Art and Design Student, Set to Graduate with Honors, Ready to take innovative photography to the next level

Lindsay Godin spent hours and hours splashing around in her parents’ pool growing up. There were countless cannon balls off the diving board, relaxing moments lounging in an inflatable tube and the graceful dives she perfected.

The last few summers she found another – yet unexpected – use for the pool, and this one is likely to stick with her for years and years.

Godin, an East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania senior from Lebanon, N.J., who will graduate in May with her degree in art and design, started expanding her photography repertoire by taking photos underwater. During the Spring 2013 semester, Godin used them as part of an independent study class with Associate Professor of Art Darlene Farris-LaBar.

“Since they are more abstract and very experimental, most people wouldn’t think I took them in my backyard in the pool,” Godin said. “And since I used nighttime and darkness, you can’t really see what else is around the figure. I think it creates an illusion of space.”

There was much more to the assignment, though, than just submitting the images for a grade. Because Farris-LaBar encourages students to have a deeper connection to their work, she required Godin to write about her images, which included a detailing of concepts, research, influences and the background of the photos.

“That was an important aspect,” Godin said. “It gives people who have an artistic background and those who don’t have an artistic background, a better understanding of my work. Darlene encouraged that. Most school projects were about creating the work but not writing about it. She helped me figure out my concepts and helped me understand myself and where I’m going with photography.”

By the time Godin completed all the work and the semester was over, she had received an A. That’s when Farris-LaBar suggested the two work together to take her images to the next level. Farris-LaBar, Godin’s adviser, suggested they reach out to the Lehigh Valley Center in Bethlehem, Pa., about displaying some of her images.

Bingo. In January, Godin was installing 15 framed, 16 by 20 inch, underwater images of her family and friends, all of which were taken last summer and will be displayed until she graduates summa cum laude on May 10.

“Since they are more abstract and very experimental, most people wouldn’t think I took them in my backyard in the pool,” Godin said. “And since I used nighttime and darkness, you can’t really see what else is around the figure. I think it creates an illusion of space.”

It has also helped created new opportunities for Godin, whose father, Steve Godin, Ph.D., is an ESU professor of health studies and the graduate coordinator for the master’s in public health program. Godin, minoring in photography, recently got word that she has been accepted into the Summer Residency Program at the School of Visual Arts in New York City, which is ranked sixth in the nation for photography. Godin will do extensive photographic work in addition to receiving critiques from renowned faculty members and photographers in the field. The residency starts June 2 and continues until July 3.

Godin, who turns 22 in May, also is planning a trip to the Florida Keys this summer where she hopes a diving excursion will allow her to document tropical fish and coral. And because Godin is interested in the elements of nature, she’s gearing up for her next series to take her away from water and into one that involves air. She also has her sights set on incorporating fire and earth into another series of images.

“I’ll still be shooting underwater and refining my work there, but will experiment with different elements and techniques,” she said.

Godin plans on working toward a Master of Fine Arts in photography. She’s considering several schools, including Syracuse, SUNY-Purchase, Savannah College of Art and Design, Rutgers and the University of Georgia.

Before future schooling becomes official, Godin can’t help but think about the graduation present that awaits her – a Canon 6D – which will be quite the upgrade over the Canon 20D she’s been using since she was 13.

But no matter what camera she’s sporting around her neck, she knows it was ESU that has given her the background she needs to move on and pursue fine art and experimental photography.

“I learned a lot of technical aspects in media communication and technology,” Godin said. “And the art and design program was more conceptual and has taught me how to analyze and critique my work.”

2 Responses to “Art and Design Student, Set to Graduate with Honors, Ready to take innovative photography to the next level”

---

Search

Recent Posts