Ryan Phillips Blog

Paul just posted his tip on going solo about a shot he took in Morocco.  I wanted to take some time to comment on this particular photo. It has long been one of my favorite shots of his and was even my desktop background image for a while. My love for this shot starts with the man in the image. Sometimes I wonder what it would be like to be him. When I am answering 50 phone calls, emails, skypes and keeping up with blogs, and social networks, designing wire frames and product spec, shooting jobs and doing post-production and trying to complete the endless lists of tasks on my calendar; what would it be like to have none of that? What if my mind was clear? The simplicity of living in a small house, only one job to do with one task at that job; it sounds like a Zen place to be…

Then there is the flip side of that and the harsh reality of slaving away in the pits all day, with the bad smell of leather hides and dye, the poor pay and the resulting living conditions. I start to think about what is going on his head. Is he happy? is he fulfilled? Does he have love? The fact that you can’t see his face makes these thoughts all the more powerful. From corner to corner this photograph has so much to offer. From the richness of the colors, to the composition that moves you through it to the subject himself. What is he really feeling?

I have been a student of Photography my entire life. I study it daily and am fortunate enough to work with some of the most talented artists in the world. My job is my love but sometimes, even I, take it for granted. I have my off days and can get frustrated just like anyone else. I can be angry at the technology in front of me or the pile of work crushing me like a piano. Then I see an image like this that reminds me what I love about Photography in the first place. An image like this that takes me to another place, another time and I lose myself in it. I think of the passion and dedication of the photographer to go take this image so that I might experience it. I think about the land itself and how different one place is to another. I think about the smells and sounds that a silent image can conjure up. But, most of all I think about the subjects themselves, whether happy or sad, cold or tired, the human condition is shared by us all and images like this level the playing field. In a different life I could have been someone else. A billionaire, a teacher, a toll collector or a doctor. Or I could have been a man from Morocco who works is a leather tannery…

I am grateful for Paul for letting me experience an image like this and be able to think about my own life. It help put things in perspective. It helps me see how lucky I am. I have asked Paul to let us sell this image on PurePhoto Collections and hopefully when he gets back from his trip in a few weeks, he will say yes. He is in Greenland, I think, in a small boat somewhere and probably freezing his ass off. At this moment I am glad I am not Paul Souders, it’s 80 degrees and beautiful and I am safe and warm in front of my computer and not on a small boat in the Arctic ocean.

Click Here or the image to see the full story…

I’d like to welcome Romanian photographer Alex Axon to PurePhoto Collections. Alex is a talented young photographer who has racked up numerous awards in his short career including a Gold Medal at last year’s “Romanian Photographer of the Year Awards” in the Fine Art category, Grand Prize at Kaptura Foto contest (Ioan Chirila Awards) as well as The Grand Prize at “The National Salon of Tourism Photography.”

Boat on Danube | Budapest

Click here to view more of Alex’s work and order Fine Art prints for your home on PurePhoto Collections

We have two great new artists to release this week on PurePhoto Collections, the first is Romanian Photographer Alin Popescu. We will be doing a full feature on Alin in a few weeks in our newsletter. If you are not signed up for it, click here to make sure you are. Alin is an great artist and has accomplished so much in the past 4 years since he first picked up a camera. Here are just a few of the highlights and some of his work. To see all of Alin’s wonderful images go to PurePhoto Collections.

2006

• 1 st prize at “Fotogeografica” 10th edition, under patronage of National Geographic Romania
• Grand Prize winner of Microsoft Future Pro Photographer with a net-worth value around 28.000 USD
• Second prize at National Saloon of Tourism “Travel and holidays”
• 2 articles published in Romanian Photomagazine (one about HDR photography and one portfolio presentation)
• Upgraded to Nikon D200, keeping the “old” D70s for Infrared photography after a major modification on camera sensor (did it myself) and thus becoming the first Romanian photographer with a dedicated camera for IR photography

2007

• Nikon buys my “Sunrise over village” photo to appear in their Nikon International Calendar (appeared as March photo in 2009 calendar)
• A new article published in Photomagazine, about IR photography
• winner of photography camp “Sancrai Ecvestru” – equestrian photography
• Third prize and honorable mention at “See Orange” photography contest sponsored by mobile company Orange

