Tong Blog

In Case it Snows in Heaven

2010-12-22T00:40:00.010Z

I am a bad blogger, there, I said it. I started this blog hoping to share my thoughts on various things photography. To be fair, I do start a lot of posts, just never get round to finishing them. I will finish the post I started about going to Singapore to visit the Photography Festival there but many of the posts will get deleted.

I have been hoping to have a week of very active blogging as I was supposed to be in Germany printing my book. My life has been completely taken over in the last month or so by this book. Chasing writers, picking fonts, trying to get the cyan out of a certain image, deciding on capitals or not........the minor details. Naively, I really did think the book would be easy. After all, all the images were print ready, I have had the match prints made for a while and I thought I had a pretty good idea how the book would be layout. But nothing prepared me for how much work is involved. A millions minor details that makes the book. Thankfully, I had a great designer who was a pleasure to work with.

I was suppose to be printing there last week but had to be delayed for a couple of reasons. So the dates were fixed for this week. Then the freaking snow came and all the flights are cancelled. The book is going to be printed tomorrow in Heidelberg but unfortunately, I will be in London. It needs to be printed now to have it ready for the up coming shows, so I will just have to trust the printers will do a good job. Someone from Kehrer will be there off course to supervise the printing but I really wish I could have been there, to learn, if nothing else. Guess it could be worse, I could have been stuck at Frankfurt Airport over Christmas.

So the only thing I can share with you is my test print.

Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

More shameless self promotion

2010-10-05T08:08:00.002+01:00

I have 3 group shows opening this week, if you are in Toronto, London or Hong Kong, come check out one of the shows. I am back in Hong Kong now to continue on my project, 'The Queen, The Chairman and I', so hopefully see some of you there at the 1A Space.

'Right Here, Right Now', The Front Room, 96 Farringdon Road, London EC1R 3EA, PV- 05/10/10, 6-8pm.

'Flash Forward Festival', 171 East Liberty Street, no. 118-120, Toronto. PV-06/10/10, 7-10pm.

'Simulated Alternate Realities', 1A Space, Unite 14, Cattle Depot Artist Village, 63 Ma Tau Kok Road, Kowloon, Hong Kong. PV 08/10/10, 7pm.

Troika/Format

2010-10-01T08:42:00.004+01:00

I mentioned a while back on the blog that I have reworked my project 22 steps to the sea. I am pleased to say that the project has been awarded the Troika Editions FORMAT Exposure Prize. So besides being part of Format Festival next year, 3 of the diptychs will be previewed next week at the Front Room Gallery in Clerkenwell, London, alongside the other 2 winners. The 3 diptychs will also be available exclusively on Troika Editions. Come along next Tuesday, 5th Oct, 6-8pm for the private view to check them out if you are free, otherwise, the show is up until the 14th of Nov.

Get out of my frame protesters, you are ruining my shot

2010-09-12T00:11:00.006+01:00

I came across this picture in one of the national papers a while back, the caption read 'Anger: Muslim protesters burn a U.S. flag and portrait of Pastor Terry Jones outside the American embassy in London'

Really should have read, Anger: Muslim protesters miss the burning of a US flag and portrait of Paster Terry Jones but will be catching it on TV and read about it in the papers.

Gallery Talk

2010-09-11T23:58:00.005+01:00

I am doing a gallery event on the 21st of September, details below.

Hope to see you there.

Kurt Tong in conversation with Bridget Coaker of Troika Editions

Date: Tuesday 21 September, 19:00

Entry: £5 (£3.50 members)

Booking: Please call 020 7738 5774 to book.

Kurt Tong will be in conversation about the exhibition with Bridget Coaker of Troika Editions. They will discuss Tong's work as an example of a piece of documentary photography which is also popular in the fine art market. Bridget Coaker is curator, picture editor and Director of Photography for the online gallery Troika Editions. In 2009 she was Director of the Hereford Photography Festival.
This exhibition showcases two recent projects from award-winning photographer Kurt Tong. In Case it Rains in Heaven is a series of photographs of items made out of joss paper to be burned as offerings for the dead, exploring Chinese traditions and beliefs regarding the afterlife and the impact caused by Westernisation. Memories, Dreams; Interrupted explores the concept of memories and the suggestion of scientists that they are stored like jpegs – broken down into small pieces and put away. When recalling an event, the brain automatically fills in any missing pieces, thus altering our memories.
Click here for more information about the exhibition.

