i have gone over everyone’s suggestions for a month long project ….some ideas are fairly complete and some are in "development"….it would be nice to have all photographs "in" by around june 15 for our first "go around" of completed assignments…..
ok, here is how i see it right now…..i chose these photographers based on their ideas and my opinion of their ability to "make it work"….
James Chance ……………"Living in a Cemetery"
Jean Sébastien Bréault….."Mixed Heritage"
Cristina Faramo …………."Women’s Recovery House"
Panos Skoulidas………….."Venice Beach"
David McGowan ………….."Garage Sale"
Jonathan Hanson…………."Crime Scene"
Marcin Luczkjowski ………"Hometown"
Bob Black …………………"Bones of Time"
photographers with projects in development, but not yet totally "realized" include Erica McDonald , Eric Espinosa, Audrey Bardou, and Kyung Hee Lee….discussions with these photographers and others will go on this week and assignments could be made at any time…but, i do not want to have more than 10 photographers on assignment this month….even that is probably too many, but let’s see how it goes.
there are no requirements or expectations on "quantity" of work …there will, of course, be high expectations from all of us regarding the "quality"…i will publish here the best pictures from each set of assignments along with a short story written by the photographer or a writer of the photographer’s choice…i will discuss and work with each photographer on the picture selection process…this will be a collaborative effort between thee and me…..
some of you may enjoy posting "as you go" for group critique….others may want to wait until the end before showing your final selection….
if you feel that i somehow missed the point of your proposal or if you want to re-submit your idea , please feel free to do so….this is totally a "work in progress" and i am running this in the same way that i would run a workshop assigning process and the way many "real world" assignments are given…
i also plan to have my colleagues in the "real world" help to edit your work….iconic photographers and editors alike…so, now is your chance to show what you can do ……
if you feel your story cannot be done or is not going well, please say so….we can give an assignment to someone else and wait for you to re-think or re-structure….you definitely want to use this time and this space to your best advantage….
Game on! Fantastic.
This blog of yours, Mr. Harvey, is really pushing the envelope now.
I’m in the process of resurrecting an old project for London starting in September. It has been forming in my mind for some time now. Previously I was not in a position to start it as the idea was a little ahead of its time for me. Now I’m ready.
I’ll outline a brief proposal for you in mid-June.
GOOD HUNTING EVERYONE!!!
Congrats to the chosen people.
Personally I was able to get down to Jinju last weekend and put some meat into the series Im running alongside my home sweet home project about family life in my wife’s parents’ home. Had I known that I was going to go Id have made a clearer proposal but things come up unexpectedly.
even if not assigned your ideas are great for a personal challenge just to push ourselves out of the comfort zone. I hope your travels are going well!
RAFAL…
well, my friend, i already know how far you have grown in just the last months..your family work is so poignant ….you showed us all your work just before this whole assignment idea came up…do not worry…and i want to use your family work in my Look3 presentation in june, so please send me some work (8-10 photos) soonest and with a sound track (music or audio) of your choice…i sort of look at your newest work as having been an assignment completed even before we had the assignment process…i will publish it here with your story…
if there is some new aspect you want to add and can shoot in the next few weeks please let me know..
i will say again something i have said before…this is not a contest…this is just to see the level of photography from the members of this forum….your best family work will be published…you have not missed anything..you just happened to get ahead of the formal assigning!!!
because of this forum we met…you have grown tremendously….all is well!!!!
MELISSA…
please remember, i am keying the assignments primarily off of photographers personal strengths and something that they care about and have thought about…if you have anything to propose , please tell me soonest….i do not want to miss one single photographer who has talent and ideas…..
PAUL…
good…i await your thoughts….
cheers, david
DAVID
What subject do you have for me? “Hometown”???
MARCIN….
well, that is up to you….i like “Hometown” very much and i feel you are most sensitive to that essay…it takes in all that you are and all that you feel…at least, that is how it seems to me…there is no point to give you a “professional assignment” like a newspaper assignment…for you, that would make no sense…..
my first choice would be to have you really wrap yourself up in “Hometown”…i mean, take it out there…..i do not mean “work”….i do not mean “panic”…i mean love…intense thinking thinking…..loose as you always are…maybe even more loose…show us everything you talk about here….everything….now is the time for Marcin to show …..
are you up for this now??? if so, GO….
hugs, david
i’m already here in the front seat anxious to see photography!
all the best,
nelson
i’m already here in the front seat anxious to see photography!
all the best,
nelson
i’m already here in the front seat anxious to see photography!
all the best,
nelson
i’m already here in the front seat anxious to see photography!
all the best,
nelson
i’m already here in the front seat anxious to see photography!
all the best,
nelson
i’m already here in the front seat anxious to see photography!
all the best,
nelson
i’m already here in the front seat anxious to see photography!
all the best,
nelson
David
I have Idea like that: I will leave my job tomorrow… I will buy some films… I will take my m6 fm2 pentacon and d200… I will take my dog… and I am going to “my hometown”… for a week or as long as I can.
I have no idea what would I shoot now, so best way is short way.
I need success, I need do something right, I need do something good.now is the time.
but if you have for me another idea, I’am for you service.
what do you think about?
Can’t read all now, but thanks David—looking forward to it.
David, please specify if the shooting for these assignments is to be made newly over a precise lentgh of time, or has the “good idea” project turn completely loose (can use any photo shot previously, and no limit on time)?
Thanks
fantastic…best of luck to all those who’ve got the call…i am readying myself for another visual feast…i still can’t get over the last one.. :)
take care all..
MARCIN…
buy some film….put your dog in the car…..turn on some good music…drive to your “hometown”…..take some pictures….have fun…we will wait….
HERVE….AND ALL
the point is to see new work by members of this forum or to watch “live” as new work is developed…many will be stimulated by a new “assignment”…others may have done something on their own anyway in recent weeks..
some photographers may need more “stimulation” than others…just think of this as a “real” magazine scenario…some work comes in assigned, some comes in self initiated and most comes in as a combo of the two…this IS the “assigning” process at most magazines…
i just want to see, and many others also want to see, the level of work by photographers here…some i know, some i do not know…
the point is to shoot something this month if possible…however, there are some exceptions, like Rafal, who has new work which just preceded the “assignment” but with whom i had been in long discussions…there could be others in a similar situation…
i will make new assignments every month throughout the summer, but if you have shot a brilliant essay before we had this assignment concept, please let’s take a look….if you have an idea, let’s hear it….
the main thing is to keep your mind open….since we have no advertisers to please, we can do whatever we want….any type of essay is welcomed from natural history, to sports, to war, to personal interpretation, to portraits, to landscape etc etc…the more personal the better, but NO LIMITS….
cheers, david
Good luck to all for the upcoming work on the assignments! Am looking forward to seeing what everybody does. This forum continues to be one of a kind for sure.
David, did you receive my new desert photos that I sent through to your email account for the Look3 presentation? Am planning another return trip after Look3…Have lots of ideas to discuss with you.
All the best,
Sean
ALL…
i must say that some of you are suffering from links just too hard to open or confusing or both..you really need to make this easy for me to see your work…and , believe me, all editors are the same…if they cannot see your work quickly and easily, they will quit…no joke..forget web design…just make it easy to see your work, please please….also, please make your portfolio concise…showing 100 or more pictures will kill you too….if i was in a room and could edit with you personally, as in a workshop environment, maybe that would be ok, but it does not work here….
Charlie Mahoney, i could not open your link….Ernesto Mendez, you have some great work, but so so much variety it is hard to get a “handle” on what you would really like to do….Audrey, i am not sure what you finally decided, but i think maybe i got confused myself…please tell me again what you will do….
cheers, david
SEAN…
i have had some trouble with that account…pls. send again…..i really want to see that new work and include it in the slide show….
cheers, david
David…
I posted a question to you on the last thread but you probably overlooked it since you were tied up the past few days and it is buried a bunch of posts back.
I was wondering what I needed for the Look3 workshop. Since I am pressed for time with the wedding this weekend and then the Italy trip, I wanted to get stuff together before I left.
I have put together a group of single images, two short essays, a longer project and a work in progress. It sounds like a lot, but I think it will be easy to look at. It is a good representation of some past work.
If I need anything else, let me know.
Also, if any of the members on the list are from Naples, Italy or nearby, do you know the status of the trash situation there. We here it has piled up again, and my future bride is concerned it will spoil that part of the trip.
Thanks!
PETE…
you have more than enough for the workshop..you might have to cut it down for the first presentation at least…we have a full class of 15….the main focus will be on what you shoot that week…but, do not worry, i look very carefully at all portfolios….
i do not know about the trash situation now in Naples…
anybody know???
have a great honeymoon…see you soonest…
cheers, david
No problem with Charlie’s link here, David. Some really good work in “living in shadows” Charlie.
One thing I would like to say is sometimes, pictures are a bit too small in personal photo sites. We can check and guess, but much less beyond that.
Like Charlie’s, just 100 pixels, or even 50, larger in length would really help.
IMO.
DAVID
Ok. We have a deal, I will quit my job tomorrow. Probaby day after tomorrow I will go to my town. It will take me 10-12 days, but if I will can I will say another 10 days.
and quick question: My webiste is ok? It easy to use for you?
Thanks David.
What do you mean by first presentation? The stuff I put together is in flash slideshow format and was geared toward your looking at it. Should I have something ready to show everyone?
I am not familiar with how you run your workshops. If there is anything I need to know….
Oh, easy to see work :o)
A day I edited into a slideshow and now into a short book (edition of 15, with cute typos and everything):
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jkaranka/sets/72157605057794583/show/
Then all the more completed projects are here:
http://www.jonikaranka.com
Excepting some stuff I’ve been working for quite a while and I haven’t yet uploaded incomplete edits anywhere.
Dear David,
Hello!
I’m here. ^^
I’m very exciting on this project.
So my heart is beating faster and my body temperature is higher …
Actually I have taken pictures about Sharmanism , retransformation(in aquarium), Busan…
Regardless of abobe subjects, if you give me an assignment, I’ll do my best.
Thank you very much.
Hug.
P.S)
David, I had sent e-mail to you yesterday.
Please check it up.
Wow Marcin, you are all fired up. Can’t wait to see your work.(and others). I am ,sad to say , working in Miami and not shooting much. No free time. I couldn’t even make it to NY for David’s party. Maybe next time .Peace to all
Ok. We have a deal, I will quit my job tomorrow.
—————-
Hola Marcin, that is some responsibility! IMO, David needs all the sleeping hours he can get… :-)
MARCIN…
If I may speak for David…yes. Your site is easy to see. Not complicated.
EVERYONE…
Something like Marcin’s site or this site: http://www.michaelkircher.com/france.html
Again, forgive me if I’m over stepping my bounds, but I believe David mentioned how he liked the simplicity of the site above. I think Marcin’s is not bad either. Nothing fancy-schmancy. Just simple photos. No bigger than the france photos and probably not smaller than Marcin’s.