2008

• Grand prize winner on “Chivas Regal” photography contest by photographing their 18 y.o Chivas Regal whiskey at its launch in Romania
• Official photographer when Chivas Master Blender Colin Scott launched the 25 y.o Chival Regal whiskey in Romania
• Bronze FIAP (Fédération Internationale de l’Art Photographique) medal on International Saloon of Photography “Premfoto”
• Personal exhibition “It’s almost quiet”
• Photographs accepted at International Saloon of Photography “Dan Mihai Calinescu” under patronage of FIAP and AAFR
• Personal assistant of well-known Romanian photographer Narcis Virgiliu

2009

• Invited to become Established Member of AAFR (Romanian Association of Artist Photographers)
• Silver medal on SIAFRMP 3rd ed. International Photography Contest – under patronage of AAFR and MFZS (Romanian and Hungarian artist photographers associations)
• Upgraded to Nikon D700
• Two articles published on Nikonisti.ro (official Nikon Romania community)
• Third prize at National Saloon of Tourism “Travel and holidays” – Legendary Mountains category
• Gold AAFR medal on 4th ed. of International Saloon of Photography SIAFRMP under patronage of AAFR and MFZS
• First prize at Velvel Live Art party – live fashion photography
• Photographer of the Year for commercial photography and Gold AAFR medal during national contest “Photographer of the Year”

2010

• Honorable Mention on Spider Awards 2010 Black and White photography contest and 3 nominated photographs during ceremony.
• … more to come :

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Photographer of the Week: Danielle Biel
Hello PurePhoto Fans! Today we’re introducing Poire, a print from Danielle Biel, one of the most sought after boudoir photographers in the United States. Boudoir photography celebrates the splendor and grace of the human form. These photographs can range from fully clothed to tasteful nudes but always have a sense of allure and intense beauty. After seeing some of Danielle’s work, you’ll quickly see why she is one of the best. Poire This is an image from Danielle’s  “Ethereal” series – a group of boudoir images shot behind a piece of frosted glass. The series began as an experiment two years ago when Danielle had a custom piece of glass made for her studio. She started shooting women behind it and was immediately grabbed by the sensual shapes it revealed and, more importantly, how much her subjects were willing to open up. The frosted glass gave women the chance to naturally be themselves, have confidence, and explore their sensuality in a level of privacy not offered in traditional boudoir photography. This experiment eventually turned into a regular shooting option for clients and the “Ethereal” project, which explored the essence of womanhood in all forms. Models from the project ranged from 18-60 years old and from all walks of life and ethnicities – some were playmates, some pregnant, and some had just defeated breast cancer. Regardless of their personal situation, everybody left Danielle’s loft with greater esteem and confidence in their body. Literally meaning “pear” in French, Poire perfectly captures the hourglass shape of this woman’s body. It is one of the more abstract images in the series and is at once otherworldly yet natural. Her shape and shadows tell us it is a woman. You feel her sensuality.		Poire by Danielle Biel Available Editions: 8"x12" ($75) – 16"x24" ($125) 20"x30" ($300) – 24"x36" ($500)
She feels beautiful being photographed and we respond to her confidence and the feelings she has while shooting. She is possibly exploring another side of herself – so often tucked away or cast aside – and sharing it with the camera. In this brief moment she is looking inside herself with complete honesty. Poire, along with the rest of the series, encourages us to look inside and be comfortable as we explore every aspect of our bodies and our lives. Danielle Biel: In Her Own Words Danielle says, “Over the years, women have walked through my doors to celebrate so many of their life’s events. I’ve taken photographs of women for soldiers overseas, milestone birthdays from 18-50+, job promotions, anniversary and wedding gifts, and meeting weight loss goals. I’ve also photographed cancer survivors, rape and abuse survivors, people seeking to overcome body dysmorphic disorder, pre- and post-pregnancies, newly divorced, those overcoming illness, and a host of other reasons. Everybody is looking to find the pieces of themselves tucked away – yearning to reclaim hidden elements – and I help them do that through my photography.” Danielle’s work has been published in every major wedding magazine and featured on national television. Her clients fly in from all over the United States to experience her unique take on boudoir photography. More On The Ethereal Project Thirty-five selected images from the “Ethereal” project will be released as a book this fall but before it releases you can purchase an original, collectable print from the series on PurePhoto.
Additional boudoir-inspired prints for sale by Danielle Biel:
More Great Art View our Fine Art, Limited Edition, or Member Galleries to fill your life with more amazing art and make every room in your home or office a personal gallery of things you love. You’ll be glad you did! Looking for a unique gift for a friend? Find one that fits your price range: <$25; <$50; <$100; <$500; <$1000; >$1000.
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PurePhoto is giving you a chance to win a $500 credit good towards the purchase of Fine Art, Limited Edition, or Emerging Artist prints available on PurePhoto Collections. Use this credit to buy an amazing fine art print or makeover a few rooms with collectable prints from some of the top photographers around the globe.

