A change in the law will allow photographers to pay rent on their homes & studios with ‘exposure’ instead of money. They will also be able to buy coffee, shampoo and other essentials, by mentioning to the checkout assistant that they did a big job last week for nothing, and are hoping it will bring them some paying clients.
Landlords and supermarkets are protesting this move, on the grounds that “Well what the hell am I supposed to do with ‘exposure’? I can’t pay my bills with fresh bloody air! Why can’t you just give me money like every bugger else?” Continue reading →
It’s mostly been by people who can’t read properly and are therefore already at a disadvantage, however to be completely fair we’re going to flip things on their head and take a look at reasons why a photographer would choose to shoot digital instead of film.
The perfect Kodak moment now only comes in digital.
The young Syrian girl in the photograph is named Hudea and understandably thought the photographer’s camera was a weapon. Upon seeing it she threw her hands in the air and surrendered. At just four years old the world is still a mystery and confusion between objects is appropriately normal and part of learning. So it’s truly heartbreaking that this little Syrian girl is more used to seeing guns than cameras, especially in this now image conscious, self-obsessed celebrity world.
BBC Trending reports that the image was widely shared in the Turkish speaking world for several months before it made it on to English speaking social media.
Moscow based artist Dmitry Morozov has designed a digital camera by reengineering a Gameboy classic, accompanying thermal printer accessory and a GUN!
Dmitry Morozov’s 8-bit Instant Photo Gun.
He calls it the 8-bit Instant Photo Gun, and that’s exactly what it is. Despite looking like a movie prop from a futuristic steampunk-esque film like Mad Max, the camera is actually quite functional. Albeit a certain taste may be required to appreciate this certain output aesthetic.
The thermal printers & camera were sold as an accessory to the Gameboy over a decade ago. With under 1 Mega-Pixel of power they are slowly starting to creep bag into the digital-hispter’s bag. Morozov has simply repurposed the entire system to work with a gun’s trigger. Continue reading →
The police in London had nothing better to do yesterday morning than respond to the cries of a “large, sweaty speck” who happened to be passing by Guardian journalist Alan Rusbridger as he was having his photograph taken by David Levene on Hampstead Heath, a public space.
In Rusbridger’s blog on the Guardian he explained how the situation played out:
On the brow of the hill there was a jogger stretched in silhouette, no more than a tiny speck against the trees and blue sky. I took a picture.
The tiny speck turned out to be an unhappy speck. He ran down the hill shouting that I had no right to take pictures and I’d better effing delete them. As he got nearer he became a rather large and shouty speck, sweat beading on his bald head as he bellowed in my face.
We were effing out of order. It was illegal to take effing pictures here and if I didn’t delete the effing picture he’d effing call the police. He was really quite menacing – in the manner, say, of a 90s gangster movie.
I explained I was disinclined to delete the picture I had taken in a public space just because he looked to be on the point of murdering me. This made the speck even crosser.
Last week during a cold February evening in the Borders of Scotland, the lights of a small photographic art gallery were turned on for the first time and a new exhibition was unveiled. The walls were devoid of landscapes, portraits and the traditional visual art you’d come to expect with photographers. Instead a large, garish print hung on the far wall, unmistakably red. A small sign to the left gave it the name ‘Tacky Red Cameras.’
Tacky Red Cameras, Photographic Print – Sam Cornwell 2015.
We’ve got used to seeing camera collections in many different shapes and forms, especially ones with high price tags on eBay. What makes this collection different from all those is the overwhelming abundance of the colour red. Upon further inspection, The Becher-esque style grid is filled with 81 (9×9) individually coloured red cameras.
Tacky Red Cameras Photographic Print, 70×70″, Dibond.
Tacky Red Cameras is a five year long study into mass production practises of the 20th century and how we have continued to consume in the present and beyond. A seemingly unobvious collection of red cameras all of which are still in their purchased, second hand state take place in three forms; a sculpture, a photographic print and a 3D printed object. The past, present and future.
