http://www.libraryofphotography.com/history.html
http://www.rleggat.com/photohistory/ - book about photographers, just click on the right (surnames are in alphabetic order, choose the letter, then the name and read about the guy)
http://iml.jou.ufl.edu/projects/Fall98/Lane/history.htm - very-very brief history of photography (for lazy :)
http://www.azuswebworks.com/photography/index.html - in the middle of the page there are links to the pages where you can read about all sorts of printing techniques
http://www.buzzle.com/articles/types-of-photography.html - types of photography. Definitions and classifications
http://www.suite101.com/lesson.cfm/18891/2361/3 - one more a little bit more detailed article on history
http://www.photofocused.com/ - if you scroll it down you'll see the section History of photography - rather brief, very concise and coherent.
http://www.masters-of-photography.com/summaries.html - information about life and work of different photographers
http://www.photogs.com/bwworld/50masterphotogs.html - some more names and works to study
http://www.experiencefestival.com/a/Photography_-_History_of_photography/id/5134502 - quite an interesting essay on photography and its development as a social issue (may be helpful to write a good essay)
http://www.nonphotography.com/links.html - links to all sorts of materials on photography (optional, just in case you are interested)
http://www.freeonlineresearchpapers.com/history-photography-art - essay about portraiture and its development through history of photography (again, may be helpful while writing your own essay)
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Assignment 5. In The Darkroom
The most exciting thing about the exhibit was the opportunity to see all those photographic processes together. During lectures or while reading chapters from the manual, we encounter descriptions of maximum 1-3 processes at a time. When at one exhibition you see how it all developed through centuries you become incredibly excited.
Another thing which made me stay in sort of awe was photogravure by Charles Negre. I have never thought such a detailed picture was possible in 1854. I definitely had heard about it but no reproduction would ever reveal the exact meaning of 'detailed'. Talbot's 'Lace' (1839-1844) also turned out to be a surprise. When you see this photo on a screen it seems to be non-contrastive, blurred and dim, and it was really amazing to stay in front of the real image and find out that it was just as detailed and distinct as modern photos.
The choice of the topics by photographers in late 19th and early 20th century was also very peculiar. Seems that despite their photographic equipment left much to be desired, they were much more experimental in their work than modern photographers (vantage points - e.g. 'The Reaper' by Heinrich Kuhn, abstract vision - e.g. 'The Breast' by Edward Weston, Laszlo Moholy-Nagy experiments, etc).
Another interesting thing was definitely the way the size of the paper influences our perception of the image. Diane Arbus' 'A Young Man at Home in Curlers at Home on West 20th Street New York CIty' looked completely different to what I've got accustomed to see in books. The image being enlarged made the man's face more of a tragicomic quality comparing to the reproductions of the photo.
With some other images I've got a chance to compare the original with the reproductions in the book 'In The Darkroom'. And yes, the size means a lot. What was so colorful and grandiose in meaning at the exhibition turned out to be insignificant and boring when reduced to the size of a book illustration (e.g. Robert Fichter's 'Look Out Baby').
To sum it up, the exhibition was definitely worth seeing not only because it is always better to see originals than reproductions but also because from aesthetic point of view that was an exciting experience.
Another thing which made me stay in sort of awe was photogravure by Charles Negre. I have never thought such a detailed picture was possible in 1854. I definitely had heard about it but no reproduction would ever reveal the exact meaning of 'detailed'. Talbot's 'Lace' (1839-1844) also turned out to be a surprise. When you see this photo on a screen it seems to be non-contrastive, blurred and dim, and it was really amazing to stay in front of the real image and find out that it was just as detailed and distinct as modern photos.
The choice of the topics by photographers in late 19th and early 20th century was also very peculiar. Seems that despite their photographic equipment left much to be desired, they were much more experimental in their work than modern photographers (vantage points - e.g. 'The Reaper' by Heinrich Kuhn, abstract vision - e.g. 'The Breast' by Edward Weston, Laszlo Moholy-Nagy experiments, etc).
Another interesting thing was definitely the way the size of the paper influences our perception of the image. Diane Arbus' 'A Young Man at Home in Curlers at Home on West 20th Street New York CIty' looked completely different to what I've got accustomed to see in books. The image being enlarged made the man's face more of a tragicomic quality comparing to the reproductions of the photo.
