Tag Archive for 'photography'
One of things I love most about New York City is the people you find the chance and invitation to talk with. In this case I will refer particularily to artists and creative minds. The first one is Lenard Smith. I found his work so coherent and pure. Seeing who he is and seeing his work created a fine harmony.
Hello!
In account for the endless hours spent at work the last two – three weeks I’ve been able to take two days off in addition to the weekend, how liberating it has been. Much much needed. Naturally It does make little sense to spend more time on a screen so I’ve been a terrible blogger. Every second I am able to be here is so special so I just try to make the most out of it. Instead of blogging I’d rather photograph. But as more people ask me for sharing, I’m happy to do so, and look forward to doing it more often and openly.
from the last weeks in new york.
I told you about the joyspreader. He will help you articulate that life consists of joy and we shall not subject to forget that.
I screamed with him. just one of the thousand reasons to be fascinated about williamsburg. that place has to be one of the most creative places in America.
Mercer street, where the design office I work for is located, it gets quite nice approaching spring and prince street.
wouldn’t have expected to see views like this. what they’ve done along the hudson stretch is really quite lovely though, almost chicago level i’d say. just thinner. kudos for new york gardeners. they do great work!
Canal street by lunch.
the jewish area in Williamsburg is the most surreal place I’ve set ground on. challenging to photograph for sure.
then to another continental shift.
happy birthday girl! they were very keen to pose. sweet people.
Memorial Day nightride home to brooklyn. Brothers from Nicaragua, fascinating relationship. Can you imagine a photographer going unnoticed to make such a photo. Inspiring connections.
Archive of New York images. Asbsolutely fabulous. This city is a universe of life.
I’m coming to believe there is no synergy to the collection without the street photographs that are always an important part of the whole journey.
So far these are the ones that stand out the most. Most of them are neopan 1600 shot with the 50mm zuiko 1.4.
Dela and Martin, these are for you>
What do you do when it´s mid-april and you are waiting a month for a visa? You could go to Milan I suppose, (if the pieces sum up for it so to say).In the name of spontaenity this became my choice, and I know I was criticized for it, but I also had my reasons.
It just happens that this is a wish for many others too; most of which are concerned with the way things look. The way things behave. The way things comply. The way things flash. You name it. I say thing because it is the one word that encompasses all. Vague and general, but nonexclusive. You could go and chart a cluster and try to categorize this sea of movements, and what are the general trends towards the material we are surrounded by.
I was interested to go there for many reasons – reconnecting with my friend Stefano whom worked with me in Munich; and experiencing what is described as the largest design event globally. I experienced it as a quite varied event, and would not leave it to the main category of furniture only. It does naturally encompass a certain digital component; as our homes are becoming more technologically embraced. I mention this because there are design events purely focused on this; such as ARS in Austria, or design versus technology at FITC in Toronto which I would believe are quite different from the Milan design week.
Now this image above may incline towards the fashion industry, and not be the photographic illustration of what this event is about, but what I want to share is not a narrative over the trends in design (that is so beyond my scope, but I might try at a miniscule level), but a few selections of personalities and feels that caught my interest during this week.
I saw these two gentlemen (let´s assume the best first right), as we arrived to Salone, and exuberating their presence via just the way they looked. I thought it was so milanesque the whole context, and my instinct called me to converse and get a photo of this moment.
If I could´ve gone back to this moment I would have tried to make a single portrait of the Russian eccentric on the left, he was quite interesting. The other guy I believe was his agent from Bresca. Richard and Sergei.
A few minutes before Salone was shutting down (Satelite department, where all the young designers exhibit), I was rushing through to try to see as much as possible the best of what was there. The last location was with a group of Austrian Designers from Innsbruck, whom where presenting for the fourth year in a row or so, and admittedly their last time this year. You are not allowed to exhibit after a certain age group.
They had the most homely stand of all; this feeling of being on a mountain came through, and particularily so when all the designers where there and exchanging some thoughts in German. Then it was like relocating to the alpes if you could ignore the rest of the surroundings.
Anyways, Nina was the girl sitting there and I thought she was very photogenic and an interesting study. Then her partners came and offered us some prosecco, and mentioned the guy with the hasselblad who had walked by them earlier. I had to say, “yeah I never go unnoticed with this baby”. It allowed for a nice encounter and the chance to make some frames of some designers.
Honestly, when seeing their promotional material they lack no form of professionalism, but I don´t get the feeling of the things the way they were presented here. So, this was pudelskern.
We were enjoying those proseccos; any chance to sit down to is always appreciated in an event like this; you walk forever. Your feet really pay for that. Nina was thinking less about the camera as we intermingled and that is the best chance to get a lively frame.
