ProVision: The Art of Photography

How to Shoot Video that Doesn't Suck

2011-05-29T06:28:00.000-07:00

Video is everywhere. Over 90 percent of American homes have some form of video camera, we upload 24 hours of video to the Web every minute, and we watch videos two billion times a day on YouTube. Problem is, most of it is bad — but here’s how to make it not only better, but also great.

How to Shoot Video That Doesn't Suck is all about the language of video. It’s about how to think like a director, regardless of equipment (amateurs think about the camera, pros think about communication). It’s about the rules developed over a century of movie-making — which work just as well when shooting a two-year-old’s birthday party. Written by Steve Stockman, the director of Two Weeks (2007), plus TV shows, music videos, and hundreds of commercials, How to Shoot Video That Doesn't Suck explains in 74 short, pithy, insightful chapters how to tell a story and entertain your audience.

Here’s how to think in shots — how to move-point-shoot-stop-repeat, instead of planting yourself in one spot and pressing “Record” for five minutes. Why never to shoot until you see the whites of your subject’s eyes. Why to “zoom” with your feet and not the lens. How to create intrigue on camera. The book covers the basics of framing, lighting, sound (use an external mic), editing, special effects (turn them off), and gives specific advice on how to shoot a variety of specific situations: sporting events, parties and family gatherings, graduations and performances. Plus, how to make instructional and promotional videos, how to make a music video, how to capture stunts, and much more. At the end of every chapter is a suggestion of how to immediately put what you learned into practice, so the next time you’re shooting you’ll have begun to master the skill. Accompanying the book is a website with video clips to illustrate different rules, techniques, and situations.

Herb Ritts: The Golden Hour

2010-09-04T12:52:00.000-07:00

At the time of his death in 2002, Herb Ritts was among the most celebrated photographers in celebrity portraiture, fashion, and music videos. During a career that spanned nearly thirty years, he was virtually in a league of his own in terms of style and productivity. Ritts was Hollywood royalty, as were his closest friends and the subjects he photographed. The Golden Hour reveals for the first time the personal aspects of Ritts’s world, work, and legacy. The book includes many never-before-seen photographs and scores of interviews from business associates, curators, staff, lovers, and family, such as Cindy Crawford, Elton John, Anna Wintour, Madonna, Calvin Klein, and Christopher Buckley (Ritts’s college roommate). The book includes images from Ritts’s personal archive — behind the scenes at photo shoots, parties, travels, intimate portraits, and moments with friends — along with notes and contact sheets that show how ideas became his best-known iconic images.

Link: Herb Ritts: The Golden Hour at Amazon.com
Link: Herb Ritts: The Golden Hour at Amazon.co.uk

Chasing Beauty: Richard Phibbs

2010-08-27T06:19:00.000-07:00

“I’m in constant search of chasing beauty, chasing hope — I’m not interested in the dark.”

The celebrated photographer Richard Phibbs, known for his celebrity portraits and iconic ad campaigns for Giorgio Armani, Ralph Lauren, and more, has an unwavering eye for beauty. Many theorists argue that beauty is subjective, a product of individual preference, but the images from Phibbs’ archive of work from 1997–2009, edited, sequenced, and collected in Chasing Beauty, may put that argument to rest.

The book is a deeply personal labor of love, affirming Phibbs’ belief that photographs can change, inspire, and motivate. Alfredo Paredes, one of the creative minds behind Polo Ralph Lauren, approached Phibbs with the idea of making a monograph — with one caveat: Phibbs was to step back and relinquish control. Paredes had a vision in mind of taking Phibbs’ aesthetic and selecting images that would realize his unique eye for beauty. The result is a fascinating juxtaposition of visuals that excite, tantalize, shock, and surprise. A delicate and gorgeous rose is juxtaposed with the rawness of a dirty rugby player; a pair of horses is set beside a female nude. These combinations highlight undeniable beauty of both natural and human origin, and show us that if you only look beauty can be found anywhere.

“Sometimes things cannot be expressed in words — that’s what is so expressive, emotional, or revealing about a photograph. Just look and enjoy it. It reveals that exact fleeting moment in time — that’s all. When I lose my breath a bit, I know that’s the picture.”

