PhotoTalk at Lincoln High School

March News

2012-03-01T09:20:00.002-08:00

Found Film Phantasmagorium-A creative exercise for the Advanced Photo class.

Happy Spring!! We are very busy in the photography classes right now. Beginning students are working on the portrait assignment. There is exceptional work being done. This tends to be one of the favorite assignments. Right before spring break, beginning students will get the photo essay assignment. This is another favorite. They will choose a theme and make a small body of work on that. There are options for digital, alternative processes, and analog techniques to be used for this. The slideshow posted here is from a new project I did with my advanced students. They were to take any prints and film that had been left in the darkroom and make something new with them. The only requirement was that they could not just print the negative. It was a project all about creativity. The work that came out of this was terrific. Jewelry, sculpture, lamps, and books were just some of the things done. Students used transfer techniques, alternative processes as well as digital manipulations. It was also so much fun. Definitely a keeper to try again.

February News

2012-02-03T13:27:00.000-08:00

First semester ended with students showing their best 10 pieces in Beginning Photography and self directed final projects in Advanced Photo. The work was very good all around. The work from this years advanced class is absolutely fabulous! In addition to applying to colleges and finishing all their semester work, the following students from my advanced photo class entered and won awards at the Regional Scholastic Art Awards. Serena Smith's triptych won the American Vision award (Best of Show in Photography). I am so proud of all the students who both entered and won. I am in the process of putting together a slideshow of all the work entered. Here is the list of students who were recognized:
Serena Smith-4 Gold Keys, American Vision Award
Gaby Segura-1 Gold Key, 1 Silver Key, and Honorable Mention
Molly Walls-4 Gold Key, 2 Honorable Mention
Felicia Montejano-1 Gold Key
Fynn Peterson-1 Silver Key
Lauren Fields-2 Honorable Mention
Kaia Austin-3 Honorable Mention

January 2012

2012-01-19T16:29:00.000-08:00

In the beginning photo classes students are preparing their semester portfolios and working on the light, shadow and reflection assignment. The work that I have been seeing in the darkroom is looking very good. Students are getting to be better printers, are understanding their cameras more, are looking at the nature of light, and are making much more interesting images. We are also studying the history of photography during the 1920's through 1940's. With the wild winter weather we had some students missed the slide presentation. Below is that slideshow. There will be a quiz on the information in this.

Here are some photographs showing the types of lighting situations students are working with.

An My Le

Brett Weston

Chuck Davis

John Chakeres

December

2011-12-04T08:53:00.001-08:00

The beginning photography students continue to work on their shutterspeed assignment and are starting an assignment on abstraction and depth of field. They will be mainly working with objects and hopefully will be finished by winter break. Here is a segment of an artist talk by Keith Carter. I really like his work and love how he talks about it.

Here are some examples of his work:

November

2011-11-14T18:17:00.001-08:00

The end of the 1st quarter has come. Beginning photo students finished their first shooting and printing assignment on framing techniques. The advanced students finished self portraits. Lots of good work being done. I went to an IB art training all weekend and am looking forward to putting some new ideas into action. Here is a video we saw that you might enjoy. Click on the link to go to You Tube.

Creature Comforts

Beginning Students are starting to work with the creative controls of using shutter speed and depth of field effectively. Advanced students will start working with the concept of change and perception. Duane Michals is a photographer who uses those creative controls and works with the concepts of change and perception. Here are a few of his images:

Duane Michals, Dr. Heisenberg’s Magic Mirror of Uncertainty

October News

2011-10-17T13:06:00.000-07:00

In the beginning classes lots of new information is being given students. Everyone is shooting their first assignment, learning how to develop film, print contact sheets, work with filters, and make their first enlargements. We are also studying the history of American Photography. Students watched the PBS film, American Photography, A Century of Images and then responded to some questions about it in their journals. They will soon be looking for and writing about the oldest family photograph they can find. In the PBS film there is a segment on Edward Curtis. Check out the photo below by him. I wonder if he was at all influenced by Arcimboldo. I also wonder whether contemporary photographer, Joel Peter Witkin was influenced by either Curtis or Arcimboldo in his photograph below. What do you think? I have also posted a couple contemporary daguerreotypes by Chuck Close and Jerry Spagnoli

Edward Curtis

Giuseppe Arcimboldo

Joel Peter Witkin

In the advanced photo class, students are diligently working on their self portraits. Students are shooting both film and digital. Some are working with polaroids and the new film from the Impossible Project. Others are thinking about using digital transfers. I expect I will be seeing lots of interesting pieces. Here is a self portrait by Lana Wong that might serve as inspiration in the part of the assignment about incorporating text.

