These I Like - A Weekly Gallery of Exceptional Photographs [Archive]

Ken Lee

9-Jan-2011, 05:43

These I Like (http://www.kenleegallery.com/html/like/index.html)

January 1: Colin Flannery Graham (http://www.kenleegallery.com/html/like/index.html#cfg)

January 8: Christopher Broadbent (http://www.kenleegallery.com/html/like/index.html#cb)

Special thanks to Merg Ross (http://www.mergross.com), who recently described how Edward Weston would give a "critique":

"Edward Weston... would shuffle through a group of prints separating them into two piles. All of this was in silence. At the conclusion, he would point to one pile and utter: These I like."

I hope to feature the work of many more Forum members over time.

msk2193

9-Jan-2011, 05:59

neat idea

gari beet

9-Jan-2011, 07:19

Nice, I for one will be visiting this every week. Succinct and precise appraisal devoid of the usual hyperbole.
For the record I have been a huge fan of Colin's work since coming across it on this forum.
Christopher's work, though at the complete opposite end of the spectrum to mine, is an inspiration in the use of light and colour. I strive more and more to capture that "feeling" of light and pastel colour palette that many of his pictures exhibit, accepting I shoot scenery. Watercolour or Pastels rather than Oil or Acrylic.

Gari

Mark Woods

9-Jan-2011, 12:05

Ken, please post each time you "hang" a new photo.

Thanx in advance.

Oren Grad

9-Jan-2011, 12:26

This I like. :)

mdm

9-Jan-2011, 12:30

Very nice idea but you need a RSS feed to make it practical for people.

John Brady

9-Jan-2011, 16:20

Thanks for sharing this Ken! I am constantly blown away by Christopher Broadbent's images. His use of color, light and composition is as good as it gets.

www.timeandlight.com

Ken Lee

9-Jan-2011, 16:23

Very nice idea but you need a RSS feed to make it practical for people.

Excellent - Thank you for the excellent idea !

I'm working on adding it now.

John Powers

9-Jan-2011, 16:41

Thank you for introducing excellent work that is new to me and for your critiques.

John

Ken Lee

9-Jan-2011, 17:05

I've added an RSS feed button at the bottom of the page (http://www.kenleegallery.com/html/like/index.html).

Ken Lee

14-Jan-2011, 12:35

This week: Brian Kosoff (http://www.kenleegallery.com/html/like/index.html#bk)

Ken Lee

21-Jan-2011, 12:34

This week: Bruce Barnbaum (http://www.kenleegallery.com/html/like/index.html#bb)

Ken Lee

28-Jan-2011, 06:09

This week: a portrait by Paul Strand (http://www.kenleegallery.com/html/like/index.html#ps)

goamules

28-Jan-2011, 07:14

I like these too. Your site is now even more interesting, though with just your work on it we would be happy.

Ken Lee

4-Feb-2011, 08:48

This week: Yosemite in Winter by Charles Cramer (http://www.kenleegallery.com/html/like/index.html#cc)

Ken Lee

11-Feb-2011, 12:59

This week: Aeroplane, 1910 (http://www.kenleegallery.com/html/like/index.html#as1) by Alfred Stieglitz

Ken Lee

19-Feb-2011, 14:37

This week: Georgia O'Keefe, 1924 (http://www.kenleegallery.com/html/like/index.html#as2) by Alfred Stieglitz.

Study Stieglitz to study Tone.

Ken Lee

25-Feb-2011, 15:06

This week: Leaf And Ferns, Hawaii, 1979 (http://www.kenleegallery.com/html/like/index.html#bw) by Brett Weston.

Another master of Tone.

mdm

25-Feb-2011, 18:07

Finally, one I like too.

mdm

3-Mar-2011, 22:57

Thanks Ken, never seen this weeks pick before. I like it a lot too.

Ken Lee

4-Mar-2011, 13:55

This week: Roadside Stand Near Birmingham Alabama, 1936 (http://www.kenleegallery.com/html/like/index.html#we1) by Walker Evans

Ken Lee

12-Mar-2011, 07:20

More Walker Evans: Negro Barber Shop Interior, Alabama, 1936 (http://www.kenleegallery.com/html/like/index.html#we2)

Ken Lee

18-Mar-2011, 16:50

Edward Weston: Tina, 1923 (http://www.kenleegallery.com/html/like/index.html#ew1)

Ken Lee

25-Mar-2011, 15:17

Edward Weston: Ramiel, 1929 (http://www.kenleegallery.com/html/like/index.html#ew2)

Armin Seeholzer

25-Mar-2011, 15:46

Very good idea Ken!

Thanks Armin

Merg Ross

25-Mar-2011, 17:10

Edward Weston: Ramiel, 1929 (http://www.kenleegallery.com/html/like/index.html#ew2)

Hi Ken,

Indeed a strong portrait of his friend, Ramiel. This portrait, "Blind Ramiel", has been cropped in some publications, as it is here. The original, full image, includes the white rail on which Ramiel's elbow rests. Although a strong portrait either way, the uncropped version adds a compositional element that Edward was keenly aware of.

Thanks for showing, another good choice!

Ken Lee

1-Apr-2011, 17:20

Julia Margaret Cameron: Ellen Terry at Age Sixteen, 1864 (http://www.kenleegallery.com/html/like/index.html#jmc)

Ken Lee

8-Apr-2011, 13:42

West Coast landscape photographer Marion Patterson (http://www.kenleegallery.com/html/like#mp) - an image from her book "Grains of Sand".

Ken Lee

16-Apr-2011, 07:19

Large Format wildlife photographer William L. Finey (http://www.kenleegallery.com/html/like/index.html#wf), photographed in the Arizona desert by his wife Irene in 1910.

Ken Lee

22-Apr-2011, 18:46

This week, another truly beautiful photograph by Christopher Broadbent (http://www.kenleegallery.com/html/like/index.html#cb2) of Milano Italy.

lbenac

22-Apr-2011, 19:02

Great idea - "a new photo a day keeps the doctor away".
Well maybe not exactly that but nice to RSS these.

cheers,

Luc

Ken Lee

30-Apr-2011, 07:29

This week Shinji Takama (http://www.kenleegallery.com/html/like/index.html#st).

Ken Lee

7-May-2011, 05:14

Eliot Porter: Tidal Marsh, Mount Desert Island, 1964 (http://www.kenleegallery.com/html/like/index.html#ep).