The large print fills the white wall it is homed on and is big enough for the viewer to get up close and personal to inspect the different models on display. The actual cameras in sculpture form are presented beautifully encased in clear tubes close to the print.
Tacky Red Cameras, Sculpture – Sam Cornwell 2015.
The trifecta is completed with a much smaller exhibit, also unashamedly red. Artist Sam Cornwell collaborated with French artist Quentin Orhant to print a red camera. Yes, print. Continue reading →
In a twist that may inspire millions to reach for their attic cupboards and pull out boxes of old camera gear, Michael Vivona shows that film photography isn’t dead just yet by bringing analogue cameras back to life.
Michael Vivona Camera Statue or Johnny 5 is still alive?
Michael openly admits that he isn’t a photographer, which is evident from the Instagram filtered display photos he’s taken for his art. However, what he lacks in compositional detail for the camera frame, he more than makes up for in his artistic ability as a sculptor. And it’s not just your typical Hollywood shape that’s appearing in his collection, there’s a penchant for dogs as well.
Woof woof, whirrr, click.
Drawn to items built and designed in the ‘Atomic Age’ Michael poured through local thrift stores looking for items when he stumbled across his first ‘camerabot.’ With a projector as a body, security cameras as feet and an old twin lens reflex 120 film camera lending itself as eyes, his first Wall-E or Johnny-5 type character was born. Continue reading →
With no less than 33 images attributed to him on Astronomy Picture of the Day Rogelio Bernal Andreo is one of the most respected astrophotographers on the planet. In fact, his images are so beautifully clear, it’s hard to believe he’s taking them from inside our atmosphere.
Recently this image of the constellation Orion has been receiving a growth spur and deservedly so as a meticulous amount of work was required to capture it. Amongst other things you can see the Witches Head nebula, the Flame nebula, the Horsehead nebula, Barnard’s Loop, the Running Man nebula and of course the Orion nebula. It is, as anyone in the Northern hemisphere will recognise an absolutely enormous part of the sky and to have such an incredible amount of detail there is breathtaking.
Orion Constellation | Rogelio Bernal Andreo
Of course you can’t see these gas clouds with the naked eye, although you would have some limited success with Orion’s nebula found in the middle of the sword with a pair of binoculars. To bring out more detail Rogelio made use of a narrow hydrogen alpha-filter and exposed for a total of 28 hours stitching together 32 images. Take a look at a detailed section of the top right revealing the ever spooky Witch Head nebula.
Witch Head Nebula | Rogelio Bernal Andreo
Rogelio began his astrophotography career like many of us; experimenting with is DSLR camera. Rogelio calls this his ‘introductory stage’ and has since moved on to dedicated CCD sensors to capture his images of the dark skies. Don’t worry though, ‘RBA’ as he’s known online still uses his DSLR to compose magnificent landscapes.
Take a look at just a small selection from his incredible portfolio starting with this stunning image of Simeis 147 and its surroundings. Continue reading →
This is one of the last pictures of Gareth Jones, a selfie of his legs dangling off a cliff from a few hundred feet up. A few days later Gareth would be involved in an accident at this very spot and fall 300 feet to his death.
Gareth Jones uploaded the Selfie to his Instagram account
Gareth’s Instagram feed shows he was a guy full of adventure and enjoyed extreme sports including base jumping. Unfortunately this lifestyle would ultimately lead to his death. Gareth was reportedly seeking a better view of the sunrise when the accident occurred.
This wasn’t your typical photographer losing his footing, Gareth was a professional base jumper who had performed dozens of amazing stunts in the past. Recently he launched himself with nothing but a parachute from the top of the Menara Tower in Kuala Lumpur.
Gareth Jones was a professional basejumper, and a natural thrill-seeker.