September News

2011-09-26T10:36:00.000-07:00

Students have been busy working on the Early Processes assignment in Beginning Photography. There have been some terrific pinhole images made and I am hearing great ideas from the students who are working on photograms. The weather held up for us and many students got to make cyanotypes. I will be checking out my cameras to students who need them on THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 29 at LUNCH! Make sure to bring $20.00. It will be a first come, first serve basis-when the cameras are gone, they are gone. Students need to have their cameras ready to go for the first week of October. Please make sure they are in good working condition. If you can find the manual, bring that also.
We will be starting to look at the early history of photography in October. Here are some early and current daguerreotypes, tintypes and some early photographs by Julia Margaret Cameron.

early daguerreotype

contemporary daguerreotype by Jody Ake

Julia Margaret Cameron

Contemporary tintype by Kyoung Lee

Welcome Back

2011-08-31T13:53:00.000-07:00

It is a new school year with lots of changes. The biggest change for all of us is the move to a full block schedule. I like a block schedule-more time for going in depth into a project and less transitions. It will be a transition for all though. Some things will work better than others. It should prove to be an interesting year. Posted under the Beginning Assignments link are the syllabus, grading policy, an outline of the entire year's projects and a supply list. Start looking for a camera now. I have 10 to rent out for the year. You are required to have your own camera for this class. Look at Goodwill, Blue Moon, Cameraworks Northwest, Pro Photo, and on Craig's List. Make sure to take any used or older model camera in to Cameraworks to be cleaned and checked out. A camera that is not in working condition is not going to work for this class. Our first assignments are going to be cameraless-you will be building a pinhole camera and making photograms in the darkroom. Cameras will be needed by the end of September.
Here are some images of photograms, pinhole photos, and lumens.

Summer

2011-06-18T07:29:00.000-07:00

I am writing this from sunny and hot Mexico where I am preparing for another day of laying in the sun, swimming in the gorgeous Sea of Cortez and photographing the rich tide pools. The year ended with a bang in the beginning classes with many absolutely stunning portfolios of work. I was really impressed with the level of work. Now it is time for some needed relaxation for all. So, I am wishing all of you a wonderful summer filled with lots of beauty, inspiration, and fun. Good luck to all you graduating seniors. I will miss you.

End of the Year

2011-05-22T19:56:00.000-07:00

The seniors have only one more full week of school. In Beginning Photography, they are finishing up all landscapes and putting the last touches on their final portfolios. The Advanced Photo students are preparing for the Senior Show. We will be getting the display set all this week. Please join us to celebrate their accomplishments this Thursday. The opening is from 5:30 to 7:30 in the main hall and Lincs Gallery. The spring band concert follows.

The Final Push

2011-04-24T19:31:00.000-07:00

We are starting the last assignments of the year-Urban Landscape and Natural Landscape. Photo essays just got turned in. I was so impressed with them. Students really pushed themselves and ended up with some terrific work. Themes for the essays ranged from collarbones to people in Paris, from the idea of emergence to superstitions. I saw lots of creativity and thought going into this project. Some students worked digitally and started learning about Lightroom. For the landscape assignments, students will be able to choose whether to work with film and traditional darkroom techniques or to work digitally. The last job for everyone is to get their final portfolios together.

Springtime

2011-03-27T09:45:00.000-07:00

The beginning photo students just finished up both the portrait and altered image assignments. Some fabulous work came out of both of these assignments. Check out the slideshow of some of the portraits. Students worked with transfer techniques, cutting up and reassembling, weaving with photos and doing giant rasterizations of photos for the altered image assignment. They are now finishing up 3rd quarter with a research project and then beginning a photo essay assignment.

Start of Second Semester

2011-02-02T18:07:00.000-08:00

First semester ended with the beginning students showing some stellar portfolios. Students should feel incredibly proud of the work they did. In the advanced class, the final projects that everybody did blew me away! Some really interesting, beautiful, challenging pieces came out. I think the final show in May is going to be one of the best. This is an extremely talented, hard working group.
In the beginning classes we are starting our portraiture unit. I can't wait to see what everyone does with this. I have posted some of the different types of portraiture I want students to explore. We just got done watching a film on the life and work of Annie Leibowitz for inspiration. Below are some other portraits by Mary Ellen Mark, Arnold Newman, and a contemporary photographer from the northwest-Corey Arnold.

In the Advanced Photo class, we are going to start making books. We will start out making concertina books based on a color.
We will be checking out online bookmaking sites such as Blurb and also learning how to do some different types of artists books.

January in Photography Classes

2011-01-09T18:57:00.000-08:00

Everyone is busy getting ready for the end of the semester. Beginning students are working on the light, shadow, reflection assignment and getting their final portfolios together. Advanced students have a final project to do. This is a project designed to stretch their imaginations and show me what they can do with the photographic knowledge they have.
Here is a video on an amazing discovery in Chicago sent to me by Sienna, one of my advanced students. It tells the story of a woman named Vivian Maier, a nanny, who took thousands of amazing photographs on the streets of Chicago through her lifetime and never showed them to anyone. Her photographs were recently discovered and some say they are on par with Walker Evans and Robert Frank.

