BLUR 33

BLUR magazine | ISSUE 33 | October 2013

For best experience, view in full screen We recommend reading BLUR in full-screen mode, especially when viewed on a PC. This removes the PDF reader controls and sets the background canvas to black. However, if you use a very high resolution monitor, you might experience a slight reduction of quality of the displayed images when viewing in full screen.

Interactive elements in BLUR issues Tablet and smartphone devices offer various ways of previewing PDF documents, but not all support the full feature set of interactive elements used by BLUR. For best viewing pleasure on the iPad and similar devices, please install the free Adobe Acrobat Reader app from your App Store.

Starting with issue 29, BLUR’s interactivity features and hyperlink support have been optimized for viewing on tablets and smartphones as well as the PC. Some of these optimizations include: • The Contents page features large buttons for elegant navigation to a certain page, while the Home hyperlink is the simplest way to get back to Contents.

• Gallery 36 contains interactive thumbnails that open the image in full size, while the full size images hyperlink back to the gallery.

• Every section of the magazine that features an author now has a dedicated hyperlink button to navigate the reader directly to the promoted author’s webpage.

• The upper third of every page in BLUR is a hyperlink leading back to the Contents, while tapping the left and right edges of the screen enables you to browse through the magazine.

CELEBRATING FIVE YEARS OF BLUR MAGAZINE

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BLUR magazine | ISSUE 33 | October 2013

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A WORD FROM THE EDITOR

photo: Borut Peterlin

Finally, that day has arrived, BLUR magazine has a new website. Although the best experience of the site is provided on large monitors, the site is now responsive and can now be viewed on tablets and smart phones.

We tried to enhance or database to promote all published photographers at the highest level, so our pages are no longer just a platform for downloading our issues.

With richer news, we are offering you a vote so that you can participate in the creation of these wonderful archives of all the photos published in Gallery 36.

I hope you like it and that we will communicate more in the future :)

Robert Gojević, founder and editor in chief

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impressum Robert Gojević

founder | chief editor | design | art director | desktop publishing

Michael McAllister

proofreading

e-mail: robert.gojevic@blur-magazine.com

Ivan Pekarik

acting executive editor | PR

Dario Devčić

programmer | web developer

e-mail: ivan.pekarik@blur-magazine.com

Denis Pleić

columnist | translator

Želimir Koščević

expert associate

e-mail: denis.pleic@blur-magazine.com

Maurício Sapata

editor of Pinhole & Playstick

Zsolt Scheffer

Blur collaborator and Japanese translator

e-mail: mauricio.sapata@blur-magazine.com

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ALAN MARTIN

PLAYSTICK

KRISTEN PERMAN

INSTANTION

MISHA BURLATSKY

WET PLATE

LAURENT CHECHERE

PROJECT

ANETA KOWALCZYK

CLOSE UP

INGETJE TADROS

GALLERY 36

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ELLEN SCHINKE

PROEYECT

MARC JANKS

OPEN

OLIVIER DU TRÉ

WIDE

ANDREY BELKOV

TETRA

YUKI AOYAMA

ANALOG WABI SABI

BECKY RAMOTOWSKI

PINHOLE

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February | April | June | August | October |

December | 2013

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COVER PAGE

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IMPRESSUM

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PROJECT LAURENT CHECHERE

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PINHOLE BECKY RAMOTOWSKI

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OPEN MARC JANKS

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INTERACTIVE ELEMENTS

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CONTENTS

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WET PLATE MISHA BURLATSKY

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ANALOG WABI SABI YUKI AOYAMA

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PROEYECT ELLEN SCHINKE

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BLUR INFO

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GALLERY 36

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INSTANTION KRISTEN PERMAN

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TETRA ANDREY BELKOV

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STF

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A WORD FROM THE EDITOR

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CLOSE UP ANETA KOWALCZYK

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PLAYSTICK ALAN MARTIN

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WIDE OLIVIER DU TRÉ

CONTENTS

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JOIN THE BEST! GALLERY 24

by Robert Gojević

Submit up to two of your best photos through our form below to enter our editorial review process that selects a total of 24 photos for publication in the upcoming issue of BLUR. If the magic number of 24 is already full, don’t despair—your photos will also enter a BLUR community voting round, where our readers will select an additional 12 photos that will complement our editorial selection and constitute the final 36 photos that will be showcased in the Gallery 36 section of the next issue of BLUR magazine.

