Nebulon
another variable
My interest in photography is above all for the experience of seeing. It's a process of contacting and understanding the world. Curiosity is my driving force. I have been an avid photo-enthusiast for a couple of decades, and try to use the camera that best suits the situation.
That situation finds me traveling more now than ever before, and a compact RF system gives me the best quality with the least fuss. My main kit is based on the wonderful new Zeiss Ikon. A digicam is more stealthy, but the quality is not yet there for me. I am happy with slr's in general, but have given up travelling with them due to their larger size.
When not on the road, I find inspiration in good books. I am primarily interested in great images and less concerned with the photographer's choice of gear. Good subject matter, composition and creativity insire me to improve my own work. Over time, I have accumulated a rather large collection of photography books, which, along with practice, have made me a better photographer. Perhaps even, a better person.
In the end, a simple approach is often the most effective. A camera should be an invisible link between the subject and artist. With this in mind, I would like to mention the Edouard Boubat Monograph, published in 2004 by Abrams. Edouard created a beautiful collection of delightfully absorbing images with his RF cameras. This volume reproduces those slices of life in large and beautiful pictures. It is a book to get lost in. It transports me to another time and place.
I would love to hear from others about a book or photographer that has inspired them to improve their own work, or who has enriched their view of life.
Happy travels,
- Nebulon
That situation finds me traveling more now than ever before, and a compact RF system gives me the best quality with the least fuss. My main kit is based on the wonderful new Zeiss Ikon. A digicam is more stealthy, but the quality is not yet there for me. I am happy with slr's in general, but have given up travelling with them due to their larger size.
When not on the road, I find inspiration in good books. I am primarily interested in great images and less concerned with the photographer's choice of gear. Good subject matter, composition and creativity insire me to improve my own work. Over time, I have accumulated a rather large collection of photography books, which, along with practice, have made me a better photographer. Perhaps even, a better person.
In the end, a simple approach is often the most effective. A camera should be an invisible link between the subject and artist. With this in mind, I would like to mention the Edouard Boubat Monograph, published in 2004 by Abrams. Edouard created a beautiful collection of delightfully absorbing images with his RF cameras. This volume reproduces those slices of life in large and beautiful pictures. It is a book to get lost in. It transports me to another time and place.
I would love to hear from others about a book or photographer that has inspired them to improve their own work, or who has enriched their view of life.
Happy travels,
- Nebulon
kmack
do your job, then let go
I received A. Aubrey Bodine's Chesapeake Bay County as a present. The reproductions in the book changed the way I look at black and white photography.
Bodine was a Baltimore MD native and the best pictorialist the Maryland Institute of Art has ever produced. He primarily used a 5x7 Technica for his photography but in 1947 while working for the Baltimore Sun he went out with a Brownie Box camera just to prove that it was the photographer and not the camera that controlled the image.
Bodine was a Baltimore MD native and the best pictorialist the Maryland Institute of Art has ever produced. He primarily used a 5x7 Technica for his photography but in 1947 while working for the Baltimore Sun he went out with a Brownie Box camera just to prove that it was the photographer and not the camera that controlled the image.
Nebulon
another variable
Indeed. It's the photographer and not the camera. As further proof, check out the images of Venice by Gunter Derleth using a pinhole camera. "Venice Camera Obscura" (2000 Edition Stemmle)
350D_user
B+W film devotee
Photographers that inspire me? You've seen some of the galleries in this forum?? 
As for books, I bought "The Photo Book" whilst in Wales last year. The old b+w photos in there should be enough to inspire people.
As for books, I bought "The Photo Book" whilst in Wales last year. The old b+w photos in there should be enough to inspire people.
Vince Lupo
Whatever
Dave Heath's "A Dialogue With Solitude". Came out in 1965 and is one of the best photo books of the era. Taught me at Ryerson Polytechnic University in Toronto.
It is availble as a reprint (in limited quantities, I understand).
It is availble as a reprint (in limited quantities, I understand).
BigSteveG
Well-known
While I agree that it is ultimately the image that counts, I must stress the photographer's command over his tool of choice is also paramount. I just finished viewing Davidson's "East 100th St" and am completely blown away at the idea of this series. He acheived that rarest of photographic obejectives: The depiction of beauty and dignity in the midst of misery and squalor. Davidson's choice of a 4x5 camera in order convey the highest quality is really a testament to his sense of commitment to his subjects. It must not have been easy to lug around that bulky equopment in hot and cold weather to shoot in street, alleys and homes. Everytime I see an LF image I get so excited I want to rush out and buy a 4x5 or 5x7 camera........