Welcome to the 29th edition.
The PDF explains a simple way for putting colour into a black & white image.
Diane Arbus
What is it about nature’s clones that make them so fascinating? Twins have been reviled and revered in equal measure. This photograph is probably the most well known twins photograph in the western world. Taken by Diane Arbus in 1966 it raises the question of identity like no other photograph. The matching outfits and the white wall keeps the attention on the faces of Cathleen & Colleen Wade. The noticeable difference between the girls is one slightly smiling the other frowning. Many interesting essays have been written about this picture and are worthy of reading. "We thought it was the worst likeness of the twins we'd ever seen," said Bob Wade, the girls' father. The girls were seven years old when Arbus spotted them at a party for twins and triplets in New Jersey. For an interview with the twins and to find out what it meant to be immortalized in perpetuity clink on the link. For those of you familiar with Stanley Kubrick's film 'The Shining' the twin girls are remarkably similar to Arbus's twins. This is not coincidence and they were based on this picture.
Mathew Brady
Eng and Chang Bunker, the most famous conjoined twins in history were born in Siam now called Thailand. The name 'Siamese Twins' originates from Eng and Chang. Their mother refused to have them separated fearing that she would lose one, if not both of them. Born on May 11 1811 they had seventeen siblings including three sets of twins. They married sisters, and in traditional twin fashion fought over who would get Sarah, the object of their collective desire. Eng won the battle and between them the twins fathered twenty-two children. The brothers died within four months of each other in 1874. According to some reports after their death physicians believed that it was possible for them to have been separated and lived healthy lives. Mathew Brady took the photograph in 1869 circa five years, who is more associated with early war photographs. Considering the fighting the twins had done over Sarah maybe this is the reason he was chosen.....
David Bailey
Ronnie & Reggie Kray were celebrity gangsters who ruled East London in the 1960's. Ronnie the dominant twin shot dead fellow gangster George Cornell in a Whitechapel pub The Blind Beggar. In the following months he goaded his brother about the need 'to do his one' and their fate was sealed the moment Ronnie pulled the trigger. Reggie obliged his younger brother killing Jack 'the hat' McVitie about eighteen months later. A driving force between any twins is the needed for equality and it is inevitable that Reggie would be united in murder with Ronnie. In 1969 they were sentenced to thirty-years each. The photograph is revealing with Ronnie in front and Reggie looking over his shoulder making a statement about their relationship. If this was at the request of the twins or intuition by legendary photographer David Bailey I am not sure. This photograph is widely used on mugs, t-shirts and posters to satisfy the seemingly endless demand of the cult following that has arisen since their imprisonment.
Nicholas Brewer
My M.A. looked at the subject of twins and the picture above is from that body of work. As a lone twin (my brother Simon died when I was 18) it was a natural choice of subject matter although at times a difficult one.
If you are wondering why I have included an Elvis Presley clip the answer is Elvis had a twin brother Jessie who was stillborn. Justin Timberlake had a twin sister who died shortly after birth. For obvious reasons of credibility I chose Elvis over Justin. The impact of twinship lasts for a lifetime. Every few years there is a story about twins who were separated at a young age and reunited years later. Often they have lived parallel lives. It leads us to consider if we are the product of nature or nurture.
The pdf tutorial provides information on black & white photography and how to improve your skills and knowledge in this area.
W. Eugene Smith
As we all know photography started out as a black & white medium but did you know it was in 1907 when the first practical colour plates became available? Designed by the French Lumière brothers they used dyed potato starch put on a ‘screen plate filter.’ It was a glass plate covered with grains of starch dyed in the primary colours. Colour photography resembling anything like we know it today only appeared on the market in the early 1930’s. One of the attractive qualities of a colourless medium is the nostalgic feel to the work, it provides a timeless quality. In the digital age we are used to seeing manipulated colour images and society is now much more skeptical about the veracity of what they see. When it comes to monochrome images viewers are more inclined to believe the image is the genuine representation and this anomaly is cleverly tapped into by advertisers. For more about the first colour photograph please click on the link.
W. Eugene Smith
One of the greatest black & white practitioners is Ansel Adams. This pioneering photographer helped us to understand about using exposure and development, to discover detail in hidden areas of the images using the zone system. This is still a relevant skill to understand even in the digital age. Please click on the link for more information.
While there are many worthy photographers who use black & white to numerous to mention in this short blog I have included the work of Eugene Smith as he is often over looked in comparison to Cartier-Bresson or Robert Capa. One of the many things that I find intriguing about this great photographer is that he was an obsessive (like many photographers) but also an alcoholic. Photographers are often individuals driven by extremes and for the those who are not familiar with the man or his work please click on the links to find out more.
Never have I found the limits of the photographic potential. Every horizon, upon being reached, reveals another beckoning in the distance. Always, I am on the threshold. - W. Eugene Smith
There is a pdf continuing with the issues of copyright faced by British photographers.