Joe O'Hara

7-May-2011, 13:43

This week Shinji Takama (http://www.kenleegallery.com/html/like/index.html#st).

Seeing this I had to get the book. Thanks!

Ken Lee

7-May-2011, 13:57

Wonderful - Thanks for saying so !

Ken Lee

14-May-2011, 04:44

An Experiment in Hypnotism (http://www.kenleegallery.com/html/like/index.html#aem), stereograph by A.E. Moxley, 1901

Ken Lee

22-May-2011, 08:03

Ship Lady Isabella (http://www.kenleegallery.com/html/like/index.html#wh), Wilhelm Hester, 1899

Ken Lee

28-May-2011, 14:40

Roy DeCarava: Two men talking, Washington D.C., 1963 (http://www.kenleegallery.com/html/like/index.html#rdc)

Kevin J. Kolosky

30-May-2011, 12:41

Two Men Talking is very fine, but I find that business in the corner just a bit distracting. Its admirable, but not wonderful, but that is my humble opinion.

mdm

30-May-2011, 17:35

Did he copy Irving Penn's portrait of Picasso?

Vaughn

30-May-2011, 17:54

Two Men Talking is very fine, but I find that business in the corner just a bit distracting. Its admirable, but not wonderful, but that is my humble opinion.

Whereas I find that corner to be very important and "makes" the piece. Just a hint of context and distance to make the image only stronger.

Interesting! And not saying either one or both of us are wrong...or right...

Vaughn

...and I love how that lower left corner completes the forms across the bottom of the frame.

Ken Lee

4-Jun-2011, 17:19

Marthe (http://www.kenleegallery.com/html/like/index.html#pb) by Pierre Bonnard, French painter and print maker, 1900.

Ken Lee

11-Jun-2011, 14:23

Martin Schweig Studio (http://www.kenleegallery.com/html/like/index.html#mss), 1965

Vaughn

11-Jun-2011, 15:14

I enjoy the similarities and contrasts of the last two images...thanks!

Martha is clothed by the light and in the studio image the model has clothes of light.

hmf

11-Jun-2011, 17:50

I'm a little late to the party, but am transfixed by the DeCarava photograph. The gesture of the hand in the lower left corner, the proximity of the two men and the presence of a third person as an image in the spectacle lens makes me feel like I'm in on a conversation of great importance. And the printing is magnificent: the dark skin, white hats and shirts and the gleam of the metal glasses are perfection.

NoBob

13-Jun-2011, 12:08

I like what you're doing Ken.

That Ramiel, Edward Weston, is great. The combination of modelling light, pose and composition is so strong.

Ken Lee

18-Jun-2011, 14:05

Paris, 1991 (http://www.kenleegallery.com/html/like/index.html#js) by Jeanluop Sieff.

Ken Lee

25-Jun-2011, 13:19

Paul Strand in Mexico (http://www.kenleegallery.com/html/like/index.html#ps2), 1933

Ken Lee

3-Jul-2011, 12:02

Cable Cars, San Francisco (http://www.kenleegallery.com/html/like/index.html#my) by Max Yavno, 1947

Bill_1856

3-Jul-2011, 12:39

Thank you for posting these. Some of them I already know, but some are strangers. You have a good eye.

mdm

3-Jul-2011, 12:43

I like this one a lot. Like being a moderator on LFPF I suspect.

tgtaylor

5-Jul-2011, 15:38

That's a scene from 'ol San Francisco that you will never see again. Sure the turn around is still there and they still turn the cars in the same manner, but nowadays that corner is a circus crowded with tourists lined-up and waiting for another car, vendors of every description, and street preachers. But back in 1947, and even for a while after I first arrived in '84, that was a scene that could be had on any day. See the woman stepping onto the curb on the right? She's probably heading for the Walgreen's that was located on that corner for decades. See the wear visible on back of the conductors coat on the left? Without a doubt that wear got there as a result of turning countless cable cars around on that corner.

San Francisco. Like the City of New Orleans, it will be gone five hundred miles before the day is done.

Thanks for posting this image.

Thomas

Ken Lee

10-Jul-2011, 17:06

July 9: Swell, Southern Ocean, Near 50d S (http://www.kenleegallery.com/html/like/index.html#sk)
Stuart Klipper, 1992

Ken Lee

10-Jul-2011, 17:06

July 16: Callanish after hailstorm, Lewis (http://www.kenleegallery.com/html/like/index.html#fg)
Fay Godwin, 1980

Kirk Gittings

10-Jul-2011, 21:17

One of my favorite British landscape photographers. Good to see her mentioned here. Great image.

Thom Bennett

11-Jul-2011, 07:36

tgtaylor, here's one from New Orleans that you'll appreciate; a Robert Frank image from New Orleans. If you look through the 2nd streetcar window from the left you'll see a Walgreens as well. Might be the Walgreens on Canal St.

tgtaylor

11-Jul-2011, 09:41

Funny you should post that Thom. Just yesterday I was looking at LOOKING IN: ROBERT FRANK'S THE AMERICANS, EXPANDED EDITION at a Borders and decided to buy it later in the week when more Peso's arrived.

I can't remember a Walgreen's on Canal Street between the River and Rampart. The only ones that I remember in that area are Katz and Besthoff (sp) on the Maison Blanche side and Waterbury's on Camp and Canal. While both had lunch counters K&B had the best malted milks in the City as far as I was concerned and good hamburgers too.

Now and then during the summer months mom would give me a dollar to go to the show. With a dollar I could ride the St. Charles or Magazine down (I lived within two blocks of both), get a malted milk or hamburger at K&B and, depending on the theater, a box of popcorn at the movie which was usually a double feature in those days. Waterbury's I frequented more often because I probably took the Magazine more often than the St. Charles (our first house on Thalia Street was closer to Magazine Street) and it was at Waterbury's, when I was 11, that I bought a ninety-seven cent bottle of Primatene that I saw advertised on television as a cure for asthma. I remember thinking to myself "This better work" as I placed the money on the counter. I took one tablet and never had another asthma attack since!

San Francisco is big on streetcars! They have streetcars from municipalities all across America and even overseas operating here. They even have the Desire! But New Orleans, at least back then, had the best public transportation system in the country: It ran 24/7 with a car at every stop at seven minute intervals during the day, 15 minutes after six, and every thirty minutes after midnight. If you lived in New Orleans, you didn't need a car.

