Light Leaks Magazine

Transcription

Light Leaks
Issue 10
L o w
F i d e l i t y
P h o t o g r a p h y
CLIFF-HANGERS
Interview:
Teru
Kuwayama
Technique:
...Holgas and
high water
Showcase:
Danielle Marie Lesperance
Matt Callow
Gary’s Toy Box:
VIvitar Ultra
Wide & Slim
feature:
krappy
kamera x
Light Leaks
L o w
F i d e l i t y
P h o t o g r a p h y
Publisher | Rachel Morris (Light Leaks Press)
Supervising Editor | Steph Parke
Issue 10 Contents
Operations Manager | Michael Barnes
Gallery Photo Editor | Aline Smithson
Editors | Janet Penny, Mr. E. Cipher
Contributing Writers | Steph Parke, Tread, Jay Heuman,
Aline Smithson, Wallace Billingham, C. Gary Moyer
Design and Production | Michael Barnes
E-mail: [email protected]
Web site: www.lightleaks.org
Fax: 1-866-220-0480
2 The First Word
By Steph Parke
3 Treadly Speaking
By Tread
6 Interview
Focused on the Moment:
Teru Kuwayama on Photojournalism
& Toy Cameras
By Jay Heuman
12 Gallery
Cliffhangers
Photo Editor, Aline Smithson
Printed in Canada
by The Lowe-Martin Group
www.lmgroup.com
36 Technique
Good Friends, Good Times,
Holgas and High Water
By Wallace Billingham
© Light Leaks Press ISSN # 1911-429X
40 Showcase
Danielle Marie Lesperance
44 Showcase
matt callow
48 Gary’s Toy Box
Vivitar Ultra Wide & Slim
By C. Gary Moyer
50 Krappy Kamera X
By Light Leaks Staff
56 Book Reviews
By Steph Parke
Cover Photo By Jon Wilson
Issue 10, Cliffhangers
Treadly Speaking ...
A
By Tread
s warm weather approaches,
the working class readies
itself for the annual “load up
the young’ns, let’s hit the road” vacation
season. For many of us, the family getaway
doubles as a week-long photo outing, an
excuse to pretend to be on assignment in
a foreign land with exotic locales, even if
that foreign land is just the next state over
and the exotic locale is a roadside motel’s
swimming pool. No matter what your
travel plans for your sojourn, you’ll want
to pack plenty film, plenty plasticy cameras
and plenty sunscreen … but this year—along
with the SpeedoTM (remember the extra 10
lbs. you packed on over the winter?) leave
the travel photo clichés at home and try
letting your imagery tell the story of where
you’ve been in a different way.
I guess I should start by revisiting some
Sunset-PTA-V
of the clichés of travel photography. Nary
a one of us can deny being guilty of the
store in every beachfront town. Let the indigenous, peasant types go about their
occasional sunset, straight on shot of
daily grind without you trading a dollar for a quick poorly thought out click of them
(insert landmark of choice here, i.e. Eiffel
mugging at your lens. Take heed, I know this is hard to hear, but just because people
Tower, Disney Castle, Britney Spears),
are from a different culture and dress funny to you, doesn’t make them any more
gnarled-faced local or the whole family in
interesting than your aunt Martha as portrait subjects go; and yes, your aunt Martha
front of an ironic sign or two; but if we
dresses funny too, maybe you should call her more and she’d allow you to hang out
are going to go at this as a photo mission,
with her and get some really good shots, but I’m getting off point. Anyway, you know
we’ve got to do better this trip.
what I am saying. Let’s make our travelogue “different”, per chance even better, by
going about it “differently”.
Forget the scenic mountain snaps that
lack any different point of view or framing.
So now that I have managed to dis every decent vacation photo you have ever taken,
Scrap the sailboat in the sun shot seen
let’s get cracking. First thing, and this is easy—ask yourself what it is that you like
on the postcard rack in every beachfront
about where it is that you are. Is it the sand, is it the food, is it the locals, is it the
Interview
Focused on the Moment:
By Jay Heuman
Teru Kuwayama on Photojournalism & Toy Cameras
Interview by Jay Heuman. Images by Teru Kuwayama unless otherwise noted.
During an interview with World Press Photo, Teru Kuwayama was asked, “How, when under
pressure, do you try and make sure the image is as good as possible?” Without skipping a beat,
the veteran photojournalist replied, “Focus on the moment.”