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2. Tell your friends! Post the following links on Facebook or Twitter…or both if you want to increase your odds of winning!

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Enter to win $500 of great art from @PurePhotoTweets. Sign up for the newsletter here http://bit.ly/ppcontest and retweet!

On Facebook:
Enter to win $500 of great art from PurePhoto. Sign up for the newsletter here http://bit.ly/ppcontest and “Like” PurePhoto at facebook.com/purephoto!

You will receive one entry for signing up for the newsletter PLUS one for every time you post the contest promotion on Facebook or Twitter. We must be able to track these posts so only exact copies of the text above will count as an entry.

The contest is running until September 30^th, 2010. The prize will be awarded by October 15^th, 2010 and the winner will be announced on the PurePhoto blog.

There is no limit to the number of entries
so start now and post often!

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I found this great little story over on Apartment Therapy about a couple who lives above an Art Gallery that they run. The article likens them to Herb and Dorothy Vogel. If you are unfamiliar with Herb and Dorothy you should check them out. Herb worked in a post office and Dorothy was a librarian. Together over 40 years they amassed a collection of 4,700 pieces of art from some of the most famous artists in the world…before they were famous! They had paintings strung from the roofs, stuffed under the bed and packed in boxes. They donated the enitre collection to the National Gallery of Art but it could only accept 1000 of the pieces as it had no room for a collection of this size…which fit into the Vogels tiny NYC apartment. They gave the rest away to other musueums and then started filling their tiny apartment again.

Herb and Dorothy a film by Megumi Sasaki was just released to critical acclaim but it almost didn’t happen. Here is what the artist had to say about the film:

“They didn’t articulate why they like this particular artwork, why did they collect a certain artist,” Sasaki says. “The only thing they said was, ‘It’s beautiful. I like it.’ How can I make a film about art collectors who don’t talk about art?”

Sasaki had resigned herself to making a 20-minute short film until an interview with Italian artist Lucio Pozzi convinced her that part of the beauty of the Vogels is that they aren’t so academic about what they like. They act on intuition.

That intuition made them one of the largest and most astute collectors in the New York art scene. Collecting the likes of Christo, Schnabel, Koons, Lichtenstein and hundreds of other world class artists. Those who watched said Herb would just walk up to something and point like a hound. He just new what he liked…and what he liked turned out to be some of the most renowned contemporary art in the world.

Watch the Trailer…

embedded by Embedded Video

YouTube Direkt

We just posted a free video as a little teaser for what is inside the premium content area at PurePhoto.com. This is a simple B&W conversion in Photoshop that requires no advanced knowledge, advanced techniques, or 3rd party plug-ins. It is a quick Desaturate and Contrast bump.

B&W Conversion

Photographer of the Week: Piro Patton
Hole by Piro Patton
Available Limited Editions: 8″x12″ ($50) 16″x24″ ($100) 20″x30″ ($200) 24″x36″ ($500)

Hello PurePhoto Fans!

Piro Patton has been shooting for more than 2 decades. His work has taken him all over the United States and Europe shooting everything from street scenes to commercial work. He began taking photographs in 1990 at the California Institute of the Arts, where he was earning a degree in jazz performance playing the acoustic bass. Patton found himself increasingly in demand for photographic work. 
So, in 2002 he moved to the San Francisco Bay Area and set up a photographic studio, Piro Patton Pictures. Within a few months he was exhibiting at well-known galleries and has been a curator at the Bolinas Museum’s photography gallery since 2004. Patton regularly exhibits his work through out the bay Area and is held in private collections around the U.S.

