Some good photography on the Internet

photo by Oleg Videnin

Here is some good photography I discovered recently on the Internet (thanks in part to Erik Foss). First, these amazing, haunting photos by Oleg Videnin on the "Lens" blog of the New York Times -- reminds me a lot of Diane Arbus and Anders Petersen's Cafe Lehmitz.


photo by Anders Petersen

And here's the link they give on the "Lens" blog to an extensive gallery of photos by Videnin:

Next, this good article and self-narrated video on the NYTimes site about South Bronx photographer David Gonzales.

photo by David Gonzales

And lastly, this narrated slide show on the Times website (from their "One in Eight Million" series by Todd Heisler about a transsexual in New York. Click here for the One in Eight Million series index.

photo by Todd Heisler

People shots and Portland landscapes

Here are four people shots from my last rolls of film developed. The first is a couple of bikers that Patricia and I met on the ride back from Eastern Oregon.


This second shot below is a at a place in Wallowa, Ore. that will skin and butcher meat that you bring in. I walked into the place, hoping to find a bunch of animals being butchered, but there was nothing going on, and nobody there -- but I called out and looked around, and found this guy in a cooler loading a bunch of boxes of fruit. I told him what I was doing (traveling around, photographing) and that I was hoping he might have a bunch of animals hanging from hooks -- so he led me into another cooler and said "is this what you were looking for?" -- I said, "yeah,... kind-of.... " -- and he said "go ahead and take a picture." I asked him if he would't mind posing in the picture -- "to give the photograph perspective" -- he said "sure." I knew I wanted a human element -- and he was an interesting guy.


Third and fourth shots are from the north Park Blocks in Portland -- three kids laying in the grass on a Wednesday. I was with my friend Nathan going to galleries and shooting, and I saw them and asked for a picture. I'm not sure which I like better. the first has them all looking, and a great expression on the kid in the middle, but the second, with guy on left looking down, more nipple showing on him, and some slight difference of girl on the right (that feels a little more flirtatious or sassy) seems to have more narrative potential. something about the eyes on the guy in the middle too. What do you think?




And here's the only other 2 shots I have for today -- a couple of shots from Portland of the Fremont Bridge. The first feels perhaps too predictable and design oriented, but maybe still interesting. The second is another attempt at the Union Pacific railyard with the Fremont Bridge and city in the background. I think I like this one, there is something nice about 2 long, straight lines of trains, and dark blackberry bushes in foreground.

Eastern Oregon Landscapes

I just developed 11 rolls of film from the last week or so of shooting -- which includes a trip this past weekend to Northeastern Oregon (to the Wollowa Mountains) -- and I discovered I have a lot of landscape photographs I liked on this film. Here are the first few --from a stop along the eastern Columbia Gorge -- just east of the The Dalles. Patricia and I were on our drive home, and we got off I-84 and onto The Historic Columbia River Highway, and we quickly stopped at a scenic overlook above the river and walked out through the tall grass toward a cliff over the river. (I almost stepped on a baby rattlesnake on the walk back, luckily Patricia saw it and warned me in time!) The wind was blowing the yellow grass in the last rays of sunlight -- it was really a beautiful and serene moment/place.





here's a couple more: one more landscape, and then one of Patricia snapping a photo of me.




here's a couple on a side street in Joseph, Oregon -- looking toward the Wallowas...




I believe I shot these two below in Wollowa, Oregon:




And here are some highway shots: this first one is also from "The Historic Columbia River Highway" -- near where I made those grassland shots above (east of The Dalles). The the next two are from I-84 headed west toward Portland (I think also east of The Dalles).






here's one more from I-84 headed west in the Eastern Gorge.


And last for today -- something very "Oregon" -- piles of logs in McNary, Oregon.

Robert Frank's "lonely elevator girl" finds herself at Frank's MOMA exhibit

photo by Robert Frank from "The Americans"


photo by Ian Padgham at SF MoMA

Thanks to my friend (and fellow "lightleaker") Lisa Gidley I just saw this blog posting from SFMoMA, where the R. Frank exhibit is currently on display, that the "little ole lonely elevator girl" from "The Americans" found herself in Frank's photo after seeing a review of the show in the SF Chronicle. pretty interesting -- to discover you have become a photographic icon 50 years later...

