Via Donald Winslow

New York Times photojournalist Stephen Crowley's “Campaign Moments” debuts today on the NYT's web site. It's his first-ever Web show, and the photographs are compelling and the accompanying audio narration is great behind-the-scenes information from a veteran of covering national politics but with the intimacy of a grass-roots campaign. Crowley's photographs are known for their unique perspective and angles, his sometimes off-kilter view of things, and their “moments.”

The multimedia gallery “Campaign Moments” compiling twelve years of political coverage is online here. Click on “Photographer's Journal” towards the top of the page.

This is in response to Robb Hill's comments to a post I made about the death of photography.

Robb, I am with you on the quest to somehow hold sacrosanct the word “photography” for the actual process of trapping light in a box and exposing it onto silver-halide based film. I too agree with you that these montages, while gorgeous, (by Maggie Taylor, John Paul Caponigro, Jerry Uelsmann or, Pedro Meyer) are a far cry from being technically photographic. While they derive from photography, their use of digital “light,” in my mind, disqualifies them from being called photographs.

I disagree with you on one point, though – that the darkroom experience alone is solitary. In my opinion, so is the process of tweaking an image using Photoshop. In fact, I think it is more likely that you are going to be alone at your desktop working on your images than when you are printing (unless you are set up at home) in a darkroom.

The issue about capturing “reality” via photography is also nebulous one. By delving into the process of photography (with film, lenses and a camera) I don't think we are experiencing a “universal” reality, but a “personal” and highly subjective one. But going from there to what Pedro Meyer does is a huge leap (he injects backgrounds and other elements to an existing image).

I have never believed that photography was objective or neutral. Meyer and I appear to be on the same page on this issue. As a photographer, I know I have brought my perspective and biases to bear in the final print. In this regard, it's much like painting as the impressionists intended.

Meyer says:

“I think it's very important for people to realize that images are not a representation of reality. The sooner that myth is destroyed and buried, the better for society all around.”

Too bad there isn't a clear reason as to why it is beneficial to society.

In one of the articles, a mug shot of Meyer accompanied the text. I wondered if changing his hair color, or, digitally “shaving-off” his beard, or, placing him on top of the Eiffel Tower might give society a “true” image of the man. After all, it's my interpretation of Meyer, right? I don't think so. According to Meyer, however, these changes in the image shouldn't matter as they are a stream of sub-realities anyway. Debatable.

Back to the initial topic – Is our vocabulary so dirt poor that we struggle to come up with a name for this new genre of photography-based art? I am taking nominations. Send me your quirkiest suggestions. The best entry (yeah, I'll decide) wins a Tiffinbox T-shirt (include your shirt size when you email me at: tiffinbox AT pipalproductions DOT com). Subject line of your entry must read: DANCING WITH LIGHT. Contest ends on August 23, 2004. You have about a month. So, get cracking!

PDN's Digital Imaging Contest has a August 8 deadline. Here is where you can find the submission form and other information. I have wanted to enter this image (see below):

Thoughts?

Thanks to Prashant Mullick I have discovered a wonderful photo-blogger (and web designer): Adam Polselli.

After the SAJA Photoforum slide show several people came up to me and asked me who composed and produced the enchanting music I used in the slide show. Thanks to my wife, Sangeetha, who suggested that I incorporate the mellifluous scales and rhythms by her father, Dr. Krishna Raghavendra, the show was a success.

“Dr. Krishna Raghavendra is an international performing artist, composer, and producer of both traditional and contemporary Indian music. He is a virtuoso on the Veena, a traditional plucked stringed instrument from South India. His Veena, made from red cedar wood, is unique and was customized to be detachable by the late Narasinga Rao of Bangalore, India. It was further modified by Mr. Steve Morrill of Boston, who developed the finger board, modified the bridge and worked on sound amplification. Raghavendra has developed novel playing techniques, which involve a combination of soft nuances, swift fingering and imaginative uses of melodic and drone strings to produce harmonizing and vamping sounds that mimic different instruments. He is the founder of the Ragha School of Music, an institution primarily devoted to promoting and integrating Indian music with western and other forms of music. He also offers workshops at educational institutions, releases original recordings and leads the “Raga and Rhythm Ensemble”(RARE).”

More information about Dr. Raghavendra's music can be gleaned from his web site.