Katy Grannan

Katy Grannan relies on local newspapers to find her subjects. The people she photographs are complete strangers to her. This adds a level of intimacy and the feeling of trust to her work. She focuses on capturing these strangers in their surroundings. Grannan pays close attention to the details of the background. Whether it’s from the intricately patterned wallpaper or the tall, uncut grass that her subject lounges in. She believes that the subject’s environment is a key element in a person’s character. She utilizes harsh sunlight against white stucco walls. To bring out the details of the stranger’s persona. 

Grannan’s photography is a mixture between intimate and awkward.Her photographs have a strong sense of secrecy, desire, and hidden desires. She considers her photographs portraits. Her subjects wear as little as they feel comfortable.  In each photograph, the viewer can recognize similar qualities of risk, vulnerability, and, ultimately, empathy between the photographer and her subjects. Grannan accepts that each person has a rich history, with its victories and defeats. Her images can only show so much, but it makes the viewer question about their own pathway in this life.

Cole Thompson

At the young age of 14 Cole Thompson knew he wanted to be a black & white photographer. To pursue this endeavor Thompson was constantly doing his research and visiting galleries of noted photographers; such as Bullock, Weston, and Adams. He enjoyed these photographers because there work had caused a physical reaction within him. He literally made photography his life! Thompson worked in black and white because he grew up in a world of black and white and he wanted his work to be an extension of the world around him.

Thompson stated “Darkness in my images represents the trials of our human existence while the light represents the strength and power that comes from the realization that we are the captains of our souls”

When not working with case studies Thompson is abstracting landscapes through the use of quick shutter speeds and high contrast. A great example of this is the series of work entitled the “The Lone Man”. In this series Thompson puts his interest in one distinct figure in a naturally abstracted place. Simply through lighting Thompsons work creates a story. I LOVE IT! 

I really love this guys work! 

You should visit ---> 

http://www.colethompsonphotography.com/index.ht

Jonė Reed

Jonė Reed

London-based fine art photographer Jonė Reed describes photography as, “most and foremost the expression of artistic freedom.” She reveals very little about herself or her work through text on her website, seeming to prefer her images to tell her story. Perhaps since she may not have the most extensive resumė, she depicts herself as “an amateur.” Yet her work, mainly composed of black and white images, speaks much more than any accolade could.

There’s a distinct painterly quality to Reed’s photography. As her own model, the way she blends into her compositions seems comparable to how an artist might brush paint on a canvas, gesturing at the female form.  Her photos are all haunting, alluring, and mysterious, because I can never really tell what the story is behind each one. It seems like her subjects are caught in the middle of wrestling with intense emotion, but it's up to the viewer to figure out the rest.

It seems like she’s a younger artist, as there isn’t too much information about her on the Internet, so I’d love to see more of her in the future.

Take a look at her website here:

https://jonereed2.see.me/atts2012

 

Francisco Mingorance’s work with the earth seems boundless. He photographs mostly landscapes and animals- but in an artistic way that is new and creative. Many of Francisco’s photos are accompanied by a design element that is incorporated into the scenery. Large quantities of his photos have really long exposures; some are even many hours at a time. His colors are all very intense and look somewhat amplified, and he uses beautiful natural light to create the sharp contrast that he likes to work with.

I think that Francisco’s goal is to let his audience see nature in a unique way that we could not see with just our eyes. His goal is to work with the natural phenomenon’s that surround us, and make them their own separate works of art. His work encourages us to look more closely at what our surroundings are providing us as far as light, shape, and designs. I think that all of his work is seriously awe-inspiring, and also a humble reminder that human civilization is only a small percentage of our planet.

Tyler Shields - Liesa Collins

I have followed Tyler Shields for a while now ever since watching his girlfriend's reality television show on E! network. At first, I saw him being an asshole to his gorgeous girlfriend, Francesca Eastwood, during a photo shoot of her red lips and sawing through a $100,000 Hermes birkin bag. Little did I know, he is a well-known Hollywood photographer and film-maker. Shields' modus operandi is shooting young females under watch of the public eye while in their prime of the Hollywood scene. He shoots with white backdrops, much like another celebrity photographer - who is one of my favorites- Terry Richardson. In these three photos, sex appeal and a red lip seem to be the theme, accompanied by revealed flesh. 

Shields' intent for his shoots are to exploit young female celebrities in ways that they might not have been in the past. Most celebrities dig their own holes when it comes to getting themselves under the public's scrutiny, but Shields definitely helps by the nature of his props and lighting and subjects for his photographs which show another side of the celebrities that are suppose to pose as role models to young girls all over the nation. The exploitation of these females in a sexual manor take the young girl actress look out of them and puts them in a new light. Shields is a young Hollywood male himself so he is only shooting the glamor he sees around him. His main intent for his eccentric shoots are to just stand out and make a huge upset to older celebrities because at last he is being noticed at all.  

Edward Burtynsky

Growing up in St. Catharines, Ontario Edward Burtynsky was introduced at an early age to the breathtaking beauty of the northern Canadian old growth forest. This early inspiration, and the experience of witnessing untouched landscapes, helped shape the expansive career ahead of Burtynsky. As he matured as an artist Burtynsky began to explore the relationship between nature and human progression. His work shifted from landscapes of mountains and trees to landscapes of mountains and trees that have been hacked up and altered in order to manufacture some sort of product. Burtynsky says in his artist statement, "We are drawn by desire- a chance at a good living, yet we are consciously or unconsciously aware that the world is suffering for our success." Burtynsky manifest this concept into powerful images. His work reminds the viewer of the fragile relationship between a product and the process to create that product. It could be argued that since the industrial revolution- the birth of large scale manufacturing- people have lost sight of where even simple luxuries in our lives come from. We walk into a grocery store and buy some food, or walk into a clothing store and pick up a new shirt, but how often do we stop and consider how that food or that new shirt ended up on the shelf. Burtynsky's photographs place these processes in front of the viewer, and forces them to consider the results of their "desires". 

