Book Review: The Myth of the Airborne Warrior

The Myth of the Airborne Warrior, published by Photoworks, is a set of personal images from the portfolio of Stuart Griffiths.  As a subscriber to the Photoworks magazine I came across this work through one of their articles and was immediately struck by it.

The book contains photos taken by Griffiths during his time as a paratrooper serving in Northern Ireland.  They are casual snaps of his colleges on and off duty and the streets that they patrolled in the late 80's and early 90's.  To break up the images several pages include 'censored' extracts from his personal diary.  The book is sold as a limited run of 500 numbered editions.  Included in this version is a signed numbered 4x6 print and four facsimile documents that include a rules of engagement card and two nationalist posters.



Griffith collaborated with fellow photography student Gordon MacDonald to compile the book.  The original intention was not necessarily to create a historical record of the troubles but more to help Griffith organize his images into a coherent narrative.  The resulting work is an emotional record of the gradual disillusionment of Griffith.  Over- trained and bound by strict rules of engagement Griffith and his colleagues found themselves in a world that was 99% boredom with 1% extreme excitement.  The pictures alone do not convey this story, in fact, I feel that the images themselves are quite weak.  In our current climate soldiers with their mobile phones and compact cameras are taking hundreds of photos that are similar, or better, to ones shown in this book.  Griffiths' has the advantage of serving before the proliferation of war blog photos.  Taken in the 80's his images already have the 'retro' style that is currently popular.  Several of his images have light leaks, are too vibrant or are poorly exposed but these are strengths rather than deficiencies.  The excerpts from his diary really add to the book and provide the much needed narrative.  It is from these that the decline in Griffiths' morale and increasing frustrations can be felt.  Much of the text has been scored through with a thick marker pen as if censored but there is enough visible behind the marker to read, albeit with a bit of effort, what is 'missing'.  I like this technique as I made me feel I was breaking the rules and seeing something secret.



The book finishes with a short essay by MacDonald that charts the creative process behind the book and explains a little of the professional relationship between the two authors.



It is possible to get a look at the full book by clicking HERE.  And no, those aren't my hands and painted fingernails :)

To learn more about Griffiths' work you can follow his blog HERE.

Manzine Magazine has a short but interesting interview with Griffiths HERE and Sean O'Hagan discusses the book for the Guardian newspaper HERE.

Book Review: Loretta Lux - Imaginary Portraits

After the type heavy post earlier this week I thought I'd keep it much lighter today.  My latest book purchase arrived in the post yesterday and so it seems a perfect time to do a quick review of Loretta Lux: Imaginary Portraits published by aperture books.  It was first published in 2005 and it is still easy enough to get hold of first editions - I got mine on amazon for under £20.

Loretta takes portraits of children and digitally manipulates them to create seemingly otherworldly images.  It feels like she is trying to create an almost storybook feel to her subjects and many appear to have been cut out and placed on a new background.  The heads seem out of proportion to the body size and the eyes are frequently enlarged to make then an irresistible focal point.

All the images in this post are copyright Loretta Lux and you can find more of her work on her portfolio website HERE

As you look at the images below you need to be aware that they lack the subtle colour range that is present in the book.  It is definitely a case of the printed version being far superior to the on screen version. The 96 pages of the book have a high quality semi-gloss feel to them and the layout of the images on the pages is pleasing with the text being smaller and unassuming.  The book opens with an interesting essay by Francine Prose that discusses Lux's work and her inspirations as well as talking about the images themselves

Almost all of the images are of children but towards the end of the book this is an image of a hunter and his dog.  It feels very out of place amongst the images of children and I'm curious as to why it was included in the collection - if you own the book or are aware of the series I'd be glad to hear your thoughts on it.

Study of a Girl 2, 2002

Study of a Boy 2, 2002

The Walk

The Bride

Daido Moriyama

Daido Moriyama 

The recipient of the prestigious International Center for Photography Lifetime Achievement Award 2012 has been announced as Daido Moryama. Previous recent winners include Elliot Erwitt and Annie Leibowitz, thus I felt I had to learn more about this Japanese street photographer. 

