MASTERS OF COLOUR PHOTOGRAPHY – 50 GREAT COLOUR PHOTOGRAPHS

From 121Clicks we found this article that has a decent spread of some of the greats of colour photography

They taught us the meaning of photography, the very smell of composition and the beautiful essence of lights and shadows. Their works teach us great insights on all aspects of photography. To say the least, We are happy to get some online presence of these stupendous works. In this post of ours, I wanted to bring you the best of the best photographs yet unseen from the ordinary.

Photo By: Vivian Maier

Photo By: Steve McCurry

Photo By: Martin Parr

Photo By: Saul Leiter

Photo By: Bruce Davidson

Photo By: Alex Webb

Photo By: Fred Herzog

Photo By: Raghubir Singh

Photo By: Helen Levitt

Photo By: Constantine Manos

See the rest here

Oddly no William Eggleston in this list so here are some

Open for Business – Magnum Photos Exhibition

Open for Business is the story of British manufacturing and industry told through the lens of 9 Magnum photographers.

Princess Yachts, Plymouth. 72 foot motor yachts. L/R, Tony Bruce, Darrell Bratcher, Craig Wickes, Mark Lavis

Credits : © Chris Steele-Perkins / Magnum Photos

Pelamis wave machines, the Sound of Hoy, Orkney Islands

Credits : © Stuart Franklin / Magnum Photos

In 2013, Multistory and Magnum Photos commissioned nine of the world’s leading photographers to document contemporary British manufacturing.  During a period of great economic instability, and where questions are being raised about the strength of western economies within the worldwide market, there has never been a more relevant time to explore the condition of Britain’s manufacturing future.

22 August 2014 – 2 November 2014 Science Museum London

Conor. Tate & Lyle sugar refinery, London

Credits : © Bruce Gilden/MAGNUM PHOTOS

Renishaw, Bristol. Worker on the assembly line at the precision engineering plant

Credits : © Martin Parr / Magnum Photos

In 2013, Jonas Bendiksen, Stuart Franklin, Bruce Gilden, David Hurn, Peter Marlow, Martin Parr, Mark Power, Chris Steele-Perkins and Alessandra Sanguinetti photographed over 100 workplaces across the UK, from one-man businesses to FTSE 100 companies.

Through eye-opening photography and film footage, Open for Business celebrates the resilience of British industry. From traditional, handmade crafts, foundries and assembly lines to modern, intelligent automation, laboratories and high-tech cleanrooms, this economic sector demonstrates an extraordinary adaptability and diversity.

Discover a different side of London in the work of award-winning American street photographer, Bruce Gilden, who focuses on the varied manufacturing taking place in the city. Creating unflinching portraits of workers at the Tate & Lyle and Vauxhall factories, Gilden demonstrates the physical impact of work, and raises questions about the social responsibilities of companies to their employees.

As British industry faces several challenges, Open for Business reveals the daily struggle at a human level as businesses attempt to cut costs, streamline processes and level up to international competition. The project captures British manufacturing’s effect on regional culture and community life, and celebrates the work, activities and lives of its employees.

For more information about the project, visit the Open for Business website.

See behind the scenes images of the photographers’ shoots on the Open for Business Tumblr.

Inspection and service hatch on a section bending machine

Credits : The Angle Ring Ltd, Tipton, Black Country. Large scale metal bending. © Peter Marlow / Magnum Photos

Bombardier, Derby. Train production

Credits : © Mark Power / Magnum Photos

Science Museum Here

Open For Business Here

MIMI MOLLICA . PHOTOGRAPHER

György László at  L1GHTB1TES keeps finding gems to tantalise us with, this one is from his first post.

