In the most recent issue of April 2009 “After Capture,” Kate Stanworth highlights the work of photographer Sophie Pangrazzi in her article “Defying Gravity.” It’s a great read, as Stanworth has a gift for describing images in luscious words. Stanworth also offers great insights on Pangrazzi’s creative process.
Of particular interest to me was the fact that Stanworth explains that “the key to her success has been to orchestrate her own projects, allowing her to stay one step ahead of the game and to realize her unique flights of imagination.” Continue reading “Self-Directed Projects Pay”
“Two French students were awarded the annual Grand Prix du Photoreportage Etudiant last week to honor a photographic story that presented images documenting the precarious lives of students today and the things they must do in order to survive and succeed.
“The only catch is that the entire story was a fake.”
This is from commercial photographer Chase Jarvis’s blog post this morning, and if this topic sounds interesting – how could it not? – you can get a full overview of the story at this post of Horses Think.
Robert Cornelius' self-portrait. The back reads, "The first light picture ever taken." (Wiki)
“Today’s images have a very different visual aesthetic,” I recently wrote a friend, who is a documentary photographer (to remain anonymous.) “Many of your images look ‘dated,’ which is fine, especially as they are becoming ‘historic,’ so they will increase in value in that sense.” However, I advised him that unless he at least “reinvigorated” his images with careful postproduction treatment, he would lose stock sales.
His response: “Other people have told me that my pictures look dated, though I don’t understand how you and them can see that. I know they’re old, but I can’t tell the difference.”
I bet you a hundred bucks if you run a search using the words “las vegas headshots,” the number one result will be the blog of photographer Wayne Wallace, who, um, is based in Las Vegas, Nevada. He does shoot headshots but his range is much greater, covering fashion, editorial and commercial as well. And if you run searches for these services in the LV area, Wallace keeps popping up. What’s going on?
Even successful pros need to continually refine and define their style. Scott Mc Kiernan, founder and CEO of ZUMA Press, provides a good insight on how to do so. When I was speaking with Mc Kiernan a couple months back, I asked him what advice he would give to photographers starting out in the biz. I was struck by how his simple advice rang true for photographers at all levels of professional success.
“I would start out by thinking what I really care about in photography,” Mc Kiernan told me. “If it’s travel, I would look at who’s doing the best travel photography.” This makes sense, of course, and can be applied to wedding Continue reading “A Simple Strategy for Refining Style”
So there I was clicking around photo.net when I noticed a link to the article “Pinhole Photography” by Jon Grepstad. What? Is this digital pinhole of some sort? No at all. It’s the good, ole classic kind, and Grepstad has written one hell of a brilliant, engaging and informative article on topic – history, in-depth technical information, and great links. (One great link heads to site featuring pinhole camera pulled by a tractor! — Wish I could read German.)
Anyway, I’m not going to try to find a clear link between pinhole photography and the practical application to modern digital photography. I wouldn’t know where to buy that rice-paper Continue reading “The Joy of Pinhole”
Kobré Guide proclaims to present “The Web’s Best Multimedia and Video Journalism.” Well, I’m a believer. Kobré Guide is seriously stuffed with incredible content, well organized, drawing you in to see more, more, more. The site is an amazing single-stop resource for inspiration for all manner of image maker.
If you care about new-era marketing, you simply must watch this Super Wow photographer promotion. It’s only costs 1.48 minutes of YouTube Time, and it’s guaranteed to make you rethink your creative marketing efforts. It ingeniously, wittily highlights the photographer James Burger, and it was brought to my attention by Beate Chelette.
I hate to post “must-watch” mandates, but this promotional video really will knock your socks off.
“My feeling is that for years now it has taken a much too big part in how women are being visually defined today,” photographer Peter Lindbergh recently reported to “The New York Times” in regard to digital retouching. He added, “Heartless retouching should not be the chosen tool to represent women in the beginning of this century.”
With this sentiment, Lindbergh brings the “too much or too little” arguments about retouching to an important level of social concern relating to one’s sense of identity. This is a lot more interesting than Continue reading “On Heartless Retouching”
In the most recent issue of April 2009 “After Capture,” Kate Stanworth highlights the work of photographer Sophie Pangrazzi in her article “Defying Gravity.” It’s a great read, as Stanworth has a gift for describing images in luscious words. Stanworth also offers great insights on Pangrazzi’s creative process.
