There is something special about Polaroid photography, and these series of portraits contain outstanding work, like the image below from Jp Candelier. Lots of fun to browse through them ... and if you have samples of your own work, consider to submit them for a chance to get published in the JPEG magazine issue# 17.
Flak Photo teams up with FILE and JPG Magazine to present the Polaroid Portrait Challenge. Polaroid pictures are like magic, so we want to see your best shot of a person taken with a Polaroid camera. The days of Polaroid film may be numbered, but we plan to send it off in style. The theme will be open until June 7th and will run as a feature in JPG issue 17.
Few weeks ago I disocovered the work of photographer Dustin Fenstermacher. His series portraying cat shows are excellent. His photographs have many qualities that I like. Besides having original compositions, what works extremely well is the storytelling, the sequence of the images. I can feel myself at the cat show, it is photography that has the quality to involve the viewer. But it is not only about cats ... look at his portfolio and you will see quite interesting photography there.
His work picked my interest to run few questions and learn more about Dustin.
Could you tell me what drove you into photography? Why did you become a photographer?
Honestly, I really can't quite recall what compelled me towards photography. Growing up I always enjoyed taking photos but thought it was a bit too difficult of an undertaking to learn the mechanics and intricacies of an SLR. And don't even get me started on how expensive it was to develop all of that film.
During college I attempted to take a photo course, but the introductory class was available to art majors first and all other students - I was a communications major - had to get permission from the professor. Needless to say, the class was filled to capacity every time I made an attempt to join.
After college I made an impulse buy at a Kmart that was closing, picking up a two megapixel point and shoot made by Canon. Outside the occasional photograph taken at a show, the thing collected dust. Then, a little over three years ago, I found myself with a lot of free time after my band dissolved. I began documenting my walks around Carlisle, a town in central Pennsylvania. Friends of mine who went to school for photography gave me pointers and kept urging me to take photos. I guess I had some kind of unique vision that would come out at some point. I just took note of the world as I saw it.
So, one could say that I became a photographer because I was bored. But I felt like my entire life was preparing me for this endeavor, as I wouldn't have the perspective I have now if I would have seriously gotten into photography even five years ago.
You describe yourself as a self-taught photographer, what were your influences for your work?
Because I learned photography through trial and error and picking up tips from my friends, I was initially influenced more by my friends and surroundings than famous photographers. I will be forever indebted to the likes of Clint Baclawski and Laura Kicey for their roles in shaping my photographic sensibilities. Filmmakers like the Coen Brothers and Wes Anderson emit a certain feeling that appeals to me; the Coens for the slices of Americana permeating in each of their films and Wes Anderson for the whimsical nature, color choices and his aesthetics.
Photographers that tickle my fancy nowadays include Martin Parr, Chris Buck, Jill Greenberg, Jan Von Holleben and a multitude of others. Or you can just disregard everything I’ve just said and believe me when I state that I’m solely influenced by the Nintendo-64 classic, Pokemon Snap.
Tell me about the Cat show project? It looks like a photojournalist project ... was it commissioned?
While I intended to do a series on cat shows, the project as you see it began as an entirely different animal. What I originally wanted to do was photograph owners and their show cats, so I attended cat shows with the intention of shooting cute cats and sending the images to the show owners. I figured that would be an excellent way to break the ice.
Unfortunately, of all of the cat breeders I messaged, only one got back in contact with me about getting their portrait taken. While I was disappointed by lack of a response, this turned out to be better in the long run, as I found the photos produced by going to the cat shows to be far more interesting to me than any portrait I had in mind. Thus, I kept going to the exhibitions, discovering new subtleties during each excursion.
My intent with the series was to go beyond just shooting photos of cats and the surroundings, which some people might think is ridiculous. No, I wanted to do photos that looked at the items and surroundings found at cat shows, twist them a little and create little stories or critiques out of them. Honestly, when I’m at these things it is as if I’m a child with a toybox the size of a football stadium.
Which type of commercial works are you trying to do? Do you also like to explore editorial work?
In a perfect would I would get commissioned to go to out of the way places and photograph what I find. I’ve been getting the opportunity to do just that as of late, covering the presidential primary campaign in Pennsylvania by meeting people on the street and exploring places that are somewhat removed by modern culture.
