Issue no. 26

Soura Magazine | Issue 26 - Summer 2009

CONTENT | ISSUE 26 6 soura | issue 26

10 | Julien Coquentin 18 | Arkadius Zagrabski 26 | Mike Shaw 34 | Eleonora Zuin 42 | Michael Najjar 50 | Mike De Lange 58 | Veronique Portal 66 | Architectural Photography 70 | Candid Street Photography 72 | Mapping Dubai 76 | Gardens In The Sky

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JULIEN COQUENTIN

Urban Storyteller

Julien Coquentin was born in an area in the southwest of France 32 years ago. An area adorned by forests, tiny villages with maze-like streets, it was a story-book setting for the ideal childhood. He later discovered the city, and the magic it has to offer.

Julien eventually became a male nurse studying and working in some of the most magical cities, Toulouse, Marseille, Paris and Lyon. He loved the freedom of travelling, and one of his favourite spots to visit was southeast and central Asia.

Crossing a continent, crossing a country, crossing a city…

Later in life, Coquentin discovered photography, and it penetrated him to the core. And in 2007, with more advancement in digital technology, he discovered intense pleasures in the process of looking for a story, then finding the right image to tell it. Coquentin started enjoying extending the photographs with texts, narratives, words of all kinds. He would just roam about in any direction in the cities where he lived, and would just photograph everyday life, thereby rewriting it.

After two years of revelling in photography, as well as the arrival of his daughter, he values photography even more. Every minute is precious, and must be savoured and captured in a photograph. Coquentin works with a digital reflex before modelling his photos with software post-processing. At the moment, his indulgence is playing with colors and textures, creating a universe in small nuances and watching it begin to set form.

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© All Images courtesy of Julien Coquentin

| JULIEN COQUENTIN

Sponsored by

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Crossing a City | JULIEN COQUENTIN

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Sponsored by

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Crossing a City | JULIEN COQUENTIN

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Sponsored by

Crossing a City My photography before any thing is a recreation, an indulgence, a way to tell stories. I prefer often a dark atmosphere with accents of dark tints in my pictures. I am currently working as a nurse, and most of my shifts are at night, so I mainly photograph urban settings at night. Things like alleys and wet pavements. I like strolling in a city that is asleep, and capturing the night-time shadows and furtive silhouettes.

In the case of “Crossing a City “, I saw it unfold in my imagination much like a child’s dream, an urban fairytale. Since January, I have lived in Lyon, in a district called Croix Rousse, which overlooks the city. It’s easy to find many staircases and dark passages here, which makes it an ideal photographic playground for me. And I know how to take advantage of it!

“

I like being very hands on, like getting on the ground and pressing my face to the asphalt to look for my pictures, I like telling stories, the ones that say a little about me.

At night, or towards the end of the day, I prefer using long exposure, playing with the effects of transparency and movement, which to me is magical. I also like using a depth of field to show a silhouette, and I like playing with the shadow, that to me evokes an air of mystery. With “Crossing the City” the latter applies.

In the end I try to take pictures that symbolize my life: simple, and constantly on the move. And if at any random moment in your life you came across a red ball of wool on the ground, stop and take a moment to uncover the story behind it, a story about a city, and a story about beautiful freedom. www.bwiti.odexpo.com

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Crossing a City | JULIEN COQUENTIN

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Sponsored by

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ARKADIUS ZAGRABSKI

Structured Beauty

© All Images courtesy of Arkadius Zagrabski

Light & Time | ARKADIUS ZAGRABSKI

Arkadius Zagrabski was born in 1977 and spent the first four years of his childhood in Bydgoszcz, Poland. Zagrabski’s family then relocated to Germany, and he has been since living in the Dusseldorf area.

Zagrabski spent the first 28 years of his life on a self-exploratory expedition where he tried his hand at many forms of artistic expression and hobbies, but it wasn’t until October of 2006, when the artist was 28 years old, that he uncovered a raw knack he had for photography, an art form in which he found personal strength.

This self-discovery led to a serious professional interest in photography that culminated at the beginning of 2007. Today, Zagrabski admits that photograph is much more than a mere hobby, to the artist, it is an integral part of his life, and of defining who he is. www.arkadiuszagrabski.com

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“Verticals” Series

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Light & Time | ARKADIUS ZAGRABSKI

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Light & Time | ARKADIUS ZAGRABSKI

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Light and Time I love to work with long exposure; this enables me to present the audience with a familiar subject matter but through a different eye and through a unique visual aesthetic composition. The pictures shown here are meant to play with the viewer’s perception of what is generally accepted as the “norm”, to offer an alternate reality rooted in something as unchanging as an architectural structure, and thus, a familiar subject matter may be all together unrecognizable.

Light and time are essential elements to a photographer, they open new paths, and are utilized in things such as advertising photography where tactics using these elements are employed to attract the eye and create appeal.

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The manipulation of light and time in photography allows for the enhancement of such unimportant details that catch the observer’s attention in a way that regular presentation of photography doesn’t.

Before they are presented to viewers or captured on a camera, photographs are first born in a photographer’s mind. To me they are part dramatic motifs, and part harmony and balance of many elements. Various photographers can present the same familiar object, but each with their own personality and unique aesthetic vision.

This presentation of black and white pictures is, in my opinion, the foundation of the attraction of viewer to photograph.

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Light & Time | ARKADIUS ZAGRABSKI

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MIKE SHAW

Finding My Art

As an army brat, Mike Shaw was born in Germany where his father was stationed with the British Army. He travelled extensively during his early years but eventually settled in the United Kingdom after his parents separated. Although Shaw displayed artistic tendencies form an early age, he struggled finding the right medium through which to express himself. Due to financial difficulties, Shaw was unable to study art to further develop his talents and quench his creative yearning; instead, Shaw left school to work, with no formal qualifications.

Later in life he tried his hand at traditional art such as oil on canvas and sculpture, but found he did not have the simple patience to see a project through. Dejected by his apparent lack of commitment, Shaw simply left art behind and carried on with life.

It wasn’t until 2006 that Shaw discovered digital photography. He picked up a cheap, basic camera to see how he would fair, and he immediately fell in love with the medium. It fulfilled all the criteria he needed, namely seeing immediate results of his work. Shaw

© All Images courtesy of Mike Shaw

Losing Myself | MIKE SHAW

went on to invest in better equipment and more editing software and then he discovered the use of HDR editing.

