i need this:

rollei rolleiflex minidigi af 5.0 digital camera

january: self portrait by lee friedlander

cover of self portrait by lee friedlander

ok. i don't generally make new year's resolutions because they always feel sort of arbitrary to me.

however, this year i thought of a particularly good one so i am making an exception. back in my school days, i would go to the library several times a week to sit in the quiet with the photo books. i also worked at a barnes and noble where i had books at my immediate disposal at all times (as well as a hefty discount). unfortunately i don't have convenient access to a great photo library anymore. i have settled instead for logging books in my amazon wish list. as a result, my list has grown exceptionally long while i have made no attempt whatsoever to add any of those books to my actual library.

so: every month this year i resolve to purchase at least one book from my list and post about it here.

for january, i have decided to start with a classic. i just ordered lee friedlander's self portrait book. i haven't looked at it in quite some time (and it will be a while before it comes in), but it's a charming yet smallish paperback full of quirky indirect self portraits.

i chose it as the first selection of the year for two reasons:

1/ i feel like this book is sort of a staple for me and i return to it frequently for inspiration.
2/ as it's a paperback it is relatively inexpensive, so i felt it would help me ease into this process with a little less trepidation.


i always think of friedlander as a photographer's photographer because of the complexity with which he balances elements that are uniquely, well, photographic. his compositions are so meticulously pieced together. i was studying the cover image of self portrait earlier and realized i had never noticed the row of crescent shaped lights (or what i think might be lights) at the very top of the image. they mimic the loops in the garland and the trophy. today i noticed it with the clearest understanding of how that detail affects the photo. what gets me is that every single picture of his is full of this kind of attention to detail.

recently i've been revisiting a lot of photographers who shoot very formally in black and white: friedlander, callahan, koudelka, morell, robert frank etc. i also discovered roger ballen a while back although i haven't seen a large amount of his work yet. i expect the first round of purchases to be in this vein. but i can't wait to see where the year takes me. i am however quite nervous that my bookcase will not support the additional weight of twelve coffee-table-sized books. i proceed with fingers crossed.


post script added january 28th, 2009:

i was entirely surprised to learn they republished this as a hardcover.

i need a digital camera

i snuck this picture with my phone at a show at mccarren park pool this summer (i'm not sure if this kid realized it or not). in case you're wondering: i do not have a fancy camera on my phone. this file is not even a megabyte. what you see above is essentially the largest this picture will ever be. i do however really like the color i get on that phone. i don't really know why, except to say that there is a definite allure in viewing a color photograph lit from behind (jeff wall was obviously on to something).

my point: i really need to get a digital camera that i can keep in my bag. the phone is just not cutting it. i've narrowed it down to either panasonic's lumix dmc-lx3 or the canon g10. i really like the lumix, but my other camera is a canon so i feel like i should keep it in the family.

matthew siesco

matthew siesco, an "a flickr a day" alumnus, has this charming photograph of himself holding a book of his own photographs on his flickr page. i'm almost as smitten with the photograph itself as i am with the book. it's only $10.50 (this just covers shipping, so it's quite a deal), but i need to wait for the reprint (it's understandably popular). and by wait i mean matthew siesco is going to get harrassed by yours truly until he's knocking his head against the wall (just like the guy in his below image, obviously).

the specs: 16 pages, 9" x 7", saddle-stitch binding, full-color interior ink

life keeps getting away from me

i've had a crazy week. i hope to post something other than a flickr soon, specifically some of the images from alissa's sister's wedding that i have been diligently working on. but we'll see. those might not be ready till next weekend.

i did manage to find time to splurge on these today and i couldn't be more excited about them.

my crazy weekend...

let's imagine it's ten o'clock on a saturday night and you just got home from a long week of work (okay maybe for effect you should imagine it's a friday night) and just for fun, you decide tonight is the night you are going to move an enormous peice of furniture up from your basement, an enormous piece of furniture that has been sitting in said damp basement for probably longer than you've been alive (in this case 22 years), and let's imagine for the sake of argument that your sister agrees to help you with said endeavor and that upon your arrival with "beasy" at the top of the stairs, you realize that getting her past the washing machine and around the corner is going to be quite the adventure. and what an adventure it was because as you've probably guessed by now, this hypothetical activity was really truly my saturday night. god bless my sister. the whole situation would probably have gone a lot smoother if we had boyfriends, but as we do not have boyfriends, we had to manage on our own.

the project was well worth the sweat and tears as i've been sitting at beasy in my studio all weekend enjoying the view of my backyard and watching the tremendous noreaster we experienced while working on this and this and a screen printing project that i don't have up yet. i did manage to tear myself away from my studio long enough to make a field trip to ikea where i saw lots of stuff to finish getting my darkroom in order all of which i intend to purchase as soon as i get paid again:

