"From the Garden  Is a marriage of my two passions:  Photography, and that of collecting and growing unusual species of plants in my Wetschester, New York garden.  In an unlikely fusion of man and nature, by photographing these plants with the human figure, I try to capture the prefection of each subject and mold them into a single isolated shape.  These shapes then become symbols.  The result -- mysterious, dark and sometimes primitive - expresses social, sexual and racial life experiences, and pay tribute to my photographic inspirations, Man Ray, Edward Weston, and Alfred Stieglitz"

01

UK photographer Jim Read works in cyanotypes and sepia paper. If you are interested in trying these techniques yourself, he also provides a handy tutorial, under the "processes" link.

Jim Read Alternative Process Photography

Another platinum printer, American Lawrence Huff lives and works in Japan. His figure images are interspersed throughout the galleries in his portfolio, but it's worth the search.

platinum-prints.com CONTENTS

Former fashion photographer Rod Cook quit the hectic commercial market to master the elusive art of Platinum/Palladium printing, and I'm glad he did.

Rod Cook Photography

Nicole with Meat, 02

I'm not sure what's going on, but lately most of my traffic has been as a result of searches for Richard Kern, so although this is a repeat, I thought I'd put this link to his web page right up front for folks.

Richard Kern Photography

As for Kern's work, it is not to all tastes that's for sure, his models pick blemishes, staunch bloody noses, and shiver with cold, but the photos are still sympathetic and erotic. If you like his work, I'd also recommend Eric Kroll and Peter Gorman

Martin Cooper's work combines technical mastery with classical themes such as mythology and astrology, resulting in truly wonderful images.

Martin Cooper Photography/ OrchisArts

Former model and widow of photographer Guenter Blum, Sylvie Blum's work more than stands on it's own merit.

SYLVIE BLUM

SYLVIE BLUM Biography

OK, this post is off topic, but of interest to all blog readers. Apparently, Google will be removing search results from blogs unless you do a specific search for blogged content, similar to using their usenet group search option. Personally, I think this is a disappointment as I believe I provide good content here, not just "idle chatter". Read about this story here: The Register

Toni Catany, photographe Catalan et poete de la Mediterrannee

Toni CATANY

Scott Smith has assembled a whole bunch of helpful information about working with studio lighting and other related topics on his website. This is a good resource to keep in your bookmarks.

LightingMagic.com

Spring/Summer 2000 line

"Nicole Tran Ba Vang has been showing her "collections" in Paris for the past two years. The artist releases her work in the same way that clothing designers do to emphasize the relationship of couture and torture. Tran Ba Vang's project is not some haphazard, dated surrealism but a technologically savvy and gorgeously sexy take on the feminist discourse surrounding fashion. Through digital intervention, Ms. Tran Ba Vang, simply but effectively, collapses two images of the same female model together, creating both a new body and a sense of fabric as flesh. She lives and works in Paris."

Nicole Tran Ba Vang -Official Web Page

Nicole Tran Ba Vang-Alternate Gallery

Joyce Tenneson has a signature style that is instantly recognizable and incredibly accomplished. She is a true master of the art.

Joyce Tenneson

Joyce Tenneson (photo insider interview & gallery)

Joyce Tenneson (her official homepage)

Something fun for the weekend. Can you answer the age old question? Is it Art or Crap?

Here is a gallery, biography and critique of the short but bright career of Francesca Woodman, a young photographer whose photographic career spanned only 5 years before her suicide.

Francesca Woodman: on being an angel

Robin Rosenzweig is a Californian fine art photographer. I love the delicate soft feel to her work. I wish there were some more details on her process available on her site. They almost look like bromoil or some other alternative process, but I'm not sure.

Robin Rosenzweig

Here's a handy do-it-yourself project. I'm definitely building one of these, dust on my negatives is the bane of my life.