Although at first he struggled with this technology, he persevered, knowing that it had potential if only he could tweak it in a way that it wouldn’t over-process the image. Many hours spent playing with several editing tools began to bear fruit and he found that by combining certain programs he could create HDR tone mapped images that differed from anything else anyone had ever seen.

This also gave his art a very exclusive and unique character.

His work in perfecting post-processing made Shaw look deeper at not only his subjects and the world around him, but at how editing tools can be used to present photography in a completely different way. As a self-taught photographer with no formal training, Shaw continues to endeavour in his desire to learn more, making many mistakes along the way and learning from them, constantly seeking new ways to portray the images he captures.

With an early interest in street photography, Shaw began working with urban/cityscapes and landscapes and found many subjects in that world. Most of his work takes him around his local area, but he has a yearning to travel the world to see how he can apply his process to some of the great landscapes of the world. For the time being, Shaw is still honing his skills, and still learning more about the camera and editing.

“Alone In A City Of Millions” This was down by the famous Liver building in Liverpool on the Pier Head, I wanted to convey what its like living or working in a large city, it seems no one will look or talk to another person and feels threatened if someone was to simply greet them, the Liver Building can be seen on the left of the image.

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Losing Myself | MIKE SHAW

“Too Far From Home” Once again in the back streets of Manchester, there is so much life goining on where most just don’t look.

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“No Rush Hour” Once again Manchester City centre, I love large cities and getting into the underbelly by going off the main routes, to me these back streets are the real beating hearts of the cities.

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Losing Myself | MIKE SHAW

“To The Cavern Club” The back streets of Liverpool, only more famous than most as it leads to the Cavern Club were the Beatles first played to an audience.

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“The Call To Worship” Taken in one of my favourite places, Chester City, the place has retained so much of its character I could wonder around for hours, this is taken from the upper roman rampart looking down on the masses, they reminds me of people of old hurrying to go to church only now they worship at the temple of consumerism.

Losing Myself I’m still new to photography, I only came into it in 2006, and started taking it more seriously in the middle of 2007. I find I’m still getting lost in the technicalities of it. I have, though, found that by simply allowing myself to get lost within it all, opens doors and images I would not have seen before.

I come across images that I find are technically superb but have no life, no soul, they are simply images. I always wanted more, and I always wanted a way to convey to the audience what I feel as much as what I see.

So, I simply allow myself to get lost within the technicalities but also the locations I frequent.

Most of the images I take are within fifty miles of where I live, I never really have any idea what I want to shoot when I head out, except for deciding ahead of time whether I will be shooting urban or landscape, that’s about the only part of the day that will dictate where I go.

I love the big cities, they have so much to offer if you only open your eyes to them.

“

Too many people wander around with their ear pressed to a mobile phone or their eyes scanning the pavements.

Many are not aware of the architecture that makes up where they live and that’s the joy of being a photographer, you view the world in a frame, as if through a view finder, on print.

The details are there, the life is there, it’s simply ours for the taking. I love the scale of the places, the light they produce and the variety of backdrops you can find. It is as though by going

off the beaten track and wandering into the places only few go, do you find the real hearts of the cities. I also love the reaction I get from people when they see me with a camera set up on a tripod, so many try to pretend you’re simply not there, these circumstances can produce some of the best urban shots.

I am frequently asked if I know what I want from an end image, I do, but only at the time of taking the image do I understand what I am looking for, I enjoy that aspect of it, never quiet knowing until the moment you press the shutter.

Most of the work I produce is based on HDR and tone mapping but unlike many other photographers that have now delved into this new technique, it’s not the be all and end all for me, I consider tone mapping as simply the start. I will postedit further sometimes through several different programs/software and plug-ins, this is where I get lost again. Although the technical side of post editing is not something that is beyond me, I don’t work with pre-sets, nor do I save any pre-sets, to do this is to simply condemn your work to the same result time and time again.

I am asked a lot of times how do I achieve the end results I get, and for me that’s always a difficult question. The truth is I’m never entirely too sure. I love to play with editing just to see what I can get; sometimes the images I take tell me what needs to be done. It’s an adventure each time I open a file, because even though I know what I want, I’m never sure of how I’m going to get there. The joy of working in this manner is that you surprise yourself time and time again. www.mikeshawphotography.net

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Losing Myself | MIKE SHAW

“Yin And Yang” A very random shot, ice cream vans, a mainstay of UK culture and visible during the summer, a sad reminder of times gone by as they are becoming rare now, I just liked the way they were parked on this piece of waste land.

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ELEONORA ZUIN

Translating Reality

Eleonora Zuin was born in 1982 in Milan, Italy, where she earned a University degree in English and German translation. She began studying photography in 2004, attending a course where she learned to work in a darkroom, develop film, and make prints.

She also studied photo composition; all basic skills that helped her develop her own identity as a photographer.

© All Images courtesy of Eleonora Zuin

Point of View | ELEONORA ZUIN

representing urban and suburban aspects of the contemporary world – considering them a reflection of our most inner self.

Zuin, who worked on black and white photography at the time, then began joining several photography communities on the web, realizing that exchanging views with other amateur and professional photographers from all over the world was a great opportunity to improve her skills and learn more.

In 2007, Zuin graduated from university with a dissertation based on the translation from English into Italian of three different photography books, each one focused on an important personality in photography: Lewis Carroll (portrait), Dorothea Lange (reportage) and Ansel Adams (landscape). Zuin soon uncovered a link between her passion for photography and her work as a translator, in both cases, Zuin acts like a filter, she observes the world around her then gives back her own vision of it.

Little by little, she moved on from black and white photography and began to direct her attention towards colors, both with analogue (35mm slide films) and digital photography.

She soon developed an attraction to landscape and architecture – both

Zuin’s work was recently published in the Italian edition of the magazine GQ, in a section promoting emerging artists; and one of her photographs, Precious Illusions, was chosen to be used as a cover image of an upcoming Russian novel.

“Stories of dust” Industrial Archaeology series

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Point of View | ELEONORA ZUIN

“Precious illusions” Urban Archaeology series

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Point of View | ELEONORA ZUIN

“Your empty place” Urban Archaeology series

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“Who Killed Moby Dick?”

Industrial Archaeology series

Freedom is the Point of View When I grab a camera, my way of seeing the world totally changes. All my pictures are characterized by a dualism: they are both realistic and imaginative. From a technical point of view, I use post-production, of course, but I never manipulate the subject. I just want my photographs to become something different from what they are commonly supposed to represent. Subjects look the same, but the content is brand-new.

