What Manner Of Shooter R U?

Intense?   Photo: © S. Banos

Laid back?    Photo: © S. Banos

No prisoners?    Photo: © S. Banos

From The Hip...

All photos: © S. Banos

If you've never done the ol' Intro Photo 101 exercise of shooting blindly with your camera, you really owe it to yourself to do so- if only to drive home the fact of what pure chance can achieve completely independent of: your vision, your judgment, your personal choices and aesthetics (granted you choose when to pull the trigger). The overwhelmingly vast majority of images will be little more than a mumbled, garbled mass of arbitrary chaos- but also included will be the miraculous frame of serendipitous magic where random bits and pieces of fragmentary imagery amass and congeal into something much greater than the sum of its parts in ways unimagined! A very important lesson for those (like me) who don't crop and like to control every single millimeter of every single image...

Somewhere between complete random chaos and hyper controlled vigilance is the age old act of shooting from the hip- a greater degree of control in that you are actively choosing your subject matter and aiming in the general direction, but the ultimate outcome is still in the hands of the gods of chance and serendipity. Again, most of the results will be far wayward of the mark- too far away, too close, too far to the left, too far to the right, too far up, too far down... But the chances of something coalescing into something that succeeds are considerably greater than if you hadn't taken the shot at all, particularly when raising the camera to eye level would have destroyed whatever spontaneity you were choosing to capture in the first place! Armed with my newly acquired Ricoh GR, I was curious as to what I could achieve doing just that on a recent 3-4 day return to my hometown...

All Photos: © S. Banos

Conclusions: Most attempts did end up courtesy of the Delete button. And on any given day, I'd much rather take a graceful layup (with a chance of three) than the awkward Hail Mary shot from half court (granted, not the best analogy since shooting from the hip does get you in closer- but we are talking percentages). I'm also betting the more one practices and refines the experience, the more keepers one is bound to acquire.

No doubt the percentage of hits would've risen with just a bit more help in the visual guidance dept-  I sincerely hope the next GR takes a page from the Fujifilm X-70 playbook and incorporates a flip screen (after all the X-70 took pretty much everything else from the GR). Yes, it will definitely increase the camera size a tad in depth, but it will also make it a much more formidable street image making machine!

Ricoh GR B&W Conversion

Photo: © S. Banos

Well, it just had to, had to happen- didn't it? It just had to rear it's ugly, uncalled for, utopia dissolving head, and shatter this delightful delusion of unfettered color fantasy, ie- I finally hit upon an image that looks better in B&W, an image that originated in digital color- the day of reckoning had arrived.

Don't even know if this image is a keeper as of yet (in any form), a decision made all the harder since one of the reasons I got this camera was to make images that weren't exactly like my analog photographs. But no doubt it works better in B&W, those bright orange pants and screaming red umbrella (nice as they are) completely detract from the main focal point of the image- the subject's thousand yard stare. So into Elements 9 I descended, messed with the color channels, and... Not bad! Looks kinda decent, due very much to the fact that it's taken in open shade and maybe, just maybe, by ISO 800 lending a certain "granularity." A bit more contrast, and local dodging and burning (interesting how much more B&W files of any kind must be pampered and massaged towards the same end) and it stands up fairly well. Now, do I like it as a whole- and will there be more conversions to follow that will be any the more acceptable (particularly those in direct sunlight)... Or this an evolutionary dead end?

Photo: © S. Banos

The Wonderful World Of Color!

If you'd told me this January that I'd be posting a page of color photographs on my website this spring, I woulda told ya you had a few pixels missing. Cornball jokes aside, in the midst of restoring 40 years of B&W, this was not even a possibility, let alone a consideration- or is that the other way around? Regardless, life is funny sometimes. 

True, last year I did take a few color photos, but that was with full intention of converting to B&W. And it's not just about color, it's about trying to capture those things I've been passing up for many a year with a new medium, a new manner of shooting and a focal length (28mm equivalent) that I haven't used regularly since my twenties. The website photos are people-centric, but I'm enjoying "other stuff" as well, serious or not. I've accustomed myself to seeing the world in a certain way photographically- literally through a certain lens. Not necessarily a bad thing, it helps select and organize the wheat from the chaff, but it can also limit and restrict what and how you see. Even at my age, it does a guy good to: 1) Stop, 2) shake shit around, 3) see what falls out. In that order. Or maybe, I was just waiting for the right tool, or the right excuse- just hope I didn't wait too long...

