Sick of crappy black and white street photographs?
Ever notice a lot of crappy, black and white photographs passed off as street photography? Henri Cartier-Bresson wannabes? Yeah, I know I’m not immune. I’ve done my share.
I just came upon Steve McCurry’s blog. Yes, that Steve McCurry of Afghan girl fame. His portraits and street photographs are beyond fantastic. They are in glorious, saturated color. Not timid imitations of the classic “black and white style”.
Beyond the spectacular photography, I like how the blog entries are in themed photo sets. Striking is the sheer breadth of world-wide images. They show humanity. They show the mundane. They show that we are more alike than different.
I have so much to learn.
Go check out his blog. You will be inspired.
(Re)touching lives through photos
I came across this wonderful presentation at TED that is photography related. For those of you who are not familiar with TED, it is a fantastic resource where you can learn and get inspired by thousands of presentations given at the TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design) conferences from around the world. I hear it is very expensive and very exclusive to attend these conference in person but through the internet we can all benefit for their content from the comfort of our own homes. I’ve watched TED videos for a while but thought it would be beneficial to post this relevant content.
In this TED talk, Becci Manson, a photo retoucher by profession, decided to organize and partake in a movement that has helped people’s lives. I won’t go into the details, you should watch his short 10 minute video. What I do want to comment on is the power and the importance of still photography. I’ve posted a lot of pretty pictures about architecture and urban landscapes but by far the most important pictures are the ones of my family. I don’t post my personal photographs on this blog but my family photos are what I cherish the most. And unlike most things in life, these precious images go up in value as they get older. With this short intro, please enjoy the following video.
