Tag: photography

Posted on

Beautifully Briefed, December 2021: Holiday Edition

Beautifully Briefed, December 2021

It’s the yearly wrap-up and the holiday season! Recap and Rejoice!

Hermès Does Windows

“Journey of a Lifetime” is this year’s window display for Hermès — yes, Hermès should have an accent, but I can’t seem to summon it today fixed! — so let’s go with a picture instead:

Hermes window display

All in paper. No, let me repeat that: it’s all paper. (Well, perhaps some glue.) From artists Zim and Zou. Here’s another, one of their earlier works:

Zim and Zou, previously

Read more at This is Colossal about the window and the church. Nice.

Yule Ogg

While we’re on the subject of the holidays, check this out:

Yule Ogg

That’s right, it’s one of those four-hour Yule log videos — but with a twist. Those are wooden type pieces going up the flame. Check it out, along with the backstory, at It’s Nice That.

Top Architectural Photography Projects

Closing out, we start the year’s “best of” round-ups, this one Dezeen’s top 10 architectural photography projects of 2021:

Soviet (Asia) Photography

Above, Soviet architecture, central Asia, by Roberto Conte and Stefano Perego. Below, Structure Photography by Nikola Olic:

"Poetic" Architecture Photography

The latter is called “poetic,” a description I’d completely agree with. The Mother Road, USA, by Hayley Eichenbaum (previously mentioned) is there, too. Enjoy.

That’s it until after the holiday. Around the first, stay tuned for my favorite book designs of 2021 and more. Take care!

Posted on

Beautifully Briefed, November 2021: Four on Photography

BB Nov 2021

Four different, yet valuable, interesting, and informative links to photography items heading into this Thanksgiving weekend.

Architectural Photography Awards

Starting with ArchDaily: The Architectural Photography Awards 2021 Announces its Shortlist. Some great stuff here:

ArchDaily 1
ArchDaily 2
ArchDaily 3
ArchDaily 4
ArchDaily 5

All simple, yet so much more. Well done.

Natural Landscape Photography Awards

Next, the Natural Landscape Photography Awards. Many here to choose from, as well, but a couple of faves:

Nature Award 1
Nature Award 2
Landscape Photography Best of How-to

So, we all ask ourselves, how to you get from the everyday stuff to the best-of-the-best? DPReview has answers, with Erez Marom: On Originality in Landscape Photography.

It has been, and continues to be, a rough time for a nature photographer who makes a living shooting around the world. This kind of time period sometimes makes we artists think about our life missions and convictions, and delve deeper into our beliefs and the way we view our art and what makes it worthwhile. While some people don’t see photography as art, I definitely do, and for that reason I feel that a discussion is needed about what makes photography an art form rather than technical labor.

Some examples:

On Originality 1
On Originality 2

Read the whole essay. Excellent stuff.

Route 66 Photography

Lastly, some art from Dezeen: Hayley Eichenbaum captures the “punchy absurdity” of Route 66 roadside architecture:

Dezeen 1
Dezeen 2

Enjoy all four — and enjoy the turkey weekend! Happy (Photography) Thanksgiving.

Posted on

Beautifully Briefed, October 2021: Architecture Photography

Arch Photo Oct 21

Two very different yet very impressive architectural photography items caught my eye this month.

Hélène Binet’s Architecture Photography

Let’s start with an article in the Guardian (UK) on Hélène Binet:

“It’s like being a musician in front a big audience. You can’t get it wrong. In that instant, you have to be the best of yourself, you bring your mind to a place, not to lose that unique moment.” Hélène Binet is explaining her commitment to working with the venerable techniques of analogue, as opposed to digital, photography[…].”

She manages to capture exactly the kind of thing I strive for — potentially abstract, detail-oriented, yet somehow . . . different:

HB3740

And:

HB3k

Beautiful. If you’re in the UK, check out Light Lines: The Architectural Photographs of Hélène Binet, at the Royal Academy, London W1, 23-October-23 January.

Romain Veillon’s Architecture Photography

Meanwhile, from France, we have another: award-winning photographer Romain Veillon with architectural “decay:”

RV1

Brilliant. More:

RV5
RV2
RV4
RV3

He’s got a book out — Green Urbex: The World Without Us (French-language only, alas) — but the photographs don’t need translation. Learn more on ArchDaily.

Posted on

New Gallery: Vassar College

Vassar featured image

Many, many moons ago, my late sister attended Vassar College. I had an occasion to stay in Poughkeepsie, NY, where Vassar is located, and went over on a beautiful morning and spent some time wandering around with the Leica.

Chapel Hall, Vassar
Film, Vassar

It’s a beautiful campus; a mix of modern, mid-century, and classic architecture — with a little mid-century thrown in:

Architecture mix, Vassar

For many years, Vassar was a women’s (-only) college, and it was nice to find the National Landmark observatory building — a reminder that even in the 1800’s, women were doing scientific research:

Vassar Observatory

The New England building:

New England Building, Vassar

An enjoyable visit, a beautiful, incredibly well-tended campus, and a tranquil late summer morning at a renowned college. I was delighted to visit, and pleased with the resulting photographs. See the rest here.

