Photos: The Dust Bowl 1930’s USA

The Dust Bowl was a period of severe dust storms causing major ecological and agricultural damage to prairie lands in the 1930s. The phenomenon was caused by severe drought combined with farming methods that did not include crop rotation or other techniques such as soil terracing and wind-breaking trees to prevent wind erosion.

During the drought of the 1930s, without natural anchors to keep the soil in place, it dried, turned to dust, and blew away with the prevailing winds. At times, the clouds blackened the sky, reaching all the way to East Coast cities such as New York and Washington, D.C….more

In this March 25, 1935 file photo, children cover their faces during a swirling dust storm while pumping water in Springfield, Colo. The Dust Bowl was manmade, born of bad farming techniques across millions of acres in parts of Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Colorado and Kansas. Now, even as bad as the drought is in some of those same states, soil conservation practices developed in the aftermath of the Dust Bowl have kept the nightmarish storms from recurring. (AP Photo, File)

Farmer and sons walking in the face of a dust storm in Cimarron County, Oklahoma. Arthur Rothstein

Son of farmer in dust bowl area in Cimarron County, Oklahoma. Photo by Arthur Rothstein

Title: Four families, three of them related with fifteen children, from the Dust Bowl in Texas in an overnight roadside camp near Calipatria, California
Creator(s): Lange, Dorothea, photographer

See the rest of these astonishing pictures here on The Denver Post website

The full monty of photography links and tutorials

From Toad Hollow via Lightstalking

The internet plays host to so many fabulous photographers and artists, and Toad Hollow Photography searches high and low every week trying to find the best links to tutorials, great photography and blogs of interest to share with everyone here.  This week’s list is chock-full of awesome images and great posts by a wide variety of super-talented people.  We really hope you enjoy checking out the photographs and posts as much as the Toad did in bringing this list to you.

Casting a shadow on an autumn frosty land by broo_am, on Flickr

Have a look at all the tutorials and links here

TUTORIALS

Top 7 Natural Light Portrait tips that I’ve learnt – a fabulous list of tips and tricks for doing portrait photography in natural light settings.  Tristan Jud outlines a short series of thoughts here that can really help you make the most of this genre of image production.

DIY: Keep Your Turkey Company with Beautiful Photo Place Holders – what a neat idea!  With the Thanksgiving Holidays nearly upon our American friends now, this timely article shows how you can incorporate great photography into dressing up the dinner table.  This step-by-step tutorial takes you through the entire process.

Click Here: This Many Awesome Photography Links May Be Hazardous to Small Children

“Homo Urbanus Europeanus” by Jean-Marc Caracci

The exhibition has now moved to Poland until 24th of August. Then it should move to Łódź (still in Poland) in January 2015, in Galeria Atlas Sztuki. Still in January the exhibition “HUE” will be presented in Plzen, Czech Republic, in the frame of “Plzen2015, European Capital of Culture”.

Some time ago we posted about a really interesting series of images by Jean-Marc Caracci, here is a link to our earlier post

What we liked about this work was the use of a theme to find interesting and absorbing images where ever he found himself and within the context of that theme how all over Europe people are similar. Jean-Marc has been in touch to tell us about his touring exhibition, here are some venues where the exhibition has been and where you might be able to catch the exhibition

Here they are the most important exhibitions scheduled in 2012 :
– in Slovenia… Novo Mesto, in the frame of “Maribor European Capital of Culture 2012” [done]
– in Slovakia… Bratislava, at the “Central European House of Photography” [done]
– in Germany… Duisburg, at the “Ruhr Biennale 2012”.
– in Korea… itinerant exhibition in 5 cities [right now]

You can see a portfolio of Jean-Marc’s work on line here

There is also a review of the exhibition here  “Silvershotz” has published my “Homo Urbanus Europeanus” portfolio in 2011 [article on the link below]… and the American magazine “Rangefinder” did the same recently : You can find that here

 

Jean-Marc is also going to publish a book of his portfolio  with text and here is some information about that

“I am going to publish the album “Homo Urbanus Europeanus”, a book which will include 31 original texts written by 31 European writers… as much writers as European capitals visited in the frame of the project. The British contributor is the writer Stella Duffy.”

There is also a catalogue for the exhibition which is available to buy on line  “Homo Urbanus Europeanus”  (made in Poland in 2009) . You can see it on the link below :

http://homo.urbanus.free.fr/europeanus/book.html

London Olympics 2012 in pictures, the first week

From the more than excellent The Atlantic pictures from the first days of the London 2012 Olympics. There are some truly astounding images in this set so do go and have a look at all of them.

