Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Sunday morning Fujiroids
I awoke to a light dusting of snow. We've had more snow this year than the previous twenty I've lived here combined.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Citizen Photojournailsm
Citizen photojournalist.
I’ve recoiled somewhat from the notion in the past, fairly confident the power of photojournalism would be diminished if we relied too much on everyday people and their cell phone videos to report the major stories of the day, (and of course concerned about the ultimate affect it might have on my own livelihood). However when I first heard of the crash into the Hudson last week I immediately thought of the citizen photos that would inevitably appear, yet also confident there would be “real” images as well given it was NYC and the home base of some the finest photojournalists in the world. What I’ve found remarkable, and perhaps I just haven’t looked in the right places, is the relative dearth of those “real” images and the relative high quality of the citizen images. In the NY Times for example there are 16 news images and 18 reader submitted. I hate to say it but in many cases the reader submitted images are more compelling.
Check these:
http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2009/01/15/nyregion/20090115_plane_readers_slideshow_index.html
http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2009/01/15/us/20090115-PLANECRASH_index.html
and commentary here:
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/technology/2009/01/citizen-photo-o.html
I’ve recoiled somewhat from the notion in the past, fairly confident the power of photojournalism would be diminished if we relied too much on everyday people and their cell phone videos to report the major stories of the day, (and of course concerned about the ultimate affect it might have on my own livelihood). However when I first heard of the crash into the Hudson last week I immediately thought of the citizen photos that would inevitably appear, yet also confident there would be “real” images as well given it was NYC and the home base of some the finest photojournalists in the world. What I’ve found remarkable, and perhaps I just haven’t looked in the right places, is the relative dearth of those “real” images and the relative high quality of the citizen images. In the NY Times for example there are 16 news images and 18 reader submitted. I hate to say it but in many cases the reader submitted images are more compelling.
Check these:
http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2009/01/15/nyregion/20090115_plane_readers_slideshow_index.html
http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2009/01/15/us/20090115-PLANECRASH_index.html
and commentary here:
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/technology/2009/01/citizen-photo-o.html
Monday, January 19, 2009
Nadav Kander's Obama's People
It’s been interesting reading the comments to aphotoeditor Rob Haggart’s posting of the “real behind the scenes” to Nadav Kander’s Obama’s People shoot and subsequent portfolio in the NY times Magazine, as well as other blogs. Lots of snarky comments criticizing the work, questioning the choice of Kander, the lighting style, and reeking of “I coulda, woulda done better”. I find it telling that the most vocal of these critics posted anonymously. For the most part an examination of the work of those few who did have the courage to post a link to their own work showed them to be artists of a lesser caliber and hardly with the credentials to take their comments seriously.
I found it curious how differently I responded to the printed version of the portfolio as opposed to the web slide show and it reaffirmed my belief that the web is an inferior medium for viewing photographs. Sorry it just is. I found I spent more time and looked at the images with a more curious and open mind, that I actually “looked” at them whereas on the web I “scrolled” through them much more quickly. On that note perhaps the web is an inferior format for serious criticism as well as most commenters seem to have blabbed out the first thing that popped into their heads rather than spending time with the work in question and looking at it in context.
Many people at APE criticized the lighting design, which is rather flat and shadowless and I have to admit I initially found it uninspiring as well. But as I spent more time with the images I began to believe a more shadowed richer light would intrude in allowing the viewer to simply see the person, which is I think the goal of this project. Avedon’s work was always more about Avedon and his own notions of the subject rather than the subject themsleves, something he never denied, whereas this project succeeds by letting the subjects tell their own stories without being burdened by the weight of technique. I suppose many might say the project fails for the same reason.
These images are of course being compared to Avedon’s landmark “The Family” portfolio in Rolling Stone from 1976, which was a purposeful source of inspiration for the Kander's portfolio, as well as Jeff Reidel’s brilliant portfolio from the campaign in GQ earlier this year, and the blog’s critics offer no shortage of suggestions of other artists who should have been given the assignment. Why not Annie, Heisler or Greenfield-Sanders. Hell why not Terry Richardson for god’s sake. The decision who to hire rests solely with the editorial staff of the publication and to suggest they somehow made a mistake only opens oneself to the same criticism anytime your own work is published.