With some other images I've got a chance to compare the original with the reproductions in the book 'In The Darkroom'. And yes, the size means a lot. What was so colorful and grandiose in meaning at the exhibition turned out to be insignificant and boring when reduced to the size of a book illustration (e.g. Robert Fichter's 'Look Out Baby').
To sum it up, the exhibition was definitely worth seeing not only because it is always better to see originals than reproductions but also because from aesthetic point of view that was an exciting experience.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Documentary Photography and Photojournalism in Russia (1920s-1960-70s)
This is quite an interesting site. They collected scans from magazines issued from 1920s to approximately 1960s-70s. It was a period of glamourizing the reality, of positivism in pictures, what was later called social realism, but was actually a period of naive romanticized photos. The pictures still looks very itneresting, touching and make me actually nostalgic :)
http://trendsetter.ru/plus/ - those are scans from the magazine L'URSS (actually it was published in the USSR for foreign friends so to say. Their were issues in French, English and German
To help you with the navigation, since everything is either in Russian or French
From top to bottom:
1. 'hero of social labor' (work) - this title was awarded to those who worked better then the rest of the crew or team or something of the kind. Those people managed to produce more milk, build more houses than the rest of their co-workers, or they were the best in mining the ore, etc (don't press the circle on the right, instead press the line with the digits 11#1949 and you'll the pics) when a photographer was to shoot a hero definately he would do the same as Edward Curtis had done while photographing Native Americans. Russian photographers always had nice hats, clean clothes and other necessary equipment to make their subjects look the way a real social hero was supposed to look.
2. 'COnsumer Goods Industry in the USSR'
3. 'Recovery from the WWII'
4. "Vladimir Mayakovsky (1893 -1930)" - this man was an epoch himself. He was a poet, a writer a politician to some extent. A person of the new era. People adored him for his ideas, extravagancy and courage. He was very often photographed, painters would devote their works to him, poets would write about him. He was surprisingly very popular with the government. He was one of those few who would be let to go abroad with lectures on the social changes in Russia. Yet, his death was a surprise and shock. It's still not crystal clear what happened. Most of teh historians believe that he was killed by KGB, since he got disappointed with the government. Another version was that he found out something he was not supposed to know and became an undesirable witness.
http://famouspoetsandpoems.com/poets/vladimir_mayakovsky under the bio info you'll find some links to his poems (in case you are interested) - not a bad translation. by the way
5. 'Kolkhozes in USSR (Uzbekistan)'. This Asian part of the USSR was always famous for it's farms, cotton, fruit and kettle. No wonder that there were plenty of pictures taken on the site.
6. Industrialization of teh NOrth. It's well known that SIberia and the far North is a very cold and 'user-unfriendly' region. Yet, nobody believed lit was impossible to bring industry and development there. It was a huge and difficult job and the pictures definately don't reveal the tragedy of the whole situation, yet people were proud of what they did to the North and they still are.
What is interesting that in 30s photograpehrs and neewspapers looked really fresh, diffrent, compositionally extravagant and attractive, and after the 40s pictures became absolutely identical. It reveals not only the demand of the epoch but also the idea that most of the great photographers, who had got education in pre-revolution Russia had been either repressed or had died because of the age. Photographic experiments were taken out of Russian journalism for quite a long period.
http://trendsetter.ru/plus/ - those are scans from the magazine L'URSS (actually it was published in the USSR for foreign friends so to say. Their were issues in French, English and German
To help you with the navigation, since everything is either in Russian or French
From top to bottom:
1. 'hero of social labor' (work) - this title was awarded to those who worked better then the rest of the crew or team or something of the kind. Those people managed to produce more milk, build more houses than the rest of their co-workers, or they were the best in mining the ore, etc (don't press the circle on the right, instead press the line with the digits 11#1949 and you'll the pics) when a photographer was to shoot a hero definately he would do the same as Edward Curtis had done while photographing Native Americans. Russian photographers always had nice hats, clean clothes and other necessary equipment to make their subjects look the way a real social hero was supposed to look.
