Category: Photo

James D. Griffioen’s photos of nature reclaiming its territory.

My first Solstice with a great camera. Still hard work to get even these shots!

The National Media Museum has a whole set of William Hope’s “Spirit Photographs.” From the intro to the set:

These photographs of ‘spirits’ are taken from an album of photographs unearthed in a Lancashire second-hand and antiquarian bookshop by one of the Museum’s curators. They were taken by a controversial medium called William Hope (1863-1933)…

…By 1922 Hope had moved to London where he became a professional medium. The work of the Crew Circle was investigated on various occasions. The most famous of these took place in 1922, when the Society for Psychical Research sent Harry Price to investigate the group. Price collected evidence that Hope was substituting glass plates bearing ghostly images in order to produce his spirit photographs.

Later the same year Price published his findings, exposing Hope as a fraudster. However, many of Hope’s most ardent supporters spoke out on his behalf, the most famous being Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and Hope continued to practice, despite his exposure. He died in London on 7 March 1933.

Obvious fakes, time has rendered them spooky in different, much more interesting ways. The “female spirit” he uses is a bit odd looking, and Hope’s use of her just floating there shows at least he knew how to freak people out.

Jason Hawkes takes absolutely stunning aerial photographs of London from onboard helicopters. He makes the city look like a gorgeous techno jewel that one only used to see in Japanese sci-fi anime.

Shooting aerial photography during the daytime had its own difficulties, you are strapped tightly into a harness leaning out of the helicopter, shouting directions through the headsets to the pilot. If shooting in the day can be difficult, night and the lack of light causes its own set of problems, but overcoming them is half the fun and the results can be stunning. I shoot at night using the very latest digital cameras, mounted on either one or two gyro stablazied mounts, depending on the format of the camera and length of lens I’m having to use.

The teeny photo above doesn’t do these photos justice. Click on the link to see 18 more monitor-pleasing large photos.

In 1826, the first photograph was taken. And then, in 1839, another important development in photography: The first nude photo was taken. My question: Why did it take 13 years?

For more firsts, check the mostinterestingblog.

Through a link from a friend I came across this “Vertigo”-themed fashion spread for “OutTravel” Magazine, featuring drag queen Miss Brini Maxwell sporting some very Kim Novak outfits. No direct link to this spread (and the other six photos) but they are all ace. (It’s in the “Fashion” section). I’m a sucker for anything “Vertigo,” esp. as the Criterion Edition of La Jetee/Sans Soleil came in the mail.

Continuing to photograph where his award-winning book Hackney Wick left off, Stephen Gill has made Archaeology in Reverse in his cherished area in East London. Still making pictures with the camera he bought at Hackney Wick market for 50p, this time he focuses on things that do not yet exist. This magnificently produced book features traces and clues of things to come in a poetic, sometimes eerie and quiet photographic study of a place in a state of limbo prior to the rapid transformation that this area faces during the build-up to the Olympics in 2012.

I think I blogged about Stephen Gill before…oh wait, yes, I have.