May 10, 2008
© Emiliano Granado
Beautiful images showcased in a beautiful website. Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication, as Leonardo da Vinci said.
A lot of artists will use bios/ or /statements/ to ramble on and on trying to give their work additional power or legitimacy. Not here. My photographs are what they are. Straight up reality. I'm just using my camera as an excuse to peer into peoples' lives and observe them.- Emiliano Granado
© Emiliano Granado
Miguel Garcia-Guzman
Posted in Photographers, Photography 
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May 7, 2008
© Christopher LaMarca
A good idea for a photojournalism project should have relevance, should have immediacy, should cause controversy, should touch a topic outside of the mainstream media and should affect the emotions of the viewer. Pair that with beautiful photography, images that drive the narrative with beautiful aesthetics, and the result is work with significance and impact.
I am describing "Forest Defenders" by Christopher LaMarca, a great project that exemplifies all these qualities and has served to launch further Christopher's career, with numerous awards and publications. In this project, Christopher LaMarca has been photographing environmental activists who protest logging in the once protected areas of pristine national forests.
These days I am particularly sensitive to logging and the destruction of trees. Few weeks ago I went to "my" canyon for a run in the afternoon to find it fenced, access totally restricted, the trees destroyed and cut in pieces, and all the signs of new multi-million dollar houses coming in. It happened in few days, just few days to destroy it. Anger is not enough to describe what I felt. A sense of loss that I will not forget.
Remember the "qualities" when you search for ideas of your next project: relevance, immediacy, controversy, unconventional, emotional. This will be a good start for the project.
I have been photographing these activists and loggers since the summer of 2003. My connection to this project revolves around the passion and endless work that consumes these people who live in the back-country for months at a time; and who are willing to sacrifice their comforts' to stand up for their beliefs. Although these activists are often seen as radicals or eco-terrorists, little has been documented about their activities outside of these stereotypes. These stunning landscapes will continue to be decimated due to political pressure and lack of education, these are some of last truly wild places left in America.- Christopher LaMarca
© Christopher LaMarca
This project garnered him numerous awards, including PDN's 30 New and Emerging Photographers To Watch and NPPA's Best of Photojournalism. His Forest Defenders project was featured in the 2006-2007 ICP triennial, Ecotopia, along with being published in Aperture and Art Review.
Miguel Garcia-Guzman
Posted in Books, Photographers, Photography No Comments »
May 5, 2008
© Wayne Lawrence
Wayne Lawrence is a documentary/portrait photographer based in Brooklyn, New York. I find his portraits really excellent. Most images appear to be shots of regular people taken in the street, or maybe, not so regular people after all.
I find particularly compelling the intensity of the subjects in his images. They convey a sense of meaningful presence, energizing the moment, and at the same time convey a sense of timelessness. Time has no value, past and present remain the same in their life.
© Wayne Lawrence
© Wayne Lawrence
Miguel Garcia-Guzman
Posted in Photographers, Photography No Comments »
May 4, 2008
Noel Rodo, editor of the great blog "We can't Paint" is expanding his efforts and will create soon two additional online ventures related with contemporary photography: an online magazine and an online gallery. He is now requesting work from contributors and it is my great pleasure to pass his message to you.It is very interesting to see how the internet and the efforts from a number of great bloggers [you can find many of them at the links on the side bar] is creating new ways for emerging artists to share both their work and express their opinions. More exciting, it is refreshing to see many people, with diverse backgrounds, sharing their intense appreciation for photography.
Read the rest of this entry »
Miguel Garcia-Guzman
Posted in Blogs Speaking Photography, Photography 1 Comment »
May 1, 2008
© William Greiner
There are some photographers that master the use of color to the extend of becoming the most important subject of the photograph. It is not about the elements depicted in the frame, it is not about the light, it is about the color. William Greiner, uses color as the main excuse to arrange the other elements in a picture. It is simple, and delicate, no need to saturate the image full of colors, juts to arrange some color elements in subtle ways. I love it. It is no surprise that one of his influences was William Eggleston.
Making Room magazine published a very interesting interview with William Greiner on his work in new Orleans after Katrina.
