Soura Magazine | Issue 27 - Fall 2009
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CONTENT | ISSUE 27 Photographer of the Month 16 Chip Forelli Featured Photographers 24 Joseph Hoflehner 36 William Glen 44 Philippe Marchand 54 Gerard Keenan 60 Philippe Mougin 66 Thamer Al-Tassan Field Guide 72 Black & White Conversion Tutorial By Alessadro Maggi Special Events 76 Dubai 1962 By Yoshio Kawashima 80 Confirming The Drama By Marwa Adel Book Reviews 82 Energy Imagery By Chip Forelli 84 Frozen History By Joseph Hoflehner
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CHIP FORELLI
Image Architect
Chip Forelli’s photographic career encompasses 25 years as a professional photographer with international gallery representation and publication credits including Communication Arts, Photo District News, Graphis, Lenswork, Rangefinder and Lürzer’s Archive. Solo exhibitions of his work have been held at the Steinhardt Conservatory Gallery of the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, the Mercedes Benz Gallery of New York, the Art Institute of Atlanta, the Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies and Hoopers Gallery in London, England. In reviewing the shows, the New York Times has noted, “These photos cover an impressive range of ideas and interpretations... revealing uncanny simultaneous experiences with alternating haze and hard edged clarity... absorbing examples that tease perception and intense compositions that bring in an otherworldly lighting contributed to a spiritual quality.” In addition to photographing purely for himself, Forelli’s travels also take him on assignment where he works with prestigious advertising and corporate clients, photographing campaigns for BMW, Land Rover, AT&T, Eastman Kodak and pro bono work for Doctors Without Borders.
© All Images courtesy of Chip Forelli
| CHIP FORELLI
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Originally trained as an architect and musician, Forelli was drawn to photography because it shared with architecture and music ‘the demand for a fine balance between aesthetic sensibility and skill in craft. If you alter the balance, you run the risk of becoming overly conceptual or preoccupied with technique.
Forelli has lectured and gives seminars at PhotoExpo, the Art Directors Club of New York and numerous photographic organizations. He also has taught at the International Center of Photography in New York City and the Maine Media Workshops in addition to leading independent workshops overseas. Top awards have been given to him from Communication Arts, Lürzer’s Archive, Graphis and the Carnegie Museum of Natural History. Forelli lives in the Upper Delaware Valley of Pennsylvania with his wife Gloria and three sons, Jake, Cris and Ryan. Rainslickers Salinas Valley, California USA
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| CHIP FORELLI
Night Fountain Waterfront Park, Charleston South Carolina USA
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Fountain at Federal Reserve Board Washington D.C. USA
Fountain at Piazza Di Venezia Rome, Italy
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| CHIP FORELLI
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Visual Gifts My creative quest is the discovery of visual gifts those precious instances of unrevealed beauty that we unknowingly encounter every day. Much is to be gained by embracing these opportunities. Experiencing beauty, whether occurring naturally or introduced by the hand of man, is a primal need in society that I would put on par with the need for sustenance and love. To convey it, we have relied largely upon the arts through the ages. However, beauty is in short supply in the art world today, so I want to do my part in redirecting our attention to that which elevates and enriches the spirit and gives us hope - our society needs this more than ever. An integral part of this process is the rekindling of the qualities of childhood that should never have been lost - curiosity, exploration, discovery and wonder.
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Experiencing beauty, whether occurring naturally or introduced by the hand of man, is a primal need in society that I would put on par with the need for sustenance and love. It takes some effort, but the payoff is great. We need to literally and figuratively unplug the TV - to detach ourselves from the piped in influence of a tabloid/sitcom/reality TV culture that dulls down our senses while acting as a substitute for imagination. Once we do this, we open ourselves to the possibilities. And then, with no preconceived notions clouding our vision, we can recognize and celebrate beauty - it feeds and replenishes the soul. The emotional high I experience when encountering these visual gifts is relived through the making of expressive photographic prints of these overlooked and underestimated, but finally vindicated subjects. www.chipforelli.com
LEFT: APPLE LICENSING Since 2005, every Apple computer has included among its selection of desktop graphics two images by photographer Chip Forelli. In June 2009, Apple opted to retain these dramatic images, extending its licensing agreement with Forelli. These photos will be available on all current and upcoming operating systems through 2014. Recently, Apple has selected Chip Forelli’s evocative landscape images for two out of only five black and white desktop image choices available for Snow Leopard OS X.
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| CHIP FORELLI
Three Trees on Field T Jericho, New York USA
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Bent Cart Douglas County, Washington USA
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JOSEF HOFLEHNER
Creator of the Ethereal
Josef Hoflehner was born in 1955 in Wels, Austria when the country was still under allied occupation. He grew up in a family where the camera was used so rarely that as many as three Christmas holidays would be captured on one roll of film. Although Austria could boast awesome mountains and a great natural landscape, it had no coastlines, deserts or empty spaces where one could see the horizon unimpaired. At the age of 20, Hoflehner purchased a camera and began to travel. An early award for photography began to open doors professionally and his career has continued to develop with amazing success. The images of Josef Hoflehner are hauntingly beautiful.
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Gripping in their ultimate solitude and the unexpected natural beauty they capture, Hoflehner’s photographs raise his earthly subject matter to an almost mythical level, defining the essence of the place.