Thomas

Ken Lee

22-Jul-2011, 06:32

This week: Regent's Canal, 1905 (http://www.kenleegallery.com/html/like/index.html#alc) by Alvin Langdon Coburn

Ari

23-Jul-2011, 12:45

Gorgeous

mdm

23-Jul-2011, 16:35

You can subscribe in your web browser and when Ken posts a picture it will automatically have it there for you to read, so you are always up to date and dont have to keep checking back at his site. The simplest way is to use google reader, but your browser can handle it itself. Many people would be subscribed to a lot of blogs and sites, its like reading the newspaper only you choose what is in there.

Ken Lee

30-Jul-2011, 08:07

July 30: Immogen Cunningham: Northwest Native, 1934 (http://www.kenleegallery.com/html/like/index.html#ic)

Ken Lee

6-Aug-2011, 10:11

Aug 6: Gertrude Käsebier The Red Man, 1902 (http://www.kenleegallery.com/html/like/index.html#gk)

Ken Lee

13-Aug-2011, 05:25

Aug 13: Peter Henry Emerson During the Reed Harvest, 1886 (http://www.kenleegallery.com/html/like/index.html#phe)

Ken Lee

19-Aug-2011, 16:48

Aug 20: John Szarkowski Screen Door, 1950 (http://www.kenleegallery.com/html/like/index.html#szarkowski)

Mark Sawyer

19-Aug-2011, 19:38

Merg Ross

19-Aug-2011, 21:05

Ken, I must say you have exquisite taste.

I never saw Szarkowski as a groundbreaking photographer. Rather, he seemed to choose and existing aesthetic that was perfect for his intentions, and executed his work with rare intelligence, thoughtfulness, and craft.

But for 1950, I think he pushed the envelope a bit in this one...

Perhaps not groundbreaking, but John had a really fine eye for composition, and the other qualities that you cite. The image before us is an example. I wonder what would have happened had he not accepted the job at MOMA and pursued his own vision. His early work was inspirational. Thanks, Ken for another excellent choice.

John Kasaian

19-Aug-2011, 22:53

Aug 13: Peter Henry Emerson During the Reed Harvest, 1886 (http://www.kenleegallery.com/html/like/index.html#phe)
I really like this one. Thanks Ken!

Ken Lee

27-Aug-2011, 11:21

Aug 27: John Sexton Stump, Early Morning Mist, Emerald Lake, Canada, 1988 (http://www.kenleegallery.com/html/like/index.html#sexton)

Ken Lee

3-Sep-2011, 14:03

Sep 3: Claire Yaffa November, 1997 (http://www.kenleegallery.com/html/like/index.html#yaffa)

Ken Lee

10-Sep-2011, 08:47

Sep 10: Laura Gilpin Taos Ovens, New Mexico, 1926 (http://www.kenleegallery.com/html/like/index.html#gilpin)

Ken Lee

17-Sep-2011, 12:42

Sep 17: Heinrich Kühn Mary and Lotte, Innsbruck-Tyrol, 1908 (http://www.kenleegallery.com/html/like/index.html#kuhn)

Joel Truckenbrod

18-Sep-2011, 19:53

I just found this, Ken. Excellent gallery thus far, very enjoyable. Thanks.

Ari

19-Sep-2011, 15:05

Thanks for these, Ken, as always.

Ken Lee

24-Sep-2011, 05:44

Sep 24 Fred Picker Gaspé, 1977 (http://www.kenleegallery.com/html/like/index.html#picker)

Ken Lee

1-Oct-2011, 05:52

Oct 1 Paul Strand Barn, Gaspé, 1936 (http://www.kenleegallery.com/html/like/index.html#psg)

Frank_E

1-Oct-2011, 06:04

reviewing this collection of images each week is a real treat
please keep them coming

Shawn Dougherty

1-Oct-2011, 08:02

Make room on the wagon boys, I really enjoy this as well. And please keep posting the updates here, Ken. I always forget to check! =P

Shawn

Kirk Gittings

1-Oct-2011, 08:36

subtle and superb!

gene LaFord

1-Oct-2011, 11:07

Thanks ken for posting these images. It is such a treat to follow this thread.

gene

austin granger

3-Oct-2011, 12:16

Sep 24 Fred Picker Gaspé, 1977 (http://www.kenleegallery.com/html/like/index.html#picker)

This one really knocks me out. Thank Ken!

austin granger

3-Oct-2011, 12:18

Sorry, that should read; "Thanks Ken!" But maybe we should all thank Ken. :)

Vaughn

3-Oct-2011, 12:43

Gaspé, 1977

It is probably a bit pedestrian of me, but I have a hard time getting past the tilted horizon line. Was it done to counter the stillness of the image?

Ken Lee

3-Oct-2011, 13:00

Gaspé, 1977

It is probably a bit pedestrian of me, but I have a hard time getting past the tilted horizon line. Was it done to counter the stillness of the image?

I wouldn't know. This is how the image appears in the book. Perhaps it is due to the use of shift, or a mistake at the printer. The buildings look straight.

Shawn Dougherty

3-Oct-2011, 13:12

The horizon juxtaposed with the straight buildings, was probably my favorite aspect of the image. For me it creates a sense of tension, maybe foreboding that works well with the otherwise serene composition. I wonder how many non LF photographers would even notice that? And if it was intentional?

And now that's it's straight.... I still like it, but very different.

Ken Lee

3-Oct-2011, 13:32

Presuming that the crooked horizon is a slight printer error exacerbated by my scanning, I have straightened the image (http://www.kenleegallery.com/html/like/index.html#picker). It looks right now.

Thank you Vaughn!

Richard K.

3-Oct-2011, 13:38

Gaspé, 1977

It is probably a bit pedestrian of me, but I have a hard time getting past the tilted horizon line. Was it done to counter the stillness of the image?

Are you referring to the sky-river line? It measures exactly the same left side and right side (distance from bottom edge)? I guess I'm missing something (as occasional if not usual)?
I like the photo regardless.

Vaughn

3-Oct-2011, 13:44

I clicked on the link above and the image is unchanged (horizon still tilted).

Thanks, Ken, that did it! (clearing history/cache)

Richard K.

3-Oct-2011, 13:44

Presuming that the crooked horizon is a slight printer error exacerbated by my scanning, I have straightened the image[/URL]. It looks right now.

