for the love of DC photography
No matter how much camera gear you own, there may be times when you need to rent a piece of equipment. Perhaps you need to borrow a specialty lens for a one time shoot, or maybe you would like to try out a new camera body before you purchase it. No matter the reason, when the time comes to rent gear it’s helpful to know what options are available in the D.C. metro area. We hope this guide can help you find the gear you need!
There are several wonderfully absurd things about this photograph. First is the ICEE bear, positioned exactly in the frame to look as if he is really handing that drink to the photographer. The second is the person, almost the same size as the bear, but their top half is taken over by the plant. When you add in the bold colors of the food stand, the plant, the bear sign and the shoes of the person we can’t fully see, this image is a summer winner.
This week we have a gallery call for local photographers, a beautiful piece on a South African dance studio, and some thought provoking images of violence and hate.
When we think of photography books, we first think of the hard bound copies of the works of our favorite photographers. It is the pages and pages of images that come to mind because of the way they draw us in. Delving into a photographer’s body of work can be inspiring, can make us think of new ideas, and can transport us into the way that someone else sees the world. Books on photographic theory, and biographies about photographers, provide us with a different insight. We can learn about the approach another photographer takes, or we can appreciate their work in reference to the circumstances of their life.
A few weeks ago local photographer Joshua Yospyn posted a Suggested Reading List on his blog. The twenty-six works that he chose were either theory based or biographical. They range from Susan Sontag’s popular “On Photography” to Timothy Egan’s biography of Edward Curtis. We asked Yospyn about his selections, and he gave us a great analysis of one of the books, “Ansel Adams: An Autobiography.” Yospyn’s passion for the book, and thoughts on Adam’s life, are a great introduction to his list.
My standout on that reading list is Ansel Adams’ hardcover autobiography, published just before he died in 1984. The 400 pages of breezy text are interspersed with over 200 photographs, including not just the artist’s master works, but dozens of candids of himself. You can tell the man was a happy camper: he’s smiling or goofing off in every picture. It’s a lighthearted visual narrative from a master printer known to tackle heavy subjects like the Zone System and the technical mechanics of darkroom photography. [Read more…]
Photographer Yonas Hassen found this interesting interplay of light and shadow on the bus. From left to right the light is in a square, a triangle and then another square. If you read the words casting a shadow carefully it reads, “Adams Morgan Golden Triangle.” Another great example to show that it’s always good to have your camera ready.