Winter Break, Grades and Photo Competition

2010-12-20T09:17:00.000-08:00

Monday morning, first real day of winter break. I have finished grading shutter speed and depth of field assignments for beginning students and the self portraits and free choice assignments for advanced students. The grades posted are a truer indication of where everyone is at compared to the recent progress reports. Email me if you want to discuss the grade.
I am sponsoring a winter break photo competition for interested beginning students. Each class will have a winner for each of the following three categories: Winter weather; Poignant moments; and Humor/Irony relating to the season. These can be film, digital, or alternative process. You will have a week to finish the work before putting up for jurors. I have posted the next studio assignment, Lights, Shadows and Reflections, for you to check out, also.
So, shoot lots of photographs if you want or not. Have a relaxing and fun break. See you next year!

A photo of Mr. Schmidt and I, taken by Jessica Smith, from our fun field trip with students to the Seattle Art Museum and Seattle Public Library.

December News

2010-12-12T08:50:00.000-08:00

Well, there have been many complaints that I don't change the blog enough. It is true-I have been having too much fun making my own work, gardening, walking, and enjoying my house and family. I will try to be better.
In the beginning classes, everyone is finishing up the shutter speed assignment. This is always one of the most challenging, and so we have spent quite a bit of time on it. First roll of film was shot to just try to get the technical skills down. The second and sometimes third roll was spent using motion in creative ways that go beyond the technique into something more meaningful. There are some fabulous images coming out. With every roll and reshooting, images became stronger and much more interesting. Students are also working on working with aperture and depth of field. Using predominately a shallow depth of field and exploring abstraction through still life, many interesting images are happening. I want to leave for winter break with these assignments finished. Over the break, I am hoping that students spend time enjoying the outdoors and hanging out with friends and family. Everyone needs a break. Here are some of the beginning students photograms and some prints from their first roll of film.

In the advanced class, students are working on free choice assignments and self portraits. There was much complaining about the self portraits, but I am seeing some terrific work. It is always hard to look at ourselves. I am hoping that all of the advanced students register for the Scholastic Art Awards before the break. This is a great opportunity to have your work seen by a broader audience.

News from the Photography Classes

2010-10-23T17:22:00.000-07:00

We have been very busy in both the beginning and advanced photo classes. The beginning students just finished their photograms and are now working on their first shooting assignment. The photograms are terrific. I will be putting them up in the gallery in the next couple of weeks. The first shooting assignment is is about using good composition techniques and learning to print with filters for varying contrast. Many students have made their first contact sheets and have begun the filter tests. There are some really good looking negatives. We will be working on printing this assignment up until the end of the quarter. Then we will be exploring the creative controls-shutter speed/motion and aperture/depth of field. Next week we will begin to study the history of photography. Here is an early (1847) daguerreotype by Gustave Oehme and a contemporary one (2008) of Kate Moss taken by Chuck Close. Students just got done researching some old photographic processes and finding contemporary artists who are working in them now. The Early History slideshow we saw in class is below.

In advanced photography, students are finishing up the multiple perspective assignment and their own personal work. They have also each been assigned a photoshop "task" that they will create and then teach to the rest of the class.
Posted on the blog are some images by photographers Robert and Shana Parkeharrison and the Starn Brothers. Both of these teams are so interesting, I think. Their work is beautiful and compelling. I am hoping the advanced students, in particular, get inspired by these artists as we move into self portraits.

News from the Photography Classes

2010-09-18T16:56:00.000-07:00

School is off and running. The beginning classes are working on photograms. They are learning how to use the darkroom and print using objects, magazine images, transparencies and enlargements of tiny objects. We will be making and shooting with pinhole cameras in the next couple of weeks. Students will need their film cameras by October 7.

In Advanced Photography, students are working on a body of work around the idea of multiple perspectives and repetition. I read an interesting book this summer called Photography and The Art of Seeing by Freeman Patterson. It had some great exercises to stretch our creativity. I used his Thinking Sideways exercise for a beginning assignment. Students used both digital cameras and cell phones to take photos of the first things they see in the morning from a position of laying in their beds, sitting on the sides, and then walking to wherever they first go when they wake up. They also shot 15 photos in the span of 20 minutes from their bathroom. Some very interesting pieces came out of this. My hope was that everybody realizes they don't have to travel far to get interesting shots. It really is all about how you see what is in front of you. Here are some of the images that came out of that assignment.

Start of a New Year

2010-09-06T11:46:00.000-07:00

Welcome back! The beginning of school is always mixed emotionally for me. I am excited to meet new students and to reconnect with the ones I know. I do miss the easy pace of summer, however. Once school begins, it seems that life just moves at a rapid pace. Mr. Schmidt and I are teaching a new class this year, Intro to Digital Design and Photography that is being offered 0 period-a tough time for all concerned. There are 40 intrepid students signed up for this new adventure. I have made a separate blog for that class that can be found on this page. All information for that class will be on that page. As for my beginning and advanced classes, you will still find all the information you need here. We will spend the first week getting all the forms filled out, setting up the rooms, nuts and bolts kind of things. Then in beginning photo, we will head to the darkroom for making photograms. If it stays sunny, we will be doing cyanotypes and lumen prints. In advanced photo, we will start out getting back in the darkroom by printing what you shot over the summer and working on an assignment about breaking all the rules. That one should be interesting.
On a personal note-My book, Considering Nature and a Little Radiohead, has been entered in the Photography Books Now competition on blurb.com. You can check it out below. I also just found out that I am one of 15 excellence award winners in the COLOR magazine portfolio contest. My work will be published in their special issue coming out in September.