Though he’s traveled to numerous countries, survived dangerous situations, and had photographs
published in numerous news outlets, Kuwayama’s connection to his subjects is artistic and
intimate. His attitude is not what I sense as the “here today, gone tomorrow” emotional
distance of a journalist.
As Kuwayama shifts between projects, we enjoyed a swift exchange of questions and answers...
Angkor Wat, Cambodia, 2003
JH: If you had to pick just one camera, which would
you choose—and why?
TK: I’d probably choose a video camera, just because
it’s the one I have the least familiarity with.
JH: Specifically about toy cameras: What do you use?
What type(s) of film do you use?
TK: If you’re defining a toy camera as inexpensive
and made out of plastic, I work with a Holga and I
generally use Tri-X, but I have a refrigerator in my
basement jammed with every kind of film on earth,
mostly long-expired. I’m not very particular and I
don’t mind an element of randomness in the results.
JH: What effects can a Holga achieve that you desire,
compared to digital cameras?
TK: I’m not really interested in effects. I don’t think
Kashmir Earthquake, 2005
of a Holga as being any less “real” than the other
cameras I use. I see a lot of affected photos made
by photographers who seem to be over conscious of
the notion of toy-camera photography and then the
work tends to focus on being out of focus, or on the
scratches and light leaks and so on. I’m not bothered
by the defects in the Holga but also not using the
camera for the sake of the defects. It’s just a camera.
JH: What do you have to say to ‘purists’—those
who cast their lot with low-fidelity OR high-fidelity
photography?
TK: I’d say it’s strange to get dogmatic about
cameras. Photographers obsess over cameras in a
way that’s peculiar. I like cameras but I don’t think
it’s helpful to get so wrapped up in a tool kit.
JH: You have described Afghanistan as your “handsdown favorite country on earth.” What’s next on the
list?
10
New Orleans, USA, 2005
Gallery
Gallery Editor, Aline Smithson
CliffHangers
It was a long summer when Walt was kidnapped on Lost. We had to wonder if Jim would ever kiss Pam, or if
Lincoln would ever escape from prison. And yes, if Dancing with the Stars would ever vote off Marie Osmond.
It’s the cliffhanger (a term from 1930’s film endings in which the main characters are literally left hanging on
the edge of a cliff until the story resumes) that keeps us coming back for more.
I’ve always been drawn to photographs that tell a story, but not the whole story—imagery that gives the
audience something to think about, to laugh about, to be creeped out about. Book covers, photographs that
accompany fiction, and photographs on album covers or CDs are images that give just enough information to
create a journey though one’s own imagination and experience. This is not an easy task for a photographer.
Filmmakers have the luxury of a visual journey, writers can take chapters to build up to an cliffhanger, but the
photographer gets just one chance.
It was an absolute pleasure reviewing the myriad of creative submissions. Every image told a terrific story and
a number of cliffhanger themes emerged. There were many outstanding images I couldn’t fit on these pages,
so please forgive me. I was heartened by the fact that we are a community of storytellers and in this case,
storytellers that leave us hanging.
Cliff’s Hanger
Katie Clark Slick
Portland, OR
www.flickr.com/photos/katieclarkslick
Holga 120S
12
GALLERY
Untitled 2 (Sahne)
Ella Manor
New York, NY, USA
www.ellamanor.com
Holga 120N
18
Nicoz
elena curotto
genova, italy
[email protected]
polaroid sx-70 with 600 film
20
Emily. Managua, Nicaragua.
Jennifer Silverberg, St. Louis, MO, USA
[email protected]
Holga 120N
Coming Down
Cameron Stephen, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
http://www.theplasticlens.com
Diana 151
Breakwater Beach
Victor Ginzburg, Newton Centre, MA, USA
[email protected]
Holga 120FN
The Race
Noelle Swan Gilbert, Los Angeles, CA, USA
www.noelleswangilbert.com
holga
31
34
Separated
Gianina Ferreyra, Pasadena, CA, USA
gianinaferreyra.com
Holga
30 Rock
Meredith Neal, Brooklyn, NY, USA
www.meredithneal.net
Savoy Mark II
Alien Life
Melisa Sharpe, Los Angeles, CA, USA
[email protected]
Holga
And Only Now I See The Light
Christopher Barbour, Los Angeles, CA, USA
www.christopherbarbour.com
Holga 120S Pinhole
Alice in Wonderland
Stephan Kaps AKA mephisto19
Lindhorst, Lower Saxony, Germany
www.lomohomes.com/mephisto19
Diana+ (Lomo World Congress Edition, 2007), Fuji Slidefilm, cross-processed
35
Technique
By Wallace Billingham
Good Friends, Good Times,
Holgas and High Water
Friday April 25th, 3:45 AM
and several waterfalls. Our only visitors that morning were a pair
It happens every spring—just as the alarm clock wakes me from
of hawks nesting in a nearby tree. My son and I were blessed
my much too short sleep, spring awakens the earth and photog-
with nice soft, early morning light so we each shot a few rolls of
raphers everywhere from their winter slumber. Each spring as the
film and packed it up for our next spot, three hours away in the
birds make their way back up north, I head out into the woods,
state of Maryland.
