Photo by Devin Yalkin
Archive for the 'Documentary' Category
rOsa
Published September 27, 2010 Documentary , Photo Of The Day , Photography , Photojournalism Leave a CommentTags: Devin Yalkin
Photo by Devin Yalkin
Celebrity and Paparazzo Team Up for Documentary
Published September 25, 2010 Documentary , Photography Leave a CommentTags: Adrian Grenier, Austin Visschedyk, paparazzi, Teenage Paparazzo
It seems a little incongruous that an actor who tries to come off as above the fray of celebrity tabloid culture would make a documentary on a paparazzo. But “Entourage” star Adrian Grenier addresses that in the “Teenage Paparazzo” trailer – he’s trying to “make sense of this insane celebrity world” through a 13-year-old LA-based photographer named Austin Visschedyk.
I’m not sure if the documentary accomplishes that, or answers the better question of “Where is this kid’s mother?!!?”, but the self-serious Grenier goes to the front lines of the tabloid photography culture — and gets interviews with the biggest paparazzi tip-off artists out there, Lindsay Lohan and Paris Hilton. Austin says he’s out there, like, 17 hours a day and wonders if the paparazzi will target him after the film comes out. (Uh…no.)
In an interview on Huffington Post, Grenier actually says, “I think my movie will mark the end of the hyper-tabloid era.” And that doesn’t seem to be tongue in cheek.
If you think you can stomach it, “Teenage Paparazzo” debuts on HBO on September 27 at 9 pm.
Street Photography: Documenting the Human Condition – Part 3
Published September 24, 2010 Documentary , Photography , Street photography 1 CommentTags: Scott Weeks
As promised, here is the final part of Scott Weeks’ street photography video.
Street Photography: Documenting the Human Condition – Part 2
Published September 23, 2010 Documentary , Photography , Street photography 8 CommentsTags: chris Weeks
Part three will be posted tomorrow.
If you haven’t seen part one click here.
Jessica
Published September 23, 2010 Documentary , Photo Of The Day , Photography , Photojournalism , Street photography Leave a CommentTags: hollywood, Jessica, Los Angeles, shawn nee
Photo by Shawn Nee / discarted
Street Photography: Documenting the Human Condition – Part 1
Published September 22, 2010 Documentary , Photography , Street photography 1 CommentTags: chris Weeks
Stay tuned for parts two and three, which will be posted tomorrow and Friday.
But if you can’t wait until then, check out Chris Weeks’ Vimeo page.
Engaged Observers at the Getty
Published September 22, 2010 Documentary , Exhibit , Photography Leave a CommentTags: Engaged Observers, Getty
Photo Courtesy of Mary Ellen Mark
The Getty Museum is one of the most awesome locations in LA, but it’s more heralded for the architecture and views than the collections, truth be told. But the current exhibit, “Engaged Observers: Documentary Photography Since the Sixties,” makes a trip there definitely worth the while. Featured photographers include titans of the genre — Philip Jones Griffiths, Leonard Freed, W. Eugene and Aileen M. Smith, Susan Meiselas, Mary Ellen Mark (an all-time favorite), Lauren Greenfield, Larry Towell, Sebastião Salgado and James Nachtwey.
From Brett Abbott, associate curator of photography at the Getty, in an interview with the Stockland Martel blog:
While certainly not comprehensive, the final group of nine essays is meant to be diverse (in subject matter, approach, medium, and date) so as to map the boundaries, developments, and goals of the tradition over the course of about 50 years.
The exhibit runs until November 14, 2010.
Famed Photographer’s Double Life
Published September 19, 2010 Documentary , Photography , Photojournalism 1 CommentTags: civil rights, Ernest Withers, FBI, informant, photographer
The Commercial Appeal in Memphis dropped a bombshell this week – that famed civil rights photographer Ernest Withers was also working for the FBI as a paid informant. Many people, including Withers’ family, expressed shock that the photographer could have been at the same time documenting the black community’s struggle and helping the government keep tabs on it. The Appeal was able to obtain more than 7,000 pages of documents that outlined Withers’ work for the FBI in the 1960s, including handing over photos and names of people involved in protest activities.
Known as the “original civil rights photographer,” Withers was on the front lines during some of the era’s seminal events, including the Emmett Till trial, the integration of Ole Miss and Martin Luther King’s assassination.
Withers’ actions are infuriating. As documentary photographers, we all know how difficult it is to earn someone’s trust and be allowed entry into their private lives. We are privileged when that happens. But when someone like Withers comes along, his behavior casts a looming shadow of distrust over all of us. If Withers were alive today he should be expelled from the profession and marked with a scarlet I—for informant. That way, everyone would know how much of a disgrace he his, despite his fascinating work.
On a personal note, a few years ago I was on Sunset Boulevard and an LAPD officer asked me what I knew about some people I was photographing and if there was anything I would like to share with him. I told him I didn’t know anything. The cop then let out this dismissive chuckle and said, “Oh yeah?”, knowing that what I just said was absolutely not true. That’s all I said and walked away. Like most documentary photographers, I would never betray the people I photograph.
Articles from Commercial Appeal and AP
Tattoos By David
Published September 17, 2010 Documentary , Photo Of The Day , Photography , Photojournalism Leave a Comment
Photo by Shawn Nee / discarted
You a Sneakin’ Mutha…
Published August 30, 2010 Documentary , Photographers' Rights , Photojournalism , Street photography 10 CommentsTags: discarted, documentary photography, hollywood, homeless, photography, poverty, shawn nee
I sit in the driver’s seat of William’s truck as rush hour traffic collects just below us on the 101 freeway. It’s August and sweat collects on the back of my neck and arms as the first significant heat wave brings triple digits to Los Angeles. It’s so hot out that if you look at the pavement long enough, you can see the shadows of invisible nuclear vapors slithering across the sidewalk.
I’m bored and even more depressed, but can’t stop myself from coming here. I think about all of the things I’ve fucked up in my life. I think about my family that I’ve been away from for almost a decade. I think about my ex-girlfriend. I think about leaving L.A., so I can see my family and ex-girlfriend. I think about this prostitute I wanna photograph.
And then a cockroach pokes its body out from in between the bent pages of an 18 magazine that’s been dumped on the dashboard. It’s female and carrying eggs. I think about crushing it with my hand, but it zigzags across a collection of odd items and junk and then crawls into an empty Shasta can before I can make a decision. Growing up people would often say that a cockroach could survive the aftermath of an atomic bomb, but in Los Angeles, when you wake up in morning you can find dozens of them dead on the sidewalk.
I sit in the driver’s seat of William’s truck watching them, waiting for something to happen.
Me: That doesn’t hurt?
William: Fifteen yars locked up, whadda you think?
CLICK.
Joe: Ooh there he go again with that camera…sneakin’ mutha fucka takin’ my picture! Right when I’m takin’ a drink too! You a sneakin’ MUTHA FUCKA!
Williams shitty plastic razor scrapes across his neck. A drop of blood pokes through his skin.
Joe: WILLIAM! How come you don’t ever let me sit in the truck, but you let h-i-m?
Joe takes another big drink, consuming what’s left of his 211. He looks at me.
Joe: You still my boy.
Joe raises a tightened fist and pushes his arm through the driver’s window. I reciprocate and press my knuckles against a collection of open sores and wonder what diseases he might have.
The thought passes and the day drags on.
boywithgrenade.org 