GL: Your pictures from Dakar are currently on display at the Somerset House in London. When I saw them I sensed a mixture of immediacy and formal discipline. How did you take these pictures?
MM: While working on En Route To Dakar, I was lucky enough to be mentored by Mr. Martin Parr, whom I like to call Mr. Martin. Once, as he was commenting on my photographs, Mr. Martin told me, to spend much more time on taking my photographs. “Mr. Martin, more than one hour per photograph?”, I asked. “One hour? Mimi, you must stay one day, one week, one month on a photograph… until it is good!”
So I went back to Dakar and applied the methodology suggested by him. This picture must have been taken in March 2008. There was this spot along the motorway, where a bridge was to be built, but at that moment people still had to just cross the highway to go from one part of Dakar to the other. Every day from early morning until the evening, commuters, school kids, vendors, women… Everyone was flowing from one side to the other and I thought this was pretty symbolic, important for my story, and mostly, it was visually compelling!
I waited in the middle of the carriageway and stayed there all morning and the day after all afternoon and the following day from morning until late afternoon and so on… I have a lot of photographs of people jumping across the highway. This is one I am quite happy about. I like the colors, and I like the posture of this lady imposing her elegant and eloquent figure on my frame.
GL: How do you get ready for such moments mentally? And how do you make sure that the image is going to be okay technically?
MM: Generally speaking, I believe in the photographer’s expertise to be able to catch volatile moments, to be able to render them universal in a photograph. This is what is exciting about reportage/documentary photography. Only by doing so can you maintain a good honest balance between you, the photographer, and the reality you are trying to capture.
It’s a bit like fishing. If you go out to the ocean, place a bomb into the sea, detonate it and then come and collect the dead fish, this is not what I call fishing, this is plain and simple mass murder! But when you go out and spend a day with your rod waiting for the good catch, not only you’ll feel more in balance with nature, but you’ll have thought a great deal during that day. That’s why fishermen and photographers are usually wise people, because they learn to observe and to listen. The means are as important as the end!
I am always aware of the moments I would want to catch with my camera, even if for some reason I do not have the camera with me. This is my natural attitude towards life. Yes, I do go to places where things are more likely to ‘happen’ but photographs are virtually everywhere!
As far as the technical aspect of capturing the right image, here you need some skills, you need to know your tools, you have to master your camera and be ready to capture the moment without hesitation. I must admit that I did loose a few photographs along the years, but this is also part of the game. If it is true that you learn from your mistakes, then I must be very clever by now!

More

Related articles

• Martin Parr Research (alevelphotographyblogg.wordpress.com)
• Sally Mann 3 (cochranse.wordpress.com)
• Tony Ray-Jones and Martin Parr: English rituals of the 60s (theguardian.com)
• A brief discussion of Henri Cartier-Bresson (philplunkett.wordpress.com)
• Susan Burnstine, A Photographer and An Inspiration (jacquelinepfeiffer.wordpress.com)

Britain’s piers in focus by Simon Roberts

Phil Coomes writes on the BBC website about photographer Simon Roberts and his series of photographs of British piers

Southwold Pier, Suffolk, June 2012

Brighton West Pier, East Sussex, April 2011 (Lost Pier)

 

 

Britain’s obsession with the coast is an understandable one given its geography and naval history, yet the coast also played an important part in the country’s social history.

It was here that millions of workers first enjoyed time away from the tough working conditions of Victorian towns, and any self-respecting resort would require one key ingredient, a pier. Their popularity lasted well into the middle of the last century, but since then, many have struggled to survive the changing holiday habits of the nation, and in some cases natural disasters.

Yet in some way these structures jutting out into the ocean reflect the nation’s one-time desire to spread its influence, for good or ill, around the globe. Today those that still stand have mixed fortunes, with some like Ryde Pier reborn and others still seeking regeneration.

“These pictures may encompass some of the seaside things we know best through such photographers as Tom Wood or Martin Parr, but they put those scenes in a broad context where people live in a landscape and a country, not just a car park. They also derive something from that quite different tradition, of the wild skies and unquenchable nature that we find in Turner. ” Francis Hodgson, 2013

Photographer Simon Roberts has spent the past three years creating a comprehensive survey of Britain’s piers, depicting all 58 surviving pleasure piers along with a handful of those lost in photographs marking where a pier once stood.

Read and see more pictures more here

Related articles

• Britain’s piers in focus (bbc.co.uk)
• Piers of the realm (ft.com)

Ageing and creative decline in photography

“Photographers never want to talk about the fact that they may well be in decline. It’s the greatest taboo subject of all,” says Martin Parr in our special issue devoted to ageing, available now on newsstands, on the iPad and the iPhone. We spoke to photographers aged 19 to 100 about their career highs and how they keep their work fresh in the face of creative decline. ….

How do photographers keep their work fresh in the face of what Martin Parr describes as “probably the greatest taboo subject of all” – creative decline? In the June edition of BJP, we spoke to photographers aged 19 to 100 and asked them when they think they were at their peak. Do photographers hit their stride in their thirties, or is that merely a myth?