My idea is that any little thing can become the centre of a new vision: it can be extrapolated from its context, and my purpose is to cover it with personal values, meanings and stories. That’s why I love to create diptychs with my images: the association of two (or more) pictures can be considered as a key narrative point. The link between the two images can sometimes be a single object, or colour, or shape. Pictures have no words, but their way of communicating is just as strong. The strength of any visual art is that there’s not an official and standardized interpretation, the viewer is free.

“

The aim of my pictures is to create a parallel dimension, where well-known places and objects lose their connotation, and become reminiscences.

That’s also why at a certain point I started to focus on suburban and abandoned places: a building once full of life, never loses the imprints left by the people who lived, worked, laughed and cried in it.

We’re used to rationalizing abandoned places as the result of human neglect and disregard, but from an artistic viewpoint they represent a lot more. They hide clothes, furniture, machines, even books and calendars. The exploration is always suggestive, and when things are permeated with such traces, it becomes easier to imagine a story.

When I think about my first steps into the world of photography, I also think about the Internet and the numerous artistic communities I’ve been part of.

Getting in touch with people who share your passion is really a turning point: the democracy of these virtual places lies in the continuous communication.

Everyone brings an experience, a technique, and the comparison leads to a never-ending growing curiosity.

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Point of View | ELEONORA ZUIN

“Papercut” Urban Archaeology series

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Netropolis | MICHAEL NAJJAR

MICHAEL NAJJAR Utopia Simulator

One of the central themes of Michael Najjar´s art is the telematic society.

Focusing on key components of a society driven and controlled by computer and information technology, his works reflect contemporary developments and create visions and utopias of future social structures emerging from the impact of new technologies. Projections of the future render old modes of perception obsolete and allow novel ways of seeing.

The fusion of realistic elements with fictitious realities is a recurrent hallmark of his photographic productions and video work, which are composed in thematically focused series. Simulation and hyper-reality are the foundations of Najjar’s art, as he utilizes digital and computer-generated visual elements to fuse and create new forms of imagery. In a time of exponential acceleration and transformation, his work as a media artist attempts to sound out the possibilities inherent within the boundaries of the real.

In 2008, Najjar exhibited his first large retrospective at the Museum of Photography, as well the Museum for Contemporary Art (GEM), both in The Hague, curated by Wim van Sinderen. Najjar’s work was part of the 2006

Venice Biennale’s 10th International Architecture Exhibition; his work was also featured in the 9th Havana Biennale 2006 and Convergence Biennale Beijing 2007. Harald Szeemann exhibited Najjar’s work in 2004 in the “The beauty of failure/the failure of beauty” exhibition at the Joan Miró Foundation in Barcelona.

Najjar has also exhibited at the Museum Ludwig in Cologne; Kunsthalle and Galerie der Gegenwart in Hamburg; Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe and Deichtorhallen - International Museum of Photography, both of which are also in Hamburg; Edith Russ Site for Media Art in Oldenburg; the Federal Foreign Office of Germany in Berlin; the Goethe Institute in New York, the Tuscon Museum of Art in Tucson; the Science Museum in London; the Museum of Contemporary Art in Birmingham; the International Centre for Contemporary Art in Terni; the New Media Art Institute in Amsterdam among many other prestigious international galleries and museums.

Najjar’s work is shown frequently at international art fairs in New York, Miami, London, and Madrid. His work is also collected by many celebrated private collectors and several international museums such as the Museum Ludwig in Cologne, and Deichtorhallen the International House of Photography in Hamburg to name only two from a long list. www.michaelnajjar.com netropolis | new york

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© all images courtesy of Michael Najjar / Bitforms Gallery, New York

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Netropolis | MICHAEL NAJJAR

netropolis | mexico

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netropolis | berlin

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Netropolis | MICHAEL NAJJAR

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netropolis (2003-2006) Berlin. In 1926 Fritz Lang’s movie Metropolis spawned the vision of a futuristic megacity set in the 21st century.

Whilst the all-powerful machine, both power provider and control mechanism, was the central element in Lang’s film, in our times it is primarily visual machines and data streams that set the future shape of the city and turn the urban space into an immaterial image of itself.

The central theme in my art is the telematic society. I deal with the key components of a society driven and controlled by computer and information technology. My works reflect contemporary developments and create visions and utopias of future social structures emerging under the impact of new technologies.

Netropolis treats the future development of the megacity as a locus for spatial and informational densification. Media-drive representation of the city endows it with a virtual dimension that can be entered and experienced from any point at any time.

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In netropolis various panoramic views of the city are taken and superimposed to form a landscape, an abstract and shimmeringly elusive pattern of multilayered relationships.

The works show the real world city as a mapping of the density of the information flows they nurture. This is an understanding that gives rise to a new and totally unprecedented form of imaginary urbanity - netropolis, the city of the future for the digital age.

Netropolis consists of twelve large-scale photo works, a video installation and a 3D photo sculpture. The cities portrayed are Berlin, Dubai, Hong Kong, London, Los Angeles, Mexico City, New York, Paris, Beijing, Sao Paulo, Shanghai and Tokyo. netropolis was first shown in 2006 at the 10th International Architecture Biennial in Venice.

Projections of the future render obsolete old modes of perception and activate novel ways of seeing.

My utopias stand in a relation of direct or inverse analogy to real social space. Their aim is to create fictions grounded in the medical and scientific status quo.

My works are constructs of reality that seek to render an increasingly complex world.

Linkage of realistic elements with fictive reality and fictions are the recurrent hallmarks of my art and video works, which are composed in thematically focussed series. Simulation and hyperreality are the foundations underpinning my art. In the digital montage disparate analogue, digital and computer-generated visual elements fuse to create a new form of imagery. Statement and conjecture, representation and imagination, are united in a single picture.

The camera and computer-aided image processing are the two equally privileged tools of my creative process. In a time of exponential acceleration and transformation, my work as a media artist is an attempt to sound out the possibilities inherent in the real.

netropolis | Dubai

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Netropolis | MICHAEL NAJJAR

netropolis | tokyo

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netropolis | shangahai

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MIKE DE LANGE

A Curious Observer

© All Images courtesy of Mike De Lange

People ... & (their) Things | MIKE DE LANGE

Mike de Lange is a self-taught amateur photographer and resident in Dubai since 2002. Born and raised in South Africa, he obtained a degree in architecture in 1994, practicing architecture ever since and as a partner in an international architectural firm located in Dubai.