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Wind I Farbod Green http://500px.com/FarbodGreen Iran

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Lost Brian Menz http://www.brianmenzphotography.com USA

Close-up | brings readers closer to a photographer by providing extensive insight into his work. The photographer is presented through a wide selection of photographs, a detailed interview, and by highlighting important biographical information. Imagine talking with a photographer whom you admire over a cup of coffee. This is exactly what BLUR’s editor-in-chief does in this section—virtually, of course.

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by Robert Gojević

ANETA KOWALCZYK passion for the specific scene

http://www.anetakowalczyk.com/ Poland

“I agree with the words of Ansel Adams: “A great photograph is one that fully expresses what one feels, in the deepest sense, about what is being photographed.” I think it’s a great tool for expressing feelings, passion for the specific scene, person or place—our personal perception of the world. If we shoot with our heart, the viewer can learn, in part, who we are as a person, what we feel or how we look at things that surround us.

Sometimes photographs can be more powerful than what we observe at the moment because the camera can see the world in a bit different way. Photographs are visual artwork; thanks to them, we can express everything.”

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How important is it for photographers to be accepted by their audience but still to be true to their own vision, regardless of how popular or unpopular the work is?

In my opinion, we should find a balance in every aspect of life. This is also true for our work and our expectations. Artists should be very careful about creating just for the audience, because this would not be presenting their personal ideas and their own vision. It’s a kind of lie if we create just for others to get recognition or fame.

It is more important to find your own way—personal style or originality—then you’ll find your audience. Artists have to take risks if they want to create their own vision without considering what people like. Why? Because it’s impossible to satisfy every taste. Secondly, because we lose ourselves by submitting to the general. I always believed that we should create the way we feel, no matter if people like it or not. Everyone can evaluate our work; some people will be fan of it, others not. It’s the price of what we do.

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CLOSE UP

by Robert Gojević Copy editor: Michael McAllister

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Project | is a section that presents a photographer through a series of photos united by a particular theme that works as a cohesive whole and is elaborated on by an artist statement.

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by Robert Gojević

LAURENT CHECHERE Flying Houses

http://www.laurentchehere.com/ France

“He likes to explore cities, suburbs, country, as he likes to explore all fields of photography,

from reportage to conceptual. From his interest in Paris, architecture, movies, reportage, and conceptual ideas, was born the “Flying Houses.”

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PLA

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WET PLATE is a section dedicated to an antique photographic process discovered in the mid 19th century, which was also a primary photographic method used until the 1880s. It refers to a process of pouring a solution collodion onto a plate of thin iron or glass, then placing the plate into a camera and exposing it to the light and, at the end, developing that plate while it is still wet, which is the reason of naming the process (and our section) “wet plate�. The images resulting from this process can be ambrotypes, glass negatives or tintypes. Although quite a demanding, expensive and lengthy process, wet plate collodion technique is gaining back its popularity among many contemporary photographers.

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by Robert Gojević

MISHA BURLATSKY fairly narrow limits

http://www.mishaburlatsky.com/ Russia

“We all know the expression: “I was born in the wrong time.” I think this saying describes us. Some cross-stitch, some make armor, and some photograph on wet plate collodion. Though in the case of ambrotypes and the other old photo techniques, it is the result that is important—the result with its inexpressible plastic.”

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In your opinion, what is it that is attracting more and more photographers to the wet plate technique?

We all know the expression: “I was born in the wrong time.”

I think this saying describes us. Some cross-stitch, some make armor, and some photograph on wet plate collodion.

