Photography in the News

Apparently, in a time of war and recession, the real problem our culture faces is ... photography.

Tripod sparked Sheridan panic

"A tripod likely was mistaken for a "long gun," police said today after ending a lockdown of Sheridan College's Oakville campus and adjoining student residence."

Paparazzi Crackdown Over Britney Chaos

"Councilman Dennis Zine has asked the city's attorney to draw up laws to protect targeted celebrities, as well as pedestrians and drivers, who may be put in danger by a 'swarm' of photographers and cameramen."

Inside, Looking Out, Midtown

This is the 301st post on this blog. I'm rethinking it a bit, so don't be surprised if a there's a redesign soon.

Of course, it's fair to say that Photography itself needs a bit of a redesign. If you stare at something long enough, ideas should begin to form on what it's for and what it might do.

No One Specified Whether It Was On Fire

The other day I had a call from a photographer who wanted a link to see some of my photography. "My husband googled you," she said, "and we saw your picture of a giraffe."

I gave her a workable link, but after the phone call I realized that I have never, ever photographed a giraffe. (It has never occurred to me that I should.)

So I hit google with every combination of search terms I could imagine, hoping to find the photograph. No such luck, at least not yet.

They Had a Good Run

Polaroid Technology Fades Out

"The artsy, instantly gratifying Polaroid images, reeking of processing chemicals, have finally been done in by endless Flickr Web pages full of digital images, flawlessly produced by cameras that do not require film, emulsion or anything bigger than a shirt pocket to carry them around."

End of the Week

Well. I would call that a very mixed week. I should be back to daily posts very soon.

Above: a snapshot from the 4 train, looking toward Manhattan from the Bronx.

Missing Why

If you want to be an anarchist, you're going to need time-management skills, and you are going to need to plan ahead. Don't run out of time or paint in the middle of your defiant act. You really need to stay on task.

Rambling

One reason for Saturday night's visit to the Metropolitan was to see: Lee Friedlander: A Ramble in Olmsted Parks. I'm a big fan of Friedlander, but I left wondering if anyone would have any interest if these were by a relatively unknown photographer. I found little spark in them, and felt none of the usual Friedlander aura.

Metropolitan

Above: a snapshot from Saturday night at the Met.

But Seriously

This week -- if enough people sign up -- I'll be teaching my Seriously Fun Photography course at Hunter College Continuing Education.

I change the content and structure each time, trying to learn from each past class experience, and to tailor it to the students who attend. Here's the general blurb:

"Build on the basics and master the skills and ideas advanced photographers use in a fun, low-pressure class. Open to anyone able to shoot a photo and import it into a computer (and welcoming advanced students as well), in this class we'll use the digital camera as a fast way to learn the essentials of photography. We'll learn-by-doing, exploring professional techniques while creating a portfolio project (on any topic of your choice) to show your advanced skills. If you've always been interested in photography, but have put off becoming great at it, this is your chance.

FRI 5:30:PM - 7:30:PM
Location: 71 E 94th St. CS
02/08 - 03/14 Sessions: 6
Course Status: Open, Seats Available
Tuition: $225"

Shocked, Shocked I Say

I speak with a lot of photographers by phone. I don't know anything but their names, usually, but that's fine: they have questions about photography, I have answers. Or at least a different take on the questions.

Recently I had a call and was in a discussion about lenses when I realized that the photographer was trying to get a start as a paparazzo. He'd been showing up and joining a pack of photographers who were, he said, chasing Lindsay Lohan. He described two high-speed chases around Southern California, and -- while I'm sure he was a nice guy -- when the call ended I wasn't exactly reassured.

So I find this an interesting article:

Paparazzo quits over hounding of Britney

"The paps are completely out of control," Mr Stern, 43, said. "It's not unusual to have 20 or 30 cars pursuing her at any one time. It's become acceptable to drive at 80mph down the wrong side of the street into oncoming traffic. I was horrified at what goes on. It's so aggressive, there are fights and crashes and slashed tyres. I felt I needed to say something."

