Post Graduation Update

I've been MIA for a bit but have no fear! I've still been working.

This past weekend I got to spend time with an old friend and her band from Nashville. Katie is a talented music student from Belmont University. I had only ever seen her perform by herself; it was phenomenal to see how far she's come.

Without further ado, here are some images of Katie Basden and the Boys playing in Durham, NC at Broad Street Cafe.

image by Tiffany Dyer

image by Tiffany Dyer

image by Tiffany Dyer

Check her out on Facebook

In Limbo

It's been a little over two weeks since I graduated.

I'm stuck between what I used to know and what I don't know.

It was easy to get up in the morning and know that I had my day planned out. Now it's a bit harder. I have to motivate myself to get up at a reasonable hour and then wonder through the world wide web in search of employment opportunities. Even though it may only go as far as the "Apply Now" button on the web page. I've just got to keep pushing on until something sticks.

"limbo" image by Tiffany Dyer

This isn't a goodbye,

Tonight is my final presentation for my final portfolio. I'll get nervous and then I'll calm down. What do I really have to be afraid of? I'm confident in my work and the progress I've made since the my first image I snapped for a class. I'll miss a lot of people for sure. Like my instructors - they have been some of the most influential people in my life. Guiding me and educating me, making me see the world in a different way. Then there are some of my peers that I've grown close too who I'm leaving behind - I know we'll keep in touch but it's going to be strange in a week when I wake up and know that I won't be getting into my car, driving, and seeing who will be in my class.

This is my farewell to you guys - this isn't the end for me or for you.

Like Carol Burnett says;

"I'm so glad we had this time together, just to have a laugh or sing a song. Seems we just get started and before you know it. Seems it's time to say, so long. So long!"

Photo Graduates and some Faculty
image by Brittany Williams

Analogue Film: A True Love

'Ello

I'm excited to say that I'm taking a six week darkroom film class. It's something that is foreign to me but has always appealed to me. This feeling is similar to one I had back in August of 2010 when I moved to Charlotte, NC to focus on a degree that I knew little to nothing about. I've loved my time at school learning all the ins and outs of digital photography and listening to stories all about the different kinds of photographic processes. So here I am, 23 going on 24, embarking on a new adventure, to learn and develop a new skill.

Using film over digital is quite different. It's hard because you become accustomed to seeing your images instantly and now you have to think about it even more when you use film; and it can be frustrating. Though, that doesn't change the fact that I fell in love with it. All of it. The blindness you feel when you're loading the film into reels, the smell of the chemicals and the patience it takes to create negatives. I am so in love with this that I called my parents four times before I got an answer because I was bursting with excitement and needed to tell someone.

This week we only processed our negatives, next week we're actually developing the images. Below are some cellphone images taken from the place I photographed as well as from my class tonight.

images by Tiffany Dyer

images by Tiffany Dyer

A Metamorphosis

It's always good to visit a body of work and see what you can do to make it better, or expand it. I feel it's what can make or break a series. This particular work has taken almost a year to get where I'm at now. I don't think it's finished but it's getting closer to where I want it to be. Now if only I could settle on a title for the series I'd be satisfied.

For now here are the stages of "Untitled #1"

all images by Tiffany Dyer

Final Stretch.

I'm getting ready to graduate in March! Congrats to me but now I have to get serious (not that I wasn't before). But things are getting real. There are problems lurking in the shadows, obstacles around every corner and the sneaking fear of not being able to get everything that I need to done hovering over head waiting to storm down on me.

I need three big things for my final presentation.

1. business plan
2. portfolio
3. take - a - ways

BUSINESS PLAN
I'm rewriting mine...again. However, now I feel more confident about it. Silver lining! But I have a lot ahead of me in the next eight weeks. Better start working!

PORTFOLIO
I need to focus on two to three bodies I am proud of (which I do have). I then need to make the decision on if I should include a commercial portfolio with my fine art as well. If so, would that be two fine art and one commercial? There isn't a limit on how much I can present but I don't want to have so much that it can get a little confusing.

TAKE - A - WAYS
These are what we give away at our final presentation and then portfolio day (that's a day to show everyone, big wigs, parents, fellow students, what we've been working on our entire schooling). But what should mine be? I know I will have a business card and possibly another forum of contact in there as well. But what else? A matted print, stickers, a journal, what? I'm not sold on any of those ideas. I want to be creative and professional but not boring.

Now that I have presented that to you, internet world, I will leave you with an image. There is a body of work that has taken several months to get where I'm at today. When asked about how I would present these I had a hard time explaining how that would be. I had only printed them large because it was the requirement of the class but I wasn't impressed with it. After talking to some of my mentors, whom I cherish, a suggestion of adding a thick white boarder and softening the edges was given. I've been playing with that idea and have come up with this...for today. I like it and I wouldn't mind playing with this more and making it exactly where I want it.

image by Tiffany Dyer

Behind the Scenes: Photographic Transfers

Photographic Transfers

Over the past three months I got an idea in my head to make my own paper and then proceed to transfer images onto it. After long hours and several mess ups I have landed on something I'm proud of.