2. 'COnsumer Goods Industry in the USSR'
3. 'Recovery from the WWII'
4. "Vladimir Mayakovsky (1893 -1930)" - this man was an epoch himself. He was a poet, a writer a politician to some extent. A person of the new era. People adored him for his ideas, extravagancy and courage. He was very often photographed, painters would devote their works to him, poets would write about him. He was surprisingly very popular with the government. He was one of those few who would be let to go abroad with lectures on the social changes in Russia. Yet, his death was a surprise and shock. It's still not crystal clear what happened. Most of teh historians believe that he was killed by KGB, since he got disappointed with the government. Another version was that he found out something he was not supposed to know and became an undesirable witness.
http://famouspoetsandpoems.com/poets/vladimir_mayakovsky under the bio info you'll find some links to his poems (in case you are interested) - not a bad translation. by the way
5. 'Kolkhozes in USSR (Uzbekistan)'. This Asian part of the USSR was always famous for it's farms, cotton, fruit and kettle. No wonder that there were plenty of pictures taken on the site.
6. Industrialization of teh NOrth. It's well known that SIberia and the far North is a very cold and 'user-unfriendly' region. Yet, nobody believed lit was impossible to bring industry and development there. It was a huge and difficult job and the pictures definately don't reveal the tragedy of the whole situation, yet people were proud of what they did to the North and they still are.
What is interesting that in 30s photograpehrs and neewspapers looked really fresh, diffrent, compositionally extravagant and attractive, and after the 40s pictures became absolutely identical. It reveals not only the demand of the epoch but also the idea that most of the great photographers, who had got education in pre-revolution Russia had been either repressed or had died because of the age. Photographic experiments were taken out of Russian journalism for quite a long period.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
ON-LINE B00KS ABOUT PHOTOGRAPHY
Here are some links that might be interesting for you.
1. Semiotics of Photography by Goran Sonesson - controversial work, yet interesting
2. Teaching Photography: Tools for the Imaging Educator by Glenn Rand - well, though it is for teachers mostly but it is really interesting for students as well
3. On Being a Photographer by David Hurn/Magnum and Bill Jay - Highly recommend!!!! Really explains everything and wipes off all the stuff and nonsense that one may have in his/her head
http://stephengrote.com/teaching/courses/files/storage/On%20Being%20a%20Photographer,%203rd%20Edition,%20CD%20version.pdf
Monday, November 2, 2009
Assignment 4. Documentray and Photojournaism.
World Press Photo is an independent non-commercial organization founded in 1955 in Amsterdam. Every year they organize the most prestigious international contest for photojournalists. Their mission ’is to encourage high professional standards in photojournalism and to promote a free and unrestricted exchange of information’.
The picture I am going to describe was taken in Brazil by Eraldo Peres (Associated Press). The photo got Honorable Mention in the category 'Daily Life' (World Press Photo contest 2009).
Really sorry but it is prohibited to copy photos from the site. So here is the link.
http://www.worldpressphoto.org/index.php?option=com_photogallery&task=view&id=1479&Itemid=223&bandwidth=low
I think this is an incredible example of what photojournalism and photography as such are about. The decisive moment: a second earlier or later and presumably there would be different emotions, composition, color and what not. The photographer tries to be objective (no color modifications, no Photoshop tricks). He is an impartial observer and lets others make conclusions. Yet it is obvious that the purpose of the photograph is to attract spectators' attention to the problem, let them think, be emotional and responsive.
The picture is really horrifying. First, you can’t help but surf the image from one red colored object to another. The variations of red create a really strong rhythmic pattern. Everything looks normal. Ordinary, peaceful everyday life: guys on the left are talking, the girl in the background is laughing, and the one gripping the bars of the window seems to be bored. Then finally you look at the bottom of the photo and see the body. Small, dirty and abandoned. The blond guy is just marching by as if it were not a dead young man but just some junk left on the street.
People in Recife seem to pay no attention to death. Why bother? When it’s everywhere you simply stop taking care. It’s their everyday life. Nothing extraordinary. The tight framing and the body in the foreground make this scene look somewhat Biblical to me. The slums are just like decorations borrowed from old paintings. Somber colors with red dominance. The indifference of the crowd and fear in the air.
