photography: 05/14/13

Tuesday, May 14, 2013

Easter Sunday residues;)
---
I have further decided to photograph with a full frame camera. Pictures 1, 2, 5, 6 and 8 I shot with a Canon 5D Mark II. Unfortunately I had to send them back because of some technical defects. Currently I am waiting for replacement :-). For now, I'm excited about what she does. Oh, I can not wait until you finally can shoot without the cold again :-)

April's Best

the April started cold but sunny, we took advantage of the nice day for a walk Easter

The 2013 World Press Photo Winners

Two years ago, it was a haunting picture of an Afghan teenager who had had her ears and nose cut off. Last year it was a portrait of a Yemeni mother clutching her son in the style of La Pieta. This year, it's a dramatic burial march of two Palestinian toddlers. These are the 2013 World Press Photo Winners.

Five Years Of Flickr Commons

This week, the Flickr Commons celebrates its 5th Year Anniversary. Since launching over half a decade, ago The Commons has helped propagate unique and beautiful photographs from different educational institutions around the world, all for free. Here is a sampling of the anniversary galleries of Flickr Commons' Five Year Anniversary Celebration.

The City After Dark

Photo manipulation is usually considered a method of turning a scene of reality into something imaginary. When a photograph is altered, it loses the truth of the scene being depicted. One photographer does the opposite by combining two realities into one "super reality". Thierry Cohen shows viewers what cities would look like after dark in his serie

Omote 3D: The 21st Century Portrait

The advent of camera phones and affordable DSLRs have made portrait sessions a commonplace occurrence. Hiring a professional photographer is now reserved for more formal occasions such as weddings, and even then it's not unusual to ask a friend to just take pictures with his entry-level DSLR. The quality of the 21st century portrait is rapidly deteriorating. However, a new project in Tokyo is doing away with the traditional paper portrait in favor of miniature sculptures. These are the 3D printing results of Omote 3D.

Mirror Landscapes

Sometimes, it's the most simple things that make a photo essay great. A single strobe light, a different colored backdrop, or a different wardrobe on a subject can make a viewer take a second look at a porttait. For landscapes, this can be a trickier,

Urban Landscapes in Black and White

Creating something fresh in the world of landscape photography can be a challenge for even the most seasoned photographer as much of the photograph's success depends on the scene itself. If the weather is the same, or the vegetation hasn't changed, then a photographer might end up with the same image over and over again. It's the same difficulty with urban landscapes, only there's the added challenge of capturing the dynamic city life in a static scene. Gabriele Croppi

Snapshots Photomonth East London 2012

On October 24, The Brick Lane Gallery (The Annexe) will exhibit new works by local and emerging artists as a part of the London East End Photomonth art festival. Artists working in all styles and subjects represent the diversity this medium can produce. Images of the Ugly and the Beautiful, the still and the loud, the abstract and real. Photographer Marta Rovatti Studihrad is one of these artists and will be exhibiting her work entitled "Latent Content".

Boys versus Girls, The Pink & Blue Project

"Blue is for boys and pink is for girls". That statement has been so subconsciously ingrained into the minds of practically everyone in the first world that it seems silly to challenge it. Indeed, the differences in gender with boys versus girls and blue versus pink has become an accepted fact that manufacturers nowadays will automatically assign blue products to guys and pink products to gals. Artist JeongMee Yoon wanted to document this phenomenon in children and, along the way, uncovered some surprising historical facts in her Pink & Blue Project.

Tim Flach and the English Springer Spaniel

It's been a while since the last post featuring animal portraits, so while everyone else is enjoying their weekend, here's a picture of man's best friend hard at work. This outstanding action photo is just one of the images in the previously featured book "Dogs" by the talented Tim Flach.

In The Playroom

Almost a decade after the Abu Ghraib prisoner abuse story first came to public attention, the photographs are still a topic of much controversy. One photographer however has flipped the controversy on its head and made them the inspiration for his portraiture series featuring children, and then some. Jonathan Hobin entered the spotlight a few years ago when his images were deemed just as controversial as the original images from which he based his "In The Playroom" series.