I don´t know if these two girls were exhibiting, looked rather like a scene from the fashion week; it was really like they were staging for a photo to be made. She gave me a questioning look aftwerwards, but she must know I am harmless.
It was certainly among the days were the volcano ash was affecting air traffic worldwide. What could ever make an impact on the culture of clicks like this? And I am always curious what happens with their compact flash cards after their european travels.
I overheard him ask the girl in the stand opposite him, and he was talking about some stuff being stolen.
They were two sweet girls, and it would be so funny and coincidental if they would be what the names imply respectively. Must have been interesting to see the world from their perspective.
I made some frames with the olympus from the same day as well, have not had the time to see them yet, but the tendency is to dedicate more attention to medium format photography, because the photos have such incredible elevation in terms of resolution.
The press photographer makes a self portrait at the end of the event.
Umeå, winter 2008 with my roomate. Damn, this film got a lot of light leak, but these kind of accidents usually are mostly interesting. I was having a pleasant chat with Annika, and sneaked into my room between as I could not resist photographing her with this morning winter light and her top that titled her so well. RGB versus Greyscale mode.
- update: so I am posting some old frames I found that I had at home in Norway; as I wait for a very substantial number of films to be processed. I am having a total obsession with medium format photography, and some night photography with the olympus, which culminated in a delivery to studio technika today of 27 rolls of medium format and ca. 15 rolls of 35 mm. Yes, that basically means I am going very far in this passion. Over half of this is material from my stay in Italy for 9 days recently; I wait in apprehension, as I barely used any form of light meter for this, only experience.
I was talking to Stefano about this form of investment, and it must be said that even if you pay 6 euros for 12 photos, and later 6-9 euros for having it processed and there is a visible amount of failed technical aspects, if only one frame stands out and turns out magically, you have more than paid off the investment.
Also this week I saw a brilliant exhibition by Stanley Kubrick, it was good inspiration. A must see in Milan!
I rediscovered it for the first time tonight. and realize that no other frame needed to matter so much, when this turned out just the way I hoped. I even got a crazy light leak in this roll of 120, and it just mesmerizes me what character and cosmic context this was. It was my last night in Punta Cana, and I brought the Hasselblad with me due to safety reasons, and then I met this party midget in the toilet and asked for making a photo. This has to be one the most surreal frames I´ve ever made.
Zona Colonial – Santo Domingo – Dominican Republic. Hasselblad + Carl Zeiss 80 mm.
Loved that balcony view but had the odd moments there too.
Somehwere there are numerous slides from these days. Will post these one day.
From John F. Kennedy to Heathrow two winters ago.
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Pantha du Prince: Saturn Strobe
Working on a series from these. I was told to stay inside this day because I was sick. I’m still grateful that I did because these were special moments. Englishcer Garten with Kodak 400 VC (Vivid Color). I felt sorry for this elegant dog because a mad German lady was shouting out at her like a monster, but funnily enough it really did not seem to care and strolled all around on her stream down the curious and frowned crowd.
I intended to make a post like this during my last days in Munich but it just didn´t turn out like that. I was quite excited about picking up new film today, especially since I had forgotten some of the frames. These are recent moments.
by now in more of a random order; but I am too exhausted to keep going. I am quite happy with their cosmicness.
First Western Photographers in Moscow after Stalin´s time. Of which has been publicized you might say. You never know. There are special and valuable frames in there. In one way you can imagine it must be easier to photograph people then because that was much of a more rare occasion, which at the same time could draw much more attention to you, singling you out. But then this was not any confrontation with a big mechanical beast. This is pure 35mm love.
This is very fascinating to discover. More images here.
Munich last week. The world turned all white in a matter of a few minutes.
The refuge, the conversation, the fashion, maybe the generations too in their natural ascendence, I do not know but I moved fast to get this frame.
I struggle a bit with the fashion perception, both clothewise and hairwise. Nonetheless that´s their business.
This should put the frames in context. It´s the street where the particular light leak image occured. Also the same street as the french camera repair man has his shop. The hasselblad is up and healthy again too. So the plan is to take it out for a walk today.
.
This time around I want to get the spotlight on a friend of mine – Lars, a Norwegian singer knowns as Mr. Andresen. We have worked closely together over the last two-three years and it´s been one of the projects I´ve loved most working with. It´s been a nice mix of photography versus design work. Lars is inspiring to work with, he has much energy and passion in what he does; as I´ve learned him more I´ve been all the more immersed in his artistic world. It´s this reflective place where great songwriting is born.
