Jock Sturges

I often enjoy seeing photography that is based primarily on people but they aren't the ones I usually find myself wanting to take or understand.  This girl's gaze did catch my eye though.  One of the things I love the most in this world is the California beaches and this picture makes me feel like I'm there even though it probably is no where near there.  The soft neutral skin tone and the way it interacts with the sand is great in this picture and I love how dark her hair is and the way it contrasts so well with the lighter tones at the top of the photograph.  The girl's posture seems to be vulnerable and shy which is augmented by her seemingly lack of clothing but she still gazes strongly at the camera when the picture was taken and it adds a great sense of strength to the photograph

Joakim Eskildsen

This photograph caught my eye immediately.  Like some of the other photographs I have chosen, this picture has a very strong sense of direction of purpose to it.  The man's view of the street sends the viewers eyes wandering up the picture and throughout the numerous windows and doorways but eventually you end back with the lonely old man in the chair and it just makes you wonder what his purpose is and what he wants to accomplish by sitting in that spot at that moment.  The dog is perfect as well.  I don't know what it is about that dog but I get the sense that he is waiting for that man to make any kind of move.  He seems dedicated to that moment and fits to well as a part of this intricate yet dynamic photograph

Elizabeth Weinberg

This was another picture that initially caught my eye but I had passed it up in favor of other photographs.  The freeze and perfect capture that this photo has is so interesting.  I love the position and moment that this was taken.  The glassy lake is so serene and the perfect frozen motion of the person is as well but the viewer knows it wont last and that is almost intoxicating in a way.  it makes you wonder what will happen next and pulls you in and makes you want to know more about this moment.  Again this picture is a what, why, when, where like some of the others.

Door County, Wisconsin, 1970

This image stood out to me in an earlier shot but I had passed it up for what I thought were some more interesting images.  When it came up again however I thought it wouldn't hurt to check it out.  The date is actually what got me to choose this image in the end.  I'm not that familiar with how photography has progressed over time but this image struck me as being very very modern but it was taken in 1970.  It makes me wonder what influenced the work and what the artist was thinking.  It appears that there is a garden wall or something to the right but the left seems to be the all of a broken down house.  I really enjoy the extra dimension of the mirror centered in the picture and that is what made me think it was more modern at first glance.  The reflection of his fingers as well as the wall keeps it grounded and dynamic while the rest of the arm gives the viewer a closer connection to the photograph as if it is their arm.  

Kim Jong IL

This picture may seem like an odd addition to the blog but I couldn't resist due to current events.  This picture is actually part of NorthKorea's press releases with information about their leader.  I'm guessing it is supposed to show that Kim Jong Il cares about the small things in life or something ridiculous.  Plus it shows how many people follow him, trust him, put faith into him, and of course look to him to make the big decisions which it seems like he is making here.  The absurdity of this photograph is just amazing to me.  It makes him out to be so human and so personal and the subtle hints it gives are actually not subtle at all.  The fact that Kim had photographers portray him in such an artistic way though fascinates me.  This photograph is so contemporary and interesting when looked at for artistic content rather than its true purpose.  Props to Kim's photographers.  They've got some skills.

Hiroshi Sugimoto, Gemsbok, 1982

I don't usually enjoy wildlife photography that has a documentary feel to it and when I first looked at this photograph that is the thought it was.  The more I look at this photograph the more I enjoy it and the more i feel like it is not just a "wildlife" photograph.  The almost perfect size of the empty space around the animals sets this image off as unique right away.  The uniform shape and patterns on the animals combines with that space to add an almost surreal feeling to it also.  The white sky, the sharp distinct horns and face, the random spacing of the animals... it all just combines to add such a depth and intricacy to the image that I enjoy.  

Wayne Wallace

This image caught my eye because of how dynamic and "centered" it is.  By centered I don't mean in the sense the the subject is centered (obviously its not) but because the photographs subject and focus is so centered on the mysterious man standing at the end of the alley.  The wet sidewalk and close walls add a personal and dark touch to the photograph.  Also the figure seems like the could have stepped out of a 1920's movie and it adds a very vintage touch to the artwork.  I really enjoy the centered focus and although it is mysterious, it is also a calm image.  

Sam Taylor-Wood Pietà

This was actually an interesting pick for me because I didn't realize it was the same photographer as the last picture I wrote about until I looked for the name.  For anyone familiar with art, this is a contemporary version of  Michelangelo Buonarroti's Pieta sculpture, which is located in Vatican City.  That was the reason it caught my eye originally as well.  I believe that while the image is easily copied because of the basic form of two people, I think the photographer did a great job here in making it more modern.  The old stair case and rails framing the sides of the picture are a nice touch and I enjoy the way the stairs lead the viewer up and down the sides of the picture and ultimately into the middle. 

