The Snapshots of Madelyn's Life

  Cyanotype print from Project 1 Model photo from Project 3 Personal photo taken while completing Project 2

For my final project, I decided to dive deep into the art of astrophotography. I've been obsessed with space ever since I was a little kid, and the idea of things being so massive millions of light years away from us is unfathomable. These massive balls of burning gas can still send us light, even from the great distance they have from us here on Earth. And every night, they shine brightly, some brighter than others. We've pieced some of them together into little pictograms, calling them "constellations" and using them to describe our unknown past. Some of these "stars" were later found to not be stars at all, but instead planets. These shine much brighter in the night sky than all the others, identifiable by their round figure and crescent shaped light. But beautiful lights aren't just from figures millions of miles away, some can appear within our atmosphere. Normally further north, the phenomenon known as "aurora borealis" has begun to creep...

  Artist's Statement This photomontage is of an older building in downtown Aberdeen. Old buildings have such a special place in my heart, they have so much history with so much character. In fact, my apartment I currently reside in is exactly 125 years old! Older buildings have smells, sights, sounds, and an aura that can only be described as magical. They have stories they could tell, if only they could talk. And no matter how rundown they get, no matter how much the paint fades, they're still just as beautiful as the day they were built. If only we could construct these buildings normally these days, not the lifeless husks of cookie-cutter buildings we make instead.

 Model Shots (Top 8) Object Shots (Top 8)

  The Lexicon project makes students find a word that resonates with them and tell the story of said word through pictures. I chose the word "Spirit" and proceeded to take pictures of my hometown High School Football team. These pictures are close to my heart, as my younger brother is a starter on the team. Not only that, but my father has been the head coach for a very long time. I grew up around football, and regardless of where life takes me, it'll never leave me. Go Cubs!

Our first project taught us how to create digital negatives and use them to create cyanotypes. This is a very similar process to using film negatives to print photos, so I really enjoyed this project!

  I'm incredibly indecisive so here's my personal favorites from throughout the year!

Thanks to Avis  Schulte for posing for me! ❤

Cabbage Leaf - Edward Weston 1931 Cabbage Leaf - Madelyn Haak 2024 Grass and Sea, Big Sur - Edward Weston 1937 Crazy Bush - Madelyn Haak 2024 Hill & Telephone Poles, Sonoma County - Edward Weston 1937 The Birds Return - Madelyn Haak 2024 Aspen Valley, New Mexico - Edward Weston 1937 Spring Brings New Life - Madelyn Haak 2024