Thank you Vaughn!

I replied before I saw this!

But the buildings are slightly tilted!

Ken Lee

3-Oct-2011, 13:50

I clicked on the link above and the image is unchanged (horizon still tilted). The buildings are also tilted -- the only thing that is not it the power/telephone pole on the far left.

Be sure to clear your browser cache.

It would not be uncommon for a telephone pole to be slightly tilted - especially in a somewhat remote setting like that one.

And the buildings too: they could easily be tilted (see the Barn that Paul Strand photographed in 1936 (above Fred's photograph): Part of its beauty is the effect of aging.)

The one thing guaranteed to be truly horizontal in Nature, is the horizon :)

r.e.

3-Oct-2011, 15:18

r.e.

3-Oct-2011, 18:28

Here's the problem with Mr. Picker's photograph. It leads people like Ken Lee to conjure up some Never, Never Land romantic vision about "rugged simplicity and solitude". Meanwhile, seven years before this photograph was taken, Québec went through what is known as The October Crisis, during which a provincial Cabinet Minister was assassinated and stuffed in the trunk of a car, a British diplomat was kidnapped, the army was brought in and the perpetrators went into exile to Cuba. The Gaspé, at the time and since, far from being a backwater, has played an important role in Québec politics. Indeed, it is all of 240 miles from Quebec City, which is the provincial capital and not generally considered one of North America's more backward cities.

At the time that Mr. Picker made this photograph, he had moved from the rather affluent Westchester, New York to rural Vermont, which might go a long way to explaining his "vision", which is the vision of a tourist unencumbered by political and social context and, unless he spoke French, not even capable of communicating with most of the "locals".

Ken Lee

3-Oct-2011, 19:20

r.e.

3-Oct-2011, 19:30

And yet, the scene he encountered had a rugged simplicity, and at that moment there was a lovely silver light which we sometimes see along the coast when the conditions are favorable. He captured an image of it, and shared it with others. Then someone else came along and shared that image again.

Hey, if that meets your criteria for an "exceptional photograph", cool.

mdm

3-Oct-2011, 19:32

The contours and sea dont understand your politics, neither does the light.

austin granger

3-Oct-2011, 19:32

"It illustrates the rugged simplicity and solitude of the Gaspé Peninsula."

Photographs like this are a dime a dozen. I don't know what Picker's intent was, but if it was what you say, it makes about as much sense as talking about "the rugged simplicity and solitude" of Maine, New Brunswick or Nova Scotia. It is nostalgie de la boue stuff, even as of 1977, and as ill-informed as it is condescending.

It has been pointed out that the photograph does not meet the plumb bob test. In the case of wooden buildings as old as the ones in this photograph, the question isn't whether they are out of kilter, but by how much.

I have to say I find this response fascinating, as it reminds me anew of just how little I even notice a photograph's subject these days. I mean to say, of course I see the subject (that is a house, that is a bridge, that is a dog, etc), but what strikes me foremost is usually the light and shapes and 'feel.' And I find the light and shapes and feel in the Picker photograph to be very nice.

In further defense of Picker, and with all due respect, I'm not sure it's quite fair to saddle him with the responsibility of truthfully representing the larger, political/social context of the place he was photographing. I mean, if that were a photographer's duty, it seems to me that a huge portion of the world's great pictures would be relegated to the trash bin. I mean, maybe he just liked the light-isn't that OK?

We bring so much of ourselves to the pictures we look at.

austin granger

3-Oct-2011, 19:35

The contours and sea dont understand your politics, neither does the light.

And while I am busy typing, David expresses my thoughts much more concisely! Thank you.

Ken Lee

3-Oct-2011, 19:38

austin granger

3-Oct-2011, 19:39

And yet, the scene he encountered had a rugged simplicity, and at that moment there was a lovely silver light which we sometimes see along the coast when the conditions are favorable. He found it beautiful, captured an image of it, and shared it with others. Then someone else came along, found the image beautiful, and shared that image with others.

And Ken too. Geez, I should have paid more attention in typing class so I could be faster when the internet came along! Seriously though, Ken's quote is very well said.

r.e.

3-Oct-2011, 19:49

I have to say I find this response fascinating, as it reminds me anew of just how little I even notice a photograph's subject these days. I mean to say, of course I see the subject (that is a house, that is a bridge, that is a dog, etc), but what strikes me foremost is usually the light and shapes and 'feel.' And I find the light and shapes and feel in the Picker photograph to be very nice.

In further defense of Picker, and with all due respect, I'm not sure it's quite fair to saddle him with the responsibility of truthfully representing the larger, political/social context of the place he was photographing. I mean, if that were a photographer's duty, it seems to me that a huge portion of the world's great pictures would be relegated to the trash bin. I mean, maybe he just liked the light-isn't that OK?

We bring so much of ourselves to the pictures we look at.

The "light and shapes and feel" would be fine if it wasn't so pedestrian. I spend about four months a year in an area like this (I'm there now, just spent an interesting day dealing with Ophelia, thankfully much less serious than Igor last year), and a photograph like this is literally a dime a dozen. Here's how you do it. Find an old building in an old fishing community on the Atlantic ocean, preferably with lots of rock (no shortage of them), wait for some decent light (you'll get it at least three or four times a week) and block out the reality of what is going on around you.

That would be OK if the result was in some way original, but what Picker did in this photo is what a half-way competent amateur with no imagination does in this kind of area. There is nothing "exceptional" about this photograph, and at the same time it hankers back to a romantic view of the world that doesn't exist.

There are lots of exceptional photographs in the world. In my view, this just isn't one of them. In fact, I'd hold it up as an example of really tired cliché.

austin granger

3-Oct-2011, 20:03

The "light and shapes and feel" would be fine if it wasn't so pedestrian. I spend about four months a year in an area like this (I'm there now, just spent an interesting day dealing with Ophelia, thankfully much less serious than Igor last year), and a photograph like this is literally a dime a dozen. Here's how you do it. Find an old building (no shortage of them) and the ocean and block out the reality of what is going on around you.

That would be OK if the result was in some way original, but what Picker did in this photo is what a half-way competent amateur photographer with no imagination does in this kind of area. There is nothing "exceptional" about this photograph, and at the same time it hankers back to a romantic view of the world that doesn't exist.

There are lots of exceptional photographs in the world. In my view, this just isn't one of them. In fact, I'd hold it up as an example of really tired cliché.

