Cindy Sherman

Another in our occasional posts about master photographers. Cindy Sherman is unusual as a photographer, she only photographers herself, most photographers I know avoid having their photographs taken. Her work is challenging, some may say disturbing but her intelligent approach to making art demands you think about what she is saying through her images. This short introduction from her biography site explains some..

By turning the camera on herself, Cindy Sherman has built a name as one of the most respected photographers of the late twentieth century. Although, the majority of her photographs are pictures of her, however, these photographs are most definitely not self-portraits. Rather, Sherman uses herself as a vehicle for commentary on a variety of issues of the modern world: the role of the woman, the role of the artist and many more. It is through these ambiguous and eclectic photographs that Sherman has developed a distinct signature style. Through a number of different series of works, Sherman has raised challenging and important questions about the role and representation of women in society, the media and the nature of the creation of art.”…..more here

She is featured on the Masters of Photography site with more images

 

There is also a very interesting interview with Cindy Sherman in The Guardian here are the opening paragraphs

“I give Cindy Sherman the once-over. Then the twice- and thrice-over. I know I’m staring more than is right but I can’t help myself. I’m looking for clues. Sherman is one of the world’s leading artists – for 30 years, she has starred in all her photographs – and yet the more we see of her, the less recognisable she is.

She’s a Hitchcock heroine, a busty Monroe, an abuse victim, a terrified centrefold, a corpse, a Caravaggio, a Botticelli, a mutilated hermaphrodite sex doll, a man in a balaclava, a surgically-enhanced Hamptons type, a cowgirl, a desperate clown, and we’ve barely started.

In front of me is an elegant woman with long, blond hair and soft features. She’s stylish – black jodhpurs, thick, white sweater, Chanel boots horizontally zipped at the top to make pockets, and a furry handbag that doubles as a great golden bear. She looks much kinder than in many of her photographs. She also looks petite – until you notice the big, strong arms: she used to box. She will be 57 next week.”

For many her assault on the way the fashion industry objectifies and presents women was primary in forging her reputation as one of the most important photographers working over the last 30 years. 

Brilliant photography from National Geographic Archives

National Geographic is the source for photos, free desktop wallpapers of places, animals, nature, underwater, travel, and more. The following 60 beautiful photographs has beautiful wild life, nature, people and bird photos.

Atkins Ciwem Environmental Photographer of the Year 2014

Winner of the Atkins Ciwem environmental film of the year 2014: Mohammad Fahim Ahamed Riyad, In search of life, 2014

“A fireman is looking for any signs of life after a fire in Dhaka, Bangladesh. About 400 shanty homes were gutted and four people died in this incident, including a six-year-old child. However, no casualties were ever officially reported and the reason of the fire remained unknown.”

Winner of the Forestry Commission England exhibition award 2014: Luke Duggleby, Wrapping the surviving tree, 2013

“Cambodian Buddhist monks and local villagers bless one of the remaining large trees in an area destroyed to make way for a banana plantation. Whilst arriving too late to stop the destruction completely, by wrapping an orange cloth around the remaining trees and praying, they are making the trees sacred with the hope to deter future loggers. Following uncontrolled forest destruction in the Central Cardamom protected forest in south-west Cambodia, an eco-warrior monk movement has begun to try and protect areas of forest at risk.”

Winner of the Atkins City Scape award 2014: Faisal Azim, Life in the circle, 2013

“According to a government report, the total number of beggars, or vagabonds, across Bangladesh is now more than 900,000. The literal meaning of ‘vagabond’ indicates a person who has the capacity to work but is choosing not doing so. It also refers to a person who has no specific place of residence. A vagabond appears to contradict the right to life and freedom of movement, which are guaranteed as fundamental rights by the Bangladeshi constitution. There are allegations of physical, mental and even sexual torture against people in shelter centres.”