Private View

2010-08-04T21:39:00.004+01:00

I am exhibiting 2 recent projects in my first London Solo show. Until the 26th of September, 'In Case it Rains in Heaven' and 'Memories, Dreams; Interrupted' will be on show at Photofusion, 17A Electric Lane, London, SW9 8LA.

Private view will be tomorrow, Thursday 5th of August between 18:30-21:00. Come along if you are free.

I will also be doing a conversation with Bridget Coaker, curator, picture editor and director of photography for Troika Editions, on Tuesday, 21st of September from 19:00.

Hope to see some of you there tomorrow.

22 Clicks from the Sea

2010-07-12T08:24:00.009+01:00

While there has been lots of media coverage about the BP oil leak, there has also been a lot of talks about the journalists/photographers being detained, questioned by both corporate security staff and government authorities.

Although, sensitivities around the oil refineries along the Texas Gulf coast has been around long before the leak. I set off on a project (22 Steps to the Sea) along the gulf coast 2 years ago and I was stopped on numerous occasions, by the police, the fire department, the Coast Guards, the Homeland Security, all citing national security for the reason that I am getting stopped and moved on, even though I was photographing on public areas. 11 incidents later, FBI alert was mentioned, I had enough and abandoned the project.

However, with all the recent talks, I have decided to revisit the project. Since all the images from the project were taken along public roads, I was curious to see if I could take the same pictures on Google Map. Of the 25 images I chose for my edit, 21 were found on Google Streetview and the remaining 4 were available on satellite view. (Images will be uploaded to my website soon.)

Maybe I should finish my original project and continue along the coastline in the comfort of my own home. (before they switch Google off too...)

How much time do you spend photographing?

2010-05-07T10:44:00.006+01:00

I often get asked by friends who are not photographers, how much time do I spend photographing. If I am being honest, probably about 5% of my working week. April was a bit of a blur for me. After going to Houston for Fotofest, I have been busy following up with all the new contacts I have made there. I was then busy looking into book printers as I was hoping to produce a catalogue for my up-coming shows, then I got nominated for a couple of grants and have been busy writing proposals for them.

Unfortunately, I was unsuccessful with the grants, decided that I can't really afford the catalogue and nothing solid has materialized from Houston (yet). So I can't help but think that I have wasted a month of my time in Hong Kong. I haven't taken a picture in over 5 weeks!

On a positive note, I have decided to extend my stay in Hong Kong as there's no way I would be able to finish my current project within the next two months. Also several images from my latest project will be previewed in a show in Arles this July which is brilliant. Here's a few of the early images from the project.

©Kurt Tong

Put down that camera

2010-03-20T16:28:00.004Z

No, it's not me being told off for photographing in public, after all, I am not in England anymore where you could get arrested for photographing your own child in the park.

This is me telling all the budding photographers here to put down that damn camera. I have never realised how into photography people are in Hong Kong. The amount of gear on display in a single playground here probably cost more than my mortgage. Except the majority of them (don't get me wrong, there are some really good photographers here too) don't seem to know what to photograph with their Leica or their Canon Image stabilising lens. So they are snapping away like headless chickens.

Going to the playground with my girls could be so annoying sometimes. Parents are more keen to take the perfect photo of their child than to let them play and they mean business. They make Britney Spear's paparazzi look like friendly fluffy bunnies. Posing, reposing and reposing again with the v sign, just push that bloody swing and let them enjoy themselves. And they have no reservations about taking pictures of my kids. Not that I am a paranoid parent but could they at least ask for permission first.

I went to a really interesting exhibition last week where local artists took over an old police accommodations building. Many of the rooms were used for installations. The part I like best were inspired by traditional and independent businesses in Hong Kong. But I swear, I was the only person there without a camera. No one paid any attention to the art at all, only what picture they can take for themselves. Most of them packed enough for a National Geographical assignment. Maybe if they actually look at the art on display, they might get inspired and find something they want to photograph, rather than just blindly snapping away.