I bought the Phaidon book ‘Daido Moriyama’ to see what all the fuss was about. The Phaidon series provide a great introduction to different photographers. Each of these small books starts with a lengthy essay on the work and then 55 photographs follow (the series use to be called the ‘Phaidon 55’ but I think that caused some confusion so they’ve dropped the numbers).  The essay in Moriyama’s book is by Japanese film and photography critic Kazuo Nishii.  It’s going to be a controversial statement but I just don’t see anything special in Moriyama’s work.  There, I’ve said it and no doubt hundreds of photographers, critics and the like would be happy to line up to defend the images.  Whenever I get a new photography book I force myself to spend a great deal of time looking through the images without reading any of the text - I’ll even avoid looking at the title if I can.   I hope that using this approach makes me judge the image on its own merits without any preconceptions that the text might offer.  On my second look through I will read any text and this then open up more layers from the image, but I will already have a bias from my first look.  A big problem that I have with some of the images is the descriptions that Nishii provides.  I’ll give you some examples and you can make up your own mind:

Stray Dog

Stray Dog, 1971 

There are two versions of this photograph, printed with the dog facing in opposite directions (clearly I’ve chosen the left facing one). For me this is an over exposed and grainy snap shot of a dog.  The crop is very tight, perhaps to get rid of any distracting background clutter.  The viewers gaze is drawn to the dog’s eyes (thanks to some dodging?).  The stance, backward glance and lack of collar on the dog suggest this is a chance encounter with a stray dog. 

‘Urban dogs were often featured in postwar European photography, fighting and snarling, symbolising animality. Moriyama’s dog, on the other hand, seems to have been taken from a kindred dog’s eye point of view, as if merely encountered rather than elevated to a symbolic order.’ (Nishii, 2001) 

“It didn’t mean anything when I took that photo. I left the hotel and just shot the photo. If there’s meaning, that depends on the dog.” (2005) 

Looks like the three of us agree on this image then! 

Light and Shadow, 1981 

Have a good look at this image.  Spend a moment studying it and come up with your thoughts on it. What is it about and what makes it special? (I had to take a photo of the image in the book and so there is a slight distortion to the shot not present in the original).

Now you’ve got that established in your mind read on. 

For me this is clearly a snapshot taken out of a train as it passed under a bridge.  The bright reflection in the bottom of the image is very distracting.  Once I moved past the reflection my eye was drawn to the white square in the middle of the image.  The image is built on shadow and light but for me there is nothing outstanding or aesthetically pleasing from the shot. 

Nishii gives his interpretation of the image as follows: ‘This picture was probably taken from a suburban train bound for Toyko. The iron girders and cement piers recall the heroic scenes of the industrialised nineteenth-century. Principally, however, this is an intersection, a point on a map between termini. Light and Shadow is a traditional title in photography, perhaps the commonest of all. Moriyama’s picture, however is less a composition than a rendering of urban topography as a kind of sundial traversed by cast shadows, which compliments the clock-time implicit in the railway system’ (2001) I have no idea what on earth Nishii is going on about. 

I hope that even after three years on studying photography at University I can force myself not to come out with pretentious arty-nonsense like this (unless I need it for my exams in which case I will keep it for exclusive use then).  Or who knows, maybe I'll learn to see such things in a whole new light?!

There are some pictures from the book that I do like, and I’ve included a few for you to look at – no titles or descriptions so you can form your own opinion. 










And finally, when asked what he wanted viewers to take away from looking at his photos, he replied: 

“Most of my photographs are taken on the street, of objects on the street.  I want to capture the relationship between objects and people.  I don’t ever think about what people are going to think looking at my photographs.  There are many things I can’t control.  That viewers see the photographs in a different way is really important, but it doesn’t influence the work.  My message enters the image, but I think it’s good if many messages enter the image, not just mine.” (2005). 


Interview extracts from http://www.thememagazine.com/stories/daido-moriyama/


All images in this article are copyright Daido Moriyama.

Book Review: Baghdad Calling

Book Review: Baghdad Calling

Geert Van Kesteren

ISBN 9789059730830

Much of the talk during the presentations at The Eye festival this year was centered around the future of photo-journalism.  This book is a great example of many of the professionals fears - that the 'citizen reporter' will soon overtake the paid veteran.  