Winner of the Ciwem award 2014: Bogumil Kruzel, Man in the face of nature I, 2014 

“Wieliczka Salt Mine. Engels Leaching Tower, 135m below ground level. A few such towers were built in the mine. Saline water flows through the tower, dissolving lumps of salt placed inside to produce fully saturated brine.”

see the full article here

Nikon D810 – first look and review

Nikon have updated their ground breaking D800 with the snappily named D810 here is some information and a review from DP Review

Two years after Nikon shook up the high-end DSLR market with the 36MP D800 and D800E, it has consolidated the 800-series with the release of a new camera, the D810. The D810 replaces both previous 800-series models, and will be offered at an MSRP of $3299 – about the same as the D800E, and a little more than the D800. Why is the D810 priced like the D800E, and not the D800? Well, the D810 takes the D800E’s ‘AA filter cancellation’ trick one step further by dispensing with an AA filter entirely, which should result in a camera that offers greater resolution than either of the two models that it replaces.

Anti-aliasing filter aside, the D810 is not by any means a reinvention of the popular D800/E concept, but the handful of major changes should make the new camera more capable than its predecessors. Perhaps more importantly, they should also make the camera more attractive to potential buyers who have been weighing up whether or not to jump into full-frame. The D810 isn’t a camera that you should necessarily sell your D800 or D800E for, but it’s a better camera than both older models – at least on paper.

Following Nikon’s general philosophy a few of the refinements made in the D4S have trickled down into the D810 and videographers especially should be pleased with a couple of the additions to its video feature set. Other welcome changes include a redesigned shutter and mirror mechanism to mitigate resolution-reducing shock from shutter actuation, and a new S-Raw mode for reduced-resolution raw capture (Nikon owners have been asking for that one for years).

Nikon D810: Key Specifications

36.3MP Full-frame CMOS sensor (no AA filter)
ISO 64-12,800 (expands to ISO 32-51,200)
Electronic first-curtain shutter and redesigned mirror mechanism
New ‘RAW Size S’ 9MP Raw mode
Expeed 4 engine
Max 5fps shooting in FX mode, 7fps in DX (with battery grip + EN-EL18 / AA batteries)
3.2in 1,229k-dot RGBW LCD screen with customizable color
OLED viewfinder information display
Improved Scene Recognition System allows face detection in OVF mode
‘Split screen zoom’ display in live view allows horizons/lines to be leveled precisely
51-point AF system with new ‘Group Area AF’ mode (inherited from D4S)
New ‘flat’ Picture Control mode (intended to appeal to videographers)
Auto ISO available in manual exposure mode
Zebra strips for focus checking in video mode
Uncompressed HDMI output with simultaneous recording to memory card
Built-in stereo microphone

D810 versus D800/E: Specification highlights

36.3MP full-frame CMOS sensor with no AA filter (D800E has effects of AA filter ‘canceled’)
5fps maximum shooting in FX mode (compared to 4fps in D800/E)
New ‘Group Area AF’ mode (5 AF points can act together)
New electronic first-curtain shutter and redesigned sequencer/mirror balancer to reduce vibrations
New ‘highlight-weighted’ metering option (to preserve highlight detail in contrasty scenes)
1080/60p movie recording with built-in stereo mic (compared to 1080/30p with monaural audio)
3.2″ 1,229k-dot RGBW LCD screen (compared to 3.2″ 921k-dot RGB)
Power aperture available while shooting video to SD/CF card (compared to only when using HDMI)
The ability to record to memory card while simultaneously outputting video over HDMI
New ‘flat’ Picture Control mode (intended for videographers who need broader dynamic range)
Unlimited continuous shooting (previously 100-frame limit)

See the full review here

Josef Koudelka – the great Czech photographer

Today I start an occasional series on the great photographers, those who are referred to as masters. This series will be to introduce you to photographers who you may have heard of but never investigated or perhaps you have never come across and so are completely new to you.

Today I introduce Josef Koudelka

Josef Koudelka

(1938-) Documentary, Landscape, Photojournalism

Biography: Born in a tiny village of Moravia, Koudelka began photographing his family and surroundings as a teenager with a 6 x 6 Bakelite camera.

He was trained at the Technical University in Prague and worked as an aeronautical engineer in Prague and Bratislava from 1961-67. He had been able to obtain an old Rolleiflex and in 1961, while working as a theater photographer in Prague, he also started a detailed study of the gypsies of Slovakia, who were then undergoing further attempts to “assimilate” them within the Czech state. His work was the subject of an exhibition in Prague in 1967.