Build your own film and paper dryer

Blind

It's coming across artists like Jean-Sebastien Rossbach that keeps me inspired to do this blog. It's always a huge pleasure to come across someone who combines creativity and technical prowess like this. Wonderful, wonderful stuff.

livingrope

Charlie T. Rogers presents ambiguous and mysterious self-portrait(?) photoessays. Interesting website.

changing... again

From the Ángeles y Lagartijas Series, # 1
1998 || B/W photograph, sepia toned, watercolor

"It is not easy to sense, or catch, that fleeting moment when, for instance, a rock gels to feminine shapeliness precisely at the same moment that a  woman's beauty attains the perpetuity of stone. Only an eye standing permanent watch may capture   the rich concurrence of two kingdoms of nature without slipping into the neighboring field of pornography. This fly on the wall is enamored.

Rodríguez knows this experience, but acknowledges that even he does not know exactly how this visual transgression is achieved."

Rigoberto Rodríguez, a virtual exhibition of photography

Here is some fine work by Baudouin de Rochebrune
Galerie de photos

Dancer, 1996

Michigan photographer Jim Riegel's photographs are by times lyrical, whimsical, intriguing, mysterious or just plain funny. Really wonderful stuff.

Jim Riegel Photography Pages

Housework Nude
Saelon Renkes, 1998.
Edition limited to 25. Archivally processed gelatin silver print, handpainted with oils. Image size 9" x 12"

I'm generally not a fan of hand-coloured prints, but that is only because the technique of so often abused and used to produced awful pseudo-nostalgic sentimental images. This is not the case with the fine photographs of Californian photographer Saelon Renkes. Her work transcends all the negative stereotypes I have about hand colouring and makes me a believer.

Saelon Renkes

I'm off to a friend's cottage for the weekend, so no updates till Monday or Tuesday. In the meantime though, I'll leave you with this sample of my very latest work. This particular image is done using Ilford's SFX 200, their infrared style film.

I'd love to hear your Comments

You can see more of my work at my desperately in need of updating web site.

Barnes Photography

Have a great weekend!

I've got to admit Allan Teger's photos of his miniature tableaux using toys on nude figures are very clever. So they should be too, he's been working on this series since 1976.

You'll find seven galleries at his Bodyscape website.

Here's a small gallery of work by Russian photographer Alexander Kitaev

Gallery of Alexander Kitaev

Here's a very cool interactive piece of web photo art entitled Naked, that examines some of the complex social issues surrounding revealing our bodies.

naked

This link via indigo blog

Here is a fantastic photo essay by Russian photographer Sergey Voronin on the communal baths of his native country. His light and colours are reminscent of old masters paintings.

The Russian Baths

If you want to learn more about Sergey Voronin his biography page can be found here

Here's an eclectic mix from Swiss artist Ekkehard Lory. The work is all over the place and ranges from great to... not so great... still it's an interesting visit.

EKK ART: Aktfotografie

Dell' ossatura di un' ala

Dutch photographer Jo Brunenberg creates complex but subtle photographs with male figures. He has been widely exhibited internationally.

Jo Brunenberg

Normally when I see think body painting, I automatically think of bad fantasy art or something equally cliche, but photographer Louise Chin has collaborated with some talented artists to produce some beautiful photos here. Very stylish and cool.

UPDATE:

Louise Chin was kind enough to write and help me give proper credit to the body painting artists.

Theo Carias was responsible for the body art on two models. The other models were painted by Hercoly (tattoo artist), osGemeos (graffiti artists), Speto (graffiti artist) and the image shown above is by Jun (tattoo artist). Thanks Louise!


LOST ART > STYLE > BODY ART

Modern Master photographer Eikoh Hosoe. A good biography and several images can be found here. or even more of his figure photography can found here but with frustratingly unclickable thumbs.

"Born in 1945 in Helsinki, Arno Rafael Minkkinen moved to The United States in 1950. He still lives and works there. Minkkinen has been photographing himself since 1971 as a timeless landscape of the human figure amid the forces of nature. The element of water - upon which his feet race, below which his torso dives or above which his being floats - provides the common ground for his surrealistic vision. There is no manipulation, no darkroom trickery, nothing but the single instant of the shutter and the placement of the lens. "

Arno Rafael Minkkinen is a true master of his art. Links to a regretably few galleries are at the bottom of the page.

