Press Review
Paul Melcher:
Websites, part 18
Wisdom says that after the storm comes the sun. It seems that in photography everything is always storm or always sunshine. It never seems to ever change status.
News photography, for example, will go from a tragedy to a devastation, from a war to a flood, hardly taking a break. In the world of celebrity photography, however it is sunshine forever, even on the permanently tanned faces of those who incessantly walk the red carpets of this world. Thus, it remains the duty of the viewer to change photographer if they want to change their visual weather. Like watching TV, user can scan the various condition of the world as long has he changes photographer.
Long gone, it seems, are the days of the poly talented photographer who could shoot a celebrity one day and cover a war the next ( think Capa). It has become a specialized profession, like doctors. Not that the way the sun plays on object changes, but that is what is recommended : Become an expert photographer in one field otherwise your work will not be respected. It is no longer how you capture light it seems but rather how many times before have you photographed the same subject. The more, the better : you are an expert.
1. David Chancellor
David Chancellor likes hunting. Probably because taking pictures is very similar to what a hunter does, this Cape Town based photographer is spending a lot of time following the habits and rites of hunters, wether they are professionals armed to their teeth, or simple bear-chested with a machete. South Africa is a perfect location for these images, due to the wide variety of animals and thus hunters. Since Chancellor is mostly a portrait photographer, his images are mostly portraits and not action shots. Which is probably better as his subject pose with pride next to their dead trophies. His work on hunters is a very incisive study of our society.
2. Ami Vitale
Ami Vitale should not need to be presented anymore. She is probably one of the most talented and influential photographer of our generation. Her dedication to storytelling knows no boundary and her work shows it. Not only she excels in her photography by alway balancing the right amount of light in her images, but she has mastered the art of explaining a story visually. She recently stopped photographing the world in order to get a master degree in multimedia and improve her skills.
What is beautiful about Ami is that, while she witnesses a lot of hardship during her incessant travel, she focuses on the enduring power of the human spirit. Very frequently, after seeing one of her stories, you will feel like pulling up your sleeves and say “where do I help?”. There is more power in the camera of Ami than in all the speeches of the UN.
3. Chicago Tribune
We think of the New York Times or The Los Angeles Times as the newspapers of great photojournalism, and with valuable reasons. Both have great staff photographers, a expert editing teams and the means to get it all executed with seamless perfection. However, there are plenty of great photojournalist teams in local newspapers and more and more their work can be seen online from across the world. The Chicago Tribune is no exception. It has its own dedicated photo pages on its websites, with local or international stories. Not that The Chicago Tribune is a small newspaper, but one might not think of them for their photography. Well, that would be a mistake. Full of local color, of innovative story telling and great imagery, the “on Assignment” page of the Tribune is a feast of wonderfully assembled visual stories.
4. Flak Photo
Flak Photo is as passionate as its founder/curator, Andy Adams. For fine art photography lovers, Flak Photo is an invaluable resource of discovery. From new talents to books, exhibits, competitions, it is updated daily ( rare for a fine art site), has a very active Facebook and Twitter following. It not only allows viewer to explore but also to connect with other photo lovers and communicate. There is nothing really to leave behind when you visit Flak Photo as it is always full of information and great surprises.
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