The suggestions that it should have been limited to an American photographer was most ludicrous in my mind and I was reminded of D.J. Stout’s statement he never hired artists by zip code. As if The Americans would have somehow been better had Robert Frank been born in Chicago?
Whether Kander’s portraits live up to Avedon’s is unfair as what could? But I find them to be a compelling, if perhaps flawed, portrait of a group of people on whose shoulders the weight of expectations, hope and desires of the entire world must carry. I can only hope these people receive a better range of consideration than have Kander’s photographs from aphotoeditor’s audience.
I found it curious how differently I responded to the printed version of the portfolio as opposed to the web slide show and it reaffirmed my belief that the web is an inferior medium for viewing photographs. Sorry it just is. I found I spent more time and looked at the images with a more curious and open mind, that I actually “looked” at them whereas on the web I “scrolled” through them much more quickly. On that note perhaps the web is an inferior format for serious criticism as well as most commenters seem to have blabbed out the first thing that popped into their heads rather than spending time with the work in question and looking at it in context.
Many people at APE criticized the lighting design, which is rather flat and shadowless and I have to admit I initially found it uninspiring as well. But as I spent more time with the images I began to believe a more shadowed richer light would intrude in allowing the viewer to simply see the person, which is I think the goal of this project. Avedon’s work was always more about Avedon and his own notions of the subject rather than the subject themsleves, something he never denied, whereas this project succeeds by letting the subjects tell their own stories without being burdened by the weight of technique. I suppose many might say the project fails for the same reason.
These images are of course being compared to Avedon’s landmark “The Family” portfolio in Rolling Stone from 1976, which was a purposeful source of inspiration for the Kander's portfolio, as well as Jeff Reidel’s brilliant portfolio from the campaign in GQ earlier this year, and the blog’s critics offer no shortage of suggestions of other artists who should have been given the assignment. Why not Annie, Heisler or Greenfield-Sanders. Hell why not Terry Richardson for god’s sake. The decision who to hire rests solely with the editorial staff of the publication and to suggest they somehow made a mistake only opens oneself to the same criticism anytime your own work is published.
The suggestions that it should have been limited to an American photographer was most ludicrous in my mind and I was reminded of D.J. Stout’s statement he never hired artists by zip code. As if The Americans would have somehow been better had Robert Frank been born in Chicago?
Whether Kander’s portraits live up to Avedon’s is unfair as what could? But I find them to be a compelling, if perhaps flawed, portrait of a group of people on whose shoulders the weight of expectations, hope and desires of the entire world must carry. I can only hope these people receive a better range of consideration than have Kander’s photographs from aphotoeditor’s audience.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
A Photographer Bailout
I got a chuckle when I heard that Larry Flynt and the Girls Gone Wild guy were calling for a Porn bailout. Naturally I came to the conclusion there should be a photographer’s bailout. Then I read a comment over on Mark Tucker’s Journal “Maybe if we wait a few more months, and things get even worse, the WPA and FSA will come rolling back into town” and I’m thinking why the hell not. In a bailout world of multi-billions a mere $100 million or so could put a number of fine documentary photographers to work creating an invaluable archive of these “interesting” times. I’d sign up. And since I'm dreaming the new crew would only be allowed to shoot film, black and white film, thereby resuscitating another dieing industry.
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Couple more from the September motorycle trip. These are slowly appearing at Miscellaneous
South Dakota
Nebraska
South Dakota
Nebraska
Thursday, January 8, 2009
If I had only known it could be so cheap
I found this ad on Craigslist today. If only I had known it was so easy I could have saved so much time, money and effort.
Date: 2009-01-06, 7:26PM PST
"This was originally a correspondence course I took in High School when I wanted to learn photography (I am actually now a professional wedding photographer :). While you could not use the "correspondence" part of this course any longer, there is still a lot of valuable information in these videos. http://www.icslearn.com . I am including all the course books at no charge because they do have highlighting in them.
Yes, the video host is not terribly easy on the eyes. It's dated, but he's very good at teaching the fundamentals of photography in an easy-to-understand manner. It also goes into The Business of Photography, putting a portfolio together, studio lighting, etc. It's very thorough and I definitely learned a lot from this course. It was not a cheap program ($200+), but you can have all the videos and books for only $25. I will be happy if a budding photographer can get good use out of them now.
$25 includes:
VIDEOS - The Darkroom, Photographic Light, Photographic Design, The Video Guide to Basic Photography, The Studio, The Video Guide to Basic 35mm Photography.
