March 31, 2008
I like a lot the simplicity and the casual look of the work of Ye Rin Mok. In this time of overly complex [or manipulated] images in the commercial area it is very nice to see work that focuses on the fundamentals of the aesthetics, with simple and nice compositions that work very effectively. Ye Rin Mok, maintains the same style, casual but beautiful, when photographing portraits, fashion, objects or the landscape.
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March 27, 2008
© Johanna Warwick [The Weight of the World]
It is my pleasure to post here a dialog with Johanna Warwick, an emerging photographer whose work I find extraordinary. Creative, diverse and exquisite work. Her photography represents both the lived reality, and perception of relations between figures and surroundings that define a layer of reality that usually escapes our perception.
In this candid dialog she shares her background, artistic drivers for her work and her approach to photography. I am certain you will find this conversation very interesting. I like to thank Johanna for sharing her thinking and for taking the time to build this conversation.
Miguel Garcia-GuzmanBookmark It
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March 25, 2008
I like photography of unremarkable subjects that become "remarkable images" because they make me think, they make me wonder, they make me search for the meaning of what I see. Wakaba Noda, a young photographer from Japan and residing in Sweden, has good examples of images that intrigue me. His recent work, Making a Map, has just been published by Farewellbooks.
"Trying to create a perfect place by assembling photographs of small wonders, Noda makes a map of a world not defined by geography, but by the possibilities that photography offers." - Farewellbooks
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March 24, 2008There is no better way to promote tourism than to use great photography to convey the beauty of the location, the experience of the place, and the charm of the people living in the region. Strangely, it is very uncommon that organizations in charge of promoting tourism will ever use photography effectively. It seems that photography is not an area of expertise in tourism boards.
Sometimes, there are exceptions to the rule. Few months ago, the government of Thailand launched an initiative to promote their country with the contract of 55 top travel photographers around the world to photographs their land a people, the result of which was published in a fabulous book "Thailand: 9 days in the Kingdom" [images]. I found this initiative extraordinary in many ways, because of the novelty, the hiring of so many great photographers, and also because the understanding of the power of photography to illustrate their culture and their land.
Today I like to refer to another example. The Arizona State of Transportation (Estate of Arizona, U.S.A.), and its publication Arizona Highways, is a great model for efficient use of photography to promote the beauty of this state. At their website you will find portfolios of images, photo tips, fine art prints, photographic tours and photoworkshops. They do understand that by using great photography they can convey the magnificence of the Arizona and they can inspire travelers to visit their state. Just recently they have expanded this effort with the publication of a book, Photography Guide to Arizona, that serves to both educate about the use photographic techniques when traveling but it is also a guide to find the best locations to make great pictures.
"This book is about insights and photographic experiences shared by a group of remarkable individuals, Arizona Highways magazine's contributing photographers. For more than 80 years we at the magazine have worked with amazing talent, the likes of Ansel Adams, Esther Henderson, Josef and David Muench and jack Dykinga. Within these pages we share with you lifetimes of hard work translated into knowledge, all presented in a user friendly manner. We covert photographing the magnificent landscapes of Arizona, complemented by shooting the state's wildlife, architecture, people, and cultures. We delve into motivation, personal philosophies, and, what inspires some of the best working professionals in the photographic community today."- Except from the book, by Jeff Kida, Arizona Highways Photography Editor.
In this book you will find extraordinary travel and nature photography - the book is extensively illustrated, there is not a single page without a photograph-. This is the travel photoguide with the best photography I have ever seen in a book like this.
The first part of the book is dedicated to the use of composition, light, and a range of photographic techniques. Although this is a section that may appear "irrelevant" to people with extensive photographic experience, I found myself enjoying the writings quite a bit. The chapters are very well written, they relate to the places and subjects of interest and they are full of personal insights and anecdotes from the photographers and writers. The second part of the book is dedicated to describe how best to explore photographic opportunities in a number of beautiful places in Arizona: Grand Canyon, Colorado Plateau, Navajo Land, Red Rock Country, Mountain Country, Sonoran Desert, and Sky Islands. If you have never been in Arizona [I have been there multiple times] you will be amazed by the beauty of these places.
If you ever plan to travel to Arizona or you live in Arizona, make yourself the gift of this wonderful -and inexpensive- book. Here after the jump you will find the press release for the book.