Considering Nature and a Little Radiohead by Nancy Abens | Make Your Own Book

Welcome Back

2010-08-13T09:22:00.000-07:00

Summer is coming to an end, alas. I decided that I have been being way too lazy and better start getting ready for school. Syllabi for beginning and advanced photography are posted. Mr. Schmidt and I are still working on the logistics for the new Intro to Digital Design and Photography class. Hopefully the syllabus for that class will be posted by next week. I have also posted supply lists for beginning and advanced photography. For the intro to digital class, you will need a digital camera (at least 5mp) preferably with a manual setting and a flash drive (2GB or larger). Please do not get a totally automatic camera.

On a personal note-My book, Considering Nature and a Little Radiohead, has been entered in the Photography Books Now competition on blurb.com. You can check it out below. I also just found out that I am one of 15 excellence award winners in the COLOR magazine portfolio contest. My work will be published in their special issue coming out in September.

More to come next week.

Considering Nature and a Little Radiohead by Nancy Abens | Make Your Own Book

End of the Year

2010-05-17T11:35:00.001-07:00

Please join us for the opening of the Senior Show. Seniors from all of the advanced visual arts classes will be showing their work. The final concert of our fabulous music department is also this evening. The opening is from 5-7, the concert begins at 7:30. So, come early and peruse the artwork, have some food, talk with the amazing artists, and then sit and enjoy the concert.

Start of the Last Quarter-Beginning Photography

2010-04-18T17:38:00.000-07:00

We are starting to work on photo essays in beginning photography. Students choose a theme and then make a body of work. It is kind of like a mini portfolio. This year I am offering a digital component to this and the following assignment. Students can choose to either stick with film or go digital or do two photo essays, one of each. Last week we watched the film, War Photographer, an award winning documentary on the life and work of photographer James Nachtwey. Students had to answer the following ethical questions and then expand on one of the questions in a short essay.
1. Do you think as a culture we have been saturated with violent imagery and so have become desensitized to seeing it?
2. Do you think that a photograph can make a person change their behavior or how they think about something?
3. Do you feel that Nachtwey was using exploitation to further his causes?
4. Does a photojournalist have more of a responsibility to capture the "big idea", than losing their own humanity in not helping someone in a dire situation?
5. Can you comment on a photograph of human distress that has spurred you to action?
6. Do you agree with the KIA ban put on embedded photographers during the Iraq and Afghanistan wars during the Bush administration or do you feel that photographers should be completely uncensored as in the Vietnam War?
7. Many recent photographs coming out of Haiti are extremely graphic in their portrayal of human distress. Some say the images are being made and published to build support for rebuilding the nation. Others feel they are too insensitive and dehumanizing. What do you think?
8. Is it right for a government to censor photographers in order to foster support for their agenda?

This film is so moving. I highly recommend checking it out.

We are starting to scan in some of the beginning students work. Here is a sampling of some of the excellent photographs being made.

3rd Quarter Test

2010-04-04T20:55:00.000-07:00

You may either write your answers on a piece of paper and turn them in or email me your answers. This is a take home test-use your journal notes, books in the room, and other sources.

March in Beginning Photography

2010-03-01T19:45:00.000-08:00

Beginning students just finished up their light, shadow and reflection projects. Some really good explorations of light resulted in imaginative imagery. Some of the best pieces are up on the board in the photo room. We are now starting our portrait unit. This is a big assignment. Students will be taking 3 different types of portraits. We are watching a film on Annie Leibovitz to get inspired. Hard to believe we are almost at spring break. After the portrait assignment, we will be doing landscapes and photo essay. Then it is time to get final portfolios together. Whew! Very busy times ahead. Below are a couple Annie Leibovitz portraits and a slideshow of student work from last year.

A New Semester

2010-02-01T16:30:00.000-08:00

The beginning photo students just finished submitting their first semester portfolios. I was so impressed with many of them. I saw many beautiful, thoughtful, extremely well printed images. I am really looking forward to second semester and even better work. Our first assignment is light, shadow and reflections. This assignment usually is a turning point for many students who are still struggling with some of the technical aspects. They start to really "get it" and the image quality just leaps. I will try to get some of the beginning students work scanned in for a slideshow. Last week, we watched the terrific documentary, Eloquent Nude, The Love and Legacy of Edward Weston and Charis Wilson. She was an inspiring woman and he a brilliant photographer- A very poignant love story. Here is the light, shadow and reflection slideshow for those students who missed that day.

A New Year

2009-12-31T12:14:00.000-08:00

It is New Year Eve's day, and I am enjoying the sunshine in Mexico with my parents. Realized it has been a very long time since I have updated the website. So, I am taking a break from basking to do a little work. The beginning photo students are working with depth of field and abstraction now. Using mainly still life as a subject, I am hoping they start working with this wonderful creative control (along with shutter speed) to abstract the world a bit. Here is a terrific example of this by Jan Groover:
Hope you all are taking lots of photos and having a great break. I have been working on a video project through animoto.com Turn your speakers up to hear the soundtrack. Enjoy!