Link: Chasing Beauty by Richard Phibbs at Amazon.com
Link: Chasing Beauty by Richard Phibbs at Amazon.co.uk

Robert Voltaire: Rio de Janeiro

2010-08-05T13:08:00.000-07:00

Robert Voltaire is a fashion, beauty, glamour and fine art photographer based in Hollywood California. His work has appeared in Vogue, GQ, Esquire and many other publications.

Louis McMiller by Bertil Nilsson

2010-08-01T07:58:00.000-07:00

Louis McMiller recently graduated from The Royal Ballet School in London's Covent Garden and is about to start his career as a professional dancer with Wayne McGregor | Random Dance. Bertil Nilsson is a London-based photographer specialising in circus, dance and people photography.

David LaChapelle's American Jesus

2010-07-24T09:18:00.000-07:00

‘He was a modern-day martyr, a messenger — and he was innocent!” So says David LaChapelle of Michael Jackson, the man who got away from the celebrity photographer’s lens.

And while LaChapelle shot to fame on his startling, sometimes surreal fashion ads and portraits of icons David Bowie, David Beckham, Elton John, Britney Spears, Lady Gaga and a gaggle of others, he never did get the Gloved One. Now, however, LaChapelle’s made Jackson the focal point of his new show, “American Jesus” — five oversize digital photos, three of them featuring a dead ringer for MJ.

The photo that bears the name of the show sums up the over-the-top tone: In it, a bearded man in tattered clothes holds the singer’s limp body as one sequined glove glitters amid the moss.

Also making its New York debut is The Rape Of Africa, a monumental artwork inspired by Sandro Botticelli's Venus & Mars of 1484.

Lifeguard on Duty by Matt Albiani

2010-05-23T12:15:00.000-07:00

“To most of us beach bums, lifeguards look like vaunted kings in their wooden castles, lording over both our safety in the waves and our red-shorted nap-time fantasies. But to photographer Matt Albiani, they’re art.”
—The Out Traveler

Matt Albiani built his reputation shooting celebrity portraits and fashion spreads for the likes of Elle and Vanity Fair. For his first book, however, he trained his lens on a different class of beautiful people, one more rugged, less glamorous, and yet unassailably iconic: the American lifeguard. A lifeguard himself in college, Albiani returned to the beaches of the US to wax visual poetic on the golden summer days of his youth. Lifeguard on Duty collects the results of his years of travel across the country, from Oahu, Hawaii to Nantucket, Massachusetts, capturing these brave men in all their strength and solitude. With expressive framing and subtle composition, Albiani creates a unique and elegant portrait of the life of a guard.

Link: Lifeguard on Duty by Matt Albiani at Amazon.com
Link: Lifeguard on Duty by Matt Albiani at Amazon.co.uk

Virgin Queens and High Camp Divas

2010-05-23T11:48:00.000-07:00

666 Photography is a Texas based company that specializes in retro/vintage photography. Their props are handmade, their backdrops are handpainted, and if they can't find the perfect costume, they make it! The awe-inspiring staged playful pop creations collected here feature such fantasy elements as modern women recast as High-Baroque Madonnas; amazing 1940s hair styles, dried-flower corsets, pin-up girls riding carousels, circus glamour, and ironic recreations of Weimar Germany cabaret and decadent 1920s Berlin. The visual invention is stunning. Often inspired by icons of female beauty and power ranging from mermaids to Mucha, these unique photographic visions have attracted such fans as Courtney Love. Collected here, they become a riot of astounding creativity and color.

Link: 666 Photography: Virgin Queens and High Camp Divas at Amazon.com
Link: 666 Photography: Virgin Queens and High Camp Divas at Amazon.co.uk

Colin Jackson by Herb Ritts

2010-05-16T09:49:00.000-07:00

Ritts was said to be taken by the British hurdler’s “amazing face”. So, he asked Jackson to strip. The sleek and chic stills, posed for a 1997 advert for Tag Heuer watches, even got fellow athlete Roger Black gushing. “Colin looks very slender, but — without getting too personal — his buttocks are significantly developed,” he panted.

“That’s where the power comes from. Colin is pretty much the perfect specimen.”

