Jonathan Schipper

Talking with a student the other day about dis-assembly and destruction. The careful process of taking something apart with the intent to put it back together and then the process of smashing up an object with no intention or possibility of returning back to its original state. Jonathan Schipper did both and used it to explain and demonstrate the moment of destruction of an object over and over again enabling the viewer relive a mindless act.

ars electronica: measuring angst from Fabian Mohr on Vimeo.

Mark Mawson

I'm always excited when find new photographers as it always urges me to go and have a go at some thing new. Mark Mawson has a style and method in his work that is not only enchanting but refreshes you retinas. The way the colour is portrayed through what i think is smoke is fantastic, setting up the shot and having the conditions just right must have been time consuming and frustrating but it is certainly worth the effort. His web site displays other work different from this with some pieces that i myself can relate to with his style of colour saturation.

Alter Ego

Many people tend to have an alter ego, whether its when they go out at the weekends, during work or in a virtual reality sense, A split personality could be another way of describing it or a defence to hide the true you. It could be in many forms, the way you dress, the way you act, the way you speak or the way you look.
Robbie Cooper put together a selection of photographs showing a selection on alter egos in a digital form, look through his photos on his website, you can see similarities in some and sense that people wish they were something else. At first its strange then it turns to funny but eventually it becomes quite emotional.

Just a Piece of Paper

PROTEIGON from BURAYAN on Vimeo.

A cool little stop motion movie with minimal materials.

Before Photoshop

Using photoshop is a skill in itself and when you apply it correctly you can create some amazing photos or touch up those that are almost there. A good photographer will no doubt use a series of editing programs side by side even when using film and such programs like photoshop have made the industry much more accessible.

However before photoshop things were alot more labour intensive, time consuming and the skill had to reach out to other areas unused in today's photographers. creating images would mean creating sets, props and scenes. ensuring lighting was correct first time and the objects, subjects and colour were in the right place before you expose your film to your creation. This was creating an image old school.

John Chiara

Chiara photographs cityscapes in a process that is part photography, part event and part sculpture – an undertaking in apparatus and patience. Many times this process involves composing pictures from the inside of a large hand-built camera, that is mounted on a flatbed trailer, and produces large scale, one of a kind, positive exposures. Chiara is a native Californian who lives and works in San Francisco.

What i love about these Photos is that i can relate to some of the locations having been there a few times now, im just gutted that i wasnt aware of him while i was in San Francisco this summer. Secondly the whole process that he uses to capture his work tottaly engages me and the rawness of the images the imperfections and hand made hadoc nature is what id love experiment with in my own work.

New Shoes

I bought some new shoes last week, something which i dont like doing and i often just wear pupso work but now that im in my finer years i thought it best to but a pair of boots. Now i dont wear high heels (maybe at the weekends) but they have to be the most iconic of ladies shoe style, check out these from Kobi Levi an Isreali designer that puts a fine twist on the shoe. High heels are synominous sex and i like how he highliights this some of his designs. Im also found of his more innocent playful designs too.

Take it to bits

Ever since i was young i have always found myself taking things to bits, even when i had one of the very first Gameboys that my parents must have saved up to get me for Christmas got taken to bit within a couple of weeks from getting it. This i think led me on to become an engineer, taking things apart figuring out how they work and putting them back together again. My love for Photography and cameras has grown and as i type i have one sat at home in bits waiting to be put back together again. So imagine my delight when i found these awesome photos by Todd McLellan

Coffee Based Developer

I recently posted about a video i found showing coffee being used as a film developer, since seeing this iv been dying to have a go but never really found the time. Until now. You can only process black and white film with this process and the recipe consists of items you can find in the local super market. Coffee, washing soda and Vit C, mixed with water this will give you your film developer. All you will need to do is use proper Fixer and your away.
The results as you can see came out exceptionally well and added a slight brown tinge to the photo. This is great, so simple and all done in the Kitchen. What i would like to do now is play around with timing and strength of the coffee.

Giacometti V's Laser Cutter

What if we took Giacometti and put him through the Laser Cutter? well check out my vid because that exactly what we did and it came surprisingly well......i love messing about with big boys toys.