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Each photograph achieves a perfection of composition that seems to defy the possibility that it could ever be seen any other way. Gripping in their ultimate solitude and the unexpected natural beauty they capture, Hoflehner’s photographs raise his earthly subject matter to an almost mythical level, defining the essence of the place. In these rare and elusive moments, the natural and the man-made are brought together in a poetic interplay of light and shadow, emptiness and structure. Through his images, we are moved to a new level of observation and exposed to a world where chance and an underlying natural order coexist with our own built environment. Leading photography art galleries worldwide represent Hoflehner, and his exquisite silver gelatin prints are found in a constantly growing number of public, private and corporate collections around the globe. Notable collectors include Polo Ralph Lauren, Fidelity Investments, Sprint Nextel and Lane Crawford. Hoflehner exhibits regularly in New York City, Los Angeles, Berlin, London and other world cities. He was voted Nature Photographer of the Year 2007 and is set to release the eleventh monograph of his work in September 2009. RIGHT: Rialto
© All Images courtesy of Josef Hoflehner
Creator of the Ethereal | JOSEF HOFLEHNER
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Creator of the Ethereal | JOSEF HOFLEHNER
Iced Gulfoss
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Yangtze Mooring Chain
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Creator of the Ethereal | JOSEF HOFLEHNER
Fragile Hut
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Oigawa River
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Creator of the Ethereal | JOSEF HOFLEHNER
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Mythical Landscapes “He takes a landscape and turns it into art” the UK-based Black & White Photography Magazine wrote in a review about my work some time ago. I photograph well-known vistas and the most remote reaches of the planet with the same knowing regard, creating images that are sometimes haunting, often otherworldly and always poignant in their flawless subtlety. I love to photograph natural landscapes, heavily populated cities, and also some of the world’s most popular attractions, while trying to avoid human presence in the final image itself. I’m trying to bring freshness and originality to subjects often photographed before - raising known views to new visions. I love to photograph at sea or in wide-open plains, where on can see the horizon unimpaired. I often shoot at dawn and dusk, but also in the middle of the day.
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I photograph wellknown vistas and the most remote reaches of the planet with the same knowing regard, creating images that are sometimes haunting, often otherworldly and always poignant in their flawless subtlety.
When I’m shooting a landscape, the shutter is often held open for several minutes, accumulating time and reducing the landscape to elemental shapes - creating something that cannot be picked up by the naked eye. Photographing cities is different, however I’m often using the same technique, although finding the right vantage point is much more difficult. In Dubai, for instance, I’m fascinated by the Burj Dubai, currently the world’s tallest man-made building, but it is just one of many skyscrapers that are being built straight out of the beautiful desert coastline.
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He takes a landscape and turns it into art
The renowned Palm Islands and World Islands, which are some of the world’s largest artificial islands, are built in the gorgeous turquoise waters just off the shore. These developments are an incredible and outstanding human achievement, as they try to combine nature and urbanity in an unique way. Over the years, I have been working with all kinds of cameras, but presentely I enjoy working with old-fashioned mechanical six-by-six Hasselblad cameras. Having worked as a photographer for more than 30 years, I can’t imagine doing anything else.
LEFT: Palm Jumeirah
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Creator of the Ethereal | JOSEF HOFLEHNER
Burj Dubai Lightning Strike
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Burj Dubai
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Creator of the Ethereal | JOSEF HOFLEHNER
Ginza
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Taipei Road
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WILLIAM GLEN
The Trouble-Maker
William Glen was born in East London in 1962. He has been a keen photographer all his life and has been inspired by many photographers, mostly the works of Man Ray, Cartier Bresson, Bill Brandt, and Martin Parr. His Father, who was a keen amateur photographer, first introduced Glen to photography as a young child. Glen mostly enjoyed his relationship with his father when he was allowed to help him print and develop pictures in the family kitchen, which was made into a temporary darkroom, a task that they accomplished by putting towels up against the windows to prevent any light coming through. Unfortunately, Glen’s mother, who didn’t always approve of the takeover of her kitchen, did not share their enthusiasm. As a young boy, Glen became fascinated with watching images appear from blank pieces of paper as if by magic.
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At the age of twelve, Glen was constantly getting into trouble at school for misbehaving and being disobedient, except in his art class where he excelled and was a perfect student.
© All Images courtesy of William Glen
The Trouble-Maker | WILLIAM GLEN
The teachers thought that through art his attitude would change. (Though Glen would later say this was purely down to having an adolescent crush on his art teacher). His school was concerned that his behaviour would spiral out of control, so they let him attend one day a week at South Tottenham College in North London. This is where he was able to start to develop his skills in the studio and darkroom. He later went on to attend college full time where he enjoyed studying all the great masters of photography. Glen is an avid fan of his favourite photographer Bill Brandt. While at College his work started to get noticed and was exhibited at the college and local libraries. He also entered a photography competition and was placed third winning £75. This gave him the confidence he needed to venture into professional work doing portraits and even some corporate work. After college Glen continued to do commissions and even had a stall selling his work in Greenwich Art Market. He has exhibited many pieces of work over the years in galleries, local libraries, office buildings and anywhere he could find space to hang a picture. Now you can find him and see his work on Flickr and Facebook. He is also mentioned on the Saatchi website. William Glen currently lives outside London in Essex where he is married with a daughter. Millennium Bridge, London
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The Trouble-Maker | WILLIAM GLEN
Odd Couple
Waiting for God
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Paper Seller, London
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The Trouble-Maker | WILLIAM GLEN
Bearded Man
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The Instant Darkroom In the past I have been accused of looking at life in black & white, which always makes me laugh. If only life could be that simple. I’ve tried on many occasions to introduce more colour into my work, but failed miserably. I envy photographers who produce great images in colour. It’s not that I don’t love colour, I do, but for me I usually go by my gut instinct. I think this is mostly down to the fact I have been brain washed all through my college years while studying the masters who only used the black & white medium. Mostly due to the fact that either colour hadn’t been invented yet, was too expensive and was not used in newspapers. For me, black & white photography is the purist way to record an image. I get so frustrated when I meet other photographers who just go on about cameras and the latest must have gadget to take a great photo. Of course it helps to have a good reliable camera and to master how to use it, but to me it’s just a tool to record an image. As long as it can take an image of good quality (and let’s face it most cameras on the market can do just that), that’s good enough for me. Recently I had a picture published in the London paper as photo of the day, which I had taken with my Blackberry. Subject matter, composition and light are obviously the most important things in trying to create a good image. This for me is not always easy when you live in a country that is mostly grey 5 months a year. Before using a digital camera I used to spend hours in a darkroom, which I found very therapeutic. I do miss the smells and the solitude of being in a darkroom. This has now been replaced with reviewing and editing using Photoshop. I know it’s not the same but it is just as enjoyable in some aspects. I do enhance contrast and brightness on most of my photos and even sometimes do some slight shading, but I don’t believe in manipulating images by cut & paste from other photos. This can all now be done in the comfort of your living room, lying on the sofa in the
horizontal position while watching TV. Which means today everyone can be a photographer and that is a good thing. I enjoy editing my photos just as much as taking them. Especially when you take a picture that at first looks like it will amount to nothing special. But by cropping and enhancing, it becomes something totally different and you can end up surprising yourself. Be warned! This is where a whole load of patience is needed. Generally I would say out of 20 photos I would edit 10 and from them I would enhance maybe only 5. I think many photographers make the mistake of showing more than one of a same subject. This for me takes away the power of the first image.