Photography News-November

2009-11-15T19:33:00.000-08:00

The beginning classes did a great job on their first shooting assignment. There are some terrific photographs up on the board in our room. They are now starting to work more deeply on the creative controls-shutter speed and depth of field. We will be working with these through the holidays. Beginning students will also be starting a research project on a photographer or technique of their choice that is from the earlier history of photography-up to 1950.
Advanced students are starting to work with self portraiture and diptychs. They are also working on a research assignment.
I have been thinking quite a bit about inspiration and where we get it from. I am very inspired by music. Lately the music getting to me most has been anything by Radiohead and Thom Yorke. I came across a couple of YouTube videos that I really liked. Here is one with Thom and Jonny. Make sure to turn your speakers way up!

Beginning Photography End of October

2009-10-24T09:23:00.000-07:00

The fall light is beautiful. I am hoping that as I am writing this, my beginning photo students are out shooting film. I know that getting up early on a weekend is the last thing that high school students want to do, but the light is just too lovely to miss.
The photograms are finished and soon to be up in the gallery. Many of the beginning photo students have developed their first rolls of film and are now learning to enlarge and print their best images. On October 30 we will have our first test. The test will cover studio work, composition, and early history of photography. I have posted the history slideshow below to help you study. End of the quarter is also when all journals will be graded. In the "documents for printing" section, I have posted the list of items that should be in everyone's journals at this time. Now it is time for me to go out and capture some of this autumn beauty!

Beginning Photography October News

2009-10-10T11:42:00.000-07:00

Photograms are finishing up and looking great. I am seeing lots of creativity, craftsmanship, and thought in these pieces. Next week we start to look at our cameras and will be getting the first shooting assignment. Please make sure to have your cameras checked out so they are in working condition!
I was recently in Chicago and saw lots of great art. The city skyline is spectacular! I saw a fabulous and inspirational photography show at the Chicago Cultural Center of Barbara Crane's work. I have posted a link to an interview with her on the side and a few images, one of which is below. What really struck me about her work was this love of process and how broad her photographic vision is. I am hoping that the weather cooperates with us so we can take some walking field trips to galleries this month.

Beginning Photography News

2009-09-12T20:56:00.000-07:00

Welcome back and I hope you are all ready to start making fabulous art! I have a really good feeling about all my classes this year. I am excited to be doing some new projects with both my beginning and advanced students. We will be doing more drawing this year as a way to help us "see" better when we start shooting. I hope that all beginning students are diligently searching for a camera. It is essential to have a 35mm SLR film camera. I only have a very limited amount to rent out, so don't stop looking for one of your own. We are going to be making cyanotypes, lumen prints, chemigrams, and photograms starting next week. Here is a Lumen print that was then gold toned by Marek Matusz
We will also be starting to make pinhole cameras. In the past, students have used everything from an altoid tin to an aluminum bat to make their cameras. This is always a very fun time in the photo room. Here is a pinhole image taken with a tiny camera inside the photographer's mouth.
Here is the slideshow about the photogram assignment for those who were absent.

Time to Get Ready for School

2009-08-21T13:43:00.000-07:00

Well, it is getting very near the end of a wonderful summer and the start of a new and exciting school year. Students signed up for the beginning photo class should check out the syllabus and the supply list. It is ESSENTIAL to have a manually operative 35mm FILM camera. A couple of good places to look for cameras are Blue Moon Photography, Craig's List, Camera Works Northwest, and for new cameras-Pro Photo Supply. While we will be doing some digital work, the primary emphasis of this class is learning how to work the creative controls of your camera, develop and print black and white film. We will be spending time writing about and discussing topical issues in photography, doing two research projects, and making lots of thought provoking, beautiful, and meaningful images. The class requires a strong commitment to work outside of the school day. To fully take advantage of the assignments, students should plan on shooting film on the weekends, in the evenings, in the early mornings, and after school.
We will start out making pinhole cameras and working in the darkroom on photograms-a cameraless image. Here is a photogram by Martha Madigan and a pinhole image by Tom Baril.

In the Advanced Photography class, students should start thinking about a couple themes or directions that they want to explore the 1st semester. I am sure all of you have been doing lots of shooting all summer and will be arriving with lots of material to work with!

I am looking forward to seeing everyone on the 8th!

It's SUMMER!!

2009-06-23T10:03:00.000-07:00

I am writing this while sipping cappucino in a Mexican internet cafe. I have been in Mexico since the 13th of June. I bought an underwater camera (thanks to Chris Cameron for turning me on to the possibilities) and have been having a blast using it. The tides here are very extreme and so I am seeing some unusual creatures. Mainly, though, I have been shooting the kelp and other underwater plant life. Besides that, I am just relaxing and basking on the beach. Hope all of you are having a wonderful summer.

