What I loved and learnt in 2011 »
What a year!
By no means has it been an easy year, or a year where I’ve got everything I want.
This year has been more about making things happen in the face of not being able to get quite what I want, and learning slowly about what my goals actually are.
Above: my favourites of my [...]
Review of Lara Jade VS Joey L, Photographer Shoot Off »
I was asked by Lara Jade if I would review her new DVD. Though I have never ‘reviewed’ anything on my blog before, neither have I ever really had something given to me that I want to review. So, thanks Lara. And here goes my impartial take. I hope Lara knows what she got herself [...]
Why the John Lewis Christmas advert is so much better than the Littlewoods one »
Yesterday on twitter I felt the urge to tweet my reaction to seeing the latest Littlewoods TV advert. Kids on stage, instead of performing the Nativity play, sing a popstrel ode to capitalism, naming an array of branded gadgets, the audience full of proud smiling parents. The voiceover talks of interest free credit, [...]
Feedback on my Phase One ‘challenge’ »
Above: Burnt up, with model Sam Jey.
So, a few weeks ago I posted a long-winded blog entry about how I was embarking on an ‘intense period of creativity’ with a Phase One 645DF and P40+ back, along with lenses and a whole wad of ideas. Nearly at the end of this period with the medium-format [...]
Can’t afford an arts degree? You probably won’t miss much »
An honest look at the usefulness of arts and humanities degrees for a creative career as an artist/photographer. …I am occasionally sent emails from students or young people seeking a career in photography, who ask my advice [...]
Retreaded »
(View on flickr)
I find myself again citing Guy Bourdin as an inspiration for my recent work. It’s funny to recall how much of a longstanding inspiration his work has been for me, as I can recall referencing his work back in ‘06 for pics of mine such as The deaths. I feel that now I [...]
A new body of work »
Above: Free range.
For over a year now, I have wanted to incorporate environmental issues/topics into my work. I did not know how to do so without feeling like I was forcing some unwanted didactic quality into my images, not wanting my work to turn into some kind of advertising campaign. [...]
Looking at 2010 and evaluating contrived images vs. the ‘haphazard shot’ »
A look over the work I did in 2010 and how some of it has veered toward what I call the ‘haphazard shot’, inspired by various photographers described in this post. I look at the milestones from the past 12 months including being part of the Art of Photography Show and starting my own workshops…
Collaborating with Brooke Shaden »
Staying with, and collaborating with Brooke Shaden in LA has been a wonderful and enlightening experience. Our primary intention was to host two collaborative workshops which I wrote about in my last blog entry. The rest of the time, apart from preparing for, shopping for, and recovering from our workshops, was spent shooting together.
Hallowe’en in [...]
The Art of Photography… and of procrastination-free speech preparation »
At this very moment I am trying to plan my presentation that I am giving for the Art of Photography Show in San Diego next Thursday night, in which I have an image of mine exhibited. Steven Churchill, who I met in 2009 at the Palm Springs Photo Festival, kindly offered the idea of doing [...]