Even sadder is the fact that Gareth wasn’t the first person to meet his end whilst reaching for the perfect shot. Chris Illuminati of BroBible put together a list of recent tragedies involving the the new extreme-selfie craze. He presents it well:
While the issues and dangers that selfies pose on the mind and body are important, they’re not always measurable in all people. The actual deaths of people in the name of the awesome and enviable self portrait are quantitative. Here are just some of the tragic cases of deaths linked directly to selfies.
A 32-year-old woman in North Carolina was killed in a head-on crash with a truck. Investigators were told by her friends and family that she made a Facebook post in the moments before the crash. The woman posted a photo of herself, behind the wheel, reacting to the song “Happy” by Pharrell.
A month short of her 18th birthday, a teen fell off a railway bridge and was electrocuted by 1,500 volts as she tried to grab wires to break her fall. It’s believed the teen climbed the 30 feet onto the bridge to take a selfie.
Two men were trampled to death by an elephant in the Kiptagich Forest in Africa. The men were touching the elephants trunk and attempting to take selfies when the beast whipped the two to the ground and trampled over them to flee. The elephant was gunned down by Kenya Wildlife Service and Kenya Forest Service rangers in an attempt to save the men.
A Polish nursing student fell to her death while trying to take a selfie from the ledge of the Puente de Triana Bridge in Seville, Spain. According to witnesses, the woman lost her footing and fell 15 feet down to the concrete.
A 16-year-old Italian high school student attempted a selfie during a school trip in southeastern Italy. The young girl fell 60 feet onto jagged rocks and suffered injuries to her femur, pelvis and head. The teen was rushed to the hospital where doctors attempted to save her but she eventually succumb to her injuries.
A 21-year-old man from northern Mexico wanted a selfie for his Facebook page and used his live firearm as a prop in the picture. The gun discharged and shot him in the head.
A 13-year-old girl was visiting the El Tunal River in Mexico this past summer. She slipped and fell into the water while taking a selfie and the strong currents swept her away. She drowned and her body was recovered some time after the accident.
A family vacation in Cabo da Raca, Portugal turned tragic after a mother and father fell to their death while posing beyond a safety barrier over a cliff. Their two young children watched as the couple plummeted to their death.
We certainly don’t condone any type of dangerous activities to get the perfect selfie and at the same time we wouldn’t prevent anybody from pushing the boundaries of photographic genres, even the narcissistic selfie! But please, if you are someone who likes to take risks, please be careful and think of Gareth Jones, and what happened to an experienced professional before you do.
It’s wonderful when photographic communities get together and create something special, and that’s just what the project Moment Mile did on November 1st 2014.
#MomentMile Exhibition Installation Takes Place.
Organised by conceptual photographic artist Sean Busher, the plan was to gather 138 local photographers together in the Charlotte NC area to create a gigantic 1.2 mile long panorama of Tryon Street. Then at a specific time, to the second, every single photographer lined up along the street would take a single frame and create what may possibly be the largest, seamless moment in time panoramic photograph ever.
Sean says “There was so much that could’ve gone wrong with this project, I was fearful there would be holes all along these two massive panoramics…” [sic] however as it turned out all 138 photographer’s cameras worked (phew.)
Sean Busher at inspecting the Panorama at the Moment Mile Exhibition
The project was put on to celebrate the reopening of The Light Factory a contemporary gallery of photography and film in Charlotte. On display during tonight’s opening (17th December 2014) will be two 100 foot long panoramas, which you can see in part towards the end of the ‘Making of’ video uploaded to Youtube below.
If you’re desperate to see an online version of the panorama, you’ll have to wait for the time being as an exclusive unveiling at the Mint Museum, 500 S. Tyron is happening right now. There have been a few frames ‘leaked’ to Twitter, like this unusual image by Jeff Cravotta outside of the Centre for Dance.
Jeff Cravotta’s Submission to Moment Mile
You can also get a sneak preview of the exhibition in this video by the Charlotte Observer which gives away some details including the wonderfully placed ‘double yellow line’ (that’ll confuse the British folk) running between both East and West facing panoramas.
We’ll update this post as soon as an online version of the Panoramas are available.
Phogotraphy 