May Projects

2009-05-10T19:58:00.001-07:00

The year is drawing to an end. Seniors last day is June 3rd. In the beginning classes, students just finished up their photo essays. They turned out great! You can see them in the photo room. Students chose their topic to shoot, printed and matted 7 to 10 images, wrote an introduction, and then placed all of these things in a handmade titled envelope. Some of the topics included the Alphabet District of Portland; portraits of 4 generations of women from one family shown by their faces and their hands; a series of images with Radiohead lyrics printed on them; an essay that started out just being about a family trip to the Grand Canyon and ended with photo weavings that incorporated portraits with the landscape; and many more.
Advanced photo students are preparing for the Senior Show which is opening on May 20th. This show honors those seniors who chose to continue working in art beyond a beginning level. Works from the photo students, ceramics, draw-paint-print, and graphic arts classes will be on display.
Here is a video about photographer, Roman Loranc, whose work we looked at in the landscape slideshow.

Happenings in Photography Classes

2009-04-12T08:39:00.000-07:00

Wow, so much has been happening in the last month! The beginning students finished up their portrait assignment and are now working on photo essays. The slideshow below shows some of their work. The advanced students finished their "Inspiration and Emulation" pieces. Really wonderful creativity was shown in their work. The inspirations came from subjects as diverse as Hunter Thompson's musings, Chagall paintings, songs of Andrew Bird, David Smith's metal sculptures, Andy Goldsworthy, the David Lynch film "Inland Empire", an Indian dance form called Kathakal, and more. Techniques employed ranged from using liquid light on mulberry paper and aluminum plates, printing on acrylic skins, fabric, handmade papers, polaroid transfers, digital work and traditional black and white. Most of this work will be on display in the Advanced Photography final show in May.
We also have had 3 wonderful speakers this past month. Stuart Allen Levy showed and discussed his new work around photographing his friend who is going through cancer treatment. Two former students, Ben Johnson and Marshall Reynolds Stein showed their work and talked about how they are continuing to work with photography. All were so inspirational. In this last quarter, beginning students will be finishing up their photo essays and then tackling landscape. Advanced students are working on final projects and publishing or making books of their work.

New projects

2009-02-26T20:18:00.000-08:00

The beginning students are starting to apply all the skills they learned in 1st semester with the new portrait assignment. To get inspired for this, we just watched "Annie Leibovitz: Life Through a Lens". What a great film! The portraits that are starting to show up in the darkroom are terrific. Students are also finishing up a research project on a photographer, genre, or technique of their choice. They will be presenting these in small groups next week. Here is a slideshow of past beginning students portraits.

The advanced classes are just finishing up making concertina books based on a song with a color in its title. They are really wonderful. The advanced students are also continuing to work on their emulation projects. Some really great work is starting to show up. Lots of creativity is being generated. They will be finishing up and presenting these new pieces right before spring break.

A New Semester

2009-02-05T19:06:00.000-08:00

Second semester has arrived. I always feel like that means spring is here too. Beginning students finished up with some wonderful portfolios. Right now my picks of the best pieces are hanging in the Linc Gallery. Students are starting a research project on a photographer, technique, genre, or era of photography of their choice this month. Websites to find information about photographers is on the interesting and useful links portion of this site. Princeton Online is particularly good. They also are really starting to look at light and shadow and how they can use their photography to make beautiful and meaningful pieces.
The advanced class is starting a challenging project that will have students finding inspiration in other creative arts and translating that inspiration into photographic based works. I am really looking forward to seeing what they produce. Here is a slideshow of some of the pieces from the advanced students portfolios from 1st semester.

Light, Shadow and Reflection slideshow

2008-12-18T12:03:00.001-08:00

Here is the slideshow for the beginning students new assignment on Light, Shadows, and Reflections. Also, check out the winners work from Lincoln's photo department for the Scholastic Art Awards. Meagan Fuchs won a gold portfolio key and has shipped her portfolio to New York for national adjucation and a chance for a 10,000 scholarship. She also won an individual gold key as did Stephen Day for his digital photograph.

Winter Break

2008-12-18T07:25:00.000-08:00

"Oh, the weather outside is frightful, but the fire is so delightful...Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!! Yes, it has been very wintery and so much school time lost. But, what great opportunities for fabulous photos!!! So, over the break I expect you all to capture some great shots. When we return to school in January, everyone will be getting their semester portfolios together. This is a large part of your grade. For beginning students, you should have a minimum of 7, maximum of 15 prints. I will be looking for evidence of effective use of composition techniques, creative camera controls, excellent print quality, and clean presentations. Never, ever turn in work that is not to the best of your abilities. That means you may need to reprint or remat work. You all should get some good new work over break. Print out the "Shooting with Purpose". Remember if you get film at Fred Meyer or someplace like that, make sure it is not a C-41 film. You want a true black and white film such as TMax.
Advanced students should be finishing up registering for the scholastic awards. I will be back on the 6th to help finish up any of the forms, etc. Email me if you have any questions- nancy.abens@gmail.com Hope you all have a really happy, relaxing break.

Cindy Sherman Video

2008-12-06T16:49:00.000-08:00

Here is a video showing some of Cindy Sherman's self portraits.

