It’s Not Five O’Clock Here
The ArtistHe meets the camera like a man meets weather—steady, worn, still standing. They sing about It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere,where the day lets go easy.But not here. It’s Not Five O’Clock…
Please Read On ...Photography
The Black Bar Over The Eyes
Dirque du SoleilIt’s almost a symbol in its own right–that black bar over the eyes on photographs used to obscure identity. It’s a little artifact of visual culture that has been fascinating…
Please Read On ...Living The Art Life
Eric HathewayThe phrase “the art life” feels older than it sounds, but its current popularity owes a lot to David Lynch and his documentary David Lynch: The Art Life. What’s interesting…
Please Read On ...Seven Guides For Creating A Visual Language
Number One: Pursue Obsession Without Apology The subjects that return to you uninvited — the ones you feel almost embarrassed by their persistence — are precisely the ones worth pursuing.…
Please Read On ...Why A Personal Visual Language Matters
One might ask why this matters — whether it is not, finally, a self regarding project, a kind of extended navel-gazing with better materials. The answer is that a genuine…
Please Read On ...Creating A Personal Visual Language
Sometime, within the first few weeks of art school, someone will say it. A professor, a visiting critic, a paint-stained upperclassman leaning in a doorway–they say the same thing. And,…
Please Read On ...Photography: A Decisive Engagement With Reality
Since receiving my first rangefinder camera at age nine, I have learned from my practice and studies that photography is a decisive engagement with reality. This phrase suggests something far…
Please Read On ...f/8 And Don’t Be Late!
“f/8 and be there” — the old photographer’s mantra. I paraphrased this expression into the title of today’s post – f/8 and don’t be late” – but the spirit is…
Please Read On ...In Defense Of f/16
There is a peculiar moment in photography when technique begins to masquerade as doctrine. One hears it often, spoken casually but with quiet authority: don’t shoot at f/16. The reasoning…
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