However, can we blame those people? They grew up in violence; they know that probably tomorrow it will be their turn to be in the foreground. This city is hopeless and doomed and the photographer just registers its gradual decay and secretly hopes that may be one day the government will somehow notice and care.
The picture I am going to describe was taken in Brazil by Eraldo Peres (Associated Press). The photo got Honorable Mention in the category 'Daily Life' (World Press Photo contest 2009).
Really sorry but it is prohibited to copy photos from the site. So here is the link.
http://www.worldpressphoto.org/index.php?option=com_photogallery&task=view&id=1479&Itemid=223&bandwidth=low
I think this is an incredible example of what photojournalism and photography as such are about. The decisive moment: a second earlier or later and presumably there would be different emotions, composition, color and what not. The photographer tries to be objective (no color modifications, no Photoshop tricks). He is an impartial observer and lets others make conclusions. Yet it is obvious that the purpose of the photograph is to attract spectators' attention to the problem, let them think, be emotional and responsive.
The picture is really horrifying. First, you can’t help but surf the image from one red colored object to another. The variations of red create a really strong rhythmic pattern. Everything looks normal. Ordinary, peaceful everyday life: guys on the left are talking, the girl in the background is laughing, and the one gripping the bars of the window seems to be bored. Then finally you look at the bottom of the photo and see the body. Small, dirty and abandoned. The blond guy is just marching by as if it were not a dead young man but just some junk left on the street.
People in Recife seem to pay no attention to death. Why bother? When it’s everywhere you simply stop taking care. It’s their everyday life. Nothing extraordinary. The tight framing and the body in the foreground make this scene look somewhat Biblical to me. The slums are just like decorations borrowed from old paintings. Somber colors with red dominance. The indifference of the crowd and fear in the air.
However, can we blame those people? They grew up in violence; they know that probably tomorrow it will be their turn to be in the foreground. This city is hopeless and doomed and the photographer just registers its gradual decay and secretly hopes that may be one day the government will somehow notice and care.
Friday, October 16, 2009
Assignment 3. Early 20th Century Fine Art Photography in the US
It is well known that f/64 photographers used the smallest aperture f/64. And the latter would demand a very long exposure. As a result, the group members would shoot mostly landscapes and still life. So let us see if the photo under discussion can be called a sort of homage to f/64 works.
Little do I know about Cristiano Abreu except that he lives in V.N. Famalicao, Portugal, works as a web designer and seems to photograph very much like f/64 group. For most of his photos he chooses f22-64. Unlike Sonya Noskowiak (another member of f64) Abreu doesn’t seem to find urban landscapes attractive. He is definitely very interested in nature, which in his photos looks abandoned, slightly mysterious and poetic. Yet some elements of urbanization may still appear in his images (bridges, houses, stairs, belfry, etc).
Ponte Do Ardo (2007). The photo is very sharp-focused and carefully framed. Abreu chose the high vantage point for this picture and it is very much like many of Ansel Adams’ works. However, I would not call this composition very successful. Definitely Abreu’s photo is very well balanced thanks to the two roads which seem to form a rhythmic pattern and bring into cohesion the right and the left part of the picture. Yet, the construction in the lower left corner is a little bit disturbing. On the other hand, Abreu explains that it is ‘the miradouro (sightseeing point) da cascata (waterfall) do Arado, one of the best known attractions in Gerкs’. From this point of view, probably, the presence of this strange thing in the picture can be justified.
The depth of field is tremendous. Details are very sharp and distinct and the tonal range is rather wide and carefully preserved, which again seems to be very much Ansel Adams influence. Unfortunately, Abreu 'lost' the sky, but it doesn't seem to spoil the whole scene. In the comment to the picture Abreu says that he used a medium yellow #8 square filter to cut the haze and he also used other standard B&W filters to increase contrast and lighten the tones.
In general, I think this is a very good example of a modern work which is connected with the beliefs and techniques of f/64 group. However, I am still a little bit disappointed with the composition, which was always considered to be the part and parcel of the modernist aesthetic in 1920-30s but in this picture it became a little bit neglected.