Sam Taylor-Wood Self-Portrait

This picture is another that has be questioning how it was accomplished.  The photographer has positioned herself seemingly hanging in the air without any visible support.  I love the form that she puts herself in for this picture.  The lightly stretched leg and slightly bent one combined with her hanging arms provide a sense of calm and serenity to a picture that is seems as if it is a flash in a moment of action.  Also her bent back with her raised chest makes it seem as though she is floating up rather than falling down.

I love how she positioned herself with the window as her backdrop and the contemporary white washed walls and wooden flooring is a great combination.  Again, this is a picture that you have to look at because it makes the viewer think.

Tim Kellner, Self Portrait

I had to use this picture because of how uncomfortable it made me while looking at it.  This is a self-portrait according to the article I got it from but it doesn't say how he shot it which I would be very interested to know.  The water is so still so he had to be submerged for atleast a short period of time to wait for their to be no ripples and he must have had a timer or someone else release the shutter after he set it up.  The eerie stillness of the water with his pale face beneath the surface of this grass clogged water is just too much to handle in my opinion.  It certainly catches the viewers attention though and makes them think about what, where, why, how, etc.  and in doing so is a very successful image.  

Self-shot/nude

Helmut Newton self-portrait


The brilliance of this picture is the dynamic angles of the views of the different individuals within the picture.  My eye first travels to the middle of the picture and focuses on the photographer and nude woman.  Their location within the mirror which reflects a white background behind them automatically draws my eye.  The woman's gaze makes me want to look to the right after that and I notice the woman sitting on the chair staring at the nude womans real form outside the mirror.  She seems to have a mixture of boredom but also a kind of acceptance that has led to her being interested in what is going on.  From there I look at the back of the form of the woman and the excellent way she frames the mirror in front of her with her arm and side.  This picture seems so balanced to me even tho there are so many sections and patterns and textures.  The way the different parts work together from the woman to the mirror to the woman on the right to the window or door behind her.  The pair of legs that peaks out from behind the nude woman's hip add a little bit of mystery and perhaps even a little more sensuality to the photograph.  

Gérard Uféras, 'Salzburger Festspiele #1, Salzburg, Austria' (1996).


This image caught my eye because of the great capture of the moment.  The photographer make a great choice with the moment this picture was taken.  I like the great depth that the curtain shows and the way it leads the viewers eye from one side of the image to another.  
I also really like the way the figure is half wrapped within the fabric and seems to be standing rigidly while it flows over him/her.  There also seems to be another figure at the end of the fabric walking behind it or into it and that helps add some questions to the photograph beyond the obvious.  The smooth gradual tones on the fabric on the right also contrast nicely with what hard angles of the stairs and the ladders on the left.  

Photoshop in photography

Uelsmann, Jerry N.

"Untitled, 2003."

I picked this photograph mainly because it wasn't just a photograph.  When I take photos I often try to manipulate them to enhance the idea I was originally trying to show in a photograph or to warp it into my own contrasting usage.  I enjoy making images come together fluidly to produce a completely new feeling and had experience with Photoshop before photography.  This photograph/digital art has that same concept of merging pictures that I like to use.  The water ripples cupped within the hands provide an easy focus point while the light on the landscape in the background holds a force of its own that draws a viewers' eyes. The lighting on the hands doesn't match the light from the back directionally but its intensity is very similar and that really helps the picture maintain a healthy balance.  Different pieces of this photograph could stand by themselves and be decent alone but the combination creates an interesting compilation that is very pleasing to the eye.  

Gardens of the Villa Melzi, Lake Como, Italy, 1996/1997

John Pfahl

"Gardens of the Villa Melzi, Lake Como, Italy, 1996/1997" 

This picture is very peaceful for me.  I enjoy the subtle colors and light.  I usually like pictures with brighter colors or black and white and more drastic lighting whether it is a lot less or a lot more.  I like the pale grass and contrasting dark silhouettes of the trees.  They give a sense of intensity that lot of the picture tries to hold back.  The building/dome poking out behind the trees adds a sense of mystery and curiosity to the photograph as well.  The softness of the photo is also different  from what I usually like but it suits the peaceful quality as does the smooth lake that isn't quite glassy.  The water also mimics the soft but gloomy clouds.  The clouds feel like they are almost opening in the middle for some celestial being and bring another sense of mystery to the photograph.  The asymmetry also works well and provides an interesting balance for the viewers eyes as they examine the contrasting sides of the image.  