Nicholas Brewer
Nicholas Brewer
The above pictures were taken at Stow Maries WW1 Aerodrome in the English county of Essex. The buildings have been left derelict since 1918 when the war ended. They are not only fascinating decaying structures but steeped in history. It is easy to imagine the pilots getting ready before they set off to defend London from attacks by the German Zeppelin. The trip was arranged by garden photographer Miriam Heppel and I am grateful to her for allowing me the opportunity to participate. The two clips below are worth watching as they both show examples of great photographers being curious about what others discard or miss. Andre Kertez and Richard Avedon are visionaries and you will only need to watch each one for a minute or two to apprecitae the difference between looking and seeing.
The PDF provides an introduction to copyright issues for photographers. It covers a small area with important points that I trust will prove helpful. I have used my own example so that you can get an idea of the implications in a real life situation and questions that you need to consider. This tutorial is spread across future blogs to ensure it has depth and a practical purpose. My on going project with ghost signs maybe in breech of copyright laws. Bovril is the trademarked name of a thick, salty beef drink developed in the 1870s sold in a distinctive, bulbous jar. It is made in northern England and owned by Unilever UK. They are an international company with a large legal department! There is a good reason they cannot sue me for using this picture and I will tell you why at the end of the blog.
Nicholas Brewer
The reason that the above photograph does not breech the copyright for the advert featuring Iggy Pop in the bottom left is because it is incidental and small. The photograph is of the ghost sign and not the image behind. This modern advert sits well with the eighty-year old advert for a tailors and makes an interesting juxtaposition. The ghost sign is probably not contravening any copyright law as it only lasts for seventy-years and they are no longer trading.
Hunting in packs. Until recently photography has been something that I have done individually however; I recently discovered that there is much to recommend getting a group of you together. Next week I am going to a WW1 aerodrome. It was used by the first fighter pilots and is of historical importance. Much of it remains as it was left in 1918 when the airmen returned home after the war. There is a sense of excitement building as there maybe great opportunities there. This chance would not be possible without the help of others. There is a danger that these things can turn into a 'Geek Fest' with a bunch of anoraks discussing lenses and cameras! There are practical purposes especially if you are photographing in abandoned places. Derelict buildings offer great photographs but there are a variety of additional issues. While urban exploring is exciting there are security guards, asbestos and the possibility of injuring yourself all for consideration. The enjoyment of having a mate with you to share a good experience is reason enough. On balance I prefer to hunt alone but I am interested to see what others found worthy of photographing and it is a good way to make new friends. I have experienced an isolated existence as a photographer so it is good to experience another side to photography. You can see my pictures in the next blog.
Elliott Erwitt
Elliott Erwitt
'You have to devote yourself totally to be successful at it ' - Elliot Erwitt.
You will be pleased to know that I will not be sued for breech of copyright as the images are being used for educational purposes and I personally do not profit by using them. UK Copyright Law -
The latest PDF tutorial on shutter speeds is available to download. Effective use of shutter speeds allows creative blur caused by a variety of methods including camera shake to give your work an edgy documentary style.
The natural beauty of decay
We are often reminded that nature has its own way of providing us with spontaneous and random patterns. Consider how snow looks when it covers our surroundings. How about the sea when the surf is up and the waves are crashing down. You will no doubt have examples of your own.
Nicholas Brewer
Decay provides its own unique form and texture and I wanted to show you two that I took recently. They were taken in a derelict building. They do not have any more postproduction than is possible in a traditional darkroom. Shot digitally and then converted into monochrome using the method outlined in an earlier blog called, 'Pearls of wisdom from Albert Watson.'
Nicholas Brewer
"Reality is always extraordinary" Mary Ellen Mark 1940-
Is Bruce Gilden a worthy Magnum photographer? His abrasive style of picture making appears to lack grace and subtlety, it is this 'style' that troubles me. The images are attention grabbing but often mixed with a sense of mockery at the people within his frame. The unforgiving use of flash which is cruel and harsh. Flash blur is an interesting technique in the right circumstances and is best used sparingly. Bruce was around many years before the industry took notice of him. Without losing faith or direction he persevered which is a recurring quality in successful photographers.
Diane Arbus
There is without doubt that sense of glimpsing a hidden world in Bruce's photographs that strikes a chord with Diane Arbus's work. This is a compliment for many photographers and I do not make the comparison lightly. One of his books is in my collection. 'Facing New York.' If you love the characters in that cosmopolitan city this book is a treat. The 'in yer face' style of Gilden's work brings a grotesque element just like Arbus. Click on the link to see what you think. Gilden's has limited technical skills but this limitation defines his work rather than detracting from it. Lisette Model is similar in her use of drama and urgency in street photography. The photographs that he took after the Haiti earthquake show a more sensitive side demonstrating a mature documentary style. Some photographers make a good living from producing stylised work that never really progress's technically. If you can do this you are fortunate in some respects but the ability to express yourself is restricted as a consequence. During my time I assisted many established photographers and the lighting would never change. The experience that I gained the most knowledge from was working with a still life photographer who always wanted to push the boundaries. This inquisitiveness which was both a technical and creative form of motivation kept us asking questions. Complacency is a photographer's biggest enemy.
