What do you get when you cross a dissatisfied urban planner and a fine arts photographer? What you get is David Allee. Allee earned a BA in Government and Economics from Cornell University in 1991, and went to work as an urban and environmental planner. … Keep readingDavid S. Allee
Jeff Wall is best known for his large scale directorial photographs. Large scale directorial photographs? What the hell does that mean? In essence, it means Wall uses an 8×10 view camera to take staged photographs of events in such a way that they resemble a … Keep readingJeff Wall
The photograph below was my introduction to Finnish photographer Pentti Sammallahti. I was completely charmed by it and immediately wanted to see more of the photographer’s work. I discovered that in some ways, this photo wasn’t necessarily representative of the scope of Sammallahti’s work; it’s … Keep readingPentti Sammallahti
I was drawn to the title of Julie Blackmon’s recent photographic series: Domestic Vacations. It’s a whimsical contradiction. I’d never heard of Blackmon, but the title and the first photo I saw in the series was enough to intrigue me. I wanted to see more, … Keep readingJulie Blackmon
As he wandered around the San Lázaro Psychiatric Hospital in Quito, Ecuador, Japanese photographer Hiroshi Watanabe was followed by a woman patient. She nattered on about a toothache and he apparently didn’t pay much attention to her. As he was leaving, she asked him a … Keep readingHiroshi Watanabe
The first time I heard the name Judith Joy Ross it was in connection to portraits of members of the United States Congress. It’s hard to imagine a less interesting photo series (at least that was my perspective), so I pretty much ignored her. Until … Keep readingJudith Joy Ross
Edward Burtynsky has been called the Ansel Adams of the ruined landscape. He creates large, stunningly beautiful images of nature, but not the organic nature celebrated by Adams. Burtynsky describes the essential theme of his photography as “nature transformed through industry.” Burtynsky was born in … Keep readingEdward Burtynsky
There is a romantic tradition in American popular culture of the itinerant adventurer. A man alone, traveling around the country, meeting people, becoming involved in their lives for a short time, then wandering off again. It’s a common television/movie trope; we’ve seen protagonists travel by … Keep readingAlec Soth
I’m not sure how much this influenced my take on the photography of Robert and Shana ParkeHarrison, but I first encountered their work on one of those dreary, unseasonably chilly, drizzly grey days when the sun never comes out. The Scots have a word for … Keep readingRobert and Shana ParkeHarrison
The photograph below was my introduction to portrait photographer Katy Grannan. I found it…baffling. It was (and still is) compelling in ways that didn’t make sense to me. Who is this pale, somewhat awkward, young woman? Why is she barefooted? What’s going on with that … Keep readingKaty Grannan