Artist Statement

    My name is Ruth Olive and this year i have been experimenting with all sorts of new photography skills. I’ve learned new editing skills on Adobe photoshop such as lighinting effects, lens flares, de saturation, typography and photoshopping in outside images. It has been a lot of fun and i have learned tons. I feel that I have broadened my horizon and become an all around better photographer.
    In my photos I’ve tried to incorporate styles from famous photographers such as William Eggleston, Eugene Atget, and Annie Liebovitz.  There work inspired me in many different ways. William Eggleston has a very unique style full of color. To pay homage to his work I used high contrast in my photos and tried to capture more of a retro scene.  Eugene Atget was a famous French photography he mostly took pictures of architecture. I was intrigued by his artistic eye and ability to look at building and capture their allure. I went out in the streets of downtown St.Paul and Minneapolis to try and mimic his work in my own way. It was probably the style that came the most naturally to me and I enjoyed doing. Annie Libovitz’s photos were my favorite. Her work was beautiful and mind blowing. All her photos really pop out. She worked mostly with people this was a challenge for me but it was a new skill I enjoyed trying out. Her work used a lot of different lighting techniques so I used lamps and different flash settings. I also edited them slightly on Adobe photoshop with their lighting effect and lens flares tools.
    I hope that my work speaks to people. I want it to stand out and show them what life in my shoes is like. I want my work to capture this era in its best and show off all the glamour and fascinations there are in the smallest things. My photos should make people look and think. I want them to demonstrate not just a picture but i thought and idea that will inspire people to think differently and really open there mind and eyes to the world around them.