Noticing the Overlooked
Uncovering the simple beauties from our day-to-day space.
Something that makes you feel safe
Call it cliche, I call it classic. There is nothing that symbolizes safety to me more than this timeless red hunk of metal. Childhood imagery of big men with their Dalmatians to come save the day. I chose to shoot this fire hydrant because I was raised to believe in these people to protect and serve. I think this old hydrant, covered in rust, is representative of how, as I’ve grown older, I realize that these heros are just men in coats, just as vulnerable and scared as the rest of us. Anyway, I liked the tarnished look of the metal and the contrast between the red paint and rust with the vivid green grass.
Oldest thing you can find
This old door stood out to me right away. It is an extremely old building, I know it has traveled many miles to get where it is today. It’s a historic building and has character to it that I don’t feel many modern buildings come close to having. I really would consider it a piece of art. I really love the symbolism of thresholds and with that this old door has caught my eye many times while walking through campus. I love the symmetry, the metal details and simply knowing how many souls have walked through that door.
Newest thing you can find
Even as fall is coming and the foliage is dying. Cold winds start knocking out the brightly colored flowers and spiny sticks start take over the landscape, it was lovely to find a little newly sprouted flower amidst the sticks. It’s nowhere near perfect, but it’s new and young and full of life. I thought this little sprout embodied something new in a very delicate way. From an artistic perspective, I like the contrast in color and texture. If I could do it again I would try taking a few shots from various angles to see which direction the little leaves look best. Compositionally I think it looks nice centered because it’s the main focus.
Something that inspires you
MY FEET! My legs, arms, muscles, bones and my heart! My body inspires me everyday. I am inspired by the crazy things we can do with our bodies and how grateful I am to be healthy and able. I treat my body like shit sometimes, but she always bounces back and I think it’s incredible. I chose to focus on my feet because they carry me through the chaos that is my life. I don’t know where I would be going without them! Compositionally, I like the focus of this image. I would have liked to center it a little better, but color wise, I think the dull cool tones add a relaxing feel. The different textures on my shoes adds depth and the background concrete gives it an industrial feel.
Something that scares you
I am terrified of cigarettes. Growing up with friends smoking has given me a so many reasons to hate them. The smell will forever remind me of Doyle’s basement, the party spot in High Schoo. It was the stench that would get me questioned when I came home after curfew. The cause of the yellowing teeth of my 20-something year old friends. I love that they are going out of style and would happily flip them the bird on the way out. This was one of my favorite photos from the day. I like that you can see the Marlboro label and how your eye is drawn from the bottom left to the top. Compositionally, i would have liked to take a photo with the cigarette angled more so it pulled the line of focus across the image even more. I love the colors, all very neutral. It makes me feel a little unsettled when I look at it and I love that it pulls that emotion.
Something that represents your dreams
This water bottle has been with me through a bunch of trips. I have taken it camping all over the place and it has got the scratches to prove it. It also tastes pretty shitty because of all the things I've left in it; coffee, tea, even some cocktails. (Don’t worry, I’m almost 23.) I think this represents my dreams because I want to keep traveling and staying outside. I love having something that has been through it all with me and I have somehow manage to keep track of. I lose every other water bottle I’ve ever had, but this puppy somehow finds its way back to me.
Photograph someone you don’t know
I liked this one. She was texting and I asked if I could take her picture. She was on-board but then she realized that I might get her conversation in the picture and invade her privacy. She exited her texts right away and I thought it was an interesting way of showing how people react to strangers and privacy boundaries. (That’s the communication studies degree talking.) She let me take the picture after a little bit of embarrassment and I was on my way. I also really loved her tattoo placement and design. I feel like you get a sense of her self-expression without a face. I don’t love how the actual picture looks, I think it could have been from a better angle but the feelings I have from the experience make me like it a lot more.
Something beautiful
I love texture and this is one of my favorite color pairing. Charcoal grays and mustardy yellows together get me. It’s simple, natural, interesting and calming all at once. This was just an old pot from afar but up close it is filled with beautiful naturally formed details.
I love sculpture and I guess I have never really paid much attention to the artwork we have on campus. Industrial aesthetic has always been very interesting to me and I liked this particular part of this piece. The natural wear and tear is beautiful. The lighting sucked and the background is shit, but the rest I really like.
Something familiar from a new angle
This is a bird feather. I think they look really gross from far away, mainly because I think of birds when I look at them. I really dislike birds. Probably the only animal I don’t really like. I will give them credit for having pretty feathers, thats the only cool thing about them. This picture was one of my favorites from today.
A place that reminds you of home
Sitting under trees always reminds me of home. It’s one of my happiest places. I love hearing wind through the trees and enjoying breezy days.
A photo of the place where you have your most distinct memory
This is where I sat my sophomore year when I realized I missed my final exam. I sat and cried on the bench because I thought that meant I would be failing my first class. I felt like a giant failure but I ended up just having to take it the next day and everything was fine.
A photo of a path you enjoy taking on campus
This is just the normal road I walk at MU. I thought it looked boring from far away so to make things a little more interesting I tried to focus on the tiny concrete that makes up the big road. Symbolic, I guess.
A close-up
This is a close up of a fly on a seedpod. I think the fly looks really cool because of its freaky body. I think it’s a bit dull, but it is a nice way to show how you don’t realize how detailed and interesting things are until you can slow down and see them up close.
Contrasting textures
I don’t love this picture but I think it represents contrasting textures well. The leaf has pretty amazing veins and is super vibrant and the rock looks like the moon.
Something that represents what you learned today
This represents what I learned because I am an ant in this big giant world.
Wildcard
This guy was a wildcard because I accidentally deleted the one that I really wanted to be my wildcard. This is just a pretty flower that had a bee sitting on it. The image I wanted to use was an old lottery ticket. It was scratched and tossed to the side. I loves it because I think anything that represents gambling makes you feel emotion. Many people might have a negative connotation to gambling, maybe someone they know or loved struggled with addiction. Or on the other hand, it might be held in high regard, as a fun and exciting way to make some money. Maybe somebody has won a lot of money and has stories about their gambling! I have a great story about my first time at Potawatomi, not great for me — but entertaining for most. Anyway, this picture is pretty and I like it, but I wish I had the lottery ticket one.