He’s back to blawwggin.’
W. o’ W. from Richard Benson
“The nature of something like painting is that you’re continually being informed by what you do. The nature of photography is that you’re not. You’re being informed picture to picture what you do. If you’re printing one negative you’re being informed print to print about what you do. But it’s completely different than the painter who puts a piece of the picture down and the piece indicates what the next move should be.”
Devendra’s Dilemma
12/17 Update: thank you all for the support. just wanted to remind you that there are 2 more days to let me know if you want prints in time for christmas 
any photo poster size 11×14 for only $30
just send me a message loves
“Danielle Sepanik sent a message to the members of Danielle Leigh Photography.
” ‘Hey everyone. I just got some pretty harsh news about my pup. He has a disease that’s causing him to go blind in both eyes. In an attempt to get some cash to pay for all of his medical needs, I decided to try and sell a bunch of prints. And since Christmas is right around the corner, I thought they could make a good gift idea
“So from now till December [?] I’m selling 11×14 prints of any picture on here, or on my personal facebook for $30.
“Let me know if you’re interested and I can get back to you asap. Thank youuu all.’”
Danielle is an AP Photo Devoto alumna. Blindness + photography + doggie = excellent gift selections. Do it. Win/win.
A Measured Level of Engagement
“The only time I take a picture is when tourists ask me to take one, with their camera. ( These rare works are now dispersed around the world, in private collections, mostly in Japan.)” -Geoff Dyer
JingJingJingJingChingChingChingChing
Caveat: this post is opinion-laden.
Perhaps you share a trait with Your Obedient Servant: that of spending more on oneself during the Nation Shopping Season than at any other time of the year. Perhaps “Everyone needs to get out more” applies to the holidays as well. Perhaps a big-ticket item figures in the expenditures; heck, I’ve acquired new cameras during December a coupla times, and some of you have already told me you’re aware of new Nikons in the wings (or at least wrapped and hidden in the back of closets). In any case, here are some ideas for thoughtful fellow citizen consumers.
Books are always welcome, even if not hung by the chimney with care, and there’s no better list of (mostly) monographs than at http://5b4.blogspot.com/2009/12/best-books-of-2009.html
Everyone oughta have a decent cable release. It’s like buying socks for someone, as far as I’m concerned, but not unlike socks, it’s a necessity. Certainly easier to tote about than a tripod, which everyone also oughta have. If you don’t have a tripod, you put yourself at a serious disadvantage. Look into acquiring a Leitz Tiltall. (To the clerk who snickered, repeatedly, the last time I picked up a Tiltall for school: we’re still here; where are you now?)
Holgas & Lomography: you decide. I know there is tremendous potential for making pictures of dream worlds with these tools, and although there is more variety available among models and their features than you have ever imagined (Remember the Holgaroid? It was all the rage, and I don’t mean for athletes), the prices are often ‘way out of whack. You’ll see what I’m referring to on websites such as http://www.holgablog.com/2009/04/09/the-massive-guide-to-all-holga-cameras/, and at Urban. Find the good price for the simplest of simple cameras, and grab several at a time. You can always modify them on your own; then you’d have something unique. What not to consider: gimmicky filters, gimmicky toys such as “Lensbabys.”
Everyone can always use more excellent film. Get a reasonable quantity of medium-speed stuff, like Acros 100 or FP4. No darkroom? Choose XP-2, and overexpose.
Opposite of no darkroom? Add a teaspoon of sodium carbonate to your developer to improve the blacks, or a pinch of benzotriazole to restrain highlight and/or cool out the print color. Set up a safe way to tone with selenium or gold chloride, even.
Everything I’ve mentioned here can be a nudge in the direction of making your giftee’s (or your own) pictures distinctive, unique. Check the “Resources” links, on the right side of the screen, or write back with questions. Haddy Grimble.
W. o’ W. from Daniel Barenboim
From “Music Quickens Time:”
“In life outside music, ambiguity is not necessarily a positive attribute — it is often a sign of indecision and, in politics, a lack of firm direction — but in the world of sound, ambiguity becomes a virtue in that it offers many different possibilities from which to proceed. Sound has the ability to make a link between all elements, so that no element is exclusively negative or positive… Feeling is an expression of the struggle for balance, and it cannot be allowed independence from thought. As Spinoza shows us, joy and its variants lead us to a greater functioning perfaction; sorrow and its related affects are unhealthy and should therefore be avoided. In music, though, joy and sorrow exist simultaneously and therefore allow us to feel a sense of harmony. Music is always contrapuntal, involving an interplay of independent voices, in te philosophical sense of the word. Even when it is linear, there are always opposing elements coexisting, occasionally even in conflict with each other. Music accepts comments from one voice to the other at all times and tolerates subversive accompaniments as a necessary antipode to leading voices. Conflict, denial and commitment coexist at all times in music.”
Parallels in the Essays of Annie Gosfield
Annie Gosfield is a Modern composer who has written a number of pieces which, for the most part, relate well to photographic practice without substituting too many nouns or verbs. Here are some of her pearls:
Take your work seriously, but don’t take yourself too seriously.
Details count.
Don’t fear rejection.
Don’t assume you know what’s accessible to the audience and what isn’t.
If you chose to study composition, spend your time in school studying what you can’t learn in a club or a garage.
Make sure you’re always doing some work that is yours and yours alone — not composed for the approval of teachers or colleagues.
Never discount the power of the library.
http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/03/20/composer-house-arrest/
Listen for yourself: http://www.anniegosfield.com/
Yet More Downtown Re-Photography
…but click on the link for a nicely interactive document:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/corydalus/32762838/in/pool-gapers_block/
Powhida’s Metaphor
…for the art world as high school:
“In terms of the hierarchy, high school is a great metaphor because of the cliques that exist. The art world is already divided into unknowns, emerging, established, mid-career, international artists, and according to what graduate program you went to, who you’re friends with and your social pedigree. It’s more like a high-school cafeteria.
It’s not only freshman, sophomores, juniors, and seniors; it’s also who are the administrators, the teachers, the custodians…who is the principal? Someone like Chuck Close seems like the principal of the art world. Giving his lessons and support to certain people.”
Rushin’ outta biz
Dear friends and kievaholiks.
It is pity to inform that after 245 year the ARSENAL factory (Zavod ARSENAL in Russian) is lost. After many judicial proceedings now we have the Special Construction Department (SKTB in Russian) instead of ARSENAL factory. The factory management, including the director of factory, are totally changed. The workers are discharges, all manufacturing is stopped, the factory storehouse is empty.
The good news is that we have bought the medium format cameras and parts for several years of works and we’ll keep our business running at least 4-5 years more. So, you’ll have ability to buy ARAX cameras as usually with our one year worldwide warranty. In any case, you will never be left alone with a problem from your ARAX cameras many many many years.
Sincerely
Gevorg Vartanyan,
http://araxfoto.com/