More than 10,000 athletes from 200 national Olympic committees around the globe have gathered in London for the 17-day 2012 Summer Olympic Games. So far, dozens of Olympic and world records have already been broken and more than 500 medals have been awarded. As we pass the Games’ halfway point, here’s a look back at some amazing events that have taken place in the U.K. over the past nine days. [62 photos]

Jessica Ennis of Great Britain crosses the line during the Women’s Heptathlon 800m to win the race and the overall gold on Day 8 of the London 2012 Olympic Games at Olympic Stadium, on August 4, 2012. (Michael Steele/Getty Images)

Jamaica’s Usain Bolt crosses the finish line to win his second consecutive gold medal in the men’s 100-meter final in the Olympic Stadium, on August 5, 2012. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Russia’s Aliya Mustafina warms up before competing in the balance beam during the women’s individual all-around gymnastics final in the North Greenwich Arena, on August 2, 2012. (Reuters/Mike Blake)The South Korean men’s cycling team trains on Monday, July 30, 2012, in London. (AP Photo/Sergey Ponomarev)

Britain’s Jessica Ennis celebrates winning her women’s heptathlon at the Olympic Stadium, on August 4, 2012. (Reuters/Lucy Nicholson)

Gabrio Zandona (right) and Pietro Zucchetti (left) of Italy compete in the Men’s 470 Sailing on Day 6 of the London 2012 Olympic Games at the Weymouth & Portland Venue at Weymouth Harbour, on August 2, 2012. (Clive Mason/Getty Images)

Samantha Arevalo Salinas of Ecuador starts in a women’s 800-meter freestyle swimming heat at the Aquatics Center in London, on August 2, 2012. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Jamel Herring, of the United States, after being defeated by Kazakhstan’s Daniyar Yelessinov in their men’s light welter 64-kg boxing match at the 2012 Summer Olympics, on July 31, 2012. (AP Photo/Ivan Sekretarev)

Russian gymnasts and team officials react as teammate Kseniia Afanaseva falls while performing on the floor during the Artistic Gymnastics women’s team final, on July 31, 2012, in London. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham)

See all 62 images here

The Naked World of Spencer Tunick

The Atlantic has 33 images by Spencer Tunick of nakedness around the world, as it says: For 20 years now, New York-based photographer Spencer Tunick has been creating human art installations all over the world, calling together volunteers by the hundreds or thousands, asking them to remove their clothes, and photographing them in massive groups. His philosophy is that “individuals en masse, without their clothing, grouped together, metamorphose into a new shape.” He aims to create an architecture of flesh, where the masses of human bodies blend with the landscape, or juxtapose with architecture. Collected here are images from several of his installations as they were being composed. Warning: The following photos all depict naked human bodies, and are not screened out. The nudity is central to Tunick’s art.  See all of the images here

Naked volunteers pose for the US photographer Spencer Tunick on the largest glacier in the Alps, Aletsch glacier, in Switzerland, as part of an environmental campaign about global warming near the mountain resort of Bettmeralp, on August 18, 2007. (Fabrice Coffrini/AFP/Getty Images)

Naked volunteers lie on Aletsch glacier, posing for photographer Spencer Tunick as part of an environmental campaign about global warming, on August 18, 2007. The campaign organized by Greenpeace is aimed at drawing attention to melting Alpine glaciers, a clear sign of global warming and man-made climate change according to the organization. (Fabrice Coffrini/AFP/Getty Images)

Naked volunteers stand look toward Aletsch glacier, posing for photographer Spencer Tunick as part of an environmental campaign about global warming on August 18, 2007. (Fabrice Coffrini/AFP/Getty Images)

Naked volunteers, numbering around 1700 people, pose for U.S. artist Spencer Tunick in downtown Munich, on June 23, 2012. (Reuters/Michaela Rehle)

You can the rest of these strange but compelling images here

Afghanistan: April 2012

From The Atlantic Magazine

“For nearly three years now, I’ve been posting monthly photo essays on the war in Afghanistan, and a question I hear fairly often is, “Why do you do this?” My intent is to continue to focus attention on what is actually happening on the ground — far from policy debates or speeches. As long as we, as a nation, are sending thousands of men and women into harm’s way and tasking them with acting on our behalf in a foreign country, we need to be aware of what we are asking them to do, what their lives are like, and what the lives of the Afghan people are like. This is true even if the conflict has been going on for more than a decade — and even if we don’t all agree on whether we should be there at all. As of April 12, 120,000 soldiers from 50 nations are committed to Afghanistan, with 90,000 of them from the United States. All are working toward the planned 2014 withdrawal. Gathered here are images of those involved in this conflict over the past month, as part of the ongoing series here on Afghanistan.”…MORE PICTURES

