End of Labor Town: Dumping Ground of Old Men in Japan
Posted by bruce in Documentary Photography, Photography That Matters, social displacement on December 27, 2009
These are not the view of Japan that we normally see. Shiho Fukada shows us how some elderly people in Japan fare. It is not a story unique to Japan.
SEE http://www.socialdocumentary.net/exhibit/shiho_fukada/728
Sara Terry: The Aftermath
Posted by bruce in Uncategorized on December 26, 2009
Women returning home from a visit to the homes they fled
in 1995 in Srebrenica, Bosnia, September 2000
SEE: http://www.bosniaaftermath.com/widows.html#
These images from Sara Terry document the aftermath of the war in Bosnia. They are classic documentary images in that they take us to where we have not gone and they show us the meaning of a situation by isolating its moments, by cutting to the essential. This story goes deep because the photographer goes deep. These photographs stay with us because the “moment,” was stopped for us.
Pearl Harbor Brownie
Posted by bruce in Conflict, Documentary Photography, Photography That Matters on September 11, 2009
Moises Saman: Lost Boys of Afghanistan
Posted by bruce in Children, Documentary Photography, Middle East, The Human Condition on August 31, 2009
Lost Boys of Afghanistan by Moises Saman
See this stirring slideshow by Moises Saman shot for The New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2009/08/27/world/20090827AFGHANMINORS_index.html
Evgen Bavcar: The Blind Photographer
Posted by bruce in Documentary Photography, Photography That Matters, The Human Condition on August 18, 2009
Self portrait by Evegen Bavcar
Photography has always been thought about as “another,” way of seeing.
And it is.
But, usually, we think about that as a person looking through the camera, seeing what’s there, and, through the magic of the camera and the film -or digital- capture process, one sees the world in different way.
More advanced photographers and appreciators of photography then allow for the transformative recognition of the quality and angle of light, of the Decisive Moment, of the power of distance to subject or, even, luck or magic.
It is this latter idea that infuses the work of Evgen Bavcar ((“E-oo-gen Ba-oo-char”), the Slovenian photographer is completely blind, completely eccentric and his images are totally wonderful. Read the rest of this entry »
Dhiraj Singh: Video Biographer
Posted by admin in Documentary Photography, Photography That Matters, The Human Condition, social displacement on August 7, 2009
“My name is Dechen.”
Watch this touching video done by Dhiraj Singh.
He did an interesting thing: A Video Biograph.
In a way, all Visual Journalists who do stories on people, are doing “biography,” but with the addition of audio, where the subject can speak for themselves (edited, of course), where the image-maker can animate the images and drive the viewer’s emotions, the subject of the story becomes more “alive,” the depth is ratcheted up, and, potentially, the medium is beginning to resolve the age old struggle of photojournalism: Who’s viewpoint is this about? The subject’s or the photographer’s? Read the rest of this entry »
Dhiraj Singh: The (New) Eyes Of India
Posted by bruce in Documentary Photography, Photography That Matters, Sub Continent, The Human Condition, War, social displacement on August 6, 2009
From “Six Feet Under,” ©2009Dhiraj Singh
For more work by Dhiraj Singh, SEE: http://www.dhirajsingh.com/01.htm
Dhiraj Singh is a Photojournalist who lives in Mumbai, India. His work has been published in numerous international magazines and online journals, including Newsweek, Vanity Fair, msnbc.com, The Wall Street Journal, L’Expresso, and, many others. He has won numerous awards (see his “bio,” on his site, above) and participated in many exhibitions. His pictures of the Mumbai terror attacks in 2008 were part of the prestigious group exhibition titled, ‘Bearing Witness’ held in Mumbai in 2009.
Documentaryshooters is honored to have permission to publish Mr. Singh’s work. We feel he has the insights and skills to show India as it is, depicting its greatness and its struggles, its deep and ancient soul as well as its modern and energetic heart. He, as no other photographer has, since, the great Raghu Rai’s seminal work of the 1970’s, ’80’s and 90’s, not only shows India and the sub continent, he makes us feel it. Read the rest of this entry »
Parikarma: But It Rained
Posted by bruce in Documentary Photography, War, social displacement on August 6, 2009
Parikrama: But It Rained from Split Magazine on Vimeo.
This is a rock band video based on a magazine article about kidnap victims in Kashmir and those who wait for their return. This is one of India’s most revered bands and was one of India’s all time most popular rock songs.
Alan Berner And The American West
Posted by bruce in Documentary Photography, Photography That Matters, The Americas on July 29, 2009
Harold G. Olson and his goat Buddy,
Stuck, Washington, ©2005
(from a story on annexation in
King County, Washington)
Alan Berner is a staff photographer for the Seattle Times.
He is also one of the most exciting, interesting and undiscovered photography talents on the planet.
His work is lyrical, thoughtful, enjoyable, moving, well constructed and intelligent. Read the rest of this entry »
Lartigue: The Human Is The Tool
Posted by bruce in Documentary Photography, Photography That Matters, The Americas, fun on July 13, 2009
For More Photos by JHL: http://photography-now.net/jacques_henry_lartigue/portfolio1.html
In a time when camera phones -and videos- are ubiquitous and that, in many cases, people using them are the only sources of images and information (Iran), the work of Jacques Henri Lartigue is even more relevant than it was in the early 20th Century.