Queen Victoria, Chairman Mao and Me

2010-03-07T15:36:00.006Z

This is the title of the new project that I am shooting in Hong Kong at the moment. This temporary relocation to Hong Kong has been on the cards for several years. I have wanted to spend at least six months here ever since my first daughter was born. We are doing it so that she would at least pick up some Cantonese before she starts school.

It was what I was going to do while I am here that was the hard part. I have had several years to think about this, which is never good. 'Great ideas' became 'what was I thinking ideas'. In the end, I decided that this six months will be a pure indulgence and I will do a project that I truly wanted to do, something that is close to my heart.

The project will be about Hong Kong and it's history, told only through my family history. It far more difficult to shoot than it sounds since the government and the developers here have little sentiment. Buildings get knocked down hastily with no desire to preserve any history. As I don't want to use too many old photographs in the project, which means I have set myself difficult challenges of visualising history with very little actual objects or places to photograph.

I have been here six weeks now and found out more about my ancestors than I have in the previous 32 years of my life. That's itself has been worth doing the project. I will be posting more entries from now on. I do have the perfect excuse for being lazy though as my laptop die on me a few weeks ago and I didn't fancy typing on my ipod.

To sign off, I wanted to share a picture of my Grandfather. It's the picture he sent to my grandmother via the matchmaker prior to their first meeting. He is the slick dude on the left, on the right was the most gormless guy he could find, whom he dragged along to the shoot in order to look better. I think Danny Devito would look good next to him.

Hong Kong

2010-02-04T09:03:00.004Z

It's has been a long time since my last post. I had planned on to write about all the fantastic work that I saw in Houston back in November, in fact several unfinished posts are sitting on my blogger's dashboard, gathering virtual dust. But this Christmas period has been unusually busy for me and I have also temporarily relocated to Hong Kong with my family. The packing pretty much took up most of January. I have several exciting projects planned which I will go into more details here soon.

In the mean time, if you happened to be in Wolverhampton, Farewell in labrador and People's Park are both on display at the Light House until the 26th of March.

If you are keen to catch up with my happenings, here's a link to my newsletter

Please check back soon as I will be posting about my new projects just as soon as I get my arse in gear and start taking some pictures.

Kurt

International Discoveries II

2009-11-03T04:46:00.002Z

If you happened to be in Houston during the next six/seven weeks, drop in by Fotofest to see the International Discoveries II exhibition. Press release attached.

I will be there for the opening and an artist talk on the 7th. See their website for details.

I have been so busy in the pass few weeks, I have completely neglected my blog. I shall hopefully be posting a few more posts after I return from the States. Lots of things in the pipeline.

International Discoveries II

November 5 - December 19, 2009

Houston, Texas

FOTOFEST

1113 Vine Street, Houston, Texas, USA

Wei Bi, Untitled, 2004

HOUSTON, TEXAS - SEPTEMBER 25, 2009 - Spirit money for the souls of the deceased. Parisian children at a masquerade party. Japanese pine forests. Suburbs in northern Mexico. Memories of a Chinese prison. These are part of International Discoveries II, a new exhibit being unveiled by FotoFest in Houston, Texas.

International Discoveries II is the second exhibition in a series created by FotoFest in 2007 to showcase new contemporary talent discovered by FotoFest curatorial staff at photography events across the world. International Discoveries II opens November 5, 2009, 6 - 9pm at FotoFest, 1113 Vine Street in Houston, Texas. This exhibition is free and open to the public. Gallery hours are Monday – Friday 10am – 5pm; Saturday noon – 5pm.

“Against the currents of instant replay and digital animations, International Discoveries gives voice to the complexities of still time and the beauty of the paper-based print,” says FotoFest’s lead curator Wendy Watriss. “It focuses our attention on the single image, an object or a single moment in life.”

Nine artists from four continents are featured in the exhibition: Wei Bi (China); Alejandro Cartegena (Mexico); Minstrel Kuik Ching Chieh (Malaysia and France); Christine Laptuta (Canada and the United States); Rizwan Mizra (United Kingdom); Vee Speers (Australia and France); Kurt Tong (United Kingdom and China); Takeshi Shikama (Japan); Mimi Youn (United Kingdom and Korea).

International Discoveries II reflects a simultaneous turning to the past and the future, which characterizes so much of contemporary photo-based art. The prints in the exhibit display the delicate formalism of 19th century palladium and platinum printing, the intimacy of the mid-20th century Polaroid process, and 21st century large-format inkjet technology.

