Leica Oskar Barnack Award 2012, Frank Hallam Day, USA / „Alumascapes“

[maddoc]

I don`t know if this has posted elsewhere already, Leica Oskar Barnack Award 2012

 

[porktaco]

Kinda underwhelmed over here

 

[steveniphoto]

this is the guy that gilden was jumping up and down about in the video?
uhhh i guess i would say congrats?

 

[DominikDUK]

A new leica look is born it's called artificial. The images looks completely artificial to me and not like something I would expect from a leica photographer. The Images make me think Crewdson and not HCB.
The images are not bad but they do not embody the Leica philosophy of old at least to me.

Dominik

 

[maddoc]

I don`t know what to say (except maybe "unusual" ?) about the decision but will later try to have a look for some other work of this photographer.

 

[mfogiel]

If you scroll through the photos submitted, then you will see that the majority are either plain crap, or copies of images already seen decades ago. Perhaps a new look, was something they were after in the award choice.

 

[DominikDUK]

Mfogiel you might be right
Ronny Sen Don't Breath" has some great photos, TV breto e branco by Tadeu Vilani isn't bad either but most other entries are rather weak.

Dominik

 

[wallace]

dissapointing in every way.

 

[jsrockit]

A new leica look is born it's called artificial. The images looks completely artificial to me and not like something I would expect from a leica photographer. The Images make me think Crewdson and not HCB.
The images are not bad but they do not embody the Leica philosophy of old at least to me.

Dominik

I'm not a fan of the photos, but I have no issue with them being "artificial" either. Leica should not be stuck in the past always. There are great photographers doing work today. There's nothing wrong with being more Crewdson than HCB.

 

[DominikDUK]

Jsrockit I like Crewdson HCB less so the images were just not what I expected, but they do seem to embody the new Leica look away from the reporters camera to the fashion photographer and lifestyle company.

Dominik

 

[paulfish4570]

i think one would have been enough; certainly not 12.
our own martini does far more interesting work with his flash and long night exposures ...

 

[jsrockit]

Jsrockit I like Crewdson HCB less so the images were just not what I expected, but they do seem to embody the new Leica look away from the reporters camera to the fashion photographer and lifestyle company.

Dominik

I can agree with that. 🙂

 

[emraphoto]

I though they were damn cool. A thin conquest of fabrication illuminating the choking natural world around it. An almost perfect reversal of the politics of environment today.

Congrats and bravo I say.

 

[Corto]

still Nazi bs, Dig it kids...

 

[DougFord]

...whatdidthey pick'em out of a hat?

Certainly don't want to go in with any preconceived ideas of what a 'leica' photographer photographs like.
I guess what I'm trying to say is, congrats to all the winners.

 

[lynnb]

What impact do the photographs have when you take away the words? My immediate reaction was "what is he saying?" rather than "that's a challenging and thought-provoking statement", or even "wow".

IMHO the subtlety makes the pictures too reliant on the narrative - my preference is for photos to communicate, even if that takes a little concentration and reflection. These don't communicate enough to me.

 

[sebastel]

thank you guys for helping with my aesthetical reception. without you, i might have liked the pictures.

 

[helen.HH]

The ' Winners Work' by Frank Day Leaves me rather Cold
Visually they are Lifeless to me
From a 'Idea' perspective they are Interesting

I prefer a photo to grab me
than be seduced by some Text pushing me to see & understand the photos


I did LIKE the 'Newcomer Winner' Zbierski 😉

 

[lynnb]

"The mood is gloomy and grim, and communicates a feeling of escape, furtiveness, isolation and fear."

Those words support the narrative, but I don't see the photos that way at all. When I showed the winning portfolio to my wife, her reaction was "that looks really pleasant camping amongst the trees. I'd like to go there. I don't see them as gloomy and grim - quite the opposite."

 

[Particular]

I actually think it is a very strong series. There is a lot going on in the images that does not strike you at first glance. The text touches on some subjects, but I don't think they really need the text. I 'get it' without explanation. To me this true documentary work, because it records a phenomenon that is particular to a time and place. The fact that it seems banal, or repetitive is just an invitation to look closer. The best a photographer can do is to point their camera at something and say "look here, this is interesting". The less obvious interest a subject has, the more challenging it is to get an audiences attention, but that does not make it less worthwhile.
These images have a kind of Winston Link quality to them. They exist in a zone between reality an 'apparently staged' reality. They do share a look that is seen in purely staged images, and in advertising, but that makes them somewhat unusual as pure documentary.
I do think they probably need to be seen larger, because they don't really come alive on a small screen. I am not totally bowled over by them, but I would not dismiss them so easily.