The reason this project came about is because in one of my classes we were asked to make a behind the scenes video. Thinking about what I photograph and how I do it, personally, I figured it wouldn't translate well into video. Having to now think outside the box I knew I wanted to do something visual. That's where the idea for photographic transfers came from, but I wanted to push it further. Why buy a piece of wood, watercolor paper or even fabric. What could I do that would make this mine? It was this thought that prompted my desire to create my own paper.

Enjoy my handcrafted prints.

image by Tiffany Dyer

image by Tiffany Dyer

image by Tiffany Dyer

Glass Flowers: a working title, a working series.

These are some of my favorites from the past few weeks, with my body of work building these will have to sit on the side lines until this collection is more complete and they may make an appearance again. 

image by Tiffany Dyer

image by Tiffany Dyer

image by Tiffany Dyer

Deconstructing Flora

These images are from an older project. I enjoyed doing this but haven't done anything with this series since my first shoot. What my readers/viewers may not know is that I'm a twin. Yes, we're identical. But the cool thing about this project was that I bought flowers and then had my sister draw a deconstructed image, I then proceeded to mimic the drawing with a photograph.

Enjoy.

images by Kayleigh Dyer and Tiffany Dyer

images by Kayleigh Dyer and Tiffany Dyer

images by Kayleigh Dyer and Tiffany Dyer

images by Kayleigh Dyer and Tiffany Dyer

images by Kayleigh Dyer and Tiffany Dyer

images by Kayleigh Dyer and Tiffany Dyer

images by Kayleigh Dyer and Tiffany Dyer

Low Tech Polaroid III

You can't live on a farm without other animals or fire pits. These are normal things that I became accustomed to from spending a decade of my life on a horse farm.

Low Tech Polaroid
Low Tech Polaroid II

image by Tiffany Dyer

image by Tiffany Dyer

image by Tiffany Dyer

image by Tiffany Dyer

image by Tiffany Dyer

image by Tiffany Dyer

Low Tech Polaroid II

You can see the first set of images here. This go round I've been focusing more on the type of farm I grew up on. When I was eleven my mom decided it was time to fulfill her life long dream of getting a horse. We started off with one and then my folks thought it would be a good idea to make a business out of it and before I knew it we had seven (including a donkey) and was still adding more and selling others.

Even though I don't see me ever inheriting the horses that we still have I do like going back home and looking out a window to see them standing there in the field.

image by Tiffany Dyer

image by Tiffany Dyer

image by Tiffany Dyer

image by Tiffany Dyer

image by Tiffany Dyer

image by Tiffany Dyer

Refinement, expansion, call it what you will

I've been updating my work and expanding on what I have instead of collecting 12 images and calling it quits. This is an expansion and a more in-depth study to one of my previous projects.

Inspirations came from two places, the way Vincent van Gogh painted and the secondary plot line from Walt Disney's Beauty and the Beast. I've done a total of three photo sessions and I plan on doing more. Not only is my process of images are evolving but so are my thoughts and statements to this piece. I plan on having a more concert body of work (as well as a statement) in the future.

image by Tiffany Dyer

image by Tiffany Dyer 

image by Tiffany Dyer

image by Tiffany Dyer

image by Tiffany Dyer

Low Tech Polaroid

I've been quiet for a few weeks. But there are good news, I've been working on a new project.

I've always loved Polaroid images, the way they look and the fact that they are instant. While conducting research for my Polaroid influenced project I found Lucas Samara. He would manipulate the image while it was exposing to give it a painted/surreal look. I instantly fell in love with it. However, there was a dilemma I faced. I have a Polaroid Land Camera but it doesn't work, also getting your hands on the film can be a little pricey if you're not ready for it. What was I to do? I still wanted to have an instant approach to the images. I decided to use my cellphone to capture the images and then put them into PhotoShop to edit them how I like.

Below are some examples. They're still works in progress but I'm happy with them so far.

image by Tiffany Dyer

image by Tiffany Dyer

image by Tiffany Dyer

image by Tiffany Dyer

Expansion: final run

The final images to complete this project, at least for now.

images by Tiffany Dyer

images by Tiffany Dyer

images by Tiffany Dyer

Expansion: colors

I love how fruits and vegetables have a wide variety of colors. Thus this batch of images, enjoy.

images by Tiffany Dyer

images by Tiffany Dyer

images by Tiffany Dyer

images by Tiffany Dyer