Though in the case of ambrotypes and the other old photo techniques, it is the result that is important—the result with its inexpressible plastic.

Do you think that one of these days, it could become too big, or do you think that it will survive as a sort of photo niche?

I think the old historic photo techniques will be more and more popular, but remaining the choice of a few. The international Wet Plate Collodion Photographer group on Facebook has 818 participants.

PLA

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WET PLATE

by Robert Gojević Copy editor: Michael McAllister

PLA

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INSTANTION is a section dedicated to instant analog photography. The name of this section combines the words instant and station, or as we call it, a place for instant photography. Instant photography refers to any photographic process that allows photo development without the darkroom. Instant photography was developed in the 1930s by Edwin Land, founder of the Polaroid Corporation. Because of its popularity, most of the photographers in this section use Polaroid film, but artists using Impossible or Fuji instant film are certainly welcome.

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by Robert Gojević

KRISTEN PERMAN instant motion

www.kristenperman.com USA “Shooting instant film is a practice in slowing down. Each frame offers an instance to mute my surroundings and focus my attention before me. Polaroid film is the instant motion of capturing a moment in time even as the moment carries on.”

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Kristen Perman is a fine art photographer based in Los Angeles, CA. While she is well practiced in digital photography, it is film and Polaroid that are her specialties and passion. Kristen’s body of work displays a collection rich in texture, documenting an undefined language in constant motion.

Kristen received her Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco, and later, a Master’s of Science from Pacific College of Oriental Medicine in New York City. She is the founder of the online project Exquisite Corpse Collective (www.exquisitecorpsecollective.com) and recently self-published her first book: 24 Colors, a collection of VW vans shot on Polaroid film.

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PLAYSTICK is a section dedicated to “toy camera� photography. The name Playstick comes from a well known simplified male figure illustration called Play Stick. The name also contains the word plastic as an association to plastic (or toy) cameras like Diana, Holga, Lomo LC-A, Lubitel, and others.

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by Maurício Sapata

ALAN MARTIN Ocean lifestyle

www.alanmartinphotography.co.uk UK “The Ocean Lifestyle is a collection of my everlasting search for niche areas of interest, eccentric personalities, and striking follies—all found where the land meets the ocean.”

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The Ocean Lifestyle is a collection of my everlasting search for niche areas of interest, eccentric personalities, and striking follies—all found where the land meets the ocean. I have a particular interest in the UK surf culture, and I try to capture its essence in its purest form. I shoot all my work on my medium format toy cameras (Diana F+, Holga 120N, Traveller TLR and my Anny). I strive for a dreamy vintage aesthetic in my photos, and often experiment with expired film and cross-processing techniques

I have enjoyed over the past couple of years growing opportunities within the creative photography community. I have retailed my work through local vintage seaside shops as well as internationally online. In the summer of 2012, I completed a photo shoot of a classic Volkswagen surf bus for a doublepage spread in the cult Volkswagen magazine—Hayburner. At the time of writing, I am busy preparing for my first solo exhibition to be held in May at the Show Off gallery, in Whitstable, Kent.

The summer is approaching, the light is getting richer and my cameras are loaded....

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PINHOLE | is a section, as its name says, dedicated to pinhole photography. This type of photography is created with a pinhole camera, a camera that uses a small aperture, usually the size of a pinhole, instead of a lens. Basically, the smaller the hole, the sharper the resulting image. Because of their simplicity, pinhole cameras are often handmade.

The concept behind the pinhole camera—the camera obscura—dates back to the time of the ancient Greeks and Chinese. It was even mentioned by great thinkers like Aristotle, Euclid, and Mo Jing. However, the first photograph created with a pinhole camera was by a Scottish scientist, Sir David Brewster in the 1850s.

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by Maurício Sapata

BECKY RAMOTOWSKI A Pinhole Odyssey

http://palominopinhole.blogspot.com/ USA

“It’s an eclectic mix, sort of like finding a vintage box of photos at a flea market that reach out and tug at you to take them home and piece together the adventure. I like the surprises and subtle nuances of daily living and don’t try to be anything I’m not. I’m just someone who truly enjoys making photos of moments I want to remember of my daily explorations and road trips to Texas and Utah.”