The National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest 2012 Winners

One of the most iconic organizations of photojournalism is National Geographic. The documentary institution has produced some of the best photographers of this generation, and continues to inspire newcomers to the medium. With the influx of new photography enthusiasts over the last few years thanks to more affordable camera equipment, National Geographic has opened up its website to amateur photojournalists with its Travelers Magazine and recognize

The Lonely Planet Photo Mosaic Competition 2010 Winners

National Geographic isn't the only publication that boasts an active online fan base. Lonely Planet has also been encouraging its users to share their own photos on its website. A couple of years ago, it announced an online photo contest and received an impressive array of travelers' photos. Here are the winners of Lonely Planet's Photo Mosaic competition.

Unphotoshopped Photoshops of Flying Men

In this age of awesome Photoshop manipulations, it can be easy to look at unrealistic photo images and chalk them up to simple photo editing. The majority of photographers have no qualms using photo editing software to enhance their photographs, but a few others do it the old way and resort to more back-breaking methods to achieve their vision. Artist and

Phyllis Gordon Walking Her Cheetah

In the style of Salvador Dali walking his anteater, her

The Eyes Photographed by Frank Fournier

This haunting image shows 13 year old Omayra Sánchez neck-deep in flood water and debris caused by 1985 eruption of the Nevado del Ruiz volcano in Armero, Colombia. Her pasty-white shriveled hands and bloodshot eyes are the result of nearly 60

Double Identity

Martin Schoeller's Twin Portraits was an interesting look at the world of identical twins. Through his unique photography style, viewers could see the small physical differences that distinguish monozygotic twins from each other. But what about their similarities? And what about the differences that go beyond the physical? Caroline Briggs seems to have found the answer in her series, Double Identity.

Dear Photograph Photo Blog: Seeing the Past in the Present

Cher Photo Blog Photo: Voyant le passé dans le présent

Photographs are a wonderful phenomenon; they allow you to see into the past while you're in the present. But what if you can combine the two? Taylor Jones' simple idea gave rise to Dear Photograph, the now popular photo blog which allows you to see old photographs set in the present.

Scènes Seconde Guerre mondiale dans le présent

The previous feature on the Dear Photograph blog was a nice, happy and nostalgic look at some personal family events in the past as seen in the present. But what about historic world events as seen through the lens of the present? Sergey Larenkov shows how its done by embedding World War II scenes in the present in his blog, "Link to the Past".

Inspiration dans la dépression

Sometimes, all it takes is one photograph to cement the reputation of a photographer. Documentary photographer Dorothea Lange has that kind of reputation, but one photograph is not enough to show the hard work and passion she put into her documentary career. Capturing haunting images of the Great Depression, she found pockets of humanity from which she drew her inspiration.

Imaginer les Américains

After Dorothea Lange's depressing images of the Depression and World War II, one would think that most of the United States would move on to a more prosperous and joyful mindset of rebuilding and expansion. Photographer Robert Frank had the same thought, but slowly he realized that the opposite was true, and the harsh realities that he imagined were materialized in his seminal photobook "The Americans".

Harold Eugene Edgerton: en un clin d'œil

On the Reel Foto blog, most of the iconic images that have been featured here were taken by photographers who spent many hours in their younger years studying the fundamentals of photography. Other rare individuals earned their standing in photography by starting in a totally different industry. Harold Eugene Edgerton is one of those rare people who's contributions to photography have both stood the test of time, and have passed in the blink of an eye.

Le photographe militaire 2011 l'Année

Ever since the Roger Fenton captured the image, "Valley of the Shadow of Death" depicting the aftermath of the Sevastopol in 1852, photography has been used to document the brutal reality (and sometimes romanticism) of armed conflict. It should be no surprise then that some organizations promote this branch of photography capturing both the light and dark side of war. Depicted here are some of the winners of the 2011 Military Photographer of the Year as recognized by the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense of the USA.

Up Close and Personal Photographie de la faune

It's been some time seen this blog has seen some animal photography, so this post should be a welcome break. The creatures here however are far from the cute and cuddly kind. This is up close and personal wildlife photography as captured by Jonathan Griffiths.

Début du 20ème siècle en couleur

Seeing the last days of the Russian Empire in full color is nothing short of a miracle considering the technology available in the decade of 1900. However, Sergey Prokudin-Gorsky wasn't the only one experimenting with early color photograph techniques. While not that common, other color photographs did exist in the early 20th century in different formats. Apart from Prokudin-Gorsky, one other man honoured for his early color photographs is Albert Kahn, who did not limit himself to only one country but sought to record the entire world in the early 20th century in full color.