Arno Rafael Minkkinen

"Why are images important for me? Because, very often, they are what we wish to believe and on which we continue to rely. Whether the images are visual or mental they are the things to which we attach great value. Visual images can provoke us to full emotion, something that reminds us of a friend, a sad or happy time and possibly how small we are in this world."

The photos of Michael Morris have an sensitive humanism to them that is utterly charming. Be sure and visit his other galleries too.

The photography of Michael Morris - Galleries: bodies & shapes

Jefferson Powers is based in Denver Colorado.

Jefferson Powers Photography

Cautionary tale # 3: Budding Joel Peter Witkins beware. Last year Cincinnati photographer & artist Thomas Condon was convicted to 2 and a half years in prison for "gross abuse of a corpse".

Condon's photos depicted autopsied bodies from the local morgue that had been posed with inanimate objects such as sheet music, doll house furniture and a snail shell.

Although Condon had been given access to the morgue by a pathologist, he had not received permission from the families of the deceased.

Photographer's sentence: 2 1/2 years

I just love the subtle feathery tones that Polish photographer Jacek Pomykalski gets in his photos. While you're visiting, make sure not to skip his terrific portrait gallery.

UPDATED May 13 Thanks to the photographer for correcting me re: his nationality. (He is Polish, not Czech as originally posted.)

Jacek Pomykalski

The only way I can describe the work of French fashion and art photographer Alain Duplantier is "haunting". There is a quality he gets in the look of his model's eyes that is just stunning.

alain duplantier.com

Here's something different... Daniel Leighton presents his work and the work of a few guest photographers in the form of a interactive "game" in a 3-D gallery environment. You need to solve simple puzzles or perform certain tasks to proceed. I thought it was kind of fun but I lost interest in the maze and gave up. Still, it's an unusual presentation and fun for a little while. Don't let the format detract from the work though, Leighton's photos are very good.

Interactive Gallery Entrance

If you don't have the patience for the game, go directly to a more traditional presentation of the artist's work here...

Daniel Leighton Gallery

German Photographer Tamara Amhoff-Windeler's black & white photos are exquisite. Her photographs of men and women have a distinctly empathic and feminine style and her masterful printing and choices of grainy films give the photos a nice light feel. Wonderful stuff.

Tamara Amhoff-Windeler

German Photographer Gorden Thye's work has a cool and clean elegance and features some truly gorgeous models.

Portrait- und Aktfotografie in Schwarz-Weiss

Carlos Pinto Coelho, is a journalist and host of a daily TV cultural program in Portugal,"ACONTECE". He is also an accomplished amateur photographer and even has a book published.

Years ago when I first put my photos on the web on a terrrible little free web page, Carlos wrote me a very kind and encouraging letter for which I've always been grateful. Now this blog give me the opportunity to send some people to see his fine work.

Carlos Pinto Coelho - Fotografia

Or for my Brazilian visitors, (of which there seem to be many) here is a link to the page in Portuguese

Here's a useful resource page for those seriously interested in pursuing a career in the field of fine art photography. Lots of good links and practical information about building a portfolio, copyright issues, etc.

Fine Art Photography Resource and Gallery Guide

"Anderson & Low, who met while sharing darkroom space, have worked as a photographic team since 1990. Their photographic collaborations encompass the realms of portraiture, still life, nudes and architecture. Their commissioned work has appeared in various newspapers, magazines and commercial venues. Their work has also been acquired by The National Portrait Gallery, UK and also shown in numerous galleries throughout Europe, Asia and America."

Nude Studies of the Danish National Gymnastic Team

Irina Velichko put her models through all manner of contortions and comes up with some pretty intriguing and original stuff.

Photoshootings By Irina Velichko

Tel Aviv, Israel

Here's Spencer Tunick's latest project. Although it was his images of mass nude gatherings that made him famous, I really prefer these series. This is because the subjects come across as individual humans (albeit inscrutable ones) rather than just flesh.

"After more than a year traveling around the world, Spencer Tunick's return to America announces the completion of the Nude Adrift portfolio. Nude Adrift includes sixteen 8 x 10" photographs from Spencer's journey throughout the seven continents."

Spencer Tunick Nude Adrift