Above are the pictures from the blog, the original "elevator girl" by Frank, the new photo by SFMoMA marketing and communications assistant Ian Padgham.

It's worth reading the dialogue/comments after the posting on the SF MoMA blog to find out more about the exhibit and the woman from the photo and her reaction to it.

Interesting galleries, exhibits, articles, links and news

(photo from the collection of Robert E. Jackson)

I just made my first visit to Ampersand gallery on Alberta (here in Portland) and I must say I was quite impressed! There's a very good show up of enlargements from photo booths from the collection of Robert E. Jackson (see image above), a great collection of used and new photo books, and found, vintage photos for purchase. And a really friendly and knowledgeable proprietor, Myles! If you're in town, and on Alberta, please stop in and have a look!


(photo © David Heath)

Another good show that's currently up here in Portland that I haven't gotten the chance to see yet is at Charles Hartman Fine Art. The show is titled "Faces: Vintage and Contemporary Photographic Portraits," and contains the work of many of the masters, as well as several contemporary photographers. Here's a link to a web gallery of images. (The image of woman w/ child above is from the show, by David Heath)

Also, if you're headed to NYC -- there was recently a nice review in The New York Times of coordinated exhibits by NYC galleries of photography about the city. Here's nice slide show of images from the exhibits. It makes me want to get up to NYC right away to go see them!

Other interesting finds -- here's a couple of links to photographers and photography sites that I have come across:

Jeffrey Ladd, and his blog about photography and photo books, also another noteworth portland photographer Benji Wagner. I've added these links to my links list on the right.

Lastly, I've been invited to shoot some new photographs for an upcoming exhibit at the Oregon Jewish Museum about Portland Jewish memory/history of place. It's a nice chance to produce new work, to be a part of the Portland Jewish experience/community -- and respond to concept of memory/history with my photography (which is always something that is in the back of my head anyway -- as Walker Evans said: "...to photograph the present as it will be seen as the past... "

Stitches

I banged my head into the leg of a coffee table that was resting on its side in our basement friday -- nine days ago -- and after cursing my bad fortune, I drove myself to the doctor for 9 stitches. I get them removed tomorrow. it's almost all healed up already -- but I guess there'll be a slight scar for some time.

New black & white film

I developed 9 rolls of black and white film last night -- here are some of my favorites. This from Sauvie Island just north of Portland -- floating houses on the channel that forms the western boundary of the island.


This is a shot I've been trying to get for some time-- although I don't think either of these quite achieves my vision of what the shot should look like -- maybe getting closer.... ?! I like the clouds.




And here's a couple of shots of the Industrial area below Interstate Ave, on the Northeast side of the Willamette.




I was out walking in St. Johns this week (Monday, I think) and I saw black smoke rising from the north side of the St. Johns Bridge. I ran down down to arrive just as the fire truck did -- and snapped this shot. It was an RV that was totally up in flames in someone's backyard.


And a last for today: I went to Hawethorne Ave. on Wednesday to meet with my friend Nathan for lunch, and to walk around a bit and snap photos -- we both shot this little doggie poking its nose below the blinds.

A couple of recent portraits

Here's a couple of recent portraits. first is of my friend Clay at "The Bye and Bye" on Alberta, the second of Patricia at home.

Last few from Mexico

Here are the last few scans that caught my eye from my trip to mexico. (I may try to scan some more in the coming days.) The first is from the ruins of Tulum -- on the coast -- it was very hot there - -but luckily they have a beach right there you can go swimming in the Carribean to get a break from the heat -- nice! it was the last shot on a roll of bulk-loaded film -- so that yellow is "fog" from the light that hits the film when loading it into the cannister. It only affects the last frame or two, but I can never be sure when I am at the end. This is a tour group with the guide standing under an umbrella (if you can make that out?).