El Pendejo Donald     Photo: © S. Banos

John and Jane Doe's

Photo: Arne Svenson

Photo: Arne Svenson

I love portraiture and history, both are about trying to get something right that concerns a certain amount of mystery- whether real, or imagined. It's never all that easy, and usually considerably harder than it ever even suggests. How much is ever really known, how much can ever be revealed?

History tries to solve the enigma through exhaustive research, documentation, personal accounts. Portraiture purportedly ties to reveal an inner mystery through overt physical appearance and gesture. Of course, either method concerning either genre is limited in both its scope and its ability to divulge any definitive, meaningful truth. But that never does stop anyone from trying...

Arne Svenson attracted a lot of attention for his essay on anonymous people photographed through the windows of their homes. But he's a lot more than just some perv with a camera as some people would have you think, and once you see his Unspeaking Likeness series, you begin to see the common theme of identity that runs through much of his work. These portraits are more than mere conjecture, they are based on recreations from actual physical evidence- and are probably more accurate in capturing their physical likeness than any photographic portrait is capable of capturing any (living) subject's "inner self."

Painting: Sarah Honan

Sarah Honan's Blink explores much the same ground, except from a painterly perspective, again addressing the mystery of persons unknown- people whose lives and histories have been lost to us, a nameless representation of their likeness all that remains of their earthly wanderings...

Robert Kalman- Portraits Of NYC

Recently, readers at TOP were treated to the work of Robert Kalman; and it's always one of the greatest kicks imaginable to come upon a relative unknown with a body of work that makes one actually stop and look- instead of just scan forever forward as we've become so accustomed in our current digital mindlessness.

Portraiture has always been one of the most difficult of photographic genres, perhaps because it is, in fact, such a collaborative effort. It's significantly easier to go out and make an anonymous landscape or street shot than it is to work together with subject at hand and have two divergent personalities combine to create a "work of art." And popular myths aside, while photographic portraits certainly can't reveal anyone's "soul," they can most definitely lie, deceive and manipulate every bit as much as any photographer or subject- whether intentionally or not; but I digress.

What good portraiture can deliver however, are striking images of individuals that capture our imagination and hold our attention, so much so, that we continue to wonder about the subjects long after we've stopped looking. Kalman's portraits in all their quality (and quantity) do just that, and unlike Avedon, he didn't have to go scouring about In The American West with a van load of assistants to find proper subjects. He does it without an entourage (other than his wife), in his own hometown.

What's that? You don't live in New York? Neither did Peter Feldstein- didn't stop him from shooting The Oxford Project. I make mention of the above, since so many photographers are not exactly privy to exotic locales, and must also work within the confines of (their own) very limited budgets. When all is said and done, it's the resulting images that matter, and fortunately, when it comes to portraiture- interesting subject matter can be had wherever humans can be found.

--------------------------------------------------------------

Unlike back in the day, I no longer need to know every detail of how and why someone shoots the things they do, now I mostly just... look at the work- it's the work that speaks and delivers. Every once in a great while however, I'm still captivated as to why and how someone operates- their motivations, philosophies, strategies, etc; whether it's how someone goes about attempting to photograph history, or how a young photographer goes about making an old tradition current and vital.

 

Intrigued by the hybrid approach and execution of Mr. Kalman's NYC street portraiture, I asked if he would agree to a brief interview, and he was kind enough to consent:

Photo: © Robert Kalman

SB: I suspect you're a native New Yorker. I'm always curious as to how natives perceive their fellow New Yorkers, how "immigrants" come to view their adopted hometown, and how it all relates to how one approaches and interacts with the denizens of Metropolis.

RK: You're correct; I'm a New Yorker. I was born in Manhattan and grew up in Queens (although most Manhattanites don't consider the outer boroughs as part of "The City").  I don't interact with the "denizens of Metropolis" any differently than people anywhere else in the world. I'm simply always on the look out for faces that move me; faces that have a certain quality of presence. I know that New Yorkers have a collective reputation for being cold, abrupt, wary and in a hurry, but my experience of the New York cultural identity has very little of that. Actually, when we stop a person in the street and ask if we can make their picture with a large format camera, rarely are we turned down. We show the person samples of our work, explain that it is an extended project and that we will send them a print. All that makes it a bit easier for them to agree. I find most people are flattered to be asked, and curious about the process. After all, there might be dozens of people passing by, and I've singled you out. (When I refer to "we" as in "we stop people," and "our" work, my wife, Linda, is my assistant. While I'm the one who selects the people I want to photograph, it's Linda who makes the initial approach. That's because it is much less threatening to have a woman do the asking. Plus, since she's from Kansas, she has this gentle mid-western demeanor that people find disarming.) What we've learned from making hundreds and hundreds of portraits in many different countries is that people everywhere are quite willing to share themselves with us and with the camera, as long as we are respectful and genuinely interested in them.

