Jake Stangel sent me an e-mail recently informing me of the launch of Too Much Chocolate, a new website for young, emerging photographers to come together. The site features a rotating gallery, a discussion forum and interviews. Very cool, I thought.
It’s becoming increasingly clear that photographers are craving something beyond what blogs offer, something more dynamic where conversations and images aren’t so easily lost in the archives. Perhaps these “photography hubs” are the answer, the next step in centralizing the overwhelming amount of information that proliferates the Internet.
The more great places to visit online the better, obviously. But, I wonder, how is everyone in this online photography community expected to “come together” if there are so many places to choose from?
Just a thought. I’d love to hear what readers think.
Charles Leadbeater, a researcher at the London think tank Demos, is raising a lot of interesting questions about sharing ideas and the role of the internet. (Along with the above video, also see his TED talk on collaborative innovation and the “rise of the amateur professional” and, if you have the time, read the first three chapters of his book, We Think.)
Lately I’ve been considering how this all affects photographers and bloggers and would love to host some conversation on the topic here.
Cara Phillips made great post on her blog a few days ago titled “What’s a Lady to Do?” where she considers the challenges of being female in the photo world. The post seems to have sparked a call for action to create more support, discussion, and opportunities for women. Cara wrote me, excited to report that there is a new blog started by Amy Elkins called Women in Photography which will focus on addressing these topics through the showcasing of work.
Women In Photography contains a simple concept:
To showcase work, news and ideas from women in the contemporary photo world.
To create a collection of strong work by women actively creating work.
To reach new audiences collectively.
The blog is now accepting submissions by practicing women photographers for a “group show” to kick things off. Those of you interested in submitting should send 5 images from a cohesive project or a work in progress (saved as “myname_title.jpg”, 5×7 @ 150 dpi) and a short statement/bio to womeninphotography [at] gmail.com.
Visit the blog for more information and to follow the posts.
envelope and contents, including Drawing #81, Binoculars, 2008
from Jason Polan (The Drawing Project)
Jason Polan has been posting daily drawings on his blog, The Drawing Project, since the end of November and making them available to the first reader to e-mail him with their name and address.
Just the other day I received Drawing #81 in the mail, a lovely little (3.625” x 3.25” in.) pen and ink rendering of a pair of binoculars. I suggest subscribing to his RSS feed if you want to grab one of these.
This essay addresses the context of the web for photography. It’s a new frontier that, from the standpoint of an independent practitioner, doesn’t seem to have fulfilled its potential, given photography’s phenomenal recent expansion as a contemporary art form as well as its over 150-year-old track record for multiple expansions. I want to ruminate on why that might be – on what conditions might have led to an underwhelming response by serious and independent photographers to the potential of the Internet.
I’m curious what people think of Evans’ assertion that the “potential of the Internet” has had “an underwhelming response by serious and independent photographers.” Has it?
Imagine if the Internet had emerged in the early twentieth century. The majority of those “-ists” would have had a field day – and imagine Warhol and the Internet. I guess it is simply a matter of time before a generation not weaned on paper and chemicals sees the manufactured bubble of “art photography” for what it is, and begins to explore the potential of an inclusive, affordable distribution network and its inherently interesting formal qualities.
And about his conclusion. Is Evans is foreshadowing an inevitable evolution in contemporary photographic production (for the Internet)?
Shorpy is the “100-year-old photo blog” named after Shorpy Higginbotham, a young “greaser” on Bessie Mine of the Sloss-Sheffield Steel and Iron Co. in Alabama (photographed by Lewis Hine late in 1910).
image (and Domke camera bag) courtesy of Ye Rin Mok
If you’re looking to say “goodbye” to old/neglected photo equipment or would like to say “hello” to new/desirable replacements, don’t bother with eBay – just start a blog!
A few weeks back I sold a Hasselblad flash to Mr. Wasserstrom. And just today I picked up a nice little camera bag from the lovely Ye Rin Mok.
Anyone else swapping equipment thanks to the photoblogosphere?
Andrew says, “Walt Whitman, Jack Kerouac, and Czeslaw Milosz aren’t photographers but they had a similar approach in their work and were very much informed by their experiences.” I love when photographers reference inspirational literature. Maybe that’s why we all have enjoyed seeing Alec Soth‘s poetry selections so very much?
“I really like Whitman’s democratic view of the world… that the poet/photographer and his or her subjects are on the same level,” Andrew explains, and leaves us with Whitman’s words:
Who am I that I should call you more obscene than myself.
Todd Walker is amongst the plenitude of names I failed to mention in my Friday recap post — another face in the crowd at the ANAP opening. While I didn’t have a chance to talk with Todd, he was pointed out to me. Todd is the man behind a great blog called Gallery Hopper.
Todd does a great job bringing you a bit of what to look out for in “fine art photography, galleries and events in New York City and beyond.” Indeed, he usually delivers some great recommendations to his readers. This month, he put the extra effort in to create a handy Google map, plotting a few of the good shows to see during the month of June, many of which stay up through the month of July. If you haven’t already seen it, take a look.
And check up on Todd’s blog occasionally for more.