This book has been printed on two different types of paper.  The bulk of the book has been printed on what looks and feels like newspaper.  The colours are subdued and the image quality is low.  This is obviously a deliberate choice by the publishers to make the book feel like a collection of cut-outs from contemporary newspapers at the time of the trouble sin Iraq, Syria, Jordan and Turkey.  The images were all collected by Kesteren and his team to give an exclusive insight into the lives of everyday citizens.  By using these images, many taken on mobile phones, he is able to present pictures from locations and situations that a professional journalism would never have access to.  Many of the images seem mundane, a wedding, men in a public park, a market place but dispersed amongst these shots are scenes of dead bodies in the street, bullet riddled buildings and the aftermath of suicide bombings.  These images are not exceptionally graphic but there placement amongst the 'banal' serves to shock the viewer as they skim the pages.

In addition to the collected images is a photo essay by Kesteren.  His images are presented on a higher quality a paper on pages that are slightly smaller than the rest of the book.  The difference in quality is huge, both  of the print and the actual photographic skill.  Kesteren is clearly fighting the case for the professional journalist.  The level of access he has is less than that of the amateurs but his use of light, framing and composition add a level of beauty to his images.  

Each chapter is a compilation of images from one 'hotspot'.  At the start of every chapter is a few pages of text, extracts from diaries or eye witness accounts from people who lived through the troubles.  Much like the book 'It's All Good' these stories really add to the book.  This is a device I will need to consider for any future work I may be attempting. 

For me both sets of images are equally important and are strengthened by being shown together in one book.  Photo journalism is close to a tipping point and the future is unclear.  Books like Baghdad Calling show how the amateur and professional could work together.  The amateur images give a greater level of access but the sheer volume of images produced during any event requires strict filtering to capture the essence of the moment.  This can then supported by the images from a professional who is able to pick specific topics to represent and, in a way, act as a figurehead for the massed images.  Without Kesteren many of these images may have been lost forever and that would be a terrible shame.

Baghdad Calling can be bought on Amazon HERE

Book Review: It's All Good

Book Review: It's All Good 

by Boogie

I read an article online about the 50 Greatest Street Photographers Right Now and up at No 4 was a photographer called Boogie.  I had never heard of him and so ordered a copy of his amazing book 'It's All Good'.

This is a pretty hard hitting look at life in the run down and violent areas of New York.  The images, all presented in black and white, were taken over the period 2003-2006.  The subjects in this book are people who are involved, directly or indirectly, in gangs or drugs.  Regardless of the few cheery faces each of them is a victim in some way and trapped by their social circumstances.  

If the images weren't hard enough to look at there are several personal narratives from some of the subjects.   These stories explain how they got into their current situation and are all brutally frank and honest.

As I worked my way through this book I found myself being very impressed by the way the photographer had managed to get access to the scenes.  I assumed that he was a black male who was born in the area and may have run with the gangs himself.  When I reached the end of the book I found five pages of thumbnails from the book with comments by the photographer.  From these comments I quickly realised that the photographer was actually born in Serbia and was white.  He drifted into the region by accident, shooting on the fringes and, as time passed and his face became more familiar, he moved in deeper.  Many of the inhabitants of the neighbourhood thought he was an undercover cop - the only white face in the district, but despite this he managed to survive for over three years of visits.  I am very impressed by the level of access and trust he managed to generate in such a short space of time.  

I have seen several reviews that accuse Boogie of being exploitative.  I really don't get that 'vibe' from this book.  I feel that Boogie took these images because he cared about the subjects.  He grew to call some of them friends and committed a good portion of his life to the project.  This book sets a new benchmark for documentary photography; will this particular subject be covered again in a better way.  I doubt it!  So until then make sure you get your copy of the book.

ISBN: 9781576873380

Published by powerHouse Books

Boogie's website is at http://www.artcoup.com/

Book Review: Do or Die

Book Review:  Do or Die

The Human Condition in Painting and Photography

This book was published in conjunction with an exhibition held in Cologne.  The book strives to show visual links between painted works and photography.  I discovered this work as part of a college project to investigate the works of Jeff Wall and Tom Hunter (although neither of them have works in the book).  

The book opens with three essays each of which covers crossovers of themes in both mediums.  The layout can be a little confusing as texts are given in both English and German.  The main photographic section shows the inspiration or linked painting alongside a contemporary image.  Some of the similarities in composition and lighting are striking but in other images the links seem tenuous.  The book ends with useful description and details of all the images in the book and this is a great touch.