I find it exceptional. It resonates with me. But again, I don't think this has much to do with the subject matter or with any romantic views of the world that I might have. It's something else. I think that often a photograph's 'subjects' are simply stand-ins for psychological/emotional states. Or are metaphors. For instance, you might look at a picture of a lone house on a cliff as a picture of a lone house on a cliff. Or, you might see it as an expression of an individual's loneliness, or about our place in the greater universe, or whatever. You can go on and on. It's infinite.

Who knows what Picker had in mind?

Maybe it doesn't really matter. I suspect that in the end, all photographs are of the viewer.

r.e.

3-Oct-2011, 20:26

Austin,

We are headed toward a discussion about whether "exceptional" or "good" is an objective or subjective judgement. I've had that discussion often enough to have learned that it is not fruitful. Enjoy Mr. Picker's photograph.

austin granger

3-Oct-2011, 20:29

Enjoy Mr. Picker's photograph.

I can't now-you ruined it for me! :)

r.e.

3-Oct-2011, 21:19

We can view a Fine Art photograph from a social or political perspective if we like. It's natural for some people to do so.

We can view a Fine Art photograph from the perspective of meteorology or biology too. Any perspective we like.

Here, the intent was primarily... aesthetic.

Hold it.

I was responding to what you wrote, under the heading "Why I Like It":

"It illustrates the rugged simplicity and solitude of the Gaspé Peninsula".

What I said is that if you are right about your interpretation of the photograph, it is a romantic distortion of the truth. Characterising the Gaspé that way, in 1977 let alone now, is on a factual level just plain ignorant.

On an aesthetic level, my view, with respect to what is supposed to be a gallery of "exceptional photographs", is that this photograph is cliché. It's the kind of thing that one might see, and indeed does see, in Northern New England and Atlantic Canada in third rate paintings and tourist postcards, not to mention countless photographs. In St. Pierre and Miquelon, there is a small island just off St. Pierre that looks like a normal community, but which is in fact a combination park/museum run by the French Government, which is just perfect for taking photographs like this. Indeed, it attracts painters and photographers whose whole point in being there is to make images that are pretty much the same as Picker's.

patrickjames

3-Oct-2011, 21:24

Reality and photographs have nothing to do with each other. Never did.

Mark Woods

3-Oct-2011, 21:32

I know "Art is Art" but part of what the artist does is capture an image. The other half is to "enlighten" or "emotionally move" the viewer. To take an image, like Picker did, is wonderful. To present it out of the political context leaves it open for a political interpretation along with an artistic interpretation. This image says to me, stability, all things are working, the system is correct. But the actuality is quite the opposite for the locals. I feel that in the abstract, many of us respond that this is a great image. But for the locals, and the ones who lived through the rough times,. this may be quite the opposite of what was going on for so many of them. An image needs to be judged on it's own. But somehow, most historical images are judged on the context of history when the image was shot.

Let's not forget that not only is ART is a moving target, but photography is attached to the time it is exposed.

mdm

4-Oct-2011, 01:54

That post quick reply button is dangerous! Try removing that Mr Moderator.

Ken Lee

4-Oct-2011, 02:22

r.e - Thank you for taking the time to share your insights about the photo and the region in general. It may be that many of us have only a limited familiarity with the Gaspesie (http://www.infogaspesie.com/portrait.php). Your comments prompt us to investigate the area from a perspective broader than mere sight-seeing. It's also helpful to know that such scenes are commonplace in the region.

In light of your remarks, I have changed the text from "It illustrates the rugged simplicity and solitude of..." to "It illustrates the rugged beauty of...".

Your observations about any of the other photos in the series, are most welcome.

johnmsanderson

4-Oct-2011, 07:41

It is obvious by Ken's choices that he's not interested in showing pictures that are as you describe it "socially aware". Most of the images are classic B&W as you must have noted. This image wasn't posted on the Magnum website with the same caption... if it were then perhaps your jab would be justified.

You are on the wrong forum if you're looking for guilt trip photojournalism.

Richard K.

4-Oct-2011, 08:21

I'm definitely not trying to stoke any fires here and I've read and enjoyed some of the comments, but I would love to see examples, either your own or other published photographs that in your opinion evoke a more profound sensibility. I like the Picker image as a photograph whether there is a tire fire just out of the frame or even if the social climate is challenging. I can find calm oases right here in Toronto that can evoke feeling or even aesthetic appreciation counter to the complex cacaphony surrounding. As far as the Gaspe goes, I don't how many times I've driven there (especially between Riviere du Loup and Rimouski) and been struck by the (other than photographing) almost indescribable view across the St. Lawrence to the North shore on a day in which the sky and river cooperate. At those times one can be as one with the subject, temporarily at least.

John Koehrer

4-Oct-2011, 13:29

Kirk Gittings

4-Oct-2011, 13:42

Richard K.

4-Oct-2011, 14:04

I believe most photographs taken are because the person who took the picture thught it would make a nice photograph and didn't at all consider the deeper psychological or mystical art speak that would try to define their innermost thoughts or feelings. =P

Ansel and I agree with you. :D

Or, if such meaning is somehow considered, it is innate and not an entirely concious act. I would not want to be burdened with a concious effort at such meaning but can accept that perhaps artists can evoke a variety of sublimity without necessarily being overly analytical about it.

austin granger

4-Oct-2011, 14:21

I believe most photographs taken are because the person who took the picture thught it would make a nice photograph and didn't at all consider the deeper psychological or mystical art speak that would try to define their innermost thoughts or feelings. =P

Hey, is that aimed at me? :)
Just to clarify, when I'm out photographing (if I'm doing it right), I'm certainly not thinking about defining my innermost thoughts or feelings, or of anything 'mystical' whatsoever. But I do think that my past experiences, my beliefs, my thoughts and feelings, do influence both what I photograph and how I photograph it. I think they do for everyone. And that's a good thing-if they didn't, all our pictures would look the same.

Mark Sawyer

4-Oct-2011, 16:09

Here's the problem with Mr. Picker's photograph...

Perhaps there should be a weekly online gallery, "These I Don't Like"? :rolleyes:

Ken Lee

6-Oct-2011, 04:46

Perhaps there should be a weekly online gallery, "These I Don't Like"?

This idea was entertained with serious consideration. The danger is, someone might disagree, and actually like the images :rolleyes:

Richard K.