Anyway, congrats and good luck to all!
Thank you David!
Really appreciate your interest in this project. I look forward to working with you on this! Sent you a quick email.
James
James, Jean Sébastien, Christina, BROTHER Panos David, Jonathan Hanson, and Marcin:
GREAT NEWS ALL OF YOU! :)))…I cant wait to see the essays in June :))) I know all your work and Im sure the essays will be rich rich to feed upon….
MARCIN: :))))…can i just say, forget the overthinking and just go shoot and have fun! :)))))
Erica, Eric, Audrey and Kyung-Hee! I really cant wait to see your essays too….will make my june past by quickly…:)))
KYUNG-HEE :))))…received your email, have shown MARINA ALL THE PHOTOS FROM THE BOOK!!!! :)))))…Magnificent…I have also written to you too, check your email: WE (ME AND MARINA) ARE SO HAPPY FOR YOU! :)))
ALL: THANK YOU ALL FOR THE BIRTHDAY WISHES!!!…I read most everything this morning on the ‘Blues” thread…Anna: big thangs for the Antunes quote (that books my next project!)…Anton, Eric, Herve, Joan, Veba, etc…thanks for all your thoughts….
not feelin’ much juice today to write: must be the sardines ;))….will take a break from blog for this week…
ok, a small tease:
2 more from NC and 1 which will be first photo in the bones/family/dima project:
in October, my wife, son and I went away to an island for 3 days: i hadnt seen them in 2 1/2 months…i made a book from the photos (david whenever we meet, i’ll bring it to show u)…all about water, sea, distance, marina, dima…anyway, this photo of dima, when i developed negative, spoke to me of my own childhood…so, even though this photo is from last november, it is the 1st photo in the new essay (the rest of photos are new)…
1) Bones prelude: dima, Prince Edward County
http://www.flickr.com/photos/73821181@N00/2126249588/
2) North Carolina: Mother and Brother (damon, who married) on bus to wedding
http://www.flickr.com/photos/73821181@N00/2506473520/
3) North Carolina: Brother and Bride
http://www.flickr.com/photos/73821181@N00/2506467920/
KYUNG-HEE:
this photo is for you…an old photograph, from 2003, before i got married: i made a series of photos about chairs, before I got married…
http://www.flickr.com/photos/73821181@N00/2239181955/
exhausted….
going to see water…
b
MK.
Looking at your “Paris” link I would agree on the simplicity aspect! Sequenced, Numbers to reference back to, and fast to “scroll” over… straight forward and clean! I look forward to keeping tabs on everyone work and the evolution of it! Cheers -Jeremy
Yes..am excited..am trying to buy the large format camera over the next day or two, but will start shooting asap, next week in reality with medium format for the background portrait project, need to buy the backdrop too etc….hopefully by early June with LF..
thank you David the opportunity, will be a bit slow starting but I plan to put my head down and focus as soon as it is physically possible..
guys
there’s no need to be worry I will loose my job anyway only later. This is not sacrifice only reborn.
peace
DAVID:
You’re absolutely right. The lighstalkers link I sent you is not working. Not sure what’s happening there. They may need a donation from Magnum. You might want to whisper that in to Mark’s ear at the next meeting.
In the meantime, you can see the story hear, although it lacks the captions which are so important. In a nut shell the story is about Sub-Saharan African immigrants and how they get by in Barcelona, Spain. They mainly live in abandoned buildings and hunt scrap metal for recycling.
Here’s the link to my site:
http://charliemahoney.net/photos.php?gallery=./living_in_the_shadows&intro=1
HERVE: Thanks for the feedback on the site. I know what you’re saying. With the investment I have in the site at this point, it would cost me to change it, but I will keep your advice in mind as I consider future changes.
THIS HOW VENICE USE TO THINK, BACK IN THE DAY…
http://ie.youtube.com/watch?v=OWh1aVICsjU&feature=related
“THIS IS HOW VENICE “THINKS”…. TODAY…( before the elections 2008 )
http://ie.youtube.com/watch?v=cmx8NTlebNs
GAME ON…. LET’S FUCKING “DO THIS”…
Let’s break the hypocritical “peace” for a second…
“Waaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrr”….
Hi David!!!
This place is always exciting!! Congratulations to the first group of photographers for their assignments and looking forward for your new work!!
David, I’m very happy to hear that you are also working on your own project!!
I am working on a long term photo project on the cultural dimension of globalization following the idea that currently we are living in a world characterized by the “compression of time and space”. I have always felt interested for the increasing interconnection and interdependence in our every day life (this forum is a very good example of it) and therefore I’m trying to combine theory and reality of this social process but focusing in its “human” aspect… I would like to continue on this path for your assignment…
Let me know what you think about this… and thanks for all the good ideas and enthusiasm
Abrazos,
Beatrix
pete..
the trash situation in naples is still very bad, still an emergency, but you dont have to worry…you won’t see much, they make sure the areas where tourists go are safe and clean (more or less).
Beside that, Naples is a gorgeous place, I hope yo’ll enjoy it.
have a great honeymoon trip!
david and everybody…
i’m also looking forward to seeing some essays published here…
“Waaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrr”….
——————–
I want you to feel an enormous pressure to deliver the good, Panos. We are waiting…Watching…..Panos……You owe us awe!….. Now or never…..Or maybe a little bit later……
Congratulations to all the photographers already selected for the first month!!!
DAVID,
Regarding myself, let me know if there is a particular porposal from the 3 that I have sent you (BUS STOP, BOXING in GHETTO, SOMALI REFUGEES) that you see more interesting and would rather have me focus on. As I had mentioned, the first one “BUS STOP” would be fairly straightforward for me to work on this month… For the other 2, I could also give it a shot this month although it might be better to start these in July as I am already away on business trips for couple of weeks early June so may not give me enough time to do these well. In any case, let me know which topic you think would be most interesting as I would rather work on that and I will then figure out if I can do it this month by juggling things around at work to enable this.
Cheers,
ERIC
Hi david thanks for this opportunity, it’s a great thing for me. I just got the autorizzation to shoot in the women’s Recovery House, it’s been very difficult to get it. The first of June I’ll fly to USA in New york and at your LOOK3 workshop, so I think that probBLY I Need longer time to complete the assigment… at least wait untill the end of june to see my work.. please.
Let me know.
Ciao a presto Cristina.
Hi david thanks for this opportunity, it’s a great thing for me. I just got the autorizzation to shoot in the women’s Recovery House, it’s been very difficult to get it. The first of June I’ll fly to USA in New york and then at your LOOK3 workshop, so I think that probably I Need longer time to complete the assigment… at least wait untill the end of june to see my work.. please.
Let me know.
Ciao a presto Cristina.
along with a short story written by the photographer…
————————–
What about a short presentation from the signees, so we get a sense of what is their assignment. Actually, it will help us get a better sense of the process you went thru, if/as “things” evolve as you shoot.
It’s a learning experience for all of us. So the more we are let in to share the proceedings and mind frames of each, the better.
You could, if you wish tell us how you are doing along the way, as well. It is not just about the final product, I guess I want to say, with the kind of comradeship we have here.
Holy shit….Im floored…the last thing I expected was what you wrote to me David….Ill get cracking on shooting and editing…when’s the deadline you want these by?
David’s email is bouncing back. At least the email I have;
david@davidalanharvey.com
Can anyone correct me if I’m using an incorrect address?
Mine is photo@paultreacy.com
Cheers,
Paulyman
David
Maybe you didnt see it in the other thread but I was able to see some of the photos from the Magnum Korea book on-line. From you I saw the one you shot at the skating rink, the one at the dress cafe and the one at the water bar (my favorite of the three).
CHARLIE,
I really love your essay on Sub-Saharan African immigrants. Love the colours, love everything about it!!This is your most powerful essay on your site…Hope we get to see more on this great topic…
Eric
Marcin,
I am looking forward to your photographs! I am thrilled you are quitting your job! This is what I try to convince my friends to do most of the time! Here’s something I wrote recently: http://generousalphabet.org/journal/to-stars
Everyone,
Go, GO, GO!!!
Hello to all,
Congratulations to the chosen photographers and to come, I wait impatiently to see the work of all the persons here on this forum…
David,
thank you still for this opportunity, I have some work till the end of May (I have to go to Paris next week and I have some thing(matter) to be prepared for my journey in Paris) also, I cannot work on an assignement before June 1st…
But I didn’t decide on a subject in particular, I shall need your help(assistant):
1- a report on my parents who are now retired, I don’t know if it can be interesting, I begin to photograph them since the death of my grandfather
2- a named teenager Charlène, we get very very well, she is reserved enough, a little bit badly in the skin, she is going to begin a summer job, but I cannot work on it before the end of June because she is at the secondary school in the week, and the weekend, I make marriages
3- silence, we tan ! That I can begin in June, but I am a little afraid because it has been a long time since I photographed “strangers”
If it does not disturb you, I let you choose of what you think who(which) will be best for me… Thank you
The best to you all,
audrey
Hi David…re-sent my new desert photos to both of the email addresses you gave me. Let me know if you receive them okay.
Best,
Sean
Morning all…really looking forward to all the work. In the meantime, I will take David’s advice and try to cut two hundred images from my flickr stream. This is a rather daunting task for me and I would appreciate any feedback from the Harveyites. If any of you have the time to take a look http://www.flickr.com/photos/torontogalphotos
Perhaps a new site to display my work is in order but flickr has actually been a great place to learn despite the hacks and thieves…
imagesbynancy@gmail.com
Thanks!
DAVID DAVID DAVID
you’re amazing. much admiration for your incredible generosity, time, and depth of caring. what you’re doing for and with everyone is really beautiful.
love,anne
PETE…
you will need approximately 20 pictures from your portfolio to show on the first day….i go through everyone’s work in front of the entire class so all of us know what each has done so far with their work..generally it is best to present one essay, but you may choose to show whatever you think represents you and your approach to photography..i view any photographer’s portfolio as a “jumping off” point..the primary goal of a shooting workshop is to put your portfolio over in the corner and move FORWARD…
CRISTINA…
i am so so pleased to hear that you have permission to work…and so so happy and totally surprised to know you are coming to Look3!!! i had no idea…
AUDREY…
all three of your ideas sound as though they could be good..but, let’s keep talking right here if you like…i think it would be good for all to understand how an idea can be developed….
originally , i was thinking you were most interested in Charlene….how do you see her?? typical French teenager? disturbed teenager? sure to be a success teenager?? or some combo of all of the above?? tell us a little more about her and why you relate to her…would it be interesting if Charlene wrote a little story about herself and you use that as your text???
your parents , of course, could be your very best subject…but you must tell me more about how you would do this….also, thinking here about the text..surely, the voices of your father and mother would be imperative..
your third idea “silence, we tan” is i assume something about the beach in summertime..is that correct??? this is very different from the other two , since it does involve photographing “strangers”…but strangers are no longer strangers once you say hello…this idea probably involves and different kind of “statement” coming from you also…does sitting on the beach getting a tan seem silly to you?? what “moves you” about this subject?? satire, irony?? or just visual drama??? tell us more about this one…
ok, all good possibilities…i can imagine nice essays from all three subjects…only you can decide really which subject motivates you most…then , when i have some more information , i can push you one way or the other…..but, since you cannot shoot until june, we have some time to talk..