These works are marked by a contemporary hybridism of form and content, mixing the modern technologies and social realities of industrial societies with the spirituality and sensibilities of more traditional cultures.

“The discovery and presentation of these artists is made possible by the recent emergence of photographic gatherings throughout the world and the current interconnections between international photography festivals, Biennials and commercial art fairs.” says Fred Baldwin, FotoFest Co-founder.

“The works in this exhibition have been selected over the past 15 months from photography events and portfolio reviews in Singapore (Singapore International Photography Festival, 2008); Daegu, Korea (Daegu Photo Biennal2008); Birmingham, England (Rhubarb-Rhubarb) ; Guangzhou, China (Guangzhou 2009 Photo Biennial); Paris, France (Paris Photo); Portland, Oregon (Photo Lucida); Mexico City, Mexico ( XII FotoBienial).”

Since its founding in 1983, FotoFest has been a leader in international exchange. In 2000, FotoFest was a principal force in the formation of the international Festival of Light (festivaloflight.net) network, uniting 22 festivals around the world from Buenos Aires, Argentina to Odense, Denmark, Montreal, Canada and Moscow, Russia. FotoFest’s well-known Meeting Place portfolio review for artists has been replicated by events in 20 countries in Europe, North America, Latin America, Asia and Australia. The International Discoveries series is a product of these international interconnections and collaborations between festivals.

International Discoveries II is on view at FotoFest, 1113 Vine Street, Houston, Texas 77002,

Monday - Friday 10am - 5pm, Saturday noon-5pm. Admission to FotoFest exhibitions is free.

For more information on FotoFest Exhibitions and other programs, please visit www.fotofest.org.

For further information, interviews and visuals, please contact:

Vinod Hopson, FotoFest Press Officer, T: 713.223.5522 ext 26, E: press3@fotofest.org

Matt Stuart

2009-09-24T04:05:00.005+01:00

Back when I first started my MA, we were given 3 'assignments' each week, people at work, people at home etc... I was never very good at them as I could never get into/ get excited about something that I wasn't interest in shooting. Two of those weeks in particular were street photography, which I absolutely hated. Besides being not very good at it, it was in January. Standing on the street freezing cold and aimlessly looking for moments was just not a lot of fun.

Photographers like Garry Winogrand and Joel Meyerowitz (his leica work anyway) produced some amazing street photography but they were never the style of photography that I aspire to. But I recently came across the work of Matt Stuart and they just made me smile. Perfect timing, sharp eyes, a good sense of humour and patience have produced some truly wonderful images.

All images ©Matt Stuart

My 20x200

2009-09-16T22:49:00.004+01:00

I promise this is the last bit of shameless self promotion I will be doing before I post something that's not about me. Two of my images from Farewell in Labrador has just been made available through 20x200 and you can buy them from as little as $20. Thank you Sara for writing such a nice article to introduce them.

Hey! Hot Shot opening

2009-09-06T21:20:00.002+01:00

If you are in New York next wednesday and have the evening free, why not come to the opening of the Hey Hot Shot exhibition. I will be showing work from People's Park as well as Farewell in Labrador.

Wednesday, September 9, from 6 to 8 p.m., at the opening reception for the Hey, Hot Shot! 2009 First Edition Exhibition, featuring eighteen works from five photographers: Michelle Arcila, Daniel Cheek, Mike Sinclair, Parsley Steinweiss and Kurt Tong.

Jen Bekman Gallery
e: info@jenbekman.com | w: www.jenbekman.com | p: +1.212.219.0166

6 Spring Street
(between Elizabeth + Bowery)
New York City 10012

The gallery is open Wednesday — Saturday from noon-6 p.m., or by private appointment.

New website, New work

2009-08-05T00:49:00.003+01:00

Ever since I met the amazing Mary Virginia Swanson at Santa Fe, I have been looking into rebuilding a new website and I am happy to say that I have taken her advice on board and launched a new website. It will be a few days before all the servers are updated but 99% of visitors should be directed there on first go.

www.kurttong.co.uk

I have also posted my latest project - In Case it Rains in Heaven and images from my currently project - Memories, Dreams; Interrupted.