Photo: © Robert Kalman

SB: I noticed (thankfully) that there aren't a lot of overtly smiling faces in most of your portraits- is that a conscious decision?

RK: When you wake up in the morning and look at your face in the mirror, that is your authentic face. People tend to adopt a cheesy mask in front of the camera. When I make a portrait, what I'm after is the face that you typically present to the world, the face that initially drew me to you. So, yes, it's a conscious decision. What I'm after is an experience, for both the sitter and for myself. I want us to publicly connect for the brief, intimate moment we're drawn together. When I'm working with the person in front of the view camera I usually say to them, "Just look at me." Smiling simply isn't a desired or necessary part of the experience.

Photo: © Robert Kalman

SB: What makes you choose the people you do? Is there a certain look you're after with each individual, or are you cool with whatever they choose to present you? How many sheets do you average per individual; do you pretty much know when you've nailed it?

RK: As I said, I'm searching for presence. And the way I know that it's there is through a visceral response; words aren't sufficient to describe the feeling. I just know it. When I make portraits in the street, as a general rule, I only expose two sheets of film. This is something I learned from studying the portrait work of Joel Meyerowitz, who once wrote, "I need only one or two sheets of film and the patience to see it through." This usually works for me; I'm usually pleased with the results. 

Photo: © Robert Kalman

SB: I'm a big fan of including original text from subjects, it can lend so many additional layers of depth and meaning- one needs not look further than Jim Goldberg's landmark Rich And Poor, or Jeffrey Wolin's Written In Memory/Portraits Of The Holocaust. When did you decide to include the written component, and how do you think it adds to the overall strength of the portraits and presentation?

RK: In December 2010 I returned to a village in Nicaragua to do a series of portraits of people I had photographed twenty years before. In addition to making their photographs, I asked them to write about how their lives had changed or remained the same. Eventually, I incorporated their writing alongside their two portraits in a self-published book. I thought the writing created a poignancy and a deeper dimension to the work. Sometime in 2012 I started shooting 8x10 portraits in the street using white seamless as a background rather than my usual practice of incorporating the environment as part of the image. Although I liked the look of a neutral background, it seemed derivative; too much like Richard Avedon's pictures shot in the West in the 1980's. So I decided to move beyond the Avedon look by having the person write a brief autobiographical statement and then fashioning the words and picture into a diptych. At this point the portraits have evolved back to using the environment as background, but I've retained the practice of having the person write something.

For me, the writing alongside the portrait works on a number of levels. Just as the portrait reveals something unique about the person, so does what they choose to reveal about themselves. Lately, the writing prompt is, "So, what's life like for you right now?" It elicits all sorts of deep and intimate responses. Moreover, each person uses the spatial constraint of the single sheet of paper in an idiosyncratic way; the size of their handwriting on the page reveals something about them, as well. When the writing is juxtaposed next to the image, I think it gives the viewer a greater opportunity to build meaning and inference about the person they're looking at.

Because I work with film, and I have to wait to see the result, I make it a practice to wait to read what the person writes until it's time to scan the writing into the computer. This allows me to be open to feelings of delight, surprise or disappointment when I finally read the subject's work. This is similar to what I may feel when I develop the film and view my own work: astonishment, pleasure or distress. Using their words with the portrait essentially makes us collaborators. And I find this extremely energizing.

Photo: © Robert Kalman

SB: What have you learned since you started this particular series, about: life, people, photography (especially in relation to the strengths and limitations of the medium)?

RK: I've learned that people from very different cultures can behave in very similar ways when standing for a portrait. The large format camera is almost like a third person,and its presence makes the experience for the sitter somewhat of an event. Consider for a moment how many photographs of you have been made in your lifetime. How many photographs of yourself can you look at and also recall the experience with the photographer? It’s my hope that years from now, when a person looks at the photo we made together, they'll remember that experience. I think the view camera helps make that happen. There is a physical limitation in  using the big equipment, however. While I can walk about with a 4x5 on a tripod perched off my shoulder and find subjects as we walk along, I have to plant the 8x10 in one spot and wait for people to come to me. Right now, I'm partial to the 8x10 so I'm living with that limit.