PS I found out that there are plenty of clubs f/64 in the USA. Those people are direct followers of the first f/64 and they discuss a lot of interesting things concerning the Old School and the new tendencies. In case you are interested, here is the link to the forum http://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/archive/index.php/t-1319.html
Little do I know about Cristiano Abreu except that he lives in V.N. Famalicao, Portugal, works as a web designer and seems to photograph very much like f/64 group. For most of his photos he chooses f22-64. Unlike Sonya Noskowiak (another member of f64) Abreu doesn’t seem to find urban landscapes attractive. He is definitely very interested in nature, which in his photos looks abandoned, slightly mysterious and poetic. Yet some elements of urbanization may still appear in his images (bridges, houses, stairs, belfry, etc).
Ponte Do Ardo (2007). The photo is very sharp-focused and carefully framed. Abreu chose the high vantage point for this picture and it is very much like many of Ansel Adams’ works. However, I would not call this composition very successful. Definitely Abreu’s photo is very well balanced thanks to the two roads which seem to form a rhythmic pattern and bring into cohesion the right and the left part of the picture. Yet, the construction in the lower left corner is a little bit disturbing. On the other hand, Abreu explains that it is ‘the miradouro (sightseeing point) da cascata (waterfall) do Arado, one of the best known attractions in Gerкs’. From this point of view, probably, the presence of this strange thing in the picture can be justified.
The depth of field is tremendous. Details are very sharp and distinct and the tonal range is rather wide and carefully preserved, which again seems to be very much Ansel Adams influence. Unfortunately, Abreu 'lost' the sky, but it doesn't seem to spoil the whole scene. In the comment to the picture Abreu says that he used a medium yellow #8 square filter to cut the haze and he also used other standard B&W filters to increase contrast and lighten the tones.
In general, I think this is a very good example of a modern work which is connected with the beliefs and techniques of f/64 group. However, I am still a little bit disappointed with the composition, which was always considered to be the part and parcel of the modernist aesthetic in 1920-30s but in this picture it became a little bit neglected.
PS I found out that there are plenty of clubs f/64 in the USA. Those people are direct followers of the first f/64 and they discuss a lot of interesting things concerning the Old School and the new tendencies. In case you are interested, here is the link to the forum http://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/archive/index.php/t-1319.html
Monday, October 5, 2009
Assignment 2. Exploration Photography.
Josef Koudelka (1938-). His pictures always mesmerize the audience. He uses no Photoshop, no special effects or elaborated props, yet his works are always mysterious, dramatic and seem to depict some parallel universe. Most of his life Koudelka used to take pictures of ordinary people (peasants, gypsies, Prague and France citizens, etc), however, since 1980s he seems to have got more interest in nature.The tight framing and the absence of any living creature but a lonely bird produces an atmosphere of a secluded yet peaceful world. If it were not for the title, we would probably never be able to say that behind the 'dyke' there is quite a big city. It seems, the photographer wants to get us back to nature, to show what it used to be when there was no human being. From this point of view, Koudelka’s latest photos are very much like his own 'Rephotographic Survey Project'.
In fact, because of its very sharp contrast, rich tonal range and graphics the photo looks more like a painting. It reminds Picasso's works to me. The natural cubism Josef Koudelka managed to find in an everyday scene makes this picture a photographic chef-d'oeuvre.
PS Really sorry, but I couldn't find a better resolution of the photo. Very few of Koudelka's works are on line. Yet, if you visit www.magnumphotos.com and click Josef Koudelka's portfolio, you'll be able to see more details.
Famous Photographers' Bios
One more link, just in case
http://www.profotos.com/education/referencedesk/masters/index.shtml
See the column on the right
http://www.profotos.com/education/referencedesk/masters/index.shtml
See the column on the right
Thursday, October 1, 2009
EXPLORATION PHOTOGRAPHY. INTERESTING LINKS
Who can tell you more about exploration than National Geographic? Here is the link to the site where you can find names of the photographers ever shooting for the magazine, some pictures we've already seen in class (like Niepce's roofs of Paris) and many other interesting hings that might help in the future.
