The Candid Frame: Conversations on Photography

We all live such ordinary lives. We get up each morning, take a shower, brush our teeth, get ready for work or get the kids ready for school. We go through each day in activities that are very similar to the ones that we’ve done the day before and the day before that, making the time seem like some kind of homogenous blur. We don’t think of those moments as being especially interesting or even memorable.   Yet, in the hands of the right photographer those very same moments can be fodder for something interesting, beautiful and even poignant. Moments that are both familiar and ordinary can take on a quality that reveals something about ourselves and each other that we often miss in the blur that is our lives.   Photographer, Susan Rosenberg Jones is a photographer who is able to do that, whether she is photographing her neighbors in her New York apartment complex or her husband during the private and intimate moments of their lives together. Susan demonstrates that there is nothing that is too ordinary or undeserving of our attention, when it is observed with curiosity, respect and love.    Resources:     Susan Rosenberg Jones  http://www.susanrosenbergjones.com/     Karen Marshall  http://www.karenmarshallphoto.com/     Support the work we do at The Candid Frame with your donations via PayPal.   https://www.paypal.com/us/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_flow&SESSION=pYp6r95x0nXKTl65t2smGnEFMNrRRszKQ_LVC6UsRhScxfgkbLawaTkMcBO&dispatch=5885d80a13c0db1f8e263663d3faee8d0b9dcb01a9b6dc564e45f62871326a5e

Once you’ve made the decision to practice photography and after you’ve made the investment in a camera and software, well, that’s when the real challenge begins. The questions becomes how you get from being yet another guy or gal with a camera to one that actually produces work that is unique, beautiful and hopefully personal.   Yet, as difficult and challenging as that might be, we see examples of ordinary people make work that stuns and inspires, using the vary same tools that we readily have access to. Jaime Ibarra is one such photographer.   Jaime Ibarra is a self-taught photographer whose creative life began as a musician, then a graphic designer and eventually a photographer. But even though photography came later in his life, he used the skills he he had developed teaching himself music to teach himself how to do extraordinary things with a one camera, one lens and Photoshop.   Resources:   Jaime Ibarra http://ibarraphoto.com/     Oprisco http://www.oprisco.com/     Los Angeles Center of Photography http://juliadean.com/an-evening-with-ibarionex-perello-sept-22/     Support the work we do at The Candid Frame with your donations via PayPal.   https://www.paypal.com/us/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_flow&SESSION=_mbo5ws_YJk4b5gYgCW9F_LOL2MnFyOCvX0u0j_E2Uv3tm9Hx3HxlHOCHTe&dispatch=5885d80a13c0db1f8e263663d3faee8d0b9dcb01a9b6dc564e45f62871326a5e

There are different stories about what leads a person to pick up a camera to do more than just making snapshots. Some of these stories begin high school course, or when they have their first child or when they look at somebody else’s work and think to themselves, “I could do that”.   For this week’s guest Michelle Rick, her decision to begin practicing photography came from frustrations with another art form, writing. She had always considered herself a storyteller and had earned an MFA in creative writing at the New School, but when she struggled to make the transition for writing short stories to a novel, she struggled. She soon found an outlet for frustration and anxiety with a camera.  Within a short time, she found herself exploring her creativity on the streets of New York.   Within a short period of time, she has become adept at using light, color and the theater of the street to make beautiful photographs of the city that she loves. She is continually challenging herself, not satisfied to merely produce images that look pleasing, but that reveal something of herself.   Resources:   Michelle Rick http://www.michellerick.com   Roy DeCarava https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roy_DeCarava   Support the work we do at The Candid Frame with your donations via PayPal.    https://www.paypal.com/us/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_flow&SESSION=CPkPYZgJXYCdfsOfFfSbDm-PZj8o6jmTUg-8dUIGIJo165_5fVYcWnLwVD4&dispatch=5885d80a13c0db1f8e263663d3faee8d5c97cbf3d75cb63effe5661cdf3adb6d

Roderick Lyons began his journey as a photographer while serving in Vietnam as a member of the Air Force. However, his desire to be a creative person and have unique experiences was born his his early years growing in South Los Angeles. Inspired by the likes of Roy DeCarava and Gordon Parks, pursued his passion for photography in many forms which included portraiture, photojournalism and street photography. His personal journey as a photographer has led him to take several different paths including work as a freelance photojournalist, as an editor and now as an adjunct professor of photography and journalism at Los Angeles Valley College in Southern California.     Resources:   Roderick Lyons http://www.rodericklyonsphotography.com   Aaron Bryant https://www.linkedin.com/pub/aaron-bryant/a5/740/a05   Support the work we do at The Candid Frame with your donations via PayPal.   https://www.paypal.com/us/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_flow&SESSION=HBnFwl3Zs5Q3QQ3rDfeCzfFwmHC1AO7ySBswGM9sbRmbZlR3D4N50EsXzXq&dispatch=5885d80a13c0db1f8e263663d3faee8d5c97cbf3d75cb63effe5661cdf3adb6d

The beauty of the landscape is experienced in a unique and beautiful way when it is captured as a black and white photograph. Without the presence of color, the natural world is revealed using a very personal point of view, that of the photographer.. Shades of gray reveal the subtle nuances that are not immediately obvious when we see the world in full color.    Photographer Gary Wagner began exploring this world on film using a large-format camera and chemistry, but he has embraced the flexibility and control that digital provides, especially with his black and white imagery.    In his new book Digital Black and White Landscape Photography: Fine Art Techniques from Camera to Print, Gary shares how he sees a scene, captures it with his camera and uses post-processing to complete his vision.    Resources:   Gary Wagner http://www.garywagner.com   Michael Kenna http://www.michaelkenna.net   Support the work we do at The Candid Frame with your donations via PayPal.    https://www.paypal.com/us/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_flow&SESSION=zCaHH_pUFx2mi1UgcMpgxxVGsyPzA1_jMNo4hG3-E4z9zL3C5sT5o295VEm&dispatch=5885d80a13c0db1f8e263663d3faee8d5c97cbf3d75cb63effe5661cdf3adb6d