Vantage Point

David Moore.  "Book and Blindfold" 

This image caught my eye at first because it was unclear whether this figure was standing up against a wall or laying down.  The vantage point clearly has an effect on this picture.  It is giving you an odd sense of distance and perspective.  I enjoy the warped perception of vantage point and also the warped perception of what is going on in this picture.  At first I saw someone laying on a beach towel on a beach but the background is more like boards (a deck maybe?).  Also the position they are laying and lighting at first made me think of someone trying to soak up some rays but this person is very stiff and rigid.  His hands clutch at the book as if it is trying to get away.  The title also gives a little more insight since it is unclear that he is blindfolded until reading the title.  

I enjoy photographs that raise questions like this one.  I also enjoy the balance of this picture and the way it draws your eyes up and down the picture.  The hands clearly draw in your eyes but they rise up the figures body to the face which is turned at an interesting angle that makes one wonder what they are thinking.  The emotion conveyed is almost tense and suspenseful.  

Andy Grundberg's article on Richard Avedon titles him "the eye of fashion", and rightly so.  He photographed some of the most important models and fashion trends during fashion's push towards its now mainstream ties.  His work combines the direct and business aspects of fashion with the fantasy aspects of art photography to create a surreal attraction in viewers.

He passed away at the age of 81, a full and healthy life by most people's standards. His talent was recognized at an early age and in his thirties was even the model for a photographer character in a movie in 1957 called "Funny Face". He took his photography seriously and believed in showing people the true worth of someone in his art.  He talked about his work with photography all kinds of people around the world but that his main interest was photographing people of accomplishment rather than celebrities.  They were worth documenting and saving to share with the rest of the world.  

He shared support for anti-war groups and civil rights groups in the 1960s.  He even taught black photographers in the south how to photograph the different sit-ins and civil rights marches to better support the movements.  

He grew up in a household that surrounded him in fashion from a young age.  His father owned a clothing store in Manhattan and his mother came from a  family with a dress making manufacturing business.  He started reading fashion magazines at a young age and saved copies of his favorite fashion photographs.  

His work is fantastically detailed and unique.  He captures the essence of a person and their struggles.  He almost always captured in black and white and I think that gives him a very strong classic tone with his work.  He can focus on basic structure in a picture rather than worry about the balance.  The tones of the black and white give great personality and texture to his photos.  He often included black space from the negative of the image around the edges of photos in his exhibitions.  His photographs were mostly shot in an all white studio to give the subject a sense of weightlessness in the photo.

Street Photography

I found this under the heading of street photography but can't find the original photographers name which is a shame because this a wonderful photograph.

I really enjoy this photograph and the style of photography it comes from.  I think street photography can yield the most interesting results.  To capture real life you must immerse yourself  in it and learn to recognize the when the right moment to capture will happen.  Constant movement and angles can lead fantastic results of split second moments such as this.  I have only looked at black and white photography so far but I wanted to do this last one because I loved the moment that this photo captured.  Each bird is in a unique shape and moment and their wings connect and lead the viewer through the scene.  The backdrop of old buildings and a city square provides the perfect atmosphere for this photograph.

Ansel Adams! again...

Ansel Adams- Yosemite

I couldn't help doing one more Ansel Adams photograph.  This is one of his most famous shots and I think it is a great example of his excellent eye for composition.  In studying photography we learn about the rule of thirds which this photograph captures in every direction, up, down, and sideways.  I love how the tree flows across the photo pulling your eyes back and forth.  The shadows and lines on the rocks guide your eyes across the bottom of the photo and back around through the tree again.  Nothing pulls the viewers eyes from the frame and the rocks and tree form a frame for the distant and majestic peaks in the background.    This photograph encapsulates the idea of what landscape photography is.

Photoblogger first times

Ansel Adams- Rocks

For my first photography blog post I wanted to post something by a true master that captures so many essences of photography that I love.  The depth of field in this photo is amazing.  The way the rocks sit so close to the viewer and lead your eyes to the base of the mountains and then up into the sky is fantastic.  though the rocks as a whole seem to provide a uniform pattern when examining the picture as a whole, they each have their own unique personality and sit together in a fantastically random way.  

The beams of light that seem to cascade from the clouds and frame the shape of the mountains also add so much to the photo.  It gives the photo an almost surreal feeling and moves this picture beyond just a landscape picture.  Ansel Adams had such a gift for looking at landscapes and finding the right shot to capture the very essence of the land.  One day I hope to have an eye like his.