Thursday, August 29, 2013

LEGO Art by Reggie Ballesteros

 Reggie Ballesteros23


I find myself not wanting to write again and I am looking at photographers and their art for inspiration. I came across this guy and his LEGO art and I love it. Its comical, fun and reminds me of being a kid. The photographer is Reggie Ballesteros, he doesn't have a website yet but his work is on this cool photo blog, P/B. Check it out.

http://www.photographyblogger.net/kid-at-heart-23-lego-portraits-from-reggie-ballesteros/



Reggie Ballesteros16

Wednesday, August 28, 2013

A very serious Equipment Collection


Mumbai-based photojournalist Dilish Parekh, the Guinness Book World Record holder for the largest camera collection,  smashed his own record earlier this month when he revealed that he now owns 4,425 cameras.

If that sounds like a lot that’s because it is, but these aren’t just your standard Sony CyberShots or Nikon DSLRs, Parekh collects mostly antiques. By comparison, the 1,000+ camera collection that was auctioned off on eBay in February seems a bit meager now.

The whole obsession started when his father gave him his collection of 600 cameras, a collection Parekh has been adding to ever since. His previous record sat at 2,634, meaning that he’s acquired almost 2,000 new cameras since they last counted.

Truth be told, his collection has been this large for some time now, but Parekh admits he was waiting for World Photography Day on August 19th to reveal it. “Cameras are my life,” Parekh told dna. “I can’t stay without them."



One of the jewels of his collection is the camera pictured above, a Leica 250 Reporter made in 1934. The camera is one of only 1,000 ever made, and can hold bulk film rolls that are almost 33 feet long — that’s 250 exposures per roll, hence the name.

Another impressive find among Parekh’s massive collection is his Bessa II, a camera made by German manufacturer Voigtlander back in 1962 that was such a status symbol in Japan, even Japanese royalty owned them.

So next time you think you’ve got problems with GAS, take heart. If you only own a few cameras, you would have to buy one new (or antique) camera per day for over 12 years to catch up to Parekh.


Monday, August 26, 2013



Surreal Illusionism Photographic Fantasies of the Early 20th Century





The Surreal Illusionism features nearly 500 photographic postcards that offer a surprising wealth of pictorial ideas, high artistic quality and photographic allure. Surreal fantasies, mysterious dreams, role-play, glamorous divas and irony are running wild in the postcards. All these will transport viewers into the fascinating, forgotten golden era of industrial photography in the early 20th century and the early history of modern photographic art.
The late 1890s saw the emergence of a number of factories in Europe that were involved in the creation of a new art form. Photographs were not printed on the cards, like today, but, instead, real photographs were produced by using mechanised exposures and development processes. The production of photographic postcards, also known as "real photo postcards", became a sizable industry, and the end products were distributed as far away as South America and Australia. The phenomenon only lasted for two decades but resulted in millions of photographs. Today, these cards are coveted collector's items.
From today's perspective, photographic postcards are fascinating particularly because of the photomontage techniques used. The combination of images and drawings, and multiple exposure were some of the methods used in industrial photography a hundred years before "photoshopping". Because industrial colour photography was yet to be invented, the cards were coloured by hand. It is the craft that makes these mass-produced images unique. The synthetic world of colours further increases the mystery of the images.



The golden age of photographic postcards drew on the urban popular culture that began to emerge in the early 20th century. The rise of the cinema, the modern culture of sun-bathing, eroticism, circus and variety shows inspired the imagery of the cards. Technical innovations, such as the aeroplane, stimulated the imagination.
The heyday of postcards began to wane after the First World War. The various innovations, however, lingered on. Artistic ideas such as synthetic cubism and collage are based on expressive techniques that were used in the postcards as early as the beginning of the 20th century.
In the 1920s and 1930s, a group of avant-garde artists and poets began to draw inspiration from dreams, fantasy and the depths of the unconscious. An art movement known as surrealism emerged. The photographic postcards presented at the exhibition were "surrealist" before the word was even invented!
The exhibition also includes an installation Which and Ever created specifically by Jouko Korkeasaari for this show.
The curator of the exhibition is art researcher, docent Harri Kalha. Kalha's book Ihme ja kumma: surrealismia ja silmänlumetta 1900-luvun alun postikorttitaiteessa (WSOY 2012) serves as a good companion to the exhibition. Books (in Finnish) are given to journalists during the press conference.


My Photos




Christopher Capoziello Photography

"I think the image of Nick with the cigarette hanging from his lips is my favorite."














I came across this photographer when I needed a break from writing and I found it an intriguing series. This photographer photographs his brother who has Cerebral Palsy and the images are stunning. The intimacy of the photography is captured well and I like that It is in black and white then color.

http://chriscappy.com/feature_tdbu_images.php



"I first began making pictures of my brother at a time when I was trying to understand the kind of photographer I was becoming."

