Shoot for yourself: ideas from Eric Kim

Wealthy Webfarers,

it’s a long time since I’ve wrote something over here. I don’t have any picture of mine to show yet, but I’ve felt the immediate need to write after I’ve read these Eric Kim’s guidelines about what he calls “Personal Photography”.

I don’t have many things in common with whosoever calls himself “street photographer”, except the fact that the majority of my images are taken in urban environments, but I’m interested in this genre and I do appreciate who applies this style of photography.

Eric Kim is one of the most prominent street photographers of our time and he’s also one of the most active on the web and socials. It was funny for me to see a newsletter from his side entitled “Only shoot for yourself“.

I must say that I agree with the suggestions he gives. In the end, what we really need is more good photography.

I you have a couple of free minutes, please read it.

SUBSEQUENT DECISIONS – my thoughts featured on Gianni Galassi’s PhotoGraphia Blog

Gianni Galassi is one of the few artists from which I have been able to learn a part of the mysteries of photography.
Not only he has a long and serious photographic background, but he also shows to have a deep knowledge of visual arts in general. His photography at first glance may look minimalistic, but after the second or third sight, it is clear that in every shot he rather deals with the uncanny complexity of the world we all see everyday, from which he is able to catch astounding perspectives. Lines, shapes, volumes, visual pathways, colours and rhythms are merged inside highly defined frames.

He undoubtedly comes from the Italian photographic movement of the late Sixties and Seventies, and this may clearly visible in the cultural strength he shows in his art.
Maybe we’ll spend some more words on Gianni Galassi’s art on these pages, as soon as I will be able to.

He runs a blog, PhotoGraphia, where he shares his photographs and thoughts with the public. As I told him some years ago, I feel that I’ve learnt more just by staring at his pictures than reading thousands of words in manuals.

A few days ago, it happened that I wrote a comment after one of his posts, and he decided that my words were articulated enough to be officially featured on a dedicated post, that by the way has been titled directly from my comment.
The theme was the post-processing of old shots taken some months, or even years, in the past. You can read it at the following end:

http://giannigalassi.typepad.com/blog/2014/11/a-sequence-of-subsequent-decisions.html#

Needless to say, I’m really happy, this really made my day.
Thank you, Gianni.

VISTAS OF REALITY: GUEORGUI PINKHASSOV

I warmly suggest you to enjoy a set of photographs by Gueorgui Pinkhassov, that I have found on Pavel Kosenko’ blog.
After looking at them, I felt dazed and excited: there is a vision of a life scattered through composite realities, in a kaleidoscope of colours and lines. So intense and real.

http://pavelkosenko.wordpress.com/2012/09/02/a-set-of-photographs-by-gueorgui-pinkhassov/

More images can be found here and here.

THE ARCHAEOLOGY OF TODAY: MIKAEL OLSSON

I had the opportunity to know Mikael Olsson‘s work in September 2009, when I was in Göteborg, Sweden, for a job trip. I had a couple of hours before taking the airplane back to Italy, so in the meantime I visited the Hasselblad Foundation, that is in the very center of Göteborg. My hope was to see the New Nordic Photography exibition, that helds every year, but I was even luckier, because I could see a preview of “Södrakull Frösakull“, a wonderful photographic work that was under installation in that moment.

Södrakull Frösakull: Artipelag, Stockholm 2012. FK09.2004 ©Mikael Olsson

I was deeply impressed by the exibition: the pictures are an experience of both exploration and curiosity, of formal integrity and freedom. I would add that I felt a very “swedish” look, with a great attention to surfaces, colour choices and with a calm and suspended atmosphere.

“Södrakull Frösakull” is a double concept on two architectural works by Bruno Mathsson, who was one of the leading designers in Sweden.
Frösakull is the first one: a house that Mathsson both designed and lived in. Mikael Olsson has directly interacted with the remains of the house, living in its spaces and taking pictures from inside.

Södrakull Frösakull. FK01.2000 ©Mikael Olsson

Södrakull Frösakull. FK03.2003 ©Mikael Olsson

The second one is Södrakull, a residence which Olsson has depicted from the outside, without having access to the house, using a voyeuristic approach, often through half-drawn curtains and playing with reflections.

Södrakull Frösakull. SK12.2002 ©Mikael Olsson

Södrakull Frösakull. FK04.2004 ©Mikael Olsson

In certain aspects, like the use of ambient light, the interplay between full and empty and the use of “thresholds” as compositional strategy, Mikael Olsson reminds me to some works of the Italian photographer Luigi Ghirri (1943 – 1992).

The publication “Södrakull Frösakull – Mikael Olsson” with texts by Beatriz Colomina, Hans Irrek and Helena Mattsson was released by Steidl Verlag (2011).

Mikael Olsson’s works can be viewed at the author’s website:

www.mikaelolsson.se

GOODBYE GABRIELE

Gabriele Basilico has passed away yesterday. A very sad day for photography.

Naples, 1982

Valencia, 1998

Milan, 1983

France – Mission D.A.T.A.R, 1984-1985

Milan, 1989

Milan, Quartiere Gallaratese, 2007

Modena, San Cataldo Cemetery, 2007

Gabriele Basilico (Milan, 12th August 1944 – 13th February 2013)