and today was going to be the start of my rebirth. Thirty minutes
36
later I was up, showered, dressed and headed out the door with
11:00 AM
my son, into another great photographic adventure. We would
After stopping for gas and a quick bite to eat we arrived at our
hit 4 states and over 1000 miles over the next 3 days. The weather
next stop. Swallow Falls State Park is one of the smallest parks
the week before had been quite kind to us; a slow moving low
in the state of Maryland but it is also one of the prettiest. The
pressure system had left 1-3 inches of rain behind in the areas
park is home to Muddy Creek Falls which is the tallest waterfall
we would be going. This meant that there would be plenty of
in the state of Maryland, as well as three other waterfalls
water in the streams and rivers of Pennsylvania, Maryland, West
including the much smaller Tolliver Falls, and both the Upper
Virginia, and Virginia. The weatherman was forecasting in and
and Lower Swallow Falls from which the park draws its name.
out clouds all weekend with a chance of thunderstorms on both
Unfortunately we were greeted with a harsh, contrasty light
Saturday and Sunday. As we pulled out of town in the predawn,
as there was not a cloud in the sky to break the midday sun.
moonlit sky, I could see a thin veil of clouds covering the not quite
Despite the light, I shot a roll and hoped for the best. Due to
full moon, with any luck the weather would continue to be on
the small size of the park it was not long before we were off to
our side.
our next spot.
6:15 AM
1:00 PM
McConnell’s Mills State Park is about 30 miles north of Pittsburgh,
Around 1:00 we pulled into the tiny town of Davis, West
PA. On the weekends it can be quite a crowded place, but this
Virginia. Davis is home to Blackwater Falls State Park. We had
morning we had the place entirely to ourselves. Around 6:15 we
planned on making a quick stop here but the dark, looming
pulled into the parking lot of a beautiful area with a scary name;
thunderhead made us keep on driving. I have been to Blackwa-
Hell’s Hollow is on the southern edge of the park. You could easily
ter Falls many times before so while I really wanted to stop, the
spend all day here and shoot many rolls of film, but since we were
idea of getting soaked made me keep on going. So we kept on
on a tight schedule we headed about 3/4 of a mile down the trail
driving down West Virginia Route 32 and within a few minutes
for Hell’s Hollow Falls. This area was once a large cave but at
it started raining quite heavily. And just as quickly as it was
some point the roof of the cave collapsed making a small canyon
upon us, it moved on to the east.
37
Showcase
Daniel e Marie Lesperance
Lomoscape
40
Showcase
matt callow
44
Gary’s Toy Box
Vivitar
By C. Gary Moyer
ULTRA
WIDE & SLIM
Welcome to the Toy Box. In each issue of Light Leaks we hope to bring you some unusual
toy cameras and take them for a test drive. Our reviews will be based on years of
experience using the worst cameras the world of photography has to offer. Our high
tech testing methods include: figuring out where the film goes, pointing the camera at a
subject and tripping the shutter.
The Skinny
Manufacturer: Vivitar
Date: Current
Format: 35mm film
Price: $1-10 US
Summary: Wide angle point-and-shoot
Technical Mumbo Jumbo:
•
Plastic 22mm element lens
•
Fixed focus and shutter
•
Thumbwheel film advance
ATTRIBUTES:
48
•
Slight vignette
•
Light weight
•
Only 1 inch thick
•
Prominent lens flare
Krappy Kamera X
By Light Leaks Staff
New York’s Soho Gallery recently celebrated its tenth anniversary
of Krappy Kamera. Our resident roaming photographer, Gary Moyer,
attended the opening reception and shot some of the action with the
Vivitar Ultra Wide & Slim (which happens to be this issue’s featured
camera in “Gary’s Toy Box”).
