Teller Abroad

For me, the work of the great Juergen Teller is always motivational. Every time I look at what he has done, I want to go out and shoot, shoot, shoot. It's easy to get caught up in his trance-inducing images.

Talking to Strangers

It's my roommate who recommended I look at the work of Peter Kayafas. Professor, as was his formal relationship to her while she studied at Pratt some years ago, was one of those teachers who really pushed her limits as a photographer. I've had those too- the ones who feel almost impossible to please- but a lot of times it's when you succeed in that setting that it is most rewarding.

I can't say that I walked away from seeing his work unmoved. His images are upclose and personal, and those that are taken a step back are decisively so. Really when you take a risk to get a portrait of a stranger, it's their reaction that makes the photograph. I'm starting to understand that pissing people off might actually be the ideal situation. As my Documentary Critique teacher at the ICP said in last week's class, "Sometimes you see a photo that's a really great close up portrait and you wonder how did they get that shot? It's usually because they were assholes." See more of Kayafas' photos after the jump. 

Big Birthday Kid

Today (or yesterday, at this hour) is my birthday, and what a really great birthday it has been! I slept in, went to work late, and enjoyed the forever-falling nyc snow.

To celebrate, I'm posting two lovely pictures published by Life. (What would we do without the visual excellence that are the images put out by this publication?) These capture so well the joy a child has on his birthday-- a little mischief, a lot of innocence, and presents and sweets galore. I'd like if birthdays stayed this way throughout adulthood. Wouldn't that be fun!

From top, photography by: Walter Sanders, Nina Leen, 

Danziger Does Happy

Couldn't help but to spread the word on this one. James Danziger is doing a neat project called "The Happiness Project" on his blog The Year in Pictures. It's a simple concept. Send your happiest picture, be it a snapshot of your own or a fine art image taken by someone else. Explain why it is meaningful to you. After that, Danziger will publish select submissions to his site. I know I'll be searching my images for the perfect one tonight! Click here to get all the specifics.

Above is a happy moment indeed by the man of the "decisive moment" Henri Cartier-Bresson.

Turning to Turned Out

Maya of Turned Out has a way of working the art of the collage. Weaving both images of her own and sometimes those of the glossies, the result is always sort of (read: SO/ very) uplifting. Altogether, Turned Out is a mix of these image montages with Maya's street-style photos of subjects who embody spirit of--when you get down to it--the cool girl. Above is one of my favorite of her portraits and, after the jump, a collage.

Rejecting the Digital Age

Here's a source of inspiration. Ellen Rogers, a London-based photographer, shoots in all analogue, never letting photoshop touch her precious prints. "My techniques mostly come from experimentation with traditional darkroom processes," she says on her web site. "All my work is analogue and does not utilise any digital equipment or computer based manipulation (other than scanning the end result)."

This is a struggle I have had with my own photography-- to cross over to the (digital) darkside or to not cross over to the (digital) darkside.* Ms. Rogers has given me a little extra push to what I know I want: all traditional film, all traditional darkroom. Her work is ghostly beautiful. See more of it after the jump.

McQueen

Lord knows, following the tragedy that is the death of Alexander McQueen just this Thursday, there have been scores of images in tribute to the remarkable designer. He will be sorely missed.

Yesterday morning, Garance Dore posted this beautiful photo of the memorial outside of his New York store. The purity and clarity of the colors feel very honest to me and I must admit I got emotional, and rightfully so, upon seeing it.

Capture-Ring

Speaking of reader uploads, on a similar note Style.com aggregates tweeter uploads. Tweet Chic, the site's twitter fashion channel (slogan: the most fashionable twitterers, all in one place) has a section, which solely feeds in all TwitPics posted by said tres chic twitter set. It's quite a fun way to stay in tune with the Fashion Week madness, which kicked off today.

View the latest tweet chic pics, here.

Silent Night

The City That Never Sleeps is at its most serene state today as a blanket of snow continues to cover every street, building, and crevice. Today, the New York Times asks their readers to share in uploading their best pictures of the blizzard. The blustery snow storm and its fluffy white cover have been an all day (and will likely be an all night) affair, so I'll be checking back to see what else has been captured around the chilly streets. The weather creates perhaps the perfect New York photo opp—the contrast of white, the snow shovelers about their business, the patterns and shapes that emerge. I have had my Holga practically attached to my hand all day. See all of the NY Times reader uploads here.

All Eyes on This

Here is something sure to lift your spirits and start the chilly weekend right. This Passion Pit video is done entirely in stop-animation. I couldn't take my eyes off of the spinning cube. If they were going for mesmerization, they have definitely succeeded.



Passion Pit released an alternative video much earlier. Equally interesting; Same clapping-- more hands, more color-blocking.

My Diary

Some of you may remember this image I took of my boyfriend and his nephew last year. Today while scanning Terry's Diary, I came across this self portrait of him and a young boy. The resemblance is uncanny! Ok, so they are a bit more theatrical. Great minds think alike?

Panorama Paradise of the Urban Persuasion

These breathtaking city-scapes are part of Urban Panoramas, the three month exhibition currently at the Getty in LA. Wallpaper* published an informative article of the exhibit, which brings together bodies of work by three contemporary photographers. The show opens today and runs through June 6th. 

Images: Midnight Reykjavik #1 (bottom) & #3 (top) Soo Kim

--Read the full review at Wallpaper*.

A Toast to Jennifer Kotter

If you have ever transferred trains from the L at Union Square, you know the work of New York photographer Jennifer Kotter. Her MTA Jewels project of Transportation Workers Union, which documents the copper toned tools of MTA workers, lines this long underground connection.

I visited her studio on the TOAST Art Walk in TriBeCa last spring where she displayed her sharp black and white images of her series, Details Below 14th Street. In Details, Kotter captures the rich architectural history of Manhattan by way of beautiful abstraction.

"[My] passion for architecture was unresolved until I began obsessively shooting building facades in my neighborhood after 9/11. This process, both documentary and spiritual, revived my own sense of 'home' with its catalog of personal landmarks," says Kotter.

This project becomes increasingly relevant "due to perils many buildings face in light of urban renewal." Details Below 14th Street is now on view at the Manhattan Borough President's Office Gallery (One Centre St, 19th Floor). Stop by for the opening reception on February 3rd, 5:30-8:30PM.

(Top) Image from "Details Below 14th Street" by Jennifer Kotter

Photograph of "MTA Jewels" by John Barnes.