1/ the nian wall shelf with built in lighting finally ends my search for a sweet looking light table (i think the 22" was on sale for $19.99 because it says $75 or something on the website and i remember thinking it was more affordable)

2/ these measuring cups for all my chemical concoctions, and

3/ this clothes tidy to dry my film in.

i also filed my taxes today. wow. what a productive weekend.

swapmeat

for some reason, when many photographers go to buy art, they themselves don't want photographs. they may want something photography related, but not photographs. in my opinion it's because we can't commit to only one; if we can't have the whole series, what's the point? this print symbolizes a love of photography and the camera without actually being a photograph. in fact i myself have a photographer in mind to gift this to (and no, it's not myself).

limited-edition of only 100. 24" x 26" hand-screened on french paper dur-o-tone butcher off-white 80 lb cover. $35 each.

coudal partners have more cool stuff and prints for sale through their swapmeat because as they put it, " periodically, we receive unsolicited stuff in the mail. we love getting it, and most of the time we return the favor by sending back some of the stuff we've made. so we're trying to do the same thing on a slightly larger scale in an attempt to make lots of people as happy as we are when the fed-ex guy shows up unannounced. featured items are listed on this page."

via k. cooper

day dreaming

i've been in the middle of building a studio for myself since at least september (maybe you remember i posted about it in mid january?). i made the decision about a month ago to start moving some of my things into the room even though i hadn't painted yet, or actually spackled for that matter, or cleaned the walls even.

it was a decision made more for my sanity than it was for practicality's sake because as it was i had stuffed four years worth of photography matter along with all of my clothes and personal things into my rather small bedroom, and i couldn't find anything i needed or walk through the space without maiming myself. the sense of relief upon organizing my things was beyond words, or frankly i would have posted about it, but of course now when i go to paint i'll need to figure out how to deal with the colossal bookcase i moved into the room and immediately filled to the brim with my things. in the meantime i've been shopping for furniture both in my basement, where i found the perfect worktable (something i've been searching high and low for for months; it just needs a good cleaning and a new paint job), and ikea, where, let's face it, i can almost always find something i need. okay, want.

i've been coveting the above table for what feels like forever, but i just spotted this swivel chair today, and i might have to get it. instead of the more practical stool that i was planning to purchase (obviously). for the record, i was in search of a rug today, not a chair.

five and a half

it's hard to believe this journal is a journal; it looks like a well designed paperback book. only there isn't a title. or an author. the very talented people at five and a half leave that part up to you. for $28 it's a very giftable photo find. via poppy.

maditi photography

i've said it before: i'm picky about polaroids. for me, a polaroid's charm lies in its physical nature; a polaroid is inherently an object meant to be held, a thing, forgiven its technical flaws and enjoyed mainly for its immediacy. viewing a polaroid online, be it on flickr, or myspace, or wherever, automatically takes it out of context. many scan the polaroid in its entirety, including the borders and minimally adjust the color to recreate the experience, but still once the polaroid loses its physicality the flaws in the image become increasingly evident.

yet, there are always exceptions. like maditi photography. i think one of the reasons i like maditi's polaroids is because of her consistent control of the image itself. she uses the polaroid to reveal unexpected everyday objects, through a controlled color palette and an understanding of the polaroid's limitations.

but most interesting to me is how she rechristens the polaroid as another kind of object that has a similar position of reverence and nostalgia in our society, the postcard, an object that can be handled, mailed, or even framed.


finally, i'm not the hugest fan of her black and white images, but she has a great eye for color, not only in her polaroids, but also in her medium format images, like the one below. you can view more of them on her website in the portfolio section. she also has a blog. and an etsy shop.


via poppy

lyell

i was browsing montmarte's blog today and found a link (i think via mav) to the fashion line lyell where i was greeted by some highly inspired fashion and some equally inspired fashion photography. the company clearly takes a lot of pride in their photographic imagery and i delighted in the result. they generously listed their photographers on their contact page (saving me the impossible task of tracking them down):

1/ richard kern
spring & summer 2007

explore his site at your own risk as his images are more than a little risque. his images for lyell on the other hand kind of remind me of loretta lux because of the way the model is made to look like a little girl.



2/ gareth mcconnell
fall 2006

to whom i'll try to devote a more comprehensive post to a little later.



3/ noah sheldon
nyc spring 2006, paris 2005, & nyc 2004

i saw this website a few months ago and thought i would never be able to remember how i found it, only to come to it via an entirely different route; what a serendipitous coincidence.



if you're more interested in the fashion than the photography i suggest reading refinery29's page on lyell and their chat about nolita with the australian designer, emma fletcher.

i need a large format camera!

i had the most irresistible urge to photograph today.

2 things stopped me:

1/ i work saturdays (a fact sad enough in and of itself, but made all the more sad because of said urge to be in the sunshine making pictures).

