Sea side and cinema..

Up here in the North there isn't a whole lot going on, but like many small towns theres always the cinema. And so after a day along the coastline, head wind burnt and feet salty wet I headed for the local picture house.
I do have photographs of cinemas, and of course the coastline, but I thought it would be nice to look at these...
I have admired Hiroshi Sugimoto's work ever since I saw his show in Hamiltons, London, some time ago and heard him talk at the Serpentine Gallery way back in 2001. My favorite body of
work is by far the cinema screen series (see above) but I also love his Seascapes which I tend to think a lot of photographers try to mimic, but rarely do they get across the shear subtle qualities Sugimoto's imagery.. So often the most simple of images are the hardest to produce, well at least thats what I have discovered and I am sure Hiroshi is no different.
What did strike me when I seen his talk is how utterly modest he was in regards to his work. It was almost as if he thought he was going to be found out for producing beautiful images. Maybe the cinemas where tiny models shot in a studio and the Seascapes made in his bath, but I doubt it.

Theres only one Marcus Doyle...

For those of you that may of come across a Marcus Doyle blog with photographs of tigers and flowers, its not me. And Mr. Doyle if you are reading this I hope you find it of interest...

A trip to the Homeland...

A trip to the homeland always brings back memories of a younger self in a time when one would go for walks through the mountain passes, drink from the crystal flowing waters, and maybe make a daisy chain.
I thought I would try and get some of my 'By Coastal' project done before I jet off overseas and although fully equipped I was missing some canned air, a product I consider to be one of the biggest cons of the 21st century, they may as well put it in a bag. But as I had to load a fair few dark slides I needed the 'Air Supply' (what a band they where) and had no choice. Now, I have come to accept that buying film out of London is a pretty grim reality and most of the young generation don't even know what film is with quotes like "Film, is that was my grandpa used to use in the 1930's" but when you can't purchase a can of air but can have a photograph put on a T Shirt, or a cup, or a coaster, or a towel, or a cushion, or a bag, or made into a tattoo, or better still buy a digital camera for five pence, It leaves me wondering where all the 'trapped air' is. So I guess its back to blowing spit all over my dark slides, unless I can catch some air in a bin bag..

By the way the picture above was not of my youth, (I know you thought it was), it was taken in my printing days when I was very stressed most of the time but surprisingly still had my hair. Can you believe I am still doing that pose....

WATCH THIS SPACE.

I'm off shooting in Europe for the month of May but will try to squeeze a few random waffles out here and there.
Wonder if anyone will notice...

Thought Of The Week (just like Steve Wilkos, used to be on Jerry Springer)

I spent this week researching projects along with a lot of admin. In other words paying all my photography related bills which all seem to come in at once and all seem to be twice as much as any profit. I really try to keep on top of all this especially if certain labs or suppliers have given me an account but there are times when the necessities of life get in the way like a nice new pocket knife or a Indian Head Message.
From my commercial lab and other photographic industries experience tells me that photographers are noted as being notoriously bad at paying up. Be it for prints, equipment hire, retouch fees, goodies from the studio fridge etc. However, experience has also taught me that with regards to the industry photographers tend to get the wet end of the mop. The knock on effects of a company (including galleries) not paying on time can be devastating. But I want to encourage photographers to keep on trucking because lets face it the rewards from a photographic career far out weigh the negatives.
I leave you with a quote from Terence Donovan, a notoriously bad bill payer (yes I printed a bit for him)
"If you owe someone money, Its not you that should be worried, Its the person you owe"

Shot Of The Week

I have been staring at the image above for ten minutes and just find it mesmerising, not sure why, I just love it. I came across Mattieu Gafsou on another blog and if you have a look at his site I am sure you will know what I mean if I say it looks like he's just getting started.
As I tend to always have some kind of connection to anyone or anything I mention on this swarve blog you may be wondering what on earth this one could be. Well I made a photograph of a skateboard park just like this one a few years ago. But mine is very different. I would include it here but the Doyle archive is vast and I'm not sure what I filed it under. What I do remember is almost being struck down by a Professional Mexican Midget Skate Boarder called Cheeko (You couldn't make it up). He told me he could bench press 300 pounds and would kick my ass if I didn't move my camera. Not wanting to get on the wrong side of the fierce hobbit, I finished my exposure and left amid the cheers and four letter words...

Weston and his ways...

I have always held Edward Weston in the highest regard, not because of his nudes, which I never liked, or because of his landscapes, which never moved me. Even his beautiful still life studies never gave me the wow factor. It was in fact Weston's Day books that blew me sideways. I believe these give an insight like nothing ever published regarding photography and the photographer and are as relevant now as they where when first written. If you have not done so I would urge you to read these wonderful passages of thought, feelings and the frustrations we all share as creative people. I read all the Day Books when I was a student and again when I first began printing (something Weston himself did for others from time to time and grew to despise as much as I did) They were a wonderful influence back then and still are now when drinking vast amounts of coffee or orange juice (see Day books)
I think its fair to say that The Day Books humanise Weston and you come away realising he is just another photographer, but what a photographer...

One thing I have realised over the years is that sometimes in order to enjoy photography it is sometimes better to know nothing at all about the photographer and the techniques involved. I have mentioned this before in other posts were people always want to know 'so much' about how an image was made right down to the last detail. Let me give you an example of what I mean: The Image above of the Pepper was not just a pepper Weston found lying around in a cupboard (ohhh look at this crazy squashy pepper, wheres my camera) This is what I had always thought and used to think how amazingly lucky they where in the Weston house to have such fancy looking peppers. No, no, no, this was only one of the many that where taken. I should of known this from the fact that the shot is titled Pepper Number 30. Anyhow what I am trying to say is that once I learnt the truth, it kind of took the magic away. After all Weston only wanted us to see one pepper and not a cupboard full.