happy winter
hello everyone! happy winter to you :)
you may have noticed i have been absent from posting on my blog, especially my own work. today is no different, i'm here to write about other people's work! i'm just in the midst of an "off" phase of my photo cycle, since i've been busy planning and dreaming about my wedding (january 16!!), getting ready for the holidays, etc. but i'll be back to making pictures soon enough.
anyway! i came across this quote by Josh Poehlein via Peter Hoffman's blog. It's an interesting commentary about the similarites between photography and skateboarding:
I really enjoyed that quote, as I think there is a lot of truth to it and the comparison can be made with many other mediums and sports/activities. As I continued through my Google Reader blogs, I kept this quote in mind, (feeding off one another, taking cues from peers, people doing essentially the same thing but differently) and I come across this work about the Sami on Nymphoto by Céline Clanet. The images below are from two different bodies of work, so be sure to check them both out:
I said to myself, "Wait a minute. The Sami? The same Sami that Erika Larsen is photographing as in We, the Sami?!:
Indeed, the same Sami. I love Erika's series so I got very excited to see someone else approaching the same subject. When I first learned about the Sami through Erika Larsen's work, I had this mythical vision of the Sami. Her photographs don't feel staged or made-up, but they are so dreamy and surreal. Clanet's work shows the Sami reality that are like us - maybe a rural "us" but still, obviously they don't solely live in a winter dream world that I pictured.
On Clanet's website, there are 2 different bodies of work focused on the Sami; one focuses be on the people, and the other on the region. But either way, each photographer's work feels very different to me.
I wanted to share these with you because to me, these projects are a lovely reminder of the beauty of photography and how the medium allows for individual expressions, different stories to be told, new directions to be followed, etc. Seeing these two series based on the same culture/regions but still being so different makes me feel so warm and fuzzy inside! And it's also a great lesson that you have to take photography as an individual expression, and not as the absolute truth. There's always another side to the story.
That's all for now. Just wanted to introduce you to these talented photographers and it felt appropriate since it's that time of year and these photos are so wintery.
I hope you stay warm and cozy and have a very happy holiday and a wonderful new year!
you may have noticed i have been absent from posting on my blog, especially my own work. today is no different, i'm here to write about other people's work! i'm just in the midst of an "off" phase of my photo cycle, since i've been busy planning and dreaming about my wedding (january 16!!), getting ready for the holidays, etc. but i'll be back to making pictures soon enough.
anyway! i came across this quote by Josh Poehlein via Peter Hoffman's blog. It's an interesting commentary about the similarites between photography and skateboarding:
The reason I enjoy photography so much is because of the ways it is similar to skateboarding. The beauty of skateboarding is that it is about virtuosity. Everyone who skateboards is essentially riding the same thing, so the progression of the sport is about what you can do on that thing, how you look doing it, and how you decided to do it, but you can’t step off of your board. Because of their loyalty to the sport skateboarders must progress slowly, feed off of one another, and take cues from their peers. That is beautiful to me, that competitive aspect is beautiful. Skateboarding is definitely about doing new tricks, but it is also just as much about doing older tricks well. Every skateboarder can do a kickflip, but you can still see someone do a really good kickflip and be wowed by it. The invention of new tricks is rare, but the pushing of older ones in new directions is commonplace. That is sort of how I think about photography.”
I really enjoyed that quote, as I think there is a lot of truth to it and the comparison can be made with many other mediums and sports/activities. As I continued through my Google Reader blogs, I kept this quote in mind, (feeding off one another, taking cues from peers, people doing essentially the same thing but differently) and I come across this work about the Sami on Nymphoto by Céline Clanet. The images below are from two different bodies of work, so be sure to check them both out:
I said to myself, "Wait a minute. The Sami? The same Sami that Erika Larsen is photographing as in We, the Sami?!:
image © Erika Larsen
image © Erika Larsen
image © Erika Larsen
image © Erika Larsen
image © Erika Larsen
Indeed, the same Sami. I love Erika's series so I got very excited to see someone else approaching the same subject. When I first learned about the Sami through Erika Larsen's work, I had this mythical vision of the Sami. Her photographs don't feel staged or made-up, but they are so dreamy and surreal. Clanet's work shows the Sami reality that are like us - maybe a rural "us" but still, obviously they don't solely live in a winter dream world that I pictured.
On Clanet's website, there are 2 different bodies of work focused on the Sami; one focuses be on the people, and the other on the region. But either way, each photographer's work feels very different to me.
I wanted to share these with you because to me, these projects are a lovely reminder of the beauty of photography and how the medium allows for individual expressions, different stories to be told, new directions to be followed, etc. Seeing these two series based on the same culture/regions but still being so different makes me feel so warm and fuzzy inside! And it's also a great lesson that you have to take photography as an individual expression, and not as the absolute truth. There's always another side to the story.
That's all for now. Just wanted to introduce you to these talented photographers and it felt appropriate since it's that time of year and these photos are so wintery.
I hope you stay warm and cozy and have a very happy holiday and a wonderful new year!
Comments
I loved it.
Good one Lix.
Merry Christmas!!!
You, your work and sharing always leaves me feeling inspired :)