2/ i need a freakin' 4 x 5! i don't feel like shooting with my holga all that much right now. it may be the cold, it may be the fact that i can't shoot with it indoors due to its inability to deliver a halfway decent exposure without a crapload of light, but the more likely cause of my recent aversion is the over abundance of crappy toy camera pictures i keep seeing on flickr. they make my eyes spin enough to make me sick.

when i purchased my equipment this fall, i opted to buy a digital camera instead of a large format so that i could shoot weddings more easily. and while i can say that that was mostly a wise decision, i can't wait to get my hands on a large format camera. i want to use my light meter again! and film! and be able to scan negatives that have some real density instead of the frighteningly clear ones i sometimes get from my holga. i know that large format cameras are going the way of the dinosaur, but i want one anyway, in fact their impending scarcity only makes them more desirable to me.

i dream of the day when some bride says to alissa and me, "hey how about you try shooting our wedding portraits in large format, wouldn't that be beautiful?" because it would be damn it.

a photobooth book

this photobooth book, by babbette hines, came out a few years ago when i still worked at the penn bookstore on 36th and walnut. i never got around to buying one (when i could have gotten it with a discount), but it's still under $20 and i haven't purchased my annual trove of photography books yet. i usually splurge around christmas time (so i'm kind of way past "annual"), but i haven't decided on my list yet. maybe it'll make the cut this year.

thrid drawer down

anyone who has looked at my personal work knows that i have a weakness for clotheslines. so natuarally i fell hard for this screen printed linen tea towel designed by lilli harmann for thrid drawer down (i recommend visiting their website not only for their great products, but also for their enchanting website graphics). unfortunately, my tea towel (and it will be mine) is out of print until march 15, but come march 15...

liz they also have some great aprons, called, wait for it, artprons (adorable right?), that you should check out as inspiration for our upcoming project.

anthropologie

the arrival of anthropologie's catalog always sets my creative little heart a flutter. i swoon over their consisently great photography and styling. in this catalog i especially liked the frida kahlo inspired shots (top row) and i really want those white garden trainers only i can't justify spending $258 on shoes i'll probably muss up in a week, alas.

capezio

as per request by jinius and after closely inspecting the shoe boxes in the below image, i have been able to jog my memory to report to you that the shoes samantha pleet uses come from a dance company called capezio. if you live in new york and feel like shopping in person, you can pick up a pair on 51st and broadway, although there isn't a store front as the salesfloor is on the second floor and you have to walk past a security desk to get to the elevator which feels a little like you're doing something you shouldn't be. i hope that was satisfactory (and i hope samantha doesn't mind me sharing that information).

MeS Textiles

a few weeks ago bloesem posted about MeS Textiles, a netherlandish company that sells products for the home ranging from patchwork quilt blankets and pillows to tables and beanbags. their stuff is definitely super cool, but let's talk photography: so good. awesome flash fill that flattens the space. awesome warm color palette that feels simultaneously vintage and modern. awesome. they successfully make use of the snapshot aesthetic while creating expertly composed images, unlike the photo campaign by american apparel that somehow misses the mark for me, and makes me want to gag due its overtly suxual nature (sorry). i really love when companies are more concerned with making interesting photography that stands on its own, than with simply lighting a product to perfection and MeS Textiles satisfies my liking.

forth & towne

jessica was telling me about a photo shoot she assisted on for a clothing company called forth & towne. she said she thought i would wear almost everything they shot. i think she's basically right, only there are not any stores near me for me to try everything on. with any luck they'll come to philly or king of prussia soon.

my dream wedding

i haven't been very inspired by anything wedding related lately, but after spending quite a bit of time on lena corwin's blog today i came across this quote in a post about her wedding: "i'm still not sure how i went from being a total anti-bride (wanting to get married at city hall) to having a big weekend event-- worthy of martha stewart weddings magazine." as someone with similar leanings, and finding my curiosity piqued, i began to dig around for images of her wedding, which i promptly found on her flickr page.

let me just say that i was more than a little jealous to find that she threw the wedding of my dreams (that is, on the rare occasion that i let myself think utterly crazy thoughts about what my wedding would look like should i choose to have one): late summer, casual, outdoors, in the evening with no tent and lots of pretty lights. i don't want to give too much away, but i was particularly excited about the backdrops she used for the photography (which as a whole gets 5 stars from me; i'm guessing she asked friends to do it). it feels more than a little weird to me to be posting about the wedding of someone i don't know in real life, but i can't help myself. actually, i can imagine any one of my friends planning a wedding like this. on second thought i probably shouldn't be sharing this valuable information as i'll probably be the last of my crew to go...

flash-1

i'm a one necklace, one ring kinda gal, but what photographer wouldn't love this charm? i think i'd have to wear it with a much more delicate chain, but that's just me.

"flash-1" is the first piece in RoidRage jeremy kost's collaboration with rusty pistachio's PNUT Jewelry. limited to only 1,000 pieces. $175 (jessica, need i say more?).