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I envy photographers who produce great images in colour. It’s not that I don’t love colour, I do, but for me I usually go by my gut instinct.
I think my only disappointment is how the general attitude towards photographers has drastically changed over the years in the UK. Everyone loves looking at photos in magazines and newspapers etc, but no one wants to have their picture taken. I love London life and enjoy taking photos in and around London, but I have received abuse, threats and even had my camera confiscated by the police. We now seem to live in a society of fear that perceives any owner of an SLR as either a pervert or a terrorist. The last time I got stopped and searched was a very embarrassing affair, yet this has made me even more determined to exercise my rights in being able to take photographs in public places. When I die I have requested that I be buried with my camera. Instant Darkroom!
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The Trouble-Maker | WILLIAM GLEN
Nun
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Head Turn
Speakers Corner Hyde Park, London
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The Paradox of Man & Sea | PHILIPPE MARCHAND
PHILIPPE MARCHAND
The Paradox of Man & Sea
Philippe Marchand was born in 1961. He is a self-taught photographer and lives in Nantes in Brittany, France. He works with several illustration and advertising agencies and his pictures are used to promote reputable brands. For several years now, he has been consistently dragged out of the comfort of his house by his passion for the unique light and atmosphere of the Breton coast, whatever the weather. The pictures he brings back from his walks reveal all the power and the magic of the places he discovers. His sense of aesthetics and the technique he has developed have enabled him to create his own singular and personal photographic world. Marchand’s photos are like fragments of history. He captures evidence of the relationship between man and the sea: how we observe and view the sea, how we approach it and the level of intimacy we share with the sea through various activities. Marchand captures man’s imprint on the marine world and the ocean’s imprint on the life of man, by capturing certain behaviors and facial expressions. When working with the vast ocean, Marchand feels that the panoramic format of photographs almost imposes itself. Through this format the immensity of the ocean is highlighted and the fragility of man is made evident.
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When observing Marchand’s work, one gets the impression that time is frozen. Haste or hurry has no place here; life has taken the rhythm of the ocean.
The timelessness of black and white shows the continuity of the locations and the movements of the unchanging world of the sea. When observing Marchand’s work, one gets the impression that time is frozen. Haste or hurry has no place here; life has taken the rhythm of the ocean. The grain, very present in his images, softens, coats reality and reinforces the poetic aspect of these images. The individuals are often facing away, partly hidden as a result of careful shadowing. The photographer’s glare is tentative, never invasive, never all-encompassing, as though there is a mystery in the air that Marchand offers only a glimpse of.
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The boat-house
© All Images courtesy of Philippe Marchand
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The Paradox of Man & Sea | PHILIPPE MARCHAND
Emily on the wild coast
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The Paradox of Man & Sea | PHILIPPE MARCHAND
Saint Goustan harbor.
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The Paradox of Man & Sea | PHILIPPE MARCHAND
Artemis run aground
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Genesis of Passion I was fifteen when I developed my first film. That was in my grandmother’s kitchen, with a small Paterson developing tank. Though I had followed the instructions on the film’s packing, the result was quite disastrous. Yet, as the negative was dripping over the sink, I discovered my first pictures, my nose stuck to the gelatin. What I felt then was an indefinable feeling, a mixture of excitement and pride. Without realizing it right there and then, I had become a photographer.
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What I felt then was an indefinable feeling, a mixture of excitement and pride. Without realizing it right there and then, I had become a photographer.
www.philippe-marchand.fr
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The Paradox of Man & Sea | PHILIPPE MARCHAND
Captain
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GERARD KEENAN
The Vast Minimalist Gerard Keenan was born and raised in Dunmore, Ireland. He had always displayed a keen interest in art, but became particularly interested in photography at the age of 19. It began with Keenan’s love of music, which left him admiring album cover photography, especially of albums produced by the record label 4AD. Other inspirations included minimalist art, various TV commercials, film and ambient music. Growing up on a farm was also a major source of influence for Keenan. He found himself observing and admiring the silent and harmonious communication that existed between man and animal. The vast fields of the farm also served as muse to Keenan whose photo subjects often include wide-open spaces with minimal objects in the space.
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Keenan’s skills were honed under his own will and desire to learn. He is almost entirely self-taught…
While working in a camera store in his native Galway, Keenan’s boss gave him his first SLR camera, a Pentax K1000. From that point on, nothing brought Keenan more pleasure than indulging in photography. He found great fulfillment in loading the camera with a black and white film and setting on a journey to find the next opportunity to create a photograph. Keenan went on to purchase darkroom equipment and set up his first darkroom in a small shed adjacent to his parents’ house. Keenan’s skills were honed under his own will and desire to learn. He is almost entirely self-taught; he would read material on photography, and practice taking photos, as well as develop his printing skills in his darkroom. Keenan has since moved to digital photography and prints all his work on the acclaimed fine art paper Hahnemuehle 308gsm. You can see more of Keenan’s work on www.gerardkeenan.com
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© All Images courtesy of Gerard Keenan
The Vast Minimalist | GERARD KEENAN
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The Vast Minimalist | GERARD KEENAN
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Of Cars The Vastand Minimalist Trees | |PHILIPPE GERARD MOUGIN KEENAN
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Equestrian Stoicism
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Horses, to me, have an ethereal quality, and an almost all-knowing feel about them. When I observe them in their natural setting, I see the unparalleled genius of their creator.
