Saturday, May 18, 2013

Photography Week in Review - May 13-19

Over a year ago I decided to add a few feature posts to the blog.  I didn’t really follow through with that plan, but I have decided to do something different.  This new series of posts will serve multiple roles:  (1) contain photography related news and information; (2) keep new content on the blog every week and (3) allow me to get to a point where I can share new work again.  This series of posts will be a sort of photography week in review, where I’ll post news and other interesting pieces of photographic information that I come across over the course of the week.  The majority of the news will be film related, but I will mix in mobile and digital news, when I find it interesting.  So, without further ado, here is the Photography Week in Review for May 13, 2013!

Ilford Set to Release Obscura Pinhole Camera
A few months ago, Ilford announced that it was releasing another pinhole camera.  However, unlike the Harmon Titan 4x5 and 8x10 models, this model is a simple box with a magnetic lock pinhole design, perfect for use with 4x5 film or paper.  The camera is due to launch the first week of June in the UK, the second week of June throughout Europe and the second week of July in North America.  Individuals attending the Photographica Fair in London this weekend will have a chance to get the camera before anyone else.  The wonderful crew over at Filmwasters just posted a review of the camera here.  For more information, visit Ilford.



ONDU Pinhole Camera Kickstarter
While on the subject of pinhole cameras, another great camera project was launched on Kickstarter this week.  Elvis Halilović is a photographer that has been making and shooting custom pinhole cameras for the past seven years.  He’s also an industrial designer and wood worker; he’s put those skills to use and created these beautiful pinhole cameras.  Elvis’s project hasn’t been on Kickstarter for a full week and he’s already tripled his funding goal.  He was kind enough to answer questions on the Pdexposures group page on Flickr and provided an interview to Simon of the Pdexposures podcast.  Fund these fabulous pinhole cameras here.



Podcast Love
Speaking of podcasts, the Pdexposures gang put out a great podcast about shooting film on a budget.  While it was released last week, the topic is very relevant and Nate, Tony and Simon cover a lot of ground and make valid points and observations in a manner in which only they can.  Check it out here.
The Film Photography Project released their new episode this week.  Mike, Leslie and Mat recap the FPP Walking Workshop that took place in Findlay, Ohio in April.  Hunter White, FPP’s “Man on the Street,” had a great interview piece with the International Center for Photography regarding their recently completed Chim retrospective exhibit.  Leslie talks about her Olympus Ecru camera and the gang talks about Kodak BW 400CN 35mm film.  Listen to the podcast and get the show notes here.
Richard Avedon
Since a great photographer was mentioned in the brief on the FPP podcast (Chim), I thought it only fitting to follow it up with talk of another great photographer.  This past week, on May 15 to be exact, Richard Avedon was born 90 years ago.  While Avedon passed away in 2004, his work is magnificent and is still inspiring photographers all over the world.  Avedon was an American fashion and portrait photographer with a brilliant minimalist style that incorporated shooting his subjects with an 8x10 view camera and a white background.  The black and white negatives, framed by the markings of the film holder, captured the intense emotions and feelings of individuals as diverse as the Chicago Seven and Allen Ginsberg.  I highly recommend his book Murals and Portraits.  Check out more of his work here.
“And if a day goes by without my doing something related to photography, it’s as though I’ve neglected something essential to my existence, as though I had forgotten to wake up.  I know that the accident of my being a photographer has made my life possible.”
-  Richard Avedon, 1970
Ross Brothers “The River” photo book
Another great photography book to recommend is one that I came across while watching a documentary by the uber talented Ross Brothers.  The filmmakers, Bill and Turner Ross, along with brother Alex and best friend Kyle Rouse, traveled by boat from Cincinnati to New Orleans.  They filmed every minute of the journey and cut it into eight 20 minute episodes that they released online last year.  The entire 160 minutes were recently shown in their entirety at Toronto’s Hot Docs film festival a week ago.  Kyle Rouse, the co-captain of the journey, took a Canon AL-1 camera along and shot some stunning black and white images.  The images, along with excerpts from Turner’s journal are bound in a gorgeous, minimalist photo book.  Watch the episodes here and purchase the book here.
The Importance of learning your craft and equipment
Scott Meivogel of Aperture in Cleveland put out a wonderful blog post regarding the importance of learning your craft and your equipment.  He’s frustrated with the number of individuals that purchase a fancy DSLR and then think they are automatically a photographer.  All it means is that you take pictures.  He provides some very valid points and examples and I highly recommend giving it a read here.
Hipstamatic
Regardless of how you view the mobile photography phenomenon, it’s been steadily gaining traction and is something to take seriously.  Magazines have been dedicated to the subject, conferences have been taking place surrounding mobile photography, photojournalists are starting to use it in their work and galleries are starting to curate exhibits of mobile photography.  Hipstamatic is a lomo style mobile app that allows you to switch lenses, films and flashes on a “camera.”  They just released an app called Oggl.  It’s a photography/social media app that is currently by invitation only.  Hipstamatic is trying to cultivate a community of photographers and creatives.  The app is free but will require a subscription and features all Hipstamatic lens/film choices as well as viewing different filters and effects after a shot has been taken, a la Instagram.  Read more about it here and here.
Spring Contest
Photographer’s Forum just extended the deadline for their 33rd Annual Spring Photography Contest.  Winning photos will be featured in the November 2013 issue of Photographer’s Forum Magazine and exhibited at Brooks Institute Gallery 27.  Learn more or enter here.
For Ohioans
The Ohio Art League (OAL) Spring Juried Exhibit just ended it’s first full week on display at the State Library of Ohio.  If you haven’t had time to check it out, it will be on display until June 12.  Learn more
.  (P.S.  If you check out the exhibit, you’ll see one of my pieces on display.)

Well, that’s it for this week.  Check back next week for more happenings in the world of photography.  Cheers and keep shooting.

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