Rhubarb-Rhubarb and We English

2009-08-05T00:23:00.003+01:00

I am just recovering from a really hectic weekend at the Rhubarb Festival in Birmingham. The week prior to that wasn't easy either, trying to print two bodies of new work. But I am glad to say, the responses were really positive and I am confident that there will be lots of positives coming from the weekend.

It was also good to catch up with a few friends and old acquaintances.

One of the highlights was seeing Simon Robert's new book - We English. I first met Simon when he came into my old college as a visiting tutor. I am a fan of his first book Motherland and had been looking forward to seeing his new work. When I saw the spread he had in the last FOTO8, I must admit, I wasn't too impressed by it. It turns out, only 2 images form the book made it into foto8 because of contractual reason..... and the book is really quite brilliant. I will be looking forward to the exhibition next month. Until then, you can read about the journey he took with his family to produce the work.

http://we-english.co.uk/

More Troika Editions

2009-07-20T22:04:00.003+01:00

Two more of my images from Farewell in Labrador have been released by Troika Editions, they are available from as little as £35. Do check them out if you get a chance.

©Kurt Tong

Review Santa Fe 100

2009-07-15T03:26:00.001+01:00

I had hoped to talk about more good work I saw at Santa Fe, but I have been quite busy lately and I have so many others things I want to post here; but do check out the list of all the photographers who were there, lots of amazing work there.

The better people won

2009-07-15T02:18:00.006+01:00

Back in January, I was nominated for the four-yearly Leopold Godowsky, Jr. Color Photography Awards by Susanna Brown, one of the curators of photographs at the V&A. After months of wait, they have recently announced the winners and I was so impressed by them. I definitely didn't get the 'I could have done that' feeling. It's inspiring to see how far the winners have pushed the boundaries of colour photography. Do check out their work through the Photographic Resource Center website.

©Alejandro Chaskleberg

©Nicholas Kahn & Richard Selesnick

©Claudia Angelmaler

More work from Santa Fe

2009-06-22T16:18:00.010+01:00

I have been meaning to post more good work from Santa Fe but my daughters have been struck down by chest infections this past week. My wife and I had been trying to keep them happy while surviving on three hours sleep. Blogging was the last thing on my mind.

So to make it up, here are three photographers. I saw their work online prior to Santa Fe and was determined to see the work in print. Unfortunately, review Santa Fe being so hectic, I only managed to see one of the projects, but I did meet two of the artists.

Their images may appear straight forward at first, but they are strong, stimulating and layered projects that carry strong social statements and demand the viewers to ask more questions. From American food culture to globalisation of food, from the state of the economy to the effects of war and migration.

Mark Menjivar - You are what you eat

you are what you eat is a series of portraits made by examining the interiors of refrigerators in homes across the untied states.

Jonathan Blaustein - The Value of a dollar

images of one dollar's worth of food from around the globe

©Jonathan Blaustein

So you can see there's a food theme going on here. The last project is by

Ari Soloman - 18 Rue Dugommier

Not a food project but I have chosen the food images form his project here. It a very intimate project of the photographer's great Aunt, - 'the images hint at both what was missing in her life and what filled it through layered compulsions of classification and arrangement.'

©Ari Soloman

Susan Worsham - More good work from Review Santa Fe

2009-06-12T19:58:00.009+01:00

I also had the pleasure of meeting and hanging out with Susan Worsham at review Santa Fe last week. I have seen her images around the internet for a while now and always thought they have a really nice aesthetics but being able to see the whole series 'Some Fox Trails in Virgina' and having her explained them to me, I realised what an amazing project she got going on. Her images are full of nostalgia, taken of new friends and reoccurring objects within the walls of her childhood. Check out the whole series on her website.

'This series of photographs is taken in and around Virginia, the place in which I grew up. The title comes from a book written by my father's ancestor, to show the lineage of the Fox family in Virginia. For my own purpose, it acts as a metaphorical map, of the rediscovered paths of my childhood home.'

©Susan Worsham

Jeffrey Aaronson

2009-06-11T04:15:00.008+01:00

I had the real privilege of meeting and dinning with Jeffrey Aaronson at Santa Fe last week. Even if you are not familiar with his work, chances are you have seen his pictures. Having done many assignments for the likes of National Geographic, Newsweek, Time and Life, he has literally been all over the world photographing. He no longer takes editorial assignments, instead he has been concentrating on long term personal projects. Do check them out at his website, they are amazing. But the nicest part, was how modest and funny he is,it was a real pleasure hanging out with him.