Lartigue, the boy, wasn’t a photographer: he was a kid with a camera. No big deal. Like people with camera phones now.
Look at the images!
Joyous, exuberant, beautiful in composition and moment of capture, they stand as a good document of the times and an excellent expression from that young boy who, obviously, exalted at the possibilities of his life in general and the possibilities of photography in paticular.
So, keep those camera phones snapping (if you have the “snap” sound enabled) and keep posting them on MySpace and Twitter and Flickr and Facebook and keep some of the big hitters (NY Times, etc.) telephone numbers in the other end of that phone, because, once again, we’re reminded, it ain’t the tool, it’s the eye and heart and mind.
Yours (if you use it).
Vote
Posted by bruce in Documentary Photography, Photography That Matters, The Human Condition, social displacement on July 2, 2009
“Vote,” Selma Voting Rights March, 1965
©Bruce Davidson
Sometimes we forget that the “Big Work,” the work that one becomes known for making isn’t all there is.
Bruce Davidson went south, from Chicago, on instinct.
The world was shaking and he felt the vibe.
The time was now: Civil Rights.
Real change.
Without assignment or specific destination he “nailed it,” and was able to work on the edges of the news, tell the story from a personal and deeply intimate viewpoint.
This image, for me, is one his best. Beautiful composition. Beatiful moment. Beautiful storyline. Iconic and packed with all the elements that make it a novel unto itself, if this was the only photography that existed from the era it was shot in, it would, I think, be enough to tell the story of the struggle.
One word and one image: sometimes it’s enough: Vote.
For More on Bruce Davidson: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruce_Davidson_(photographer)
Photography Sites
Alberto Oviedo
- Bill Owens
- Bruce Berman
- Contact Press Images
- Documentary Photography Project
- History Matters: The U.S. Survey Course on the Web
- Jonathan Torgovnik
- Lisette Model
- Magnum Photo Agency
- Mary Ellen Mark
- New Deal Network
- Portfolios.com/Bruce
- Richard Misrach
- Robert Doisneau
- Ryan Russell
- Sabastiao Salgado
- Shaul Schwarz
- Zone Zero
Border-Blog- The ‘hood Is Still GoodCopia Street, Jan. 4, 2010 Four blocks to the bridge, to the border. Lots of foot traffic. It comes and it goes, north then south. The neighborhood is changing as the Medical Center becomes a reality, but it’s going to be hard to erase what the neighborhood is. This mural, sneaked in on the side of a little building [...] […]
- Turtle In New MexicoTurtle/New Year’s Eve 2009, New Mexico Las Cruces New Mexico on New Year’s Eve 2009. Turtle, 17, born and raised in this southern New Mexico town. Apache. Defiant and alive. It was as good as Times Square. Better. 2010 Resolutions? Nah. Just keep looking. Share and Enjoy: […]
- Black Cross and Anarchy5:10pm – December 30, 2009 Last block of America. Or is it the first? Fifth Street and El Paso Street, El Paso, Texas. This used to be happy street. It’s still a busy street. It’s the street where the downtown bridge from Juarez exits or, conversely, it is the street where you leave the United States and enter [...] […]
- “WOKIKSUYE CANKPE OPI” (“Remember Wounded Knee”)Marvin, a Pima Indian from Arizona, AIM takeover of BIA offices, Chicago, Christmas Eve 1970 photograph by Bruce Berman ©2009 Dec. 29, 2009 / Wounded Knee Day This is Wounded Knee Day. It calls for remembrance. In the 120 year aftermath, the victims of Wounded Knee have still not received justice, let alone, widespread acknowledgment of the murders of nearl […]
- Centro El Paso/Christmas[flagallery gid=all name="Gallery"] Share and Enjoy: […]
- Christmas en El CentroChristmas weirdness, El Paso, Texas – December 20, 2009 Share and Enjoy: […]
- Myths, Ghosts, And, This WindowGhost View south, Dec. 19, 2009 Three of the last four posts have involved this window. The view to the south. One block to Alameda Street, two more down Stevens and, voila, you’re at the bridge, then you’re in Juarez, then, if you keep going, you’re on the carretera to Ciudad Chihuahua, then Torreon, then Puebla [...] […]
- My Window and Mi Compañeros a Sur: Season’s Greetings!Guadalupe #41, El Paso – Dec. 18, 2009 This third floor window looks out onto the Cordova Bridge to Juarez, three blocks to the south. It’s the Season. Guadalupe, I will light you every night -and a string of Christmas lights too- for the rest of the holiday. If anyone in Juarez sees this, please wave [...] […]
- New Mexico JukeLas Cruces, NM/Dec. 14, 2009 Juke boxes. They’re a “warm fuzzy,” no matter how you cut it. No? I just wanna dance. It’s the holidays. Time to dance. And stare at the wall (and the Web) and have luxurious long lunches (and personally enriching) with good friends, now, in the rush of my life, long overlooked. I’m in New Mexico and [...] […]
- A Warm FarewellA piece written to my photography students at the end of a fine semester at New Mexico State University. Forgive the “first person.” Originally posted on their class website at www.nmsu.documentaryshooters.com: Brucini w/New Blanket from a Good Friend, El Paso –Dec. 9, 2009 So it comes to this, the semester ends, we go our own way, we know more [...] […]
- The ‘hood Is Still Good