Do you think that I am being unfair to Bruce Gilden? I would like to know what you think about his work. The aim of this piece is to bring greater awareness to this less well-known Magnum stalwart and to challenge my own views of what is good documentary photography.
Lith printing and flash blur.
Nicholas Brewer
I printed this a couple of weeks ago and is the first lith print I have made. The exposure was around ninety-seconds and five minutes at least in the dev tray. The dev was a strong mix but despite this it exhausted quickly. While it is not a fast process it is exciting. The lith reacts differently for each individual print and can add another dimension to the right image. The paper I used was Multigrade warm tone made by Ilford bought from Silver Print. The paper choice will affect your final result so consider your options before buying persihable material. Naturally the best place to see a lith print is in your hand looking at it in daylight.
The movement in the photograph is created with a technique called 'flash Blur.' I was using an external flashgun fixed to the camera and bracketing at about 1/8 of a second for the shutter. The moment the flash fired I jerked the camera to create the blurring behind the frozen sign. The great thing about it is the randomness of it. With the flash freezing the foreground you can be confident that this will look like it is meant to however; the background is a blur of merging shapes. As it is done in camera it is an exciting / anxious wait until the first contact sheets. It is a very different way of working from a digital camera. Bruce Gilden uses a lot of 'flash blur' in his work and you can see a small hint of it above. The second lady has a slight 'ghosting' behind her head.
Lith developers as originally conceived were designed to develop lith materials to a high contrast, with total elimination of half-tones, an important requirement of the then graphic arts industry. However the industry that used lith films & papers has gone the same way as video recorders and dinosaurs. The other use for lith developers is using them creatively, highly diluted with various papers for continuous tone printing with colour effects as demonstrated above. Click on Silver Print's link as they provide arrange of information about the history of photography and alternative process's that you may find interesting.
"Great photography is about depth of emotion not depth of field." Peter Adams.
Albert Watson is the greatest photographer of a generation. His images have been influencing style magazines for over twenty-five years. If you are not familiar with his portraits and fashion click on the link. Recently I heard him talk about his work and these pictures. I would like to share some of what he said.
"I just got lucky" Albert Watson said when describing the events leading up to taking this striking image. Shot on location with traditional film and camera long before photoshop was around. It is a double exposure made taking the photograph then printed in a darkroom. Albert Watson prints all his own black and white. The double exposure is created when the camera is stopped down a 1/2 for each one.
The portrait was commissioned by a magazine with the original idea for Mick and the leopard to sit together in an open top car. The wild beast could not contain its natural urge for long and tried to maul the Jagger! While they were building a partition between the drivers seat and the passengers this incredible photograph was taken. The two faces have to be lined up perfectly for this to work. Only one roll was taken with a total of twelve frames. Six of the frames did not have the faces aligned properly leaving six frames that were successful. This presumably is the 'luck' that he was referring to. "The more prepared I am the luckier I get' Albert Watson said later that evening.
Mike Tyson -by- Albert Watson
Albert grew up in Scotland, a tough place were his father was a boxer. He told his son that the neck is the most important part of a fighter and the result, was this picture. A good photographer does research into the subject and location of the shoot. He did take one the right way round so the world could see Mike Tyson's handsome features.....
While I have not learned anything new from hearing Albert Watson two important points are reiterated. Firstly preparation is the key to making our photographic experiences free from unnecessary anxiety. Always double check your equipment and make sure that you have spares of everything if possible. The second point is that portrait photographers need to show leadership and an assured manor when photographing their subjects. No matter what our internal feelings are an impression of everything working out perfectly enables the photographer to remain in control and appear professional even if they do not feel it. Fake it until you make it.
The Darkroom.
Over the past couple of weeks I have re-discovered the joy of the darkroom and I have tried Lith printing for the first time. Zoom In near the Oval cricket ground in London were running a workshop on Lith printing and it was fascinating. Lith is the developer that the fibre based paper is developed in. The paper needs overexposing by about three stops. I was using Ilford warm tone multi grade that worked successfully. The exposure was F11 at ninety seconds so it is a long exposure in comparison to regular printing. The final tone will depend on a variety of factors including how long it is left in the developer, the ratio which it is mixed to and the temperature of the dev. Lith prints produce amazingly delicate highlights and high contrast in the shadow. Next time you can see the affect.
"The camera is an extention of yourself.... Your story treatment may be subjective, but it is important to remain objective as to truth." Cornell Capa.