Having successfully dabbled in the fine art and bronze sculpture fields since the late 1980’s, and being skilled and experienced in bronze casting foundry work, he found the art of photography to be the most appropriate and instant medium to express his views of the world, all it’s fascinating facets, people, and their things. The costs of serious film photography, however, became restrictive to a young photographer, and it was only since the advent of digital photography, more than 12 years later, that his renewed interest gradually escalated towards a now serious and focussed indulgence. His move to Dubai has also significantly assisted in sharpening and stimulating his renewed focus on the field of photography.

Apart from the many photographic inspirations to be found in Dubai and the UAE, his newfound opportunities to travel to many new, exciting and sometimes obscure destinations has opened up infinite new and varied photographic opportunities and inspirations, previously virtually inaccessible to him due to the relative geographic isolation of South Africa.

Mike is a regular contributor of images and technical advice on a number of international photography websites based in the UK, USA and Australia, and his work is regularly featured on a variety of other websites. A regularly updated collection of his work can further be viewed at www.mikedl.jalbum.net.

The Boilermaker Shop Damascus, Syria

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People ... & (their) Things | MIKE DE LANGE

Demolition Aesthetic Hoi An, Vietnam

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In Case of Emergency ... Radio on Dhow Dubai, U.A.E.

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People ... & (their) Things | MIKE DE LANGE

The Boilermaker Shop Damascus, Syria

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People ... & (their) Things Digital photography is continuously and rapidly evolving. Through the combined and parallel development of digital darkroom technology, I find such modern and powerful post-processing capabilities to be an equally exciting and inspirational process of photography as a modern art form. Despite my work being essentially classified as candid “Street Photography”, which is by definition, the documentation of scenes as found; I remain a great and unashamed supporter of digital manipulation and enhancement. When approaching the art of photography from this perspective, modern digital tools have replaced optical filters, traditional darkrooms, chemical blends and tricks employed by previous masters in the art of darkroom manipulation.

However, there is no substitute for the photographer’s eye, and the ability and technical skill to employ competent in-camera skill to capture any scene in a creative way.

Virtually every person on earth now carries a camera of some sort with them at all times.

Combine this with the internet, and the result is an unprecedented explosion of visual images becoming instantly accessible to wide audiences. It is now more difficult than ever for serious photographers to stand out from the crowds within this modern environment of visual stimulation overload.

Fortunately, there is one very clear distinction for me between the mere recording of a scene or subject (snapshot if you wish), and viewing and capturing the same moment from a different perspective with creativity and technical skill. It is this rather pragmatic belief that inspires me, the break with convention and manipulation of tried and tested photographic rules to capture ordinary, and often overlooked scenes or subjects, in unexpected ways. These qualities are rarely present in snapshot photography.

Unfortunately, few serious photographers can truly lay claim to their photographs being the best in their purest, unenhanced form, and this was as applicable to traditional film-based photography as it is now. Digital sensors cannot capture the same tonal ranges like the human

eye can, and photographers are often left disappointed by the “pure” result of their best efforts for this reason. Post-processing corrects this visual anomaly between the fine perception of the human eye, and the digital capture of the same subject. This makes post-processing a valuable modern tool to present a final image that conveys all the perceived qualities and ambiance of that moment to a viewer.

The majority of my works are focused on people, and (their) things; i.e. the man-made world. I’m personally hardly ever inspired by the genre of nature and associated photography. My photographs are nearly always candid, whether candid portraits of people, man-made objects or street scenes.

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I aspire to capture both the human and his interventions in creative new ways, sometimes applying conventional photographic rules such as composition, but often breaking these rules to enhance the unexpected qualities a different point of view can bring.

I’m intrigued by people left wondering how something ordinary and generally overlooked can become a captivating photographic image, regardless of whether they personally actually like the image or not.

I guess that I have developed a fairly distinctive personal style, which is the combined result of my fascination with capturing “found” subjects, making the best of the available context around it, and a personal post-processing style that I have developed for my final image output. I frequently set myself new projects, whether it is capturing people ... & (their) things ... at a specific travel destination, people ... & (their) things ... at a specific local place or activity, people ... & (without their) things, or, ... (their) things ... after the people had left...

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People ... & (their) Things | MIKE DE LANGE

Street in Damascus Damascus, Syria

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Homes in Damascus Damascus, Syria

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VERONIQUE PORTAL

Just An Imagination

Veronique Portal is a self-taught French photographer who professes to creating images with both her heart and mind, and with no particular technical guidelines or particular influences. Portal did not always know she wanted to become an artist.

Like most kids, she loved to draw and photograph, but spent more time with her nose in a book.

However, Portal often found herself strangely drawn to beautiful images, whether in film, cartoons, in street posters or in print advertisements.

Portal began exploring her interest in photography in 2005 with a small digital camera that she used to shoot black and white pictures of people in Paris streets. Each of these pictures was captured using the available light to highlight the natural tones of the subjects. No filters or additional lighting was used during this time in Portal’s career, just her imagination.

Portal moved on to use a better and more advanced camera in 2007 and was duly helped with digital darkroom tools, thus creating images that are far from the original picture taken.

Right: Autopsy of an Urban Night.

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© All Images courtesy of Veronique Portal

Digital Canvas | VERONIQUE PORTAL

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Digital Canvas | VERONIQUE PORTAL

Nothing Urban Matters I

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Nothing Urban Matters III

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Digital Canvas | VERONIQUE PORTAL

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Digital Canvas I was always mindful that even familiar locations can hold new perspectives. I harbored a fascination for architectural spaces that encompass both solitude as well as human activity. From this standpoint, my work has attempted to explore the relation between imagination and reality in an urban environment.

In my more recent work, I try to convey that the power of suggestion is important in telling stories through pictures.

“

I take liberty in using metaphors in my work; making the image I create a parallel world to the real world.

My secret goal became to create a memory in the mind of the viewer, and to help the viewer uncover a secret visible only to the eye of the insider.

In art, the subject is not always exterior to the artist; sometimes the artist himself or herself is the subject. Some artists explore their art through the self-portrait, sometimes for lack of an accessible model, and sometimes as selfexploration through the body as a medium.

