This blog entry is based on my workshop Understanding Photographs most recently delivered in Edmonton for the Visual Arts Alberta Association on Nov. 28, 2009. It contains resource material for those attending the workshop: but those of you who were not there may also find this information interesting.
The workshop dealt with the history of photography from the camera obscura to digital images, as well as the aesthetics and language of photography.
Quotations Used in the Workshop
'From today painting is dead.' French painter Paul Delaroche upon seeing a daguerrotype in 1839.
'An illustration is aiming the camera at the direction of some content, while the photograph is making some sense of it.' Stephen Shore. Shore also said that in painting one is taking basic building blocks and making something more complex. It's a synthetic process. 'A photograph does the opposite: it takes the world and puts an order in it, simplifies it. It is an analytic process.'
'The photograph is able to synthesize what is before the camera in a way that we, ourselves, cannot... The beauty of this synthesis would be the fact that it is a reintroduction to reality. No one view better than another but fresh, something we could never have dreamed up.' Frederick Sommer.
'The photograph can confront us with both the universal and the particular at the same instant in time. The strange tension that results between these two polarities is the force that can make the photograph so moving or poignant or disturbing.' James Borcoman, Curator Emeritus of Photography, National Gallery of Canada, 1974.
'The photograph is a secret about a secret; the more it tells you, the less you know.' Diane Arbus.
'The camera is an instrument that teaches people how to see without a camera.' Dorothea Lange.
James Borcoman in his development of a conceptual structure for an aesthetic of photography used the following terms:
'extraordinary amount of minute detail
richness of texture
more than the naked eye can see
every accident of light and shade
clarity of definition
exactitude
perfect delineation
impartiality
subtlety of tonal gradation
exquisite delicacy
the tangible presence of reality
truth.'
Online Resources Relating to the Workshop
The History of Photography Timeline (Phillip Greenspun, photo.net)
The Origins and History of Photography (Ted's Photographics)
The First Photograph (Harry Ransom Center, The University of Texas at Austin)
Daguerre (1787-1851) and the Invention of Photography: Heilbrun Timeline of Art History
The Daguerreian Society: We didn't discuss this but you may find it interesting. 'Dedicated to the history, science, and art of the daguerreotype.'
The Calotype Process: University of Glasgow
David Octavius Hill and Robert Adamson: University of Glasgow
Henry Peach Robinson and his photograph 'Fading Away'
Alfred Stieglitz: PBS
The Girl in the Picture and Photographer Nick Ut
Stephen Shore Museum of Contemporary Photography
Jerry Uelsmann: The Andrew Smith Gallery. Uelsmann is now retired from his teaching position but continues to work. He prefers the alchemy of the darkroom to digital processes and uses 3-10 enlargers to make a print. He produces approximately 100 prints per year.
Podcasts and E-Books
There are a number of podcasts available on photography. I enjoy Jeff Curto's History of Photography and Camera Position ('A podcast about the creative side of photography.') as well as Lenswork by Brooks Jensen. The links I have provided are for the websites connected to the podcasts. One can also go to iTunes and access the podcasts there.
London: Photographs by Jerome Martin This book contains photographs, text and audio.
Golden Prairie: Jerome Martin. This book contains photographs, text and audio.
Cappuccino U: A new way of learning and working. This is not specifically about photography but rather about informal learning in all fields.
Ten of My Favourite Photo Blogs and Sources of Online Resource Material
AmericaSuburbX: A blog featuring in-depth interviews of and essays on American photographers.
Marketing Photos with Mary Virginia Swanson: A great blog to help one keep in touch with major presentations and events in the USA.
Photograph: The online home of Photograph magazine, the best guide to photo exhibitions and galleries throughout the USA and elsewhere.
Tokyo Camera Style: This is a series of photographs of classic and other cameras used by photographers in Tokyo. You'll enjoy the site if you're interested in vintage film cameras.
Visual Arts Alberta This blog discusses exhibitions and opportunities in the visual arts in Alberta and abroad. It's well designed, current and comprehensive. It's a must for visual artists and anyone else interested in the visual arts.
LensCulture Weblog 'Photography and shared territories.' An excellent blog which links to the LensCulture magazine.
John Paul Caponigro 'Illuminating Creativity' Caponigro, son of traditional photographer Paul Caponigro, is a digital photography and Photoshop guru.
Verve Photo A new breed of documentary photographers.
Photo-Eye A fine gallery, bookstore, magazine etc. located in Santa Fe (a great place for browsing and buying on your next trip to New Mexico).
Ampersand A gallery, bookstore and retail archive in Portland. 'Committed to cultural preservation, we buy and sell vintage photography, paper ephemera, historic documents and collectible books.'
Workshops 2010
Workshops planned for 2010 include 'Our Documentary Heritage', 'Great Photographers' and 'Creating Your Photographic Legacy.' Contact Visual Arts Alberta at 780.421.1731, [email protected] , or Jerome Martin ([email protected]).
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