28.1.10

Cindy Sherman (1954-)

(Also a film director)
Like me, Sherman also use herself both in front and behind the camera. She was never really involved in the arts until college.. also pretty much like me. My parents are, like hers, not very involved with art either, but though very supportive with my choice to enter art school.
Cindy started out as a painter but gave up when she felt she had limitations within painting. I think that most photographers become photographers cause they cant master the art of painting.
In 1977 she started taking photos of her self dressed up in the roles of B-movie actresses. She don't call them self-portraits cause they are not showing an actual person, but a self-fabricated fictional one. I wish I could make my living out of taking pictures of my self like I am used to, but unfortunately there can only be one Cindy Sherman.
"If I knew what the picture was going to be like I wouldn’t make it. It was almost like it was made already.. the challenge is more about trying to make what you can’t think of."






to do

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an advert, an editorial, a feature and an essay.

27.1.10

North

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26.1.10

saturday

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23.1.10

week-end

Again, its week-end.
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10.1.10

Ole's birthday

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5.1.10

Annie Leibovitz (1949- )

American portrait photographer. Among her influences you find Henri-Cartier Bresson that I wrote about in the previous post. She started out working for her self. She didnt have assistants and she was not a master of light. After a photoshoot where she had just walked in to the room holding the light and set it down and plugged it in, a writer for american photographer said that the umbrella and strobe reflected in the mirror in her portrait of Jimmy Carter was a “skillfully implemented device". She never thought about this when she plugged the light. (pretty much like my working method) Leibovitz toured with The Rolling Stones and in the 80s her new style of lightning got her in position with Vanity Fair, where she still works. Annie Leibovitz is also the person who took the last picture of John Lennon and Yoko Ono before he was shot. She had a romantic relationship with Susan Sontag and after Susans death, and her fathers and mothers death she got financial troubles. This almost made her lose the rights for all of her pictures. Art Capital Group withdrew its lawsuit against Leibovitz, and extended the due date for repayment of the $24 million loan. Under the agreement, Leibovitz retains control over her work.











4.1.10

Henri Cartier-Bresson (1908-2004)

French photographer who did street photography and also later known as the father of photojournalism. He is also said to be a master of candid photography. (when the focus is on spontaneity rather than technique).
As a young boy Cartier owned a box Brownie snapshot camera that he started experimenting with. He got interested in oil painting after his uncles introduction to this. Cartier ended up studying painting for two years in Paris, but in 1930 he got so inspired by a photograph he saw that he turned in to photography rather than painting. He got a Leica 35mm camera (I so badly want a Leica) with a 50mm lens, and this is also the equipment he most often used.
For the last 3 months I have tried to exclusively use a 50mm, and you are forced to work in a different way than what you are used to. Very inspiring.
Here are some of my Cartier-favorites:







1.1.10

New year

Last day of 2009: