Ball State University senior Kenton Waltz considers himself to be a problem solver of sorts. He said that's what sets him apart as an artist.
His ability to problem solve is what led to constructing his ring flash that helped get about 10 portraits in his exhibit at Cornerstone Center for the Arts.
Waltz's ring flash is composed of six light bulbs wired around a hexagon of wooden boards.
"I can't afford a ring flash as big as the one I have, so building one myself solved that problem," said Waltz.
The light and portraits are part of his exhibit "Eyes on You," which will continue to be on display until Aug. 21 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.
The pieces focus on Waltz's interest in eyes. He said he wanted to relate it back to childhood when kids instinctually look their parents in the eyes.
Using his ring light to light up the shot left a circular glare pattern around the pupil.
"I was trying to really activate the brain just by making the eyes more interesting," Waltz said.
On top of his budget restriction, Waltz also said he found digital equipment cost too much, so he purchased film cameras because they were cheaper but could achieve the same quality.
In the beginning, Waltz said the exhibit wasn't a collaborative effort with display in mind. He said it all started out as portraits to increase his own creativity.
Waltz is double majoring in theater and telecommunications and said he tries to keep a foothold in both areas. He said theater has helped him tell stories, and telecommunications has helped him craft the images.
Most of the models Waltz found for his portraits were found within the Ball State theater department.
He said the models needed headshots, and he needed models, so it all worked itself out.Because they were theater students, Waltz said a lot of them came in with their own ideas of characters to portray, such as stars or lovers.
Waltz said it wasn't at all a formal effort to create a collection. His models just came in and out.
He said he would randomly call his models throughout the day to see if they could stop by for a photo shoot.
"I would be like 'Hey, you're on your way home from the bars; do you mind swinging by?" said Waltz.
As his art pieces started to come together, Waltz was approached by Robby Tompkins, Director of Education of Cornerstone Center for the Arts and was offered the July to August time slot for his exhibit.
Tompkins said Cornerstone was looking for student artists to display in the gallery, and he chose Waltz.
"It was a great experience," said Tompkins. "I felt honored to have him in the gallery."
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