Herb Ritts

2010-04-17T06:47:00.001-07:00

This newly published Stern Fotografie portfolio showcases the legendary Herb Ritts, probably the greatest master of celebrity and beauty photography. Until his death in 2002, the Californian genius created and developed an iconic brand of glamour across the worlds of both editorial and advertising. His trademark groundbreaking approach is still the standard to which others aspire. Indeed, it is his images of world stars and models that best captured style at the end of the 20th century. With an understanding for the architectural quality of true beauty, Ritts conveys its structure, its texture — and its explosive impact. This volume features the best — some unpublished — portraits of those whom Herb Ritts immortalized.

Link: Herb Ritts: Stern Fotografie at Amazon.com
Link: Herb Ritts: Stern Fotografie at Amazon.co.uk

The photography of Rubendarío

2010-04-05T09:23:00.000-07:00

Venezuelan-born Rubendarío was still a teenager when he left his hometown Valencia and moved to Caracas, where he studied fine arts. Next stop on his quest for beauty was Europe, where he began work as a photographer.

Rubendario is certainly not the first to explore the endless depths of male art photography, but he does it in a way that is utterly breathtaking. The title of his first book — Mucho Macho — points in the direction the author will lead readers: perfectly muscled bodies, masculine and self-confident.

Link: Mucho Macho by Rubendario at Amazon.com
Link: Mucho Macho by Rubendario at Amazon.co.uk

Don't Call Me Urban! The Time of Grime

2010-02-25T00:01:00.000-08:00

Don't Call Me Urban! is the definitive contemporary documentary record exploring one of the biggest social issues in the UK — drug use, the wayward behaviour of deprived black (and white) youth — it is the only book to give an unbiased account of a significant and vibrant genre of music in the UK and abroad. The pictures in Simon Wheatley's book are unique and, unlike similar books, feature ordinary people as well as the people that have emerged to bring the ethos of grime to the attention of a wider audience.

The book analyses the culture of 'grime' that has burst out of London's decaying council estates over the past decade. Although ostensibly a genre of 'urban' music, acknowledged as the UK's answer to hip hop, the author sees 'grime' as an era when youths living in these deprived areas began to behave in an increasingly wild manner. These youths live a fantasy largely based on an 'urban' culture imported from the USA, where Simon believes rap music has degenerated from an originally 'conscious' base to one in which the 'gangsta' strain that emerged in the late 1980s/early 1990s is now dominant. Don't Call Me Urban! seeks to cut through the perceived glamour of 'urban' culture and document through photographs and stories what is the social reality of being black (and white) on a London council estate, where 'urban' music — specifically the culture of emceeing and rapping — has become a standard means to communicate and express feeling.

The mindless postcode warfare that now plagues London, and is the cause of many of the sudden wave of teenage killings, can be seen to have roots in the confrontation of east and west coast in US hip hop.

Simon Wheatley gained the trust of the key figures in the grime culture who allowed him to capture the harsh elements of the street with its raw violence and drug taking as well as the more intimate and tender moments of their lives. The portraits and commentary from the likes of Dizee Rascal, Wiley, Jammer, Skepta, Fumin', P Money, Flirta D and Kano make Don't Call Me Urban a contemporary and definitive account of a culture which remains a frightening mystery to many. The title takes its inspiration from the objection to the word 'urban' that many black youths feel. Simon Wheatley is an independent documentary photographer who spent over 7 years in the underground 'urban' music scene in London. His work with this sub-culture led to an invitation to join Magnum in 2005, which has brought these photos to international attention.

Link: Don't Call Me Urban! by Simon Wheatley at Amazon.com
Link: Don't Call Me Urban! by Simon Wheatley at Amazon.co.uk

True Hip Hop: Mike Schreiber Photography

2010-02-18T06:55:00.000-08:00

New York-based photographer Mike Schreiber made his name taking photos mostly of hip hop artists and athletes but has also worked on personal projects including series featuring prisoners, the people of Cuba, children at special schools in Brazil and circus folk.

Link: True Hip Hop by Mike Schreiber at Amazon.com
Link: True Hip Hop by Mike Schreiber at Amazon.co.uk

How to be a stock photographer

2010-02-18T05:41:00.000-08:00

From large advertising campaigns, to websites, editorials, brochures and blogs, the world needs images for everything. An explanation is always better with an image, but it isn't always necessary, or possible, to commission a unique image. Fortunately, there is an entire branch of photography built around creating ready-to-use images that can work for any conceivable use: stock.