"At the age of twelve, I bought my first camera by mail order. It was a cheap 35mm model with no light meter. I would spend hours in front of my house photographing automobiles as they passed. The process was an experiment in exposing film in different ways and achieving different results. This experience hooked me on the magic of the medium." --William Greiner
© William Greiner
Miguel Garcia-Guzman
Posted in Photographers, Photography No Comments »
May 1, 2008
Coming soon, [May 14th -18th], and billed by the organizers as the future of contemporary photography, the five day event will exhibit a large collection of photography around several warehouses and pavilions covering more than 75,ooo square feet.
It is organized by Daniel Power, founder and CEO of powerHouse Books and Frank Evers, managing director of VII Photo Agency. The event will take place at DUMBO, an area in Brooklyn, just below the Manhattan Bridge overpass, that it is becoming the New York Photo district, and it is signaling the need to find alternatives to the "establishment" of Chelsie galleries.
It you are fortunate enough to be in New York City, it will be feast for the eyes.
Miguel Garcia-Guzman
Posted in Exhibits No Comments »
April 29, 2008
© Jock Sturges
Lines of Beauty and Grace, the photography of Jock Sturges. You can see an interesting interview with the artist here. This interview is associated with a documentary released on DVD about the photographer and entitled "Lines of Beauty and Grace".
I love this title because it is associated with the theory of aesthetics by the painter William Hogarth, as he wrote in a book called "The Analysis of Beauty" [full text online here]. The concept of Lines of Beauty and Grace is just a perfect description of the sense of beauty that the work of Jock Sturges conveys. Smoothness and curved lines, with gradients leading to smooth transitions. Lines of Beauty and Grace.
William Hogarth proposed that the core of "Beauty of Line" in art or nature is not the simple geometry of a straight line or circle, or more elaborated but still simple shapes like the oval, but of curves that progress smoothly from one gradient to another. An example of line of beauty would be a S-shaped line, a geometric figure that excites the attention of the viewer as opposed to simple straight lines, or crossed lines that convey a negative impression to the viewer. Hogarth defined the s-curve as the basis for all great art.
The following excerpt is from the book, Mental Science: A Compendium of Psychology and the History of Philosophy (Classics in Psychology Series) [Ayer Publishing]
"Waving lines are more beautiful that straight lines, because they are more varied; and among the waving lines, there is but one entitled to be called The Line of Beauty, the others bulging too much, and so being gross and clumsy, or straightening too much, and thereby becoming lean and poor. But the most beautiful line is the serpentine line called by Hogarth, the Line of Grace. This is the line drawn once round, from the base to the apex, of a long, slender cone. As contrasted with straight lines, the Lines of Beauty and Grace posses an intrinsic power of pleasing"
The power of pleasing, the power of beauty, this is the intent of the photographic work of Jock Sturges, as he explains in the interview.
Miguel Garcia-Guzman
Posted in Photography 1 Comment »
April 28, 2008
If you want to lose passion for your hobby, just make it your business!
When photography becomes a business ... often times it looses its most appealing attraction, uniqueness and artistic essence.
For most photographers that go into the business of making money with their photography, the initial driver is a personal passion for art, an internal need to express themselves with their photography. Soon after, they face the reality that a business is about the product, and it is about the client and market needs.
Commercial, and editorial photography target "average tastes", and it has become a commodity. Event photography is a commodity as well. Yes, exceptions occur, and some advertisement and magazines take advantage of the artistic aspects of photography. Even some event photographers do great artistic images, although it seems that most use the same "cheesy" photoshop filters and actions. Some great editorial photographers are now exhibiting in fine art galleries, an interesting trend that keeps growing in importance. But, in general, photography has become a commodity.
Anyway, why is this important?
Well, because selling commodities is a hard pill to swallow for people with artistic passion, people that want to be themselves, unique. Many photographers can't handle the idea of creating average pictures to satisfy average tastes just because of the money. They much prefer to sell their "unique" product, no matter if there is only a tiny market for it. Like in any other business, selling to a tiny market is a hard path to follow.
One has the option to explore the fine art market, and sell personal art for money. In fine art, no commodities are allowed, originality is what pays. This is a genuine adventure that I very much appreciate and admire, but often times it becomes a recipe for frustration. After all, what is the proportion of fine art photographers that can make a living selling their work?
So, what are the options for most of the photographers that just want to make the pictures they are passionated about?
