there is now outside my window a morning fog so thick i cannot see the river…monochromatic…soft, mysterious….it hides the fact that i am where i am….it has taken the "place" out of what is normally an obvious skyline….new york is temporarily "gone"……
i often contemplate "place"….both where i live and where i do my photographs….certain environments seem to be catalysts for good work done and others not…..i tend to feel more comfortable in southern climes…new york is way way too far north for me…only because it is new york can i deal with the biting cold wind of winter….cold is not so inspirational for me….a warm tropical dawn with fishermen readying their small boats for the sea moves me more than whale hunters preparing their dog sleds for a journey over the ice….
most photographers i know prefer certain "places" as well as certain types of stories….do you envision any time soon a story about Alaska from Alex Webb or James Nachtwey’s vision of Iowa or Maya Goded in China or Bruce Davidson in Japan or Mary Ellen Mark in New Zealand or Joseph Koudelka in Tahiti or Gregory Crewdson doing a tableau in Russia or Nan Goldin in Scotland ??? i cannot imagine Ansel Adams having set up his 8×10 in Indiana nor Henri Cartier-Bresson doing street photography in Hollywood…
how important do you think it is for a photographer to be in the right geographical environment to do their best work??
the fog lifts now slowly…..now i know where i am……
MARTIN…
well, i have a new book that just came out TODAY!!! “Living Proof” based on hip hop…perhaps you will see it someday soon..
having a lot of photographs on a subject, even good ones, does not mean you have a book…a book has to be something “authored”….for me it cannot just be a “collection” of pictures….even very good pictures…
i am very proud of the Vietnam work for example….it was seen by millions of people in NG and in various magazines and was a subject that changed the complexity of thought in people of my age in the U.S….and there are about 10 photographs from that work that i really like…but i just never felt compelled to do a book at the time…maybe i thought that having that story in magazines was enough…served a good purpose…
anyway, as time goes by, that story will pick up “age” like a nice wine….i have another two books to do very soon….Vietnam will have to wait…or, maybe i will change my mind!!!
GIANCARLO…
i think this forum is a pretty amazing example of a photo journal..i have over the years done journals…..and starting as a 12 year old (you should see some of this in previous posts)…but this blog itself will most certainly become a book or a significant part of one.. i mean it really seems like there is a “cast of characters” out there among you…does anybody else see that or feel that or smell a book coming????
i think we have all done in the last few months one of the significant journals in photography…but, let’s wait and see…and , mostly, let’s not try too hard!!!
CATHY…
the honest answer is: i have no idea….but, i will do it!!!
i run a pretty loose operation here…it is just me doing this forum.. story ideas just pop into my head whenever they pop into my head….i write “stream of conscious” and only go back and correct the spelling (and i probably miss on that sometimes)…
i try to do this while also traveling around the world to do my photography and also spend time with quite a few students and also work on the layouts of new book projects….so my tennis game has gone completely to hell!!
but, spend my time the way i enjoy spending my time…this forum is great fun for me and really is the journal i so described to Giancarlo above…when this stops being fun and a challenge and something intrinsically creative, then i will stop….but now i look at this forum as part of my “body of work”..a surprise outlet for me , but a good one…and natural….and natural is good…..and all of you are part of it…
so, i have a stake in all of you…so i will do as i have said i would do…without looking at it as “toil” and with great care, as i do all of my “work”…
i will go to Brazil on sunday and then to Mexico until nov. 10th i think…after that i will have some time to go in and take a good look..
i think right now there are about 150 essay entries uploaded to “Digital Railroad”..more will surely come in close to the nov. 15 deadline….but, they are relatively easy to see….and i can look at a lot of work fairly quickly….i will do my best to give as many comments as possible to the best of the essays as soon as possible…
cheers, david
David,
Yes, you’re early B&W work posted here is cool stuff. I would love to see more of it: it would be interesting to see how much your current work has in common with that. I have a suspicion that, as much as the eye and technique of a photographer evolve, but the themes and sensibilities are usually formed very early (could we call it the artist’s “imprinting”??) That is an aspect of artistic development that does not cease to intrigue me…
I had not reflected on the journal aspect of this blog, but yes, it makes a lot of sense to consider it that, both for its a collective dynamics, as well as your personal reflections… For me (and I know for many of the other “cast of characters” here) is always greatly interesting and revealing to read your thoughts on photography and photographers, on life.
Smell a book coming? That is a very intriguing idea indeed. You piqued my interest indeed? Care to share more, Mr. Harvey?
Giancarlo
And of course I meant: “Yes, your early B&W work posted here is cool stuff”!!!
Oh, and of course congrats on “Living Proof” releasing today, David!
Giancarlo
God, this blog grows so fast!! I’ve been “out of order” for the last two weeks (work and sick) and now there are so many new posts here!! Impossible to read all of them!!
I do think places and geographic environments are very important for photographers. I remember one conversation with David talking about that. He showed me the work of this great photographer: Sally Mann. A woman that took most of her great photos with her children in her backyard at home or the surrondings of the place where she lives. That was an excelent example of what he was trying to make me undertand: the important thing is the moment caught, the feelings inside, the emotions….
