Left-Eyed Right-Handed

From Owls to Vultures

2010-01-28T00:56:00.014+01:00

I brought some gloomy pictures back from Athens. View bigger images on my portfolio website. (More images and download here).

Anticyclic

2009-12-31T15:19:00.005+01:00

Review time: Totally out of time I experienced a boom. Many new clients, good jobs, best year so far. Might have to do with the fact that I am still "emerging" (Are you still emerging in your sixth year? Guess so). Also, it proves to be a good thing not having witnessed the golden years of this business. You don't miss what you don't know.

Preview time: I will happily and instantaneously give up my anticyclical behavior once the global economy is on the rise again. I will stop leaning back and being easily content with the assignments that come in and instead try to give the whole enterprise more direction. Because leaning back is decadent, leads to more repetition than you want (and might not work forever). I will do more personal projects again (one starting this Saturday). I will blog more often (haha).

Happy new year to all of you!

Coming Up

2009-11-14T14:28:00.002+01:00

No entries since July. Call me lazy, I deserve it. Well, actually not a case of all-out laziness. I've been working on a relaunch of my portfolio website for the past weeks. It will finally be up by tomorrow. And I am considering a twist for this blog. Might take some weeks though. Stay tuned, you handful of readers!

Intermediate Adopter

2009-07-12T00:03:00.003+02:00

While the early adopters are chasing after the next big thing I set up a twitter account recently. Out of curiosity. Hope that won't mean even more silence round here. Twitter, and this is it, I will never join Facebook, I promise. For it is much more heroic (futile? preposterous? realistic?) to have one thousand followers than to have one thousand friends.

The Simple

2009-05-12T12:09:00.005+02:00

Getty Images generated a new visual language that "connects with people’s concerns in the economic downturn". It is all about "The Simple" and since sharing is equally up-to-date as "The Simple" Getty lets us all know about it's analysis (read it here). There we learn that in order to stay in business you better desaturate your images, include some kids and some nature (mud and puddles qualify). And yes, there is a significantly growing demand for photos about knitting, baking and growing your own food. We also learn that Annie Leibovitz set the trend well before the collapse of Lehman Brothers. According to Getty her image of father and daughter Coppola for Louis Vuitton is about "wisdom, tradition and knowledge passed on from generation to generation". Wait a minute, that changes the angle of view on another of Leibovitz' images: wasn't that picture also about tradition and knowledge passed on from generation to generation?

The Privacy Paradox

2009-03-21T16:26:00.003+01:00

Quote from Conscientious (for those 5 percent of the community who do not follow that blog anyway): "Here's something that I don't understand. Twenty five years ago, people would not have volunteered to enter a lot of their private information into an easily accessible public space, but you could have taken their photo without their permission without much of a problem. Today, it's the other way around: While people share more and more of their sometimes most private information with total strangers online, they'll get very angry if you take their photo without their permission." read more

Picturing the Crisis

2009-03-02T00:15:00.002+01:00

"Where is the crisis?" Brian Ulrich asked a couple of days ago wondering why there is so little in-depth photographic reaction to the rapid transformation of the state of things. Just be patient! US photographers have never failed to come up with iconic images of major or minor turning points in American history. It might just take some time.

For momentary lack of iconic imagery of the current crisis (this year's WPP-winner does not fully qualify), everybody looks back at Dorothea Lange's "Migrant Mother", the dominant picture of the Great Depression. The 1936 portrait of Florence Owens Thompson and her children has near mythical status which is not impaired by the fact that it was (if only slightly) retouched and that Thompson many years later was quoted as saying: "I wish she (Lange) hadn't taken my picture. I can't get a penny out of it. She didn't ask my name. She said she wouldn't sell the pictures. She said she'd send me a copy. She never did." Obviously it is an essential ingredient of iconic images to be disputed. One of Thompson's grandsons seems to have come to terms with Lange's alleged transgression: he sells T-shirts with his grandmother's famous portrait on them.

So much for picturing the crisis over there. Over here however we don't have as much easiness and routine in producing iconic images. Moreover the surfaces have not yet changed as much as they have over there. Let's hope it stays that way (even if it makes documenting the crisis more challenging).

The Bright Side

2009-02-28T00:28:00.002+01:00

Some new tearsheets from one of my fair weather jobs (click on image to see them all).