Photo: © Robert Kalman

SB: Finally, and forgive me, but I think it a fair question if only because of the current phenomena and the similarity, if only on the most superficial of levels- that is, how would you differentiate your work from say... something called- HONY? I find them one broad universe apart, but would be interested in how you would interpret and analyze the two. I've tried to be fair and not quite so critical, but Stanton's purely feel good, snapshot imagery often seems to undermine and devalue the very strength of the narrative that he is supposedly trying to emphasize. Or perhaps, that is, in fact, the strategy all along- bite sized pieces of occasionally somber narrative balanced by the accompanying happy shots, so that no one walks away thinking too much or feeling too down.

RK: Someone that I photographed recently posted this comment on her Facebook page: “Before there was Humans of New York, there was Robert Kalman, who saw us walking down 6th Ave in the W. Village back in 2009 when I was pregnant with Mariel. He was doing a photo book of interracial couples- would we pose for him?”

Every so often while we're photographing in the street, people ask if we are "Humans of NY." I find this mildly amusing since what Brandon Stanton is trying to accomplish is very different from my outcome. Clearly Stanton has very successfully tapped into an emotional link for people who want to "humanize" New Yorkers. People who appreciate Stanton's work appear willing to set aside their notion of the New York stereotype and make an empathic connection. I think his work is more about  the person's story than their picture. I've seen You Tube clips of Brandon talking about his work and he acknowledges that he's only been shooting portraits for a few years. What seems to drive him is his passion to meet strangers, get at their story and make that story accessible through the Internet. Shooting the portrait seems merely how he breaks the ice so that he can conduct an interview. It's clearly worked out for him; his pictures and stories have great popular appeal.

For me, however, it's the image of a compelling face that matters most, followed by the relationship and experience I have with the sitter. The words that my subjects offer are confined to a limited space and are presented side by side as a diptych with their image. I think having the words displayed in the person's own handwriting creates a gestalt that is more intimate and unique than the HONY design concept. I guess I just have to wait to have the public figure that out so that I can have my work become as widely shown as Mr. Stanton's.

Photo: © Robert Kalman

SB: Has there been any interest from any institutions on the publication or exhibition of your work; a possible Kickstarter drive or the like?

RK: Some of my work has lately come to the attention of a few galleries through contests that I’ve entered, but I'm possibly the oldest emerging photographer on the planet. One of these days someone will be pleased to discover my work and represent me. Until that happens, I just hope people buy my art before I'm dead.

SB: Robert, thank you for the effort involved in creating this window of insight into what is always the work in progress we call "New York City." And I sincerely hope that discerning eyes considerably higher up the food chain will soon recognize and acknowledge your work for its sheer visual merit, and the diverse cultural and historical relevance it so effectively documents and celebrates.

Nelson!

Nelson, our one eyed, man-child of a feline.
Photo: © Lisa Wood

That's right, the rumors you've been hearing are true. We may be turning this into a 24/7 cats only blog on a paid, subscription only basis. Nothing set in stone yet, but it's a revenue rich avenue we've been contemplating for quite some time- stay tuned...

Platon On Snowden; Snowden on NSA

Edward Snowden, Photo: Platon

“They still haven’t fixed their problems. They still have negligent auditing, they still have things going for a walk, and they have no idea where they’re coming from and they have no idea where they’re going,” Snowden said. “And if that’s the case, how can we as the public trust the NSA with all of our information, with all of our private records, the permanent record of our lives?” 

-Edward Snowden

The Most Wanted Man in the World: Behind the Scenes with Edward Snowden from WIRED on Vimeo.

Jacques Sonck- Too Good To Hide...

Photo: Jacques Sonck

Photo: Richard Avedon

Break out the short list of photography's great portraitists and most likely (ie- guaranteed), the name of Jacques Sonck won't be anywhere near it- in fact, chances are no one will even be familiar with the name outside his home country. I know I wasn't until I had the great fortune to see his work on Lens recently. Here's this guy who's been chugging along for decades doing pretty much the same as Richard Avedon- minus the fame, the wall sized prints and celebrity packed exhibits, the entourage of assistants to pick out his subjects and set up his camera...

A "portrait" of humility and under appreciated artistic accomplishment...

Photo: Jacques Sonck

Photo: Jacques Sonck

Photo: Jacques Sonck

Touching Ambiguity- Richard Renaldi

Richard Renaldi: As good as it ever gets!

