One of my favorite photographs is "The Wall" taken by Steve McCurry. The extraordinary brightness of the blue walls with the deep red hand prints scattered on the surface, and the young boy in mid flight as he is running through the alley. What I love most about this photograph is the simplicity of the composition. There is no excess foreground or background or business of life, there is just one figure enclosed by his surroundings. In many of McCurry's images he puts himself at eye level with the subject which to me puts greater emphasis on what they are doing at that moment. In my work I find that I tend to look either up or down and very rarely at the same level as the subject. In regards to my personal work, this is something that I aspire to develop. To put myself on the same level as the subject while still being able to play with the architectural angels.

When shooting in digital I find myself very much drawn to the surrounding architecture. The lines and angles as well as the colors are a main focus of inspiration. Growing in up in Southern San Diego I was always surrounded by not only new innovative architecture, but the Spanish style as well. Whenever I can, I love incorporating the two in a photograph, such as the reflection of an old bell tower in the mirrored windows of a modern skyscraper. I am also drawn to the manipulation of the depth of field through the use of angles in structural design. The above picture was executed this past summer near the beaches in San Diego. I was influenced by the color palette of the building as well as the shadows that were cast on the walls by the railing.

My name is Jordan Rick and I am a Senior at the University of Oregon with a major in Art and focus in photography. I grew up in sunny San Diego California. My goals for this class are to develop a well rounded understanding of working with different programs, as well as to find the perfect balance between colors to make a beautiful digital print.