2008 Woodie Awards
Student Spotlight
Geist, Kellie
Issue date: 9/6/06 Section: Features
Works from a summer study abroad in Japan line the walls of NKU's Fishbowl Student Gallery. Student photographers Joseph Lamb, Evangeline Bauerie and Kate Helmes join with Josh White to create a multi-dimensional view of Japan.
White, a senior photography major who tends to photograph scenes he stumbles upon, was captivated by the patterns and intricacies of Japanese Life. White said, "I try not to think about making art because that adds a whole other layer of stress that I don't need." White said, "I just look around and try to get a feel for my surroundings."
"You have to edit yourself more harshly because to you everything in this foreign country seems interesting and erotic." He said. Photos of abstractly contrasting blinds, people standing with their arms crossed, and a pair of yellow pump shoes in a subway made it into White's final presentation.
White's decision to try a hand in the art world was a relatively recent development-he started as a microbiology major. "I got a point and shoot camera for Christmas about five years ago" White said, "and I just liked making pictures. Not your everyday snapshots but the kind of images you have to think about. I fell in love with it."
"I still enjoy microbiology, but there is just something about making a good picture." He said, "I miss the lab but maybe that's why I like the darkroom so much-it sort of feels like a lab to me."
Like many other artists, White prefers to work alone and without distractions. "I shoot by myself." White said, "I don't listen to music or anything because I have to focus of what's in front of me."
The Advanced Photography class, taught by NKU professor Matt Albritton, toured cities like Hiroshima, Tokyo and Kyoto.
White was very comfortable working in unfamiliar territory. "In a sense it's actually easier to shoot (photographs) in a foreign country because there is a sense of anonymity." He said, "The people see a big American, at least in my case, and they look at you weird anyway."
White, a senior photography major who tends to photograph scenes he stumbles upon, was captivated by the patterns and intricacies of Japanese Life. White said, "I try not to think about making art because that adds a whole other layer of stress that I don't need." White said, "I just look around and try to get a feel for my surroundings."
"You have to edit yourself more harshly because to you everything in this foreign country seems interesting and erotic." He said. Photos of abstractly contrasting blinds, people standing with their arms crossed, and a pair of yellow pump shoes in a subway made it into White's final presentation.
White's decision to try a hand in the art world was a relatively recent development-he started as a microbiology major. "I got a point and shoot camera for Christmas about five years ago" White said, "and I just liked making pictures. Not your everyday snapshots but the kind of images you have to think about. I fell in love with it."
"I still enjoy microbiology, but there is just something about making a good picture." He said, "I miss the lab but maybe that's why I like the darkroom so much-it sort of feels like a lab to me."
Like many other artists, White prefers to work alone and without distractions. "I shoot by myself." White said, "I don't listen to music or anything because I have to focus of what's in front of me."
The Advanced Photography class, taught by NKU professor Matt Albritton, toured cities like Hiroshima, Tokyo and Kyoto.
White was very comfortable working in unfamiliar territory. "In a sense it's actually easier to shoot (photographs) in a foreign country because there is a sense of anonymity." He said, "The people see a big American, at least in my case, and they look at you weird anyway."
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