Whatever the reason, a multitude of images can be created from a single model, and that is because is the past few years, photo-manipulation has boomed, giving way to constantly evolving techniques in manipulating images.

Having said that, I would like to divulge my most shameful secret and that is that I have never printed any image I have created; the computer screen remains my only canvas, and provides me with my virtual gallery.

Left: Nothing Urban Matters II

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Digital Canvas | VERONIQUE PORTAL

Rusty Town

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Field Guide | ARCHIRECTURAL PHOTGRAPHY

FIRST STEPS WITH: Artistic Architectural Photography © All Images are courtesy of Alessandro Maggi

By Alessandro Maggi

Architecture, in its various forms, has always been man’s “large scale” art-form of materials and volume.

Looking at how buildings, houses or rooms are designed and realized is much like digging deeper into the ground to understand the geological history of a place. The more you travel around the world or metaphorically back in time, the more different an object as basic as a brick will seem, conveying tales of various societies and different ways of thinking.

Art out of Art Architecture is an art medium of itself, like sculpture, and photography. How can we think of creating new art out of existing art? Wouldn’t that be redundancy?

Nowadays Architecture is considered somehow both a technical process and an Art from. It produces pieces that carry a global experience of necessity and desire.

Quoting the great German architect Ludwig Mies Van Der Rohe, “Architecture is the will of an epoch translated into space”. Just like natural landscapes, you can experience a variety of architectural elements that appear more or less interesting to you, that look completely different depending on the atmospheric conditions and the point of view, or that tell you a story about the place or the people bound to it.

Putting the matter in this way, architecture becomes both an art on its own and a fertile material upon which new art can be thought. The eye of the photographer becomes the means to extract an interpretation, to summarize solid geometries into abstract concepts, to contextualize architectural elements or to isolate them from their context.

General categories To make some order of the subject, it can be helpful to divide architectural photography into two transversal categories: ‘exteriors and interiors’ being the first, and ‘wide and detail’ being the second.

Exterior architectural photography involves architecture viewed from the outside. This is directly related to the

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implicit assumption that the buildings in question do indeed have interiors, but we can also extend the category to every architectural element that doesn’t have any usable inner space like most bridges. However giving a very defined and strict definition of “exterior” in architectural photography may become quite tricky. A good example may be a large porch: would shooting from within it result in exterior or interior photography?

While mostly meaningless, a general guideline on how to resolve this matter is to consider the single photo you’re capturing: will the photo be influenced by the fact that you’re shooting it inside a structure? If that’s the case, you’re probably taking an interior shot; otherwise you’re going for an exterior one (example: if you’re taking a photograph of a doorway inside a porch, the fact that you’re actually inside the porch doesn’t change the purpose of the photo). Acquiring wide shots of exteriors means capturing a large part of the subject, or even the entire subject itself as a whole in the photograph. Capturing a detail on the other hand means isolating a single element or an aspect of the subject, which may be a sculpture, a door, a window, or even a pattern.

In interior architectural photography rules change significantly; and the meanings of “wide” and “detail” often change as well. While the photographer gains much more control of the point of view and perspective, the technical conditions tend to get worse and the lightning from outside becomes often harder to predict (this doesn’t apply when you’re shooting in artificial-only lightning conditions).

When we talk about “interiors” we often assume we’re taking photos inside some sort of building; based on this assumption then, going wide would mean capturing large inner areas such as rooms, stairways, halls, and so on, while chasing the detail would mean isolating a single element or object out of the entire interior structure.

Getting in touch with architecture Most architectural photographers can easily fall prey to famous and appealing architectural structures just like many nature photographers are easily lured by breath-taking sunset views.

This is perfectly normal, but it’s something every photographer interested in making sincere art should try to avoid, or at least keep in perspective. Visiting a foreign country is often an occasion to ponder new architectural styles, this shouldn’t however induce us to only take postcard-like shots, reproducing what others have seen of that place before us. We can indeed dedicate one or two photos to our personal postcards, but a good photographer will search for new ways of looking at old things, providing a fresh take on what millions of people see every day in photos of a particular locale.

Look carefully and understand what you see: these are the two best pieces of advice you can follow to achieve an outstanding photograph.

An easier and less ideal approach comes to hand if you’re shooting digital (or in other words if you can view the photo immediately after capturing it): take the “classic” photo of the place or the instinctual shot that comes to your mind with

the proper settings, and then break the rules.

Experiment with varying angles and settings more times, and after each step go forth in the direction you find more appealing. This may not be the proper way of doing things, but can prove to be a good start. Keep in mind however that this approach has inevitable side-effects: if you can’t see the photo before taking it, you’ll waste a lot of time searching for it; if you’re choosing the right photo by running back and forth to your computer, you’ll waste even more time.

Using the proper equipment As always, the choice of photography equipment depends strictly on the kind of subject you need to portray and on the kind of photo you want to capture. We can however draw some general guidelines of what equipment may be required in typical scenarios.

Exteriors. Shooting from outside often requires focal lengths in the range of wide to telephoto (let’s say, from about 18-20 mm to 150-200 mm), and in the case you’re shooting in daylight or with a tripod you shouldn’t need very fast lenses. There are no must-have filters to use for architectural photos, apart from the usual polarizer when you want to compensate reflections and increase contrast in the sky.

Interiors. Things get a little more difficult when shooting indoors. As mentioned before, lightning conditions are often sub-optimal while shooting interiors, so either a tripod and/or fast lenses are required. Distances are a lot smaller compared to outdoor photography, so you’ll also need

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Field Guide | ARCHIRECTURAL PHOTGRAPHY

extreme wide lenses to capture whole rooms and large spaces if you’re not going for detailsonly photos. If you’re shooting digital these are good reasons to get a full frame body. It may also be worth noting that you’d better avoid using filters indoors since they would only dim further the light that reaches the film/sensor.

Short list of tips & tricks You may want to keep in mind some general words of advice that may prove helpful while you’re on the field: • Capture the mood: Every piece of architecture was intended by its creator to either convey a message or to express a specific mood. Try to understand it and emphasize it choosing the proper framing and settings.

Sometimes you’ll prefer to either underexpose or overexpose to achieve the right effect.

• Find the visual “eye-candy”: Evaluate what the strong points of the architectural structure you’re portraying are and focus on them. If it is geometry for example, then

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change focal lengths, change your point of view, or play with perspective. If it is color, look for the optimal lightning and – if you have a digital camera – boost saturation and contrast.