Stock photographs and illustrations showcase specific objects, themes, or concepts and can be used broadly by different people working on a wide variety of projects. In the case of royalty-free stock, the images are licensed over and over again, with the creator earning a royalty commission for every sale. Stock has always been a reliable source of income for artists.

Improved camera technology and more affordable equipment prices make it possible for more people than ever before to produce quality stock images. And online stock agencies let people anywhere in the world bring their artwork to a massive audience.

The best stock images have a strong visual message. Obvious but not clichéd — they help people understand a concept immediately. They also need to meet a high technical standard so that they can be used by designers for a wide variety of uses. These images are going to be edited, photoshopped, displayed on the web, printed in magazines and even spliced into video clips over their lifetime.

Success in stock boils down to identifying concepts and finding new ways to illustrate them. An innovative take on a frequently used theme will be licensed over and over again, providing steady income for the creator.

The internet allows stock agencies to act not just as libraries, but as communities, where artists and designers can meet online, share their work and learn from each other. Newcomers can receive advice from other artists on what works, what sells, and how to progress as an artist. While designers and image buyers can interact directly with artists looking for specific concepts and niche shots.

Link: iStockphoto's photographer training manual

JLS by Dean Freeman

2010-01-18T11:07:00.001-08:00

FACES: Photography and the Art of Portraiture

2010-01-07T10:30:00.000-08:00

"The face is a picture of the mind as the eyes are its interpreter." — Cicero 106-43 BCE

To capture a person's personality, there are many things to keep in mind, and the authors of this new book show us how to match up a personality with lighting, posing, and composition. Portraiture is truly an art, and this book dives deep into the details so that you end up with a gorgeous portrait that both you and your subject love.

Not only is this book the most comprehensive title available on portraiture, but it contains stunning images. Each image is paired with a lighting diagram, a description of why the type of image was chosen, and then takes you through post-production to put the finishing touches on.

The authors also showcase a gallery of portraits by renowned photographers:

breathtaking gallery of celebrity portraits including Leonardo DiCaprio, Helen Mirren, and more;

wide breadth of portraits — from street shots to studio shots, with a lighting diagram to accompany most of these;

the most unbelievably gorgeous book for one of the most sought after photographic genres — people and portraits.

Link: FACES: Photography and the Art of Portraiture at Amazon.com
Link: FACES: Photography and the Art of Portraiture at Amazon.co.uk

Tarrice Love Photography

2009-12-22T02:41:00.000-08:00

Firebird Photography

2009-12-09T10:58:00.000-08:00

How to Use Shadows to Enhance Your Composition

2009-12-09T10:36:00.000-08:00

Harold Davis, the author of Creative Close-Ups, Creative Night, and Creative Composition, explains how to use shadow to best effect.

If you think about shadows in your photos, you may be thinking about how to get rid of them. Shadows can make faces ugly, distort landscapes, and just generally get in the way. If you are a professional photographer shooting a product, most of the time you want to figure out how to show the product without any distorting shadows.

On the other hand, if you are interested in making photos that are expressive and visually exciting, one of the most useful techniques is to enhance your composition by focusing on the shadows. A shadow can be more interesting graphically than the object that casts the shadow.

Learning to see interesting shadows and use them photographically will help make your images richer. Here are some examples that will show you how to use shadows in your work.

This photo shows an old-fashioned egg yolk separator. Yes, there really is such a gadget!

The lighting was a single Tungsten spot, positioned above to the left of the egg yolk separator. The image you see was made from three exposures combined in Photoshop. I shot the exposures at 2 seconds, 4 seconds, and 8 seconds. The lens was an 85mm perspective-correcting macro, stopped down to f/51 (this includes an adjustment for the magnification factor). I shot at ISO 100 and used a tripod.

In Photoshop, after I combined the exposures, I used multiple black and white adjustment layers to convert the photo, handling different areas separately in the conversion. I used a black and white adjustment layer to sepia tone, setting the opacity at 25% to tint the image.

Next, I used a LAB color luminance curve adjustment to increase contrast. I wanted those shadows to really show!

It’s amazing what you can find to photograph around the house if you look for it!

