Talking about my inspiration

I have, since getting in to photography had many inspirations.

When I started my degree I was consumed by images , I would find myself lost for ages in the library not doing what I was suppose to, but surfing the books of photographers.

The first to stop me in my tracks was Nadav Kander. A series of images taken at night of motorways and flyovers, on the surface it does not sound like this is anything new.

But as I would discover there is a certain tension in Kander’s work that is trance like state.

It made me stare, it made me ask questions, his nude work is also very powerful.

Not only for its technique layered but for the fact that many of the images are of old people and not the conventional images of beauty. Although Nadav Kander has been able to portray that with cutting edge.

The portrait of David Beckham was like no other celebrity portrait I had seen up until then, for me it sums up the photographer’s identity.

Firstly there is movement and the face of Beckham is distorted also it is photograph very dark with a black background and a blue\green splash of light (which is a trademark of he’s) makes me think of moonlight and there are many examples of this in Kander’s portfolio.

He has shown me another way of looking at the portrait gene in many of he's works there is

Something is in flux, something is about to happen or has?

The uneasy the in-between is for me what Nadav Kander does best and that is what inspired me then and still does with he’s work

Wonderful World of Weddings

A great day by all at Richard and Nicola,s wedding on the weekend.
Such a lovely couple they were too.
While editing the work i was drawn to this image which is , I think a little
surreal.
The bride is walking towards the Priest and some one is holding out the bucay
but as you can see Nicola is not walking to that?
The Priest also seems to be signaling to the bucay too but is not looking towards the camera.
A moment that seems not to be sure but interesting all the same.The wonderful world that is wedding photography.

Visual food

So was wondering , what does make great photography.
How do we know a great image from a not so great one. Or bad one.
As i am an analytical person i sometimes,well most time, find myself de-constructing images.
One image i came across of late is William Klein 's Boy pointing gun.

Now what you notice with this slice from the contact sheet is the very slight difference.
between what made the iconic image, in the bottom one we see the young boy looking away from the older boy with the gun.
In the edited image we all know the young boy is looking at the boy with the gun, as Klein himself has said it is the look of the young boy that made Klein choose this one.So in that case , the great image was a"Just" movement away.


These two portraits are i think my
best the first (on right) is of my
Grandmother the pastel tone
is really very much her character.
and i was lucky enough to catch her in
a moment of some kind .
The other one (below)
is a image i made while i was at uni for a brief called 'Night of the Hunter"
Isis the model is one of the most amazing models i have had the please to photograph
at the time she was studying
film and drama, in this she seemed to have a look of innersense and angry
all at the same time. Both images i am entering in to the Tayler Wessing Portrait Prize this year so fingers crossed.

New Discovery

It amazes me that for god knows how long i have been a pondering over the Magnum Photos website and i have found new works by a Photographer i must of missed.

The imagemaker in question is Ferdinando Scianna. Italian born
Romantic work sharp like razors.
take a look

The City of now has to be Berlin.I have recently been there for 6 days and had amazing time.Now i know why so many street photographers are creating work there right now, the streets are full of activity and the people are open minded kind.
If i could i would move there for at least a few months of the year.Here is a photo i made when on the streets of Berlin and some of the work from other artists.

The unexpected street

This is part of why i love street photography.
The total unscripted and surprise of what might happen next.
But with that you must stay alert and connected all the time which is not easy.

Someone who does that best is photographer Matt Stuart http://www.mattstuart.com
he has a sense of humour that comes out in hes work amazing !What i have done in the last week on street. With this good weather we've been having i have been getting closing to people on street as they are in a better mood they dont mind.
I love it !

Fabric Label

Loving the Fabric label, picked up some albums today the music is some of the best clubbing tunes in the world , for DJ's its the Albert Hall of venues. But it does not stop there i am very in to there sleeve design and art work too. as we now download so much of are music , finding something with a bit of class to it is important i think.