Light Leaks was once again a proud sponsor of the event, and we had
a noticeable presence at the opening. We were happy to be a part of
thisgreat exhibition, and plan to be a part of future Krappy Kamera
shows.
This year’s juror was Jill Enfield, who had the following to say about
this year’s competition:
Gary Moyer
I walked into Soho Photo and saw mountains of prints on
the table. I had no idea where to start. We sat for a minute
and then I could procrastinate no longer. I walked over to the
first mound and started going through it like a deck of cards,
making my own piles - one for images that spoke to me, one
for maybe and one for no. I thought this alone would whittle
the mountain down to a molehill, but somehow I still had
nowhere close to the 50 in the show pile.
By lunch, my head was spinning. I noticed a trend: I would like
many prints from one person, but that alone was too many. I
Opening Crowd
had to decide what to do. I arranged the group by person and
then by subject, and found that there were a lot of trees! I
wanted a cross-section of images, almost like a survey of what
is being done today. The prints were not the finals, so I had to
keep that in mind as well.
I did not expect to like so many images. After all, this is a
Krappy Kamera show! Putting a simple toy camera in your
hands seems to free the artist up to be creative, so the images
were far from “krappy”; they were arresting, haunting,
sensual, alluring, fun, the total gamut of adjectives. Congratulations to all that entered!
50
Michelle Bates (1st Place) and Jill Enfield (Juror)
Susan Lirakis | Grand Prize
52
Book Reviews
By Steph Parke
The Last Harvest: Truck Farmers in the Deep South
Perry Dilbeck
on deaf ears: pinhole photographs and assemblages
Nancy Spencer and Eric Renner
Center for American Places,
Flying Monkey Press, San
Santa Fe, 2006. 100 pages, black
Lorenzo, NM, 2008. 120
& white, 7x9¼”.
pages, full color interior,
11x13”.
Rarely does a book of
photographs bring tears to my
When they began
eyes, but Perry Dilbeck’s The
creating a collection of
Last Harvest: Truck Farmers
imaginative assemblag-
in the Deep South sure did.
es inspired by today’s
Focusing on the counties
social issues of religion,
making up Atlanta, Georgia’s
politics, sexuality and stereotypes, and separately, pop culture,
outskirts, Dilbeck pays tribute
Nancy Spencer and Eric Renner never intended to photograph
to the diminishing farmers whose parcels and acreage are being
their creations. 18 years into the project however, they began
snapped up by developers and road-builders. Dilbeck paid specific
photographing portions of the assemblages with a Leonardo 4x5”
attention to “truck farmers”, those whose livelihood depends
pinhole camera, and enabled on deaf ears to come to life.
upon selling their harvest in stands and farmers’ markets, out of
the beds of their trucks.
56
on deaf ears is a delightfully contemplative, three-part trip through
images reminiscent of dreams and nightmares, happiness and
Using a Holga and a tape recorder, Dilbeck traveled the countryside
fear, straight truths and wacky oddities. The book begins with
to photograph and listen to these farmers’ lives and stories. Not
fifty of Spencer and Renner’s fanciful pinhole photographs
wanting to fall into a farm-photography cliché of despair and
portraying their sometimes unbelievable assemblages; these are
sadness, Dilbeck sought to portray the “wonderful pride and dignity
clearly artworks in and of themselves. The pinhole images take
these farmers exude in their daily lives” by photographing the oldest
on a life of their own with evoca-
generations on each farm, people “whose faces and demeanor
tive color shifts, vignetting, and
are so appealing.” These old men spoke with sincerity about their
blur. The duo goes on to show the
beloved farms, their produce, equipment and the past, and these
assemblages in their entirety, which
honest words accompany many of Dilbeck’s thoughtful photographs.
are a real treat for the eyes. Amaz-
The exact qualities he desired to depict in Last Harvest are immedi-
ingly detailed and painstakingly
ately present: warmth, pride,
organized, each assemblage holds
generosity and earnestness are
so much information that one piece
reflected in each photograph
will captivate you, making it difficult
and within the words of the
to move on to the next. The third part of the book also shows the
farmers, and it is from these
assemblages but this time much smaller and with thorough notes
reflections that the tears came.
about what each piece contains; it is enlightening but does not
Dilbeck’s Last Harvest is a work
seem to reveal every secret. on deaf ears is a book that one could
of utter honesty, and something
come back to again and again and always see something fresh
everyone should experience.
and ever-mesmerizing.

Light Leaks Magazine

Transcription

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