The Online Photographer

I've just found a website, new to me, called the Online Photographer which adds new articles about anything at all every day.  Once you have managed to ignore all the sidebar adverts, there are some interesting articles about a wide range of topics, such as 'The Three Biggest Mistakes Amateur Photographers Make' and 'On Street Photography' which could have supprorted my images as I ploughed my way through the module 'People & Place'.  Still, better late than never, I will keep dipping in to see what new items features is publishes in the future.

http://theonlinephotographer.typepad.com/the_online_photographer/blog_index.html

Salvador Dali Exhibition Catalogue

11 May 2011

I work as a volunteer at my local hospice shop and it's surprising what comes in as donations for sale. Last week I found a copy of the Salvador Dali Catalogue from the Tate Gallery exhibition in May/June 1980. I've never taken much notice of Dali's work before but I had seen his Time Clock on the South Bank in London and enjoyed looking at it. It looks very tactile and I wish there was an opportunity to touch it as I think half the pleasure of seeing sculpture and art is to be able to touch it.

I've looked through the Tate catalogue and it made me interested enough to look into Dali's life. He was born in the Pyrenees in 1904 and attended the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando but didn't graduate as he felt his work far superior to any of the academic staff. He lived in Paris where he spent time in his studio creating some of his most famous works.

With artists like Pablo Picasso approving of his work, Salvador Dali's paintings, such as "The Persistence of Memory," became icons of the Surrealist movement. During this time, he also met his future wife, Gala and they married in 1934 and throughout the next decades, Dali and Gala lived in Paris, New York and Spain. Dali enjoyed great success not only as a painter, but also as a filmmaker, sculptor, architect, photographer and writer.

When his wife died in 1982, Salvador Dali's health deteriorated, and he spent his final years in near-seclusion with a host of health problems. The artist known for his radical artwork, his flamboyant personality and his unusual moustache died from heart failure in January 1989.

When I visit exhibitions or look at books or catalogues of well-known  respected artists I realise that I am a jobbing photographer but I am working hard to improve my work and how I see pictures.  I live my life pleasing others to feel accepted and end up losing my sense of identity.  It's not easy to live with my own inadequacies!

Visting the Past

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00zj4rs#clips



Harry Benson and Albert Watson discuss multiple imaging

'Two of Scotland's most successful photographers - Harry Benson from Glasgow and Albert Watson from Edinburgh - now live in New York.  They spent a day together revealing the tricks of their trade and revisiting some of their best known images - Benson's photos of The Beatles at the peak of their fame and of Bobby Kennedy's assassination and Watson's portraits of Alfred Hitchcock, Mick Jagger and Mike Tyson.'

I picked up the link for this TV clip from BBC2's Artworks Scotland in a blog I dip into occasionally and found it fascinating to watch and listen to two old pros talking about taking ‘real’ photos in the 1960s-70s. I too can remember when there was no Photoshop and you had to produce multiple exposure images with cunning and expertise. Oh, the tricks of the darkroom had to be seen to be believed, but how much more exciting to produce manipulated work than it is today when you just do a few mouse clicks and there you are with a new picture.

I found this though a blog at http://janetsocaphotographyblog.blogspot.com/  The owner is a lecturer called Janet Jamieson who lives in East Kilbride, Scotland. She is just completing Assignment 5 from the People & Place module. I find it really helpful to read other people’s blogs and sometimes see how they have tackled the projects and assignments. It’s like having friends who you can call on when you get completely stuck and need inspiration.

Finishing off final assignment

I haven't reviewed much lately as I have been so busy putting together the final assignment for People & Place. It was very hard work but very satisfying when it was completey finished. My tutor was extremely complimentary with the final portraits and once I get it back I will incorporate his comments, then pack up all five assignments, etc, and send it all off for final assessment.

Whilst I am awaiting its return I will review a couple of programmes I have missed. I keep a watching brief on the OCA forum topics but until now have been unable to listen to videos or watch old TV programmes to their full glory as I lost my speakers when we moved to Lyme. I have finally got some new ones and should be able to catch up soon. Here's posting!