HERVE….
yes, of course..good idea.all of the proposals i accepted were already posted right here by the photographer, so you should have some sense already…but, yes, a more in depth concept paragraph by each photographer would be helpful…but, please go back and read the words of James Chance and Panos and Jean Sebastien and David McGowan …pretty clear what they want to do and how they plan to do it….
PAUL…
yes, i have been having some problems with that e-address ever since we went to LiveBooks…will be checking on the problems today….
RAFAL….
i think that Korea book project took such a bad turn after it’s original concept….i have no idea what is in it…group photo books projects are generally not satisfying…i have worked on many and cannot remember being happy with any of them…i did think however that this Korea book would be different…it was promised different…we were each to have our own essay…but, the “money people” made a decision after all the Magnum photogs were finished with their projects…none of us are pleased…so, now we just look at it as a nice assignment, photographs for our personal archive, but not as any book that we would “show”…for me, it was exposure to Korea…so , i am happy for the experience..i met so many terrific people…so i treasure the experience, but not the book!!!
cheers, david
ANNE…
so nice to hear from you….and missing you…and loving “Dancing in the Afternoon”….you my dear are my student “pride and joy”…you are someone who maxed out everything and DID THE BOOK!! because of you and all of my students who actually “move forward”, suffer, work, and put themselves “out there”, i have the energy to reach out….you make it all worthwhile…
love, david
BOB…
your photographs seem to have been deleted…??????
i want to give you an assignment…surely, totally, certainly , family related….
talk to me……
ERIC…CHARLIE
still thinking…please give me some time…backt to both of you soonest…
NANCY…
find someone you trust to help you…one good person….yes, you must get your work down down down….30-50 strong pictures is more than enough for any photographer to show what they can do….
cheers, david
David
If you need any camping gear all you need is
in the link ! …
David
One last question and I promise to leave you alone. How should I have those images for the presentation? Loose JPG’s on a disk to give you or will I be hooking my MacBook up to a projector?
I can do it either way. If you want JPGs, can you give me size contstaints please.
OK, now you can get back to more important things….
ups… it looks like i missed something.. THE ASSIGNMENTS…
i am litle bit out of the everything last weeks… shooting the modern turkish girls … (there is a couple of portraits of modern girls on my website http://www.agaluczakowska.com STORIES – Istanbul’s girls … everybody are more than welcome to see)
IF IT IS NOT TOO LATE.. I AM IN if you will give new assignments!
JONI….
i think i like your Cardiff by Night work and the Milano work more than the new color work, although some of those too have a certain “Joni twist” that i like….maybe the problem with the color work, is that is starts to imitate Martin Parr a bit, and there are just way way too too many Martin Parr imitators already….
actually, this could be a whole new post…if someone is really easy to imitate, what does that mean???
anyway, not sure what you are proposing..talk to me…
cheers, david
DAVID:
yes, i deleted them, ’cause i didnt like what they looked like at flickr at all…anyway…..
now, next 3 weeks, trying to finish my story about dima and family and dinosaur bones…..
essay is about dima and the new dinosaur collection and memory, ….i’ll send u some of the stuff later, maybe at end of May…
i’ll be interested to hear what folk think of projection at look3…..
working hard now, putting everything else out of my mind….
hugs
b
David,
I’m fairly new to the community here (only a couple of posts), but would like to be involved and participate. My proposal for an assignment is as follows. I live in Nashville, TN, affectionately known as “Music City USA”. To make it here musically, you have to be really, really, really good…and even then you probably will not get past the local club circuit. There are a group street musicians here that tried for years to make it, but for a variety of reasons didn’t. Their backgrounds range from just getting started to burnt-out and homeless. All of them have a story, some are quite interesting and entertaining. The common thread is that they love music and performing so much that they are willing to perform on the street for tips (and some days nothing) in all kinds of weather. I’ve been casually working on this project recently and have gotten to know some of them. I usually go downtown, take some dollar bills for tips, strike up a conversation and photograph. I take photos back to give them on my next visit. I think I could develop this into something…your thoughts?
DAVID,
I look forward to hear back from you…I was going to send you a private message but after all, I thought that I may as well share it with all. I have to say that for the past 24 hours, I have been wondering what topic, if any, you would pick for my potential assignment….The uncertainty was killing me :):):). Now, at the expense of maybe confusing you, given you just said that you still want to think about what to do with me (as far as assignment is concerned :)) let me tell you the dilemna that I have had… When you announced this idea weeks ago, I immediately thought it was fantastic and then I said to myself, shit… why did he not share this idea a month ago as I had just shot a topic for which I had a lot of passion virtually 2-3 weeks prior to you sharing this idea of assignment with us all. At the time of that trip to Antigua, I really tried to shoot for myself in very short period of time i.e one week, as if I was given an assignment by a magazine and tried to push myself in similar way as you had taught me from past workshop… As I told you at the time, I have a lot of heart and passion for this topic and I was very keen to work with you on tighting up an edit from this idea, writing an essay and sharing this more broadly… When I read the point/ answer you made to Rafal that you would be very happy to work with some like himself that have just shot a topic in recent weeks, I have to say that in my mind, I thought that this would be what I would have the most passion for overall. I could bring the work to Look3 and go over this with you. Now, if this does not work or if you feel it is better to shoot something new from the start, again, I will be happy to do this as well. As you asked for something to do NOW in Ohio, I came up with the 2-3 ideas that I shared. Clearly, the positive if you were to pick up one of these ideas instead of the Antigua processions is that this will get me going on something new and I always like to be pushed to get out and shoot…..but the challenge for me, as you know, is that I have a very demanding day job and, between the trip I just did in Antigua and the break I am taking to go to Charlotteville for Look3, I have not got much vacations left at all this year so I am rather constrained on my time availability to work on new topic fully with the quality and focus that I would ideally like. Often, I wish that I could do like Marcin, leave work and go out to shoot, but I am not quite at the stage to do this just yet…. Overall, I do not want the potential lack of time to be an excuse (sometimes time pressure gets you even more focused and creative!!!) and let me tell you that if you want me to work on these new topics, one way of another I will find a way of shooting something and put all my energy into it. I just wanted to share with you the dilemna I have faced so that you decide in all awareness and possibly consider ig Antigua trip is a better idea to work on together. At the end of the day David, if you also think that given my time constraints you would be better off giving the assignment to someome else who will have more time this month, I will perfectly understand. Net, I am “good” either way…and thanks in any case for just considering me and others for this super idea. Will wait to hear back from you and will see.
Cheers,
ERIC
congratulations to you who were given an assignment !
david,
thanks for you answer to my last question !
now is another one : could you tell us more about your current project ? How did you find it and how do you now approach the actual shooting ?
do you try to shoot as many aspects of your subjects as possible (as journalists do) or do you go for one aspect and stick to it ?
BOB…
ok, i am going to put you down for “Dima and Dinosaur Dreams” or you have better title??? assume you will write text…we need a truly esoteric essay , and i think yours will be it…but, let’s keep talking and give me the title of your choice…
ERIC…
sure, Antigua will work….as i keep trying to point out , this is NOT A CONTEST…i am just trying to stimulate new work and to identify clearly the audience on this forum..give or take a few weeks does not make any difference at all…particularly in your case and a few others who have already taken workshops with me and may not need the same stimulation process as some others…
so, now you just have an editing job….when you get it down, you may still decide to do something like “Bus Stop”, but wait and see how it goes…how about this…get Antigua edited down tight…really tight…let’s see how it looks…THEN, we make our decision…ok with you????
Pierre Yves..
like everyone else here now working on ideas, i am working on mine..yes, i am shooting, but yes i am still also thinking…i have not actually started driving across country which was my original plan, but have selectively picked places and gone there to shoot…flying and then driving…i think i must stop the flying/driving concept and just drive…drop everything and just drive..i am literally looking for a handyman panel van so that i can put a mattress on the floor, have my bike mounted on the side panel, and i am off…i am working with medium format film, so the work is a bit different from my “normal” work…but, i have not seen most of it yet..when i look at the contacts later this week, i many change my mind on some things…but, it sure feels good so far….i will keep all of you in the loop as i go…i do not feel like i am working as a journalist at all…nothing “required”…yet, i will end up with a true journal and document of the country this year …i think…again, i am also shooting disposable camera film pics too…and building the exhibit in my mind as i go….thanks for asking…
cheers, david
DAVID,
I highly recommend the Toyota Previa..I actually had 2 of the moon vehicle style earlier version of the same..excellent for cross country, it’s hard to kill this vehicle..if you take out the rear seats you can build a platform and store all your food, gear, clothes, underneath (made mine with sections for each and little flush ring pulls to access the stuff, like hatches)and then had curtains and a futon..oh you are making me want to feel the breeze of the open road.
Sending out the website today to the powers that be, if you can spare time for another peek as you mentioned, it is at
http://www.ericamcdonaldphoto.com
all the best!
DAVID,
Maybe you didn’t see it in the other two threads… I’ve proposed further developing my sub-Saharan Africa AIDS orphan project in the fall (Oct/Nov/Dec). Please let me know what you think about this.
http://www.lightstalkers.org/galleries/slideshow/11163
Also, when you’re up for writing, I would love feedback on my EPF submission.
Thanks!
david, here is the style i had, twice, http://www.cardomain.com/ride/665122 (that’s not me..)but if you can find one like this, even better..they go for over 300,000 miles..
I am going to begin with Charlène,
Charlène is 16 years old, I had him(it) as “pupil” during two small workshops photo and video which I animated in an associative structure. Last year, I tried in some resumed(taken back) photographing her (to have a memory) impossible, she didn’t want and this year, it is her who wants that I photograph her, she is rather shy, she does not very feel at ease with her body, nevertheless she is very attractive, big and fine, she should have no complex, I see that she sets on her but that she also wants to change, and to open in the others, she has no friends, she is rather solitary… we are very close since the workshop, I a little began to photograph her, and I believe that it helps him(it) to see itself otherwise, more feminine… I meet little myself in her, she is reserved, “a little bit wild” as I, not very well in the skin I have the intuition that there is something to make but I do not still know what I hope that she is going to meet her puppy love…I meet little myself in her, she is reserved, “a little bit wild” as I, not very well in the skin… I have the intuition that there is something to make but I do not still know what I hope that she is going to meet her puppy love…
When I begin a subject, I do not know beforehand what it is going to give
For Rose, I had asked to photograph her legs, one day accidentally in the street, some time(weather) later, I had meant giving him(her) his(her) image and there, she proposed me some money(silver) so that I continue to photograph her… I was intrigued and fascinated and then everything began…
But I did not know beforehand when I went…
For my grandfather, it was different, I needed to photograph him to feel me less powerless, I was also very angry, it was really a need and then, I calmed down and it was set up..
.
Here is at the moment how my subjects built themselves, I take myself there maybe badly I make as it comes to me…
Sorry, for the novel!
audrey
ANNA…
i do not have access right now to your EPF submission, but i will when i return to New York by thursday…for some reason, i did not realize i had not reviewed your work…
in any case, the aids orphans work is a worthwhile project…you have some very strong photographs, but , as you may imagine, i would love love to see a tighter edit..for sure, almost every photog just cannot edit tight enough…you are not alone in this!!! in one case you have a very strong picture, and then two frames later a very weak version of the same picture!!!
so, what would do you assignment-wise to add to this work??? more of the same??? or with a whole new twist?? the ironic problem with any aids story is that we have all seen so many of them….so so so important for the world to know about these aids orphans, yet you really need to try to separate your work from the work of so many others…but, knowing this i would be inclined to have you give it a try…just tell me a bit more about what you would do specifically in the next weeks…
cheers, david
Anna
Very beautiful pictures you have. Very gentle, sensitive. I wish to see more.
best regards, Marcin
David, I can’t spend a lot of time on the forum for now, but I am laying the groundwork and I have stirred a lot of interest in my project. I just wanted you to know that I’m actively moving forward despite my lack of online time!
Thanks!
AUDREY….
i think Charlene will be your new subject…you did not mention your parents, so i am assuming they are out of this project…is that correct??
in any case, since you will not start until june , i will have you officially on the next set of assignments…we will have no expectations from you until late july…
if you have any questions or comments, please just let me know….
cheers, david
DAVID MCGOWAN…
yes, i understand…just GO!!!
david
BOB…..
i hope you will forgive me for not wishing you a big fat HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!
i missed a bunch of posts when i was shooting heavy in Mississippi….
so so sorry amigo….anyway, i am assuming you were at home with Marina and Dima…by the way, can you email me your telephone at some point???
peace and love, david
David:
this will be quick….title: The Bones of Time ….
for u, a photo from a few years ago…about books…since I know how much you love books…this is from a series i made about books and light/shadow…here is a book:
Russian dictionary with a sunflower (the balck spot) on the page…
http://www.flickr.com/photos/73821181@N00/236464603/sizes/o/
yes, i will write the “essay” part of the assignment…
more later…
running
hugs
b
david:
:))
dont worry about birthday wishes….:)))…u sent them them to me spirit! :)))
i’ll send u my tele at week’s end…running (later later)
hugs
bob
Thanks, David! Will get back to you soon with answers to your Q’s.
David,
You may have missed my post this morning about my project proposal…just wondered about your intial thoughts on the idea.
Thanks,
Robert
DAVID,
Sounds like a plan….I will get Antigua edited real tight….presumably that means ~10 strongest images and then will decide whether or not to do something else.
Cheers,
Eric
MARCIN,
Thank you… means a lot to me, these words from you.
ROBERT…
no, i did not miss your post….i was thinking about it…
and i often only have a short time to write here..i often cannot write to everyone at once and usually go for the folks on euro time first…
i am trying to figure out what would distinguish these street musicians from any others…i know in words you can tell us, but in pictures??? again, it sounds like a better word or video story than strong photo essay…however, i have seen some truly vibrant street musician stories….but let me go back over your portfolio again and please tell me again how you plan to do this…right now, we already have enough or actually more than enough assignments for this month…i really cannot handle more than 10 …since you seem to be shooting this anyway, why not send us a couple of your recent pictures of the street musicians???
cheers, david
BOB….
Bones of Time…terrific!!!
david
Hi David,
My “globalisation” project is also a long term one so Ill be working on it and on some others … but I would like to hear your thoughts/ ideas on the initial proposal…
abrazos,
beatrix
ALL….
i just looked again at our current assignment list….mostly men!! i have Erica, Audrey and maybe Anna and Kyung Hee with ideas, but where are the others??? Katia, one of my favorite photographers has not been heard from lately….both Erica and Audrey cannot shoot this month…
c’mon ladies, please please….
cheers, david
ALL….
i just looked again at our current assignment list….mostly men!! i have Erica, Audrey and maybe Anna and Kyung Hee with ideas, but where are the others??? Katia, one of my favorite photographers has not been heard from lately….both Erica and Audrey cannot shoot this month…
c’mon ladies, please please….
cheers, david
BEATRIX…
you posted just as i was posting, so i missed your comment….i read your idea several hours ago, but think it way too broad….sort of like doing an essay on “motherhood” or something..sure globalization is important, but what will you do to show globalization?? you could take a picture of almost anything and it could or would represent globalization!!! perhaps you could be more specific….please stay in conversation with me on this…. i know you care…and i care too….but you have to think of ways to make this succinct…
cheers, david
David, I was just having lunch with Jen Mcfarlane and suggested she send you a proposal..I think she emailed it to an earthlink address..
also at the end of California thread Aga expresses interest..
Hi David, I am jumping a little late in this thread… I am just starting a “new pay the bills” job and unfortunately didn’t have any time to go out shooting… Your proposal here is very exciting… I have no idea whether I would be eligible for it or not, I have a few ideas but no time right now and more important not sure what you think about my work… You didn’t send me a critique of the pictures I’ve sent a while ago for the essay and I am a little in a wait process as I would like to know the direction that you would suggest me to take… After reading all the posts here I realize that the pictures I sent where not tightly edited and would end up in 1 or 2 pictures maximum instead of 20… Also bad that the Dominican Republic workshop was canceled, I would have loved to join and learn, so much to learn… Day by day I am amazed to see some of the members websites, your blog pushed them up, that’s cool… To summarize, would it be possible to have a very short note about my submissions, I understand that you are very very busy and might not have the time… BTW I am thrilled to discover the pictures of your current project…
Enjoy
Yan
David, we posted simultaneously :)… thanks for the comments… I’m trying to focus on the cultural dimension of globalisation but as you pointed out is a very broad topic… currently I’m trying to limit my “case study” and reading some more literature on the topic. I really don’t want it to be the perspective that shows the spreading of western values because I believe it is more than that… mmmm Ill keep working on that… but please keep us updated on your own project and how you are developing it because it is very valuable and enjoyable!!
beatrix
Thanks for the feedback David…you’re right, it may be much easier to write about than shoot. I will put some more thought into this project. Will try to post some pics for you to see tonight.
Robert
BEATRIX AND ROBERT….
good attitudes , both of you…thanks….any criticism i give is intended to be totally constructive…sometimes constructive “hurts”, but i have absolutely no agenda other than to make you “look good”….and these discussions are totally “normal” in the process that goes into creating a good project…this back and forth chat will lead to good work…i look forward to developing solid projects for both of you…
cheers, david
YAN….
yes, i too would have liked to do the Dom Republic workshop…but , we just did not have time to set up the infrastructure in time…i have since been down to check it out, so i am sure we will do one in the future….i do not have access right now to the essay you sent for EPF…do you have a link to recent work you could post right now?? that might be easier….there are still about 15 photographers that i never reviewed for EPF…i must admit the reviewing process became more than i could handle in any practical way, with more than 50 reviews to do…this newer system of assignments gets the same result and is a much more feasible way to see the work of photographers here…thanks for your patience…
cheers, david
David,
Thanks for your comments and will keep on working on a more precise proposal for the assignment… by the way this is one of my favourite quotes related to globalization:
the globalization of ideas and identities is as important as the globalization of material flows in the global political economy (Morte Boas et al)
saludos,
beatrix
No problem David, thanks for your answer, I thought that it was even too bad to receive a review… I will try to get something new to show you soon …
I’d like to share with the rest of you this picture I have from last night of David curled up like a soldier in the corner of his son Bryan’s living room, sleeping like a baby, while the stragglers from “happy hour” continued to crank music and watch surf videos. Unfortunately there is no photo, only a memory.
David, I’ve been working a little bit today on some ideas around my ephemeral Outer Banks project that always seems to be one of those projects that’s “on the list” but never gets realized. And the more I write and think about it, the more impossible of a task it appears. Mainly because what I’d like to portray is something that doesn’t really exist. It revolves around that idealized, nostalgic notion of the Outer Banks, that sort of sepia-toned collective vision of a place that has been usurped by development and the march of time.
So here is the larger context, inside of which I’d like to build a small piece for this assisgnment, and hopefully continue to expand on it over the years.
The “palette” is the color of memory; the setting is the Outer Banks of old, the Outer Banks of “back in the day”…The Outer Banks of ex-girlfriends, old beachfront bars, and long, lazy summers…The Outer Banks of legend, of Blackbeard and the Wright Brothers, of shipwrecks and pirate hideouts…The Outer Banks of the “Unpainted Aristocracy”, the summer homes of old North Carolina tobacco and textile families…The Outer Banks of bonfires and late afternoons drinking beer on the tailgate of a pickup truck on the beach…The Outer Banks of my parents’ generation, where young couples shagged the night away in dance halls to that Carolina version of Motown known as “beach music”…The Outer Banks of the early surf pioneers, of 12-foot wooden longboards and buzz-cuts. And of the 70’s and 80’s, with short boards, short shorts, and big hair..The Outer Banks of old motels like the Buccaneer, the Sea Kove, the Cavalier…single-story strip-mall-style motels with old musty-smelling rooms, window a/c units, and towels and bikinis drying from the clothes line out front…Windswept dunes, leathery faces, bleached-out hair, and weathered cedar…Thunderheads rolling in, a chiaroscuro sky. Pampas grass glowing in the late-afternoon sun.
I can see it all, but to actually turn this into a photo project I would probably be too large an undertaking for a month-long assignment, at least not without a team of production assistants, and I’m not really that kind of photographer anyway. I’d have to figure out a way to “re-create” a lot of these images, since they are now lost to development, modernization, and the changing times. It would require a fair amount of research and imagination as well. So I’m not proposing this picture as the basis for a project, more presenting it as a kind of context, or as I said before, a palette to draw from.
But with that palette in mind, I’d like to do a piece around surf culture on the OBX. I’m thinking that the touchstone for the project would be a series of environmental portraits of various characters in the surfing scene, from young pros to grizzled old-timers, multigenerational surf families, wahines, grommets etc…but shoot them all in an old-time style, kind of the way Joyce Tenneson did her profile on the Yankees some years back.
My working title for this has been “Surf/Life” and I was going to include, in addition to the portraits, a lot of scene-setting photos taken in the water, not so much performance surfing shots, but just things like a group of guys paddling out, a crew sitting on their boards watching a set roll in, a lone surfer in the water on one of those times right around sunset when the ocean is a sheet of glass and water and sky are perfect mirror images of each other and the horizon is almost indistinguishable…Then I was going to include some scenes like a post-surf session, hanging out on a porch drinking coffee or beer, wetsuits hanging from the porch railings, and, of course, the classic view of a group of guys standing on top of a sand dune looking out over the ocean, “checking it”…again, though, these are imagined/remembered/recreated scenes, almost more the realm of a cinematographer/director than a photographer, especially a street photographer. I’m not much of a “set-up” guy, which is probably why I’m having trouble getting this project going. I usually like to find something that is already happening and get in there and “find” good photos, not make them up. For this project I think I’d need to strike some kind of happy medium, where I hang with various groups who obviously know they are being photographed and are willing to participate in a little prompted scene-setting, but not necessarily doing anything they wouldn’t be doing anyway.
