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I was reading this (abbreviated below) today on how to be a good critic on photography. The only one I REALLY disagree with is the final point. I don’t think it is the critics job to make a suggestion on how to improve the work. It’s the artists job to take all of the comments and work on how their own perception along with the criticism received (valid or not!) will improve or affect their work. Often criticism is taken as a way of reworking already created pieces, when I think it should also be seen as another mode of thought or perception of the work. Otherwise these are 4 good rules to start with when being critical about photography. (I also disagree partially with the final part of the third point, I don’t think every person pours their heart and soul out when making work! It’s this assumption that can lead to weaker critical thought or the ‘cotton wool’ affect.)

1) One must respect the artist whose work one is criticising. That doesn’t mean that one has to like everything but rather that one must try and understand the creator’s motives and approach.

2) It is beholden on the critic to be knowledgeable about photography – not in some narrow, parochial way but in a deep and broad way.

3) The judge should be humble. The critics’ role should be to serve the photographers whose work they are appraising. He or she must bear in mind that whatever they feel about the image presented to them the person whose vision it is has no doubt poured their heart and soul into its making.

4) The critic must supply a reasoned argument for their opinion. It simply isn’t good enough to say that one doesn’t like something without backing up that opinion with reasons and examples to support one’s viewpoint.

5) The critic should make suggestions on how to improve a work. If they don’t have any suggestions they have no business being critical!

We had breakfast at “egg” and then went to PS1 today and saw the 1969 and Between Spaces show with Alexis. Our favorite work was the swimming pool that you can step into by Leandro Erlich. I’m gonna try and squeeze in the MOMA contemporary photography show that closes tomorrow.

More importantly we came home via the Irish markets on McLean Ave, where we were inspired to make our own Battenburg cake. We followed this recipe here.

It’s my New Years resolution to take more pictures while I’m not working. It’s been a year since I graduated from Pratt and I’ve turned my focus on earning a living as an event photographer. So here is my first image of 2010…

The curators announcing the artists are – Francesco Bonami, 53, an Italian-born curator with an international reputation, and Gary Carrion-Murayari, 28, a senior curatorial assistant. I always attend the biennial and often wonder why, every time there are a few great moments so hopefully this coming year there will be several. February 25 – May 30th, 2010.

I’ve always liked Larry Sultan’s work as an honest look into his family and the dynamic that lies between his parents and then how they interact with their son ‘the photographer.’ I’m sure that in the 60’s and 70’s it was not the profession of choice for a wealthy families son. He seems to often be talked about alongside Tina Barney, but I find their work pretty different. Barney’s work seems to be as much about the environment or the ’set’ than about the people. These two images are the ones that were often used to illustrate the photographer, and I’ve always been confused by Barney’s image. Hers seems confused and awkward (and not in a positive or useful way), whereas Sultan’s image uses that awkwardness to his advantage and makes it the subject.

Of all the photographers whose work I was introduced to while at Pratt, Mitch Epstein is still one of my favorites. We saw a selection of prints from this body of work “American Power” a couple of years ago. They were printed pretty huge (larger than 40″x60″) allowing some of the images to really stand out, but also swamping others. I’ve stopped buying photography books since I graduated as I don’t have the same kind of finances or the time to read them, but I may invest in this one.

Reading the introduction to his book “Work” helped me a great deal when composing my thesis statement. He says:

“I didn’t want to lose the magic I felt when I spontaneously opened up to a situation I hadn’t see coming. Along with the fear of deadening the creative process, I feared killing a picture with intent.”

This is an elaborate (and more intelligent) way of saying how I feel about shooting, where I’d rather just walk around taking pictures, than planning situations or creating images that represent my inner struggle. Not that personal issues can’t be in the final content of my work, I find that preconceiving the image flattens the final images or just doesn’t fit. This way of shooting means I need to create a lot, and the editing and sequencing becomes critical. None of which is happening right now as I’m completely consumed by my event photography (translate as – “making money”)

Book Signing: American Power - Presented by The Strand, New York. – Thursday, October 22, 2009. 7-8pm.

