Tonight was critique night for our first assignment. I had misgivings about the photo I ultimately chose to show, but had also  printed two others photographs as back-up, just in case. I let myself get talked into presenting my more “contrast-y” photo, and the instructor found a couple of things wrong with it. But he didn’t point them out. He asked me to tell him where I’d gone wrong. And I was able to do so. At the break I showed Jeff (instructor) my other two shots and he liked them a lot better.  Fortunately, we were allowed to turn in our alternates if we chose, and he let me know that if I turned in one of my alternates I was likely to get a better grade. Well, my momma didn’t raise a stupid child.  And as Mark, our lab assistant said to me, “Go with your gut. You’re the artist. It’s your work.”  Indeed.

Anyway, it was such a crazy, busy day that I didn’t get a chance to shoot until after class ended at six-thirty.  Fortunately, the building’s stairwell provided me with plenty of inspiration. What do you expect to happen in a building full of artists?  I love this stairwell. It is truly live art. The students are constantly adding to it and you never know what will change from day-to-day.

The challenge was shooting with only the light that came  from the two fluorescent ballasts on at each landing.  I will likely return to this subject. As my post title indicates, this is just the second floor

Looking down the stairs. © Carissa Snedeker

Second floor landing. © Carissa Snedeker

Wall opposite second floor landing. © Carissa Snedeker

Detail of wall. © Carissa Snedeker