Two Photographers from Critical Mass and a third I have just come across that I have found inspiring:
Jane Fulton Alt's images of controlled burning on the prairies are so unusual, it is hard to believe they are real. They are so beautiful to look at, intriguing and with a poignant metaphor behind them. They are the sort of images I could imagine blowing up large and putting on your wall...very striking.
Misha Friedman's work on the Ukraine is a series I am drawn to as well. The aesthetic is almost painterly. I don't quite understand how she has achieved it, particularly the lighting in the portraits. They almost look HDR'ed, which I'm sure is unlikely.
Phillip Toledano's 'Days with my Father' is a photographical account about his 98 year old father who has lost his short term memory...it is a beautifully created piece of work, showing sensitivity and emotion as well as important insights in to the difficulties of living with memory loss. I also like the format of the website...I find so many photographers websites, in their endeavour to be minimalistic, are so difficult to get around.
Thanks for bringing these to our attention. I enjoyed them, but especially the Toledano set, very moving, very tender. I agree with all that you say, however there was a slight pang on the last page - "order this book from Amazon.com". Despite this I wonder if he chose the depth of focus to be that short in every shot of his father as an allegorical motif?
ReplyDeleteInteresting points John. I guess photographers need to make money but on such a personal subject, quite tricky, I suspect it may have been demand led. The short dof is something I noticed too and perhaps there is reference to those fleeting moments of cognition in the midst of the fog. However, perhaps it was a technical decision, I frequently go shallow as I can't get the speeds and clarity any other way with my camera, even on high isos! I also felt that a couple of portraits of himself didn't sit comfortably in the set, but otherwise I really enjoyed it.
ReplyDeleteAll fascinating photographers, in their different ways. I also could live with Jane Fulton's work. Lots to think on, in all of them. thank you for sharing these.
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