The images below are taken form his latest project, Borderland:-

'In this work, I pursued the vernacular, the original, creating visual folktales that mirror a collective longing for a home and cultural identity. My intent was to photograph the manifestations of those within and those without.'

Roadtrip USA

2009-06-07T06:10:00.009+01:00

I remember reading Alec Soth's blog a few years ago when he posted an entry about advice he would give any emerging photographer. The 3 suggestions he had were

1. Jen Bekman and her Hey, Hot Shot competition.

2. Mary Virginia Swanson

3. Review Santa Fe

This last week, I did all three.

I received some great news on thursday that I have been chosen as one of the 2009 First Edition Hey, Hot Shot! Having been following their blog for the last couple of months and seeing the amazing work they feature, it was a great honor to have been chosen. It means I will be showing in New York for the first time, be included in 20X200 and best of all, get the chance to work with Jen Bekman and her team.

I have also just finished review Santa Fe, as always, there were people who loved the work and people who didn't. But I was so glad to have met Mary Virginia Swanson. It was the first time at a portfolio review that the reviewer had done research on me before the meeting and she had a list of suggestions waiting for me on my presentation and marketing. We barely got time to look at the work but it was almost irrelevant. What a nice person she was too. I shall be taking her advice and hopefully you will see the my new improved website in the next few months.

Lastly, I met so many great people and great photographers in the last few days. Which was by far the best part of Review Santa Fe. I will hopefully be able to post the stuff I really like in the next few weeks.

Until then, I will leave you with a few pictures I have taken in the last week. Having almost exclusively photographed with a large format camera in the last couple of years, I have had a great time using my new camera, which also comes with a phone.

My homage to Simon Norfolk

Memories, Dreams; Interrupted

2009-05-22T01:14:00.009+01:00

Here are a few images from one of the long term project I am current working on at the moment. It's kind of a very loose continuation from my People's Park project. Whilst People's Park was inspired by my own childhood, I wanted to do a project that explores my daughters' memories, as they are being created now.

I knew I didn't want to take photos of my daughters, which seems to be a very popular approach, especially in the US, Catherine Angel, Betsy Schneider, Elizabeth Fleming to name a few that have amazing projects of their children, and of course Sally Mann.

Instead, I wanted to explore the spaces that I often go with them. These spaces are familiar to them and yet are shared, beyond the security of our home and constantly changing beyond our control. The images are both my interpretations of our memories and reflections of the dreams and anxiety I have for them.

Lazy Blogger

2009-05-17T03:57:00.007+01:00

I started this blog hoping to share the good work I come across on the internet, so far I have only posted one post that hasn't got my own images on it. I have come to the conclusion that I am too lazy to be a good blogger. I always find myself distracted by the desire to seek out useless information on the internet. Like who else was considered for the part of Robert Langdon in Angels and Demons before Tom Hanks was cast. (Bill Paxton was in case you were wondering, I know, he wouldn't have pulled it off) or Bruce Willis got paid 25 millions dollars to do die hard 4.0. Imdb.com is a time sucker

I will however be posting the good photographers I hope to meet in Santa Fe when I head over to America in less than 2 weeks time. Until then, I might as well keep posting my own work. Apart from shooting jobs that's paying my mortgage, I am currently shooting 2 long term personal projects. One of which deals with my daughters and my perceptions of their memories and the other around the Five elements of Yin Yang. Early images will be posted here over the next week.

On a more editorial front, I will be doing a project on death rituals in Hong Kong at the end of June. It will be a light look at a heavy subject. Images will be posted here first.

Troika Editions

2009-04-14T13:46:00.013+01:00

Three of my images from Farewell in Labrador will be made available through the newly launch Troika Editions. The prints will be sold in three sizes of

20.3cm x 25.4cm, 50cm x 60cm, 100cm x 120cm;

in editions of 300, 30, 3

priced at £35 £350 £3500

While the idea is not new, the people behind this project are very professional and experienced. But best of all, they have some very good photographers signed up already. It's a great way to start collecting good photography at a price even I can afford.

