12.27.2009: Dorothea Lange: A Life Without Limits

I bought this book after hearing an interview on NPR. It was a show stopper! I haven't been about to put it down. I am so inspired by Dorothea, a woman who faced so many setbacks. And yet she moved forward as a photographer, a woman, a wife, a mother. She was not successful at everything she did and yet her passions drover her on until the end of her life.

As a photographer, her work gave dignity and clarity to her subject. Instead of creating syntamental photographs and dragging people emotionally into a story. She seduced them with complex imagery of people you wanted to learn more about.

This a photographers must read! Buy it and be inspired!!



http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0393057305/ref=cm_cr_rev_prod_title

Inspiration 11.2.2009 Joey Lawrence

My newest photographic crush is Joey Lawrence. His work is amazing and he makes no beans about the fact that he isn't out capturing the latest in photojournalism. He is shooting portraits photos that are lit and set up. In some ways looking at his work made me feel such relieve as I am a commercial photographer thrown into the land of photojournalism, the truth is that I love the light and control. He showed me you don't have to compromise that in order to document the beauty of a person or a place. I like the idea of keeping your perspective even in a place completely foreign to you.

Looking at his posed portraits made me think about my visit to Tim's studio in Taos. Tim's Studio is next door to the home and former studio of the artist E.I. Couse, members of his family still spent the summer in this house and they gave me the complete tour, as well as showing me the photographs he used to take of his posed subjects (mainly Native American), he later transfered these poses to paintings. It was truly an amazing look at using a posed subject to represent a particular period. In my mind there are some stunning similarities between these two artists.

Here is my favorite shot from the blog:

Check out Joey Lawrences Guest Blog on Scott Kelby's site:

http://www.scottkelby.com/blog/2009/archives/3221

Take a Peak at the Couse Home:
http://www.collectorsguide.com/ts/tsfa13.shtml

10.8.2009: The Ever Inspirational Irving Penn

Irving Penn passed away at the age of 92 this week. His work is among the greatest of the fashion photography world. And I felt the need to take a few moments to remember his talent.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/08/arts/design/08penn.html?_r=1&ref=arts

I have pulled together a collection of some of my favorite works. I most admire his ability to constantly come up with new ideas and yet remain consistent in his vision. In all of his imagery one can see the graphic vision and balanced composition, but more startling would be the connection between the photographer and his subjects, something you can't quite put your finger on except to see his subject allow him into their lives and so he opens them up for us to see.

 

 

 

 

Inspiration 10.6.2009: Drew Gardner

Today while doing my normal Photoshop Insider blog reading, I came across the british photographer Drew Gardner. He will be the guest blogger on tomorrows Photoshop Insider, but today they posted his website.

To see his post for tomorrow go here: http://www.scottkelby.com/

To be inspired, see his website: http://www.drew.it/

What I admire most about Drew's work is the obvious creativity. The man is an artist, and a story teller. What adds to this is his obvious mastery of light, even on tough location lighting scenarios.

I saw the he offers a dvd on on location light, and is doing a workshop in California this October.

See his blog for more info:

http://www.thedarkart.com/

For the Love of Light Blog!

I am starting this blog for no other reason then that occasionally we all need to be inspired. And as photographer there are times in our lives where the inspiration lulls and we are left looking for something more. For me inspiration can come from other photographers, great photoshop techniques, history, art or simply life as it happens around me. I would like to start documenting those moments of inspiration so I always have something to come back to in the slow seasons.