But besides that, I do think that there are places where it is easier for photographers to bring out those emotions. But it has to be a deep connection between the photographer and the place. If the place, surronding or people around moves the inside of the photographer, the photography will get that soul inside. It has happened to me lately and I still cry looking at some of the pictures I took in a special place…
Cheers!
Ana
david:
CONGRATULATIONS ON THE BOOK RELEASE! :))….
you can use those 2 bottles of Ontario goody to celebrate (big and small one)…
hugs
b
Tennis Game?! :-)
David or Michael, did my upload make it yesterday? I sent e-mails but I’m not sure if you’re not swamped with e-mails to a degree that it slipped away.
David,
I’m happy the book has eventually been released. Looking forward to seeing it…
Is the sequence of pictures very different from the one in the dummy you showed me in Arles ?
I also wanted to tell you that there are so many people writing on this blog now that I don’t have time to read all the posts and I therefore hesitate to write (I’m afraid what I want to say has already been said).
But I “scan” all comments, take time to read some, and it’s mostly very innteresting.
Thanks !
Pierre-Yves
RENE…
yes, i play tennis…i hate to think what would happen though if i went out there right now…but, i love the aesthetics of tennis..i love to watch the arc of the ball over the net…or not!!
michael and i are both catching up with the uploads…we had the workshop which slowed us down, but he/we are back on it now…
BOB..
i have not seen chris anderson since he was with you…you do not suppose he has left town with all the goodies do you???
PIERRE-YVES…
so nice to hear from you…yes, there are a lot of comments, but i read them all just because most of them really are interesting…and if you write, i will write back…sometimes i get so busy that it takes a few days..
“Living Proof” is the same as the dummy i showed you in France…
how is your work going???
JUSTIN..
perhaps it is more difficult to photograph your immediate surroundings on a day to day basis…yes,for example, perhaps Bahia, Brazil would lose it’s allure over time..although that is hard to imagine!!
i do carry a camera at all times , everywhere…i do not shoot everyday, but almost always…for one thing, i am always shooting pictures of my friends..snapshots…memories..my next book will include a lot of these “snaps”…’
‘
‘
cheers, david
David…
great news. i’m waiting for time when i will buy all of your books(last month i almost get your “cuba”, but i did not had all money for it, next time…)
i hope i will find your “living proof” in poland.
i can say only… more!!!
peace for all
Martin
david:
chris returned from TO on Wednesday morning and was supposed to have lunch on Wednesday with A.K. from VII…make sure he gives u the wine!!! (1 bottle of late harvest Riesling and 1 small bottle of IceWine):…but, maybe he didnt return and book a flight to Venezuela and took off with the wine ;))))
b
David,
As far as this blog becoming a book. Yes absolutely. I have no time right now to go back and look for it but I wrote to you about that pretty early on. Your journal entries are absolutely the type of thing that every photographer wants to read about and if you come in and “add” to it later with more images or however you want to do it…it will be fabulous!
In the meantime congrats on the new book.
Also thanks for your perspective on how the blog “works” for you and how it fits into your life. Believe me, we do not take for granted the fact that you are able to be here with all of us.
BOB…
i will make sure…he and i will be in Brazil next week together, so i will twist his arm….
CATHY…
yes, i remembered your mentioning of the “book idea” long ago…
HARRY…
good question….well, Washington is a great city in many ways…clean, quiet, nice…New York is raucous, bewildering, vibrant…maybe that is the answer!!
cheers, david
David: keep me posted about the wine (im praying anderson didnt forget it at the bar ;))) )….
by the way, how long will you be in Brazil?…i can introduce you to the pre-eminent journalist in the country: Miriam Leitao…she just interview Salgado 2 weeks ago…anyway, she is a remarkable person (her husband too): she leaves toronto for Brazil at end of next week…
if you’re in Brazil longer than 1 week, let me know: or for future; she would be a great contact for you as well as a great “talk” companion :)))..
http://www.columbia.edu/cu/news/05/06/cabot.html
http://oglobo.globo.com/economia/miriam/
I;ll introduce you…
cheers,
bob
mmm ice wine. How sweet it is to be loved by you.
David, Tennis. I was surprised because I can’t see how you can pick up any more activity. You tell me you also write crossword puzzles in your spare time and I’ll fall off my rocker.
I appreciate your dot, dot, dots…
BOB….
i have never met Miriam , but know her name….that would be kind of you….i will just be in Brazil for one week and not shooting (officially , that is) …
RENE….
no cross word puzzles….but biking the easiest and favorite physical activity… sailing, mountain biking ,etc etc are all in there on a part time basis…i have a slight limp from my one and only bad landing parachute jump!!! oh i forgot my favorite of all…frisbee!! carry one in my duffle at all times…can be played anywhere in the world at any time in any space…
cheers, david
BEK…
i appreciate your pretty girl/dead squirrel
david
hi david i been wantching your blog for few days and a lot of what you write here is amazing as a new photographer and looking for an a personal vision is amazing see how a professional like you take your time to share with us as i sed before i am the new kid in town but i started from the begining of this blog reading all your post and as the time pass i find that theres more that just have the camera and do click with huge lens is the way you conect with the people what makes you an amazing photographer
sorry for my bery bad english ciao