Miguel Garcia-GuzmanBookmark It
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March 22, 2008
© Philip Jones Griffiths (Magnum)
"The ability to keep things in perspective is very important for a journalist. In a tense situation you need the ability to be there, yet somehow step aside; to keep a cool head and keep working without getting frustrated." -Philip Jones Griffiths
"Not since Goya has anyone portrayed war like Philip Jones Griffiths" - Henri Cartier-Bresson
Some photographers report stories, some report history. Few of them make history with their work. Philip Jones Griffiths was one of them. A photographer that elevated the job of photojournalism to the point of affecting events, not just reporting them. Recently, Philip Jones Griffiths passed away, and I wanted to post something in his memory.
At Magnum's blog there is a beautiful essay by Stuart Franklin remembering Philip Jones Griffiths, who was with Magnum since 1966. Of all his extraordinary work in photojournalism, the period that defined most his career was the War of Vietnam, where he created a very large body of photography, some of which was published in several books that are one of the most important visual references of that war: Vietnam Inc, [images]; Agent Orange [images]; Viet Nam at Peace [images].
Agent Orange, a book reporting the consequences of the use of this lethal agent, is a report to never forget, a book that had significant impact at the time. One of the best pieces of photojournalism ever done.
A retrospective book of his work, Dark Odyssey [images], covers his forty-years in photojournalism from his native Wales to the villages of Vietnam, Europe, Africa, and Asia in more than one hundred black-and-white photographs.
At the Musarium website you can find a very interesting interview with Philip Jones Griffiths (video clips) where he narrates the purpose of the book "Vietnam Inc" as well as other topics related with photography. At photohistories there is another great interview with the photographer and at his website you will find extensive information on his work.
© Philip Jones Griffiths (Magnum)
"The first picture of his [Henri Cartier-Bresson] I ever saw was during a lecture at the Rhyl camera club. I was 16 and the speaker was Emrys Jones. He projected the picture upside down. Deliberately, to disregard the subject matter to reveal the composition. It's a lesson I've never forgotten." -Philip Jones Griffiths
Philip Jones Griffiths crafted a large body of work where composition played a key role in the visual aesthetics of his photography. This wonderful image above is an example of exquisite composition. A perfect arrangement of the subjects in the foreground with large lines driving the viewer towards the end of the street, thus providing situational context while revealing the energy of the moment.
[In memory of the late Philip Jones Griffiths, with respect. MGG]
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March 21, 2008Today a wonderful quote from the late John Szarkowski
“One might compare the art of photography to the act of pointing. It must be true that some of us point to more interesting facts, events, circumstances, and configurations than others [...] The talented practitioner of the new discipline would perform with a special grace, sense of timing, narrative sweep, and wit, thus endowing the act not merely with intelligence, but with that quality of formal rigor that identifies a work of art, so that we would be uncertain, when remembering the adventure of the tour, how much our pleasure and sense of enlargement had come from the things pointed to and how much from a pattern created by the pointer.”- John Szarkowski
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March 20, 2008
Ben Hogan from Planet of the Books was kind to inform me about the interview he just posted with photographer Louie Palu. His recent work, Cage Call, was awarded with the Critical Mass Award Book, and published in a book with 50 images. The purpose of this project was to describe visually the live of miners in northern Canada, capturing day-to-day activities of these workers below and above ground. You can see the images at his website. L. Palu is working on a multimedia of this work that will be posted at his website in the future. It should be quite interesting when it is available; this a perfect project for the use of multimedia.
Miguel Garcia-GuzmanSometimes I will wait in a spot for minutes or hours, I go on gut feeling and instinct. In the end I spend as much time shooting as possible. I like to think a lot about what I am doing and then after I have shot, forming concepts and ideas as to the kind of emotion, light and form I feel best combines to find the picture I need to say what I feel. There is no model really, I feel it and I shoot.
As for editing, I spend a lot of time editing. People underestimate the power of good photo editing. I have had many great teachers, the two which made the most impact on me are John G. Morris and Ken Light. For me moments happen and I capture them with the camera if I am lucky. The editing process is to build a body or sequence of images that come together to say one thing or how I feel.- Louie Palu
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March 19, 2008If you have some time, go and take a look to this multimedia from Reuters: 5 years covering the Iraq war. Don't miss the "profile" section, with three photographers speaking about their experience covering the Iraq war, the most deadly war for journalists, by a large margin.