One of my main considerations would be lighting and weather, as these are the things that really make the Outer Banks stand out visually. The difference between ordinary and extraordinary light is often a matter of seconds around here, and more than anything I want to capture the drama of the weather here, while somehow managing to put people in the photos.
Well that’s all I’ve got for now. I’ve also been tossing around this “Ghosts of the Outer Banks” idea, that gets more into the theme of memory and history, but I don’t have as many concrete ideas for that. Now it’s time to shut my computers down, we’ve got one of those classic thunderstorms rolling in…
ALL:
To add to David’s original selection of terrific photographers and with now David’s call for Ladies to step forward (cant wait to see Kyung-Hee, Erica, Audrey and Anna), can I recommend (for those of you who are silently hiding):
1) Katia Roberts!!!!
2) Cathy: Im guessing, she HAS TO BE ready to go!
3) Kelly Lynn (where are u 2, Amsterdamn?)
4) Katarina Hesse (!!!!!) I know she’s lurking!!!
5) Lee Guthrie
6) Kloie Picot
7) Albertina d’Urso
These are just a few quick names that I can think of here…
I HOPE ALL THE LURKERS OUT THERE HEED THIS CALL! :))))….
ok, really now off for a few days :))
have fun y’all:
I CANT WAIT TO SEE THE 1ST “EDITION” IN JUNE! :)))
hugs
running
b
DAVID AND ALL,
I wanted to share with you some of the ideas that I have in mind, some of them are “in transit” already but far to finish, and others are just rising in my mind since a while.
My main self assignment right now is about the María Lionza cult here in Venezuela. There is a place very important in this cult, is calle “Montaña del Sorte” and I have been two times in there. But I have been there only in dates that I know are very significant.
What I was thinking was to go deeper into the normal practice of the adoration of María Lionza, to go in regular weekends and also to expand my search out of this place and look for other manifestations around this image in the rest of the country.
Another project maybe more complex is about my parents and their origins.
My parents are two very different persons. My father is a man very very quiet and introvert but my mother is absolutely the opposite. They also come from two far-away places of my country. I barely remember the two places because I visited when I was a child, but I was curious about the relationship between these two places, and how it reflect into the personalities of my parents.
What I was thinking as a project was to go to the places and photograph, and in parallel to take portraits of each one and try to find the traces of the places each one grew.
Other project that am working on now is photographing a small town in the shore. This is a town which survives with artisan fishing and some tourism. I have been there a couple of times and taken some pictures.
This is a town that produces in me opposite feelings. Is a very peaceful place but also is like a ghost town. Every time I go I feel a mixture of fine relax and an unbearable boredom. I’m planning to continue photographing this town and use it as a starting point for a larger project about the little towns along Venezuelan shore.
I also started to do some street photo, here in Caracas, but I want to concentrate it in the first hours in the morning. I like the idea of photographing people in the first moment of the day… how people start their day… what do they do… how do they prepare for another day…
This is one project that suits me very well now because is in the hours that am not yet in my job, and in fact am in the same situation that all the people I intend to photograph.
There are some other projects but these four are the ones am really cooking in my mind right now…
What do you think?
Saludos,
OK I am up for something if it means waving the banner for the women out there! (Brother BoB you left me off your list- I am hurt!)
I have been photographing Indigenous issues in Oz for so long now and I have a couple of things still up my sleeve its just I definitely need funding for those stories and until I win the lottery, they will unfortunately remain undone. One day, one day…
BUT…
David I have two proposals. One that I have had on the back burner for a while but I am finding it terribly difficult to get motivated to do and I have the contacts for and really its just a matter of whether I want to do it
OR
I have the other for which I would be able to do quite easily and it would be a continuation if work I did years ago.
The first is worthy and informative , the second would be visually beautiful and I am not sure I would get off my backside to do either of them without a push. Though I think they are both nice stories.
So without saying what exactly they are yet, which do you think?
Worthy or beautiful? Always been my dilemma!
LISA!!!…NO SHIT, I WAS JUST TYPING YOUR NAME UP NOW!!! I KID YOU NOT!!!….I just finished writing a letter to Glenn C and i thought:
FUCK I FORGOT MY SISTER!!!!
ok, let me post what i was about to post….
EDITORIAL COMMENT: I started this post before I saw my beloved Lisa H’s post (truth ! )::)))))
——————————————-
DAVID: sorry for the triple post, i guess it there was a problem with my computer or with typepad…but, sorry it looks so LOUD! ;))…
I forgot to include my favorite sister Lisa Hogben! I KNOW you remember her from Thailand! (she was the one who was sent to the hospital after wrestling that damn tiger that jumped at your from the bush: that’s how frickin’ strong and brave my sister is: you owe her bro! :))) )….Lisa is an incredible photographer and would produce for you a brilliant essay…let her continue her aboriginal project…i’ve seen lots of it and showed some here last december: she ROCKS and I know she’ll produce big and on time for u! :)))
CHRIS: GREAT STORY :)))…i love the outerbanks so much…and thing there is nothing but beautiful ghosts there in the sea grass and the dunes…i personally WOULD LOVE to see something on the OB…i like your color pics from there on the website, but Im hungering for the ghosts you point out: by the way, my dad would immediately run to this blog too if there were an Outer Banks story! :)))
ok, running
hugs y’all
bob
———————————-
\
p.s. Lisa: that was typed before i left my first note :))))…big big hugs :))
Awww…… BoB!
Now, you know it wasn’t actually a tiger…. It was a big woolly heffalump with horns the size of an British warship stranded in Antartica!
It really was! truly!
No worries, I was just joshing about the list, but I would like to do something just to force me to get off my ‘bunti’ (which is Kamilaroi for backside!)
Hugs and kisses to you too Bruz, when does Tamara get there?
Everybody- nearly ready with my relaunched site too, will let you know when to look!
Cheers
Hi David…and everyone else too..
I have been toying with the idea of photographing strangers in an apartment building. Just knocking on doors and seeing what happens. I mentioned this here on the blog while you were in blues country…
I am interested in this mainly because i like the challenge of it and believe that there is the possiblity of intimate portaits. Sure there will be a lot of slammed doors and also the possiblity of police…but it is also a realm where being a woman might mean that access to strangers in their homes might be possible. So I am not actually asking for the assignment but more your(and others) thoughts on it. I would put conditions on the images. No prior contact with anyone in the apartment building and no prearranged clearance. I have been keeping on eye out for which building to choose…anyway you get the idea.
Also, I deleted the first 75 today…rather easy, but I think it gets tougher from now on. I actually trust very few people and I also dont know of anyone to ask for the rest of the process. This is a very solitary pursuit and other than the Magnum workshop last week, no one has ever seen my portfolio. So I am open to any and all suggestions. I really am a “newbie” : )
@DAH: Really looking forwards to the online assignements results. I think that that’s fairly much on the right track on how to approach photography now that the internet is so widely spread (the production of short work, slideshows, mishmashes of different photographers’ images, highlighting photographs here and there). Now that we can see hundreds of photographs in a day things are definitively changing…
On another hand, the two issues. I think I’m not up for shooting any assignements for lack of time. I’m mostly focused into the ones that I have to finish at some point and the spare time is for preparing for the future ones. The colour slideshow I linked earlier on I think is transitional, but I took a very clear purpose to deviate from my own shots and try to get a roadtrip feel (Stephen Shore’s work was a big obvious influence, I’d say). I have never been very sure on my skill on shooting landscapes, but I think that I’ve managed to overcome the fear by that piece of work. Also it has been great for editing. And it has given lots of ideas on how to take advantage of opportunities for travel or having a car in some near future. Probably for people in the States it sounds crazy… but I am so rarely in a car that I get all excited… about six or seven times a year if I don’t count taxis…
David
I know that any and all criticism stems from your desire to help us be the best we can be…and it is much appreciated. As promised, here are a few photos that will hopefully let you see where I am trying to go with this project…
http://www.pbase.com/rmccurley/street_music
I included one from a few years ago in New Orleans that conveys the “look” I’m after.
After thinking about it more this afternoon, I think you’re right…I may not be able to make this project work without text. Maybe these are just street portraits…I don’t know…
@Nancy Paiva: you might want to check out “Stranger” by Shizuka Yokomizo:
http://www.photography-now.com/artists/K09264.html
She wrote letters to strangers telling them to wait at a certain time with the blinds open and lights inside on so she would shoot portraits. There was no interaction at any point. Her work always seems to rotate on what makes a stranger. Interesting stuff.
David
I know that any and all criticism stems from your desire to help us be the best we can be…and it is much appreciated. As promised, here are a few photos that will hopefully let you see where I am trying to go with this project…
http://www.pbase.com/rmccurley/street_music
I included one from a few years ago in New Orleans that conveys the “look” I’m after.
After thinking about it more this afternoon, I think you’re right…I may not be able to make this project work without text. Maybe these are just street portraits…I don’t know…
@Joni Karanka- I seen an image hanging in San Francisco by
Shizuka Yokomizo and it has always stuck with me…but I must admit that I actually like the interaction and the stories that come with it…not always…but when there is a connection it is beautiful..
http://www.flickr.com/photos/torontogalphotos/1993445990/in/set-72157600086330724/
DAVID,
I have given it a try to edit my Antigua work down to 15 images so hopefully, you will look at this as a “tight” Edit. I have captured the essay on my site under “FNAL EDIT SEMANA SANTA”. Underneath, I have left my original Guatemala file with a lot more inages. I will be curious to know what you think of the final edit and, if we end up discussing the essay, I would love to know if you would have edited it down very differently from what I have done on my own. Will wait to hear from you. As talked, depending on what you think, I would be happy to continue something like BUS STOP….
Cheers,
ERIC
DAVID
I am going to my hometown Kamienna Góra (it’s mean; Stone mountain).
This time I have not any expectation to my work. we’ll see.
marcin
Thanks so much Harvey, cant wait to see where this goes. I have been doing research and gathering info, collecting contacts etc, thiningk about the approach. Now its time to start calling around and see what I can pull together.
Hi David,
Wasn’t sure if you’d received my new desert photos that I sent, so I took the liberty of putting them up in a gallery in my digital railroad archive. If it makes it easier, you (or those at Look3) could just download the images you like from there.
A little background about this set, for anyone else who’s interested to have a look, is that I took these on a very short (4 day) trip to a patch of desert near to Beijing. It’s only 100km away from the capital and is advancing at about 10 metres a year according to local residents.