I really enjoy taking a wide variety of work, be it portraiture, reportage or shooting found objects. Inspiration can be found anywhere, and I just love being able to shoot and make a living doing it.
I find very interesting how you juxtapose -different- images in the website, it works very effectively. Do you do the editing yourself? Which criteria do you use to select which images to show and how to juxtapose them?Well, the first edit is done all by my lonesome, but friends and fellow photographers provide input and are always invaluable with their ability to help me distil my work into something manageable.
During this process themes begin to emerge and visual puns become apparent. Some of my favorite pairs of photos happen via happy accident, other pairs were conceived after taking a photo at one place and thinking of something that would best match it at a later date. I’m fairly casual with my picture taking, noticing elements that connect disparate photos after the fact. The unintentional focus of my personal work is intentional, as it allows me to take photos of things I wouldn't shoot had I possessed some sort of strict criteria for what I could take photos of.
The photos of the non-cat show variety are a mix of things I’ve done both for pleasure and editorial/commercial work. To be honest with you, I’m a bit slow in placing new commercial images on the site.
You are using Wonderful Machine to represent your work. Please tell me what is the key advantage you see of having someone representing your work and the caveats? Is this something you recommend to all artists seeking commercial work?
I don't know if I have enough experience working without a rep to weigh in. My professional career is still in its nascent stages. I have gotten a bit of exposure and work through my association with Wonderful Machine, and would recommend representation for people who seek commercial work, but it definitely isn't for everyone.
Thanks very much Dustin.
I found at PDN pulse a nice video interview with Dustin Fenstermacher about this projectthat adds more information about his work.
The work of German photographer Andreas Köerner can be defined by two qualities: elegance, with precise composition of elements creating a visually compelling image, and simplicity, where the image is stripped down to the minimal components that really matter. Elegance and simplicity create the exquisite sense of design in his work.
With both qualities he defines his style no matter the genre he explores, architecture, portraits, still life or travel photography.
One of his personal projects, MORNING SUN. SHANGHAI.BEIJING, was published by 25books, and now can be downloaded in pdf format (~4.5 MB) from his website so you can take a look to this excellent book in the computer.
It is, and will always be, a formidable task. To edit your own work and present just the very best at online galleries or at portfolios reviews. Make it your own mantra: less is more!
This post from Magnum photographer David Alan Harvey nails it ... again. More than 250 comments in his post highlight the 'formidable' task that editing is for most.
there should be a big difference between your web presentation and your archive...two totally different animals....many fail to see the difference..... rather than really seeing the good pictures you do have, many editors will just exit in frustration over just too too much miscellaneous material...they do not want to go on a treasure hunt...they want to see the really best work ... fast, concise, clear... period ... - David Alan Harvey
Few days ago reading A Photo Editor I found a link to the new - and very promising- magazine "dispatches". In the online section "on photography" there is a very interesting article on the future of Photojournalism by Stephen Mayes.
Stephen makes good points about the necessity to both find evolving ways to communicate with an audience eager of information but at the same time describes the challenges that are imposed by the very nature of the new audience. The current society is fast paced, saturated of visual information, information that is driven largely by commercial advertising, and very importantly I think, an audience that very much prefers to engage in the conversation rather than become a passive receiver of news.
Stephen raises very good points that should elicit an active conversation. The solutions are not simple, and require re-thinking without the baggage of how the news were [are] delivered in the past [present] ...
Here it goes an idea that rarely is explored in the media ... perhaps the audience gets tired of just simply "knowing" about the problems in the world, and would be much more engaged if they could become participants if they could learn about sensitive solutions to the problems and become part of the solutions.
It is about expanding the communication but simplifying the message with a better understanding of the context and solutions, it is about engaging the audience to become participants.
Convey the understanding of the context of the news, the understanding of sensitive solutions and provide the audience with new ways to become participants. These will addresses the appetite of the audience beyond being treated as passive receivers to become participants, to become contributors to solutions and to become invested in the very news they [we] receive.
The challenge is to break out, to find wider audiences and to connect meaningfully. And to do this, new languages must be learned. - Stephen Mayes
Photo España is around the corner (June 4th to July 27th, look here). A good excuse to visit Madrid in June-July.
