My California.

May I invite you all to this little film made by wife during our time in the USA. Although a very personal short I think its worth showing here.

Photomonth (apparently)

As we are in the throws of Photo Month (I shall not pretend I knew anything about this, in fact I only discovered it this morning when I read the BJP) I thought I should mention something here as I would like to think of this blog as the small dirt road to whats going on in the photography world.. Photomonth basically looks like lots of juicy photography going on in the East End which may be worth a visit. Apparently this has been going on since 2002...
I particularly like the look of Kate Peters work. She has a very well thought out website and some very interesting work which although not the most original of content (who's is), her images of Chernobyl, America and dusty interiors are exceptionally well executed.
The work of Toby Smith also caught my eye in particular the Light After Dark series but I did not care for the lenghty text explaining the subject matter which really isn't necessary and perhaps a little overboard as the work speaks for itself. I would hate to say that Michael Kenna would never worded such things, but he did not...(see for yourself) but thats enough waffle from me, although I may come back to Smiths work some other time...
So theres lots to see this month photographically speaking, just wish someone told me sooner. Even my local village fate and 'Bake a Cake' Fridays had more press than this.....

Well I Never,,,

After reading about some new Leica DSLR with 37 million thousand pixels and thinking may be this is the start of the kind of pixalidge I would need if I where to go a bit digital I turned the page and saw this. With tears in my eyes and spilled coffee in my lap I was over joyed to see a new practical FILM camera that could replace the Mamiya 7 I foolishly traded for a few lenses. The fact that it folds up with a lens is simply brilliant and I have already started saving...

Oh, say can you see, By the dawns early light...

My wife found this photograph today and insisted I post it because I look happy. It was taken way back on my first trip out to the Salt Flats in Utah, such wonderful days and hot, it was 118 degrees at the time..! If you can take your gaze from my handsomeness and look at the image above you will see the American flag in tatters. Quite fitting for these times and worthy of a post.
I have always liked this shot (the landscape, not me) because it reminds me of the Apollo Moon landing and how easy it was /could of been to fake. It was also taken on the 4th July...Could this be my first iconic photograph...I do hope so.

Have you seen how skinny that tripod is...

Uta Kogelsberger..

I came across the work of Uta Kogelsberger today and have to say I rather like it in particular her Night Vision series (Night Vision, rings a bell). Her website is full of little goodies including an interview with a slide show..
I believe she is having a show at Photo Fusion from the 3rd October.
Hope those prints are huge....

What Economy....

Although I am not one of those people who wrap themselves in a blanket, turn off all the lights and hide in the corner whilst worrying about the economy, I have been on the edge a little since I started my accounts a few days ago. My own little economy is forever getting into trouble with expenses usually far exceeding my profit margins at which point I have to question why I took the artist route, especially when the cost of prints and shipping, plus 50% percent commission from the gallery (how did this ever happen) leaves me with barely enough to buy an espresso. The days of having an exhibition just for the thrill of it are long gone and like everything else in the world money has become the key factor...But my friends there is hope with the prospect of a new solo show in the spring I am rising up from the rubble despair. There has been much interest in my coastal project and its not even finished, so now the heat is on, and my ginger beard almost ready for the North....
As always stay tuned for more info.....

Ice Burg straight ahead...

Popped into the Michael Hoppen gallery today to see Tiina Itkonen's show Ultima Thule, a series of images made in Greenland.
As I have mentioned so many times here on the B Mode I get a bit tired and a little frustrated when an area of the planet becomes fashionable and bundles of photographers fall over themselves to go make beautiful images. At the moment the hot favorites are China and Greenland but before I cried out 'If I see one more photograph of a bloody Ice burg I'll go snow blind' I decided to see what was what at the 'oh so homely' MHG. After all the MHG is at the only gallery in London showing anything decent in photography as far as I am concerned and for that I have the greatest of respect.
My fears where realised when the first image I beheld at the show was a big fact lump of ice, in other words, an ice burg (see above). In all there fullness the images a quite beautiful and in a nice format, however I felt they where let down by the plexiglass/die bond framing which tends to make an image look cheap and makes a good mirror if the hanging space is over lit. Sadly though the images in the entire show fail to deliver simply because theres no impact. Compared to the work of say Otto Becker's 'Broken Line' Itkonen's work just looks bland. Harsh words perhaps, but I guess thats what you get if you choose such a popular subject thats being done by a vast number of photographers.

Despite all I have said I would gladly go to Greenland tomorrow, and would probably photograph Ice Burgs until the dam things melted..