Organic Photography

There was something relatively monumental about our last session. I haven't yet decided if it is something of great defeat or one of the more challenging, but ultimately beneficial, obstacles that we have faced as graduate students. It was an incredibly hard session for me. I watched as my project became stagnant and stopped getting the reactions that spurred me into creative flurry. I suffered as Rin became popular with my classmates where I felt as though she was the opposite of everything that I yearn to do. I struggled as I lulled along in a plateau of stagnation, fear, doubt, and pain. All of this while trying to indoctrinate six new minds into our way of working, exploring a new seminar class, and hearing the ticking of the clock run down on our final projects. Since the end of the session I have been standing on a precipice. On one side, I fall back into a life of quality auditing. It is a fall, but it is measured. I know where the bottom of the hill lies. I know w

I have been neglecting blogging about Rin because she and I don't see eye to eye. But, after lots of consideration of the current stall on my original project and the reaction that Rin got from my classmates and instructor when she was introduced, I feel as though I owe it to her, possibly owe it to myself, to at least give her some credence in the blogosphere . One of my classmates declared, upon seeing Rin , "You're done. There's your show right there." And my instructor encouraged me to try and find a way to bring Rin into my current work. My reaction, three times in a row, was, "But they are polar opposites." His response was that they ultimately both came from me, so they have that in common. Ah, Rin . I sort of hate her. That is why I created her. Because I was angry at my lack of progress, angry to not be working on my project, angry that everything seems to go right for everyone else but for some reason never for me. I felt cheated a

There were several stages of this series of images. Stages in shooting, in printing, in critique, in reprinting. Even the actual creation of the original raven in the sand had to be redone because when the tide came in, it washed away immediately, without the slow, organic decay that I was originally looking for. I worked within the constraints of what I was able to do. When the first raven washed away, I decided to have my assistant (one of the only images that I actually had someone else present during shooting) bring me water and wash the raven away and more slowly, with cup fulls of water instead of the power of the ocean herself, and the resulting images were prolific and highly varied. During the processing, I must have accidentally been a little over aggressive, as there is evidence of surge at the edges, where the negatives were somewhat more dense. In the first round, this didn't really work to my advantage, as you can see in the images below. In this first one, the

One of the things that was discovered in my progression as an artist through the benefit of my colleagues was the created landscape of "From Dust." The turbulent, rolling nature of the happenstance negatives, the diffusion of light from crisp edge to blurred fade, all lead to an ultimate understanding of the creation of a contextual landscape in which the raven flies to its ultimate disintegration. After "Crossing Over" I was again interested in shooting someone, but in the style of Edward Weston, Ruth Bernhard, or even the Brooks contributor Christopher Broughton, I wanted this time to create a landscape of the human body. Again it seemed that accident played a roll as the camera that I used for the process, my grandfather's WWII field camera - a completely manual twin lens reflex, I accidentally double exposed one of the frames that should have been of my shoulder but instead became a superimposed image of my shoulder and my back, with the raven tattoo I have

Last Thursday was the First Thursday show for the graduating MFA class. Seven bodies of work hung in the Cota Street Gallery that are as diverse in approach and subject matter as they are in execution and personal style. It is a show that seems to marry these eclectic images with grace, courage, and infinite beauty. Today I was privileged to sit in on the project defense of one of these bodies of work. It was my goal to experience a defense, to learn more about this work, and to support my friend. I was not ready for the grace, poise, introspection, and courage of the presentation. It was stunning. In some ways I felt like I was out of place, though in truth the defense had been classified as "open." But I am so glad to have been there, to have seen that the defense is not something to be feared or anxious about, but rather to be embraced as another opportunity to reveal a layer about the work. Something precious and imperative. The work has always been stunning to