While looking at these images, and listening to the photographers, I can't avoid but to feel disgusted about what human beings can do and how much they can hate. While thousands of people die from extreme poverty and preventable causes everyday in the world, some keep thinking that we need to push this number higher and expend immense amounts of money to kill each other in the name of _______! (fill-in with any damn excuse you like: god, freedom, justice, revenge, rights, liberation, religion, terrorism, self-defense, etc).
Our shame, indeed.
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March 18, 2008Most people who are interested on photography, including myself, don't have a Masters in Fine Art or any other curriculum in their education that provides a background of the History of Photography. In the last year, I have been learning more about the topic. It is a continuous discovery that I enjoy far more than I anticipated.
History of Photography is history of creativity, the history that set the path for our experience of the craft today. In a way, we are the consequence of our history, and therefore it can be said that current contemporary photography shares more with history than sometimes is appreciated. In some ways indeed, it appears that we are coming into full circles, with the "digital image" trying to look like the traditional print. Composition, the use of light and approaches to the subject are grounded in the history. Learning about the events in photography 50-100 years ago is not only intriguing but also it has enhanced my appreciation for this craft.
I like to here some good references if you like to explore this subject. Some of the books cited were found by looking and searching, others were recommended by educators and collectors who are "real" connoisseurs. I share this books with you, hoping that they will raise your interest to explore the history of this craft. Links are to the books at Amazon.com [USA]. For other countries you may have to search local a seller.
This book is like an encyclopedic tome, heavy, hardcover, printed with excellent quality, very well illustrated and well written. It is therefore a top recommendation, a reference volume to look when needed to explore some information. It is heavy, not for a bed night read, but a great reference to have. Written by Naomi Rosenblum, an eminent photographic historian, author and pioneer in the field, wife of photographer Walter Rosenblum. She has also written the book "A History of Women Photographers". The 4th edition of this book was published last year, 2007.
This book is a master piece written by the great Beaumont Newhall. It is very inexpensive [paperback], but the publishing quality is excellent, with gloss heavy paper. Elegantly written and extensively illustrated, this is a must have book on the history of photography.
This is not a book about history of photography but it covers so many historical terms on techniques that have been used in photography that I include it here. If you ever wonder what is an "Albumen Print", what is an "Autochrome", what is a "Camera Lucida", what is the "Collodion process", etc then you need this book. This is a small book, very well printed and very inexpensive. It covers all these technical terms using multiple illustrations. The images used as examples are also great photographs.
Great photographer and great historian of photography. The writings of John Szarkowski, former director of the Department of Photography at the Museum of Modern Art, New York, are legendary. He is the author of The Photographer's Eye, Photography Until Now [see below], and many other works on photography. In this book, he selects one image [100 in total] from each photographer and adds his comments. Not only relevant from the historical perspective, but also a great way to learn how to look at photography.
Tied to the last photographic exhibition at the MoMA that was directed by John Szarkowski before his retirement, this book covers a range of images selected by the author complemented with discussions related to the evolution of the process of photography throughout history. Although not a typical book about the history of photography, these are a series of reflections on the stages of this art, from the invention of the camera obscura by to the role initial agencies like Magnum that were founded to improve the standards of magazines around the world.
Keith F. Davies was the former Fine Art Programs Director at Hallmark Cards. The Hallmark Photographic Collection, the most important private collection of photography, was donated to the Nelson-Atkins Museum in 2006. Since 1979, the collection was guided by Keith F. Davis, who expanded it from 650 works by about 35 photographers, to 6,500 works by about 900 artists. The images covered the whole history of photography and at the time of the donation it was worth more than $65 million. He organized dozens of exhibitions from the collection for national and international tours, and authored a number of publications on the collection. This book reflects the immense knowledge of this curator and historian.
In the interest of sharing, if you have any additional reference you like to highlight please do so in the comments section. Please, add some description with your opinion if possible.
Miguel Garcia-GuzmanBookmark It
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March 16, 2008Not about photography, but about a "creative campaign" for a worthy cause: Tap Project. The week starts now, March 16-22nd, and if you live in the U.S.A. you can make a difference with little effort.
To find the restaurants that are part of the Tap project, go here. This week we will enjoy dinning out more than ever. Next post on photography soon.
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