6-Oct-2011, 06:53

Mark Woods

6-Oct-2011, 18:08

Originally Posted by John Koehrer View Post
I believe most photographs taken are because the person who took the picture thught it would make a nice photograph and didn't at all consider the deeper psychological or mystical art speak that would try to define their innermost thoughts or feelings. =P

I may be an exception too. I won't shoot a subject unless I have a connection that inspires me to a much deeper connection that I try to bring out at the time of exposure. Otherwise I could keep shooting commercials and making a lot more money. I've been there done that and turned away from it to shoot the big B&W negs analog style all through the photo chemical workflow.

Ken Lee

8-Oct-2011, 17:03

Oct 8: Steve Mulligan Cattails, Cheney Lake, Kansas (http://www.kenleegallery.com/html/like/index.html#mulligan)

Andrew Tymon

8-Oct-2011, 17:31

er, Bob isn't it Steve Mulligan?:D

Ken Lee

8-Oct-2011, 18:24

Thanks - I corrected it.

Ken Lee

14-Oct-2011, 15:12

Oct 15: Clarence H. White Morning, 1905 (http://www.kenleegallery.com/html/like/index.html#clarencewhite)

Jim Cole

21-Oct-2011, 13:54

I'm constantly drawn to the pictorial photographers of the late 19th and early 20th century. A large number of my absolute favorite photographs are from this era.

Excellent choice this week, Ken.

Ken Lee

23-Oct-2011, 05:37

Oct 22: Aaron Siskind Rome, Arch of Constantine 10, 1963 (http://www.kenleegallery.com/html/like/index.html#aaronsiskind)

Ken Lee

4-Nov-2011, 07:57

Oct 29: Ansel Adams Sunbathing on the Shores of a Sierra Lake, 1928 (http://www.kenleegallery.com/html/like/index.html#anseladams)

An ardent pictorialist at the time, he wrote: "I am more than ever convinced that the only possible way to interpret the scenes hereabout is through an impressionistic vision... Form, in a material sense, is not only unnecessary, but sometimes useless and undesirable."

Once

4-Nov-2011, 08:26

Ken, I think you misplaced this thread. According to the guidelines of this forum it seems it does not belong to the Announcements at all. (Announcements: Non-repetitive announcements about LF related gallery openings, workshops, new books, trade shows, and other educational opportunities. Events can also be added to the forum Calendar.)
I cannot figure out how your personal liking of this or that photo belongs to this kind of announcements. Especially when it is proclaimed on a weekly basis. Does anyone here have the same feeling?
I know you give a lot of importance to your liking of this or that photo or even this or that perspective for that matter but does it mean that everybody can use this post category to proclaim his or her own aesthetic personal preferences? As a moderator (!) shouldn't you know better where to place these repetitive "announcements" of your personal taste? Just a thought.

Ken Lee

4-Nov-2011, 08:29

Thank you - I have moved this thread to the "On Photography" section.

Ken Lee

4-Nov-2011, 09:34

Nov 5: Hiromu Kira Paper Bird, 1928 (http://www.kenleegallery.com/html/like/index.html#HiromuKira)

bob carnie

4-Nov-2011, 09:46

I find this to be an enjoyable thread and the way Ken has set it up allows me to scroll through and see different images. Not a bad format for any others to use and show what they like.
Keep them coming Ken.

Jim collum

4-Nov-2011, 09:46

Ken Lee

12-Nov-2011, 17:21

Nov 12: Louis Fleckenstein The Veiled Lady, 1920 (http://www.kenleegallery.com/html/like/index.html#LouisFleckenstein)

Ken Lee

19-Nov-2011, 15:36

Nov 19: Eduard Van Der Elsken The Accordion Player, 1950 (http://www.kenleegallery.com/html/like/index.html#EduardVanDerElsken)

Ken Lee

26-Nov-2011, 14:40

Nov 26: George Tice Oak Tree, Holmdel, New Jersey, 1970 (http://www.kenleegallery.com/html/like/index.html#GeorgeTice)

Ari

26-Nov-2011, 15:16

Nov 19: Eduard Van Der Elsken The Accordion Player, 1950 (http://www.kenleegallery.com/html/like/index.html#EduardVanDerElsken)

I really like this one; a particular place and time.
Thanks, Ken.

csant

26-Nov-2011, 15:18

Fantastic, Ken! Been following your posts for a while now - thanks, I am learning lots of new things! Just one little note that puzzled me today… What is the black mouse pointer doing on Tice's photograph? :)

Ken Lee

26-Nov-2011, 16:16

Oh my - I didn't see that. Thank you very much !

It's gone now. :rolleyes:

Ken Lee

4-Dec-2011, 11:27

Dec 3: Jan Staller Manhattan Bridge, seen from the FDR Drive, 1988 (http://www.kenleegallery.com/html/like/index.html#JanStaller)

mdm

4-Dec-2011, 12:42

The first colour picture you have liked. Happy Christmas everybody.

Ken Lee

4-Dec-2011, 16:33

I have posted several color images.

mdm

4-Dec-2011, 16:47

Must be the first I liked then.

Ken Lee

10-Dec-2011, 18:07

Dec 10: Marion Post Wolcott Negro men and women working in a field, Bayou Bourbeaux Plantation, Natchitoches Louisiana, 1940 (http://www.kenleegallery.com/html/like/index.html#MarionPostWolcott)

lawrencebrussel

12-Dec-2011, 04:34

Hello Ken Lee
Thanks for sharing this ideas and its nice work.

Peter Gomena

12-Dec-2011, 10:06

This image is pure poetry. Thanks for posting it!

Peter Gomena

Harley Goldman

12-Dec-2011, 15:44

Great image! Thanks Ken.

dperez

12-Dec-2011, 17:42

I love all of your selections... One of my favorites is Twelve Birds by Brian Kosoff. Thanks,

-DP

Ken Lee

17-Dec-2011, 15:27

Dec 17: Wynn Bullock Boy Fishing, 1959 (http://www.kenleegallery.com/html/like/index.html#WynnBullock)

Ari

17-Dec-2011, 21:04

Beautiful; keep them coming, Ken.

