George Eastman Museum Trip

        In October, I had the opportunity to attend a trip to the George Eastman Museum Trip for my History Photography class. I witnessed some very interesting and cool exhibitions, including nature forces, war moments, contemporary photography, and the head of Kodak's mansion (George Eastman). I'll be writing about my favorite photos displayed in the gallery that they had, my first thoughts, and why I enjoyed them the most.

    

           The first photo above was taken by Edward Burtynsky, titled Old Factories #9, Fushun Aluminum Smelter, Fushun City, Liaoning Province, China, 2005. When I first saw this photo, I was intrigued by the perfectly symmetrical photo that was taken, seeing how an abandoned warehouse can look so distinct. After reading the description, this building is an abandoned aluminum smelter in China to shows how an industrialized setting is affected as time passes. Seeing the rusted material left and right and the stairs on each side was eye-catching to me because places like these are abandoned for a reason but being taken symmetrically, for me, gives it a different vibe. I enjoy a lot of symmetrical work, and seeing a place like this is surprising because it shows how abandoned places can have some beauty.

        The second photo in the exhibition I enjoyed is by Ansel Adams, titled Mount Williamson from Manzanar, California, 1944. This one is interesting because it was misleading to me. When I first saw it, I assumed it was the aftermath of a battle during World War 2, seeing that it was a scenery photo of some mountains in a war exhibition. The photo was taken near an incarceration camp near the mountains, in which 100,000 people of Japanese descent citizens were held during World War 2 in Manzanar, California. What I meant that the photo was misleading was that I expected this photo to be taken on a battlefield and not in the United States, knowing the context of the exhibition. Besides my being misled, this photo is beautiful, capturing the two mountains in the background while the pile of rocks is the main attraction. The scenery makes this photo enjoyable, which is interesting since it moves away from what's trying to portray a time in which the world was in the middle of an impactful war.

  

        The last photograph that was my favorite from this museum is Tamas Dezso's titled, The Flooded Village of Geamana, 2011. This photo was my favorite out of the other two: landscape photography. I'm a big fan of landscape photography, and this photo does a great job capturing the land and having the tower in the middle of the disaster caused by flooding. Nature is well-represented in this photo; I just enjoy it because it shows how nature can be both dangerous and beautiful. The tower in the middle is like the icing on the cake because it is perfectly in the middle, giving it the mysterious factor in the image. 

        Overall, this trip was very enjoyable because I learned a lot about George Eastman and how he lived his life as the head of Kodak. Although it was a good learning experience, it is also tragic how he lived his life, making an impact in the photography industry but having to live a lonely life and dying of suicide. Having to see the things that he worked on/created was nice because he's the one who moved the industry in the early 20th century, dominating and influencing photography. I had fun on this trip, seeing amazing work from certain photographers and having the chance to witness the mansion of George Eastman.