Photographing horses in their natural environment, unbridled, unharnessed, is for me a very enjoyable, rewarding and therapeutic experience. It is also a great form of escapism from today’s accelerated, hectic world. Horses, to me, have an ethereal quality, and an almost all-knowing feel about them. When I observe them in their natural setting, I see the unparalleled genius of their creator. I understand why they are used in certain therapeutic programs that help heal troubled children. They can communicate beautiful messages through their silence. I try in my work to reflect a certain peace and purity, and a certain spiritual dimension to these horses. The horses are almost always willing subjects who I feel enjoy the process as much as I do.
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PHILIPPE MOUGIN
Of Cars and Trees
All over Europe, in the world of classic car lovers, a rumour about a mythical car cemetery was circulating. It was supposedly hidden somewhere in Switzerland, in an undisclosed location. It was said this mechanical Mecca, deep in an impenetrable forest, was haunted by the ghosts of hundreds of classic wrecks from the 30’s to the 60’s, Buicks, Fords, Mercedes Benzes; all legends from the pages of automotive history. In this surreal locale, wooded trees and metal sheets fuse in a marriage between car and nature. As it turns out, this place was no myth after all; it was nestled solemnly in the forest near Bern. Its origins hark back to 1933, when W. Messerli began storing cars in his garden, to use their parts to make tractors. After the Second World War, faced with the industrialized production of farm machinery, he moved into the spare parts business. Unfortunately, the oil crisis in the 70’s sounded the death knell of these old gas-guzzlers.
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For more than 30 years, they lay undisturbed. As each season passed, Nature reasserted its dominance… Today, of the marriage between car bodies and forest, only the ghost of memory remains.
From then on, this collection of bygone vehicle bodies began to attract the attention of the authorities, who saw it as an eyesore. Trees were planted to hide this treasure trove. The trees grew, enveloping Buick and Valliant alike. For more than 30 years, they lay undisturbed. As each season passed, Nature reasserted its dominance. After years of legal struggle, the authorities forced the owner to clean the site. Today, of the marriage between car bodies and forest, only the ghost of memory remains.
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© All Images courtesy of Philippe Mougin
Of Cars and Trees | PHILIPPE MOUGIN
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Of Cars and Trees | PHILIPPE MOUGIN
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Of Cars and Trees | PHILIPPE MOUGIN
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Layered Stimulus I was born in Paris but grew up in Switzerland. At the age of 20, I began a career as an independent computer consultant. Around the same time, I started experimenting with photography during many of my expeditions across Africa. There, I would spend months exploring the different types of deserts. After a number of years I decided to improve my technical skills and learn more about the medium of photography. So, in 2004, I started a one-year study program at a photography school in Geneva. After completing a number of workshops in a variety of subjects including portrait, fashion and advertising, I decided in 2006, to start my own photography project called l’âme de fond. This project involved using long exposures, a medium format camera and black & white film.
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I’m deeply interested in the way each human being’s experiences influence their own perception of the environment, and in tempting viewers to stimulate their own imagination.
I see my photography process as an attempt to find and create beauty out of the visual layers in the world. I try to capture a serene and mysterious world, where the places are minimalistic, and where each image shows the imprint of man on that particular place. I’m deeply interested in the way each human being’s experiences influence their own perception of the environment, and in tempting viewers to stimulate their own imagination. In 2008, together with other photographers, we created a collective 8Reg’ART (www.8regart.com). The purpose of this collective was to promote fine art photography in France. The 8Reg’ART Group, beyond sterile and sectarian chapels of photography classifications, expresses itself as being openly contemporary and could be assimilated to the international “Fine-Art” photography trend. www.philippemougin.com
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THAMER AL-TASSAN A Traveler’s Lens
Thamer Al-Tassan is an amateur photographer born in Saudi Arabia in 1981; he was educated in the United States where he lived for 12 years. Al-Tassan has a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Information Systems from the University of Tampa. After failing to develop a talent in art & design, he entered into photography by chance in 2004. He then began pursuing the medium on his own using hands on experience without any formal training or books. After having gained 5 years of photography experience, he was awarded the distinctive title of “Travel Digital Photographer of the Year” in January 2009 by Digital Photographer Magazine. Traveling around the world photographing places and scenes that capture his interest from unique perspectives is his passion and mode of artistic expression.
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Traveling around the world photographing places and scenes that capture his interest from unique perspectives is his passion and mode of artistic expression.
Al Tassan uses a Canon 500D camera and mostly a Sigma 10-20 lens. His photographs have been featured in numerous publications in the US, Europe, and the Middle East. His photographs have also won a number of international awards. He takes pride in the fact that his work has been viewed as distinctive and deserving of such honors. Although photography is currently a hobby for him, it is one that he passionately pursues when traveling. He is currently working as a systems analyst in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Al-Tassan’s hope is to continue improving his artistic vision and displaying it through the lens of his camera and his journeys as time permits. RIGHT: Taj Mahal 66 soura | issue 27
© All Images courtesy of Thamer Al-Tassan
A Traveler’s Lens | THAMER AL-TASSAN
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A Traveler’s Lens | THAMER AL-TASSAN
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A Traveler’s Lens | THAMER AL-TASSAN
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My Extended Eyes I aspire through my photography to explore new angles and perspectives in everyday scenes, and to present them in a new manner. Since most of my photography is architectural, I like to use a wideangle lens to obtain a deeper perspective towards my subject and to pull the viewer into the scene. Depending on the color or surroundings, I sometimes like to use black and white to evoke a certain mood in the photograph. My photos are a product of my vision; they are how I perceive a scene through the camera. My idea of the Taj Mahal series was to illustrate its majestic nature over time through black and white, to conjure a feeling of timelessness. I subscribe to the belief that true beauty never fades and it is always seen through its lasting durability and immortal like qualities.
