Wall by Josef Koudelka is an Aperture photo book with a relatively narrow focus: The wall built by the Israelis in the West Bank. The Israeli goal was ostensibly to prevent free movement between the Palestinian and Israeli populations and thus reduce acts of violence against the Israeli people. I am not going to get […]
Afghan Heroin: Not For Export – Part 3
In this final ‘behind the scenes’ piece, I’m going to talk through some of the processes involved in shooting Afghan Heroin: Not For Export. If you’re coming to this afresh, I recommend you first read Part One and Part Two. Let’s see where my thoughts take me. At the time of my earliest visits to […]
Behind the Scenes: ‘Afghan Heroin: Not For Export’
Thank you readers for all the feedback you provided a few weeks ago. I thought I would start by writing a little more about some of my experiences shooting Afghan Heroin: Not For Export. I’m going to just write and let this evolve in a natural way, but the aim is to share more of […]
Street Photography – A Personal Story, by Job Honig
By Job Honig I had thought of writing this guest post for a while — as a kind of response to Tom’s essay on street photography. I have struggled with all the issues he mentioned for some years now; how to create meaning and avoid the pitfalls; how to add something to what is already […]
Top B&W Photographers: Tom’s #9
If you haven’t read the first part (and #10), you can start here: Top B&W Photographers: Tom’s 10. #9: Josef Koudelka This decision took all of a nanosecond – Koudelka had to be on my list. I think it would be fair to say that I have gotten more from Josef Koudelka’s photography than any […]
Book Review: Harry Gruyaert
Harry Gruyaert is a Magnum Photos photographer (from Belgium), whose name is not particularly well-known. He’s not famous in the way William Eggleston is and his name is much harder to pronounce than Andreas Gursky’s (the latter’s photographs also selling for dramatically more $). Nevertheless, I’ve spent more time looking at Gruyaert’s book than any […]
Reader Showcase: Aaron C. Greenman
Ladies and gentlemen, today we are showcasing the work of Aaron C. Greenman. His work could be described as a mixture of street photography and reportage, spanning a broad range of locations and subjects. You can find a wide selection of work on his website, which is linked below. Please note that he has not […]
New Photography Series
I’ve been gone a while – sorry! I’m back in front of the computer once again, only this time with a very painful shoulder. Had I slipped in the shower, I would have nothing to show for it, but thankfully I slipped over whilst taking photographs. No sooner had I realised that my equipment was […]
Book Review: Ireland, Singular Images – Donovan Wylie
A while ago I wrote that I had seen a book of Donovan Wylie’s photography on Amazon for £0.01. It turned out that I was charged £0.02 for the book (I am not sure why), but I can live with this 100% increase in price, I think… maybe…. just. I was eagerly awaiting delivery, because […]
Book Review: Minutes To Midnight, by Trent Parke
This is the first time I have preordered a book. I have been a fan of Trent Parke for some time, but have neither seen his work at an exhibition, nor in book form. I wasn’t sure what to expect from this modestly priced book – after all, was launched at half the price of […]
Steve McCurry Controversy
Introduction Steve McCurry really is in a sticky situation, as some of you will no doubt be aware. Blackadder would say that McCurry’s in the stickiest situation since Sticky the stick insect got caught on a sticky bun. It’s pretty bad. This Petapixel.com article discusses the controversy neatly, so there is no need to repeat what it says. […]
Leica Oskar Barnack Award 2015
The winner of the 2015 Oskar Barnack Award and Newcomers Award have been announced on the Leica site. I have not formed an opinion yet, but it is clear that the Barnack Award has changed a great deal over the last four or five years. It used to be the preserve of reportage and documentary, […]
The Truth In and About Photography
No documentary, reportage, street or landscape photographer can avoid dealing with the matter of fidelity. While it is clear that we are all indescribably charming magnets for the opposite sex, this is not what I am referring to. I am talking about the relationship between what we see (or have seen, but ignored) and the […]
The Story Behind: Football in the Snow
The Story Behind: Football in the Snow Winter is unpredictable in Kabul. Some years it starts in December and seems unwilling to leave in March, whereas in other years there is barely a flurry of snow. This was a year of dense snow, white skies, bitter cold and difficult movement. In such conditions it takes […]