A firefighter sprays water on a burning fuel tanker in Kabul April 23, 2012. The cause of the blaze is unknown and police are investigating. (Reuters/Omar Sobhani)

An Afghan woman looks into the camera in Mazar-i Sharif, capital of Balkh province, on March 30, 2012. Mazar-i Sharif means “Respected Shrine” but the city is known by tourists as the city of the blue mosque which is located in the center of the city known as the Shrine of Hazrat Ali. (Qais Usyan/AFP/Getty Images)

Georgian soldiers and a translator greet Afghans traveling on the major supply route while on patrol in Helmand province, Afghanistan.(US Army/Sgt. 1st Class Jeffrey Duran)

A Marine MRAP sits on a patrol base in Helmand province, run by 5th ANGLICO and Co. A, 31st Georgian Light Infantry Battalion. The Georgians’ mission is to provide security for the local area and a main supply route.(US Army/Sgt. 1st Class Jeffrey Duran)

U.S. soldier Nicholas Dickhut from 5-20 infantry Regiment attached to 82nd Airborne points his rifle at a doorway after coming under fire by the Taliban while on patrol in Zharay district in Kandahar province, southern Afghanistan, on April 26, 2012.(Reuters/Baz Ratner)

More pictures here

Photos: Life in Appalachia – Mario Tama

These images by Mario Tama, on the excellent Denver Post pblog site, follow in the traditions of a number of photographers who point their cameras back at America and show us what is rarely seen, poverty (think of Walker Evans, Dorothea Lange) . What brings these images together is the continuity that  “Familial and community bonds run deep, with a populace that shares a collective historical and cultural legacy uncommon in most parts of the country”

“Daniel Boone once camped in the Appalachian mountain hamlet of Owsley County which remains mostly populated by descendants of settlers to this day. The 2010 U.S. Census listed Owsley County as having the lowest median household income in the country outside of Puerto Rico, with 41.5% of residents living below the poverty line. Familial and community bonds run deep, with a populace that shares a collective historical and cultural legacy uncommon in most parts of the country. However, the community of around 5,000 struggles with a lack of jobs due to the decline in coal, tobacco and lumber industries along with health issues including drug addiction without effective treatment.”

Getty Photographer Mario Tama spent time in Owsley County documenting the community. These are great images, do look at the full set here

Here is a link to the excellent Tama’s website

Mose Noble’s nephew Johnny Noble, 9, sits in Mose’s trailer during a visit on April 21, 2012 in Owsley County, Kentucky. Johnny visits his uncle from time to time. Mose Noble is a former chimney sweeper who no longer works but volunteers cleaning graveyards. His trailer has no electricity or running water but he receives governmental and neighborly assistance. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images

Former chimney sweeper Mose Noble’s kitchen is seen in Owsley County on April 21, 2012 in Booneville, Kentucky. Noble is no longer employed but does volunteer cleaning graveyards from time to time. His trailer has no electricity or running water but he receives governmental and neighborly assistance. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)

Drucilla Smith (C) prepares for the Owsley County High School prom in her home with sister Linda Hall on April 21, 2012 in Booneville, Kentucky. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)

A man reads a newspaper in a restaurant on April 22, 2012 in Booneville, Kentucky. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)

Shadow land: photographs by Roger Ballen

Staying with the South African theme for a moment, this exhibition looks interesting and if you are near Manchester would be worth some of your time.

Roger Ballen is an American photographer who has been shooting in black-and-white for more than 40 years, mostly in South Africa. Here is a selection of images from his exhibition Shadow Land, taken between 1983 and 2011, which can be seen at the Manchester Art Gallery until 13 May 2012.

“Shadow Land is a major exhibition of work by internationally-acclaimed photographer Roger Ballen whose work offers a powerful social critique and an extreme, uncanny beauty. The exhibition explores three decades of Ballen’s career, charting the evolution of his unique photographic style and demonstrating the contribution he has made to contemporary photography.

One of the most important photographers of his generation, Roger Ballen was born in New York in 1950 but for over 30 years he has lived and worked in South Africa. In his work from the early 1980s to mid 90s he gained world recognition and critical acclaim with his powerful and controversial images of those living on the margins of South African society.

