Category Archives: Photography News

Photography News: Miroslav Tichý, Disfarmer, Tamir Sher, Mare Island, Stu Jenks

Posted on May 17, 2008 by joe

Hele-phant-copter, Castle Air Museum — by Joe Reifer

• Miroslav Tichý is a Czech photographer who uses funky home made cameras (via Brad Evans)
• Brad also sent a NYT article about portrait photographer Mike Disfarmer. I recently picked up Julia Scully’s superb book Disfarmer: 1939-1946 Heber Springs Portraits – highly recommended
• The blog On Shadow has been consistently stimulating lately
• Photographer Tamir Sher sent me an email — I enjoyed the conceptual night work in his Mars project, and also the abstract black and white Refiles images
• Tim Baskerville of The Nocturnes has some excellent information on access to the normally off-limits area of Mare Island
• Andy Frazer directed me to night photographer Stu Jenks’ blog post, An Argument Against Photography, and follow up post, I’m Not Suicidal. Thinking about Stu’s situation the last few days has really helped me realize how much I love making images, and how much I hate the selling, marketing, and politics involved in getting your work out there.

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Photography News: Orphan Works, Nocturnes, Franken, Vest, LCDs, Archibald, Watson

Posted on May 11, 2008 by joe

Wilderness — by Joe Reifer

• Spend 30 seconds to protest against the Orphan Works Bills. It’s important.
• The Nocturnes host a night photography workshop at Rush Ranch, this Saturday, May 17th. A perfect opportunity to dip your toes into the intoxicating water of night photography!
• My friend Will Franken, who also happens to be one of the funniest people on the planet, has completed his next epic podcast, entitled Side Two of Abbey Road
• Are you sitting down? Click on the photo: Professional Photographer’s Vest with Built-in Chair
• Learn about the technology behind LCD monitors
• Cool idea: Father’s Day tintype portrait sessions at Rayko Photo Center in San Francisco
• A day in the life of a commercial photographer — going for a jog with Timothy Archibald
• The straight dope from Jay Watson on being a versatile photographer — part I & part II

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Photography News: Pinhole, Bacon, Urbex, Restraint, Pinball, Rock!

Posted on May 1, 2008 by joe

Downtown SF (pinhole) — by Richard Sintchak

• Tim Connor’s article on Flickr & Style (via Musings) is more interesting and on point than the New York Times Magazine article it responds to.
• Heather Morton, Ask an Art Buyer, on self promotion (via The Business of Photography)
• 50 ways to use bacon (including the stunning new condiment, Bacon Salt)
  
• 16 abandoned and decaying hotels (via Andy Frazer)
• Tony Fouhse on the barriers of shooting 4×5. I happened to read Tony’s post after watching a documentary film about Matthew Barney called No Restraint. Barney’s drawing restraint work is about creating art within the context of self-imposed conditions. An interesting parallel to shooting large format. Regarding Mr. Barney, I’ve never seen an artist push any medium into a realm with such a singular, abstract language that’s beyond definition, influence and perhaps comprehension. An excerpt from the Cremaster Cycle called The Order is available on DVD.
• Speaking of modern geniuses, here’s a short interview with author Steve Erickson, one of the most important, underrated fiction writers of our age.
• Pinball rules! (via painter Dan Fontes)
• Rant of the week goes to Nicolai at Photon Detector for Lomographic Society continues to suck
• Krautrock meets free jazz/improv/skronk in the music of Oakland’s Oaxacan

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Photography News: Lenswork, Pinhole, 1DS III, Releases, Eastman, Mauritania, BMX

Posted on April 14, 2008 by joe

Make a note of it — by Joe Reifer

• Just when I was getting burnt on Lenswork, issue #75 arrived featuring Bill Jay’s great portraits and stories about famous photographers, and Larry G. Blackwood somehow making beautiful images of the often cliche´ subject of grain elevators. Only those of you who get the extended version on DVD will get the bonus goods though: fantastic panoramic black and white night photos from Chris Faust’s book Nocturnes (plus an interview), and Robb Kendrick’s cowboy tintypes from the book Still.
• World Wide Pinhole Day is coming up on Sunday, April 27th — Rayko Photo Center in San Francisco will be hosting free rides on the Bus Obscura “… a passenger bus converted to a multiple aperture camera obscura using a rear projection technique that allows the individual images to flow into one another. As the bus moves down the street a 360 degree animated panorama is created inside.”
• Dan Heller talks about situations where you need a model release for editorial image usage.
• Some interesting ruminations on the tricky question, Canon 1DS Mark III vs. medium format digital over on Pebble Place. There’s also an excellent compatibility chart for using Contax lenses on Canon EOS cameras.
• George Eastman House now has some amazing prints for sale at affordable prices. Featured photographers include Alfred Stieglitz, Lewis Hine, Julia Margaret Cameron, and Nickolas Muray.
• My friend Derek sent me an article about some amazing music from Mauritania.
• Arising out of Amy Stein’s new photographers who rode BMX project, comes the raddest photo of the week of Aaron Hobson and family.

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Photography News: Suburban World, Muybridge, Atomic Ruins, Whiskey Robber

Posted on March 20, 2008 by joe

Turning our backs — by Joe Reifer

• If you crossed Weegee with Bill Owens, threw in a pinch of Garry Winogrand, and had suburban 1950′s Minnesota as your backdrop, then you’d be looking at the new book Suburban World: The Norling Photographs. Highly recommended.
• I’m finishing up another great book, River of Shadows: Eadweard Muybridge and the Technological Wild West, by Rebecca Solnit. Photography, railroads, San Francisco history, Yosemite, murder, class war — a truly captivating story. Many thanks to Jay Watson for this one.
• Tom Vanderbilt wrote a cover blurb for my buddy Troy Paiva’s forthcoming book — I looked Mr. Vanderbilt up online, and was intrigued by Survival City: Adventures Among the Ruins of Atomic America. The book arrived today, and I’m already 50 pages in — essential reading if you’re interested in Cold War ruins.
• This month’s selection in my book club is Ballad of the Whiskey Robber: A True Story of Bank Heists, Ice Hockey, Transylvanian Pelt Smuggling, Moonlighting Detectives, and Broken Hearts. Looks like a wild ride!

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