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I’m a freelance writer/photographer and live in New Mexico.

My love for photography began at the age of seven when my parents gave me an Imperial Mark XII for a trip to Disneyland. It was a quirky little camera that I used for years and then upgraded to a manual 35 mm Pentax during high school and often assisted my mother as a newspaper photographer.

I began freelancing in the mid 80s and honed my photography skills as an on-call newspaper photographer. Working in the field and meeting deadlines gave me an instinctual feel for quickly evaluating light and exposure.

My passion for pinhole began about 13 years ago when I hacked my first Holga camera and made a pinhole out of it.

When I developed my first pinhole photos from the converted Holga, I fell in love with the simplicity making an image.

This led to my passion for pinhole, since it allows more creativity in making scenes appear like I imagine them in my head.

I wanted more pinholes, so I started building pinhole boxes out of scrap lumber and discarded and vintage wood. Anything box shaped is also fair game for the beginnings of a pinhole camera.

Whimsical tins I find at thrift stores while I’m traveling are often converted for a one-of-a-kind pinhole memory maker.

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PINHOLE

by MaurĂ­cio Sapata Copy editor: Michael McAllister

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ANALOG WABI-SAB | is a concept in Japanese aesthetics characterized by simplicity, asymmetry or irregularity, unpretentiousness, tranquility, imperfect quality and love of old, weathered objects – all leading to a meditative appreciation of the impermanence and transience of things, with overtones of desolation and solitude. In this regard, it is also closely related to another Japanese concept, mono no aware, which describes a “gentle sadness� for the transience (and beauty) of things. Therefore, Analog Wabi-Sabi is a section which presents analog photography through the wabi-sabi prism and perspective, with particular emphasis on Japanese photography and photographers.

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by Denis Pleić

YUKI AOYAMA amusing delightful world

http://yukiao.jp Japan

“My intention through photographic activities is to change our ordinary life into an amusing delightful world.

The subjects I always choose are those who are close to my life as friends, office workers, high school girls.

Through that, my approach rests on “the photograph persists in enjoying our ordinary life,” and I intend to express my works without forgetting the exciting feeling that I had when I started my photography.”

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Yuki Aoyama was born in Nagoya in 1978, and became interested in photography in his twenties, when, after some serious traveling around the world, he decided to study photography. He graduated in 2005. This is what he says in his artist statement: “My intention through photographic activities is to change our ordinary life into an amusing delightful world.

The subjects I always choose are those who are close to my life as friends, office workers, high school girls.

Through that, my approach rests on “the photograph persists in enjoying our ordinary life,” and I intend to express my works without forgetting the exciting feeling that I had when I started my photography.”

Here is what Mr. Aoyama says about his work: BLUR: Let us start first with the “Solaryman” series. Just to explain to our readers, the term “salaryman” (or “sarariman” in Japanese pronunciation) is a somewhat derogatory term used for Japanese office workers (and businessmen), usually wearing the ubiquitous dark grey or black suit, with briefcase, toiling away in their offices, and usually falling asleep on the trains on their way home... “Solaryman” is a portmanteau word, encompassing “sora” (Japanese for “sky”) and “salaryman” – thus, “salaryman in the sky”...

I must say that I really like your photos of “flying salarymen”: they are a different take on people who are usually perceived as “drones,” cogs in the machinery of

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TETRA | is a section dedicated to a specific type of photography: black and white, square-format images that are recognizable for their minimalism and high aesthetic value, often making use of long exposures. The section name comes from the Greek word for the number four, which symbolizes the four equal sides of the format.

