Weekend Inspiration: Aaron Eckhart and Peter van Agtmael talk about being invisible, their interest in photography and journalism, and their paths that let them to photography.
Aaron Eckhart and Peter van Agtmael – Weekend Inspiration #21
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Category Archives: Weekend Inspiration
The Many Lives of William ‘Bill’ Klein – Weekend Inspiration #20
William Klein has lived many lives. One of the world’s most influential photographers, he pioneered the art of street photography and created some of the most iconic fashion images of the 20th century. He also made over twenty films, including the first ever documentary about Muhammad Ali and a brilliant satire of the fashion world, Who Are You Polly Magoo?
With a major Tate Modern exhibition celebrating his work, imagine spends time with William Klein to discover the irrepressible, charismatic personality behind a remarkable creative life.
Rodina by Irina Ruppert – Weekend Inspiration #19
The desire for security and belonging is one of the dominant feelings. Everyone is longing for home, but when childhood is gone, one finds it only and mostly unexpectedly in the memory, it does not matter if one stayed or left.
Irina Ruppert came from Kazakhstan to Germany with her family at the age of seven. Decades later, she is drawn towards the east. Instinctively, over and over again. Because of the memory – or the idea of it.
Rodina von Irina Ruppert from Sonya Schoenberger on Vimeo.
The images in RODINA are just like the concept of home – inconceivable, ephemeral and radically subjective. Two boys coasting down the village street in their soapbox, the hilly, softly illuminated landscape shines in lush green. In a soup plate lies a chicken foot, a man swings the scythe on a field, a little girl stays in front of a small house with a big cross on the front, grandma sits in the dark, simply decorated living room, a boy interrupts his ride on a far too large bicycle, in order to commune with a goat. Thus we learn little about the present life in Eastern Europe in that book, but a lot about the fundamental impressions, experiences and encounters, which affect a life. I believe it is due to the special quality of Irina Ruppert’s photographs that the images become transparent in the observer’s eye and the frame fills with personal memories.
But the images still tell something about a region which often is associated with poverty, alcoholism and illness: There is beauty, dignity, confidence and hope. And the wheels of progress turn more slowly. Otherwise Irina Ruppert would not have found her images. (copy via Peperoni Books)
LEICA featuring Anthony Suau & Werner Bischof – Weekend Inspiration #18
Capturing stories that resonate 60 or 100 year later is what drives most documentary photographers
In the 1950s Magnum created portfolios for “Generation X”. Every photographer was given a group project: the task of portraying the new generation in the country he was visiting. The selected individuals were each interviewed using the same questionnaire, herein creating a fascinating portrait of a future generation. “Generation X” was published throughout the world. This video highlights Werner Bischof‘s trip to India and Japan and the people he photographed and interviewed on his journey.
Leica & Magnum Photos Present: Generation X – Werner Bischof in India and Japan from Leica Camera on Vimeo.
A more recent project of documenting stories that will resonate 100 year later is Documenting America
Photographer Anthony Suau talks about the Leica sponsored project “Facing Change: Documenting America” and how his involvement in it gave him a better understanding of how people from all different walks of life are being affected by the various issues of today: immigration, education, the housing crisis, war, natural disasters, and the economic crisis.
One story that really stood out to Suau, is about 26-year-old boxer, Delorean Gray. Through documenting the boxing, Suau was able to view Gray’s world and that of his family and friends in a more intimate way. It revealed to him the economic situation of many people in this country that is invisible or ignored by many others. Here is the link to the video, “Fighting Back – Cleveland’s Inner City Boxing,” about Delorean Gray: facingchange.org/blog/2012/05/07/fighting-back-2/
Leica & FCDA – Anthony Suau from Leica Camera on Vimeo.
Jessica Backhaus Wonder – Weekend Inspiration #17
Yes, she’s German, but I think it’s not only that which really connects with me. But I do admit it’s nice to hear someone express thoughts that resonate.
This video just shows some of these thoughts and ideas behind Jessica’s work. It’s simple, its beautiful, and it’s not unlike a lot of images I have taken that no one has really. It’s a wonderful step out into the world, to see the small and the big, the unusual and the quirky and also the very mundane.
Check out her work at http://jessicabackhaus.net/
Weekend Inspiration with Saul Leiter #16
I have loved Saul Leiter’s work ever since I came across it years ago. His color images capturing city life was always so simple, emotive, powerful. His work illustrates the tensions and emotions of his era and gives today’s reality some context.
So I am pretty excited about Tomas Leach working on a 75min documentary “In No Great Hurry” about Saul Leiter.
This is great news! This is an artist that needs to be portrayed in this day and age!
Leiter is a rare artist, one whose vision is so encompassing, so refined, that his best photographs seem literally to transcend the medium – Jane Livingstone
Trailer for the forthcoming documentary In No Great Hurry – 13 Lessons in Life with Saul Leiter.
“I believe there is such a thing as a search for beauty’
Saul Leiter could have been lauded as the great the pioneer of colour photography, but was never driven by the lure of success. Instead he preferred to drink coffee and photograph in his own way, amassing an archive of beautiful work that is now piled high in his New York apartment.