This is the first chance I’ve gotten to get back to the desert as I was slightly restricted from heading back out west due to areas being shut to vistors, especially foreigners. Things are easing up now though, so am planning to head back after Look3, hopefully for a month or so to really get stuck into the work.
For the time being though, hope you enjoy looking at these images.
http://archive.gallagher-photo.com/gpgs.aspx?pgid=16427263&e=0&p=0
Bestest to everyone,
Sean
AGA….
no, you are not too late!!! for one thing, there will be new assignments every month…let’s see how these first ones go….and some of the names i listed will not be able to shoot this month anyway….i like the Istanbul women project…let’s keep talking about that one….
NANCY…
hmmm, i am not quite sure what your point is on this one….i mean, you knock on a door and then just try to get in or you just shoot their reaction at the door?? is it about life in an apartment building or about a response to a stranger??? please define this for us more clearly….
LISA…
well, you got me laughing!!! worthy and informative or visually beautiful??? can’t you roll that all together?? of course, there is no way for me to know!!! both concepts can work depending on so many factors…c’mon Lisa , give us a hint…
cheers, david
SEAN…
i received the new work…you have several great photographs!!!…many thanks for continuing on your project…we will all be proud of your final essay…..
cheers, david
david
David,
how should I give you the work (file size, where to send or ftp, metadata/some sort of write up)? Also since you mentioned a soundtrack I suppose this will be a slideshow kind of presentation? Could you send me the technical details by e-mail? As well as deadline for when you want it?
CHARLIE…
i am curious to know where you want to go with your work…you have some very strong work particularly with “Living in the Shadows”….in some of the other essays you just need to please take out some of the cliche pictures to make your work really sing…so many photographers make the same mistakes..they show something great and then follow it up with a cliche or a “stock” looking photograph….as if to “round out” their work..resist this temptation…in about 10 minutes with you in person i could edit your work down and make your whole presentation absolutely fly….
where do you live?? and do you have something you would like to shoot now??? i know you can do it….
cheers, david
Hello,
No, I have in no way to decide
I am going to speak to you about my parents,
Brigitte and Bernard, my parents, are very simple and very kind persons, they worked all their life in the same pharmacy, moreover I always wonder how they made to bear itself in the work and in the house! They are married for 36 years, they are redeemed(pensioned off) for 4 years, they like the simple things, the good to eat and the hike(ride), they have two children of my sister, Amélia, 5 years old and Alessandro, age 2…
My father has problems of prostate, he made a biopsy recently, we wait for the results, we are a little bit worried, thus maybe also a need to photograph them by fear, but it is safe(sure) that I am going to photograph them over several years… We are a ” very reserved” family, we aren’t to be said ourselves ” I love you “, nor to kiss(embrace) us, it is difficult for us, I don’t know why, it is like that, it is the way also to say to them that I love them think of registering(recording) them, I had not thought of it I find that it is a very good idea!
We often said to me that I was too sensitive, that I got involved too much, that I didn’t take enough recession(drop), what is true but I say to myself that it is maybe what what personalizes me, I don’t know…
Silence, we tan! It would be more a funny approach of the tourists in the beach (I don’t claim to make of Martin parr, whom I like in the passage!) I don’t understand why everybody squeezes up some against the others while they would make some kilometres they would have deserted beaches! But not, people prefer to be stuck some on the others that makes me laugh…It is a way of making me “violence” and of going towards the others, but as you say it as soon as I shall have said hello to them, they will be no more strangers…
I hope to have been able to light(enlighten) you, that do you think of it?
Thank you
audrey
MARCIN…
i have great expectations from your work…now is your time….use your heart and your energy wisely….do not TRY…just BE……
peace, david
Hehehehe!!!!!!!!!
Yay, made you laugh!
OK worthy and informative, the drug use down in Eveleigh Street, the ‘Block’ Its not a topic I have spent a lot of time on in the past ‘cos well it was done by another photographer and it was not a sympathetic viewpoint and it played right into the hands of the sensationalist and racist press. I have all the leads in there but it is seen as a really shameful thing to Aboriginal people. I guess why it could be worthy is ‘cos I could give it a different feel to the job that the other person did. I can go in and I am sure it wouldn’t be too much of a problem, but I just have to ask myself is it something that needs to be photographed again- will it benefit anyone? If I could draw attention to the lack of participation in the drug rehabs that are offered maybe that would be useful but otherwise isn’t it just more photos of junkies with needles in their arms reinforcing negative stereotypes? This is why I am having a hard time motivating myself, plus I have been working at the ‘Block’ for such a long time it is the last story I could do there. And I am just not sure I want to buy into the stereotyping…
The other one is a continuation from the days of my ‘Carnies’ project, which though I have shot a humungous amount I have never done anything with. I have this whole thing about the Circus, how people mask themselves to create these outlandish characters that can do things that normal people can’t. Now I know that I could shoot ‘Burlesque’ here very easily and within the time frame and it is an intrinsically beautiful thing so there in lies my dilemma, lots of stage lights and fancy costumes, the soul behind the mask or a much more squalid version where the mask is a drug?
See wot I mean?
PS DAH do you ever sleep? You have to be the most generous person on the face of the earth I just don’t know how you do it!
AUDREY….
ok, this is a very good thinking process you have going here….
i think you really only have two things to consider ….Charlene , who would almost be some kind of “past self portrait” and potentially very very strong… and your parents , who you have described in the most poignant way….
i would make the “tan project” something for later..you can do that anytime…
surely it is either your parents or Charlene….and i am thinking your parents to be perhaps the best..first of all, photographing your parents cannot wait til later……you cannot take your parents for granted…..you should photograph them now…now is all we have….even Charlene can wait, or do another teenager like Charlene later…you can find another teenager, but you cannot find other parents.if your parents will let you really dig in and work, then i would say go with them for your essay….you have nothing to lose by trying….and the worst you will have is a nice family document…the best you can have will be a beautiful personal essay…
what do you think???
cheers, david
david–
hi! :))
i’ve left 2 comments in your previous posts.
perhaps you didn’t see them?
i’ll cut and paste:
comment 1:
hello david.. :)
you wrote:
“find out if Katia can follow just one of her “lost” teenagers for a few days to see a parent;”
david, this is an INCREDIBLE idea – i would truly love this as an assignment. i cannot believe i haven’t thought of this myself! it opens up a whole new world to me – to see a youth reunite with a parent – WOW!
i’m in school until mid-june but am free for the summer. (did i tell you that the street kids have inspired me to return to school to pursue social work? that credential will also help me get (&shoot!) ‘behind-the-scenes’ in many places that i now cannot access. great perk!)
the best months for me to be assigned this would be july or august since i have those months completely to myself. (update: actually i can start in mid-june! 3 weeks from now!)
thanks for lifting me UP with this idea.
things have been so very sad around here since noel’s murder and XIII’s incarceration. this is the ‘lightest’ i’ve felt in at a month – THANK YOU!!
big ((((hug)))) to you and
be well, dear man.
:)
katia
comment 2 (excerpt):
on a side-note, did you receive my enthusiastic reply to your suggested assignment for me? i’ll be free of school in one month (mid-june) and will be ready and oh-so-willing to tackle your assignment with gusto!
katia
oh, and will you be showing any of my work at look3? (wish i could be there!!) if you need anything in higher-res, let me know.
iamkatia@gmail.com
be well you..
…
quick summary – yes!! i am thrilled to do your proposed assignment for me.
i can start in mid-june.
ok??
excited!!
k.
ANDREW SULLIVAN…
are you going to work more on Harlem jazz scene?? i cannot remember exactly where we left this in terms of your time available…
LISA…
i see your new post, but i am going to bed!!!!…back soonest….
Yes, you are totally right, I am going to work on my parents…
I can begin in June if you want, at the beginning of June, I have my sister who exactly comes to pass one week of holidays at my parents with youngs… thank you very much…
A small message in Nancy, Ana,Sean, Panos, Paul…
Nancy, I like your idea! When I was small, I wanted to be a doctor to be able to return at people and see how they lived…
Ana, I like very much your series on the girls and the women of Istanbul
Sean, Panos, Paul, I admire your work…
I had no time to look at all the works proposed here but I like this forum, all these exchanges and these high-quality works,
thank you,
Kind regards,
audrey
AUDREY,
Oui! For all the kissing hello on the 4 cheeks french are known and mocked for, and the romantic hand holding and kiss sharing so ubiquitous, We are a not touchy-feely as americans, within our families. Few/no hugging, and usually as Audrey says, affection is not projected in words, but in deed and feelings. We simply know! and outpouring of affection sounds corny or even suspicious! We need not tell, or emphasize, we know!
Often here, in the US, people seem to need to know or let it known.
yet, unlike Audrey, my Mom does not like the scrutiny/aim of my camera. However I think we can tell a lot about people by shooting where they live, rather than them directly. French households are loaded with telltale signs and objects. Just the wallpaper itself….
Herve,
I would have to present you Robert Ménard, reporters’ general Sécrétaire without borders, (www.rsf.org/), you maybe crossed him, he follows the Olympic flame!
ALL,
listen.. 1:09am..
I’m in Venice ..
I’m in trouble ..
my right eye is bruised…
I managed to hide and save the M8,
but I already lost my nikon with a 18-35..
I’m drunk, beaten up.. Fucked up..
police says that I should be charged with public
intoxication and …
they will possess the iPhone…
I spat on the officer ..
I was homeless but now I found my home..:
jail..
well… Bail?
$30k… Spat on the officer..
I apologized…
made it worst…
my phone is dying… Out of battery..
they let me keep it..
weird, useless,.. No battery left..
no bathroom in here..
they took my leica…
fuck them…
powerless…
venise pd..
i still have thé sd card in my sock../
I am re
David
i have been workin woth Eric Valli
for the last three years
the way Eric speaks of you
i feel like i know you
so was looking for you last night at the Polka Vernisage in Paris
They did right by you
the horse theme was breathtaking
you were the hit of the show
there had been talk of you being there
honestly
it is a nice space
the genestar family is good people
but
you didn’t miss much
bourgeois backslapping
a few of the faithful came
to shake your hand
to thank you for having the balls
to frame dynamically
to underexpose radically
to break the rules
making way for us all
i’ll be in brooklyn in two weeks
getting ready for the next photo mission
it should be good adventure
i’d like to buy you a beer
tell you about
godspeed
Holden
Umm.. Panos?
I can’t tell if you are joking or not? Jails have good internet access in Venice?
If you are incarcerated but with excellent internet access then we can look forward to more comments no?
If anyone has got time, or is doing time, I’m playing with my portfolio site at:
http://www.iseepeople.co.uk
The sports stuff is old, but constructive criticism on the singles and stories is welcome. I’m not in great shape for a project just now but I’d appreciate comment.
Cheers, back to lurking & working
PANOS….ALL
i will call LAPD now to see what is going on….