And speaking about photography in Spain, take a look to Ojodepez, a photomagazine published in Spain that not only has excellent photography but also you can see the latest issue in pdf format free, with text both in Spanish and in English.
In the last PDN Magazine this image of Chris Buck was selected as part of the PDN Photo Annual 2008. Here below is a short description of the image by Chris Buck and a link to a movie with footage of the session.
The Bad Boys of Vice
I recognized this as a unique opportunity so I spent some time compiling ideas before this sitting with the editors of Vice Magazine for Wired; “naked, holding pieces of raw meat in front of their bits”, and “two of them forcing a stuffed animal into the third’s behind” were amongst my favorites.
But often my challenge for a photo shoot is coming up with an idea that sounds so inoffensive that even the most prickly publicist can’t deny me it. So, kissing a baby it was, and only the truly heartless could say no to this. - Chris Buck
Andrew Gray has just started a new curated online gallery, named GlobalCompasion.com (or See the World) with the purpose to display portfolios of photographers whose work describe cultures around the world. The project looks very interesting and even when it has just started, the high quality of the first portfolio and the purpose of the project make it a site to follow in the future.
The Burakumin are a nearly invisible (yet identifiable) group of Japanese people. They are the remnant of a caste system that formally passed away long ago. Their ancestors were the untouchables. Despite being racially and ethnically Japanese through and through, the Burakumin still face discrimination and struggle together under the weight of their shared history.
If you are interested in submitting a portfolio you will find the information here. I look forward to seeing GlobalCompasion grow and becoming another online display for excellent photographic work.
This is a review of perhaps the most beautiful book of the Grand Canyon I have seen: IMAGES, Jack Dykinga's Grand Canyon.
Landscape photography is not my favorite genre, or so I think, until I find books like this. Perhaps after all, it is just about extraordinary photography, no matter what the subject. Perhaps after all, it is about felling the work, about understanding the message. When the perfect mix of text and images are blended in a book, it becomes a unique piece of art.
This book is a portfolio of images but it is more than that. It is a great reference for anyone thinking to photograph the Grand Canyon, or to get a better understanding of why this place is so majestic. You can see some pages of the book here. The book is published by the excellent team at Arizona Highways.
"I'm alone. But that is the point of seeking isolated places on the Rim of the Canyon, to find that aloneness and when you do, then you realize you are never alone, because these ribbons of time, those captured in the strata and those embedded in your own life, these soft ribbons of life wrap around you and suddenly you have no schedule, you are not on the way to somewhere, you are where you began and where all the places in between are found. [...] The view can be huge [...] or the view can be little [...] when you glance downstream and suddenly realize the earth is opening itself up to human eyes for close to 300 miles. But the view is always the same as you finally look into yourself and find you can live with what you see." - excerpt from Reflections, by Charles Bowden, in the book "IMAGES", Jack Dykinga's Grand Canyon
Landscape photography is mostly about capturing space but also about conveying an emotional experience of the place. This is not a simple task, but when a picture can convey the feel of the moment, the immediacy of our primal relationship with the location, it is quite extraordinary.
Picturing the landscape benefits enormously from three technical aspects: perfect lighting, perfect composition and the right equipment, the view camera. And all of these components need to blend into a emotional magnet that captures the viewer. Like always in photography, it is about eliciting a the response from the viewer. All these qualities define the extraordinary work of Jack Dykinga, a photographer located in Arizona whose photography has become a storytelling of this magnificent state in the USA. His books are more than a collection of images, they are a reflection of a passionate relationship with and commitment to the environment.
I have driven 1500 miles just to re-photograph a certain subject. I've waited weeks for the right light conditions, and I have hiked 40 miles, lugging a ton of camera equipment, only to later discover the best composition right next to my truck. But I wouldn't have known that without hiking the area to establish a contextThe view camera's ability to control the perspective and plane of focus makes it the perfect choice for landscape photography [...] but there are two other aspects for using large format. One is the "zen" of the focusing cloth over my head, isolating me from outside distractions. The second reason is that in this world of faster and better everything, the cumbersome, tripod-mounted, venerable view camera is an asset. It demands a slower, contemplative approach. This format teaches planning, patience, perseverance and the ability to pre-visualize. Large format allows full involvement with light and its influence on form and color. - Jack Dykinga [from Rangefinder magazine].
May 31, 2008
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