Ken Lee

23-Dec-2011, 15:30

Dec 24: Dwight A. Davis Little Girl with Parasol, ca. 1904 (http://www.kenleegallery.com/html/like/index.html#DwightADavis)

Ken Lee

1-Jan-2012, 07:46

Dec 31: Dr. Drahomir Joseph Ruzicka Penn Station, 1919 (http://www.kenleegallery.com/html/like/index.html#Ruzicka)

Ken Lee

7-Jan-2012, 05:04

Jan 7, 2012: Dick Arentz Water Lilies, Kapaa, Hawaii 1987 (http://www.kenleegallery.com/html/like/index.html#Dick Arentz)
12x20 inch Palladium Print

Scott Walker

10-Jan-2012, 00:02

I don't follow this as closely as some might but I do manage to stop in every second week or so, and I really do enjoy the images and commentary.

WTF happened, your new format may be fine on a larger screen (I don't know) but on an iPhone it is no longer viewable.

Ken Lee

10-Jan-2012, 04:18

Thanks for the heads-up. It's readable on my Apple iPhone.

I don't have any other portable devices to test with, so I can't vouch for those.

Doug Howk

10-Jan-2012, 04:35

A beautiful image. Arentz is the master of platinum/palladium printing. I would be happy to even get close to the quality & tonal range of this print.

Scott Walker

10-Jan-2012, 08:47

Thanks for the heads-up. It's readable on my Apple iPhone.

I don't have any other portable devices to test with, so I can't vouch for those.

I see you have removed the background. I found it very difficult to read the text through the background image and the background seemed to merge with the images as well.
It may be fine if you were to have the background limited to the sides or one side.

Ken Lee

18-Jan-2012, 15:33

Jan 14: Colin Murray Jagmandar, Water Palace at Udaipur, 1872-73 (http://www.kenleegallery.com/html/like/index.html#ColinMurray)
Albumen-Silver print from wet collodion negative

csant

18-Jan-2012, 23:41

That is a fantastic photograph!
By the way, your RSS feed doesn't seem to update, so this thread is the only way to follow your posts.

Ken Lee

21-Jan-2012, 06:24

Jan 21: William M. Rittase Light Rays on Trains, La Salle Street Station, Chicago, 1931 (http://www.kenleegallery.com/html/like/index.html#WilliamMRittase)

Michael Clark

22-Jan-2012, 10:25

WOW, Light Rays on train by Rittase. Strong conflicting forces working almost against each other. The vertical man and and light cables forcing themselves against those beautiful angled light rays and ceiling joists.Looks like the other man to the right has succumbed to the angled energy of light rays. Beautiful. Thanks Ken.

Mike

Zaitz

24-Jan-2012, 03:32

That is one awesome photo. Not sure why this thread only has two stars...not that it matters. I've enjoyed going through all the photos a few times now. Some tremendous work and thanks for taking the time to do this.

Jim Cole

24-Jan-2012, 12:19

There, now it's 3-stars. with my single vote of 5-stars.

Scott Walker

24-Jan-2012, 13:12

Interesting, I have never noticed the star rating thing before. This thread definitely requires more stars so I've added my 5 star vote :)

Mark Woods

24-Jan-2012, 13:23

I've never noticed either and just voted. Great thread.

Ken Lee

27-Jan-2012, 14:41

Jan 28: Frank Meadow Sutcliffe The Water Rats, 1886 (http://www.kenleegallery.com/html/like/index.html#FrankMeadowSutcliffe)
Carbon print (?)

Mark Woods

28-Jan-2012, 10:03

Nice. I really enjoy this thread. Thank you Ken.

Michael Clark

28-Jan-2012, 18:16

The Water Rats has David Copperfield written all over it, a portal into the past and yet timeless.

Mike

pashminu

29-Jan-2012, 17:54

Some of the images are very well composed. Good work.

Commercial Photographer India (http://digitalstudio.in/commercial-photographers-mumbai.htm)

Ken Lee

4-Feb-2012, 13:52

Feb 4: Edward P. McMurtry Shadow Faces, 1932 (http://www.kenleegallery.com/html/like/index.html#EdwardPMcMurtry)
Carbron print

csant

4-Feb-2012, 14:11

Feb 4: Edward P. McMurtry Shadow Faces, 1932 (http://www.kenleegallery.com/html/like/index.html#EdwardPMcMurtry)
Carbron print

That is a fantastic photograph! Is it carbon, or carbro?

Ken Lee

4-Feb-2012, 14:31

Is it carbon, or carbro?

Not a mis-spelling: both are valid.

See http://www.alternativephotography.com/wp/processes/carbon-carbro/the-carbon-transfer-process

mdm

4-Feb-2012, 15:55

Loving the carbon prints, even if they are fuzzy.

csant

5-Feb-2012, 02:05

Is it carbon, or carbro?

Not a mis-spelling: both are valid.

See http://www.alternativephotography.com/wp/processes/carbon-carbro/the-carbon-transfer-process

:) I was just wondering which of the two this one was…

Ken Lee

5-Feb-2012, 04:26

According to What is Carbro (http://www.angelicimages.com/CarbDesc.html) (emphasis mine):

'The word "carbro" is a combination of the first syllables of "carbon" and "bromide", and the process is so named because it is a method whereby a true carbon print can be made from a bromide print... the sensitized carbon tissue, instead of being dried and printed under a negative, is squeegeed into contact with a bromide print while still wet, the gelatin becoming insoluble not through the action of light on the sensitizer but through the chemical reaction between the sensitizer and the silver of the bromide print. Stripping and development follow in much the same manner as with carbon, the final result being an actual carbon print...'

Colin Graham

5-Feb-2012, 09:18

The results may in fact be indistinguishable but the processes are different. I was interested as well in which technique led to the print. But I wouldn't be surprised if that information was lost- I assumed your coinage of 'carbron' was meant to cover either possibility.

Ken Lee

5-Feb-2012, 09:24

My mistake: the book describes the image as a Carbro print and I mis-typed it. :rolleyes:

Thanks for pointing it out.

csant

5-Feb-2012, 12:08

Supposing that, when Pistol uttered the well-known words - 'Under which king, Bezonian? Speak or die!' Justice Shallow had felt certain that it was either William or Richard, but had not been able to settle which, so that he could not possibly say either name before the other, can it be doubted that, rather than die, he would have gasped out 'Rilchiam!' ~~ Lewis Carroll ;)

Thanks for clarifying, Ken! :)

Ken Lee

7-Feb-2012, 18:58

Feb 11: Minor White Sun In Rock, 1947 (http://www.kenleegallery.com/html/like/index.html#MinorWhite)
Silver Gelatin print

(a bit early this week)

Merg Ross

7-Feb-2012, 21:27

Feb 11: Minor White Sun In Rock, 1947 (http://www.kenleegallery.com/html/like/index.html#MinorWhite)
Silver Gelatin print

(a bit early this week)

Ken, thanks for posting an early photograph by Minor. I have always thought that his early work was among his best. Much of it was done while he was living in San Francisco. This image is a good example, and his vision was strong through the 1950's. My opinion is that his personal work and vision suffered when he decided to spend more time teaching than photographing. However, the former brought him greater recognition, and a few students, enlightened by his philosophy and images, went on to have sucessful careers of their own.

