PDN Photo Annual 2011 / Online

See images from Photography Book winner ECHOLILIA and a bunch of other great work from killer photographers I luv and admire. The winners of the PDN Photography Annual 2011 are all at the online gallery HERE.

Mother Nature

Q: It's breathtaking isn't it?
A: Yes...just totally beautiful. But...I don't smell the nature...I don't hear the nature either...but it looks almost the same.
Q: Can't you be happy with this? You must admit it's pretty close. We tried our best.
A: It is close. I can try...

Richard Muller / Scientific American

Physicist Richard Muller let us into his house on a hill in Berkeley and invites us to make ourselves at home. His place was filled with books, art, dinosaurs, photographs, macarame, everything a life can and should be filled with. I gravitated to a photograph on the wall, a younger version of Muller and his wife with two kids on their laps...taken in the room I'm standing in. The lighting, the style, the print quality of milky blacks and reflected highlights looks familiar...it looked like Norman Seeff. He turns it over and there is a note "Photo by Norman Seeff, for GEO". It hangs in his house in two different places. He explains:

I knew he was creating a picture for the ages as soon as I saw it: the un conventional pose, separating the couple, the kids, our home. I knew Norman had something in mind that day and I was thankful to be able to be a part of it.

Muller takes me over to another giant photograph: a close up of a dandelion, so close and so big and so epic, it looked like you were staring into the universe.

Do you know the photographer of this photograph? 

I tell him I'm pretty sure I do, I think the photographer is Richard Muller. I am correct!

We get back to work and set up our gear. Once again, like many photographers before us, we begin to photograph Muller, at his desk, in his house, surrounded by his life.

More In Production...

Now In Production

Sad to say or happy to announce?

Breaking new ground or driving the plane into the ground?
Camera phone images appearing on the pages of my new portfolio.

I Love Photographers

Went to The Looking Glass in Berkeley for some Moab Entrada and came across this snapshot in the bathroom/film changing room. I took a picture of it, all props and apologies to the original photographer, to the subject and to the tatoo artist...it was just so special I had to share.

PDN Photography Annual 2011

So happy to see ECHOLILIA celebrated in the book category, among favorite book from the year by Eugene Richards, Phyllis Galembo, William Christenberry and on and on and on!

A Numbers Game, 5/2011

A Number's Game, 5/2011

Conference Room Studios

Busy with a bunch of projects over the last two weeks...lots of setting up studios in office spaces and trying to deal with the pros and cons of 8 foot high ceilings which don't really lend themselves to great studio shots.

But...we tried.

Working on a fascinating story on Tablo and Epik High, behind the scene shots here. Need to stay mum on this for now, but good stuff is in the works...

Note To Self

Two Pillows and Duct Tape

Q: Here's my new system.

A: Oh..weird. I don't think it's going to work.

Q: What's the problem?

A: It's got this appendage on it...it doesn't look like anything like what I was expecting.

Q:  I know what you mean. But I think its got everything I need.

Jonathan Saunders / collect.give

Today on collect.give I was psyched to see an image by pal and Texas based artist Jonathan Saunders, a long time favorite...I'm always interested in anything he produces, really. It all flows out at I Like To Tell Stories, as you all already know.

Jonathan's untitled print is being released in an edition of (15), at a print price of $75.

He is pledging 100% of the profits to Planned Parenthood.

Last night, it was Bin Laden and all that that stands for on our minds. Today...seeing this...it felt like good timing.

Let's embrace Life. Buy this image HERE.