Le World Press Photo 2012 Gagnants

Last week, the winners of the prestigious World Press Photo awards for 2012 were announced. As with previous years, the international competition revealed the world, both often seen and unseen, in a series of exciting, devastating and thought-provoking images. The following is just a preview of the full gallery of winners of the World Press Photo 2012.

Dans le Land de Lumière de minuit

The new year is already a few days old, but many are still living in the land of Christmas vacation. For one photographer, everyday is like living in the land of unbound imagination. It's easy to understand why when you see the creations of Rune Guneriussen in the Land of Midnight Light.
Rune Guneriussen is an artist that works with installations and photography, juxtaposing manmade objects with scenes in nature. Some of his artworks are done at night when the waning sun or waxing moon provides enough light to blanket the landscape yet allows for enough darkness to conjure up some mystery to the scene. Add some man made electronic devices and what results are images straight out of a 21st century elvish fantasy novel or a dwarfish tale.

A Tale of Two Sisters

The new year is a good occasion to make promises and look towards better times ahead. It's an even a better occasion to look back at the past and see how much you've accomplished since then. Photographer Jason Lee won't have a problem with the latter as he's recorded almost every moment of his two proudest achievements, his two daughters Kristin and Kayla, through an ingenious photoblog, the tale of these two happy sisters.

Man's Other Best Friends

Man's relationship with nature has always been a complicated one, but that isn't to say that men haven't formed meaningful relationships with Earth's other creatures. From Yann Arthus-Bertrand's majestic portraits of farm animals to Joel Sartore's portraits of endangered species to Amelia's world of wonderful animals, there have been numerous documented occasions of man and animals co-existing. It's a slightly more complicated story with man's other best friends as illustrated in Pieter Hugo's "Hyenas & Other Men".

Human Like Us

It's mostly easy to brush aside sentiments about animals because they're just that: animals. Most comments about the previous post on Pieter Hugo's Hyena Men were centered more on the novelty of wild animals as pets and not so much on the treatment of the hyenas and baboons. Will it be the same for this post? Photographer James Mollison doesn't make it easy in his series "James & Other Apes" as his subjects are a little bit more human like us.

How many men does it take to create the perfect portrait? This blog has on occasion featured group portraits, but nothing on this magnitude. Assembling a cast of several officers and enlisted men, Arthur Mole and John Thomas used their knowledge of perspective and photography in order to create a series of images that would inspire America. Almost a hundred years from that time, their pictures of a thousand men are worth more than tenfold in words.

What does the Earth look like during a solar eclipse?

A few days ago on December 10, 2011, a total lunar eclipse took place that was fully visible to people in most of Asia and Oceana, and partially visible to those in Europe and North America. Eclipses, both solar and lunar, are spectacular events that still evoke wonder in the eyes of people on Earth, but wouldn't it be equally fascinating to see what the Earth looks like during an eclipse like this?

Last week's post on what the Earth looks like during an eclipse garnered a lot of Ooohs and Aaahs in the comments because of the unusual view it provided of the Earth. But what kind of view would extraterrestrials find of this planet? Fortunately for them, they won't have to travel too far to find pictures of Earth and her inhabitants as they can just look at the images preserved on the Voyager Golden Record.

A Christmas Postcard from Apollo 8

It's not Christmas Day yet, but this fantastic image is fit be shared on any season or occasion, although it has more weight on this day. The picture, called Earthrise, is by itself breathtaking enough to be featured on this blog, but it's doubly special because of the occasion on which it was taken by the crew of Apollo 8.

Walking from square to square. Strolling under the live oak trees dripping with their Spanish Moss. Breathing in the scent of flowers. Sipping sweet tea. Being called "Miss Irene". These are my memories of Savannah, Georgia.

Garden of Earthly Delights

"A garden isn't meant to be useful. It's for joy."

~ Rumer Godden

or the past few days, the approach of winter has become more palpable. Gloves and chunky scarves are needed when going out. Snowflakes float through the air, giving a preview of the blizzards to come. Sometimes a wind passes right through you that elicits a shiver from deep within. I both dread winter (as they are so long and can be quite severe where I live) and look forward to it, as it can be so very beautiful when all is covered in white.