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by Robert Gojević

ANDREY BELKOV Russian Winter

http://www.andreybelkov.com/ Russia

“All works of the series Russian Winter are characterized by minimalism of means and profoundness of content. The simple work expresses bigger meaning. Neglected or destroyed structures, abandoned by people for the sake of a better life appear as a direct rebuke to all of us. Sometimes there is an impression that men not only care what they leave behind, they oppose nature. “

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Introduction Modern urbanization means new cities and new possibilities. People relate to urbanization’s hopes and success, self-actualization and prosperity, happiness of unity with other people. Urbanization forms new psychology of urban priorities and values. But nature is also part of a human being. Cities and nature are inseparable, one from the other as past and future. And for a man, its contribution to the future is inseparable from what he leaves after himself–to descendants, country, town, and world. What is left behind? What do we leave after ourselves?

Summary All works of the series Russian Winter are characterized by minimalism of means and profoundness of content.

The simple work expresses bigger meaning. Neglected or destroyed structures, abandoned by people for the sake of a better life appear as a direct rebuke to all of us. Sometimes there is an impression that men not only care what they leave behind, they oppose nature.

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WIDE | section devoted to promoting landscape photography. This section strives to expand our presentation of these kind of photos, which have been somewhat underrepresented in BLUR magazine in their classical form. Sometimes it seems that landscape photography isn’t very creative because it relies mostly on Nature’s beauty and is, therefore, more technical than artistic. In this section we want to prove that human creativity, indeed, plays a major role in capturing the beauty of Nature in its full glory. Since “landscape photography” is a rather general term, we will try to present various approaches to this genre in this section, regardless of techniques used.

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by Robert Gojević

OLIVIER DU TRÉ Big Sky Country

www.olivierdutre.com Belgium / Canada

“This collection started with my lifetime fascination with weather and summer storms. As a kid, I was the one who stood outside during electrical storms when all other kids where running inside scared.”

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OPEN | section in which we try to widen our horizons by crossing the boundaries of themes we’ve emphasized in BLUR during the past few years. This section will host street, documentary, concert, experimental, and other types of photography, and even photo manipulation. The creative approach is still the most important aspect in choosing photographers, but we will show preference for those who could be described as “different.”

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by Robert Gojević

MARC JANKS Who Are You New York

http://www.whoareyounewyork.tumblr.com USA “Receiving his first camera at 13, Marc has been taking pictures ever since. After graduating from the University of Southern California, he moved to San Francisco to be with the love of his life. He produced a collection called “No Parking,” which explored the culture of parking in San Francisco through deadpan photography. After three years in marketing and freelancing, he and his girlfriend decided to move to New York together. Having grown up shy, Marc grew up to be a pretty outgoing guy. To overcome the last vestiges of his shyness, he took his camera and started snapping pictures of strangers, which was the start of “Who Are You New York.” Marc made the smartest decision of his life and put a ring on it. He will be getting married in San Francisco late next year. ”

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William the Pigeon Handler Washington Square Park - Kodak Portra 160 William ‘fell’ into taking care of pigeons when one flew to him when he was a boy. He takes his pet pigeon to the park to have fun with the other pigeons.

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Two Tourists from Scotland - Fuji 800 ISO This is right after he proposed to her. He kissed her and then played the bag pipe.

OPEN

by Robert Gojević Copy editor: Michael McAllister

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PROEYECT | is a little brother to the PROJECT section. Its purpose is to present mini projects, i.e. sets of photos, which are too few to included under PROJECT, but by their quality, unified theme, and story, deserve collective publication.

Photographers often tell a kind of story through several photos, and this is the place for such stories. The number of photos is not a primary concern, so in this section, we may publish several unrelated stories.

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by Robert Gojević

ELLEN SCHINKE Bloom to fall apart

http://www.behance.net/abstrusa Germany “The series I shot with wonderful alternative model Carlin is about a metaphorical blooming flower and her metamorphose through the year—from life to dying to death to decomposition. It’s supported by the fading colors of the flowers.”

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ELLEN SCHINKE BIO AND PROJECT DESCRIPTION Ellen Schinke, a.k.a., Abstrusa I am originally from Bürgel, a small suburb of Offenbach am Main, near Frankfurt, Germany. I grew up there in a beautiful small house with my parents and older sister.