I can’t quite determine who this god or goddess is, I think it could be Shiva based on the trident in it’s right hand. Whoever it is, you have to respect a culture that worships a God who cut off their own head and drink the blood squirting from their neck. I took this picture in a museum in Nepal in 2003 and have never seen anything quite like it. The simplicity of the line work and the single color are what made this stand out and make it unlike all the other thangka’s I’ve seen.

It must have sucked for Erin Lucas to have been on the receiving end of my flash malfunction. It’s gotta be annoying enough to have strobes blasting at you all day, but then to have one on full power must make it even worse. I had to disconnect all cords from my 580EXII and remove the batteries, thankfully it reset itself and hasn’t repeated the incident. I should submit these to Iheartphotography.com blog!

I began my blog about year after I started at Pratt and I generally avoided directly talking about my experience there. I felt like it was not my place to pass a running commentary on what happened in the class room and would probably have got me into all sort of sticky situations complaining about faculty, students or crap I got myself into. Many critiques and class room discussions felt so personal and more like group therapy that delving too deep into that publicly would’ve also seemed odd.  James Pomerantz just had his first day in the SVA MFA program and will be dedicating his blog to his experience there. It’ll be interesting to see how he handles it. (You can see his current photography website here)

I rarely see work from plastic cameras that I enjoy. I find the affect the lens has and the style of printing people choose to be a filter that blocks the viewer from experiencing the actual image. Often the addition of vignetting, a shift in focus and some extra saturation can make people like an image that doesn’t have the strength to stand on its own. I’ve used these tricks on some of my wedding images that otherwise would be pretty dull. Arian Camilleri’s images don’t scream “Holga” to me and I find some of the images pretty strong.

(via Hey Hot Shot Contenders)

“All Photography” right there in the middle… hmmmm, perhaps c-monster.net, perhaps!

I hate the fact that my apartment feels like a gallery of my own work. I’m torn between having none of my work up and hiding it all in storage or just using it to fill some wall space. Thankfully I have some of my friends work from school to break up the ‘Ben Hider Show.’ Jen Bekman’s 20×200 is a good way to start filling your walls with work you like that is actually affordable.

The following artist has traveled to many of the same places in the world that I did as a young student, and his work reminds me that I need to dig through my old work, or go back with my Mamiya 7ii and a bag full of film.

Red Truck on the Back Road to Manigango
by Raul Gutierrez

NATIONAL ART HATE WEEK is a call for direct action against the mass acceptance of art as a phantom economy for the smug manipulative elite and their ensuing grip of control over culture as a tool for mediated emotion, market lead non-critical homogeny, and boring popularism. During NATIONAL ART HATE WEEK citizens are encouraged to visit art institutions across the land and HATE. Individuals who are unable to attend an organised ART HATE are encouraged to open a random book on any given artist and HATE what they see. If a child offers you a painting during NATIONAL ART HATE WEEK you are to turn away in disgust.

I love a large portion of Joel Sternfeld’s work and was even excited to see some older prints of his at the recent MOMA exhibit. His work is always impressive in its fresh outlook but familiarity. His new book “iDubai” is from a recent trip to Dubai where he shot in malls with his iPhone. What surprises me most about this book is that a photographer who shoots primarily large format negatives was able to travel all the way to Dubai and make images with such a low resolution. I guess with this kind of idea for the book, you have to let the idea of ‘quality’ or resolution fall under the larger idea of documenting consumer culture with “the consumer fetish du jour, the iPhone.” It will be interesting to see if he gains anymore intimacy or distance by shooting with a more discrete piece of apparatus

I can’t seem to find any images from the book, other than the cover. (Which is enough for me to want the book already)

A poor image of me being abused in the shadow world!