Helen Levitt For me Helen Levitt, is important because of the way she used colour during the 1970’s in New York. I love her way of working and how she photographed children playing on steps in New York, when children still did that sort of thing. This showed what a particular time and place looked like. This for me is one of the strengths of street and documentary photography, to show what a place looks like at a particular time in history. Without this, the future us will not know what things looked like. For example, now we have so …

Marco del Pra’s Atterwasch story at atterwasch.net “atterwasch. is a documentary about the German village of Atterwasch which is under pressure to make way for a brown coal open-cast mine, despite the fact that the village exemplifies Germany’s acclaimed energy transition. This multimedia documentary focuses on the uncertainty Atterwasch’s residents were confronted with over a one-year period (2013-2014). You are free to determine the pace of the narrative yourself.”   The website that is atterwasch.net is a scrolling documentary presentation featuring recorded interviews and is very well done which is why I am featuring it here. I like how the design of the website …

Lewis Hine, a true inspiration as a photographer. Social documentary photography did not start with Lewis Hine, but he was one of the early committed and social engaged photographers working to create positive social change, Jorg Colberg at Contentious has posted on Lewis Hine and the collection of images in the Library of Congress that numbers approximately 5000 images, all created as part of his efforts in campaigning against child labour. He also has links to the efforts of Joe Manning (featured on Time Lightbox) in tracking down the subjects years later to see what became of them. Joe Manning’s …

Saul Leiter has his obituary in the New York Times, why is it that one so often learns more about a photographer from his/her obituary, than when they were alive? I have always liked his work and have thought numerous times about buying his book Early Color. Saul’s work is quite special and deserves to be seen and preserved as a photographer whose work should be seen. Tomas Leach directed a documentary on his work and life philosophy in a film called In No Great Hurry which I would love to see.   Saul was for a number of years a fashion photographer …

Today I have the pleasure of attending a talk by Chris Killip at The Photographers Gallery. I also had him sign two of my books by him, and while I was getting them signed had the opportunity to ask him some questions which answered some of the things that I had always wanted to know about how Chris works to make his images. When I have transcribed the talk I will be posting on this as well. The first answer to my question was did he always shoot with Large format cameras and the answer was no he had uesd …

A41 Project by Colin McPherson Colin McPherson has a New Project that has just opened in The Public in West Bromwich The work is an exploration of inequality in Britain. The exhibition is a photographic exploration of the A41 road which passes through West Bromwich on its way from Merseyside to London. Artist Colin McPherson collaborated with The Equality Trust, an organisation working to reduce income inequality in order to improve the quality of life in the UK. Gallery opening times: Wednesday to Saturday, 10am – 5pm Sunday, 11am – 3pm A41 Project Facebook Page    

YOU have till the 20th (this Sunday) to see the William Klein and Daido Moriyama exhibition at Tate Modern.  

Henry Wessel I have added Henry Wessel to the Photography video links page on this website. Henry Wessel on his artistic practice: about the naming process of his working methods KQED Henry Wessel: discussing his images and watch him walk around making images. Henry Wessel on Photographing from the Road : on his reasons for photographing form the road. Henry Wessel discussing his exhibition “Vintage photographs” at the Pace/MacGill Gallery: discussing an exhibition of his images. Henry Wessel, Santa Barbara, CA; California and the West series, 1977Henry Wessel, Santa Barbara, CA; California and the West series, 1977 Henry Wessel, Santa Barbara, CA; …