The book has a quality feel similar to a mid-range Blurb production and I would not have been surprised had their logo been emblazoned on the final page.  The majority of the photo pages have a black background and this helps to make the colours much more vivid, the very small section with white backgrounds feels far more contemporary and it would have been nice if the whole book had been produced in this way.

I enjoyed working through this book and it forced me to broaden my research beyond the photographic and into the world of paintings.  A modern day does not necessarily need a  great deal of technical skill due to the processing power of camera but he/she must understand the basic rules of composition, rules that painters have been mastering for hundreds of years.

ISBN: 9783777432618

You could buy a copy of the book from Amazon HERE

Book Review: The Model Wife

Book Review: The Model Wife  

 by Arthur Ollman

I love getting outside and engaging in street photography.  Capturing images of strangers appeals to me as it can give me a glimpse into a different life.  But, like most photographers I assume, have to practice on a willing subject.  My enduring wife Hannah has patiently sacrificed hours of her life in front of my camera as I fiddle with settings or get used to new equipment.

I saw this book in a Shrewsbury charity shop and had to buy it!  The book looks at the works of nine different photographers each of whom has captured images of their wives.  Amongst the photographers included are Alfred Stieglitz, Edward Weston and Lee Friedlander.
Almost the entire book is in black and white and there are only five pages with colour photographs.  Each of the photographers has his own chapter and is introduced with several pages of biography that includes the life of the subject.  Many of the images involve full frontal nudity but nothing obscene.

For me the shots are an insight into the photographer’s creative process.  They show the photographer ‘at play’ but still producing some emotionally powerful images of the person they are most attached to.  The shots by Weston clearly show his love of form and shadow and these are amongst the most artist of the book whilst those of Friedlander have a strong documentary narrative.

My overall favourite image, shown here, belongs to Emmet Gowin who has captured his wife stood by an ethereally lit doorway as she surveys the chaos of a living room after Christmas morning.  Great humour and her stance says it all! 

The ISBN is 9780821221709 UK readers should be able to find a copy on Amazon HERE

Image Copyright Emmet Gowin.

Book Review: Questions without Answers

Book Review: Questions without Answers
The World in Pictures by the Photographers of VII

This book contains over 50 different photographic series from 11 of the major photographers from the agency VII.  The book contains 368 pages and is sized slightly larger than A4.  Although many of the images are in black and white those that are shot in colour are gloriously presented.  The paper seems to vary in weight and in several instances I thought that two pages had stuck together such was the quality.  Each of the photographers has their own chapter and the chapters commence with a brightly coloured insert.  In addition to the photo work there is an introductory essay by David Friend.

If you were as quick off the mark as I was, you may be able to get hold of a special edition that has been signed by 7 of the photographers - see the photo and imagine my grinning face being very happy at my purchase!

As for the book itself I totally love it.  I used to think of the Magnum agency as the best photo agency but after a chat with a photography lecturer at the University of Wales, Newport was introduced to the works of VII.  As the book is a compilation piece the variety of images means that there is something in there to please any viewer.


My favourite works from the book are:

Ageing in America by Ed Kashi.  This is a powerful series that challenges the common perception of the elderly population.  The series opens with an elderly man lifting weights and moves onto a marriage between a couple in their eighties.  The series turns darker and covers death and the impact and loneliness it has on surviving friends and relatives.  I'm impressed by the bravery of the subjects at letting Kashi into their lives at such a sensitive moment.  The use of black and white enhances the emotion of the images and removes the distraction of colour.  I would have liked to have seen some of the shots in colour for a more contemporary feel but I can understand why Kashi chose his route.

Lost Lives by John Stanmeyer.  This is a series that investigates appalling mental health care in the growing economies  in China and Indonesia.  I don't think that the facilities shown can be blamed for the huge overcrowding and squalid conditions and Stanmeyer seems to be pointing the finger at the respective governments.  The use of colour in these shots is very bold and the framing and lighting of each image is deliberately stark.  Taken in 2003 the conditions feel reminiscent of Victorian Britain and it would be interesting if he went back and recorded if any changes had occurred as a result of his work.



If it's still in stock you can buy the signed version of the book HERE, the site contains more shots of the pages and further information about VII and the photographers involved.