Please visit http://www.revealing-character.com/tintypes/tintypes.htm for more pictures.

            

Upon receiving the assignment to reenact a piece art by taking the original and remaking it into a “personalized” version, I decided that, due to my interest in photography, my project will be based in this area.  While researching famous photographers, I stumbled across Rob Kendrick, an artist who, using 19^th century tin-type (an alternative photographic method which can be utilized to produce antique-looking, one-of-a-kind images), captured the images of real-life Texas cowboys in his series, Revealing Character.  Kendrick never styled any of his subjects before the photo shoot; he photographed the people as they were.  This unique approach allowed him the rare chance to capture and describe the authentic essence and heart of the Texas cowboy—an essance that moves far deeper than the glamour of Hollywood and the spotlight of fiction novels. 

In my reenactment of Rob Kendrick’s series, Revealing Character, I plan to photograph the people of my hometown in Lancaster, an area in Pennsylvania made infamous due to its quaint towns, picturesque farms, and austere Amish.  I, like Kendrick, will photograph the people of Lancaster as they naturally appear in their hometown instead of styling and posing them.  This straightforward approach will help me in my attempt capture the true essence of Lancaster—an essence that moves past the clique, well known aspects.  I will then manipulate the photographs using Photoshop in order to imitate the tin-type technique which Rob Kendrick uses in his series.  The final resulting pictures will most likely be printed, matted, and displayed.  

"I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings"

I have always found this image fascinating.  Often times, when looking for text, we search for easily readable, readily available letters.  In this picture, the opposite occurs.  

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings

The free bird leaps on the back of the win and floats downstream till the current ends and dips his wings in the orange sun rays and dares to claim the sky. But a bird that stalks down his narrow cage can seldom see through his bars of rage his wings are clipped and his feet are tied so he opens his throat to sing. The caged bird sings with fearful trill of the things unknown but longed for still and is tune is heard on the distant hillfor the caged bird sings of freedom The free bird thinks of another breeze an the trade winds soft through the sighing trees and the fat worms waiting on a dawn-bright lawn and he names the sky his own. But a caged bird stands on the grave of dreams his shadow shouts on a nightmare scream his wings are clipped and his feet are tied so he opens his throat to sing The caged bird sings with a fearful trill of things unknown but longed for still and his tune is heard on the distant hill for the caged bird sings of freedom.  Maya Angelou  Though the text is plain in this image, I find the visual rhythm that written poems form to be very interesting.

Self Portrait Imitating Style of Artist Haruyo Morita