Start of Year Rant

2009-01-30T00:25:00.007+01:00

I guess you readers from outside of Germany have never heard of a photo competition called "Rückblende". Roughly speaking this is the German version of "Picture of the Year". Kind of. This year's winning image can be seen here.
Nothing wrong with that image. It is just not what you would expect to be the best of the best in one year's photojournalistic output. Yet it is a good indicator of the mediocrity of press photography in Germany (same is true for Austria). I only have guesses as to where that mediocrity originates from, so could someone please offer some profound analysis?!

End of Year Praise

2008-12-30T18:53:00.017+01:00

Ever noticed the persistent gender divide in photography? Many male amateurs believe that they need pro equipment to adequately shoot orchids or sunsets, while even ambitious and talented females would never spend more than 700 Euro for camera+lens (and still feel extravagant). Female pros do own the heavy gear but contrary to their male colleagues show no interest in talking about it. Let me break that rule for some end-of-year praise.

It's about empowerment. Just as we accept the fact that we will most probably never walk on water, we knew that low light situations had some implications for photography (grain, noise, blur or tripod, flash etc). Romanticizing part of it (grain, blur) helped overlook the limitation it meant. Then came Nikon and introduced a full frame sensor on which the pixels sit so comfortably that they allow you to shoot at ISO 1600 and even 3200 without feeling guilty. Admittedly that's yesterday's news. Still it is so fantastic and in my opinion it has not yet received the appreciation it deserves.

So darkness does not have to be a limitation. Remember that in 2009!

No Visual Arts Week

2008-11-03T19:20:00.010+01:00

Berlin, Nov. 08. Five art fairs on one weekend. Wanted to visit several of them, but gave up after the first. The feeling (that has built up over months or years) that there is too much irrelevant, mediocre, solely decorative art around just grew too strong. "Artist" seems to degenerate into a mere lifestyle, "art" itself into a location factor. These times which most commentators are incapable to interpret require some clear-sighted art. I am sure it is somewhere there hidden under the trash, it's just so hard to find it. Copying Bill Drummond who again calls for a No Music Day (on Nov. 21st), I now demand a No Visual Arts Week. No, wait, that's too ambitious! For a start I would be glad if there could be a moratorium on including antlers in visual art. Please everyone take part!

On Air II

2008-10-03T12:30:00.006+02:00

I really love this self-referential blogging universe. My careless comment that "air guitar looks much more spectacular than air camera" (see below) led to the creation of an entire new genre. Justin James Reed declared "I am here to differ, as I think that we can make “Air Camera” rock way harder than air guitar" and - well - set up a new blog. The first attempts at playing air camera look quite promising but I am sure there are much more variations to the theme. So submit everyone and prove my initial careless statement wrong!

Next Step

2008-09-20T15:28:00.000+02:00

While I'm waiting for the clouds to dissolve (well, I've turned into a good weather photographer somewhere along the way...) I could as well update this neglected blog. For example to tell you that I will from now on be represented by laif photo agency. When those of my friends who don't have a clue about this business ask me what an agency does for you I tell them that it takes 50 percent of your earnings. That keeps them puzzling. But to tell the truth I am thrilled and honored. ("thrilled and honored" - does that sound tacky in the ears of native speakers? I'm still experimenting with this language, a naïve speaker so to say...). Now I have to migrate tons of images from my archives to their archives. Which might be a perfect bad weather occupation.

Expecting Diamonds

2008-08-08T00:31:00.003+02:00

A Photo Editor wrote a brilliant piece on "The Dangers of Oversold Stories". I am posting this link for no particular reason. Er, well...

On Air

2008-07-12T13:45:00.001+02:00

Air guitar looks much more spectacular than air camera. You can see some impressions from yesterday's 5. German Air Guitar Contest by clicking on above image.

Clip Clip

2008-06-26T01:56:00.006+02:00

I want to share some new clips I'm quite proud of: a cover story on Hamburg and it's river Elbe in the July issue of GEO Saison. Must admit that the city which I left some three month ago (read below) really looks beautiful - even if a skeptic like me shoots it. While I write this I drink a bottle of Hamburg beer - what's wrong with me? (Click on the image to see all 22 pages)

Give me a C

2008-06-12T22:06:00.009+02:00

To put it simply, in a photographer's life there are three types of productive situations:

A: assignments with a high amount of creative freedom
B: assignments with a negligible amount of creative freedom
C: self assignments

And there are also three types of reward (very simply put):

1: financially profitable
2: financially ok
3: no immediate dough but food for the ego

Lately I've been occupied a lot with B1 and A2 projects (well, there have also been some B2s...) while there have not been any C1s, C2s or C3s at all. That's ok with me for some time. But I'm starting to miss something.