Minjae Lee

It is hard not to be impressed by the young South Korean-born artist Minjae Lee. At just 22 years of age, he has amassed an impressive portfolio of colorful portrait illustrations created mostly with acrylic paint and markers. The dramatic pieces are full of pattern and texture that create the haunting imagry.

Cool Packaging 7

Breast Cancer Awareness

Nick Lamia

I'm not much of a painter, in fact I'm just not a painter full stop unless you want your front room decorating. I do have ago at trying to understand the process and appreciate those that do it well. Nick Lamia has been creating for around 15 years some may already know him but i just found him.  His abstract oil paintings are so vibrant and full of energy and he includes installations into his work too. Check out his works.

Cool Packaging 6

Packaging doesn't have to be some crazy shape or form for it to be interesting or even successful. The branding and the colour design is just as important for the product to be successful. The idea that the packaging has to catch the eyes is well known but to keep the eye on it for even a couple of seconds for the brain to register the product and desire to take place is crucial.
Minimalistic packaging like the Polaroid's early 1960's instant film packaging was the most successful packing of its day with its striking rainbow colours that emulated the 60's was an instant hit and even today the boxes are collectors items for camera geeks around the world. Whats more interesting is what came next, with the Polaroid camera been regard as the ipod of its day it was kind of ironic that apple should follow similar direction in the design of their logo. As Polaroid started lose steam in the mid 1970's, Apple started to build and released their famous rainbow apple logo. It was thought that Apple had many meanings for their design choice one being Knowledge (apple) Hope (rainbow) and Anarchy (rainbow not in order). Even though i like this i feel that this next reason is more suited, on the tail end of Polaroid they create a logo that makes people stop and think, ask where have i seen that before, Dajavu. And its that time that keeps you thinking. enough time for desire to step in. 

In Focus

Watch the video, it shows the a new light field technology on its way out, a system called Lytro. This enables users to take photographs and change the focus point as many times they want AFTER the photo has been taken. Not only that but if you share your pics it allows the recipicant to chjange the focus points too. This is some crazy technology coming aoutr but i kind of feels like taking photo has just got easier, it will obviously come with a cost but still theres nothing like taking a photo, uploading and then finding it focused on the wrong point.

Graphic Type

First assignment is complete this week for the 1st year Graphic designers, and after 3 weeks of making and investigating the materials processes and techniques they have come up with some great looking illustrations using 3D. Here's just one of the bunch, well done guys great works, keeps it up.



Cool Packaging 5

Cool Poster 5

Phonar Creative Workshop Task 1:

I recently join Phonar which is a free course you can join over the Internet which is ran at Coventry University. Check out the link here to find out more. I like idea of sharing with other photographers and also taking part in something where you get free education of sorts.

The New Task

Completion date: 13th October 2011 (first session back)

Garner a portfolio of 8-10 images from different photographers whose work inspires you. Choose carefully, as though your edit was going to appear as a spread in a printed magazine, you may choose to lay them out as such if you wish, with attention to scale, pace and flow etc.
The portfolio must directly address a theme of your choosing – it could be a personal theme or a topical one, the choice is yours.

So here's my selection.

Paul Trevor
Most famous for documenting post war Liverpool and discovering that children in the midst of poverty and deprivation were fun loving and free with a tight nit community. What i get most out of these photos is the brutal truth of life before we got greedy and paranoid.




Alexey Titarenko
When i first saw Alexey's Photographs they drew my eye to the movement in the vast streets and open spaces of St Petersburg. The haunting images that he creates intrigues me and inspires me to play with the development of film and experiment taking the process to its limits and the creativity to endless limits.


Henri Cartier Bresson
One of the most original, accomplished, influential, and beloved figures in the history of photography. His inventive work of the early 1930s helped define the creative potential of modern photography, and his uncanny ability to capture life on the run made his work synonymous with the decisive moment and its this reason i carry a camera around in my bag all the time. Just when the time strike when an opportunity arises and a chance to capture that space and time in a fraction of a second.




This concludes my selection for the task.
Cheers for reading.