• Change your point of view: Look all around you, both when you’re taking photos indoors and outdoors. Check the floor, look up, crouch, lie down, and climb up. Don’t ever remain satisfied with the first look you get of a place.

You should also consider “rotating” the frame, sometimes even just looking at something upside-down gives a whole different effect.

• Get farther and use a telephoto lens: Sometimes you just don’t want perspective to get in the way. Compressing the perspective by getting farther and using a telephoto lens may sometimes bring up interesting patterns and unusual effects.

If you can’t get far enough or if you don’t have the proper lens with you, for subjects with limited depth the same effect can be achieved by correcting the perspective later on during digital post processing.

• Keep an eye on the weather: Most places look completely different depending on the weather. If you’re shooting outdoors you may want to pay more visits to the same place with different meteorological conditions (such as clouds and snow) during different seasons of the year.

• Follow light and shadow: As always, photography is about light and shadow, so evaluate which lightning condition would best suit the subject. Remember, however, that if you’re shooting inside/outside a building that is surrounded by buildings of similar height you’ll have few hours of direct sunlight to play with. Choose the timing of your photo-session according to the geographical position of the place.

• Exploit reflective surfaces: Sometimes an original way of seeing a popular place is to look at it from an unusual point of view, but when you’re done trying to crouch and climb and you can’t get higher, what else can you experiment with? Try reflective surfaces, like puddles or windows!

• Include/exclude people: Include people in architectural photos only if they strengthen the mood or concept you’re trying to portray. If they would only complicate the composition distracting the viewer from the main subject you are trying to capture, find the appropriate moment to take the photo without them.

• “Less is only more where more is no good” (F. L. Wright): Don’t pursue minimalism at any cost, but keep focused on the subject. As with people, avoid putting too many details into a photo if they don’t add anything to the meaning.

• Beware of distortion: If you’re not using distortion-free lenses, you may want to spend a couple of minutes at digital postprocessing to correct barrel/pincushion aberrations that would otherwise ruin the perspective and geometry of the photo.

Remember that with architectural photography such problems are much more evident than in every other kind of photography.

Popular themes Some of the most popular subjects in architectural photography are contemporary architecture and abandoned buildings. They somehow incarnate the contrasts between the two opposites of rational minimalism and chaotic complexity, in an ideal tension between the need of a reassuring order and the passion for decaying yet charming remains.

There is also a growing interest in vintagelooking interiors, where the sense of decay is often bound to the human presence giving the subject an introspective accent. These kinds of photos can often be categorized as “dark photos” and in them the architecture and furnishings become other means to express anxious states of mind.

These are all good themes to start with as first steps with architectural photography. Remember however that a photographer should always learn to break the rules and find his/her own interpretation of every subject or theme thus avoiding falling into the “already-seen” clichés.

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Epic Edits | A Photography Resource

CANDID Street Photography

by Brian Auer

Candid street photography, or candid portraits, can be some of the most interesting photos captured in everyday places. Heading out into the crowd with a camera is exhilarating and intimidating at the same time. Great photographic scenes play out on the streets right before your very eyes, but people are quick to recognize the camera and ruin the opportunity. Being covert without being creepy is part of honing your skill in street photography (and quite different from traditional portrait photography).

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DISCLAIMER: I’m not suggesting that anything and everything is either legal or moral in street photography situations. Know the laws and use your best judgment.

I know this is a debated topic among photographers, but the point of this article isn’t to start an argument about the rights and wrongs of candid portraits. The point of this article is to introduce some tips and techniques with photo examples for those of you who are interested in this style of photography — this is by no means a complete guide to street photography, it merely offers a platform from which to start learning.

1. Use A Long Lens If you want a good candid shot, keep a bit of distance from the subject.

Once people are aware of your camera, they’re likely to pay more attention and your chances of getting a true natural shot decrease.

That is not to say you should walk around lugging a 400mm lens, but anything below 85mm or 100mm is going to be fairly close-range. This image was taken with a 105mm on a 1.5x crop sensor — so about the equivalent of 160mm.

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2. Sneak Up From Behind Obviously it’s harder to get a candid shot from the front than from behind, but sometimes you have to take what you can get. If you like the scene and your subject is staring off into the distance, take a shot. Sometimes getting a shot without the face can add a bit of mystery to the photo.

3. Keep Your Ears Open Your eyes are your primary sensor for photography, but keep your ears open too — especially when your face is pressed up against the back of the camera. You can often hear opportunities coming your way, sometimes before you can even see them.

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4. Watch The Benches The hard part of catching a candid portrait is that people are moving, things are passing in front of your view, and your window of opportunity passes quickly. With benches however, you have a place where movement stops, where people just sit, and 5 seconds or less might be all you need. Look for the subjects that are focused on some task, such as feeding birds or reading a paper.

5. Don’t Forget The Background Often it is hard enough to get a good candid shot of the subject, so worrying about the background seems secondary. But if you find a good strong background, prepare your shot and set up the composition, then wait for the subjects to enter the scene.

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6. Sometimes You Just Get Caught If you’re going to take candid photos of people on the streets, be prepared to get caught. Also be prepared for anything from a friendly conversation to unfriendly confrontation to physical assault. You must always be alert to any type of reaction.

7. Get Off The Streets Street photography doesn’t necessarily have to be done on the streets.

Any place where there are people, there will be an opportunity for some candid portraits. So things like public buildings, beaches, parks, etc.

8. Find A Spot And Wait I’ve used this technique from time to time with good results. Find a spot that you like — something with an interesting composition, pattern, or background. Now envision somebody in that scene, or imagine how you would like the photo to look. Get all set up… and wait for it. Somebody will eventually walk into the scene and you’ll get your shot.

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9. Use A Wide Lens Not all portraits need to be up-close and personal. Use a wide lens from time to time and capture more of the surroundings than the person — but use the person as an anchor for the composition.

10. Shoot Group Gatherings & Street Performers If you see a group of people congregating for whatever reason, this is a good chance to mix with the crowd and get up close for some candid shots.

Gatherings can take many forms: drum circles, protests, rallies, parades, etc.

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Street performers are great fun to photograph as well. They expect that people will take their photo during the performance, so you don’t need to worry about irritating them or distracting them. Plus, they act out interesting characters and make for great portraits. Just don’t forget to throw some money their way, after all, why else would they be out there performing for you? © All Images are courtesy of Brian Auer

Brian Auer is a part-time independant photographer residing in San Diego, California. He’s actively engaged in the teaching and exploration of photography and fine art, and he shares his experience through his blog (http://www.epicedits.com).

