Needle In the Veins

[ Photo by Brit Worgan - Light in the Gutter ]

Male photographers are credited as the fathers of the medium, but let it be known, women photographers have been around just as long as the process, pre-1900s. Since the medium of photography was introduced in 1839, women have been creating images.

In eighteenth-century Europe, the academies were open to male artists (painters) to train and exhibit their work. But as a blatant denial to women, photography emerged as a form of artistic expression beyond still-life and portraiture. In the nineteenth-century photography became a socially acceptable profession for women, and respected as both bold and remarkable.

Regardless of gender, each photographer brings their own personality to their work. Does an image differ based on the gender of the photographer? After all, don't men and women view the world in different ways? Not necessarily. But personalities can (and will) shape the approach to a documentary.

This past year I started working on my first professional self-funded photo documentary which follows the lives of female strippers working at a rural small town go-go club.

When I first started work on this project I had to set myself up with a game plan; a mission statement. After thoughtful consideration of the lives and subject matter I was going to be documenting, I knew I had a duty to these women to approach this project in a sensitive and unique way. I wanted their stories to rise from the images. I did not want to take on an overly sexual - underlying negative perspective, or the opposite.

For this project to grow legs it had to be open, truthful, and nonjudgmental. With a few serious setbacks along the way, there is still a lot of work to be done. I'm really proud to be behind this project and I'm looking forward to its future. I will be posting updates as this project continues to evolve.

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

[ Photos by Jessica Dimmock - The Ninth Floor]

Documentary photojournalist Jessica Dimmock is someone worth watching. Her work, The Ninth Floor, takes a serious and respectful look inside the lives of heroin addicts unlike ever before.

Propositioned by a drug dealer on the streets of New York, she was invited to tag along and take photos of his trade. As his clients and personal addiction started to unravel before her, Dimmock embarked on a powerful documentary piece.

Dimmock's situational photographs of the intimate and surreal will haunt your mind for days.

Uglified

[Photo from Connors934 on Flickr]

In less than a month I'm going to be in PARIS! Traveling with my gear is always a little nerve racking, and makes security check points a blast.....

Most importantly (all) the gear that's traveling with me.... needs to comes back with me.

Someone at Make had a similar conundrum and made their own theft proof device... check it out

This is ourselves, Under pressure

If you work in the publishing industry, you know

Nothing comes easy.

Everything needs to be your best product; every time. No excuses; your readers don’t want excuses. They want perfect, and they should expect nothing less. No pressure guy.

I feed off of this, as do many who work in editorial or any deadline driven industry. It’s something we can all agree on. There is no such thing as an excuse inside a newsroom, nor should there be.

Example:

If state police block off roadways, preventing you from getting a shot of the fatal car crash that is your page 1 story tomorrow … you better park your car at a gas station, pack up your gear, walk the 2.6 miles uphill through a foot of snow, and get at least 3 different angles before you go back to that newsroom.

Sometimes I wonder to myself, what is worse: the villainous 2.6 mile uphill snow journey or the grizzly despondence in my editor’s eyes if I was to come back with nothing.

the latter always wins.

A medical professional (or, your mom) would tell you it probably isn’t all that healthy to be held to such high expectations every day; you’re bound to fail someone. But it’s something I have learned to live with and it’s good to keep your ego in check. Being a photographer under these pressures makes me a stronger, more courageous, kinder, harder, driven, sassy, calm, appreciative, 23-year-old. And doggone it, people like me.

What do photographers love more than cinematography?

TALKING about cinematography.

Seriously, we get hard-ons for it.

My girlfriend Lindsey and I saw La passion de Jeanne d'Arc for her french film studies class. It's a silent film made in 1928, which in English translates to "The Passion of Joan of Arc". Throughout the years, the feminist pioneer's story has been written in hundreds of books and seen on the silver screen, depicted in many ways.

The cinematography was incredible. The simple lighting, set design, strong use of "the-rule-of-thirds", simple pans, and creative angles had me wide-eyed and note taking.

silent films are kinda awesome, who knew?!

WWKHD?

As a photographer, artist, journalist, queer, female, activist, faced with difficult situations, I ask myself "What would Kathleen Hanna Do?"

The great Jessica Valenti shared with me this interview she recently found on GRITtv with Kathleen Hanna

For those of you who don't know, Kathleen Hanna is: a musician, feminist, activist, three dimensional role model, zine writer, and my personal heroine

While studying photography she worked as a stripper in Olympia, Washington to make ends meet. Her work focused mainly on documenting underground feminism, sexism, and the stark realities of those dying of AIDS. In partnership with a fellow student, the exhibit shed light on what was happening to men, women, and respective queer community members in the late 80's. Before the work could be shown, the schools administration censored the exhibit

.... WWKHD?

Maybe... start her own photo gallery, front several punk-dance-feminist-activist bands, become a significant partner of the third-wave?

Of course! of course.

"Sniffin' Glue"

While I'd wait for my ex-girlfriends band to start their set, I'd sometimes sit in the back of the bands tour van and read the zines she had collected while on tour.

A punk zine is a subculture in and of itself. The underground free press operation of punk music also included punk literature, DIY living, and politically-charged, radical ideology. Written, designed, and pressed by you, me, and some library's photocopier.

I still get pumped, just like I did when I was 16 picking up an issue off of a merch table at a show, to I find a back issue of something when shifting through the freegan market's 'Really Really Free Market' in greenwich village. There's just something about the weathered edges, the off-center typography, that makes it unique and common.

This new video put out by Wired magazine showcases their new slick design template for a digital product. The verdict is still out on several things, such as, how will this translate visually onto a smart phone and how much will this cost?

I'm sure Chris Anderson and Steve Jobs are riding their respective segways' right now to an undisclosed location to geek it out work out those details.

But somethings are meant to be left untouched and kept simple, because sometimes that's just better.