This second shot is also from Tulum, but about a mile south of the ruins, on the public beach -- A Mexican family loading their boat to go out fishing -- caught in a tender, playful moment.


This third shot is also at the public beach of Tulum -- Mexican kids jumping over the small waves as they break.


And the last is from the town of Tulum -- caught this boy running in front of a tienda (store) in the late day sun.

Collector's Special for August

I've reached back deep into the vault for three of my favorite images to offer for my Collector's Special for August -- all vintage prints (printed within a year of the image being shot) -- all at the remarkable recession-era discounted price of only $150 each! There is only one of each of these available -- so grab these incredible deals while you can!! See images & descriptions below:


"Olympic Cheerleaders - Atlanta, GA 1996"
11"x 14" archivally-processed, silver-gelatin fiber-based print
signed and editioned (3/25) on the back in pencil
printed in 1996
$150
(I will deliver in the Portland, Ore. area, elsewhere shipping charges are extra)

This image is from my first major solo exhibit "Dreams, Despair, and the Coca-Cola Olympic Circus," which documented the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta. The photo was featured in a front page entertainment section review in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

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"For the Fans (Coke billboard sprouting from house) - Atlanta, GA 1996"
11"x 14" archivally-processed, cibachrome print
signed and editioned (2/25) on the back in ink
printed in 1996
$150
(I will deliver in the Portland, Ore. area, elsewhere shipping charges are extra)

This image is also one of my favorites from my "Dreams, Despair and the Coca-Cola Olympic Circus" show -- and was featured in the "So Atlanta" exhibit at The Contemporary in 2004.

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"Couple (two women) headed to Alaska on the Greyhound - somewhere in Montana, 2000"
11"x 14" archivally-processed, silver-gelatin fiber-based print
signed and editioned (3/25) on the back in pencil
printed in 2000
$150
(I will deliver in the Portland, Ore. area, elsewhere shipping charges are extra)

More Yucatan photos

For today: here are three photos shot from the bus in Mexico. Thinking back to my "from my car window" series... I find I always enjoy shooting from an "in-motion" perspective.






and here's a couple from bus stations. The first from the waiting room in Cancun, the second is the ticket window in Merida.




speaking of ticket windows -- here's one from the ticket window at a cenote (limestone cave with a pond inside) near Valladolid.

And a second image with a sign: is this woman in Merida -- the sign translated says "Christ loves you" (I think?!)




and the last bunch for today -- some more dog shots. the first is an alternative to the dog I posted a couple of days ago from Valladolid, the others are two "rooftop" dogs I encountered at sunset in Tulum.

Holly Pickett

Photo © Holly Pickett

Not that I can take any credit for her talent and hard work, but I'm very proud to see a former student of mine -- Holly Pickett -- whom I taught in my first semester as a photojournalism instructor at the University of Georgia -- producing some really amazing and powerful images in Afghanistan, and the middle east, working alongside NPR reporter Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson. Take a look at her blog (click here).

makes a teacher proud!!

More from Mexico

Here's a few more from my trip to the Yucatan. This first is from Tulum - a young man playing the accordian in the shade of a billboard.


here's a second, alternative shot from the barbershop in Merida.


a food cart at night on the streets of Merida.


here's a couple of shots of folks on the move. The first is from Merida, the second from Tulum.




here's the last couple for today -- two shots of Mexican women -- the first on the streets of Merida during the big Sunday festival, the other from a bus window leaving Merida.

stay tuned for more tomorrow.

Yucatan

I just returned from 10 days in the Yucatan region of Mexico. Here are some of my favorite images from the film that I've scanned so far. I thought I'd start off with one of my most common themes: a barbershop -- this one in Merida.


I found myself moving in close, trying to capture some facial expressions on the street. both of these are also from Merida,




there was a big street festival going on in the main plaza/square of Merida on the Sunday I was there. Here's a couple relaxing on a bench during the festival...


...and here's some more faces -- a crowd watching/listening to live music on the square.


and a last set of three images for today: The dog is in Valladolid, the gas station guy is on a dock in Isla Mujeres, and the tv set with the ice cooler is in Tulum.

more tomorrow...