Burtynsky's work almost seems to suffer from an identity crisis. There is a duality that permeates each image. On one hand, his large format photographs are overwhelming beautiful, full of movement, form, and incredible colors. On the other hand, he is documenting the destruction of various habitats and ecosystems. In addition, Burtynsky must work in conjunction with the corporations causing the destruction. He explains the complexity of this situation in his 2005 TED talk saying that while he is not trying to demonize any corporation (noting that there are practical benefits to the things they produce), he is trying to promote the necessity of sustainable practices in the modern world. Burtynsky frames most of his photographs from very high above, or very far away, in order to capture the grand scale of the subject. His colors are rich and often mesmerizing. And, because he documents scenes of nature, his work in filled with a vast amount of organic shapes. 

Edward Burtynsky's exploration of these subjects have garnered him great success. He has given lectures all over the US and Canada, and has had exhibitions around the globe. He has received many awards and honorary degrees from various schools and organizations. More information on Edward Burtynsky can be found at his website: http://www.edwardburtynsky.com/ 

                                     

Oil Spill #13

Mississippi Delta, Gulf of Mexico, June 24, 2010

                                           

Oil Refineries #34

Houston, Texas, USA, 2004

                                     

Dam #6

Three Gorges Dam Project, Yangtze River, China, 2005

Sebastian Mader

To those who are interested in fashion photography, Sebastian Mader is a rockstar. He has the power to capture humans and all of their complexity in an extremely simplified, almost plastic doll-like beings. Models in the fashion industry are esentially pretty packaged hangers for designers to parade their beautiful creations on. A good fashion model knows not to take away from the product and a successful fashion photographer knows how to keep the focus on what is trying to be sold while still creating a visually stimulating image. Sebastian is the master of this and simplicity. 

In almost all of his fashion work, Sebastian has the models looking off camera. This helps in making less of a connection with the viewer and giving less of an identity to the model. When choosing lighting, Sebastian makes sure to have a highlight on the product that he is trying to sell. The models hold stiff positions, you won't find a lot of movement in his pieces. The hair of the models are generally slicked back, stripped of their fluidity. The backgrounds are calm and neutral, allowing the subject to be highlighted. His work constantly contrasts what is real and what is fake. This skill comes from constant awareness of ones surroundings. Sebastian's acquired awareness landed him on this blog as my photographer of the week.   

 

This Book Looks Superb

http://www.morelbooks.com/Jonnie_Craig_Book.html

Edward Steichen

Edward Steichen (1879-1973) was reconized as the first modern fashion photographer. His photos were featured in the magazine Camera Work(1903-1917). He learned the technical intricacies of the gum bichromate process, which was popular amongst French artists.Steichen varied his subject matter from landscape, to cityscape and then portrait photography, where he thrived. 
"on view from March 7 to April 5, 1906, the first Steichen show included many photographs now deemed to be among his early masterpieces: Rodin—The Thinker (2005.100.289); Richard Strauss; Portraits—Evening (titled Mr. and Mrs. Steichen); Alfred Stieglitz and His Daughter Katherine; In Memoriam;The Little Round Mirror; La Cigale; The Brass Bowl; The Big Cloud, Lake George; The Pool—Evening; and The Pond—Moonrise" 

The Pond-Moonlight (1904) was one of the most famous prints produced by Steichen. It appears to be a colored print, but it actually colored gem used to create the soft hues of blues and greens. There are three prints of The Pond- Moonlight but each is colored with different gems. 

Maggie Taylor
Maggie Taylor is an artist that uses a digital scanner and Adobe Photoshop to create narratives and still life collages. She collects 19th century taxidermy, photographs, mounted insects, sea shells, and other objects she finds in flea markets, online auctions, or her backyard. Taylor likes using objects have wear and tear, objects with a story to tell. She scans in these objects and saves the file as a layer in Photoshop. A finished piece of Taylor's work could contain 60 layers or more.

 Taylor’s style is hauntingly luminous. Her use of layering in Photoshop combined with the timeworn artifacts she finds evokes a surreal response. Conceptually she aims to make viewers feel or imagine something new, just like someone would in a dream. Furthermore, Her work can be interpreted in different ways by different people, just as a dream can mean something completely different to two separate people.

Alex Prager

Alex Prager is a Los Angeles based photographer filmmaker. Prager’s use of bold colors and specifically placed lighting really sets her apart. Many of her most striking photographs feature intense angles and sharp contrast. She uses editing to her advantage and creates many optical illusions within her photographs, such as the car being engulfed by a puddle on the middle of the freeway.  Her editing is also very tasteful and does a great job creating believable but shocking subjects and compositions.

Prager’s art has a very cinematic feel to it that I find very aesthetically pleasing. She is also a filmmaker, which I think helps her to understand the motion and fluidity that photographs can have. In addition to that, her choice of model/wardrobe is very important and gives a lot of her photos a vintage feel while also giving them a consistent theatrical element. I think she she is skilled in using imagery reminiscent of Hitchcock and it adds a lot of context to her pieces.