Mr. Andresen released his first album in August 2009, and this is where we really got excited. For both of us, we wanted to create something special; detached from cliches and the shallow.
Over two different days, respectively January and March we had two shoots, there was snow on both occasions. The image above was the only 35mm used for the album art, as the majority was on the medium format front.
I´d been listening to the tracks a while before starting design work or the photographs. It helped feel the music for how to later portray the ambient and feel to the images.
“Finding this peace” by Mr. Andresen
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
From mrandresenmusic.com:
”A part of this puzzle” is a well composed record. It has a great flow, a large amount of catchy choruses and good guitarriffs, all accompanied by beautiful and melodic pianotunes. It is easy to get the vibe of years with perspectival development throughout this record, and surely this is something that Mr.Andresen will provide in the future. He is an out of the crowd-, interesting- and worth-listening-to – artist.
You can find the album ” A part of this puzzle” in record shops in Norway (platekompaniet), on spotify, last.fm and itunes. The music video for “Looking Back” is also online.
I promise you that you will hear his songs in a future not too distant.
Final album art of the album “A part of this puzzle”. Photography and Design by Vandersault.
Thank you for reading.
.
sd
From the isar ventures quite a few months ago. Ventured the same streets today as it was lovely weather (but very cold).
Track to go for a Sunday: Jesper Ryoms – Hold On
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
.
Michal Chelbin is one of my true heroes in the world of imagemakers trying to create a vision.
Always loved her work and can much recommend going to see her, if you should be in a city where she is exhibited. Michal has been featured in Aperture and won several prizes, among them her homecountry Israel.
.
There are only a few things left reminding me when a Friday is just that day. One is that I have no force left. I feel quite exhausted after this week; sleep is messed up and a new deadline is up. Above that this week is my last week at work in Munich. But it also comes in the name of change. It leads to fear but at the same time a form of relief. I have been the intern for 8 months. I never did not have work to do. Countless hours. Inspiring talks. Great lunches. Travels. Discussions. Encounters. Much. And Much more.
I wanted this to last longer, but I have come to peace with myself about dealing with not knowing what is ahead. It used to be an interesting feeling. This time it feels different though. It may be a force of nature, a call for something else. We will see.
For the first time, I actually have no more film in my cupboards that need to be processed. This week I got them scanned, and saw them for the first time this morning. There were frames in there I had forgotten I had taken, and those are some of the nicest moments. After all, memory has sandlike features; it may not be firm, but it dissolves and travels and reconfigures continuously. Sometimes it feels like memory pieces displace themselves, yet they are not gone, they just find new places to go, and you have to find those again.
So now, it is time to scan again, since I have the time and can´t wait. This man has a repair shop close to karsplatz in Munich. He repaired a camera my friend asked me to help him with. I was picking it up. And then I said thank you so much for selling me the 50mm 1.4 zuiko – for the olympus. He did not remember that, but he remembered me and went on about with his very likable French (so unexpected in this country).
.
A series of diptyches taken last October; it might just grow. They might be speaking in tones of romaticizing the area, but there really is something exquisite and clean about the place, in that it might sparkle imagination or zoom out and seeing cultures cross. What I´ve wanted to do is capture the experiencing of this place. I know half a million people go through her everyday, but the experience by itself is something interesting, particularily for the young and oriental.
One korean guy travelling with 4 girls. They had been through Switzerland and Paris, and they happened to sit in on the same wagon as me. We conversed, joked, misunderstood. Later we bumped into eachother by the entrance and I was amused by his manner of posing for photos. His spirit caught onto me and I decided to take the Hasselblad out and finish the color film. He showed me polaroids he had taken during his trip and I was impressed with the vividness and flavour of the “prints”.
..
Fuji Provia 400. January 2009. Photoshoot with my friend Lars. A prolonged entry with his album and the work soon. . .
Velvia slide – one of the better films out there. The 100F is the less saturated version, and looking at the slide itself feels like a micro replication of the real thing. It´s so incredbly vivid. I made this frame in late August I think, quite the stretch down the isar. Scanned with epson v500.
note: I do not know if this refers to the limitations of a flatbed scanner or the slight compression to jpg, but the original image is much greener, so was the sight at view too. I have to try out some more slides, and get comfortable with color vocabulary, it seems intricate.
.
The first scans from the epson v500. I´ve waited for this moment for so long; will see if I can make next weekend a scanning intensive. Now out.
.
perhaps I shall jump again, as I´ve finally got around tweaking the k2 within my own domain. Treat me nicely; I promise to make this blog worth visiting :)