Giving your work exposure as an art photographer is more challenging than as a photojournalist. Your work is not easily digested by the mass media and (heresy!) there are fewer ways of applying your images to commercial purposes. Of course you can solely rely on virtual media, but the power of seeing your work in print is still strong and immensely satisfying. Continue reading “Submitting to Photography and Art Magazines”
When asked whose work inspired me or influenced me, I am frequently at a loss for an answer. My first couple of years in photography were mostly in Miami, surrounded by wannabe fashion photographers and models. There are of course excellent professionals there, but I was inclined more toward conceptual photography and Miami simply didn’t have much of what I was looking for. My search for my own style and work was mostly an autistic experience, with input limited by a very tight group of non-photographer friends. Continue reading “Raymond Depardon – Thoughts”
I’m still on the hunt for the ideal camera bag, but in the meantime, while browsing the bag section in B&H in New York I came across a camera strap system that makes sense. Black Rapid. It made me think of the infamous Blackwater contractor at first, and then, when I noticed it was a sling I thought of Black Diamond climbing gear.
So much for brand association, but my initial impressions where reinforced because the straps are actually chest harnesses that allow you to keep the camera at your side as if it were a gun in a holster. A very good and well thought-out system actually.
The camera is kept secure through a locking pin that screws into the tripod screwmount of the camera. Reaching the camera is easy, and the harness strap extends far enough to permit total mobility, as if the camera were on a leash.
The set-up keeps your hands free, but the camera remains securely attached to you. More than risk of falling, I like the idea of adding a layer of dissuasion from theft. Furthermore, the weight is well distributed, and you can even have one camera at each side. It even has convenient pockets on the strap for cel phones, memory cards, etc. this helps avoid carrying a bag and looking even more like a target for thieves. In colder months you can wear a long jacket over the straps, and this helps hide your equipment even more. (This works well for my slim Leicas but with my fatter Nikons I do look a little heavy in the hips!) This set-up still allows you to reach the camera from under your jacket when needed without too much fuss.
Of course this works best in winter months…Still looking for a replacement to my black plastic grocery bag when I’m under the the sun.
I do most of my printing, but occasionally need to outsource it. In Mexico I’ve used LMI, and although quite competent and with excellent service, I’ve always felt something was missing from the quality of the final print. It’s a subtle feeling that the final print is more “commercial” than “art”. Perhaps it’s just my prejudice, again, I have nothing against LMI, quite the contrary, but I am looking for alternative suppliers to test with.
Katya Gardea, a visual artist who divides her time between Berlin and Mexico City came across another lab and we are both going to test with them. The lab is Carbon4. I’ll let you know how it goes.
While in the Dominican Republic I developed this series on trees, palm trees specifically. I found them on the new road from Santo Domingo to Samana.
There are acres upon acres of palm tree plantations and one large section is littered with dry husks. At first I thought this was due to a hurricane or drought, but the area affected was too enclosed to be naturally caused.
I later learned that oil palm trees reach an end to their productive cycle. At that point they are deliberately culled to make room for new growth.
There was a sadness in knowing how so much life was deliberately purged, and the scene itself was dramatic. Wandering among the remains I was impressed by how many seemed to have human shapes, and how stories emerged from the rows of trees.
This is perhaps a disturbing series, but I wanted to treat these images as a collection of intimate portraits. I hope I captured the sense of awe and melancholy I felt.