http://photography.nationalgeographic.com/photography/photographers/photography-timeline.html
Oh, and if you are going to the library, you can try to find the DVD 'Edward Burtynsky. Manufactured Landscapes'. The film was created by Jenifer Baichwal. It is a new documentary on the world and work of Edward Burtynsky, whose works will be exhibited on October 3 in Corcoran. If you are going to visit the exhibit and write a review about it, or just if you are interested in Edward Burtynsky's work, the DVD is great. I found it in my Bethesda Library, so guess you can find it in DC or Alexandria, for sure. This film follows Edward Burtynsky through China, as he shoots the evidence and effects of the country's massive industrial revolution.
http://photography.nationalgeographic.com/photography/photographers/photography-timeline.html
Oh, and if you are going to the library, you can try to find the DVD 'Edward Burtynsky. Manufactured Landscapes'. The film was created by Jenifer Baichwal. It is a new documentary on the world and work of Edward Burtynsky, whose works will be exhibited on October 3 in Corcoran. If you are going to visit the exhibit and write a review about it, or just if you are interested in Edward Burtynsky's work, the DVD is great. I found it in my Bethesda Library, so guess you can find it in DC or Alexandria, for sure. This film follows Edward Burtynsky through China, as he shoots the evidence and effects of the country's massive industrial revolution.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
JUST FUN
Well, it's not that I like this sort of silly tests, but this one was forwarded to me by a friend, and turned to be much fun. It's not a serious thing, of course, but rather peculiar. You can find out which famous photographer you are ;p
http://www.youthink.com/quiz.cfm?action=go_detail&sub_action=take&obj_id=164.
Found out I am supposed to be like Joel-Peter Witkin. The guy I always thought to be the freakiest photographer ever. Really surprised and should inform you that I don't like shooting decapitated bodies and dwarfs...hm. but yeah, I like dealing with bizarre people and things.
and I like Witkin's idea that
"When I produce a photograph that totally satisfies, a part of me actually dies. And I think that death is an aspect of myself being burned away or dissolved, because that part of what I had to work out is taken care of."
Ugh, I have told you this test is not a serious thing, haven't I?
http://www.youthink.com/quiz.cfm?action=go_detail&sub_action=take&obj_id=164.
Found out I am supposed to be like Joel-Peter Witkin. The guy I always thought to be the freakiest photographer ever. Really surprised and should inform you that I don't like shooting decapitated bodies and dwarfs...hm. but yeah, I like dealing with bizarre people and things.
and I like Witkin's idea that
"When I produce a photograph that totally satisfies, a part of me actually dies. And I think that death is an aspect of myself being burned away or dissolved, because that part of what I had to work out is taken care of."
Ugh, I have told you this test is not a serious thing, haven't I?
INTERESTING RESOURCES
I have just found a very interesting resource, that might be useful, I guess. They have 'the Story behind the Pictures' section that tells how this or that photograph was created
http://www.all-art.org/history658_photography13.html
and there is also a Photographer's Dictionary, that can help when describing things and getting ready for 30 October assignment. Thay have listed names, biographies and works of most famous photographers in alphabetic order
http://www.all-art.org/20ct_photo/20century_photo1.htm
http://www.all-art.org/history658_photography13.html
and there is also a Photographer's Dictionary, that can help when describing things and getting ready for 30 October assignment. Thay have listed names, biographies and works of most famous photographers in alphabetic order
http://www.all-art.org/20ct_photo/20century_photo1.htm
Friday, September 11, 2009
Assignment 1. Architecture and Still Life. 19th century.
Thomas Annan(1829-1887) is supposed to be one of the first photographers who started to record life of poor people. In 1866 he was commissioned by the Glasgow City Improvement Trust to photograph slum areas in the old part of the city before urban renewal took place. As a result a remarkable set of pictures ‘Photographs of Old Closes and Streets of Glasgow’ (1868-1877) appeared.
Let us have a look at ‘Close, No. 193 High Street’ photo. Thanks to the low key light the author managed to create an extremely fascinating scene with almost a chiaroscuro effect. Choosing to shoot from the level of the washing (which is the place a bit above the pavement) not only helped Annan to preserve the one-point perspective and show how the street is running far away, disappearing in the background, but first and foremost, this vantage point let the photographer show the world of poverty somehow from aside, from the place where, presumably, he considered the Glasgow City Improvement Trust would be.