Back to the Bronx

I've returned to teach another class at Bronx Community College, and I'm really enjoying it. The first half of the course is Adobe Photoshop, so that's great fun. Later, we move on to Adobe After Effects, which should also be a good time.

Above: a detail at Burnside Station photographed this morning.

Five Minutes Later

It's a tradition, I guess: all advertisements in New York must be defaced. Not all that creative an effort though, this time. I was expecting more.

Unwerth Repeating

Here's that Ellen von Unwerth advertising photograph I wrote about. Gold lamé no matter which direction you look.

What DSLR is Good Enough?

Here's the question I always get: "I want a DSLR (digital single lens reflex) camera. I'm not ready for a professional model, don't want to spend too much, but don't want to buy something and then grow out of it in a six months. What should I buy?"

Well, there were new announcements by Canon, Nikon, Olympus, Pentax and Sony this week -- so the real bargains are the models that have been out a little while. They're great cameras, and are now bargain priced.... Take a look:

Nikon D40

Nikon D40x

Canon Digital Rebel XT

Canon Digital Rebel XTi

Pentax K100D

Olympus Evolt E510

You can't really go wrong with any of these. I'll have more on the new cameras that are coming out, but I tend to advise people -- go for the less-expensive camera body, then take the savings and in put it into another good lens.

We're Unwerthy

Ellen von Unwerth is one of those photographers who is able to hit an art director's fantasies so dead-on that the photographs don't need to be good. They look as if someone handed a model a camera during a break at a fashion shoot, and she had a fun time with it. And that's what they are, and they work.

Google her name, take in a little sample of her photographs and you'll realize: she's everywhere. And has been, for a long long time. Generally, though, that doesn't mean every advertisement in the subway. It does now. For about a week or so, waiting at my usual stops has meant staring at the new Equinox ads. Adweek explains:

Equinox Gets Racy in Push From Fallon

"In one, a group of nuns in a candlelit room are rooted to the spot by a nude male model they are sketching. In another, a male model, wearing only skintight gold lamé underpants, is bent over into the shape of a table. On his stomach rests a platter of fruit that a group of women dressed as if they were going to a masquerade pick at."

That's right: the one in the subway is the one with the gold lamé undies.

AIPAD 2008

From the Department of Planning Way in the Heck Ahead: The AIPAD (Association of International Photography Art Dealers) Photography Show New York will run from Thursday, April 10 though Sunday, April 13, 2008 at the Park Avenue Armory at 67th Street in New York City.

Is there any way you can double check that? Yep, you could click right here.

Sambadende Brazil Tour

Dana Bartle has been blogging her documentary trip to Brazil at Sambadende Brazil Tour 2008. I'm a little late to the party, but better late than never.

Robert Capa Negatives Found

Robert Capa's negatives from the Spanish Civil War have turned up, according to an article in tomorrow's New York Times.

The Capa Cache

"The discovery has sent shock waves through the photography world, not least because it is hoped that the negatives could settle once and for all a question that has dogged Capa’s legacy: whether what may be his most famous picture — and one of the most famous war photographs of all time — was staged. Known as “The Falling Soldier,” it shows a Spanish Republican militiaman reeling backward at what appears to be the instant a bullet strikes his chest or head on a hillside near Córdoba in 1936."

Frugal Hawaii Posted

The new Frugal Traveler episode is finally edited and posted.

Over on my other blog there's a little about the process and a link to the video.

Frugal Traveler, Hawaii

Editing this episode of Frugal Traveler: Hawaii was a strangely textbook process. I don't mean mechanical by any means. Not at all. Rather, it went through very specific phases, progressing from an impossibly long first draft, through an intractable second version, eventually reaching that moment I still don't quite understand: when the piece becomes watchable.

Here's what I mean: the first assembly was 45 minutes long. (The final piece is exactly 7 minutes long.) Once this was done, I cut away at the material, but found I couldn't make a coherent version with my normal way of working.

Then, after a lot of struggle, I found that this particular piece wanted to be edited backwards: work on the ending, then the material before that, and continue back to the beginning. Seems strange after the fact, but that's what worked....