Posted on

New Gallery: Bristol, VA/TN

Bristol VA header image

“Twice the city, twice the fun,” Bristol’s tourism web site says. While some might talk extensively about the Bristol Motor Speedway and its associated draws, I was only there to spend some time on the way to and from Maine. Using the superb Bristol Hotel as a base, I not only enjoyed the Blackbird Bakery and the Bristol Bagel & Bakery (no web site, alas) — both a great way to start a day — but also the excellent Vivian’s Table for dinner. That’s only the food; plenty more I didn’t get to, as well. Nice all around.

There were opportunities to take some photographs, too:

Downtown @ night

State Street downtown straddles the state line, meaning that this guy was in Virginia:

Metal street art (VA)

While this corner, two blocks down on the same street, is actually in Tennessee:

Architectural styles juxtaposed

And here’s the best of both worlds: foreground in one state (TN) while background in another (VA):

Two state photography

Bristol was a pleasant surprise; will definitely return when the opportunity presents itself. In the meantime, enjoy a virtual visit with the new photography gallery.

Posted on

Beautifully Briefed, July/August 2021

It’s been a busy summer here in Middle Georgia; after regular updates to Foreword for several months, things have slowed down a little. Thus, some good items have piled up.

Starting with a book design I really like:

NPR describes it as, “A Monk And A Robot Meet In A Forest … And Talk Philosophy.” Interesting description, interesting design. I’d pick it up off a shelf.

Speaking of bookshelves, a notable quote from Andy Hunter, of Bookshop.org:

Take a look at this graph. The blue is Amazon’s share of book sales in the past six years. The orange is where we are headed if their average growth rate (8%) continues. If nothing slows their momentum, Amazon will control nearly 80% of the consumer book market by the end of 2025. Every single book lover should worry. After we’re done worrying, we must change the way we buy books.

The graph:

I’m not a fan of Medium — Andy, please choose a better place to post your very valid point — but it’s worth reading. Then change your book-buying habits if possible!

Also from the book category, check out Skidmore, Owings, and Merrill’s latest book of built work 2009-2019. Tons of great work here, but one example might tower over the others:

Great photography, too. designboom has more, in their famous all-lower-case style.

While we’re talking about great photographs of New York City, check this out — complete with 1WTC in the background:

A winner from the recent 2021 iPhone Photography Awards, which I enjoyed … until I found out it’s just another contest, complete with entry fee. (Hey, at least they don’t reassign copyright.)

While we’re at the intersection of photography and architecture, these shots of modern churches across Europe are stunningly beautiful:

From the nearby intersection of photography and illustration:

The whole series is great, great stuff, and has very deservingly been used by the likes of Apple, The New Yorker, and more. Read on.

Last and almost certainly least, I’ve updated the Musella gallery:

Check that gallery out, look at the Middle Georgia collection, or peruse all my Georgia photographs on the road to purchasing a print or getting in touch to let me know you’d like to use something in a book or design project. Thank you.

On to September!

Posted on

Mercer University Gallery Updated

Memorial Day weekend brought what is likely the last of the spring-like weather to Middle Georgia, and while it lasted, I was out with the camera. This time, the beautiful, historic Mercer University campus here in Macon:

That building is from the 1800’s. The bear — and the building in the background — are not:

Had my black-and-white “classic camera” filters handy, too (same building in the background, FYI):

Mercer2021-3

Thirty new photographs join the Mercer University gallery. Peruse, purchase, or just enjoy.

Posted on

New: Cochran and Dublin Galleries

Spring is fleeting here in Middle Georgia — a heat wave next week promises triple-digit weather — so took the camera for a wander. Cochran and the other Middle Georgia State University was up first:

Cochran - MGA

A few shots from Cochran’s downtown, as well:

Cochran - Downtown

See the new Cochran gallery here.

Next up was a brief stop on Chester — single photograph posted here — then Dublin, where Martin Luther King made his first public speech, in 1944. There’s a little park to commemorate:

Dublin - MLK park

Downtown, alas, prominently features a Confederate monument (like so many places here in Georgia):

We’re working on it. Meanwhile, check Dublin’s new gallery here.

Last but not least, added a few shots to Macon’s miscellaneous gallery:

East Macon fire watch tower

Check the whole thing, covering almost fifteen years, here.

Special thanks to Prof. Gerald Lucas for the continued use of his Voigtlander 21mm ƒ1.8.

Posted on

More New and Updated Middle Georgia Photography Galleries

New this week is the delightful little town of Yatesville, on the road from Macon to Thomaston:

See the rest in the new Yatesville gallery. And speaking of Thomaston:

Only a few photographs in that gallery, but more when I get a chance. Next, Barnesville:

I could have sworn I had more photographs from there, but am glad to have at least added to that gallery. Lastly, I’ve added to the Forsyth gallery:

All of the new photographs are from Forsyth’s City Cemetery.

Enjoy!