To the casual observer he might seem to be wondering aimlessly through the city capturing moments at random but when you understand him and his art it is a vastly different story. His street work is bordering on genius, as is the method to his madness. Piro is an accomplished Acoustic Bass player and his work reflects the subtle nuances the way the notes of his bass might sound if they were pictures. His long history of Jazz mimicked in his artwork sets a fast paced shooting style but still displaying great thoughtfulness. What Piro seems to do, especially with Hole, is contrast subjects that may seem ordinary in their own right – like trees and a portal – but when put together make an amazing, thought-provoking image. One could say the same about music, especially Jazz. It’s the act of putting the notes together that makes beautiful music, not the playing of individual notes. His work is a wonderful piece to have in your collection, not just for it’s technical elegance but for the true meaning behind it. The dichotomy between man and nature is evident in most of his work. While thought provoking, it is very subtle. That’s what makes great art; the ability to deliver a message without having to beat you over the head with it.

Behind The Image: Hole (Piro In His Own Words)
Piro describes “Hole as a great metaphor; that both nature and beast can be beautiful. Taking that picture was conscious; if you look at it the other way it doesn’t work. The other way the metaphor is different. Imagine a lonely tree on a highway with trash around it. It is man’s abuse of nature. I’m an optimist and just don’t see things that way. Like music I see everything working together to from a symphony. By themselves the parts of Hole might not make a great photo but the combination of the two is a beautiful marriage. My aim is for you to understand the photograph without talking or thinking too much about it. You get the metaphor even if you are just casually looking.”

He shoots exclusively with a Hassleblad 903swc, an architecture camera with no mirror. It is the perfect tool for this kind of patient work. The lack of mirror means that his camera never “goes dark.” He can wait for all the elements to come into play before he snaps the shutter. It is instantaneously preserved as intended.

Much of Piro’s selected work from the past few years is available in PurePhoto Collections and you can pick up some of his pieces at great prices in our Members Gallery His work is offered in all 3 of our Collections and should be a staple for any new collector.

Additional work by Piro Patton:
More Great Art

View our Fine Art, Limited Edition, or Member Galleries to fill your life with more amazing art and make every room in your home or office a personal gallery of things you love. You’ll be glad you did!

Looking for a unique gift for a friend?
Find one that fits your price range: <$25; <$50; <$100; <$500; <$1000; >$1000.

I am pleased to announce that one of my favorite Photographers and a PurePhoto Master has given us a selection of prints to sell on PurePhoto Collections. Paul Souders has travelled all over the world and his images have been published on every continent. Paul was kind enough to offer 15 pieces he has chosen for us AND to also put them into our members gallery so all can afford to own work from this phenomenal wildlife shooter. Here are a few excerpts from his bio and some images. To see more on Paul and purchase his work, follow this link…

Paul Souders: “For much of my adult life, I have been lucky enough to get paid doing the things I love most. My work as a itinerant travel and wildlife photographer has sent me around the world and across all seven continents.

Over the last two decades, I have had ample opportunity to appreciate the absurdities of life on the road, having once spent 27 memorable hours during my first trip to Kenya digging a bogged safari truck out using only a sauce pan. In addition to my work in Africa, I have traveled extensively in Alaska, Australia, Antarctica and Asia.

I’ve done so many stupid things over my career that it’s hard to keep track. During my brief foray into international news coverage, I got shot at (and missed) in Port-au-Prince, Haiti during election violence there. I was once woken from a sound sleep in Kenya by a pride of lions pawing at my tent, and I have spent 27 memorable hours trying to dig my safari truck out of a swamp using only a sauce pan. On my last trip to Greenland, I slipped while photographing spawning shoals of capelin from some shore rocks, and found myself chest deep in ice water. I shredded my fingers trying to claw my way back out of the ocean before I froze. The time I got my boat stuck in the ice in front of a glacier was good for a laugh, especially when I started hoping between ice floes trying to drag the thing out by hand. Getting chased around in the water and head-butted by whales in Patagonia was diverting, too.

There are a lot of stories I don’t tell my mom.”

Antelope Silhouette | Kenya

Cheetah’s Nap | Kenya

Lunch | Kenya

Deep Blue | Nordenskjold Island