The last nine years of producing The Candid Frame have included hundreds of special and memorable conversations with great photographers. It’s also provided me not only unique insight into what it means to pursue one’s passion for making photographs, but also what it means to make the choice to lead a creative life. So, when my friend and fellow-photographer Bill Wadman posed the question as to what I’ve learned from all these conversations, we thought it a good idea to record our discussion and share it with you. Bill Wadman is the cohost along with Jeffery Saddoris of On Taking Pictures, a weekly podcast that examines many of the idea and themes that we touch on The Candid Frame. I highly recommend their show. Check it out. I think you’ll like what you hear.   Resources:     On Taking Pictures http://www.ontakingpictures.com     William Wadman Website http://www.billwadman.com     Download the free Candid Frame app for your favorite smart device.     Click here to download for iOS. https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/the-candid-frame/id371497499?mt=8     Click here to download for Android http://www.amazon.com/Wizzard-Media-The-Candid-Frame/dp/B00FYW38VW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1382319099&sr=8-1&keywords=the+candid+frame     Click here to download for Windows 8 http://apps.microsoft.com/windows/en-tt/app/the-candid-frame/1a925d03-8bdf-44d5-83be-5ed475a054c8

When it comes to portraits, people who are being their unique selves can result in the best photographs. In a world where digitally enhanced versions of ourselves are displayed everywhere, it’s refreshing to see images where real people are themselves. It’s made all the better when people who take pride in their uniqueness present themselves in front of the photographer’s lens. Muir Vidler is a editorial/commercial photographer who makes the most of such opportunities in all of his work. You can see it showcased especially well in his project, Rebels Without a Pause where he photographs some of Britain’s aging rebels and Mavericks. Vidler’s work possesses its own uniques by adeptly using color and setting to produce wonderful photographs. He is also a great example of a photographer who allows his curiosity to inspire his photography.   Resources:   Muir Vidler http://muirvidler.com     Mimi Mollica http://www.mimimollica.com     The Candid Frame http://ibarionex.net/thecandidframe/     Email info@thecandidframe.com

The culture of the Mississippi Delta is a wealthy one. Just as its land has been a rich source for cotton and soybean, the people of the Delta have been ripe for stories, both written and visual. Whether it’s William Faulkner with a typewriter or William Eggleston with his camera, each artist has proven the Delta as an endless source of inspiration. It’s a place that has lured many a photographer. But it’s a place filled with contradictions. As rich as it is for the creative artist, the existence of poverty, economic disparity and the legacy of slavery and Jim Crow is not far behind. It makes it hard to idealize or demonize a place and its people. To know the place, you have to go deeper. And that is what photographer, Magdalena Sole does in her book, New Delta Rising. It’s beautiful, stunning photographs provide an insightful view of the Delta, both good and bad. But most importantly, it allows the people in her images to tell their own stories in a collection of essays that compliments the photographs. If a book that reveal the soul of a place, this one is it.   Resources:   Magdalena Website http://www.solepictures.com   Mary Ellen Mark Website http://www.maryellenmark.com   New Delta Rising (on Amazon) http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/161703150X?creativeASIN=161703150X&linkCode=w00&linkId=S6PW5YEZHJDRUFFC&ref_=as_sl_pc_tf_til&tag=thecanfra-20   The Candid Frame Website http://ibarionex.net/thecandidframe/   Email thecandidframe@gmail.com

Hollywood is a town that has been defined more by its myths than its realities. It's a town built on fiction and endless aspirations.  So, photographs that are free from the influence of publicists and marketing teams can seem jarring and surprising. But that can be a good thing. That's what Matt Sweeney's photographs do. They show an unexpected and beautiful side of Hollywood in the early eighties, where the 1-mile stretch between Hollywood and Vine and Hollywood and Highland was a setting of public theater with every kind of character, both big and small.  Taken during his early twenties using a Nikon SLR with Kodachrome film, his images of Los Angeles capture a unique time in a way that's rare and wonderful.    Resources:   http://www.mudstonephoto.com   http://mudstonephoto.tumblr.com   http://levrukhin.tumblr.com   http://www.shootingfilm.net/2013/12/wonderful-color-photos-of-los-angeles.html   http://ibarionex.net/thecandidframe/   info@thecandidframe.com

Ibarionex shared the stage with curator and writer Colin Westerbeck (Bystander: A History of Street Photography) and photographer and educator Julia Dean (Los Angeles Center of Photography) discussing the topic of street photography.  Held at the DNJ Gallery the panel held in front of a live audience focuses on the street photography's history, the impact of smart phones and the qualities that make a good image a great photograph.  Julia and Colin have both been guest on TCF. Click on the links below to listen to their respective appearances.    Resources   http://ibarionex.net/thecandidframe/2015/5/3/the-candid-frame-275-colin-westerbeck-pt-1?rq=colin%20westerbeck   http://ibarionex.net/thecandidframe/2011/09/candid-frame-121-julia-dean.html?rq=julia%20dean   http://www.dnjgallery.net   http://juliadean.com