Monday, January 31, 2011
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Environmental Photography
| ENVIRONMENTAL PHOTOGRAPHY Trees are poems that earth writes upon the sky, / We fell them down and turn them into paper, / That we may record our emptiness. (Kahlil Gibran) I just got back from another photo workshop to the Salton Sea and starting thinking about environmental photography and what its role is as a documentary statement and as an art form. The Salton Sea is certainly one of the most obvious human environmental disasters in Southern California and one of the easiest to photograph if one can get past the gross trash, dead animals and stench. Environmental photography encompasses a wide variety of work by photographers who use the environment as their subject. It can include photographing natural disasters, manmade disasters, beautiful scenics and somber cityscapes. It can be scientific in nature such as some of the work by Gary Braasch, or presented purely as an art form such as the large format digital work by Chris Jordan. The purpose behind environmental photography is not solely to record a news story, but also to broaden our understanding of our environment and of mankind's impact upon it. Many photographers working in this field believe that photographic imagery can change preconceptions about the world around us.  Focusing on the positive is where nature photographers can thrive on a subject. Even though there were dead fish at our feet (above) I photographed the beauty of Salton Sea which may suggest that there is hope in saving the place. The sunset colors also convey a positive image.  Most photographers are compelled to photograph the beautiful aspects of nature. However, focusing on the negative can evoke powerful emotions and a sense of loss. It is important not to forget photographic techniques such as dramatic lighting, angles and point of view to draw the viewer into the image. In the above photo I chose to photograph one dead fish propped up on a rock with the Salton Sea in the background as an illustration of the environmental tragedy. It suggests the fish is gasping and needing to leave the sea. Regardless of the subject, it can remain a beautiful photograph.  The human element is always something to consider in environmental photography. Many people are only interested in the pristine landscapes, however the juxtaposition humans and man made objects can have a powerful impact. At first glance the power plant seems like an eyesore. But other questions arise once the viewer knows this is a geothermal plant providing clean energy. Ansel Adams was one of the original environmental photographers. He used images successfully to persuade the US Congress, back in the 1930s, to create wilderness sanctuaries in the American West. Other powerful examples include W. Eugene Smith's photo-documentary on the outbreak of mercury poisoning in Minamata Japan during the 1950s, or Philip Jones Griffiths' account of Agent Orange, the defoliant used by the US in the Vietnam War. I have a Street Photography Workshop in LA on Feb 5th and I'll be discussing many of these topics. I also have a Winter Landscape class on Feb. 19th where we will apply some of these principles to our shooting.Santa Barbara Workshop in March 19-20. Here are photo gallery links: Street Photography Santa Barbara |
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Monday, January 24, 2011
Thursday, January 20, 2011
The Slow-Photography Movement
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Mt St. Helens Photography
I photographed this from a helicopter while on a annual report assignment for Pacific Power and Light in 1982. We asked the fellow who measured the snow pack to "act" it on a snow/ice field just north of the volcano's crater. Everyone was nervous flying the helicopter into the crater. In 1986, photographer Ralph Perry perished with the rest of the helicopter crew while on assignment for National Geographic. www.nytimes.com/1986/02/13/us/around-the-nation-copter-cr.... Photographed with a Nikon F and Kodachrome 64 film.
Francis Ford Coppola: On Risk, Money, Craft & Collaboration
"You have to remember that it’s only a few hundred years, if that much, that artists are working with money. Artists never got money. Artists had a patron, either the leader of the state or the duke of Weimar or somewhere, or the church, the pope. Or they had another job. I have another job. I make films. No one tells me what to do. But I make the money in the wine industry. You work another job and get up at five in the morning and write your script." Francis Ford Coppola via 99%
Monday, January 17, 2011
Friday, January 14, 2011
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Monday, January 10, 2011
PX3's photography competition
CALL FOR ENTRIES
The Prix de la Photographie, Paris, Px3 strives to promote the appreciation of photography, to discover emerging talent, and introduce photographers from around the world to the artistic community of Paris.
The Prix de la Photographie, Paris, Px3 strives to promote the appreciation of photography, to discover emerging talent, and introduce photographers from around the world to the artistic community of Paris.
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Contact Press Images 1978
"Moving Stills" (1978) by Behnam Attar
"Moving Stills" (1978) by Behnam Attar from David Burnett on Vimeo.
"Moving Stills" (1978) by Behnam Attar from David Burnett on Vimeo.
Friday, January 7, 2011
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Monday, January 3, 2011
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