BOOKS (Free)- The Exciting World of Photography, Photography Basics, The Nature of Light, Camera Basics, Choosing Your Subject, Digital Photography, Business Skills for Photographers, Video Photography, Presentation Skills, Lighting for Photography, Printing Color Photographs and Slides, The Joy of Photography, Printing Black and White Photographs, Image Design, Development and Processing of Photographs, and 6 photographer activity booklets.
If you are interested, please email me and include your phone number, or call Heather at xxx-xxx-xxxxx. Cash only please. I am willing to meet you partway if you are not too far. Thank you."
Photography Education - Complete Curriculum - $20
Reply to: sale-983222086@craigslist.org [?]Date: 2009-01-06, 7:26PM PST
"This was originally a correspondence course I took in High School when I wanted to learn photography (I am actually now a professional wedding photographer :). While you could not use the "correspondence" part of this course any longer, there is still a lot of valuable information in these videos. http://www.icslearn.com . I am including all the course books at no charge because they do have highlighting in them.
Yes, the video host is not terribly easy on the eyes. It's dated, but he's very good at teaching the fundamentals of photography in an easy-to-understand manner. It also goes into The Business of Photography, putting a portfolio together, studio lighting, etc. It's very thorough and I definitely learned a lot from this course. It was not a cheap program ($200+), but you can have all the videos and books for only $25. I will be happy if a budding photographer can get good use out of them now.
$25 includes:
VIDEOS - The Darkroom, Photographic Light, Photographic Design, The Video Guide to Basic Photography, The Studio, The Video Guide to Basic 35mm Photography.
BOOKS (Free)- The Exciting World of Photography, Photography Basics, The Nature of Light, Camera Basics, Choosing Your Subject, Digital Photography, Business Skills for Photographers, Video Photography, Presentation Skills, Lighting for Photography, Printing Color Photographs and Slides, The Joy of Photography, Printing Black and White Photographs, Image Design, Development and Processing of Photographs, and 6 photographer activity booklets.
If you are interested, please email me and include your phone number, or call Heather at xxx-xxx-xxxxx. Cash only please. I am willing to meet you partway if you are not too far. Thank you."
Monday, January 5, 2009
Terry Toedtemeier RIP
The photography community has lost a great champion and a great artist. Outside of Portland his name was not well known but the impact Terry Toedtemeier had was illustrated by the size of the crowd that came to pay their respects at his memorial service yesterday.
I knew Terry only casually, through mutual friends yet during our conversations I came to know him as a sweet gentle man, always with a twinkle in his eye, always with a mischievous grin, a person I always wished to get too know better. So as I listened to the stories those closest to him shared I couldn’t help but feel an even greater sense of loss.
I knew Terry only casually, through mutual friends yet during our conversations I came to know him as a sweet gentle man, always with a twinkle in his eye, always with a mischievous grin, a person I always wished to get too know better. So as I listened to the stories those closest to him shared I couldn’t help but feel an even greater sense of loss.
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
I realize it's been since February that I've last posted and other than a minor crisis of confidence that no one really cares and the conviction that the world may not need the additional information all I can say is that life got complicated. But in the spirit of sharing (oversharing?) I'll attempt a year in review kind of a highlight reel sort of deal. Here goes:
January: Spent New Years Day at the Oregon Coast with family and friends and the afternoon shooting black and white film under beautiful eery light which I later published as a blurb book creatively titled New Years Day
February: Had two covers in one month (see previous post), shot an annual report and nursed a sore back. Angry White Men was shown at the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art at the University of Oregon in Eugene. Also had a piece in a show at the Holter Museum of Art in Helena Montana (see previous posts).
March: Soap Box Derby season resumed with a race in Poulsbo Washington. T finished poorly, not accustomed to the track's curve and slow drop. This picture is un-related.
April: Traveled to North Dakota for Bloomberg to photograph oil development in the Bakken region.
I also spoke about my work to the University of Oregon Photojournalism Department. T scored a 5th and 6th place finish at her first race back on her home track in Salem.
May: T scored her very first win at the final Hood River Soap Box Derby rally. I forgot my camera. Multiple assignments for Time and People and another annual report.
June: Mourned the death of my Mother. Took the kids for a hike to my favorite place.
A week later T won the local Soap Box Derby Championship race qualifying to go to the world championship in Akron Ohio. I cried.