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Mapping Dubai 7:27am on March 5th 2009 I feel a bit giddy this morning, like a child preparing for summer camp. I just finished checking my backpack, which has my camera equipment and other perceived essentials. I’m nervous. I wonder about the next 24 hours. I am not well rested. I couldn’t sleep. I just lay awake all night looking at the dirty ceiling, thinking about the upcoming day; breathing the stale air. The day is finally here and that most frustrating of times is, not the day before a big event, but the few hours before that big event, that is what I find myself sitting through. I’m not rushed. I’m not panicked, just a touch apprehensive. What am I worried about? Dubai is not friendly to people with cameras. True statement. But that is not it. I am scared to step out of my known universe.

Who knows what will happen. Yes, that is it. I am scared of the unknown.

I check my shoes. I think about my clothes.

Will it be warm? Cold? Now I am simply biding my time and hesitating about opening the door. The air conditioning is humming along.

There is a commercial on TV depicting a local family eating labnah cheese around a dinner table. They are so happy about the cheese. It brings them closer together as a family.

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For me this project is more that, than anything else. It is the process of stepping out while simultaneously stepping into. Pushing oneself out of a place of comfort and forcing oneself into a place of discomfort.

I drift. I am worried about the physical rigor of walking around for 24 hours with my backpack and camera equipment. I am just getting over a herniated disc. Will my body hold up to the rigors of the experience?

Enough. Must get going. I leave my apartment as is. The fluorescent tubes in the kitchen burn. The TV burns. The air conditioning burns. The whole dam thing is on fire.

So, I get into the elevator and press G. As I descend, I look at my image in the mirrors that surround me in this metal mechanical

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box. I need to shave. I wonder for the nth time what the next 24 hours will be like. I’m not sure why it feels as if this thing is going to truly be a burden. For Jiminy Cricket’s sake I’ll just be gone for a day. I’m driving now. That’s it, no turning back. I hope I didn’t forget anything.

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I am a blue-collar artist. For me physical labor coupled with focused thought is integral to the process of discovery which is in turn critical to the process of art making. I need to encounter philosophies at a physical level.

Roberto Lopardo grew up (but didn’t get too tall) in a partially red brick covered, partially pink stucco-covered villa in Brooklyn, New York. Yes he is Italian, which makes him what? He studied the politics of you and the philosophy of them as an undergraduate in the golden wheat fields of Whitman College.

He currently is serving his remaining sentence as the Chair of the Visual Communication Department at the American University in Dubai. In his spare time (inside joke) he teaches photography, video, performance, and for the heck of it courses on installing things.

Roberto’s work deals with the absurd, the demented, the futility and the carelessness of the endeavor. In general he thinks that if all the animals would simply collaborate a bit better, that the planet would have self-combust much earlier than currently scheduled. Also in case you were silently praying it would be, I can confirm that he has exhibited his work (work) in various white rooms throughout this swirling rock of molten lava.

Mapping Dubai Information: Mapping Dubai (from The Urban Project) is a performance piece that began in the Hor Al Anz neighborhood at 9:10am on March 5th and ended in the Al Bada’a neighborhood at 9:10am on March 6th 2009. A photograph was taken approximately every minute throughout the 24-hour performance.

The 1440 images that were created were presented in successive order as a light-box installation. The artist went into the project with an open mind and a good backpack. There were no preconceptions regarding how to cover ground, how much ground to cover, what images to take, or what order to take them in. The environment acted as the catalyst.

These images can be classified as documentary photographs, selfportrait photographs, landscape photographs, or viewed as merely a set of images that provide a record of the artist’s performance.

‘LIFE: People, Places & Patterns’ In ‘Life: People, Places & Patterns’ Mike Ford’s photographs exude mystery, style and confidence as he captures his experience of major cities through his subjective and unique approach to photography.

The series of photographs in this exhibition show a world viewed through a particular lens. Taken on the streets of Bangkok, San Francisco, New York, London, and now here in Dubai, the photographs on display, by a number of artists, play with conventional style and break with commonplace themes. Bold, vibrant and at times playful, the images and their subject matter offer a plethora of visual paradoxes, and are unusual yet familiar. The images on display are intriguing and captivating and turn all expectation on its head, to provide something unexpected and arresting.

The majority of the work, shot by internationally exhibited photographer Mike Ford; is undeniably subjective.

Observing Ford’s work is a vicarious experience that allows the viewer to see through Ford’s eyes into another world. And what the observer sees is subject matter enshrouded in mystery, and beautifully woven pieces that re-interpret various aspects of life. Critically acclaimed, and with a long-standing and well known background as an international photographer, with previous exhibitions held in France, London and San Francisco; Mike’s work is cutting edge and universally appealing. This exclusive collection, shown for the very first time in Dubai in April, formed the core of UNITED ART’s debut exhibition.

The exhibition was the launching platform for the UNITED ART brand, and was the first of a series of bi-annual shows from a global collective of artists, all represented by the company. The theme for this display was “LIFE: People, Places and Patterns” which covered portraits, landscapes and abstract works. All of the works are for sale and are either original artworks, or part of limited edition print runs. For purchase, please email Simon Clough on info@unitedart.biz or log on to United Art website: www.unitedart.biz

Burj Dubai. This is one of my nice ‘surprise-finds’. Of course I had seen the building from various drives around the city, but that Sunday morning when I left the apartment for my taxi ride to the Burj, I was not at all prepared for the view that I found when I rounded the corner of The Address Hotel. It was indeed a wonderful surprise-find at 6.30am.

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© All Images are courtesy of United Art.

Local Events | Mike Ford

Mike Ford Mike Ford found his artistic passion and vision when a career change took him from Yorkshire to London in the 1970’s. For five years he travelled the world as assistant to the celebrated fashion photographer Robert Belton, and Ford regards this time as an awakening; his stimulus to produce striking commercial images. After leaving London, Ford joined a daily newspaper and his experiences as a press photographer resulted in a desire to capture an arresting image efficiently and without a ‘fuss’. He continues this working method to this day. In 2001, Ford moved to the South of France to semi-retire, this gave him time to travel and explore photography on a personal level rather than on a commercial level. He says,

Seniors

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I am fascinated by the interplay between color and tone, the relationship between a person and the space they occupy at any given moment.