I have a vivid memory of being at his apartment in San Francisco on the eve of his departure to new employment at Eastman House. It was probably 1954. I had just begun photographing, and seeing Minor's work made a great impression; several of the images I saw that evening are still etched in my mind. Thanks again for posting, Minor surely has a well deserved place in the history of photography in this country.

mdm

7-Feb-2012, 23:27

I like it too. An intelligent photograph.

Ken Lee

2-Mar-2012, 19:18

Mar 3: Sandy King Yungang Grottoes, Datong China, 2011 (http://www.kenleegallery.com/html/like/index.html#SandyKing)
Carbon Transfer print

(one of our fellow forum members)

Ken Lee

2-Mar-2012, 21:04

Please have another look: Yungang Grottoes, Datong China, 2011 (http://www.kenleegallery.com/html/like/index.html#Sandy King) has been updated with the color version of the image: the actual Carbon Transfer print has deep brown hues.

Ken Lee

11-Mar-2012, 05:51

Mar 10: Merg Ross (http://www.kenleegallery.com/html/like/index.html#MergRoss)

(one of our fellow forum members)

Alan Curtis

11-Mar-2012, 07:49

Thanks Ken for posting some of Mergs photographs. His work is exceptionally good. One of the things that really impresses me about his photography is looking at some of his early work, that is on his website, and how good it is. A real plus for us to see his photography and have his input on this forum.

John Kasaian

11-Mar-2012, 08:17

I was fortunate enough to see an exhibition of Merg's photographs and they are brilliant, and even more so when seen up close and personal. Thanks for posting this!

Ron Marshall

11-Mar-2012, 08:58

Thanks for posting Ken; an interesting and inspiring selection!

Merg Ross

13-Mar-2012, 21:25

Alan, John and Ron, thank you for the kind comments. Ken had choices of where to take this, however I am content with his observation of the "powerful balance between realism and abstraction, sensitivity and strength".

Perhaps buried in the message, is the importance of being true to one's vision.

Thank you, Ken

Zaitz

18-Mar-2012, 01:08

Really fantastic work Merg. I really enjoy seeing the new selection every week.

Ken Lee

18-Mar-2012, 15:32

Aaron Siskind: Gloucester 3, 1945 (http://www.kenleegallery.com/html/like/index.html#aaronsiskind2)

dperez

27-Mar-2012, 12:57

I always enjoy reviewing your picks... Thanks.

-DP

Ken Lee

27-Mar-2012, 13:08

Thanks for the reminder. I've been preoccupied.

Scott Walker

27-Mar-2012, 18:42

Thanks for the reminder. I've been preoccupied.

Yeah, don't forget. I for one really enjoy your picks and appreciate you putting it together as you do.
So if you forget to remind us, I forget to go look.

adam satushek

27-Mar-2012, 19:07

Aaron Siskind: Gloucester 3, 1945 (http://www.kenleegallery.com/html/like/index.html#aaronsiskind2)

Aaron Siskind is awesome, excellent choice! He is great at texture, Im consistently impresses with his work. Thanks!

PS. i know this was posted last week, but i still like it.

Ken Lee

27-Mar-2012, 19:22

It's been said that there is nothing new under the Sun and I guess that's true, but I marvel that he pursued his line of artistic exploration as early as he did, and as pointedly as he did.

Many of his photos are even stronger than the ones I have shown - by that I mean more subtle, lyrical, powerful, mysterious, dazzling, etc. - but it's impossible to convey their impact with the reduced size and resolution of a computer monitor. I recommend the book Aaron Siskind 100 (http://www.amazon.com/Aaron-Siskind-100/dp/1576871940) very highly: the images are large and the reproductions are very good. (I was able to borrow it through an inter-library loan.)

I should also point out that it's very hard to choose a small number of photos from someone's entire opus. For example, with Merg Ross, I had to show 3, because his style is so varied - and even then I didn't really scratch the surface. With Sandy King, again I had to choose something that shows well in reduced size: much of his work is vision on a grand scale with fine details.

In the final analysis, photographers don't really have a style per se: just a collection of masterpieces.

Ken Lee

31-Mar-2012, 19:52

Aaron Siskind: New York 40, 1986 (http://www.kenleegallery.com/html/like/index.html#aaronsiskind3)

Ken Lee

1-Apr-2012, 08:41

March 31 Wayne Levin: Floating, 1997 (www.kenleegallery.com/html/like/index.html#waynelevin)

Shawn Dougherty

2-Apr-2012, 13:17

FINALLY thought to e-mail subscribe to this thread (although when I forget it catching up is extra fun =).

Mark Sawyer

12-Jun-2012, 11:37

I think maybe Ken doesn't like photographs any more... :(

Ken Lee

13-Jun-2012, 19:05

I've been concentrating on other projects. I guess it's time to resume. Stay tuned :)

Ken Lee

24-Jun-2012, 12:32

June 23 Stephen Shore: Presidio, Texas, February 21 1975 (www.kenleegallery.com/html/like/index.html#StephenShore)
(8x10 Color)

Ken Lee

30-Jun-2012, 09:16

June 30 Stephen Shore: Craig Nettles, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, March 1, 1978 (www.kenleegallery.com/html/like/index.html#StephenShore2)
(8x10 Color)

Bill Burk

30-Jun-2012, 12:54

OK I can see him placing two baseballs on the ground in front of the batter. That was easy. And seeing the echo of the smokestacks with the poles and mirroring the clouds with the fabric of the netting... But rolling in a turquoise house trailer to match the poles and positioning the end of a cylindrical vehicle (tanker?) in the background to echo the baseballs... That's taking staging too far!

I mean that as a backhanded compliment to someone who does more than I can imagine.