Love it.

So I thought this was very appropriate. And I'm not gonna lie...I want this on my wall in my room. :)

Paramore Album Cover

So a long time ago I made this album cover in art class and yeah its really amateur, but I've always liked it. Haha. It was for the song "Decode" and this is just what I came up with at the time.

"Life Is Art" -->So true. :)

 

*Not my picture. Found on Tumblr.

Daniel Dare Photography

     For my art seminar class, we recently had to interview an artist and I decided to interview a photographer. Although I am a graphic design major, I think you need to be a good photographer too so that you can provide some of your own images for designs. So I got to interview young photographer, Daniel, out of the Sacramento area. I decided to ask him some questions dealing with becoming a photographer and his experiences and any tips or advice he has for future photographers.

1. How long have you been a photographer?
    I have been actively taking pictures for about 3 years now. However, I have been working full time as a photographer since May of 2009, so about a year and a half.

2. How did you become interested in photography?
    As far as I can remember, I have always loved photography. I remember being younger, and taking pictures of anything and everything. However, it wasn't until 2007 that I had the desire the be a photographer. I started out by taking pictures of concerts or shows, where I    knew bands that were playing.



3. What is your favorite subject  to photograph?
    I would have to say that my favorite thing to shoot would be commercial assignments. I love compositing, and creating something that wasn't there to begin with.


4. What do you view as your biggest success so far as a photographer?
    In April of this year, I was asked by the Los Angeles based band LoveHateHero to shoot     a promotional photo for their summer U.S. tour. That was a big deal to me, and the photo ended up in quite a few magazines. Other than that, I see every new shoot that I do as a success, its always a learning experience, and I learn something new each time.

5. What are the challenges as a photographer?
    One of the challenges I face the most is the weather. I shoot on location a lot, and very rarely in a studio. So the timing and weather always play a challenging role. Another challenge I have is patience. You can't rush photography, just like any other form of art, it requires extreme patience, especially with projects that require days upon days of photo re-touching and manipulation.

6. How has Internet resources helped your business grow?
    The internet is actually my number one marketing tool. It helps with networking faster than word of mouth, and in the times that we live in, internet based media is one of the most popular forms of communication.



7. Where do you see yourself in ten years with photography?
    I'm not sure how to answer that actually. I try not to plan ahead, and just take things day by day, but if I think about it, I would like to be shooting full-time as an in-house photographer for different magazines and record labels.

8. In your opinion, what does it take to become a successful photographer?
    Dedication. I believe that anyone can do anything (within reason), as long as they push for it and never give up.

9. Any advice or other information you would like to share for future photographers?
    Like I said, push forward and never give up. There is ALWAYS room for improvement and growth. Stick through the tough times, and don't quit.

To look at Daniel's other work and websites go to:
http://www.danieldare.com
http://www.flickr.com/photos/danieldare
http://www.twitter.com/danieldare
http://www.myspace.com/danieldare

If you would like contact Daniel you can reach him at (916) 538-3273 or e-mail him at daniel@danieldare.com

What is a critique?

    The definition of a critique is a criticism or detailed evaluation on a piece of work. The piece of work can range from literary, film, music, or art. Critiques can often be viewed as something that the creator would worry about because some people believe that the critiques will have negative things said about their work, rather than helpful points. For example, often film critiques are either stated as good or bad, with points that the authors believe make their claim valid. People can often read film critiques that outright say, “This movie is a waste of money,” or some phrase along those lines. This is often where people get the fear of having something of theirs critiqued. However, a good critique is never about stating negativity about the piece someone is critiquing. It is about point out the strong points and weak points of the piece. This will help the creator know what to work on when he or she makes future pieces.
    When it comes to art, a good critique is never about saying the piece is just good or bad. It is about pointing out the strong points of the work and suggesting what could use some work or practice. With a critique, it also involves interpreting what the artist is trying to convey in the piece and making sure that it can be clear to other people. The art piece cannot just have the view of the artist. The artist’s view point should be part of it, but it the piece should also be able to communicate to a wide rang of an audience. When critiquing a piece of work, it is also part of telling if someone enjoys or does not enjoy the piece. However, they should also have specific reason and points about the piece to explain why they feel that way. Over all a critique is a constructed criticism that points out the weak and strong points of a piece.

Art, Design, Craft

     There are differences between the definitions of art, design, and craft. However, at some point they can all work together when it comes to creating something. When it comes to art, there are several different expressions of art, such as music, film, photography, literature, paintings, and sculptures. Art gives a wide range to what creators can use as materials and developing pieces of work. Strong emotions and thoughts can often become part of the creation of a piece, which then brings up emotions and thoughts to the audience paying attention to the piece of art work. An example of art that often portrays obvious emotions and thoughts is music. Music can flex peoples’ emotions according to just the tone and lyrics of a song. Everyone can identify a sad or happy song if asked to. When people hear a song with a certain emotion tide to it, it is because the artist was feeling the same emotions when developing the song. Film and literature often play on the emotions of people as well, because of how the creators develop the characters’ personalities in the story lines. People come to connect with the main character and hope they fulfill their destiny, and people learn to dislike the villain of the story. However, when it comes to photography, paintings, and sculptures, the emotions and thoughts are not always as obvious as music, film, or literature because there are not words or characters’ acting involved. These three forms of art can be obvious to what the artist is trying to portray, or they can be very abstract and challenges the audience to think. No matter what is portrayed in photography, paintings, or sculptures, there is always emotion and thoughts involved in the development and viewing of the pieces of art work.
    Art is the finished creation of a piece, where as design is the construction of a physical object or sometimes the construction of an art piece. Design relates more to objects such as furniture, clothing, buildings and other physical items and the construction of them rather than the final product and its effect on people. With any art piece there is normally a process of developing the piece to get to the final product, and that process is called design. People have to first design something in order for there to be a final product to bring out those emotions and thoughts in people. However, when design relates to objects, it focuses on the appearance and construction of objects. Designers have to think about the constructions of objects in order for them to be useful. Clothing needs to fit right and be able to stay sewn together. Buildings need to designed just right to avoid major damages or a collapsable building. Majority of the time, furniture needs to look pleasing in order for people to purchase items. Like paintings and sculptures, designs can be considered art as well, but design art of designs are focused more on the construction and placement of pieces.
    Craft relates to art and design, but craft is about the skill or trade in an area of work. For example, fashion designers have a skill in designing clothes, and directors have a skill in filming.    Craft is related to both the arts and items of utility such as furniture. Some people put together art pieces and some put together furniture and other objects, which are all part of craft. Art, design, and craft have differences. Art is music, literature, paintings, film, photography, and sculptures. Design is the construction of and item or object. Craft is a skill or trade in a certain area that a person possess. However, all can connect to each other at some point because of all the points involved in creating a piece. Most of the time, an art piece is the final product, design is the construction involved to get to the final product, and the craft is the creator’s skill in that area.