Like the egg yolk separator, I photographed these seeds on a white piece of paper. The idea was to use the lighting to create a whole new shadow effect

The result, I think, is really quite an elegant composition. To me, it looks like seeds and their parachutes are dancing in some strange ballet.

Here’s the exposure data: 85mm macro, 1 second at f/51 and ISO 100, tripod mounted.

In Creative Composition, I explain that when I pre-visualized this mother and child image, I saw it within a circle of dim light. I knew that I had to frame the photo to emphasize the dynamics of the circular movement of the arms holding the baby.

Since I was standing close to these sleeping angels, the requirement was for a moderate focal-length lens. I used a high ISO setting to deal with the extreme low-light conditions.

Shadows surround the mother and child and also form the negative space that separates the two figures. In this composition, the dark shadow area plays as important a roll as the lit figures—and serves to balance them, graphically speaking.

Exposure data: 32mm, 1/8 of a second at f/4 and ISO 2000, hand held.

Also explained in Creative Composition, the line of light around the fine “hairs” on the flower pod of this poppy bud make an interesting shape. I think of it as a Poppy snake. To show only the “snake,” I used a creative exposure that intentionally underexposed the overall photo.

The underexposure meant that the side of the poppy turned toward me went into dark shadow, almost as dark as the black background. The contrast between dark shadow areas and the bright line of hairs is what makes this a striking photo.

Exposure data: 200mm macro, 1/400 of a second at f/11 and ISO 100, tripod mounted

In Creative Night, I explain that this image was created using light painting to bring out the shadows of the posts against the stairs in foggy conditions. My assistant used a strong light pointed at the posts to create the “checkerboard” pattern of light and dark on the steps.

Exposure data: 22mm, 30 seconds at f/9 and ISO 200, tripod mounted.

You don’t need a strong light source to cast interesting shadows. In Creative Night, I note that from a parking lot, I looked at this row of trees through a dense fog. The trees were backlit with emphatic orange light from street lamps, but I pre-visualized the image ignoring the color, because I thought it was irrelevant to the composition.

The shadows cast by the tree trunks help to make this composition compelling.

Exposure data: 56mm, 52 seconds at f/4.8 and ISO 100, tripod mounted

If you are trying to create bland product shots, then ignore — or even get rid of — every shadow you can find. But if you are interested in creating expressive images that tell a dramatic story, then work to find striking shadows to enhance your compositions.

In this article, I’ve shown you examples of working with shadows in a number of different situations, ranging from controlled shadows in a studio environment, to shadows in close-up garden photography and shadows at night.

Visual Poetry: A creative guide to making engaging digital photographs

2009-12-05T04:45:00.000-08:00

A great photograph has the potential to transcend verbal and written language. But how do you create these photographs? It's not the how that's important, but the who and the what. Who you are as a person has a direct impact on what you capture as a photographer.

Whether you are an amateur or professional, Visual Poetry provides inspiration, simple techniques, and assignments to boost your creative process and improve your digital images using natural light and no additional gear.

Chris Orwig's insights — to reduce and simplify, participate rather than critique, and capture a story — have made him an immensely popular workshop speaker and faculty member at the prestigious Brooks Institute. His engaging stories presented as lessons follow his classroom approach and highlight what students say is his contagious passion for life.

If you're interested in becoming a more creative individual and making more compelling photographs — this book was written for you!

Link: Visual Poetry at Amazon.com
Link: Visual Poetry at Amazon.co.uk

UK Police U-turn on photographers

2009-12-05T04:11:00.000-08:00

Police forces across the UK have been warned to stop using anti-terror laws to question and search innocent photographers after The Independent newspaper forced senior officers to admit that the controversial legislation is being widely misused.

The strongly worded warning was circulated by the Association of Chief Police Officers (Acpo) last night. In an email sent to the chief constables of England and Wales's 43 police forces, officers were advised that Section 44 powers should not be used unnecessarily against photographers. The message says: "Officers and community support officers are reminded that we should not be stopping and searching people for taking photos. Unnecessarily restricting photography, whether from the casual tourist or professional, is unacceptable."

Chief Constable Andy Trotter, chairman of Acpo's media advisory group, took the decision to send the warning after growing criticism of the police's treatment of photographers.