Although retaining the same distinctive aesthetic, (all his work is in black and white, square format) in the last decade Ballen’s work has evolved into a style he describes as ‘documentary fiction’ where the line between reality and fantasy is deliberately blurred. In doing so, his work enters into a new realm of photography; the images are painterly and sculptural in ways not immediately associated with photography.

Shadow Land will include previously unseen work from his new series Asylum and will be Ballen’s first solo show in a UK public gallery.

Fans of Ballen’s work will be interested in his recent collaboration with Die Antwoord, a futuristic rap-rave crew from South Africa who represent a new style called Zef. Ballen’s photography has had a formative influence on the band and led to him directing their latest video I fink u freeky poised to be a viral sensation and introduce Ballen’s work to an entirely new audience.”

• Friday 30 March 2012 – Sunday 13 May 2012
• Manchester Art Gallery
• FREE
• 
• 

 

 

2011 Best Photos of the Year, Part 2 of 3

The Denver Post, bring some of the best photography from all over the world, see the rest of these astonishing images here

Rock and Roll devotee Rebecca Butterfly walks her dog during the Hemsby Rock n Roll Weekender on May 15, 2011 in Hemsby, England. Twice a year fans of Rock and Roll, Rockabilly, Rockin’ Blues the 1950s and Americana gather at Seacroft Holiday camp in Hemsby to dress up in period clothing and re-live the 50’s. Every day of the four day ‘weekender’ a line up of top live bands play the music of the era and devotees hit the dance floor to hop, bop, jive and Rock ‘n’ Roll. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

The Barcelona team throws coach Pep Guardiola in the air after winning the Champions League final soccer match against Manchester United at Wembley Stadium, London, Saturday, May 28, 2011. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham)

Rebel fighters fire a Grad rocket at the front line west of Misrata, Libya, Monday, June 20, 2011. Libya’s government said a NATO airstrike west of Tripoli destroyed a large family compound belonging to a close associate of Moammar Gadhafi, killing at least 15 people, including three children. The alliance said the strike hit a “command and control” center. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden, along with with members of the national security team, receive an update on the mission against Osama bin Laden in the Situation Room of the White House, May 1, 2011. Please note: a classified document seen in this photograph has been obscured. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

U.S. Army flight medic SGT Jaime Adame, top, cares for seriously wounded Marine CPL. Andrew Smith following an insurgent attack on board a medevac helicopter from the US Army’s Task Force Lift “Dust Off”, Charlie Company 1-214 Aviation Regiment north of Sangin, in the volatile Helmand Province of southern Afghanistan on May 15, 2011. (AP Photo/Kevin Frayer)

Denver Post’s Craig Walker wins the Pulitzer Prize

One of my favourite sites for photo-journalism is The Denver Post, this series of images and story are a testament to the quality they produce. Excellent news that Craig Walker has won the Pulitzer Prize for his work

“Denver Post photojournalist Craig F. Walker, who chronicled in intimate, affecting detail a young man’s journey from a high school student in Lakewood to a soldier fighting in Iraq and then back home, won the Pulitzer Prize for feature photography Monday.”

See the full article and pictures here

Between his high school graduation and the bus ride that would begin his journey to basic training, Ian Fisher reveled once more in the civilian life that was defined by his buddies, his girlfriend and his family. But the long good-bye slowly segued into the reality of his enlistment and the difficult road ahead. June 1, 2007. 2:03 p.m. Ian returns a phone call to Sgt. 1st Class Gavino Barron, the commander at Ian’s Army recruiting office. Barron was making sure Ian was on track for enlistment. When he was 17, Ian had joined the Army’s Future Soldier Training Program, which prepares recruits for the enlistment process. Barron recalls his initial impression of Ian: “He wasn’t in it for the money. He was only in it for God and country. That’s the reason most infantrymen join.” #

June 20, 2007. 12:41 p.m. “I want to go home. It makes me feel like I have an excuse. I’ve been thinking about everyone,” Ian says. He waits to speak with Sgt. 1st Class Robert Russell, the recruiting command liaison, to outline his injury and make a new claim: A drill sergeant mistreated him for not seeking permission when he got an X-ray the night before. #

Sept. 15, 2007. 3:22 p.m. Following a long day – on top of a long week – and suffering from heat rash, Ian finds himself back at his tent, bowing his head in prayer. He explains later: “I’ve been praying that God takes this stuff off my back.” #

Dec. 10, 2008. 8:20 p.m. Ian, center, and Buthmann pull security detail for a meeting between a psychological operations team and some local residents who were near the site of a rocket attack two nights earlier. The meeting is over quickly; the team doesn’t find what it is looking for. #

See all the images and read the stories here