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My photos are a product of my vision; they are how I perceive a scene through the camera. Every time I look through the lens there is a novelty, I want to capture and bring all of these elements into my work. Hopefully through my photography I want to invoke a certain mood, a sense of poetry in vision. I make these photographs mainly for myself and to share what I have seen through the lens with all who are keen to experience a unique view. My photographs are made through researching my obtainable photographic opportunities, through my travels, and exploring my intended subjects from all the possible angles and perspectives imaginable. Thus bringing a fresh newness to life through my extended eyes, the camera. Throughout the past years I have been able to develop a special technique of custom toning my work, where I use dodging and burning to lighten and darken certain parts of my photos depending on the angle of light and presence of shadows. This creates more drama and mood in the scene, a feeling I want the viewer to experience just by looking at architecture. My ultimate aim is to bring what I see, through its design and uniqueness, what it adds to the world we live in, through all of its beauty and diversity encompassing through colors, shades, clarity, black and white visions of time and place.
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Field Guide | DIGITAL BLACK & WHITE CONVERSION TUTORIALS
Digital Black & White Conversion Tutorials By Alessandro Maggi
In digital photography it is often more convenient to shoot in color and to then convert the photo to black and white afterwards. This method entails spending more time completing a single photo, however, it also allows the photographer more flexibility in terms of editing options during the editing process. A key element to consider is the simulation of colored filters via post-processing, one aspect that in many photos can radically change the outcome of a monochromatic conversion. Shooting in color is important, but for high quality results it’s also very important to shoot RAW and do the workflow on images with a color depth of 16 bits, especially to simulate colored filters keeping smooth grayscale gradients. There are many softwares and dedicated plug-ins to convert a colored image into a black and white one, but here we’ll just have a glimpse at how to carry on two workflows with different purposes on Adobe© Photoshop© CS4 1 | Aged Monochrome In this first tutorial we’ll examine a possible workflow to give an aged black and white look to a photo. The sample we’re going to manipulate is a view of Berlin’s Bode Museum near sunset. There’s nothing particularly wrong with this photo, except the fact that it looks a bit dull and flat. More importantly, there isn’t really anything interesting for the eye of the observer, even though the bridge over the river and the museum on their own have the romantic charm of classical European monuments. Converting it to B&W will allow us to operate a synthesis on tones and volumes in the photo exploiting that classical charm. 1. After opening the photo in the workspace, the first thing to do to convert a colored photo to a B&W one is, guess what, using a “Black & White…” adjustment layer. This new tool available in the latest version of Photoshop© is the same that has been implemented in Adobe© Photoshop© Lightroom© and Adobe© Camera© Raw: people used to channel mix for monochromatic conversions may find this tool a bit tricky, but it’s really simple to operate once you get the hang of it. Each slider controls the brightness of a particular tone in the B&W conversion. This approach gives the photographer much more flexibility and possibilities than the classic technique based on the Channel Mixer tool, but this also means that the photographer should always be careful in not overdoing as to avoid unnatural and fuzzy results. As you can see from the first picture on the right, the default settings for the conversion do not improve the visual look of the photo: it’s still quite flat and looks a bit dim too. What we want here is to make the museum look brighter and the sky darker, therefore we can try with the popular “red filter” preset (second image on the right). The results are much more appealing now. We can further increase contrast by lowering the blue and cyan sliders to their minimum with no side effects, obtaining an almost black sky and very dark waters (last picture). 72 soura | issue 27
2. Since the photo was taken about an hour before sunset, the light is dominated by yellows and reds, and this is why the museum and the bridge look so bright once converted using a simulated red filter. Since Black & Whirte photography is all about tonal and contrast distribution, we must always remember to pay more attention to both extreme shadows and highlights. In this case we may already be satisfied with shadows, but there’s still room for improving highlights. In fact the conversion has blown some details on the bridge making it white and texture-free. To fix this, we can duplicate the background layer and apply on it the “Shadows/Highlights…” tool from the menu “Image > Adjustments”, leaving the shadows recovery to 0 and setting the amount of highlights recovery to 15. This way we’re reaching an acceptable compromise between luminosity and details.
5. To amplify the romantic mood of the photo there’s nothing like a good amount of vignetting. To keep the workflow reversible we can duplicate the layer we used to recover highlights and apply the “Lens Correction…” filter found under “Filter > Distort” menu. Without touching anything else but the vignetting sliders we can tweak the settings until we reach the desired effect. 6. Many years ago, cameras were much more similar to pinhole cameras compared to modern ones, especially because the optic industry had still a long way to go before reaching high quality standards. These tools often produced photos with considerable light fall-off and loss of definition in the corners. Since we’ve already dealt with vignetting, it’s time to make our sharp and homogeneous image to look blurry as soon as the eye leaves its center. To obtain this effect we must once again duplicate the top non-adjustment level (the one we used to apply the vignetting) and create an empty layer mask. After selecting the mask, we must use the (radial) gradient fill tool clicking on the center of the photo and dragging the mouse to the point we want to have the maximum strength of blurring. After this step our Layers pane should look like the one in the screenshot.