Writing in today's Independent, he says: "Everyone... has a right to take photographs and film in public places. Taking photographs... is not normally cause for suspicion and there are no powers prohibiting the taking of photographs, film or digital images in a public place."

Link: I'm a Photographer not a Terrorist

Super Mario Does Marvelous Rio

2009-12-03T09:56:00.000-08:00

Inspired by the boys and girls from Copacabana Mario Testino is one of the world's most successful fashion and portrait photographers, whose images are noted for their freshness and intimacy. Peruvian by birth, Testino has been fascinated by Rio de Janeiro since his earliest summer vacations.

"When I was 14, on holiday, and going from my house to the beach and seeing everyone walk everywhere in their tiny bathing suits — the girls and boys were so sexy and carefree and wild — I just could not believe it."

This easy sensuality, sexual freedom and lust for life left a deep impression; Testino has been going back ever since, for work and fun, passion and inspiration. Featuring candid shots of exquisite cariocas baring nubile flesh, including supermodel Gisele Bündchen, MaRIO DE JANEIRO Testino captures the essence of this incomparably seductive city and its sultry citizens. From its breathtaking sunset panoramas, to the throbbing chaos of its world-famous carnival, this is Testino's love poem to the Brazilian metropolis that captured his teenage heart, and never let go.

Link: Rio de Janeiro at Amazon.com
Link: Rio de Janeiro at Amazon.co.uk

Madonna: Sticky & Sweet

2009-12-03T09:36:00.000-08:00

Guy Oseary returns with Sticky & Sweet, a look at Madonna’s celebrated tour which broke all previous records and became the highest grossing tour of any solo artist ever.

In over 500 full-color photographs taken on, and backstage, during the course of this historic 58-show tour, Oseary documents the four acts of the rock-driven, pop journey that was the Sticky & Sweet show.

Link: Madonna: Sticky & Sweet at Amazon.com
Link: Madonna: Sticky & Sweet at Amazon.co.uk

Taking photos in the UK? Know your rights!

2009-12-03T05:30:00.000-08:00

There has been a lot of concern amongst photographers in the UK about the misuse of police anti-terrorist powers. Last month we highlighted the case of a BBC photographer stopped by police while taking a picture of St Paul's cathedral.

The issue was highlighted in a front page story in today's Independent newspaper. The paper went on to give a list of UK photographer's rights:

If police stop and search you, the first thing you should ask is on what grounds they are conducting the search and under what powers.
Police are able to conduct searches under a number of different pieces of legislation but they usually use either the Public Order Act, the Criminal Justice Act or under Section 44 of the Terrorism Act 2000.
Unless you are stopped while driving a car, you do NOT have to give your name or address.
Police officers are obliged to ask for your given ethnicity. Once again, it is up to you whether you choose to answer or not.
If police use Section 44 of the Terrorism Act they are entitled to view any images you have taken but they are NOT allowed to delete them. They can only do so with a court order.
Under Section 58a of the Terrorism Act, police are only allowed to stop a photographer taking pictures of officers if they reasonably suspect the photos are intended to be used in connection with terrorism.
Whether you are stopped and searched, or merely stopped and accounted for, the police officer should hand you a record of your stop.

Link: I'm a Photographer not a Terrorist Stop and Search Bust Card

Calvin Hollywood Photography

2009-11-30T09:45:00.000-08:00

Paulo Pascoal by Zoran Trifunovic

2009-11-28T07:13:00.001-08:00

Taking photos in London? You must be a terrorist!

2009-11-28T07:03:00.000-08:00

A BBC photographer was stopped by police on suspicion of being a terrorist as he took pictures outside London's Tate Modern art gallery.

Jeff Overs was photographing the sunset over St Paul's Cathedral (above) when a policewoman told him she was "stopping people who were taking photographs as a counter-terrorism measure" and demanded his name, address and date of birth.

The photographer said it so enraged him he sent the policewoman away with a "flea in her ear" but not before he had been issued with an anti-terrorism stop and search form.

"I was outraged at such an infringement of my liberty," he said. "I pointed out that nearly every other person walking along the South Bank was taking pictures of the view using their mobile phones and we had drawn her attention because we were using cameras."

"They said you could be doing a recce for a terrorist attack. which would have been a joke if it was not so sinister."

