Monday, June 18, 2012

LOOK3 (book signings 4 favs)

LOOK3 (books)

all images included below are copyright of the individual photographers

Note - Get books through Photo-Eye Books (because they have been serving the creative photo community since late 70s) if possible.  So check to see if they have the book your looking for.

If they have it but you still need to do Amazon, use the their link at the bottom of the book's page on Photo-Eye.

They will get something on the deal and you will still be supporting our passion by helping them. Trust me they have been around since around 1979 and have grown into an integral part of our community. 


I was able to visit their gallery and bookstore a month back, wonderful people and a great place, surely a staple in a small like minded community driven by passion first check em out.



(update 11-2-12)
Gee wish I had bought the Bazan book in June when I could have, it and Webb's latest book are sold out and very expensive now.

I am not sure all of the following were sold at the festival but I certainly learned of them there.


Where Children Sleep - James Mollison
Published by Chris Boot who is currently with Aperture





Loved this book, profound and powerful, see for yourself.

slide show
book
James Mollison



Fish-Work: The Bering Sea - Corey Arnold






(update 7-1-12) Not mentioned before but there were certainly more than 4 books I liked, Suffering of Light - Alex Webb was certainly one of them.


  book


(orginal post)

Here is a list of some of the books I enjoyed at LOOK3.  Being on sabbatical to do my own work and living pretty lean for a few yrs. now I usually rely heavily on the library and just visits to the book store to look but these are indeed some fascinating books and some are hard to find. So I broke my rule. There were many great books there but these stood out to me and particularly because I was unfamiliar with these people's work.

1-Wonderland (A FAIRY TALE OF THE SOVIET MONOLITH), Jason Eskenazi






































book review 
I concur with the review (although I enjoyed it being small) and bought a signed copy, despite no budget for books. Jason was very interesting even after this book was published he worked in the Metropolitan Museum of Art as a guard.
lens.blogs.nytimes 
npr interview 
conversation with jason eskenazi 

2-Viviane Sassen: Parasomnia 





I loved it want it will buy when able. 

amazon notes-Saturated with color and boldly composed, Viviane Sassen's photographs straddle the boundaries of fashion, art, and documentary photography. This monograph by the award-winning Dutch-born photographer Viviane Sassen features photographs from throughout West and East Africa. Sassen's overriding theme is parasomnia, a sleep disorder involving strange movements, behaviors, emotions, and dreams. The otherworldly feel of these photographs, involving both human and inanimate subjects, aptly conveys an altered-consciousness point of view-one that is at home in the pages of a fashion magazine, newspaper, or a modern art gallery. Indeed, Sassen's images have appeared in all three venues to wide acclaim. Sassen's photographic series is engaging and thrillingly beautiful, filled with shadow and ambiguity, and it offers a challenge to the viewers to come up with their own narrative.
http://www.vivianesassen.com/ 

3- Afronauts, Cristina DeMiddel - book is just out now!

 



















http://laughingsquid.com/afronauts-photos-inspired-by-zambias-forgotten-cold-war-space-program/ 

From the photographer: 
In 1964, still living the dream of their recently gained independence, Zambia started a space program that would put the first African person on the moon catching up the USA and the Soviet Union in the space race. 
Only a few optimists supported the project by Edward Makuka, the school teacher in charge of presenting the ambitious program and getting its necessary funding. But the financial aid never came, as the United Nations declined their support, and one of the astronauts, a 16 year old girl, got pregnant and had to quit. 
That is how the heroic initiative turned into an exotic episode of the African history, surrounded by wars, violence, droughts and hunger.                            
“Afronauts” is based on the documentation of an impossible dream that only lives in the pictures. I start from a real fact that took place 50 years ago and rebuild the documents adapting them to my personal imagery.                                                                           
  

Cuba Bazan, Ernesto Bazan

Ernesto is a kind and gentle spirit, glad I discovered him and his work at LOOK3, the work below speaks easily for itself.
Wonderful stuff, wish I could have bought about 15-20 books at the event.

















































Saturday, June 16, 2012

LOOK3 (editors & my dummy book)