I usually (usually) steer clear of putting down other people's work- unless it's particularly offensive in some manner. And work that I'm ambivalent about is particularly hazardous, since I'm not sure exactly what I'm conflicted about, let alone how to go about expressing it. Of course, that's the work one should most analyze and discuss since that's the kinda stuff you just may learn something from...

And that's pretty much the way that Richard Renaldi's Touching Strangers strikes me; there are photographs in there that border on transcendent, and others that just leave me cold and feel anywhere from trite to exploitative. Some undoubtedly live off the well composed, feel good, snapshot vibe of Humans of New York; and others feel like everything just gels- emotionally and aesthetically. Well Stan, that's the way strong bodies of portraiture work, you're not gonna like each and every one of 'em. True enough, and lord knows we've all been through the mill as to what portraits can actually "reveal" about anyone, anyway. The problem with Touching Strangers is that there are so many times when I don't even trust my own judgement- is the very premise of its unconventional raison d'etre (photographing complete strangers in such close personal proximity) clouding and prejudicing my judgement? I honestly don't know. Does that mean he has at the very least succeeded as an artist- even if I don't like many of the photographs? Quite likely.

We all know that photographs lie, now we are also forced to deal with the degree of feigned connection and spontaneity these people project because of each other- and these portraits purportedly portray. Or has Renaldi actually managed to both initiate and capture the human bond of interconnectedness lying nascent within us all? Perhaps that seeded sense of ambiguity is why his project works so well- at least on certain levels. And perhaps it is also the gimmick that it so successfully exploits to make us look past it's more obvious weaknesses. Or maybe, maybe I just resent the fact that I have to share in the work here and struggle to make up my mind over and over again about each and every factor, concerning each and every person, in each and every portrait.

Like I said, I'm on the fence about a lotta these- and that ain't gonna clear up anytime soon...

Richard Renaldi- Not quite feeling it (is that the point?)... Are the "failures" also a success? A fail proof project?

Christophe Debon's Character Studies

Photo: Christophe Debon

Recently, I was ranting against the trend of sticking your camera in someone's face to get that so called "gritty street look." Here is someone who is clearly getting very up close and personal, and yet is going for more than just the obvious one trick pony, allowing for a more subtle and nuanced vision.

Most practitioners of street photography also shoot the "much as you can" in focus route. And for good reason, since one is often trying to tie in various aspects of the background into a meaningful composition with the main subject(s)- not to mention, often not having the luxury to accurately focus. Christophe Debon however, even though he is going wide, also opts for a shallow depth of field to really focus on the person* (ie- the portrait) within the composition, provide a more "three dimensional" effect, and allow for a greater sense of physical separation between the subject and his surroundings (which in turn heightens both the contrast and emotional impact between subject and environment).            *takes a second or two to snap into focus on my computer- but well worth the wait...    

 

Photo: Christophe Debon

A simple, yet effective, combination of techniques, one that has no doubt been used before, but (far as I can recall) not with such consistency, and such consistently good results (in this particular genre). It will be interesting to see how his vision develops... and needless to say, it's oh, so nice (oh so very, very nice) to see digital B&W street photography where the highlights are not blown out.

The Photographic Tradition

Photo: Costica Acsinte

Photo: Vanessa Winship

At times, it almost seems as Ms. Winship was channeling Mr. Acsinte. I would love to be so possessed, perhaps it is as much an age old obsession with the Balkans themselves, as it is anything else. But then, as much as I love the portraits they are both so well known for- it's Ms. Winship's 35mm. "street" photography that totally mesmerizes me (see Black Sea Pt. 1 & 2, and A Balkan Journey). It just doesn't get any more magical than that!

Photo: Vanessa Winship

Costica Acsinte- Photographer Extraordinaire

Photo: Costica Acsinte

The ever evolving digital revolution is constantly innovating and improvising new and unique ways to increase the immediacy and plasticity of the photographic medium. One of the things that has seemingly been lost in the process is what photography has done best since its very inception, the very reason it was created; and no matter how fast we disseminate, publish or transform it- the very power of the camera is to capture the present, and that of the photograph (particularly in print), to preserve the past. Digital and the electronic medium has reduced the relevancy of the latter as we glancingly peruse and readily dismiss more and more photographically produced images which each succeeding day. 