3. If we wanted to simply convert the photo into B&W, we could already be done. On the other hand, if what we want is a photograph that really looks aged and old, we still have some work to do. The next step is adding a slight sepia tint to the photo. An easy way to do so is using a “Photo Filter…” adjustment layer on top of the Black & White one. We can use one of the presets and work on the density, or even choose a custom tint. Since I wanted the effect to be really subtle, I chose the color myself. At this point we can select back again the layer and apply the “Lens Blur… “ filter found in “Filter > Blur”. In the “Depth Map” options we have to select “Layer Mask” as source, and eventually tweak the radius value in the “Iris” section. 7. We’re almost done. As a final touch we can use some fine tweaking on the curves (through an additional adjustment layer) to eventually lighten up portions of the photo that got too dim because of the vignetting we applied.
4. What happens to a photo that rests on a shelf (possibly facing the Sun) for years? Eventually it will deteriorate and at some point it will start to lose contrast. We don’t want to virtually “ruin” the photo completely, but the contrast loss is always an element that should be taken into account. To achieve this effect there are a number of possible ways to go. To have full control of the process we’ll be using a “Curves…” adjustment layer and lighten up shadows and lower midtones a bit while keeping highlights in their place.
Fall | 2009 73
Field Guide | DIGITAL BLACK & WHITE CONVERSION TUTORIALS
2 | High Dynamic Range B&W In a past issue we had the chance to talk about HDRI, a modern digital technique to capture a wider light spectrum compared to the limited capabilities of a digital sensor. Since this technique often produces rather unnatural results with crazy tonal distributions and colors, the possibilities of B&W HDR conversions are often overlooked. In this tutorial we’ll convert a sample HDR photo into B&W and see if it’s worth trying. The test photo pictures the ruins of an old abbey in Tuscany (Italy) right after sunrise, and was obtained by processing three differently exposed shots with Photomatix© Pro 3. 1. Since in HDR photography the key elements are tonal distribution and density, we must pay double the attention in converting an HDR image into black & white. This often translates into a selective manipulation of each subject and portion of the photo. In this example we’ll be editing the abbey on the foreground and the sky in the background with separate layers. First we’ll start selecting the sky. Since there’s a substantial separation between the foreground and background, such a task can be easily carried on with the Quick Selection Tool (shortcut “W”). Let’s ignore the problems with the foliage on the left side for now, we’ll have plenty of time to deal with them later on.
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When we’re happy with our selection we may now create two groups: let us select the first one (calling it “Sky”) and use the selection as a layer mask (Layer > Layer Mask > Reveal Selection), then we can right click on the mask and select “Add Mask To Selection”. At this point we have once again our sky selected. Selecting the second group (we can call it “Foreground”) we can create an inverse layer mask to hide the sky (Layer > Layer Mask > Hide Selection). Our Layers pane should look like the one in the screenshot. We’re now ready to start working on the sky. 2. Let’s add a “Black & White…” adjustment layer inside the “Sky” group we just created. The tones are cold on the upper right corner, while get extremely warm on the center-center left. Since the weather is very cloudy and there’s not much blue in the sky, using a classic red filter would produce more troubles in the warm highlights than benefits. We can then start with the “default” preset and use just a little tweaking on the cyan to make it darker.
3. Now it’s the turn of the foreground. Like we did with the sky, we have to add another “Black & White…” adjustment layer (making sure to put it in the “Foreground” group this time). The settings I chose made the abbey fit almost completely into the midtones (it appears quite dull and dreamy at this point) while the grass appears almost black (realizing an ideal frame around the abbey coupled with the dark clouds in the upper corners).
4. At this point we have achieved a satisfying tonal distribution, but the photo on the whole now looks quite flat. To boost the contrast we’ll use two “Curves…” adjustment layers, one for the sky and one for the foreground. Like we did with the black & white adjustment layers, each layer has to be positioned in the appropriate group. Once again let’s start with the sky. To boost the contrast we must use an S-shaped curve, possibly trying to avoid highlight clipping. We also want to achieve a “dark mood”, thus shadows will need a considerable boost as well.
5. The last step is to tweak the second curve adjustment layer to boost the contrast in the foreground. In this case we don’t have to worry about highlight clipping, but we should keep an eye on the shadows instead to avoid too much shadow clipping. At this point the conversion can be considered done. Further tweaking can be applied manually using the Dodge/Burn tools, especially on the sky. In this case though we have already grainy clouds due to the HDR processing, and further tweaking would necessarily compromise the quality even more.
Fall | 2009 75
Special Events | Dubai 1962
Dubai
1962 A Photo Exhibition by Yoshio Kawashima
Under the patronage of HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed al Maktoum, the photo exhibition “Dubai 1962” was held on 5th May, at the Dubai Community Theatre & Arts Centre. Japanese photographer Yoshio Kawashima captured a distant Dubai on a visit in 1962. Kawashima was flown in from Japan for the occasion where the Consul-General of Japan was also present. Kawashima’s unique and treasured collection of black and white photographs revealed not only what Dubai looked like 47 years ago, but also a harsh yet vibrant way of life that lies at the heart of this emerging metropolis.
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Dubai will remain a free trading city – Sheikh Rashid The collection of 80 photographs, never publicly seen before have, 47 years later, made their way back to their city of origin. Photographs of Abras on the creek, shoppers and tradesmen in the souk, dancing folk at a wedding, and HH Sheikh Rashid sat very casually in his majlis reminded us of how far the city has come in a short time. On display as well were two of Kawashima’s old cameras: a Nikon S and a Nikon F2; two much sought-after original models amongst collectors worldwide. These rare and significant cameras are a fascinating treat to any fan of photography, and make the idea of a foreign journalist in Dubai in 1962 that much more real and imaginable. Y. Kawashima, a photographer working for the Sankei Shimbun Newspaper in Japan, accompanied by fellow journalist H. Kato may very well have been the first Japanese journalists to set foot in Dubai when they arrived here in 1962. Intrigued and fascinated by the environment and cultural norms, the way of life and a sense of what the city’s future may look like, Kawashima set out to capture moments and scenes in a unique collection of photographs.