I am litle bit lost in such a lot of comments… :-)
Regarding to my my project about young women in Istanbul – religious part is in back and white, and i think modern doesn’t fit into black and white.. i did RAWs so i have also color version and i just fixed into color on my website..
what do you think about that? I am a bit confused because my religous girls looks good in black and white and modern better in color (it’smy opinion).. what to do? separate both stories?
i am going to shoot more of course, i am working on the contacts (i found a lot of good contacts)… I will stay in Istanbul for the end of May but later i go back to Poland (so i can not work on it in June :-()
Hi David! Hi All! :-) Haven’t commented much, I know… actually due to job&personal stuff and my everyday shooting&developing&scanning I haven’t tracked too carefully whats going on on the roadtrip ;)… however if I could propose an assigment for myself, it would be – lets name it – “bus stories”, a curious passenger point of view… that’s the only non-streetphotography thing I can think of I can commit myself to at the moment… so tell me what you think :-) I am shooting more and more while traveling lately… so it would be ongoing project… can I use some work that already exist? many thanks in advance :-)
PANOS I am alarmed are you OK!
DAH I know I can always put people to sleep!
Sleep and be well you two!
HELLO ALL….PANOS(wherever you are)
i just spent half an hour on the phone with the Los Angeles Police Department….
there is no Panos Skoulidas in jail in Venice Beach or anywhere in their system…nor was there ever a Panos Skoulidas arrested etc within the last 24 hours….they also told me they have no jail cells without a bathroom and once booked into jail they have telephones for prisoners to use and they would have confiscated any iphone right away…
actually, to my surprise and to his credit, the police officer in charge at the Venice Beach jail was extremely polite and helpful and professional and said the only possibility he could think of was that sometimes if someone is hurt they go to a hospital first before being put in the jail…
so, i am totally confused….
Panos joke?? wrong jail???
Panos, what’s up???
cheers, david
p.s. there is not enough money in the Emerging Photographer Fund to get somebody out of jail anyway!!!!
PANOS….
SENDING EMAIL NOW…
DAVID, LET US KNOW….
running to write…
bob
@Aleksander Nowak: long time no see! Have you checked All Zones Off Peak by Tom Wood? It fairly much finished off public transport photography for me. 15 years of riding busses in Liverpool.
@Panos: whatever it is you certainly know how to use your mobile phone in advantage. Good luck…
Joni – nope, I haven’t, but what I see on google images actually give me black thoughts… :-| thanks for that anyway! maybe I should reconsider the project and start _walking_ to work and back home … ;-)
It’s early in LA, but I called Panos’ cell and left him a message saying he should post when he wakes if he is okay indeed..
PANOS,
Hope you’re OK and not in too deep problems. Don’t want to see you, your iPhone and M8 in the hands of LAPD.
Best
DAVID,
I’ve been working for an artist on a paid commision for a while. Can that be interesting as an essay? She’s doing the editing herself for her exhibition, but I might do a different edit for myself. I’ve been documenting the building process of her large artwork in tile.
Cheers
Been refreshing this page waaay too often. Panos, I hope you’re OK, wherever or whatever is going on.
Forgot iphones do this internet thing nowadays! If that was typed while inside a jail, I think you get an award to dedication to this forum. Also good to see DAH doing some detective work.
neil
same here… :))
refreshing like there’s no tomorrow
hope you are ok Panos, and that David finds you soon…
peace
anton
DAVID + ALL,
I’ve called four hospitals in the area (St John’s, Santa Monica; Daniel Freeman, Marina Del Rey; Brotman, Culver City; and Santa Monica/UCLA Medical Center, Santa Monica). They have no record of Panos in emergency.
ok.. Now THIS IS INSANE…
let me explain ….
FUCKING STEVEN…
DAH, BOB, LISA ,all…
Last night.. I was really upset..
I talked to BOB for a sec..
then I called the “INSIDER” STEVEN..
meet me at the boardwalk midnite…
So far so good
Steven had already seen the way I portrayed him in
my blog… as a CON ARTIST.. I didn’t now..
he wanted revenge ..
he set up an attack…
gangmembers, friends, shitheads..
I thought I was smart, invisible.. Bullshit..
he punished me.. WITH MY OWN WEAPONS..
Long story short..
I got PUNKED.. and then PUNKED YOU AND EVERYONE..
I thought I got robbed and mugged in his presence…we run together..
they-HE got my nikon and iPhone (through the gangmembers..)
he knew about the BLOG STORY..
he BLOGGED PRETENDING ITS ME..
1) I would never spit on anyone..
2) how can I save one camera and not the other.???
make no sense..!
Anyways… After he “SAVED” me from the gangmembers??!!!,
he gave me shelter somewhere in HOLLYWOOD..( I paid for taxi too-
because the gangmembers ??! NEVER TOOK MY WALLET EITHER..!??
and I just “found” my camera and iPhone ..
because last night we were both drugged up and I couldn’t call the cops
for the phone or the nikon in the middle of the fucking night..
I passed out ( still am) somewhere in Hollywood ..
Steven ,THE CON ARTIST POSTED PRETENDING ITS ME..
through my” LOST “PHONE.
I got so punked..
I thought I was invisible ..
I BECAME HIS INSIDER FOR THE NIGHT..
Ok.. Sum it up…
POLICE NEVER GOT INVOLVED IN ANYTHING..
now I’m apologizing to YOU , to LAPD ,
and STEVEN which I tried to “USE” as an INSIDER
WITHOUT ASKING HIS PERMISSION..
He knew I wouldn’t call the cops… DOPE in my pocket…!
I played with fire but instead of burned I got RIDICULED..
Steven gave me back camera and phone…
taught me a lesson.. Got “INITIATED”,
on my fucking birthday..
Anyways.. Going back to Venice now,
WITH STEVEN THE CON ARTIST…
still laughing..at my expense..
but I deserved it..
I THOUGHT I WAS THE HUNTER…
I BECAME THE PREY…
All that bullshit..
sorry for wasting David’s , Bob’s and everyone’s time..( plus LAPD’s)
…I’m ok,
but .. Little ashamed…
one of those things you don’t want anyone to know..
I thought I was invisible .. Doing
my thing.. Fuck it.
LOOKING FOR NEW “INSIDERS” today..
I will post some work tomorrow night…
( I can’t believe STEVEN, even writes like me..
but then again, everyone can write or post as
two year old.. Fuck it..
I want attention on my work but not THIS SORT
OF LAME ATTENTION..)
Dont know if I should LAUGH or get ANGRY..
back to work..
Thank you ALL..
PANOS!!!
I really hope you are only too drunk and you are ok!
DAVID
first serious problems… but all problems exist to be solved!
will be good.
greetings from frontline
oh man! so many comments all the time it keeps me kind of lost in all this reading without proper threads/organization. i made a little google search and i had found a great free service called Disqus and after made a registration now i know how to improve typepad blogs discussion. with Disqus the user gets:
1 – discuss by threads (in a silgle post)
2 – reply/notification by email to the user comment
4 – no more page comment breaks
3 – and lot more (just google disqus to find more)
David if you want i can make the implementation in road trip, it will be a pleasure. so if you have the time to think about this, just send me an email.
all the best!
nelson
oh man! so many comments all the time it keeps me kind of lost in all this reading without proper threads/organization. i made a little google search and i had found a great free service called Disqus and after made a registration now i know how to improve typepad blogs discussion. with Disqus the user gets:
1 – discuss by threads (in a silgle post)
2 – reply/notification by email to the user comment
4 – no more page comment breaks
3 – and lot more (just google disqus to find more)
David if you want i can make the implementation in road trip, it will be a pleasure. so if you have the time to think about this, just send me an email.
all the best!
nelson
oh man! so many comments all the time it keeps me kind of lost in all this reading without proper threads/organization. i made a little google search and i had found a great free service called Disqus and after made a registration now i know how to improve typepad blogs discussion. with Disqus the user gets:
1 – discuss by threads (in a silgle post)
2 – reply/notification by email to the user comment
4 – no more page comment breaks
3 – and lot more (just google disqus to find more)
David if you want i can make the implementation in road trip, it will be a pleasure. so if you have the time to think about this, just send me an email.
all the best!
nelson
oh man! so many comments all the time it keeps me kind of lost in all this reading without proper threads/organization. i made a little google search and i had found a great free service called Disqus and after made a registration now i know how to improve typepad blogs discussion. with Disqus the user gets:
1 – discuss by threads (in a silgle post)
2 – reply/notification by email to the user comment
4 – no more page comment breaks
3 – and lot more (just google disqus to find more)
David if you want i can make the implementation in road trip, it will be a pleasure. so if you have the time to think about this, just send me an email.
all the best!
nelson
oh man! so many comments all the time it keeps me kind of lost in all this reading without proper threads/organization. i made a little google search and i had found a great free service called Disqus and after made a registration now i know how to improve typepad blogs discussion. with Disqus the user gets:
1 – discuss by threads (in a silgle post)
2 – reply/notification by email to the user comment
4 – no more page comment breaks
3 – and lot more (just google disqus to find more)
David if you want i can make the implementation in road trip, it will be a pleasure. so if you have the time to think about this, just send me an email.
all the best!
nelson
oh man! so many comments all the time it keeps me kind of lost in all this reading without proper threads/organization. i made a little google search and i had found a great free service called Disqus and after made a registration now i know how to improve typepad blogs discussion. with Disqus the user gets:
1 – discuss by threads (in a silgle post)
2 – reply/notification by email to the user comment
4 – no more page comment breaks
3 – and lot more (just google disqus to find more)
David if you want i can make the implementation in road trip, it will be a pleasure. so if you have the time to think about this, just send me an email.
all the best!
nelson
oh man! so many comments all the time it keeps me kind of lost in all this reading without proper threads/organization. i made a little google search and i had found a great free service called Disqus and after made a registration now i know how to improve typepad blogs discussion. with Disqus the user gets:
1 – discuss by threads (in a silgle post)
2 – reply/notification by email to the user comment
4 – no more page comment breaks
3 – and lot more (just google disqus to find more)
David if you want i can make the implementation in road trip, it will be a pleasure. so if you have the time to think about this, just send me an email.
all the best!
nelson
David, since your life has been on fast forward you may have missed my post about my having to cancel out of your LOOK3 workshop & the entire event for that matter. Health issues with my husband are keeping home for now. Hope to catch you another time.
Patricia
PATRICIA,
i hope YOU received my well wishes (second page of “california???”).
PANOS….
OK, young man, 4.8 for the compulsory figures, let’s see how you will do in the free program.
Shape up, will ya?!?!?
Love,
H
PS:Do you think Steven will send me back the 30 000$ bail? :-))))
Panos
this is good, that you are all right.
Panos
You don’t get punked by halves do you?
PATRICIA…
yes, i did read that….and so sorry i will miss you…there is just not enough time in the day to answer “everyone, all the time” in these comments…but, i do hope we will meet at some point in the future….the class is full with a waiting list, so all is ok….