December News

2008-12-06T15:48:00.000-08:00

The beginning photography classes are just finishing up with experiments with shutter speed. This tends to be one of the most difficult assignments for students. Everyone starts realizing how much you have to think about with photography. It is not just clicking the button. Lots of interesting work is coming out of this. Some students are ready to move on to the next assignment which is working with depth of field and abstraction.
Advanced photography students are exploring a variety of alternative processes which include polaroid, citrasolv, and acrylic medium transfer techniques, photoshop, hdr, and soon liquid emulsions. They are also working on self portraits. Below is some work that has been done by both beginning and advanced students this year.

November News in Beginning Photography

2008-10-07T19:36:00.000-07:00

The beginning photography students just finished shooting and printing their first rolls of film. Some really great images were made. Students learned how to work with filters to raise or lower contrast in a print. In the self evaluations, most students were feeling like they are understanding how to meter and how to make a good print. We are now going to start going more in depth with creative controls. First we will be exploring motion and working with shutter speed. Here is a slideshow showing examples of what you should be trying to do.

Advanced Photo News

2008-10-07T19:33:00.000-07:00

The advanced photo students are working on their quarter portfolio pieces. Students are learning how to window mat, how to work with fiberbase paper, and how to fine tune their digital pieces. The diptychs turned out very well overall. Some students are going to continue working in this way. I will try to get student work photographed so we can upload the images to the blog.

Beginning Photography News

2008-09-24T19:34:00.000-07:00

The beginning classes are halfway through their photogram assignments. There is some very cool work being done. Several students will be finished in a couple of days and will then start shooting with a pinhole camera. They will all be making a camera. To me, this really starts showing the magic of photography. Students have made cameras out of metal bats, a traffic cone, plastic film containers, cookie tins with multiple lenses, altoid tins, and even a metal suitcase! Always a very entertaining time in the photo room. We start looking at the history of photography next week and then it is time for film and cameras.

Advanced Photography News

2008-09-24T19:23:00.000-07:00

It is the end of September and the advanced photo students are finding their groove. They finished up the multiple perspectives assignment with some terrific pieces. The subject matter ranged from a closet full of hiking and climbing gear to an underwater swimmer. We read another good article by Brooks Jensen that gave all aspiring photographers "21 Ways to Improve your Photographs". Everyone chose at least one that they are going to work on. The next couple of weeks will be predominately studio work. Students should just be shooting and printing toward their portfolios and secondly, I want them all to make some diptychs. Some examples of diptychs are shown on this page. In October, we will start thinking about self portraits.

Advanced Photography September Projects

2008-09-14T18:13:00.000-07:00

In the advanced class, students are deciding what overall theme they will be concentrating on this quarter. We read a great article by Brooks Jensen that posed the question "What is your natural vision?" Students then reflected on their past work about where they felt their natural vision may be. This is where we will start with the 1st quarter portfolio. They also are researching two photographers, one historical and one contemporary, whose work inspires them. They will be giving a presentation to the whole class on these particular photographers and how their work influenced their own. Besides working on this independent side of the class, we are just finishing up the multiple perspectives assignment based on the work of David Hockney. Besides the studio portion of this assignment, research on Hockney and cubism was also required. Some upcoming projects include a free choice studio assignment, an involved journal exercise in which students will "curate" an exhibition, and self portraits. This week students are making diptychs.

Beginning Photography September Projects

2008-09-14T17:37:00.000-07:00

School is in full swing already. Did we have a summer vacation? It is getting hard to remember. The beginning photography students have started making photograms and getting used to working in the darkroom. This is one of my favorite projects. I can't wait to see what students decide to do with this assignment. We are discussing composition quite a bit and students will be working on a self portrait collage incorporating some of the elements and principles of design we are concentrating on right now-namely shape, texture, asymmetrical balance, pattern and rhythm. While the weather is good, we will also be enjoying the sunshine while making cyanotypes-an old process in which you paint your emulsion onto a surface, in our case watercolor paper or fabric, and lay objects, transparencies, or even bodies on the emulsion, use the sun to expose this and develop it in water. Later on this month we will be making pinhole cameras and learning about the early history of photography. Here is a slideshow of some photograms by various artists and past students.

Getting Ready for September

2008-07-28T07:49:00.000-07:00

I hope you are all having as good a summer break as I am. It is time to start thinking ahead to the fall though. Students who are returning to take Advanced Photography should look over the Multiple Perspectives assignment in the Documents for Printing section and also read up on David Hockney in the Interesting Links section. Slideshow below shows some Hockney and some student work from this assignment. You should all be taking lots of photographs and thinking about ideas you want to pursue. Students who have signed up for Beginning Photography should read over the Supply List and Syllabus. It is a good time to look for used cameras. Make sure it is manually operable. Familiarize yourself with the camera you are going to be using. Take it to a camera repair shop to clean and make sure it is in good working order. Make sure to get new batteries for it. We will be starting out making photograms-a cameraless picture. On a personal note-I was recently awarded a spotlight feature in Black and White Magazine for being a winner in their portfolio contest. The article is coming out in Issue 63, which hits the newsstands in mid October. You can check out my work on my website: NancyAbens.com Enjoy the rest of your summer!

