Review Photography Exhibits #2

Exhibition: One Life. The Mask of Lincoln

Photographers:

- Alexander Gardner

- Anthony Berger

- Thomas Le Mere

- George B. Ayres

- Lewis E. Walker

- William Judkins Thomson

- George Clark

Location: National Portrait Gallery Smithsonian Institution

Date: Jun 13, 2009

I’m not a big fan of portrait exhibition, but I knew what I want to see at first sight among other candidates while I am waiting two hours to open. It was once in my lifetime experience to me. Experience of various sizes and shape of B&W photographs, drawings, and mask treasured in my heart.

Every single one was great to see, but there are several portraits if I have to pick a few particularly.

"The Penny Image" by Anthony Berger, 1864, was used for the new penny coin design in 1909. I wondered how the penny looked like before 1909.

"The Short and Simple Annals of the Poor" by George Clark, 1860, seemed to me the most young-looking portrait with copper frame of small oval shape.

"If I Had Another Face..." by Lewis E. Walker, 1865, looked quite different because of hair cut. There was quit funny comment, “Lincoln always complained that his hair was uncontrollable, and in this picture he seems to have solved the problem by getting a crew cut.”

The only one thing I missed was that the original “cracked plate” portrait by Alexander Gardner was replaced after Feb 16, 2009 in order to protect from further exposure to light. I wish I had a chance to see the original. It was impressive when I saw his face in close. He looked lean, sad, and exhausted after four years of war. I never forget a slight smile on his face.

Week 5: Technological Breakthrough

Article Title: Eye-Fi creates wireless SDHC card for pro market
Link: http://www.dpreview.com/news/0906/09061003eyefiprowireless.asp

A friend of mine always complains about a repeated procedure whenever he takes photos in a Tae-Kwon-Do Competition. His business motto is to give a nice printed photo edited by graphic designer on site right after taking a picture of the awarding ceremony, comparing to others whom usually send those pictures a couple of weeks later by mail. The whole procedure takes only less then 10 minutes from taking picture to sell it. In order to do that, he has to change SD card every time right after 2 or 3 shootings. He takes around 200 to 300 photos during the match. You can calculate how many times he needs to go back and forth to do that. It is frustrating. Thanks to this technology. No more sweat. Just shoot and see the photo in your computer without transferring it by either cable connection or taking SD Card out of the camera and plugging it to card reader in your computer. The device uploads images including RAW format from the camera to a computer by a wireless connection. This technology is good for anyone who works at the studio or any place where ad-hoc connection is. It is good to have a feature like this because no router or internet connection is required anymore. This significant feature helps not only to save times, but also to eliminate mis-handling by taking card out and putting it back.

Photojournalism

Photograph by Kevin Carter in 1994

Sudan's famine striken starving child whom barely alive crawling towards an United Nations food camp, loated a kilometer away, being watched by a vulture.

Review Photography Exhibits #1

Photographers: Jaromir Funke and the Amateur Avant-Garde
Location: National Gallery of Art
Date: Jun 6, 2009

It was great to see photographs by Jaromir Funke and the other photographers represented in this exhibition. Variety of the size and all B&W gave me an inspiration to be able to see things I can not. There were some impressive photographs out of his remarkable works such as “Roofs in Mala Strana”, “Childlike Scene”, and “Untitled, from the series Time Persists 1930 – 1933”, which showed me an example of how to see things in different angle, and crate a totally different meaning by taking a picture of two unrelated structures, a statue trying to put a circle material on the top of the a tall chimney.

There are photographs by others.

- Titled “Poverty, 1933” by Vaclav Jiru

- Titled “Unrealized Book, St. Vitus in Photographs, 1945”
by Jiri Jenicek

There is similarity between this photo and “Untitled,
from the series Time Persists 1930 – 1933”
by Jaromir Funke

- Titled “From my Studio Window, 1946” by Josef Sudek

Blurred outside scene through inside window by rain

- Titled “St. Vitus Cathedral, 1928” by Josef Sudek

Sun light through Cathedral window made a fantastic
scene like some kind of inspiration or blessing from
the heaven

Week 3: Celestial Sunrise

Photographed by Alain Briot

Another asymmetric shape of rock in the hole of the outer darkened rock reminds me the following photograph titled "Church, Taos Pueblo" by Ansel Adams, New Mexico, 1942. It is quite impressive to me to see this kind of picture.

South Rim Dangle

I think photographer intended to tell us how great the mother of nature is and how hard human being challenges by dangling & risking themselves. Neither land or rocks on the bottom of the picture takes my breath away. I like the way Bill made a subject impressive by contrasting the colorful Grand Canyon and black parts on top including climber. That gives Grand Canyon looks smaller than the climber ironically.

Photograph by Bill Hatcher
Link: http://photography.nationalgeographic.com/photography/enlarge/south-rim-dangle-photography.html

Le Père Fouettard

This picture made me smile when I saw faces of children. I wondered why they were crying at first, and then found a whip in old man’s hand. I am not sure what or who scared those children. Maybe the old man or photographer did. I think photographer captured the right moment he or she wants to express subject, an old man whom seemed poor and lived tough life in those days.There is postage with stamp which seemed only way to mail the picture as postcard at that time. Le Père Fouettard on the bottom is French for The whipping Father.