This image goes back to my roots of wanting to shoot people. Although I find it somewhat contrary to the work I am doing now, I love shooting people. I love the studio, love to create moods, sets, lighting, contrast. These are the things that make me tick, and as I progressed with this particular project, I began to find myself wanting to interact with the living again. Wanting, so desperately, to be part of a collaborative effort that went beyond myself, somehow reaching out. I have several contacts in the hair and make-up as well as modeling arenas and I threw out a request for anyone willing to do something above and beyond for the sake of art. My favorite make-up artist responded that she was very excited about the concept, and I found a model that had been wanting to do some other work with me who was willing to do both the Hollywood Glamor shot that she wanted as well as the shot that I wanted. The trouble is that I wanted to do several things. I wanted to show an escape, and

And so we return to the work. This piece was originally inspired by a question from one of my classmates in response to the work From Dust previously discussed on this blog. The question was "why don't you use ash?" I know it may seem like a simple question, but the concept of the blackened phoenix rising from flames became a burning image in my psyche (no pun intended.) I was consumed with it, because fire is perhaps one of the most immediate and irreversible forms of degradation and corrosion that exists. I was immediately faced with two problems. The first was how to get something that was burning to resemble a raven, the second was, quite simply, the actual burning. I was not afraid of using the symbolism of the phoenix in place of the raven for this image, though I was a little sad to be straying from the original concept so early. But I knew that I wanted the imagery to separate from the background, and flame being a light source (emitting instead of reflecting)

There are so many times in life when everything seems to go straight to hell in one fell swoop. Times when the acts of walking through your day, of getting out of bed, of breathing seem overwhelming and impossible. I have had a lot of those days recently, for a multitude of reasons. But yesterday I received several things that I needed desperately. The first was a call from a friend who is convinced that I can still positively affect the world. Not just my sphere, but the world. The second was the opportunity to chat with my father and get some of his thoroughly helpful advice. The third was acceptance of my submission to Alamy images. The last, but certainly not least, was the accidental email sent to a woman who inspires me. The last being so important because had the accidental email not been sent, I wouldn't have felt the need to send a follow up email, and I wouldn't have gotten the response that I did this morning. A brief but lovely email from her actually thank

I used to fairly heavily believe in the concept that everything happens for a reason. Even to a highly superstitious level. (Though, clearly, you must all recognize my superstitious nature by now.) But recently I have been extremely skeptical about the intentions of God or the Universe or Fate or whatever you want to call it. I am, after all, not finding any success in some very elemental parts of my life. Let us step back for a moment. In the book "The Artist's Way" the concept of the Universe supporting you once you begin to find your artistic/creative path is woven into the mentality that you should free yourself to be a creative individual. It is this mentality that lead me back to photography. This mentality that convinced me I could pursue a Master's degree. But the concept also contains a belief that doors will begin to open, you will meet the right person at the right time, be given a chance to take the next step, find the next project, and make a dif

I have reworked my website to better reflect the work I am actually doing now. Although I may be a capable glamor photographer, it is not what I wish to do. It is not what I hope to be recognized for. The black and white work that you have seen here, the work on my updated site, that is the work that you should associate with me. Now and forever. It is who I am. Check it out here: Amanda Quintenz Photography .

It has been too long since my last installment. Much has actually transpired artistically, but for the sake of you, the audience, I must retrace my steps back to the next important step in my MFA project evolution. At this point in the academic sphere we were being asked not for creation of specific assignments, but to bring to the class whatever we wanted. There was a certain amount of expected participation, I suppose, but to each his own. We were asked to bring whatever imagery spoke to us, whatever imagery we found to be on track, in line with the path we had each chosen, even if only for the moment. This is the image that I produced to bring in. Even though I have no intention to be at all deceitful or selfish in the production of this blog, I am not going to specifically reveal the particulars of this shot because it is far more evocative if you let your mind create its own story. It was in the presentation of this image that I learned several things about myself, and several

There is a lot of turmoil in the air, a lot of questions about the future, about the instruction, about everything that has lead us to where we are now. We are a group of 6 now, having lost some wonderful minds and beautiful talents for a variety of reasons. But those that remain, the 6, the first 6 to move through the Brooks MFA program from the start, we are a unit stronger for the challenges that we have faced. We are bonded and connected. We are each unique, but also each a part of something greater that we all understand, though it needs not be put into words. Whatever it is that we have become a part of, we are not scoffing, not disrespecting, but accepting as a movement of 6 souls through a powerful and essential process. We are each stronger for having been one of the 6, each benefiting equally from the other 5. The reason I am given pause is that the first year is rounding out. The first three studio classes and seminar classes are over now. Those with Tim Bradley and

