Imitation of Sam Kaplan
Personal Background: Sam Kaplan is 27, born in Boston, MA, and studied art history and sculpture at Wesleyan University. After graduating from college in 2007, Sam moved to New York City and assisted serveral photographers. They taught him the fundamentals of lighting and running a business. After this he found a group of photographers who he shared studio space with. This is where Sam Kaplan began his journey. Sam Kaplan has received many awards such as the Communication Arts Photography 2017, PDN Photo Annual 2012, and chosen or selected for American Photography awards among others.
Style: Sam has a very literal style in his photos. He uses very real objects and puts them together to make visual art in his photos. Many of his photos also have a very dynamic touch to them. He adds a bit a flare or drama by adding movement to his photos. The environment or the background of his photos is mostly always an achromatic color such as black or white.
Philosophy: Sam shoots commercially for many different companies and/or brands. I think the major idea for many of sam's photos is to promote the product or creating a cool and organized still lifes. In his photos the main object is very obvious and this allows his to really promote a product through his photos. His photos are very creative.
Influence: Some ways that Sam has inspired me is to try creating a theme in each picture. I have a theme for all of my photos as a whole, but having a theme in each photo in itself is harder. What I think makes Sam a good photographer is that in each of his photo's you can see his aesthetic. There is a clear goal he was trying to achieve in each photo and it shows.
Sam Kaplans Website: https://www.samkaplan.com/DRINK/thumbs
Mask: Muy Expensivo/Must have/I'm so great/you need me
Tarot: I have these same tarot cards and they are very symbolic. There is a reason they are laid out the way they are.
Coffe: I really like coffee and this is what happens when you have a problem.
Style: Sam has a very literal style in his photos. He uses very real objects and puts them together to make visual art in his photos. Many of his photos also have a very dynamic touch to them. He adds a bit a flare or drama by adding movement to his photos. The environment or the background of his photos is mostly always an achromatic color such as black or white.
Philosophy: Sam shoots commercially for many different companies and/or brands. I think the major idea for many of sam's photos is to promote the product or creating a cool and organized still lifes. In his photos the main object is very obvious and this allows his to really promote a product through his photos. His photos are very creative.
Influence: Some ways that Sam has inspired me is to try creating a theme in each picture. I have a theme for all of my photos as a whole, but having a theme in each photo in itself is harder. What I think makes Sam a good photographer is that in each of his photo's you can see his aesthetic. There is a clear goal he was trying to achieve in each photo and it shows.
Sam Kaplans Website: https://www.samkaplan.com/DRINK/thumbs
Mask: Muy Expensivo/Must have/I'm so great/you need me
Tarot: I have these same tarot cards and they are very symbolic. There is a reason they are laid out the way they are.
Coffe: I really like coffee and this is what happens when you have a problem.
Coffee AddictionI feel that I did okay with imitating this artist piece of work specifically. I think I really captured the black achromatic background well. Of course I don't have as many mugs as Sam had in his photos, but I tried to lay the mugs out as similar as I could. The Coffee is different shades just like his. Some of my mugs are more empty than others, just like his. I probably the most time perfecting this image.
FortuneThis photo could have been better. I didn't have any bills, or enough dollar bills to put in the imitation so instead I used mask to create the contrast he has with the tarot cards and the dollars. I definitely feel the money was important to the original photograph though. The cards in the imitation are not on flat a surface as the original and the cards are not as neatly organized. This is lack of time put to the photo. The imitation could definitely have been done better. One thing the imitation does not only use the same cards as the original, but also photographs them from a similar angle.
Super-Amazing-Extravagant Facial MaskYou can tell that the imitation is attempting the imitate the original photo. The backgrounds are not similar. The imitation used a white background when they should have used a black background. I think there should be points for creativity. The imitation used a plant that shares the same colors with the original photo. The Imitation photo was not taken from the same angle, which is probably what sets the biggest diversity between the two. The imitation isn't very good, but you can tell there is definitely a similarity.
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Personal Artist Statement/Caption
Each photo has a story behind it. The first photo tells the story of someone with a coffee addiction. The achromatic background adds that bit of dynamic flare. The second photo with the tarot cards, I feel, is literal fortune telling. Especially with the symbols of the pentacles, which represent prosperity, wealth, and abundance. The tarot cards layout because there is contrast between the dollars and the vibrant colored images on the cards. The third photo: The Super-Amazing-Extravagant Facial Mask is a funny story. I know the artist Sam does a lot of advertising and commercial photography. When I saw this photo, I thought about when my friend, Connor and I went to the mall and we talk to this sales lady about her facial mask. I used the same product she sold to Connor in my imitation photograph. Anyway, she was very demanding and very persuasive in attempting to get Connor to buy the product. I wasn't falling for any of it, because I knew a little about cosmetic from my mom. I knew how to not get ripped off. So the photograph uses a refreshing environment and the rule of thirds to really make the viewer think "hey that's a pretty product." Photography marketing is basically what Same does.