Mike Ford was born to take images, but admits the he, “knows very little about cameras”. Ask Ford about F stops and ISO and his eyes glaze over, but ask him about an image in particular and he will tell you the ‘story’ of how that image was born. Many of his shots are created in seconds, coming from his very original way of looking at life in today’s world. Ford echoes the feelings of his hero, the wonderful Henri CartierBresson, who said, “I take an image and think of it only for a few seconds, then I move on to hunt the next image.”

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Ford has previously exhibited at the Geras Tousignant Gallery and Spectrum in San Francisco, USA, and numerous other galleries close to his home in France.

More of Ford’s work is touring exhibitions that are planned for London, Dubai and Australia in 2009.

In 2008, Ford completed his first television documentary film ‘Jack and Doreen’s Story’ on location in Australia, Hong Kong and the UK. Plans are for the film to be broadcast sometime during 2009.

Challenge

Seniors. These are three old ladies sitting watching the world go by in Hastings, UK. I had seen them sitting on the bench but it was a very uninteresting shot from street level, so I climbed on a wall behind their seat to capture them looking out.

They never noticed me and maybe to this day they are still unaware of the chap that was one day clambering about above them!

Snap

Big Yellow Taxi. This photo was taken in China Town, San Francisco. I love ‘sets’ of items, colors, and people, this was one of them. I saw the crossing and it made me think of the yellow San Francisco taxis, and the rest was easy.

I just waited for the right taxi to come along and tried to not get run over!

Challenge. This frail old lady was waiting at the bottom of a very steep San Francisco hill for ages and I watched and wondered if she would attempt the climb, but after a while she wandered into the centre of the road and caught a tram. I think I was as relieved as she was!

Snap. This is a street crossing in Spain (Altea I think), another one of my ‘sets’. The lady was a little taken aback seeing me walk toward her on the crossing holding the camera about a foot above my head but pointing it forward, but all was well.. I didn’t get arrested and she was safe.

The image tells it’s own story.

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Featured Article | Green Rooftops

Gardens In The Sky The Phenomenon of Urban Green Rooftops

by Nahla Samaha

King Nebuchadnezzar II, ruler of Babylon almost 600 years before Christianity was an architectural innovator ahead of his time. His Persian wife Amytis of Media yearned for the flora of her homeland. In her state of illness, she longed for the tall trees, lush plants, and sweet fragrances of flowers to remind her of home. And like any true romantic tale, her desire, was his command. And so, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon were built to soothe the queen’s aching heart.

Although the gardens existed one day in Al Hillah (Babel, Iraq), they are no longer there as a testament to the King’s vision of a marriage between concrete and forest, between construction and agriculture.

The gardens were destroyed after several earthquakes affected the region in the 2nd Century BC. Today however, his legacy lives on. And not purely to appease a lover’s longing for home, but to appease a planet’s suffering due to environmental damage. The modernday Babylon is the urban green rooftop.

Not ‘Green’ as in just manufactured from recycled material, or ‘Green’ as in made from energy-saving materials, no, ‘Green’ as in alive… a living roof. And these living roofs do lot more than just breathe!

It was in more recent years that the urban green rooftop trend emerged in Germany. In the 1970s, Germany’s aging sewer system began to give way under a rapidly expanding population; many initiatives to install grassy rooftops were taken in an effort to prevent storm water from overwhelming the sewer systems. From that point on, the idea flourished and today, approximately 14% of Germany’s total urban rooftops are green.

The grassy rooftop movement is said to grow about 10% per year, and some German cities impose a “rain tax” on non-green (asphalt) rooftops. The trend has caught on throughout Europe, North America, Australia, and Japan among other countries.

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Green rooftops are made of, well, primarily plants. A water-proof membrane is topped with a root barrier, a drainage layer, and then a variety of plants, grasses, shrubs, or cactus.

This is a new twist on an old technology that has been around for millennia. In Scandinavia and Iceland, natives used sod on their roofs as insulation, especially in barren environments. In several countries like Tanzania, it is common to live in a mud-hut with a grass roof! And in North America, early settlers used sod to insulate their walls and prairie grass to cover their roofs.

Today, in an increasingly uncertain environmental future, an unpredictable climate, and a fear of fatal global warming effects, green rooftops help combat some of the issues that arise from our impact on the planet’s health.

A green rooftop in an urban area acts as a miniature air cooling system, reducing the city heat and air pollution. These roofs also act as extra insulation trapping in heat in the winter, reducing the reliance on heating systems, thus reducing energy consumption. The gardens also help dramatically decrease the rate of storm water runoff. Why is that important? Well, because we live in a world made of impermeable materials: asphalt and concrete. And in large cities rain pours into drainage pipes which empty into sewage systems. And since most sewage systems are not updated too frequently, too much water at a rapid rate can cause these systems to explode, leading to raw sewage leakage. The water that is not absorbed by the vegetated rooftops however carries in it fewer pollutants, because the soil of green rooftops acts as an absorbent filter.

Green rooftops also combat what is known as the ‘urban heat island effect’. Essentially, what that means is that urban areas are usually warmer than their surrounding areas.

Sometimes up to 4 degrees Celsius. Grassy roofs cool the surrounding air while decreasing

© Image Jeff McAfee

the levels of greenhouse gas (carbon dioxide) as well as other air pollutants.

They offer sanctuary to birds and other small animals being driven out of cemented cities with no habitat to reside in. And in their simplest of practical purposes, green rooftops are beautiful oases in an urban jungle for people to enjoy.

Michigan State University in Michigan, U.S., is home to a green roof research program. The program was initially put in place to make the 10.4 acre rooftop of Ford Motor Company’s Dearborn, Michigan assembly plant green and grassy. Brad Rowe, Associate Professor of Horticulture at MSU says, “When we first started doing this, no one had a clue what we were doing but now that’s changed. I think people are learning that when you’re building a building, it doesn’t have to have a roof that’s inert or not alive. Why not try to replace it with the plant life that was there, your ecological footprint as you look down on it?”

If you are interested in ‘roofscaping’, there are several companies that can be found online that turn the urban jungle to concrete forms crowned with gardens of hope. Utilizing artificial spaces to create environmental solutions is the new trend of a world that is becoming more and more environmentally conscientious, and more and more environmentally responsible.

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© Image Mark Mahaney; www.markmahaney.com

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