He said the officer said she had stopped many people along the river and he was the first to complain. He watched as she questioned another photographer.

Mr Overs went on: "Did these officers seriously believe two people with cameras around their necks photographing the sunset were a danger to national security? Foreign tourists must think Britain has become a police state."

Mr Overs added: "This is becoming a big issue among photographers."

Link: I'm a Photographer not a Terrorist

The photography of Yusuke Mori

2009-11-24T12:03:00.000-08:00

Luis Rafael Photography

2009-11-22T09:13:00.000-08:00

An Athlete in Tights: Roberto Bolle by Bruce Weber

2009-11-20T12:32:00.000-08:00

First recognized by Rudolf Nureyev, Roberto Bolle is renowned for his athletic ability, stylistic grace and a sizzling movie star presence. Possessing broad appeal, his performances draw acclaim from the dance world and general public alike. This stunning book is the culmination of a three-year collaboration between Bolle and the photogrpahic superstar Bruce Weber.

Weber's masterful images capture the dazzling charisma of a world-class talent.

Link: An Athlete in Tights: Roberto Bolle by Bruce Weber

Buckaloose Photography

2009-11-19T08:50:00.000-08:00

The photography of Gregory Miles Brown

2009-11-18T09:09:00.000-08:00

Sunday Drive by Luke Smalley

2009-11-18T08:59:00.000-08:00

Photographer Luke Smalley died earlier this year. His last book, Sunday Drive, is published next month. In it, Smalley continues his journey for truth inside the lives of small town youth. His poignant photo novella tells the story of consequence when innocence takes a wrong turn. As in his past volumes, humor pervades: the sobering boys' plight is juxtaposed at Smalley's bemusement of the girls' preoccupation of what to wear.

Link: Sunday Drive at Amazon.com
Link: Sunday Drive at Amazon.co.uk

The photography of Gregory Prescott

2009-11-14T09:49:00.001-08:00

The photography of Stefan May

2009-10-29T05:41:00.000-07:00

Link: The photography of Stefan May

In Their Youth: Greg Gorman

2009-10-29T04:59:00.000-07:00

“I don’t want to do another friggin celebrity book; I mean, I’ve done them… I’ve really enjoyed doing male portraiture; and I decided to do a project that expressed my infatuation with male beauty, especially in terms of youth”.

This is a statement of intent from Greg Gorman, celebrated portraitist — we might legitimately say “official” — of Hollywood greats. In his forty year career he has seen miles of red carpet pass before his lens with a fine assortment of stars, from Al Pacino to Raquel Welch and on to Sharon Stone and John Travolta, just to name some of them. His unmistakable black and white, together with an equally rare capacity of introspection, has led to such virtuosity of style as to elicit from Richard Gere: “Greg Gorman is to the camera what Eric Clapton is to the guitar: sure and true”.

Away from the spotlights for a moment Gorman has rummaged in his archives and put together a collection of more than 200 portraits of young men, some of whom became famous. An album that reveals the evergreen fascination of youth, when time has yet to obfuscate ingenuousness, melancholic gentleness and, above all, the beauty that characterises life’s âge d’or. The photographer writes in the introduction: “My photographs have often captured the sensuality that goes hand in hand with vulnerability. When the subject has an unawareness of the camera, he reveals an inward truth, that maybe he doesn’t even realize is coming forth in the pictures”. From Tom Cruise to Kevin Costner, from Leonardo di Caprio to Brad Pitt and on to Patrick Dempsey, Charlie Sexton, Rupert Everett, Johnny Depp and many others, In their Youth is a manifesto of the agonising, sensual and “Wildean" promise of beauty.

Link: In Their Youth: the early portraits of Greg Gorman

The HDR photography of Trey Ratcliff

2009-10-19T12:54:00.000-07:00

Trey Ratcliff’s specialty is his own take on high dynamic range (HDR) photography: Having grown up blind in one eye, he has a unique way of navigating and capturing the 3D world. That vision, combined with an educational background in computer science and math, leads him through an algorithm-like process for photography that can evoke palpable memories.

Link: The HDR photography of Trey Ratcliff

The photography of Frank Waldecker

2009-10-17T13:36:00.001-07:00

Link: The photography of Frank Waldecker

The Canon EOS 7D

2009-10-08T11:00:00.001-07:00