Perhaps it is time I begin to introduce the imagery. The purpose of this blog, initially, was to document the process of discovery and evolution that I am experiencing in this MFA program. It is a record, I suppose, though those of you that know me will understand why I am reluctant to call anything that exists as purely digital to be a record of anything. So let us call this a supplemental record of my work, my education, my evolution, and my flight. This is the image that started it all, though it took several months for me to realize that, and for Tim Bradley to say the remarkable phrase that would start me off on not only my project, but my purpose and my vision from this point forward. However, that story will come with that image. This story is one of self discovery. The assignment was "Take an image that can only be seen through the lens of a camera." A fellow student at the time, David Torrey de Frescheville (I hope I spelled that correctly) had done an image fo

I have recently been questioning a lot of the founding principles of my MFA project. I have spent my life becoming who I am. I know that sounds like a bizarre and common sense statement, but I don't think it is. I think a lot of people don't work on who they are, but rather follow someone else's rules, someone else's ethical or moral plan, someone else's dream. I suppose I was one of those people from the time I began applying to colleges until I quit my job and came to Brooks. I wasn't following a dream when I went to Purdue, I was following what I thought was expected of me. Honestly, I was also trying to prove someone wrong about me. I had a physics teacher in high school who didn't believe in my ability to become a physicist. I knew that I could, so I wanted to prove him wrong. I didn't really want to be a physicist, but I had an aptitude for it. I remember the first picture that I ever took that made me want to be a photographer. I was prob

The more that I engage myself in this project the more I start to question how far I can step into the concept of the Raven imagery without either becoming dark and weary or, worse, my images becoming tiresome and redundant. There has to be something of a shift in consciousness, a shift in focus. I am not sure what that is at the moment and am having trouble identifying how to accomplish what I have set out to do while also bringing something of meaning to the greater world. I suppose at this point in time the project feels narcissistic. This project has meaning to me, but how many other people truly connect with the Raven, truly connect with the burden of being a conduit between to planes. If I am to give over to the images as I did with the first five, I start to question if there isn't maybe a more accessible body of work, something that will affect and influence a greater audience. I am reminded, however, of the power and instant popularity of Tim Cantor's set of imag

After the introduction from two days ago I wanted to give you a little more perspective. The previous blog entry was associated with why I write, but the purpose of this blog is to understand what my project is about and why I am doing it. I will introduce the project concept as we go along, but for now all you need to know is why the Raven is important to me personally. I wrote the following poem when I was 16. This was the beginning of it all and it is a true story. Blackbird A phone call at two in the morning I didn’t even wake only an hour earlier I woke to no sound at all and no trouble Sleep came easily back nothing else ever does It was 6:45 before I knew that he had died The blinds swing as they always do when the heat comes on in the early mornings of winter the light on the wall cast through the holes blinking on and off on and off with the swaying Walking through the day Tightly bound to the Earth Heavy steps carry me while my mind stops caring and my heart grows stiff Bli

For those of you who know my work, you don't necessarily know why the work is the way it is. Thanks to James D. I have decided to start up a blog about the body of work and its evolution. This is partially as a motivational element to keep producing, partially a desperate need to do something MFA related even in the paltry two week break that we have been given, and partially the other form of creative expression that I am comfortable with, which would be writing. Most of you know that I am an English Teacher now, but I am not certain of how many of you know that writing is a passion as well. I actually had writing before I had photography. I wrote my first novel, titled "Cat's Eye", when I was 10 years old. Granted, it didn't make a lick of sense, but I did it none the less. 175 pages of fantastical fiction about a boy named Terry and his adventures. I was infatuated with an author named Alan Dean Foster and fashioned Terry after Foster's protagonist,