No Ones Perfect...

If you had not already heard I am in the middle of producing my next show (blah, blah,blah, like listening to someones holiday stories..)...
Anyway, the images for this London extravaganza are quite big and so for the first time I have had my large format negatives scanned and prepped for printing (matching the image with my original 'C-Type' print). What I have found is that all these people working on my images are so used to making everything spotless and perfect they assume that I want to do the same. For example one of my shots was created with the help of a few ND filters. A combination of too many filters and sea mist resulted in an image which although not out of focus does have a slight softness which I rather like. Once the guys sharpened up the scan and took an entire tool box to the image I was left with an image with an entirely different feel, It looked digital. Of course I reverted back to the original and soon it was just as I had intended.
My point here (as I have probably mentioned before) is that I have never been interested in perfection, its the imperfections that make my work what it is. If theres a plastic cup in my image it because I want it too be there, otherwise I would of picked it up and may be asked passers by to fill it with change. I certainly wouldn't say "I'll get rid of that later"
I would like to think in this photographic world of change I can still produce something 'honest'.
Lets face it, just because an image is technically perfect doesn't mean its any good.

NEW YORK NEW YORK.....

I had a request today for some images of New York. Although I have spent a fair bit of time in the Big Fat Apple its a place I have always found difficult to photograph taking to a 35mm compact rather than a 5/4" (did take the 5/4 once, was a complete disaster). Its a bit like making images of London, way too many people and rules to be broken. Besides that theres just too much clutter for my liking, I would rather take to the desert. Having said that though many a photographer has done a spiffing job especially in olden times the best example probably being someone like Stieglitz or may be even that Steichen fella for that matter.
The most recent body of work which should be mentioned concerning New York would be Joel Meyerowitz's haunting images of the 911 World Trade Centre 'Aftermath', sadly an important document of our times.

Well heres what I dug out today. They really do nothing for me photographically but do bring back memories of my trips, and yes, that cactus lamp does look like a willy.... Ouch...

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..

Just slow down you big fat print producing freaks....

My last post got me thinking about the whole photographic print thing which I happen to be a big part of as most of my images are aimed at the gallery side of things.
Not long ago galleries and collectors wouldn't touch a colour print if it wasn't a 'C Type' chemical based print. Mention the word injet and you may as well of said photo copy. They even changed the word to Gilcee to try and fool everyone, this was especially true of the William Eggleston exhibition in London some time ago.
Now it seems, if its big, anything goes. Image quality may be improving but I still have my doubts over the longevity of such processes. I get the impression that few care at the moment, but this may change when I buyer comes back a few years later demanding a refund for they now wishy wasy print. After sales services from photographers are probably as bad as a mobile phone shop..
I had a brochure from one of my labs telling me that I should get giant Glicee prints done because all the well know photographers in New York where getting them done now.
I cant help thinking there will be a price to pay (other than the print itself)..But I have to admit, those HP 3200 printers look the business....

Big World, Large Format.

Well it would seem that these days all you need to do a bit of advertising is a sweaty office and a few leaflets. Don't beat around the bush Mr. Soth, theres no need your printers in the mail...
Watch this and all will become clear...

At least when Joel Meyerowitz done this you seen him actually use the printer.

Very Cheap.... (not the printer)

I see that old Mikey K (Michael Kenna to the rest of you) has a show of his latest work on at HackelBury Fine Art gallery. This guy is unstoppable in that he just keeps producing those gems for us all to see. Lets face it, he's the one every landscape photographer tries to copy in one way or another. Search your feelings, you know its true......

This calls for a day out.

NORTH SHORES Coming soon.

For the last few days I have been locked into deepest thought fueled only by coffee and crumpets as to what to call my up coming spring exhibition regarding my images of the Scottish coast.. The working title was 'By Coastal' because I was always 'by the coast' (of course). But this did not really gel and most people thought it was something to do with my sexuality. Then one night I had a vision and decided to go with something really clever like ' Gab O May' which means cold and wet in olde worlde Scottish tongue and pretty much summed up my Northern adventures. This lasted for about an hour as I decided it was way too vague, even for me and I kept forgetting the 'Gab' bit.
So often we have the answers to many things right in front of us, and this exhibition/project title was no exception. From a very early age I remember being told we where going to the North Shores, mostly in the summer time, and yes you guessed it, it was the sea side, the Scottish Coast where my mother grew up and my Grandfather spent many years sinking in quick sand and falling into rock pools while looking for something to paint.
So there you have it NORTH SHORES coming to a gallery near you (if you live in London). Don't you just love it.....
Pictures to follow soon.