It all started for me with some design courses and photography courses, which were as much fun as the self-taught drawing lessons during math in school. Then, after I did my A levels, I went to Australia for a year of work and travel. Traveling strengthened my decision to study communication design in Berlin. During my studies I had the opportunity to exhibit some photographs and illustrations as well as joining a photography workshop in New York. During this time I also started shooting fashion for the alternative scene for small labels and shops as well as for magazines. Instead of the usual internships during my studies, I worked as a graphic designer and photographer. Since graduation, I’ve freelanced a lot, including work for an online photography magazine for which I worked as a graphic designer and illustrator.

Since 2012, I’ve worked in the CRM department of a start-up company, and this month I will start working for a new company that sells masks and costumes. My freelance work is usually realized as a family project with my sister Carlin, who works as an alternative model and law student.

Bloom to fall apart The series I shot with wonderful alternative model Carlin is about a metaphorical blooming flower and her metamorphose through the year—from life to dying to death to decomposition.

It’s supported by the fading colors of the flowers The project name is from an O’ Brother song called “Lay down.”

The picture language used is the one of John Millais’ Ophelia: A beautiful woman surrounded by innocent nature condemned to drown.

All of her makeup is painted on digitally by me in Photoshop.

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SHOOT THE FACE Shoot The Face is a new and exciting International Portrait Photography Award. Their mission is to give all photographers the opportunity to showcase their amazing portraits on an international stage. There is an incredible amount of talent out there, both amateur and professional, capturing sensational portraiture from all corners of the globe. They want to see it, and show it to the world. At the start of every month there is a new contest, so grab your camera and start shooting!

As one of the official sponsors, Blur magazine is also participating in this contest as an official judge.

http://shoottheface.com/

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March 2013

INGETJE TADROS Renowned photographer and traveler Ingetje Tadros began her global photographic journey at seventeen. Leaving behind her small hometown of Bleiswijk in the Netherlands, she ambitiously set out to travel the planet. Over the course of 35 years of travel, she has visited more than 45 countries across six continents, all the while capturing striking images of the world’s tribal people, and of lives and places that exist in relative obscurity. Her photography offers the viewer genuine moments of humanity and stunning expressive form. Ingetje has received several Awards and Honourable Mentions and self-published her first book “Tribal Ethiopia” in 2011. Ingetje is a Contributor for Getty Images and Aurora Photos and free lances for The Wideangle. At the moment she lives in Broome, Western Australia.

http://www.ingetjetadros.com

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April 2013

MAHESH BALASUBRAMANIAN My name is Mahesh and I am from Chennai, India based Street Photographer. I started my photography journey in 2008 and took photographs of everything which I felt was beautiful. I shot macro, nature, landscape, etc. but it did not seem to satisfy me much.

I then realized my interest was towards people photography and it soon became a passion. Most of my portraits are taken in the streets of India, with available ambient natural light. I strive to portray their inner heart and soul through the expressions in the eyes. I believe that through the subject’s eyes and expression, one can get a feeling of the person’s emotions, state of mind, happiness or sorrow. It is my goal to make portraits which will connect the viewers and the subjects directly.

http://www.maheshb.com

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May 2013

TOMER MERAV I’m Tomer and I’m a freelance photographer who lives in Israel. My passion for photography started in 2010, when I bought my first camera. I started with landscape photography, but after a while, I realized that street photography, and portraits is what I’m looking for. I enjoyed the challenge of photography in a complex, constantly changing environment open markets, old fashion neighborhoods, busy streets, turned to be the main focus of my work. Now, three years after I got my first camera, I believe that any shot reflects feelings and emotions, and in some cases tells us a life story. As a photographer, I’m always looking forward to take a photo that will create a unique bond among the photo, the viewers, and the story it tells us.

http://tomermerav.500px.com/

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www.blur-magazine.com

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