In 1968 Koudelka extended his project to gypsy communities in Rumania and that same year recorded the invasion of Prague by Warsaw Pact armies. Smuggled out of the country with the help of Czech curator Anna Farova and published with the initials P.P. ( Prague photographer) to protect his family, the highly dramatic pictures showing Russian tanks rolling into Prague and the Czech resistance became international symbols and won him the prestigious Robert Capa Gold Medal………more

As a member of The Magnum Photo Agency he is already considered one of the greats alongside Henri Cartier-Bresson, Robert Capa etc. This link is a short film about his work of the Invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968 from the Magnum in Motion series

Further information can be found in this excellent Guardian interview with Koudelka in 2008

Koudelka is a photographer whose work is impossible to ignore because each image throws up so many stories, as you look at a picture and start to try to understand the reasons why the shutter was released at that moment a range of emotions, expectations and ideas come to you. His work is rarely decorative, it is always demanding and about difficult subjects. In some ways the early work of Oxford photographer Paddy Summerfield reminds me of Koudelka, Paddy’s early work is on permanent exhibition in the reception area of the Old Bank Hotel on the High Street in Oxford. Paddy is a reluctant interwebber so although he is often mentioned he no longer has his own site but this might give you some idea of his work

The hope is that with these occasional introductions you will find someone whose work you are absorbed by and undertake further investigations or maybe even go and buy a book

Jane Bown: turning the lens on Britain’s shyest photographer

In The Guardian

She’s always preferred being behind the camera, but from her childhood passed around a circle of aunts to her time as a Wren in the second world war, Jane Bown had a story to tell – and it took her friend and assistant Luke Dodd to persuade her to tell it…

She claimed that her portrait photography came about because of her reputation for working rapidly and for mastering the most adverse circumstances or awkward individuals. An ideal shoot for Jane was 10 minutes, enough time to really see the subject but not enough for the initial spontaneity to disappear. She cornered the most reluctant of subjects, Samuel Beckett, in a dark alley down the side of the Royal Court theatre as he tried to give her the slip. His enmity is palpable but he stood long enough for her to expose five frames. It was all over in less than 30 seconds – the middle frame is now regarded as the archetypal Beckett portrait.

Samuel Beckett, leaving the Royal Court Theatre, Sloane Square, London in 1976 Photograph: Jane Bown/The Observer

She became a photographer in 1946 when, as a recently demobbed Wren, she applied, on a whim, to the UK’s only full-time photography course at the Guildford School of Art. Although she didn’t own a camera and had never taken a picture and the course was already over-subscribed, its director, Ifor Thomas, accepted her as he had also worked in the navy during the war. Painfully shy, she sat looking out of the window for the first two terms and the teacher almost gave up on her. With £50 borrowed from an aunt, Jane purchased her first camera, a Rolleiflex, and the world came into focus. She still talks of these early photos – abstract studies, still-lives, Gypsy children, fairgrounds, farm-workers – as her best work, adding, “I was never really interested in people or portraits – that came later … I was happiest moving about seeing things, still am. These pictures are the real me.”

‘Sharp-elbowed‘: Jane Bown among a scrum of male photographers fighting for a shot of Bette Davis at the London Palladium in 1975. Photograph: Central Press/Getty Images

 Looking for Light: Jane Bown is out this week. The DVD is out on 26 May. An exhibition of Bown’s work runs at Kings Place, London N1, until 31 May.

Read the full article here

 

 

Canon vs Nikon: the DSLR comparison you’ve been waiting for

From Digital Camera World, an evaluation that doesn’t really point you in one direction or another but with a wealth of links to other articles is a really valuable in depth assessment that will help you to make a choice between the two systems

Canon vs Nikon: which DSLR system is best? A question that has frustrated many of the world’s greatest philosophers and may even have troubled the UN… Our in-depth comparison examines each system’s cameras, lenses, key features and much more……

Who makes the best DSLRs, Canon or Nikon? It’s the impossible question. If it wasn’t, one of these giants of the camera industry would be out of business by now.