One path is quite simple, and actually can be very satisfactory. Keep photography as your hobby, and do it just for pure passion and interest, not for money. This will allow you to keep your artistic essence intact, and you will follow a given path because your emotions drive you there. It will not be about the money, no need to compromise your work because of the money. Your images will just be limited by your own skills, talent, dedication and passion. You, nothing else, nobody else, will set the limit. Perhaps you will even have more time to photograph your personal projects than if you work as a full time professional photographer. Ironic, isn't it.
Photographers are passionated people, and passionated people are passionated not only about one thing, but many. Perhaps an option to consider is to choose to make a living with a passion that offers better opportunities to bring money home, and keep your second passion, photography, alive as a hobby ... to live a passionated life, at full intensity. Your job and your photography. I took this path myself. Circumstances and realities set the trajectory for me. Now I live with passion my job as a scientist and thoroughly enjoy my love for photography.
But, of course, if you are one of the few ones that truly have courage, genuine and unique talent as an artist, I wish you the best to try make your art your daily job. I admire you for trying, and respect you for succeeding.
This post was inspired after reading recently some posts from great emerging photographers that I very much admire and respect, who expressed at their blogs the frustration of the difficult path to make a living and get recognition. It is also inspired after reading an article about stock photography and seeing, "again", the commodities that are being produced by top micro stock earners.
Miguel Garcia-Guzman
Posted in Photography 16 Comments »
April 26, 2008
Mark Hobson, photographer and blogger at "The Landscapist", has written a very interesting post regarding the interplay of words and photography. I love the humorous, but meaningful, finishing of his post.
In a way, the same concept applies to most activities and projects we undertake in life. It is quite revealing how taking a paper, and a pen, and translating thoughts into words can shape our perspective into directions we did not anticipate. Like photography, writing elevates the intensity of the present so we become more aware of what we intend to achieve, why we want so, and how best to get there. As much as a I love spontaneity in photography, purpose is what provides cohesivity, and to find it, sometimes you need to write it.
Words, yes, words. A word that seems to strike terror, fear, and loathing into hearts and minds of most photographers. Even though a picture may be worth 1,000 words, don't ever ask a photographer to write a few about their own pictures. No, not that! Because, as everyone knows, a picture that needs words is a failure. After all, photography is a visual medium.
IMO, the world would be a better place if those who couldn't write a coherent and interesting 1,000 words about their pictures had their cameras wrenched from their hands and smashed into a zillions bits (or a zillion bytes if it's a digital camera). Or, better yet, how about if you couldn't even buy a camera unless you submit 1,000 words about the pictures you intend to make with it. And, oh yeah, one of the rules is that, if you even mention equipment in your 1,000 words, they poke your eyes out.
Of course, even in that perfect world, anyone would be able to buy a 2mp P&S. After all, I am the benevolent one. - Mark Hobson, from "The Landscapist"
Miguel Garcia-Guzman
Posted in Blogs Speaking Photography No Comments »
April 24, 2008
© Matthew Dols
I like the series by Matthew Dols, "Women w Text". Text added as a caption to the image can provide quite a different feel to the understanding and perception of the photograph, and in this series it works beautifully. The other work of Matthew is very interesting as well. He tends to push the image to the extreme of light, with high contrast, extensive use of dark and highlight areas. It works.
Look also at the Work in Progress, very interesting photo-collages. More pictures with text can be seen here.He prints the images in silver gelatin paper, nice. And if you are interested I found that some of the pictures are for sale [quite inexpensive] at Absolutearts.com.
I am writing this journal as though you might read it. I have this desire for you to read this because it's those things that I mean to say, and never do. It's who I feel I really am, but never show.- Matthew Dols
I personally like a lot when the artist blends an interesting caption with an interesting image, like Matthew does. I am not sure why this is not used more often. Mixing words with pictures actually elicits different reactions from the viewer than just looking at either one alone. There is biological basis for a synergy between both visual and language inputs as the neuronal pathways involved in receiving, processing and integrating the information are different but they can cross-over to generate a different emotional reaction when activated simultaneously. Perhaps one of the best examples of this is the image "This Photograph is my Proof" by Duane Michals. I can repeat enough how much I love that image and the caption.
Here it is a challenge for you to consider. Try to use captions in your existing photographic project, and see if you can engage a different response from the viewer. You have nothing to loose, and lots to gain.
Miguel Garcia-Guzman
Posted in Photographers, Photography 4 Comments »
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