Slideluck Potshow

2008-05-04T13:41:00.006+02:00

I won't elaborate on all that talk that Berlin is the new New York. In any case next tuesday an old-New-York-based non-profit will bring it's Slideluck Potshow to my new hometown. With lots of envy I had read so much about those events (which actually are potluck dinners followed by slideshows) in blogs of people living in more privileged cities which were already included in the Slideluck tour list (actually Berlin had one show before but I was not around then). Best thing is I will not merely watch but also be one of the featured photographers during the slideshow. Awesome. Drop in if you are in town (and don't forget to bring food+drink)! May 6, 7 p.m. at Raw-Tempel

New backdrop

2008-04-27T21:22:00.005+02:00

That's what my eyes see nowadays when they are tired from staring at the monitor and take a look out of the window. Quite some change from the squirrel and bird infested scenery that was the backdrop of my Hamburg office. Have been busy with moving out and moving in and doing some paid work en passant which meant even less activity on this blog lately. I promise to improve (anyone out there who still believes me?).

Dial a cliché

2008-03-07T01:07:00.003+01:00

On Foto8's revamped website Adam Broomberg and Oliver Chanarin offer some insight into World Press Photo jury sessions (guess you have to register before reading this). Quote: Flicking through the 81,000 images originally submitted a sense of deja vu is inevitable. Again and again similar images are repeated, with only the actors and settings changing. Grieving mothers, charred human remains, sun sets, women giving birth, children playing with toy guns, cock fights, bull fights, Havana street scenes, reflections in puddles, reflections in windows, football posts in unlikely locations, swaddled babies, portraits taken through mosquito nets, needles in junkies’ arms, derelict toilets, Palestinian boys throwing stones, contorted Chinese gymnasts, Karl Lagerfeld, models preparing for fashion shows backstage, painted faces, bodies covered in mud, monks smoking cigarettes, pigeons silhouetted against the sky, Indian Sardus, children leaping into rivers, pigs being slaughtered.
So far I've only shot 10 subjects on that list, still so much to do...

A New Career in a New Town

2008-03-06T00:36:00.004+01:00

They say inspiration can be found in your own backyard. In the case of me and Hamburg this did not really work out. One reason for that may be that Hamburg, where I moved to four years ago, is not exactly my backyard (seems as if Vienna is not likely to give up that position). Moreover this city by itself is not the most inspiring place you can think of (further reading for German speakers here). Granted, Hamburg is as beautiful as a German city can get. But beauty is not exactly what I look for in a city. So I pack my bags and move on (those of you who know where I borrowed the title of this post will know about the direction I am heading).

Protokoll

2008-02-12T00:30:00.000+01:00

Another one of those too-busy-to-post-anything-longer-than-a-recommendation-posts: Check out Christian Lutz' series Protokoll - a master of capturing facial expressions.

What the Duck

2008-01-31T23:45:00.000+01:00

Too busy to feed this blog at the moment. Today I'll just leave you a link: What the Duck. Check out the archive and enjoy.

Ruled Out

2008-01-07T17:24:00.000+01:00

Good thing is that for each photo award that is discontinued at least two new ones are launched. One of the big fish among those new contests are the Sony World Photography Awards. Before you look forward to the award evening in Cannes which will be "a black tie event for the crème de la crème of the photo and press industry" (if that is something to be looked forward to) you should read the entry rules. They say that contestants have to guarantee that "each person depicted in the entry has granted permission to be portrayed as shown". This applies to entries in all categories, not only nude or fashion but also photojournalism/documentary. I wonder how many of the iconic images of photojournalism would qualify under those rules. I guess that a lot of pictures taken by members of Sony's "World Photographic Academy" (among them Martin Parr and Elliott Erwitt) would not. Just another sign that photojournalism/documentary photography/street photography are more and more becoming legally precarious occupations (well, not for the big fish maybe. But will there be any emerging big fish in the future when each decisive moment is destroyed by fiddling with model release forms?)

Planet Tokyo

2007-12-19T01:44:00.001+01:00

By clicking on the image above (or here) you can see my sound and vision encounter with Tokyo. Unlike the multimedia piece on Istanbul I did earlier this year I did not gather audio this time. Well, actually I did, but the tiny recording thingy for my iPod was not really up to the task (don't say they didn't warn you...). That's why I created some audio myself. Tell me what you think - I am not so sure about it.