The fact is, Canon and Nikon offer some of the best cameras, lenses, flash systems and accessories – and they have done for years.

Whichever line you choose, you’re investing in an extensive, well-supported system that caters for everyone, from beginners to experts, from wedding photographers to wildlife pros.

Has that stopped forums descending into flame wars over whether Canon or Nikon is best? Has it nuts.

In fact, it’s quite common to find photographers swapping systems, moving from Canon to Nikon or from Nikon to Canon.

This is largely dependant on which manufacturer has just leapfrogged the other in technology, whether that’s a new lens the other lacks or a camera body that set the new benchmark in autofocus or high ISO performance.

Nikon user and Minister for Photoshop Scott Kelby’s switch to Canon has been widely publicised, but there have been plenty of others – British landscape pro, Adam Burton (Canon to Nikon) and wildlife photographer Andy Rouse (Canon to Nikon and back to Canon) to name but two.

Back in the real world, the majority of us can’t afford to dance between systems. We generally stay locked in for years. But that doesn’t mean we can’t look over the fence slightly enviously every now and then.

With that in mind, here’s our appraisal of how Canon and Nikon DSLR systems currently compare.

See the full article here

23 Free Photography E-Books

from those nice people at Lightstalkning

You’ve seen them appear in some of our earlier posts on freebies. But today we decided to put all the eBooks together (and many more!) in a single, mega post for you. These will keep you busy for a really long time. Go ahead, download them! Print them if you want to, or save them on your smartphone to read them on the go.

Ultimate Field Guide to Photography, by National Geographic

This guide by National Geographic can be a serious resource for a beginner in photography as it covers almost every aspect of the basics of photography. From explaining camera settings to tips on composition and perspective, everything is nicely explained. It can also serve as a handy reference guide to refresh your basics.

 

 

Going Candid, by Thomas Leuthard

Thomas Leuthard is a street photographer who is known for his adept storytelling through his street images. In his eBook, he writes about his approach to street photography full with inputs based on his experiences all through these years. If you’re interested in street photography, this is one resource you must really check out.

 

 

Essays on Inspiration, Vision and Creativity in Photography, by Scott Bourne

This is an inspiring compilation of essays by photographer Scott Bourne. Coming from his personal experiences, the essays touch upon his insights on topics like storytelling, seeing, creativity, and vision. The wide variety of tips scattered across the eBook are sure to help you grow as a photographer.

 

 

 

Insights from Beyond the Lens, by Robert Rodriguez Jr

This eBook on landscape photography covers everything from what gear is best suited to landscape photography to how to make the best use of available light to create stunning landscape images. The author also shares useful insights from his experiences that are sure to motivate you further.

 

 

 

Good Photos in Bad Light, by Darwin Wiggett

We’ve all gone through situations where bad light played a spoilsport in our photography trip, or so we thought. You don’t have to worry about it any longer because Darwin Wiggett, in this eBook, gives you plenty of tips and techniques that you can learn to create great photos in bad outdoor light.

 

 

 

Set Up Your Own Photoblog, by Nancy Messiah

Photoblogging requires you to have a knowledge about a wide range of areas, from hosting your site to getting traffic to it. This eBook by Nancy Messiah tackles the topic in a comprehensive manner with attention to specific details about getting your site running and everything that you need to keep in mind.

 

 

 

Want to see the rest?

Breathtaking Urban Decay Photographs

As a subject area dereliction is often appealing, there is something about grime and decay that draws many photographers’ eyes. This display offers some really interesting images that make you think, wish I had seen that, but at the same time might encourage you to go and seek such locations for yourself.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Breathtaking Urban Decay Photographs | CreativeFan.

Vivienne Westwood, photographed by Juergen Teller.

Juergen asks everybody he likes to pose nude. He’s got quite a collection. 

Vivienne Westwood, photographed by Juergen Teller.

The Guardian has an article about what it is like to sit for a portrait. The photographers involved are Jurgen Teller, Mary McCartney, Paul McCarthy,

See more here