 The June issue of BJP, which centres around the issue of age, is available from today at newsstands in the UK, and on the iPad and iPhone worldwide.

It features exclusive interviews with Don McCullin, Martin Parr, Alec Soth, Saul Leiter, David Goldblatt, Duane Michals, Brian Griffin, Vanessa Winship, George Georgiou, Adam Broomberg & Oliver Chanarin, Wolf Suschitzky, Olivia Bee, Max Pinckers, Anna Orlowska, Anouk Kruithof and Lorenzo Vitturi.

Below, some of our highlights: see the article here

Olivia Bee, 19
“I don’t like to be known only by my age, but I know that because I’m 19 my age is a ‘thing’. It has always been a thing. I would prefer to be known as a photographer or an artist, rather than as a 19-year-old photographer.”

Image © Olivia Bee

Duane Michals, 81
“I was a late bloomer. I didn’t become a photographer until I was 28, and I didn’t go to photography school. In many ways, I’ve been a wolf in the hen house, dancing around what photography does rather than showing the world as it is. A photograph shows nothing.”

Molly Bloom, 2012. Image © Duane Michals, courtesy of DC Moore Gallery

Read our highlights

10 Inspirational Photo Books

I am a great believer that looking at the work of important photographers is one of the best way to expand your horizons, to understand what it is to be a photographer and to improve.

This article By Phil Hill over on Lighstalking makes the same point. We all have our favourites but I have a number of the books Phil recommends. It is easy to be amazed by beautiful decorative images of landscapes and flowers but these don’t often make us think beyond, “that is beautiful” and photography as a creative art has to offer more than just beauty. No Ansel Adams here

I really wanted to inspire some photographers out there with some truly great work – photography that made me pick up my first camera.

To do this I have turned to one of traditional forums for displaying photographs; the photo book. Nothing quite beats sitting quietly with a hot drink and flicking the pages of a book packed full of incredible images. There are a huge amount of fantastic books out there, an inexhaustible list in fact. I have compiled 10 of my personal favourites, books that have aided my own photographic journey.

The Americans – Robert Frank

They should hand this out with every new camera sale! A lesson in editing, Frank shot 28,000 images for the book with only 83 ending up in the published book, and every one of those is a brilliant look at 1950’s American life warts and all.

Last Resort – Martin Parr

Challenging the traditional view of documentary photography, Parr takes you through a surreal and very funny tour of English resort town New Brighton. Street photography at its absolute best.

Guide – William Eggleston

William Eggleston’s Guide was one of the first publication’s to feature colour photography. The book may almost be dismissed as a collection of snap shots, however the more you look and look, the more it makes sense. Fantastic book.

See the rest of Phil’s recommendations here

Off the top of my head I would add these and when I have more time I will add more

Workers by Sabastio Salgado

Europeans by Henri Cartier Bresson

Beauty’s Nothing by Nadav Kander

In Our Time: The World as Seen by Magnum Photographers

Print auction launched to support London’s Festival of Photography

Olivier Laurent writes in The British Journal of Photography

Documentary and fine art photographers are coming together to help support the London Festival of Photography, donating prints for a special auction……

Led by Dr. Michael Pritchard of the Royal Photographic Society will be leading the special print auction designed to support next year’s edition of the London Festival of Photography.

“Many of the festival’s contributing photographers have donated prints so you will have the chance to own the best of the festival,” say the organisers. “Lively entertainment, refreshments and opportunities for industry mingling and prize-winning will ensure the evening is a night to remember. All proceeds will go towards ensuring the festival will be back in 2013.”

The festival will be offering prints from artists that include Edward Burtynsky, Simon Roberts, Chris Steele-Perkins, Martin Parr, Olivia Arthur, Steve Bloom, Zed Nelson, Kurt Tong, John Angerson, Wasma Mansour, Andre Penteado, Alejandro Cartagena, Toby Smith, Arnhel de Serra and Frederick Wilfred among others.

The festival will also propose a silent auction on signed books and cameras.

Entry to the auction, which takes place on 19 July at the Dog Eared Gallery, is £15.

For more details, visit the London Festival of Photography website.

Jeddah Diary © Olivia Arthur.

Hackney © Zed Nelson / Institute.

Image © Martin Parr / Magnum Photos.

