Is it over.....

If you have not purchased this months Aperture magazine I would personally suggest you spend the money on something better like an egg roll or a sausage sandwich. Inside was the promise of Richard Misrach's latest work, the one photographer that has had the biggest influence on my own work. Now before I begin I should point out that I was never really keen on the Beach images Misrach produced a few years back, but I totally got it even though it didn't quite float my boat. But my little snappy friends I have to say this latest body of work seems like a very poor show. Its as if old Missy has gone through his archive and made some of his old images into negative positives (I know) (would of included an example but could not find one online. Just go into Borders and have a look..), but then I am told that Misrach is no longer shooting film and has gone the way of the pixel. Now I don't have a problem with any photographer going digital , in fact I don't care at all as its the image that's important (although the amount of dust on my last set of negs pushes me ever closer), but quite frankly these new images are toot.

And so after my tearful session in Borders Books I went (as promised here) to see Michael Kenna's latest work at the HackleBury gallery. The show was certainly a contrast to the ever changing work of RM. Here we have a photographer who still shoots with the same technique and shoots the same content as he did twenty years ago (the print size has never changed either), and they still deliver. Ok, I wasn't blown away like I was at my first Kenna show, but I enjoyed the show very much and would happily of taken a few away with me (thats right nicked them) had the nice chap at the gallery with the big hair not been in my eye line.

So all this whaffle now raises the question:
'Does a photographer keep shooting what they are best known for, or dare I say 'good at' therefore producing a lifetimes body of fine work ?'
'Or does a photographer change direction and try something totally different which in turn may be a load of old plop..?'

Answers on a postcard, or the back of a new Misrach print..