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LEFT: Close-up shot towards Al Ras at the tip of Deira, where the Public Library is being built. Windtower houses abound in Bur Dubai. TOP: A man on his way home from the fish market. A falconer taking his pet bird around the souq. A scene of people’s life in Dubai 1962 MIDDLE LEFT: Fish market: women taking an active part in commercial activities MIDDLE RIGHT: A Japanese salesman in negotiation with a texitle shop-owner. Texitile was a main export commodity from Japan during 1960’s, before electric goods made their way to overseas markets. BOTTOM LEFT: Women dancing to the rhythm of traditional musical instruments at a wedding celebration. BOTTOM RIGHT: Arabic Coffee: an ageold tradition of hospitality in a corner of the souq.
Fall | 2009 77
Special Events | Dubai 1962
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The process of putting this exhibition together did begin, after all, when UAE residents Kimi and Gota Akai of JAFZA presented HH Sheikh Ahmed with a photograph of his brother HH Sheikh Rashid from Kawashima’s collection last year. Sheikh Ahmed then invited the photographer and journalist to revisit Dubai, and thus they made a return journey last November 46 years later, coming full circle. Kawashima, Kato and Akai were left feeling inclined to reciprocate this kindness and goodwill to Sheikh Ahmed and Dubai. The exhibition was a means of offering the people of Dubai an opportunity to view these photographs as a tribute to the Emirate’s past and heritage. The sensation of looking at Kawashima’s photographs is magical; the viewer cannot help feel like they have been transported to a different, distant world. His photographs are unlike most that have emerged in recent years showing Dubai’s landscape and architectural history. The majority of Kawashima’s photographs focused on people, and were taken in and amongst social situations. They give viewers a very strong sense of a culture, lifestyle and tradition. Having emerged for the first time since 1962, the collection was a humbling treasure to be shared with the local community, which fascinated everyone from UAE nationals to expatriates and tourists. “What makes Kawashima’s photos so special is that they are about ‘people’ not just depicting scenes but expressing their sentiments so vividly, almost like living souls. My mother will cry when she sees the pictures with overwhelming memories and emotions.” – Ibrahim Aljanahi, Chief Commercial Officer, Jebel Ali Free Zone Authority who grew up in Bur Dubai as a young boy in early 60’s. YOSHIO KAWASHIMA | BIO & STATEMENT Yoshio Kawashima was born in 1930, in Tokyo. He joined the Sankei Newspaper and spent over half a century as a photo-journalist. Among others, his work covering South America won him a prestigious Vaughn-Ueda International Journalist Award in 1958.
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“Dubai has a mystical power that touches one’s heart. Cameras may only reflect the surface of objects. But I wished to capture inner feelings of the people here. I shall be happy if my photographs could convey the great heritage of cherishing people’s heart, the spirit of Dubai.” – Yoshio Kawashima
1. They arrived in Sharjah’s RAF airport, the main gateway in Trucial Coast then to make their way to Dubai. Gulf Aviation (today’s Gulf Air) was serving the region’s network. 2. The vast expanse of desert dotted with palm trees before Urban development began. The water tower has now been replaced with DEWA sub-station amidst busy streets. 3. The air control tower on the left. The building now has been converted into ’Al Mahatta’ Airport Museum, while the runway has become King Abdul Aziz Street, busy with traffic in Sharjah town-centre today.
6. “Venice of the Middle East”. Crossing the Creek by rowing abra towards Bur Dubai, whose skyline was dominated by wind towers. 7. A view over Al Fahidi Fort, today housing Dubai Museum and beyond. The shot was most probably taken from the minaret of the Grand Mosque. 8. Days of hardworking men and women. In the background, coral was another building material used for house construction. 9. Donkeys; a common means of transport before the automobile age, used to carry goods and water.
4. The Creek, the marchant city’s artery cutting through Bur Dubai & Deira
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5. Areesh (Barasti) houses made of palm fronds were common dwellings.
© All images are courtesy of Yoshio Kawashima and Sankei Shimbun Newspaper
Fall | 2009 79
MARWA ADEL
Confirming The Drama
Marwa Adel is an Egyptian artist born, raised and working in Cairo. Adel graduated from the Advertising department of the Faculty of Applied Art at Helwan University in 2005. She is currently an assistant lecturer at the same department and faculty as well as a member of the Syndicate of Plastic Arts and the Syndicate of Applied Arts Designers. Adel was invited to participate, for two years running in 2007 and 2008, in the AAW Youth Salon at the Alexandria Atelier and the Youth Salon in Cairo. In those same two years, she was invited to participate in the annual exhibitions of the Lovers’ Society of Fine Arts, winning the Photography Award on both occasions. In 2008 Adel also participated in the 1st International Media Art Forum for Youth (IMAFY) exhibition and won the First Prize at the Oriental Weavers Design Contest; in 2007 her work was shown in an exhibition at the German Cultural Centre in Cairo.
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I use black and white to reflect the drama of the situation in the work, and to confirm it...
The work shown here was part of her first ever (untitled) solo exhibition held at Safarkhan gallery in Cairo, Egypt in early 2009. “The exhibition reflected the sentiments and feelings of women living in the Arab world,” says Adel, “a world defined by limits and boundaries.” Through this collection Adel wanted to convey that women are still struggling against conventional roles assigned to them by virtue of their gender and cultural discourses. “I use black and white to reflect the drama of the situation in the work, and to confirm it,” declares Adel, “there is an intrinsic idea or concept behind each of my works, not just a beautiful form.” Adel beckons the audience of her work to look beyond the shapes, meaning, and concepts conveyed in her work because this in depth look will reveal her own feelings and her own experience. Artist’s Statement The Conflict of Existence My artwork is an attempt at showing the evolution and the infinite conflict between some fundamental forms of existence that live in a state of permanent contradiction and antagonism. It is the discovery and revelation of the relationship between form and essence, spirit and materiality, image and ideas. It is the metamorphosis of primitive to supreme, passing through humanity. LEFT: A Prisoner
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Fall | 2009  81
Book Review | ENERGY IMAGERY
ENERGY IMAGERY BY CHIP FORELLI
and unique environments give me all the raw materials I need to fully explore and achieve the level of photographic creativity and expression I strive for.” Forelli takes the paradigm of the industrial environment and makes us pause at aesthetic moments, painted so by his imagination. The hard-edged drill rig becomes a powerful abstract portrait with a hypnotic pull into its depth of field; the valves of heavy machinery sit in whimsical silence, looking almost nonsensical and absurd; and water turbulence at the base of a platform’s support becomes a rich-textured elusive form of something phantasmal.
