More Animals as Art

New Zealand photographer Cally Whitham imagines Rembrandt-like portraits of farm animals.

Indeed, this is most probably what Rembrandt himself would have produced if his subjects had been of the zoological kind.

Black and White No. 34

When minimalism first made its appearance in the art world in the 1960s, it represented (at least according to minimalism's vanguard) a shift from art which was overtly dramatic and all-encompassing to that which was not necessarily detached, but certainly that which represented the imperturbable, perhaps even art which may have been described as unemotional.

As Donald Judd, an American artist connected to the minimalist artistic tradition (even though he vociferously rejected such an association) noted, “A shape, a volume, a color, a surface is something itself. It shouldn’t be concealed as part of a fairly different whole.”

Furthermore, from its inception minimalist art was considered far more objective rather than subjective in nature. That is, minimalist art is seen as allowing — even encouraging — individual, personal interpretation and/or application rather than a wholly subjective, artist-dictated reading of the work.

With respect to minimalist fine art photography, the aspect of negative space represents a key component. Negative space refers to those portions of the photograph which lay in between and/or outside of the primary focal point of the composition. Negative space is often looked upon as being even more critical than the focal point itself simply because such negative space — if used effectively — highlights, illuminates, and clarifies the focal point.

Or as sculpturist Richard Serra declared regarding such negative space, “I consider space to be a material. The articulation of space has come to take precedence over other concerns. I attempt to use sculptural form to make space distinct.”

One final and brief note on the subject of minimalism: it has been well remarked that those who espouse minimalism in their artistry are those who at the same time reject conventional aesthetics. It is important for me to quickly note that I simply reject this rejection, as it were. I find no lack of aesthetic beauty in many minimalistic works spanning various artistic genre. Furthermore, I hope that my minimalistic works represent a healthy embrace of the aesthetic tradition.

With respect to both composition and form, many of my works are non-minimalistic. Yet I have always considered Black and White No. 34 to represent the embodiment of minimalistic fine art photography.

I hope you feel the same.

Sad News from Luminous Landscape

Sad news in the photography world to report: Michael Reichmann, the founder of the popular website Luminous Landscape — a treasured site for amateur and pro photographers alike — passed away on May 18th at the age of 71 after a lengthy battle with cancer.

I have fond memories of first becoming aware of Luminous Landscape many years ago. It was and is a treasure trove of photographic knowledge for those hungry to learn.

I am sad to learn of Reichmann's death, but grateful to hear of Luminous Landscape's continued influence in the world of photography. I'm also happy to learn of Luminous Landscape's ever-increasing endowment for photographers.

More Info on Shooting with Medium Format

Hasselblad has a great new info page on medium format photography, specifically detailing the huge benefits of medium format censors versus 35mm.

The page also briefly covers the topics of dynamic range (tremendously important, especially since Hasselblad's new sensors add one full stop of dynamic range - 15 total stops in all) and pixel dimension.

Eerie Forest Vestiges

Photographer Joe Freeman recently took some rather unusual photos of tree stumps in Washington state.

"The trees were likely removed from Snoqualmie Pass sometime around 1917, when Keechelus Lake was dammed to regulate water flow for irrigating eastern Washington. Once the dam was in place the water level would rise, drowning the trees. My best guess is that the trees were cut down so as not to let their economic value—likely in the millions—go to waste.

As the reservoir fills and empties, the stumps are periodically submerged. This submersion has helped to preserve them over the years. I was there when the lake was abnormally low."

"What struck me right away about the stumps was their highly anthropomorphic nature. Each one seemed to possess its own unique variations, just like people."

Earth's Art as Presented from Above

National Geographic highlights a former geologist-turned-photographer and his presentation of earth's natural art.

"Twenty-three years ago, German photographer Bernhard Edmaier was working as a geologist. He was fascinated with the Earth and its ever changing structures, but something about spending his life doing research underground just didn’t sit right. Edmaier decided to combine his burgeoning love of photography with his obsession with crust, mantle, and core. His solution? Aerial photography."

"Edmaier approaches his work meticulously, using his geologist smarts to research and stake out a location for the perfect shot. Instead of spending hours in the air looking for the right location or composition, Edmaier already has his photographs planned out. He uses tools such as Google Earth and satellite images and reaches out to local scientists and commercial pilots."

Sony's Inventive Camera Commercial

I would never give up medium format lenses or the incredible medium format sensors, but this video did make me laugh.

Earth in 4K

If you have the opportunity to view this on a 4K or even 5K computer display — or can view on a Retina resolution iPad (the iPhone technically works, but the small screen doesn't do the scene justice) — the resolution quality of this brief video is simply amazing.

Even though the video is only a little more than one minute in length, the views of earth from the International Space Station are indeed breathtaking. Before now, such a high resolution view of earth has only been granted to those men and women who have been fortunate enough to view earth from space themselves.

Be sure to view in full screen mode — especially on a 4K or 5K screen — and be sure to have the settings (bottom right) at maximum resolution.

Animals As Art

This month the Wall Street Journal highlights a photography exhibit in New York City which features animals as fine art.

As reported by Ellen Gamerman, "The animals are watching. Across the photography show, an annual fair staged by the dealer group AIPAD, animal portraits are among this year’s standouts. The images on display at New York’s Park Avenue Armory through Sunday feature all manner of non-human subjects, putting a disorienting twist on the familiar gaze of pets, offering surreal glimpses of other-worldly creatures and unleashing the hungry stares of beasts."

As a landscape photographer, I was particularly drawn to this last image of a rhinoceros. The animal has unintentionally camouflaged itself, making it appear wholly at one with its environment.

The Remarkable Perspective of Painter Patrick Hughes

What you are seeing in these videos are 3-D paintings — yes, paintings — by the artist Patrick Hughes.

Here's the artist himself describing his work:

Ingenius.