Shipbreaking © Edward Burtysnky.

Read more: http://www.bjp-online.com/british-journal-of-photography/news/2191090/print-auction-launched-to-support-londons-festival-of-photography#ixzz20PVylA7E
Subscribe to BJP and save money. Click here to save 29% today.

The New Stars of Photography

“In a camera-phone world, serious photography matters more than ever. To capture the medium’s vitality, Smithsonian asked 13 acknowledged masters to choose one emerging photographer who reflects the promise of a new generation. Their selections show that it’s not about the camera but the eye behind it.”

Here is one for you to savour, go here to see who else is considered to be a rising star

Lisa K. Blatt

Shooting Stars: Cindy Sherman presents Lisa K. Blatt

 “My original response to Lisa’s work was visceral. I was intrigued by her minimalist compositions and use of subtle or brilliant color. I found something mysterious in them, as if they were so carefully composed as to be hiding some relevant content that one has to discern. Gorgeous nature photographs tend to seem like documentation and rarely transcend the surface of their loveliness. But while Lisa’s photographs clearly have a simple majestic beauty that has traces of natural or scientific photography, they are transcendent because of what I perceive as this element of an imbued narrative.

Her commitment to rediscovering the mystery and beauty of the hot and cold deserts of the earth, her true passion for these places, makes this work so resounding. It ultimately is a documentation of sorts—of her passion for these places that come alive in her eyes, in her camera.” — Cindy Sherman

Robin Maddock

Shooting Stars: Martin Parr presents Robin Maddock

 “Maddock’s work clearly demonstrates that he is a force to be reckoned with within the tradition of British documentary photography. In his second book, God Forgotten Face, he builds a narrative around the city of Plymouth that just seems to work; the project is heightened by being “for and against” his now ex-girlfriend. Maddock’s views and snatches of life are both surreal and individual. He has the enviable ability to turn nothing much into something quite profound”. — Martin Parr

Read more: http://www.smithsonianmag.com/multimedia/The-New-Stars-of-Photography.html#ixzz1nxkyOrS0

Martin Parr to curate new Open Eye Gallery exhibitions

Joanna Cresswell in the BJP reports:

“The newly re-opened Open Eye Gallery in Liverpool has announced the launch of two new major exhibitions in association with photographer Martin Parr as one of the highlights of the years’ inaugural programme.

Richard & Famous curated by Martin Parr, examines celebrity culture and showcases a selection of work by photographers Richard Simpkin and Simone Lueck.

Simpkin is an Australian photographer and ‘star-hunter’ whose work questions identity and social boundaries. What began as a personal urge to photograph himself with celebrities soon became a lifelong project resulting in a vast collection of over 1000 images. “Knowing how difficult it is to get access to celebrities in this day and age, it is an awesome achievement, and turns his whole game into a compelling piece of art”, Parr says of the work.

LA-based Lueck’s work reflects on ideas of gender, self-image and mortality. Her project The Once and Future Queens sees the results of what happened when the artist posted an advert on Craigslist inviting older women to be photographed in the guise of their favourite film star.”..……MORE

Image © Simone Lueck.

Read more: http://www.bjp-online.com/british-journal-of-photography/news/2125900/martin-parr-curate-eye-gallery-exhibitions#ixzz1h5UGHfPH
Subscribe to BJP and save money. Click here to save 29% today.

Magnum Photos to hold contact sheets symposium

“To coincide with the release of its Magnum Contact Sheets book, Magnum Photos is organising a high-profile symposium in London

Magnum Contact Sheets “presents an unparalleled wealth of unpublished material, revealing the story behind many iconic and historical images of modern times taken by the world’s most celebrated photographers,” says Magnum Photos. “The book shows their creative process and also acts, in the words of Martin Parr, as an ‘epitaph to the contact sheet’ as it marks the end of the analog era as we move to a digital generation.” writes Olivier Laurent in the BJP

 

To coincide with the launch of the 508-page book, Magnum Photos is organising a symposium with the photography department of London College of Communication. The one-day event, held on 26 November, will see editors, curators and photography experts discuss the importance of contact sheets in understanding a photograph’s meaning and context.

Read more: http://www.bjp-online.com/british-journal-of-photography/news/2119099/magnum-photos-hold-contact-sheets-symposium#ixzz1c4EFwEjo
Subscribe to BJP and save money. Click here to save 29% today.