honorable mention
Gita Castallian
title
Live Loud
In Live Loud, I focus on the portrayal of individuality, the peculiarities of appearance and character, the beauty and pride, the uniqueness and personality of each person I photograph. This has been a difficult and, at times, frustrating task, as identity, identity portrayal and identity representation are all intricate, complex and often fluidly shifting concepts.
The process of Live Loud has been one of collaboration. I have used the influence of my power and control as a photographer to achieve the photographs I want; to get what I want from my subjects. At the same time, my subjects have the power of presenting the self of their choice, presenting themselves through performance for the camera (or, as seen in the band photography, performance for the crowd).
I am interested in the depth of the subject matter, what the subject matter expresses about myself, and how the viewer’s response to my images speaks to their own identity. I value the questioning of the binary: of the masculine and the feminine, the interior and the exterior, the static and the evolving, the pride and the shame, the hidden and the shared. The opportunity for interpretation of these identities shown in my photographs lives on in the eyes of the beholder, in the minds of the viewers of Live Loud.
I found my specialization in portrait photography. I came to realize that the power of this construction of an image is not just my own, but also in the hands of the subject and, eventually, the viewer of my photograph. The creation and portrayal of an image becomes a collective effort. It is this play between objectivity and subjectivity of photography in its construction of reality through portraiture's portrayal of identity that has fascinated me since I first stepped behind the lens of a camera."
Education and Internships
Reed College, Oregon
BA in Fine Arts. Black and White Photography, Darkroom and Digital Photography, 2016
Cully Wright Photography, Fashion Photographer, January 2013- May 2014.
Urban Photography (Jodi Collins), June 2012-December 2012.
The Putney High School, Vermont
Black and White Photography and Darkroom Classes, 2008
The Oxbow School, California
Black and White Photography, Darkroom and Digital Photography, 2007
SOCAPA (School of Creative and Performing Arts), New York
Advanced Photography 8 Week intensive: Black and White Photography, Darkroom, Digital Photography in natural and studio settings, 2006
UC Berkeley, California
Black and White Photography and Darkroom classes, 2005
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entry description
These images are a part of my photo series "Live Loud: Heavy Metal Underground in Portland". Throughout my Live Loud photo series, my focus has been on the culture, the community and identity found within heavy metal. Specifically, I have explored heavy metal as an identity within the Portland community. My goal is to capture each person’s self-construct of who they ares. Ultimately, my intention has been to capture the essence of the community as a whole and turn it into art.In Live Loud, I focus on the portrayal of individuality, the peculiarities of appearance and character, the beauty and pride, the uniqueness and personality of each person I photograph. This has been a difficult and, at times, frustrating task, as identity, identity portrayal and identity representation are all intricate, complex and often fluidly shifting concepts.
The process of Live Loud has been one of collaboration. I have used the influence of my power and control as a photographer to achieve the photographs I want; to get what I want from my subjects. At the same time, my subjects have the power of presenting the self of their choice, presenting themselves through performance for the camera (or, as seen in the band photography, performance for the crowd).
I am interested in the depth of the subject matter, what the subject matter expresses about myself, and how the viewer’s response to my images speaks to their own identity. I value the questioning of the binary: of the masculine and the feminine, the interior and the exterior, the static and the evolving, the pride and the shame, the hidden and the shared. The opportunity for interpretation of these identities shown in my photographs lives on in the eyes of the beholder, in the minds of the viewers of Live Loud.
about the photographer
I remember the first time I held my own camera. My uncle gifted me his old 1970s Nikon 35mm SLR film camera for my 12th birthday and I was immediately in love. I remember my outlook on life changing when I held the camera. I started looking at reality through the viewfinder of my camera as potential images that I could shoot and capture. Since that day, the magic of a photograph has fascinated me. The power it holds to capture such momentary and fluctuating things such as light and time and turn them into palpable, permanent objects.I found my specialization in portrait photography. I came to realize that the power of this construction of an image is not just my own, but also in the hands of the subject and, eventually, the viewer of my photograph. The creation and portrayal of an image becomes a collective effort. It is this play between objectivity and subjectivity of photography in its construction of reality through portraiture's portrayal of identity that has fascinated me since I first stepped behind the lens of a camera."
Education and Internships
Reed College, Oregon
BA in Fine Arts. Black and White Photography, Darkroom and Digital Photography, 2016
Cully Wright Photography, Fashion Photographer, January 2013- May 2014.
Urban Photography (Jodi Collins), June 2012-December 2012.
The Putney High School, Vermont
Black and White Photography and Darkroom Classes, 2008
The Oxbow School, California
Black and White Photography, Darkroom and Digital Photography, 2007
SOCAPA (School of Creative and Performing Arts), New York
Advanced Photography 8 Week intensive: Black and White Photography, Darkroom, Digital Photography in natural and studio settings, 2006
UC Berkeley, California
Black and White Photography and Darkroom classes, 2005
back to gallery