Goodbye and Good Luck, Seniors!

2008-06-01T09:06:00.000-07:00

On May 14th, the advanced photography class showed their best work from the past two years. They wowed the audience! The overall caliber of the work from these incredibly talented students was, as Will Stevens-Cardinal Times reporter stated "rival(ing) that of professionals". I have loved working with this group of students. I can't wait to see where they go and what adventures they have in the next few years. You can see works by the students who have won various awards this year on the side of the blog. Below the slideshow is a print by every other student in the advanced photo class. I also had some very good beginning photography students who are graduating. A slideshow of their work is below.
Next year's advanced photography class is promising to be another one filled with stellar students.
It has been a pleasure working with the outgoing seniors. They have inspired me to be a better teacher and artist, they have made me laugh and appreciate my job everyday.

May Projects

2008-05-01T20:01:00.000-07:00

May and spring are here. The beginning classes are starting their last assignment-landscapes. They will be shooting both the natural and the urban landscape.
We are so lucky to live in such a beautiful environment. The coast, the gorge, the mountains, the high desert, the rural countryside, and Forest Park are all terrific areas to shoot photographs of the Natural World. We go to school in a city with amazing public gardens, fountains, great architecture, bridges, and sculptures all within walking distance.
The advanced class is finishing up their books and getting ready for the big show. Mark your calendar for the evening of May 14, from 5 to 7 to celebrate all the Lincoln students in advanced visual arts classes. The opening of this show corresponds with International Arts Beat night going on in the cafeteria from 6 til 9.
Here is a video on the king of landscape photography-Ansel Adams.

Projects for April

2008-04-03T20:37:00.000-07:00

Spring break came and went very quickly. I spent most of it working in the garden and my studio. I played quite a bit with photoshop. It is easy to get lost in it. Many of the students traveled to warm and wonderful places. I am looking forward to seeing the photographs they took.
In the beginning photo classes, students are working on photo essays. This is based in the Life Magazine format, but really can be considered a mini portfolio on a subject of one's own choosing. They will be constructing an envelope to house their images.
The advanced students are going to be extremely busy. They are working on an emulation and bookmaking project. We will be learning several bookmaking techniques in the first two weeks of April. All of the students have chosen an artist to emulate. They will use these artists' work as a starting point to make their own pieces that are inspired by another's work. The final images and research will be displayed in a book. They will also be finalizing their portfolios in preparation for the Senior Show which will open on May 14.Meanwhile, here's some new work from both the beginning and advanced classes.

March projects for Advanced Photography

2008-03-01T13:39:00.000-08:00

In the advanced class, students are just about finished with the Words>Images assignment. This was an assignment designed primarily to get students thinking about concepts more and pushing them to try something new with their photography. Some interesting work came out of this. I will get some of the images uploaded in the next couple weeks. The students who are shooting digital primarily are going to start working on how to do HDR images. This is the hot new thing in digital photography. You can get some pretty amazing images with this technique. Film students will just be working on perfecting printing with fiberbase papers. Towards the end of March we will start work around an emulation and bookmaking project. Look for the links about HDR images in the sidebar on interesting links.

Projects for March-Beginning Photography

2008-03-01T13:26:00.000-08:00

Spring has arrived! It is an excellent time to be out shooting photographs. I love spring light, especially in the early morning hours and the late afternoon. In the beginning photo classes we are just finishing up the portrait assignment. Some really beautiful work was made. Students worked with natural and studio lights. Black velvet backgrounds were a favorite with many. The group portraits didn't quite turn out how I wanted them to. We are going to be redoing that part of the assignment a bit later in the month. For now, though, students will be shooting a roll of double exposures. They can work with someone else or go it alone. I think the best way to go about this assignment is with a little planning. Think about having some of the first set of exposures being textures, clouds, water, backgrounds, etc. The second time the film goes through concentrate on shooting faces, hands, still life objects, etc. Who knows what will happen!
Here's a slideshow with some of the portraits that are finished. I will add more a bit later.

Advanced Photography February Project

2008-01-27T18:12:00.000-08:00

The advanced photo students are working on their new assignment-Words>Images. Many have chosen to work with homonyms that they picked and then make images to show those words. Others have decided to tackle the more challenging part of the assignment, that of using two synonyms and an antonym and then using one image, alter it in any way to fit the words. Some students are working with the words emergence, anticipation, or metamorphosis and illustrating one or all of them. I am looking forward to seeing where they are going to go with these. Check out the slideshow of their work from first semester.

Beginning Photography February project

2008-01-24T20:39:00.000-08:00

The beginning photography students have started working on their portrait assignment. A few students from the 3rd and 4th period classes painted some dynamite new backdrops to use. This is an extensive assignment that will probably take all of February to complete. Towards the end of February, we will start looking at photography from the 1950's and '60's and some of the well known photojournalists of that time. Here's a new slideshow of some of the beginning photo students work from first semester.