable process of photography goes back to the 1820s; this is when the development of chemical photography first came into play. Then in 1826 the first permanent photograph was an image produced by French inventor Nicéphore Niépce. But there was a problem with this method; it took 8 hours to expose. Although the process today is quite easy to explore. Many cameras used today are digital cameras. Digital cameras have many functions to get a clear picture. One function is the "night function" it lets us take pictures at night that we can get almost as clear as a picture taken in the morning. Also, many artists use photography in their art galleries like taking a picture of something and putting it up and calling it art. Another method used is taking a picture and painting in the rest of the scenery. The last method is taking many pictures and putting it together with paintings and creating a collage of many pictures that mix as though it is like a real picture that blends together perfectly.
“Photography is finally escaping any dependence on what is in front of a lens, but it comes at the price of its special claim on a viewer's attention as "evidence" rooted in reality.” Peter Plagens from Newsweek said this. I agree with him because many pictures cannot be taken as true. Such an example is with all court cases. Court houses ban the use of photography as evidence because of the alterations that can be made to them. The same goes for celebrity pictures. These pictures can be altered by a paparazzi who wants to make money. They go around and follow all these celebrities. They can take a picture of a tired celebrity with puffy eyes and say that the celebrity is drugged. Many people take photos as being real but when you get down to it most of it is all fake.

In all the history of photography goes all the way back to the 1820s. Also today photography has its bad side to it that can be used against somebody. That is why photography cannot be used as evidence in court matters.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photography
http://www.newsweek.com/id/73349

Essay Type

I think the essay im writing is an Exploratory Essay. This is because "You don't necessarily know how you feel about a subject or what you want to say about the subject, you allow the research and your own direction to determine the outcome." I really don't know the direction the essay is taking and im letting it flow by itself.

Thesis Question and Thesis Statement

Q: What is collage and how has technology affected the medium?
Thesis Statement: Collage is a way to express oneself and the medium has tweaked it with the use of technology and influence over ruling it.

Digital Collage

Materials, equipment, and resources needed

1) Digital Camera
2) Program: Photoshop
3) Someone to explain things to me
4) Someone who knows about digital photography
5) Drawings to put in with pictures

Interview with Monica Moore

1) What is your project?
Im planning on doing a student film. A documentary of our high school career.

2) Can you explain in detail what it is?
I plan to take a series of photos and videos of classes.
And maybe do mini interviews with students. Seriously touching moments
and some comical ones as well.

3) What materials will you need to do your project?
Just my digital camera

4) Why does this project matter to you?
This project is an account of my LAST senior year in high school.
Ill never have another experience like this and this might be the last
time i ever see these people.

5) How will you accomplish your project?
Random videos. Nothing rehearsed.

6) What will the finished project look like?
Colorful, high velocity and action. Very busy and calm

Research Questions

1) What is digital photography?
This matter's because I want to know what this means and this is the project I am going to be working on so it helps clear things for me.

2) What is digital collage?
This matter's because I want to see how it is done and what are the elements to do something like this, also why it is important to do it.

3) What program can be used for digital photography?
This matter's because in order to take pictures I need a way to put it on the computer and fix them up well enough to be seen by everybody.

4) What pictures can be taken in order to rearange and cut it on the computer?
This matter's because the picture file has to be compatable with the program on the computer in order to be arranged together with other pictures.

5) Who are artists that create collages?
This matter's because I want to see the work professionals have created

6) Who are the artists that create digital collages?
This mater's because I want to see the work that artists have created using programs on the computer.

7) How do artists come about creating digital collages?
This matter's because I want to know how artists go about making, editing, and etc. their collages that they post and make into books.

8) How do artists collaborate interests and real life into their collages?
This matter's because I want to know how artists use pictures of their life and personal interests in their collages to make it their own.