Check out their website - www.troikaeditions.co.uk

There's also a video of me talking about the images and the project, just remember, the camera adds ten pounds and there were at least 5 cameras on me.

Christmas Tree from Farewell in Labrador is available now.

Review Santa Fe

2009-04-06T12:31:00.004+01:00

After days of deliberations, I have decided to accept the invitation and will be attending the juried portfolio reviews in Santa Fe, New Mexico in June. Money was definitely the biggest issue, especially with the pounds being so weak. Apart from the rather high $745 for the event, after flights, hotel and car hire, I am looking at well over £1000 for the weekend, but it's the 3rd time I have applied and I figure I should go and see what all the fuss is about. After all, Alec Soth raved about it on his blog a couple of year ago.

I have read and participate in many discussion in whether portfolio reviews are worthwhile, but I don't think there is a simple yes or no. Of course it's worth it if you get something out of it, be it a gallery representation, print sale, publications or simply some very good advice and direction for your project. A lot of it is down to meeting the right reviewers and perhaps more importantly, having a good body of work to show them.

In my experience with portfolio reviews, some reviewers are very 'nice' and they will look at your work and listen to what you got to say and respond with a simple 'nice work'. I tried my best to ask the right questions and you might get a more elaborate 'very beautiful work'. Well, if it's compliments I am after, I will go to my mum, thank you very much and she won't charge me £££ for the privilege. Others will hate you work but will have the best advice and opinion to give you.

I was showing People's Park at Rhubarb last year. In the same morning, I had one gallery owner who loved my work and was ready to take me on as one of their artists and another one who thought my work was dull and out dated. It's a reminder that Art is very subjective. Fortunately for me, Rhubarb was a great success and I made my money back ten folds from resulting print sales and exhibitions but I shall be going to Santa Fe with no expectations.

Anyhow, the main element I enjoyed about these reviews is the chance to see other photographers' work in between the meetings. I have always met nice people with interesting work at these events.

Tulu (Part 2)

2009-03-23T11:10:00.002Z

Lack of sleep & Tulu (Part1)

2009-03-13T13:30:00.005Z

I know I have just started my blog and already I am slacking. I do however, have a very good reason.

Our second daughter Isla was born on the 3rd march and my wife and I have had so little sleep, it's amazing how we are still functioning. Dealing with a newborn is easy compare to keeping a jealous toddler happy. I suddenly have a new found respect for any parents with two or more children.

Until my next posting, I would just like to put some of the short series I have been working on in the last few months. They may or may not develop into anything, but any comment would be very welcome.

Tulu (Part 1)

Sun N Sea

2009-02-13T21:35:00.020Z

Having done 2 of my last 4 personal projects in close proximity of the sea, its no surprise to anyone that I have start my new project, along the coast. This time, it is much closer to home, on the British south coast. I won't go into details now except that unlike my Labrador and Texas Projects, I will actually shoot the sea this time. Since there will be some seascapes involved, I just wanted to share some of my favorites I came across during my research. There are lots of photographers who have shot the sea this way with a different degrees of success. There will be similarities in my images but there will also be one significant difference. Images will be posted here first when they are ready.

©Tim White

...and my favorite

©Fabien Baron

Polaroid Snowmen

2009-02-07T00:16:00.011Z

When the snow came down on Sunday night, my instinctive desire was to go out and walk on the fresh snow, follow closely by building a snowman. My 2 year old daughter couldn't care less (she will) and my wife and I ended up building it ourselves.

I have always loved snowman, they never look like the one Aled Jones walked in the air with, instead, they are lob sided, and imperfect, eyes made out of anything from cocktail stick to cigarette buds. But I guess that's what so appealing about them.

Came Monday night, 80% of the snowmen around where I lived have been decapitated by drunken young men coming out after their last orders. They sprung up just as quickly as they are destroyed. I wanted to photograph the last few standing.

Then I remembered the box of out of date 5/4 polaroids I have had for 3 years. They weren't kept in very good conditions and I knew they were ruined. It seems fitting that these light leaked, colour shifted, brilliant yet extinct products should be used up to photograph these beautifully flawed, soon to be extinct snowmen.

When I was waiting for each image to develop in the freezing cold, I was reminded of the magic of instant films. It's a shame as this is probably the last time I will be shooting polaroids.