Forelli’s journey into the energy industry began with a 3-week assignment to photograph the facilities of an oil exploration and production company. Forelli spent those three weeks capturing images at onshore facilities and on offshore platforms “where the crews and the food served was wonderful,” he declares. “Upon completion of the project, I soon realized that the approach I took to photographing the energy industry as fine art set my work apart from other industrial photography I had seen,” says Forelli. This led to the decision of promoting his work within the energy business by publishing the images in a hardcover art book. The book has been widely received within the energy industry, with energy companies ordering mass amounts and sending them as gifts to shareholders.
In Energy Imagery, Chip Forelli takes us on an ephemeral journey into a world typified by masculine brawn, hard labor, and heavy lifting. “The energy industry gives me the perfect opportunity to produce exciting photography for my clients,” says Forelli, “the shapes, textures
Energy Imagery has 40 full-page black and white photographs of the energy industry. The images are stripped of the human element, and stripped of the -sometimes- ruthless weather conditions; the subjects are left to speak for themselves and what they voice are volumes of the relentless existence of the exquisite in the harsh or the unyielding. Like mounting bolts standing in a stoic Stonehenge-like formation, or a glowing oil-rig bejeweling its’ dark watery isolation. The various textures and unique forms subject in Forelli’s images inspire lyrical narratives and put the energy industry in a fanciful light.
White Pump Los Angeles Basin, California USA
Valves Santa Maria Basin, California USA
View Inside Drill Rig Santa Maria Basin, California USA
Steam Pipes Los Angeles Basin, California USA
Mounting Bolts San Joaquin Basin, California USA
Turbulence at Platform’s Suppor Santa Maria Basin, California USA
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Forelli has 25 years of professional photography experience under his belt, with a professional background in architecture and music, Forelli turned to photography because like architecture and music, it dictates “the demand for fine balance between aesthetic sensibility and craft” according to Forelli. Forelli also works with some of the world’s leading advertising agencies and corporate clients to create unforgettable images for advertising campaigns.
Soura Magazine | Issue 27 - Fall 2009
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FROZEN HISTORY
The Legacy of Scott & Shackleton BY JOSEPH HOFLEHNER
British explorers Robert Falcon Scott and Ernest Shackleton are forever connected with the South Pole. At the turn of the twentieth century, the South Pole saw a great rush of exploration, often dubbed ‘the heroic age’; this era of discovery is a record of endurance, turmoil, ambition, and tragedy. During that time, several British expeditions set to charter this unchartered territory, with nothing but courage and imagination at hand. The South Pole at the time had earned the name ‘The Last Great Frontier On Earth’, and many a British explorer dreamed to be the man to conquer this unknown wilderness. The many British expeditions that set out to explore this great frontier left in their wake traces that seemed to tell far more intimate stories than the new discoveries they had brought back with them.
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Fall | 2009 85
Book Review | FROZEN HISTORY
In Frozen History: The Legacy of Scott & Shackleton, Josef Hoflehner and his wife Katharina Hoflehner tell a haunting tale through the lens of their camera. The explorers of ‘the heroic age’ often constructed wooden huts at points accessible by sea. They would set up base and then abandon these huts for days and sometimes months, sledging inland to explore. Sites such as Hut Point, erected in February of 1902, Cape Royds, from Shackleston’s Nimrod Expedition of 1907–1909, and Scott’s Terra Nova Hut, built in 1911 captured the attention and imagination of the Hoflehner couple when they visited them almost one century after their construction. In the early 2000’s, the Hoflehner couple set out to visit these historic sites, (these buildings are now maintained by the Antarctic Heritage Trust, based in New Zealand). What they bore witness to was a historical legacy literally frozen in time, as if a time machine had transported them back to the 1907 of Scott’s hut, or the 1902 of Shackleton’s hut… it was a true gift of time. The permanent sub-freezing temperatures were responsible for perfectly preserving anything and everything touched one day by Scott and Shackleton. From clothes, to dead penguins and food supplies. All stood as they were almost 100 years ago, entirely missed by the depleting hand of time. Perfectly preserved in their original state. And what the Hoflehner couple offers us in Frozen History: The Legacy of Scott & Shackleton is a timeless and rare true glimpse into the past, as it is preserved by nature itself, without the interceding hand of man. Through the black and white images that the couple captured in this vast and uncertain land, we are able to imagine the intimate details of day-to-day life. Their photographs tell of unyielding frozen landscapes, century old toothbrushes, and frozen penguin carcasses. Their use of the abundant natural light in their images alludes to the overpowering presence of nature. The pictures seem to be quietly and placidly telling the human tales of Scott and Shackleton. The expansive land is beautifully captured in the Hoflehners’ images, conveying a sense of distance and loneliness. Their focus on the minutiae of the interior of the huts is a stark reminder of human mortality versus the imperishability of nature. One dies, while the other is constantly being renewed. The work of Josef and Katharina Hoflehener is a true testament to the gripping power a black and white photograph may have. The crisp contrast of black and white perfectly conveys the strong austerity of the South Pole. Color would not have done this subject justice. This book is the winner of Germany’s Deutscher Fotobuchpreis 2004.
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