NELSON…
cool…can you take this on??? i have no time, michael has no time etc etc…whatever you think would make things easier, i am up for it of course…yes, the comment breaks drives me crazy…how do you organize by threads more than what we already have?? i do not see how that is possible, but tell me tell me…
cheers, david
KATIA…
my apologies, yes, i did miss your comment!!! when i was shooting down in Mississippi, i got behind in the comments…i thought i caught up, but i must have missed a whole page….anyway, all is good because you do not want to shoot until july …perfect…i will have you down on the next assignment list…so so pleased this will work out for you…pls. stay in touch…
LISA….
yes, i do see what you mean…hmmmm, both stories have potential problems…needles vs. masks…..well, honestly you do not sound particularly enthusiastic about either…i mean “you cannot like it a lot, you gotta love it!!” lots of folks looking at what you will do here….like a workshop on steroids…i mean thousands….better be sure before you step out..know what i mean???
ALEKSANDER…
welcome back!!! to have a good “from the bus” story in black & white would be very nice…can you do this within the next few weeks??? i would even like to have in sooner for my presentation for Emerging Photogs at the Look3 photo festival…pls. let me know when you can begin….
cheers, david
DAVID,
seems as if the slideshow at LOOK is broadening a bit..do you think it would make sense to include some of my newer work (if there is space/or instead of some of he other) from 40 days, the lent piece against the black background? just a thought..
DAVID,
I plan to get back to Africa in the Fall (Oct/Nov/Dec), which is when I propose doing this “assignment.” In the meantime, I plan to continue seeking funding. However, if you’re absolutely encouraging us to perform before summer’s end, I will beg, borrow and steal in order to get over there sooner.
The pictures I’ve made thus far were made in just a few days in two locations: 1) in a boarding school dorm; and 2) with a “family” of kids living in the original epicenter of the AIDS pandemic. I would love to spend more time in both locations, as I wasn’t there long enough to do either justice. What I’ve experienced so far is simply the tip of the iceberg. I would like to go into different dorm rooms, different ages, guys, girls… I would also like to shadow the rural family of kids for a bit, thereby contrasting those who receive assistance with those who don’t.
Another thing I’m considering — though I’m not yet certain how I would connect them — is to incorporate the link between chimps and AIDS. In the coming days, I plan to contact an HIV/AIDS researcher who is engaged in environmental work to demonstrate the relationship between these two issues. (perhaps this is better left to writing?? not sure.)
I am thankful for your consideration + look forward to hearing your thoughts.
Anna
AGA….
i have no problem seeing work mixed b&w with color…like everything else, it depends on how you do it…i would like to see modern Istanbul women in something other than a club…i think this is all you have so far….or am i wrong??
please tell me of something you could do either this month or next that would be an addition to your current work…we can eventually put it all together….
ERICA…
the Look3 presentation is to show the work of the group of photographers we have here….there are even a few so called “lurkers” who have presented me with work…i just want to identify the forum….i think we have many pictures to show of yours, but let me see it all if you want…the nature of a group slide show usually means it looks best with no more than 8- 10 pictures per photog…
cheers, david
HI DAVID..
as it is more recent work, I feel closer to it and would be more excited to have it seen, and I have some audio too i recorded.. but of course your call..
http://www.ericamcdonaldphoto.com
then New York, then 40 Days
thanks for looking..I’d be happy to swap out the older 8-10 for the new.
David..
sure.. it’s not all i will have..
it’s the beggining and only part of my story about modern girls.. i already have contact to girls who are models, graffity artists, painting artists, skateboard girl, tatoo artist, girls emo band…
i just need to go out (I am ill since friday’s party.. i have flu.. but i hope on friday i will be ok again) and i will have about one or two weeks to shoot…
DAVID
i don’t know if you had the opportunity to see my previous post… ?
can you tell me some feed back?
abrazos,
PANOS>….
well, im happy and relieved…but, exhausted…sent like 10 emails to folks all over LA doing calls for me…
im happy u r ok….sad it happened like this,
by the way, the “BOB” you talked to last night wasnt me, but one of your venice people, let’s make that clear…
ok, tired, tired…
happy u r ok ….and i think u owe david, anna, erica some fine photographs, or your friends do…
running
b
Yes, dear Anna, I am so grateful for your well wishes regarding my husband’s health & my disappointment about missing LOOK3. It was most kind of you. Bob B & Erica have also been solicitous. Thanks to all.
DAVID – thanks! I’ll start immediately! ;-) Whats the deadline for the LOOK3 option?
Hi, David. For my assignment, can you include me among those working on longer projects? I have been photographing Indian diaspora communities around the world for about six years, with a few more to go.
Here are 21 pictures:
http://archive.prestonmerchant.com/my/glbs.aspx?msid=0&lid=16441795&e=0&p=0
For your assignment, I would continue photographing in and around New York as part of IndiaWorld. Will that work for you, or do we need to make it more specific?
Thanks,
Preston
DAVID, CHRIS….
Chris, I was hoping to be the first photographer ever (HAHA) to shoot surf culture “street” style… It’s something I started last year but since I won’t be back at the (West) coast till mid-October it will be great to see what you come up with and learn from your experiences.
Let me know if you want anyone to look at your images, help edit.
I originally set out to be a surf photographer…several guys I knew from high school (in Florida) are the top surf magazine shooters. Went right to the North Shore after high school…still a surfer girl at heart…
Here’s a thought…and interesting coincidence to post this just after the post from Preston who is shooting Indian culture outside of India…When I first read the comment from Chris I thought “too bad I can’t shoot surf culture…I’m in New Mexico” but then I decided it could be very interesting to shoot surf culture AWAY from the ocean…Native Americans at a pow wow wearing North Shore t-shirts…that type of thing…
I’m going to keep my eyes open and have this as a ‘back burner” project but it could take a long time to come up with material. I don’t imagine it will be easy to find…
BOB,
Thanks for volunteering me! :)) Yes, I’m wanting to be ready but unless I commit to the “construction of my house” project which I am completely consumed with for the next month any assignment I do will have to be later in the summer.
ALL..
Here’s a shot that got away….(no camera…yes, I’m an IDIOT) Use your imagination on this..
1-right side of image:.Guy INSIDE house laying a floor on his hands and knees facing left
2-vertical:wall of house
3-left side of image: guy on his hands and knees OUTSIDE house laying brick…facing right…the two guys are nose to nose with the wall between them.
MARCIN,
Yes, courage is what it takes! Thank you for reminding me. Glad to see you did not forget this.
HOLDEN….
thank you for your comments and your report from Paris….you are certainly welcomed to visit me when you are in New York…please call me 202 413-1137…..i look forward to meeting you….
cheers, david
CHRIS BICKFORD…
hey dude, just as you have no picture of me sleeping in the corner, i have no picture of you coming in the door to retrieve your cameras left behind from the night before!!! let’s call it even!!
well, you know i must like the patina and mood you have described for the “Surf Life”….nostalgic, romantic…yesterday and today….ok, do this….if you don’t, i will!!!
do not worry about what you can do in one month…just give us a taste…two or three pictures would be fine…really give us the mood and the sense of it all…you are in the heart of it, you are part of it…make this work….lucky you!!
CARLOS MARTINEZ….
i have never been to Venezuela and am not so familiar with the cult of Maria Lionza, but i think that is the project Cristina Garcia Rodero has been doing…and assume this cult is something similar to Candomble and Santeria…do you know Cristina’s Venezuala work?? of course, that does not mean you should not do it as well….the other ideas are not really ideas but things you enjoy shooting…there is a difference…please tell me more about the Maria Lionza cult and is it something you could shoot now??? i was thinking the primary rituals were sporadic or maybe even only once per year in their most dramatic manifestation….but you tell me…
cheers, david
Yeah, I have a bad habit of sleeping in my clothes and getting through half the next day before showering and changing:) I must have looked pretty rough…
Cathy, thanks for the good words. Hey, what about skate culture in New Mexico?
Thanks for the thumbs-up David, I know we had talked about this earlier and you had some reservations, that it needed a little bit more of an angle. But as always your input got me thinking and now the concept is getting more focused.
I was out for a long cycle this afternoon and the light was beautiful (should have been shooting) and I passed some of the old souvenir shops and motels on the beach road, their garish red and green colors positively glowing against a cloudy horizon…and I had this idea of shooting some of the area’s local surf celebs in Kodachrome, standing in front of these old buildings, wearing 80’s short shorts and standing next to vintage boards. Some of those guys have the classic “bushy-bushy blonde hairdo” so it could look pretty authentically “retro”…
Then, another era, some of the more buzz-cut guys (not so many of them around here these days, but maybe I can convince one or two of them to buzz their locks for “art”) standing out in front of a classic Nag’s head weathered cedar cottage. That, probably in black-and-white…
I’ve started to get a few people on board, a local videographer friend of mine who is really tight with a lot of the pro crew here is “amped” to get me in with them and get me “in the water”…I know most of the guys, at least enough for a “what’s up”, but it will be good to have someone who knows them well to get me in a little tighter.
Anyway, I’m gonna get started on it and pretty much spend the summer doing it. It’s just as well because I have no money this year to travel…
DAVID,
this is Dimitri, I was in your workshop last October, hope you still remember me! I am lame for not being also a regular on this blog, but as you know I masochistically am a full-time graduate student (for the time being!), so unfortunately photography usually has to take second place in my schedule, even though it’s first in my heart!
Anyway, even though I will just be echoing about 500 other people, I also wanted to say that your generosity with this blog and your mentorship is OUT OF THIS WORLD!
I just logged in after many days so I just now found out about your great idea with the monthly assignments. I can only hope that eventually you may give me an assignment too. As it happens, I completed a self-imposed project just a couple of weeks ago, on Easter religious processions in Greece. I would love to get your feedback on it if possible, so you can see whether there has been any development in my work since October.
BUT: is there any way that you can look at portfolios if someone does not yet have a website??? I will be eagerly waiting for your reply!!
Thanks so much,
Dimitri
David
thanks for the digits
I am flying in on June 3
i will link up with you around then
do you want anything from Paris?
Godspeed
Holden
HI David and all…
I have been thinking about why I want to do this apartment shoot. It is about the reaction to strangers and also the ability and quickness(hopefully) at which a stranger will let down their guard. I dont want people to pose for me, although I am sure I will take those shots to get to the real ones I want. I suspect that if allowed into their space that I will spend a long time with the subject.
No I dont want the slamming doors shots…
I am thinking that a shot of the apartment building, either from the outside or a space within…to give the rest context…
Also, I have little problem approaching strangers and for the most part I dont get an abundance of rejections, so the apartment scenerio takes it to the next level..
In the end,,,I want shots of strangers behaving comfortable in their homes revealing something about them.
Nancy
David, great sight,glad i stumbled on it. I wonder if i might pose a question. well, first let me explain that i have not photographed in several years but recently bought a digital camera, and really love it, anyway, my question to you is:why is photography still narative. before you respond, if indeed you do respond, please give this question some serious thought.