 

On increasingly rare occasions however, we are ever so rudely and joyously thrown aback and awakened from our digitally induced stupor when images that are so obviously disconnected from the digital time frenzy are suddenly thrust upon us, demanding not only to be seen, but to be fully savored and contemplated. That is exactly what I encountered upon seeing the work of Costica Acsinte, photography not only from another era, but from a whole other way of looking at and appreciating photography at length. These photographs demand the luxury of your time, the great ones always do....

Photo: Costica Acsinte

This guy was one busy bee, and despite his workmanlike approach, he still managed to somehow produce works that range from the quietly monumental to the outright ephemeral. Unfortunately, many of the images have already been ravaged by improper storage and the effects of time- amazingly, some have actually seem enhanced by the surreal effects caused by that damage. There's many a jewel to be mined in this vast collection, and Cezar Popescu is to be both lauded (and supported) for his dogged one man undertaking at preservation.

I hope there'll be a book coming out of this- what I'd really love is an on demand publishing service which would allow you to publish in book form your own personal favorites of your own choosing! Meantime, think I'll just kick back a few days, take my sweet time, and ponder what those favorites are...

Photo: Costica Acsinte

Forgotten King Of The Selfie

Selfie this, selfie that, with all the articles, posts, rants and raves about selfies- amazing you don't much hear the name of its original and undisputed lord and master. Well before the cell phone, yes, even before the dawn of digital, there was The Ambiguous Ambassador himself-  Tseng Kwong Chi! Unlike today's endless repetitions of nothing much- his were worth the time to look at, and savor...

Tseng Kwong Chi- Sic transit gloria mundi.

Art That Matters...

Neither for money nor fame. Art with a human face...

Apostasy- Jonathan Auch

Photo: Jonathan Auch

As much as I enjoy and encourage the new found interest and participation in "street photography," it also has brought about (quite predictably) a plethora of second and third rate imitations of imitations that can leave a rather vile taste in one's mouth for the entire genre. Yes, anyone with a half decent camera (or less) and a city street with (and sometimes even without) people can play- but like any other 'game,' it sure doesn't insure you're gonna be any good at it. I've been playing my particular version for a few decades and have amassed precious few baubles for the effort.

I've written on Jonathan Auch before, one of the better young street shooters out there now, and that's not to say that I like everything he shoots, or how he shoots it. But I respect the way he continues to push, question, explore; and unlike countless others shooting countless approximations of what they've already seen and somehow hope to recreate, Johnathan has the accomplished eye and reflexes to make striking images come true- and just as amazingly, has the ability to adapt to the subject matter at hand through a variety of styles! One can clearly see glimpses of Gilden, Ackerman, Levenstein and the whole history of street photography reverberating throughout...

A prodigious shooter, it's a joy to see his work continue to branch out and evolve- Jonathan will have his first one man show, Apostasy, on 11/06!

In Xanadu

Photos: Matt Slaby

Drug addiction, its causes, and effects have been a steady source of photographic exploration. I don't find this series by Matt Slaby as compelling as it should be (and probably is), and I tend to love diptychs such as these that incorporate self narratives. But in this case I find myself wanting more than what seems just a quick one-two combination. And I strongly suspect (as alluded to several times previously) that what is actually missing is no less than the power that the photos themselves can invoke in the viewer, particularly from what seem like very evocative portraits- unfortunately reduced to the size of near postage stamps in this online presentation. In other words, can't rightly judge what I can't rightly see...

Russell Frederick

One of the photographers I was most taken with recently in NY was Russell Frederick, who has his work currently on display on the streets of DUMBO as part of the Exploring Brooklyn exhibit that's being shown alongside The Brooklyn Fence. One is immediately struck by the beauty, honesty and directness of Frederick's work. In an age when everyone's looking for the next new gimmick to showcase their portraiture, be it innovative lighting, exotic locale or advanced photoshop skills, Russell sticks to the age old essentials of camera, film and subject. They're all he needs to consistently provide us with stop in your tracks portraiture that make us want to study every detail portrayed in the photograph, and wonder about the subject whose life they reflect.


For the most part his subjects are posed, yet remain very much involved in their everyday lives, aware of the photographer's presence but continued to be engaged in the environment that is so much a part of who they are. And we see them in every situation that life throws our way: the good, the bad, those truly memorable that survive us throughout our years, and those that are momentary, frivolous, lost to us if not for the miracle of the photograph. Frederick gives us reason to pause, focus and reflect at the wonder and challenges of their lives... as well as our own. You can't ask more of any portrait.