Onebyfourbynine

Great talk by amazing war photographer James Nachtwey. He seems so incredibly calm for someone who has seen so much. Or maybe seeing it all has just made him entirely numb.

Cedric Delsaux is a French commercial photographer who attracted a lot of attention with his really cool Star Wars themed series. He integrated characters of the saga in typical parisian suburbia - empty parking lots, projects, public buildings and other urban battlegrounds - infusing a sense of intergalactic mystery and adventure to what would otherwise be totally depressing places. It's pretty much the literal illustration of the day dreams of most kids who grew up with Han, Luke and Chewie. As an adult and a photographer I find still being able to see the world around us as an enchanted place priceless. Takes a lot of hard work to preserve that kind of freshness - a wild imagination and not too much reading the news probably help too. As good old Nietzsche said: "A man’s maturity: that is to have rediscovered the seriousness he possessed as a child at play".

Saranghe, 2007 -polaroid Spectra film on board

Double model on chest, 2007 - polaroid Spectra film on board

Asunder, 2007 - polaroid Spectra film on board

I really like Patrick Winfields's composites of polaroids.

I love the moods of Aaron Hobson's "Cinemascapes" works. It's essentially a series of great, dark panoramic self (sometimes multiple) portraits. Each image is a story in itself and there's usually a lot more going on than what you see at first glance. I am totally jealous of his locations, too - he is based in a small Adirondack Mountain town near the Canadian border which pretty much seems like rural decay paradize. Aaron tells me that he works with pretty basic equipment - an almost decade-old digital camera - and as an amateur photographer myself I find it very comforting to see that one doesn't need the latest or most expensive gear to create amazing images. Inspiring.

From his website: "Cinemascapes are a hybrid between autobiography and fiction, with Hobson himself always in the star role. They are at times, haunting and scandalous, other times inspiring, but always come across as closely personal. Reflective of his 30 years of experiences, emotions, and challenges throughout his life, Hobson creates cinemascapes that not only viscerally and visually grab the conscious mind, but also linger in the viewer's imagination and memory. Creating panoramics from 4-5 sequential vertical images allows the viewer’s eye to explore shifting focal planes and become immersed into a scene full of unsuspecting details and hidden plots more than a single frame could suffice. Each image seemingly captures a moment in time that poses many questions, not the least of which is what's going on here?"

Also check out Aaron's blog here.