An intimate and personal film, In No Great Hurry follows Saul as he deals with the triple burden of clearing an apartment full of memories, becoming world famous in his 80’s and fending off a pesky filmmaker.
2012. UK/USA. 75mins. Colour.
www.innogreathurry.com
Love his simple approach to life. This will be good.
I see no reason for being in a rush .. Say I didn’t do anything more than my little book, wouldn’t that be enough? – Saul Leiter
I hope we will see more of it! Support the project now!
Weekend Inspiration #15 – Different Approaches to Photography
Photojournalism – World Press Photo
This is how World Press Photo sees itself. We believe that Photojournalism can change the world and inspire understanding. I very much agree. Nice reel with voices from photographers explaining what WPP stands for and what inspires them.
Inspire Understanding from World Press Photo on Vimeo.
Lifestyle & Fashion
This is quite different to the above, but there are overlaps of course. Jens Lennartsson talks about his approach to photography. Real lifestyle, with what’s there, ambient light, some reflectors, not Strobit or JMcN setup. Great approach, great video.
About Jens from Michael Ploug Gartner on Vimeo.
This is quite different to the above, but there are overlaps of course. Jens Lennartsson talks about his approach to photography. Real lifestyle, with what’s there, ambient light, some reflectors, not Strobit or JMcN setup. Great approach, great video.
About Jens from Michael Ploug Gartner on Vimeo.
Weekend Inspiration #14 – Documentary Photographers
Condemned: Mental Health
Wars, famines and natural disasters not only leave the dead to be buried but survivors to go on living. While many will have come through the crisis with their bodies intact, the same cannot always be said of their minds. In the last 50 years, sub-Saharan Africa has seen more of these crises than anywhere else in the world. Their legacy is mental illness on a grand scale with almost no resources to treat it.
Mental Health - Robin Hammond
Governments, the aid community, entire societies, have in large part abandoned these people. They are consistently disregarded – relegated to the category of insane/lunatic/mad – they have no chance to be able to speak for themselves. Condemned will give them a voice. Your support can make that happen.
Click here for the the full project. Copyright Robin Hammond
Strolling Senegambia
Senegal and the Gambia, once united in a union as Senegambia, share a common story with slavery, which existed on this West Coast as early as the mid-fifteenth century. Through these waters sailed ships from coast to coast hauling workers, slaves, from their homeland to a foreign place which would become home.
Strolling Senegambia - Laura El Tantawy
Although their union was dissolved, today’s Senegal and The Gambia are vibrant with life and color. Faces always seem to smile and eyes gleam with optimism.
Click here for the the full set of Images. Copyright Laura El Tantawy
Samburu Rites of Passage
The Samburu are a tribe of Northern Kenya. The most eagerly awaited phase for a Samburu male, is that of moving on from being a boy, to becoming an “warrior”. The pivetol moment to this phase is ritual circumcision. For this ritual, people from all over the Samburu district come together to celebrate the circumcision of their boys.
Samburu Rites of Passage - Toni Greaves
Click here for the the full set of Images. Copyright Toni Greaves
Market
Images of eastern European and Russian Market scenes.
Market - Anna Skladmann
Click here for the the full set of Images. Copyright Anna Skladmann
Weekend Inspiration #13 – Change, Challenge and Creativity
Feeling the winds of change
I somehow knew it was coming, so I wasn’t totally surprised. I just thought it was just so “improbable” and “unlikely”. But change still came quicker than I wished for.
Change is good
But Change has always happened. Knowledge changes. Measurements shift. Frameworks break. It’s a transient world and ideas, ways of doing things, priorities and focus changes. Robert Kiyaosaki writes about “accelerating acceleration” and about how the world of the invisible (ie: the internet), is at times preventing people from seeing change coming. Old industries go bust and need bail-outs, and new ones rise to the top, like Google and Facebook. We are all in many ways artists in a floating world.
As I reflect on what was and what is now I am actually thankful. This is exciting! A new door opens.
I watched PressPausePlay tonight. I had downloaded it some time ago, but never got to see it. Just what I needed. Real. Inspiring. It’s all about change, too. All about how to stay open to it and grasp the opportunities in it.
But change isn’t easy. Sometimes it happens too often. Often it hurts. But ultimately change challenges us to move on, to not get stuck. To not assume. To not play it safe. To not take for granted. But to follow our dreams. To keep the eyes on the horizon and to do keep doing the right thing, despite it all. To live humbly, and to live now.
BTW: you can download Seth Godin’s ebook “Unleashing the Idea Virus” for free here.
Weekend Inspiration #12 – Humanitarian NGO Photography
I’ve been following Karl Grobl’s work for a few years now, and it seems that lately he’s had more time to update his website, jump on social and do the online marketing thing. (Did it all beging when he made the switch from Canon to Nikon? .-)
Karl is super experienced and he’s done the all the big NGO names and been a shooting photojournalist for 15 years or so now.
He does what I do or what I am working towards: “Specializing in the photographic documentation of relief efforts and development work of NGOs worldwide, Karl has shot for more than 80 different NGOs in over 50 countries. His images have appeared in publications such as Newsweek, CNN, Geo, Town and Country magazine and The Chronicle of Philanthropy, but the largest majority of his photos appear in the annual reports, newsletters and communications materials of his humanitarian organization clients.”