Despite it was the very dawn of photography, Thomas Annan managed to make the picture look very dynamic. It is not only the way the photographer combines vertical and horizontal lines in a mysterious equilibrium, but also the objects and their color, that he chooses to include into the frame. The clothes hanging all along the street undoubtedly produce a strong rhythmic pattern. And the alternation of the black and gray colors of the washing creates an impression of some imperceptible inner movement. All that leads very logically to the visual climax of the picture, which is the light from above in the very end of the dark street.
This photo looks very symbolic to me. The way Thomas Annan framed the image leaves much place for a contemplation concerning the underlying meaning of the whole scene. Dark foreground, some very shabby clothes in the wind, the high wall on the left and almost black windows seem to be very static, stable and hopeless. However, the stairs on the right, the playing kids, the flare reflected in the dirt on the pavement and the circle of light oozing through the leaden clouds, all that being opposed to a massive negative space looks like the photographer had hope for those people (For their kids at least). As if after the reconstruction the look of the street could change and the future would be much better. Quite a Utopia, certainly, but a superbly created one.
Thursday, September 3, 2009
The Mad-Hatter Library
Portraits
I don’t know about you, but I adore portraits. I believe that a human being is the most interesting creature in the world. And I collect all sorts of information concerning portraiture.
When they teach you to draw they make you copy works of the great masters. It not only gives you an idea of proportion, lines, tones and colors but first and foremost shows you your own way for further development. I guess, with photography it is quite the same thing. If you want to be better, read more and watch more and definitely learn from the great ones.
Certainly each of you has his or her own preferences in portraiture but here is my list of those whose works seem to be interesting. Probably it will be of some help for you, too (in case you are also interested in portraits).
Richard Avedon
David Bailey
Cecil Beaton
Harry Callahan
Julia Margaret Cameron
Henri Cartier-Bresson
Bruce Davidson
Robert Doisneau
Elliott Erwitt
Walker Evans
Anne Geddes
Nan Goldin
Philippe Halsman
Lewis Hine
Horst P. Horst
Yousuf Karsh
Dorothea Lange
Sally Mann
Robert Mapplethorpe
Mary Ellen Mark
Steve McCurry
Arnold Newman
Erwin Olaf
Irving Penn
Herb Ritts
Jan Saudek
Mark Seliger
Cindy Sherman
Alfred Stieglitz
Jock Sturges
Jerry Uelsmann
Hiroshi Watanabe
Edward Weston
Joel-Peter Witkin
Nadar
Albert Sands Southworth
Julia Margaret Cameron
George Hurrell
Yousuf Karsh
Philippe Halsman
Arnold Newman
Richard Avedon
Cindy Sherman
Diane Arbus
Peter Lindbergh
Herb Ritts
David Hamilton
Robert Mapplethorpe
Rankin
Bettina Rheims
Annie Leibovitz
Mary Ellen Mark
Hiroshi Watanabe
Reneke Dijkstra
And as a bonus. A book on how to take extreeeeeemely classical portraits.
http://jzportraits.home.att.net/
The Old Curiosity Shop
What a Colorful Life.
It is well known that color film appeared only in 1935 (when Kodak introduced Kodachrome). But does it mean there was no color before? Does it mean that the world of photography was black and white and sometimes sepia? Definitely NOT. You remember the Lumiere brothers don’t you? And what extremely invigoration entrepreneurs they were. However, let us be frank. Let us admit that color photography has several fathers. Sounds like blasphemy, you think?
Well, let me tell you a story. A colorful story, indeed.
Once upon a time in France… (Have you noticed that most of the turning points for the history of photography are connected with France? Guess, there must have been some conspiracy)
Louis Ducos du Hauron (1837–1920). In 1868 he patented the three-color photography technique (RGB – sounds familiar right?) – the first practical method to capture color pictures, actually. Well, to tell you the truth that was not him who brought up the idea of three- color photography. Nevertheless, the aforementioned Monsieur du Hauron was the first to use it for practical photography, which deserves some respect, doesn’t it?