P.S. If you didn't see my announcement on Facebook, I'm having a 25% off sale on iPhone 4 cases until November 13. You can find them here. I hope to have iPhone 5 cases in my shop soon.

Are there any city streets finer than those of San Francisco? I think not. What a thrill to turn a corner and to not see the street below you, having to trust that it's actually there to catch you. The first time I found one (I believe it was at California and Jones Streets), I immediately drove around the block and did it again about five times in a row

North Beach to Chinatown

When I visit San Francisco, I always make sure to visit North Beach so that I can pop into City Lights Bookstore and Caffe Trieste: a couple of San Francisco landmarks. Adjacent to Chinatown, it always makes for a wonderful walk and a fascinating Italo-Chinese visual mashup.
Some Shop Announcements SALES! It's that time of year again. Can you believe it?! In my Etsy shop, prints are 25% off. Calendars, already discounted print sets, and iPhone cases are 20% off. Prices are already reduced (no need to enter a coupon code.) This sale runs until November 30. In my Eye Poetry shop, prints are 25% off with the code SAVE25 until December 10.
I have ordered iPhone5 cases and they should arrive by the end of the week. I have begun adding them here.
To my American followers and friends, have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

I'm no fan of hunting, but this Paris museum - Musee de la Chasse et de la Nature (or Museum of Hunting and Nature) - is fascinating. The juxtaposition of an ultra-sophisticated and seemingly civilized setting with the stuffed deer, bears, and well, rather disturbing paintings, is unlike anything I've seen in any other museum. Well worth a visit, unless you really can't stomach anything related to hunting.

Adventure Is Out There!

As cute and cuddly babies become rambunctious little kids, their little minds look out on the world and scream. "Adventure is out there!" Even without the luxuries of video games, kids can find adventure out there, even if it's just out there in your neighbor's backyard or on the streets. It might be a little hard for adults to picture the fantasies that their children play out, but photographer Jan von Holleben makes it easy with his creative captures.

The Master Of The Portrait

Both Yousuf Karsh and Arnold Newman have rightfully earned their place among the legends of photographic portraiture for their ground-breaking work. Their images continue to be a source of inspiration for this generation's professional photographers. On the other hand, new generations of portrait photographers have to look for a fresh source of inspiration for today's digital age. Fortunately, they don't have to look far in order to see the works of commercial photographer and portraitist Annie Leibovitz.

Yann Arthus-Bertrand: Fine and Furry Farm Animal Portraits

It's been awhile since the Reel Foto blog featured any animals, so this week will be devoted to just that. While the last posts on the subject were focused on strange creatures underwater and close encounters of the wild kind, it's time to come back to those animals that are closer to man's heart. Man's best friend has already graced the Reel Foto blog twice, but nothing has been said of man's other best friends. Photographer Yann Arthus-Bertrand seeks to amend that by presenting fine and furry farm animals in all their glory.

New York's Unassuming Street Photographer

Henri Cartier-Bresson's reputation as the master of street photography is rightly earned. Decades after his pioneering work in the field, many have walked the same path with varying results. Other masters of street photography have come and gone, but some unassuming photographers have unfortunately been neglected for decades. Street photographer Helen Levitt, who documented New York's street life beginning in the 1930s, is one of those neglected artists.

In The Blink Of An Eye

Real street photography can only be successful when there is something poignant or whimsical that is captured in the blink of an eye. Some modern attempts can be rather intrusive and insincere because the process is more about the photographer rather than the subject, but legends such as Henri Cartier-Bresson and Helen Levitt instinctively knew what needed to be recorded in the frame. Almost a hundred years ago, a little boy had what Cartier-Bresson and Levitt had, and started photographing his family, his city and his life in general. Photographer JacquesHenri Lartigue fascinated the photography world when his boyhood photographs discovered, giving ordinary people a glimpse into high society French life.

Modern Street Photography

Last week's post centered heavily on street photography from the age of black-and-white film, so this week will see some more contemporary works in the same field, more or less. One of the reasons why good modern street photography is hard to come by is because most amateurs make the process more about themselves than about the photographs. Others just rehash the works of the old masters. Photographer Matt Stuart breathes fresh air into modern street photography through his whimsical and stimulating images.

Pages