Wednesday, August 21, 2013

My favorite photographer


These photos are down by my favorite photographer, Nelleke Pieters. Her photos are quite unique, as they all have a colorful fantasy-ike-vibe. Her color alteration gives her a more personal "style", which is quite a feat for photography. 

http://monica187.blogspot.com/2013/08/187-images.html

Tim




People and Gray

 I like this photo because it shows everyone's true and fake persona.  The photo projects trying times for many youth growing up in a city.
 
I like photos in black and white photos, and like to take quick snapshots to use for future artwork.

Black&White



 
Wildness is a necessity.

3 photos and an extra cherry on top...

 
I love capturing macro shots.  I came across these Stellar's Jay feathers while on a backpacking trip in Lassen Volcanic Park.  It had snowed the night before, and the snow melted the morning we hiked out.  Perfect timing.

 
 This photo was taken by my volcanologist/geochronologist boyfriend.  These gentlemen are volcanologists who have been working in American Southwest for quite a long time.  This picture shows old friends shooting the shit during a lunch break while mapping in the Sangre de Cristos.  I hope I'm still interested in geology when I am their age.


I took this photo one day while studying in my room.  I thought my dogs were looking cute, so I pulled out my camera.  Simul-yawn!  Although instead of yawning, I imagine them singing Van Halen or something like that.....


 
This is just an extra.  Being a geologist, I love landscapes...how they form, evolve and the bedrock geology of course!  This is a photo that my boyfriend took while we were hiking the Routeburn Trek on the South Island, NZ.
I selected two photos taken by others, and one by myself.

 I like animals a lot, so I like photography of animals a lot.  I like the hesitant curiosity displayed by the fox.  The framing provided by the branches and such is also pretty cool.  The photo also has a very Fall feeling to it.
Credit: Travis Dewitz
 This one combines two of my interests, photography and rock climbing.  The light patterns provide an interesting look at climbing movement.  Stuff that deals with light, and longer exposures and things have always been kind of interesting to me as well.
Credit: Matt Holland
http://www.matthollandphotography.com/
This last one is one that I took in June.  I went out on a Scorpion hike with some friends.  I liked the way this one came out, with the scorpion glowing faintly from the UV flashlights, and the city lights in the background.

Both of these photographs belong to Maisie Cousins, an English artist from Brighton. Her work varies from still life and portraits. These two photographs contain the sparkly and fun colors I enjoy so much from her work.
The first photograph is very colorful, and all the colors collide well. The choice of fruits for this work is also quite admirable. The second is a portrait with a girl surrounded by plastic glitter. The editing in this image keeps the girl as the main focus, even when she is being submerged by the plastic glitter. It's very playfully appealing.

Tuesday, August 20, 2013

3 Photos and Me

The three photos I chose for posting to the blog were taken by me while I was an undergraduate at the University of Arizona. Photography has always been an elective class or hobby and I never gave it justice as a skill that I would love to develop even more. 

This photo was taken with a Pentax 645 medium format camera of a trip I had taken for an archaeological project in Montana.
This image is an emulsion lift I took of my grandmother's home. I love the color of the blue against the red earth. The clouds also give this photo depth and a dramatic feeling.
This last image is my attempt to progress into digital photography. This photo is of Fajada Butte in Chaco Canyon. The juxtaposition of the small moon against the red butte is an intriguing reversal of mass.






I took these three photos. 



I have a habit of taking pictures that are up close on the subject, and sometimes, a hazy background. I like to do this because it catches the eye of the viewer and has them take notice of the colors.
Andreas Gursky 99 Cent

Jeff Wall After "Invisible Man" by Ralph Ellison, The Preface

For my three photos, I chose one picture I took myself and two by professionals that are really striking.
This image is my own. At the end of my exchange year, all of the exchange students attended this candle lighting ceremony where we reflected on our experiences and talked about the challenges that we'd overcome. This is my candle.
This image is a national geographic image of a sunrise. I like it because it shows the beginning of a new year, a new phase of life.
This is image by my favorite photographer who, as one of his projects "Pencil vs Camera," combines photos of things as they are with sketches of how things could be. In some sketches, he goes for more whimsical designs, while in others he presents deep messages.

The Work of A Few Influential Teachers I Have Had

 Peter Shellenberger. autoradiograph “rollerskating-girl" : 45 days exposure to domestic radiation : uranium

Caleb Charland. Light Sphere with My Right Arm and Cigarette Lighter, 2009

 David Welch. Shopping Totem, 2010

http://pshellenberger.tumblr.com/
http://calebcharland.com/
http://leftfork.net/