The idea itself was proposed by James Clark Maxwell – a Scottish theoretical physicist. He tried to make three separate black and white negatives through first red, then blue and then green filters. Later on Ducos du Hauron made his first color separations on three separate sheets of paper. However, there is no happy ending here, because the sensitivity of emulsion to the red part of the spectrum was extremely low and poor. Monseur Hauron had to wait for hours while exposing the scene to the red filter. Just think what pain in the neck it must have been.
And here step up two more legendary figures. I would call them saviors… no, no Saviors. They managed to tremendously improve the sensibility of the emulsion to the red light. Ladies and gentlemen, Mesdames et Monsieurs, comrades, let me introduce…
Professors Vogel (1834–1898) and Miethe (1862–1927). Two German guys who were the pathfinders, the messiahs, the (your noun could be here) To make a long story short they let the color photography move on. Especially Miethe, who also developed quite a good design of the triple-color camera. The camera used a negative plate 8x24 cm.
And then, there was a spy. There should be always a spy in a case of a good detective story, right? Why can’t I invent one? Would a Russian guy do as a spy?
Oh, well, though it is less exciting, but I’ll give you the facts which you are craving for.
Yes, there was a Russian. A Russian scientist and photographer Sergei Prokudin-Gorsky (1863-1944). He worked at Miethe’s laboratory and he became one of the most devoted disciples of the technique called ‘Dreifarbenphotographie nach der Natur’ (three-color photography in natural colors, pardon my German).
Mr Prokudin-Gorski became so obsessed with this sort of taking pictures that he devoted all his life to the development of this technique. Most of his color pictures were shot between 1904-1916 (Yes, I do remember that the Lumiers patented their method in 1903, but as I said, I want to tell you a bit more about other members of the color photography clan ;)
Prokudin-Gorsky’s enthusiasm was so contagious the Tsar Nikolai II decided to somehow participate. He made Prokudin-Gorsky an official photographer of the Empire and asked the man to travel across Russia (1907-1915) and picture everything that seemed to be interesting.
The process of shooting was the same: three RGB filters involved. After that a contact triple black and white positive was printed on a glass plate and then projected through a special triple projector. Each of the three positives was projected on the screen through a different filter.
Unfortunately, classical methods of reproducing three-color images are quite expensive and time-consuming. That was why until recently Sergei Prokudin-Gorskii ‘s pictures have not been seen by the public. The advent of digital technology made things easier and the color images could be composed from scanned negatives (more than 1,900) in the computer and then printed as color digital photographs. The first book ‘Photographs for the Tsar: The Pioneering Color Photography of Sergei Mikhailovich Prokudin-Gorskii’ by Robert Allshouse appeared in 1980. And in 1986 the US Library of Congress exhibited a small collection of Prokudin-Gorski’s works to the public.
Now you can compare those works by the Lumiers and Prokudin-Gorskii yourself.
http://lcweb2.loc.gov/cgi-bin/
and here is some more infomrmation about Sergei Prokudin-Gorskii (just in case)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prokudin-GorskiiWell, you must be really tired of my story. But haven’t I proposed to introduce a spy and you preferred mere historical facts?
Of course, I could tell you a bit more about, for example, John Joly but I am afraid it will not be as jolly as it sounds. So my Old Curiosity shop is closed for today.Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Introduction
Call me Lucy. (Would be a good start for a novel, wouldn’t it? However, I am afraid someone has already used it ;)
But, really, how did it all start? Well, as every mental disorder, I guess, this one is also rooted in childhood, when mom and dad taught me to use their film camera.
Nevertheless, it was only about two years ago that the first symptoms of a serious (and I am afraid contagious) illness would appear. My colleagues presented me with Nikon D50. I had taken pictures before, but I had never thought about photography seriously.
And then there was Nikon.
And then… a secret life.
From 10 am to 5 pm I was a PhD person working as a project manager for an international executive search company. After 5 pm I turned into a student and ran to my first photography school, or to one more workshop on studio lighting, or attended a lecture on history of photography. In a year I got completely obsessed and hopeless.
I left my job, and my boss cursed the day my colleagues got me the camera.
Well, here I am. Having no gift (and knowing it for sure) to be like Cartier-Bresson, or Leibovitz, or Avedon but stubborn and self-assured enough to hope that one day I’ll manage to become someone in this profession.
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