July: We traveled to Akron for the All American Soap Box Derby World Championships. T crashed in what we were later told was the most spectacular crash in 30 years, hitting the guardrail, spinning out, crashing into the car in the next lane and spinning another 360 before hitting the far guardrail. Scared the hell out of me. She handled it with a lot of class, like a true Champion. I told her it's bettter to burn out than to fade away and out of 400 kids eliminated in their first heat she will be the one kid that is remembered.
The next day went back out to the track to see her wrecked car and walked the track. Skid marks were plainly visible from the spin out, etc..
August: We took a vacation in Kauai.
September: I rode my motorcycle 7600 miles across country to my Mother's memorial service and back. Kept a journal and made photogaphs. Published the story on advrider.com here.
October: T and I drove to Vallejo CA where she took 3 for 3 first places in the Northern Ca. Soap Box Derby Rally. I forgot my camera.
Also shot an ad for the Oregon Lottery a portrait of a leprechaun in an old growth forest. Thea d hasn't run yet so I can't show it but here's production still
November: Nothing notable happened in November.
December: Both of my daughters have their birthdays in December as well as that other holiday so needless to say it's a chaotic month. But one of my favorite clients (okay, they are all my favorite) sent me to Whistler and Vancouver for a story that hasn't run yet and therefore I can't talk about.
Happy New Year.
January: Spent New Years Day at the Oregon Coast with family and friends and the afternoon shooting black and white film under beautiful eery light which I later published as a blurb book creatively titled New Years Day
February: Had two covers in one month (see previous post), shot an annual report and nursed a sore back. Angry White Men was shown at the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art at the University of Oregon in Eugene. Also had a piece in a show at the Holter Museum of Art in Helena Montana (see previous posts).
March: Soap Box Derby season resumed with a race in Poulsbo Washington. T finished poorly, not accustomed to the track's curve and slow drop. This picture is un-related.
April: Traveled to North Dakota for Bloomberg to photograph oil development in the Bakken region.
I also spoke about my work to the University of Oregon Photojournalism Department. T scored a 5th and 6th place finish at her first race back on her home track in Salem.
May: T scored her very first win at the final Hood River Soap Box Derby rally. I forgot my camera. Multiple assignments for Time and People and another annual report.
June: Mourned the death of my Mother. Took the kids for a hike to my favorite place.
A week later T won the local Soap Box Derby Championship race qualifying to go to the world championship in Akron Ohio. I cried.
July: We traveled to Akron for the All American Soap Box Derby World Championships. T crashed in what we were later told was the most spectacular crash in 30 years, hitting the guardrail, spinning out, crashing into the car in the next lane and spinning another 360 before hitting the far guardrail. Scared the hell out of me. She handled it with a lot of class, like a true Champion. I told her it's bettter to burn out than to fade away and out of 400 kids eliminated in their first heat she will be the one kid that is remembered.
The next day went back out to the track to see her wrecked car and walked the track. Skid marks were plainly visible from the spin out, etc..
August: We took a vacation in Kauai.
September: I rode my motorcycle 7600 miles across country to my Mother's memorial service and back. Kept a journal and made photogaphs. Published the story on advrider.com here.
October: T and I drove to Vallejo CA where she took 3 for 3 first places in the Northern Ca. Soap Box Derby Rally. I forgot my camera.
Also shot an ad for the Oregon Lottery a portrait of a leprechaun in an old growth forest. Thea d hasn't run yet so I can't show it but here's production still
November: Nothing notable happened in November.
December: Both of my daughters have their birthdays in December as well as that other holiday so needless to say it's a chaotic month. But one of my favorite clients (okay, they are all my favorite) sent me to Whistler and Vancouver for a story that hasn't run yet and therefore I can't talk about.
Happy New Year.
Monday, December 29, 2008
Polaroid
Good article in the NY Times, Week In Review here by Michael Kimmelman. When Polaroid announced they were ceasing production of film I wasn't surprised but it did make me very sad. Like every other photographer, I've been dabbling with Polaroids for a long time in my personal and professional work. Nothing is quite like the magic of watching one of those images slowly emerge from the grayness. Of course image quality was never what you expected but it often weas so much more. I'm going to miss them. I traded one of my early hand made books to Robert Stevens for a SX-70 back in 1978. Here are a few:
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