"image of giraffe on santa monica pier" (c) george elsasser

After my visit to LOOK3 I want to push the design of my book "Tips and Tales" farther. I am mostly pleased with its edit and sequencing but after LOOK3 things have changed a little.  Here is a complete look at the book: "Tips & Tales"

After meeting with some incredible editors National Geographic Magazine senior editor Pamela Chen ,  independent Michael Davis,  and from VII Photo Donald Weber I feel encouraged to push the overall design. I needed to take it to the event and give people in the know a look. I am happy with the images and the flow of the sequencing as they were for the most part. Which is a very good thing.

Donald Weber opened my head up to new possibilities in photo book design, and said my book was like "A demented (American) fairytale".  Yes I agree.

"image of forgotten homer simpson doll in snow" (c) george elsasser
Homer is not in the book but I certainly enjoy tipping my hat to the strange things I find, sometimes the ironies astound me. This is certainly part of my aesthetic at times.

Pam Chen mentioned working in locational notes to help show the implied underlying narrative is nationwide not localized.

Finally Michael Davis was extremely helpful in identifying some tendencies in my work I am some what obliquely aware of, that I need pay attention to. It is hard to describe Michael other than extremely supportive, sensitive and generous. I highly recommend people consider working with him. Thanks Michael also for mentioning PhotoLucida to me, people if you are of the fine art ilk for lack of a better term it should not be missed.

All three person's integrity came right to the forefront in my brief time with them. Each were very supportive and helpful, each enjoyed the images and felt most of them had a strong voice. I will try to add more later when I check my notes, so remember these are my recollections.


Being a fine art photographer I did not know what to expect, (but what I received was excellent insight into what my work was about) because the editors backgrounds are mostly focused on journalistic photography.  I am glad I kept an open mind and showed them my work.  One of the greatest things in photography in the last I guess 10-15 yrs. is all the lines are blurred and cross fertilization is ram-pit.  Labels can keep people from looking at different work that is not in their specific arena, which is narrow minded and elitist.


I am grateful I got to meet specifically each of you cause I had no idea who to show the work to and just let the univern.  Thanks so much!
I have been a little out of touch with the photo book as I have been studying mostly painters since 1996 or so.  After LOOK3 and a good look at the many Aperture books (all on view at LOOK3) I have missed, not to mention the 25+ books at the event published in all manors and displayed. I have been brought up to speed.  Editing for me fortunately is not time dependent as it is in journalism so my images have plenty of time to sit still and I can see if they still have a strong voice very much later.  This is very important in editing my work so that the romance of lots of effort can fade well into the past and not effect my choices.  Being to too emotionally close to images can be problematic.

LOOK3 incidentally is a fantastic photography festival be there in 2013 or wait for 2015. It is three years on one year off.  It does have a fine art focus in addition to it's journalistic roots, its first year guest was none other than shadowy figure Joel-Peter Witkin

This year they had Camille Seaman
(a very sensitive and spiritual woman I had the great pleasure to speak with at length) among others.  More on LOOK3 later, this is keeping me from my camera work. No wonder I posted nothing in 2011.

Monday, June 11, 2012

LOOK3 (general)


"image of dragon", (c) george elsasser


 image (c) george elsasser

On the Road, I am not with Yoda or Carlos Castaneda but I am certainly enlightened.  Finally a post, more when I get home to my studio.
I am out in the wonderful Shenandoah Valley, just spent 4 days in Charlottesville, VA at LOOK3  - fantastic do not miss these if you are a serious photographer living in the Mid Atlantic (A MUST).  No mistake this is the real deal about photography not cameras. Yes all parts of US, even some Europe and Asia people show up for this fine festival, but Mid Atlantic people missing as I have in the past is a bad idea. Loved all of it especially being with so many like minded people was very powerful.
For now just wanted to thank the many people I met, and post a link for anybody that might want to view my dummy book "Tips & Tales"

A massive thank you to the tireless efforts of the many people who put together this enormous labor of love. Get on the LOOK3 email list now - be ready for 2013.