Quote of the Week...

"To the attentive eye, each moment of the year has its own beauty, and in the same field, it beholds, every hour, a picture which was never seen before and which never shall be seen again."

-Ralph Waldo Emerson
 

Quote of the Week...

"We are constantly taking information given in one form and translating it into alternative forms, searching for ways to map a strange, new phenomenon into simpler and more familiar ones." 

                                                  -George Miller

Peter Turnley: French Kiss-A Love Letter to Paris

Take a look at this short video about Peter Turnley and his work in Paris. What are the themes of life that you photograph (or should photograph)? 

Peter Turnley reflects on his long career as a photographer and his relationship with Paris. His new book "French Kiss - A Love Letter to Paris is on sale now: http://peterturnley.com/frenchkiss.

Dorthea Lange's "Migrant Mother"

Many of you are familiar with Dorthea Lange's "Migrant Mother" photograph.  The photograph depicts Florence Thompson, age 32, with three of her seven children. As destitute pea pickers in Nipomo, California she came to epitomize the plight of "Okies" and displaced farmers during the height of the dust bowl in the 1930's. This series depicts multiple versions of the scene that would become one of the most iconic American images of the Great Depression. It should be noted that the negative was retouched in the 1930's to erase the thumb holding a tend pole in the lower right hand corner. Clearly this is an early example of image manipulation. 

Fast forward eighty years and we live in a world where images can be altered easily and convincingly. The old adage that "photographs don't lie" is undoubtedly an obsolete concept. And yet, viewers expect that news and documentary photography provide a neutral and honest representation of events. So when is it ethically unacceptable to alter an image? Is photographic veracity an antiquated concept or a fundamental line that should never be crossed? 

Here's another famous and controversial image by Robert Capa depicting the death of a Republican soldier during the Spanish Civil War. If this were a staged photograph would it have the same impact?

Bernard Plossu: My first Photography Instructor

I'd like introduce you to French documentary photographer, Bernard Plossu. I first met Berard in 1984 at the Oklahoma Arts Institute. He was arguably my first formal photography instructor. He taught me about seeing, about childlike curiosity and much much more. I recall two bits of wisdom in particular...first he taught me how to make pictures while walking backwards. And, he explained to me (in broken English) the gift that every photographer understands by simply stating, "I cannot NOT see anymore." Do a Google image search and find one of Bernard's photographs that you like, post it and tell me what you think.

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Keith Carter and the Poetic Image

It is not uncommon for writers to use photographic images as a catalyst for creative writing and for poetry in particular. Yet, many photographers create images that are poetic by their very nature. Keith Carter and Raymond Meeks are just two photographers who immediately come to mind. So what does it mean to create an image that is inherently poetic and how would you go about making such an image?

Mark your calendars! →

Thought I'd pass along an announcement regarding the upcoming release of Portraits of the American Craftsman  by Dallas photographer Tadd Myers. Tadd is a former student of mine from Texas A&M-Commerce and an exceptionally talented photographer. A must see.