michael wolf

I'm assembling work for my May exhibition and have been looking again at my Streetcar series. Recently I just happened to come across this amazing work by German photographer Michael Wolf.

Wolf grew up in Canada, Europe and the US. He moved to Hong Kong in 1994, where he worked for Stern Magazine for eight years. Since 2001, he has been working on his own projects. He won first prize in the World Press Photo Award Competition in 2005 and then again in 2010.

He has made a lot of work. His focus is on life in huge cities. His projects document the architecture and the culture therein. "Tokyo Compression" is the series that blew me away. Here's how it is described on his website:

"with his most recent series, wolf moves away from the ‘objective’ detachment of his early work to question the role of the photographer within the city. this is perhaps most evident in tokyo compression. in this series, he aims his camera at captive passengers pressed against the windows of the crammed tokyo subway. the density is no longer architectural but human, as commuters fill every available square inch of these subway cars. as with architecture of density wolf uses a ‘no exit’ photographic style, trapping the gaze of the viewer within the frame just as the passengers are unable to escape the confinement of these temporary cells. the images create a sense of discomfort as his victims attempt to squirm out of view or simply close their eyes, wishing the photographer to go away. tokyo compression depicts an urban hell and by hunting down these commuters with his camera, wolf highlights their complete vulnerability to the city at its most extreme."

children with their most prized possessions

"Shot over a period of 18 months, Italian photographer Gabriele Galimberti’s project Toy Stories compiles photos of children from around the world with their prized possesions—their toys. Galimberti explores the universality of being a kid amidst the diversity of the countless corners of the world; saying, 'at their age, they are pretty all much the same; they just want to play.'

But it’s how they play that seemed to differ from country to country. Galimberti found that children in richer countries were more possessive with their toys and that it took time before they allowed him to play with them (which is what he would do pre-shoot before arranging the toys), whereas in poorer countries he found it much easier to quickly interact, even if there were just two or three toys between them.

There were similarites too, especially in the functional and protective powers the toys represented for their proud owners. Across borders, the toys were reflective of the world each child was born into—economic status and daily life affecting the types of toys children found interest in. Toy Stories doesn’t just appeal in its cheerful demeanor, but it really becomes quite the anthropological study."

- by Amanda Gorence from FeatureShoot.com

Bethsaida, Haiti

Botlhe, Botswana

Arafa and Aisha, Zanzibar

Chiwa, Malawi

Julia, Albania

Keynor, Costa Rica

Cun Zi Yi, China

Norden, Morocca

Orly, Texas

Pavel, Ukraine

Stella, Italy

Tangawizi, Kenya

Watcharapom, Thailand

nelson-atkins museum of art

I'm happy to share that the Nelson has acquired these two photographs! This is truly an honor for me.

henry

I am really lucky to have a sweet, soulful grandson who doesn't mind that I want to make pictures of him. In fact, he's been very cooperative.

I made several portraits of Henry on this recent trip to New Orleans, but this is my favorite. He's experiencing some changes in his life now that he has a baby sister. When I took him to the play center he went right for the baby dolls (well, after he played with Thomas, Gordon, James and Toby at the train table) and cared for them with such kindness I was almost brought to tears. He fed them, patted them, burped them, swaddled them and then put them into bed for their naps. He was caring for four babies at one point, and they were all called Clara.

I hear that the next change in store for Henry might be his first haircut.

So I'm glad I was able to capture him with his babies and his long hair on this particular recent morning at the play center.

george

This is my father's caregiver. George has been with Dad for seven years. He's a sweet, loyal and very good man. He's 82 years old.

my father and my son

girls rock!

What better day than International Women's Day to announce that four of the five students who recently received Change the Truth sponsorships for secondary school are female!

The enthusiastic and delighted young women who have just begun first their term at St. Noa Secondary School are, from left to right: Joanne, Nahia, Rose and Fiona. Thanks to the continued and generous support of CTT donors, this bright group of students will now be able to fulfill childhood dreams of attaining higher education. The doors to their future are wide open. Success will require a lot of hard work on their part over the course of the next several years, but I have no doubt that these young women will step up and grab the opportunity by the tail. They are fearless, strong and determined.

Watch out, world!

my mom

This past week would have been my mother's 90th birthday. She passed away in 2005. Each year at this time I think of her and try to imagine what she might be like now had she not fallen terminally ill and died at the age of 82.

In honor of her birthday, I thought I'd share a few pictures I made of her over the years. Anita didn't particularly like having her picture taken, but she was usually a good sport around me simply because she understood that photography was my passion.

c.1960

with my dad and brother, early 60's

1972

c. 1974

with my dad, 1976

with my kids, 1989

1999

2005

rosemary and vincent + helena and jack

This is a great way to end the week!

Hopefully you feel like you know Rosemary and Vincent by now. They were befriended by my pal Anna back in 2009 when she was living and photographing in a small, rural village in southwest Uganda. The two children had no parents and were taking care of their ailing grandmother. Anna contacted me and asked if the children could go live at SMK. The rest is, as they say, history.

This past fall when I was at SMK, Vincent became very ill. You may recall that he had both malaria and pneumonia, and that we had to take him to a nearby clinic for a few days. I was absolutely blown away by the way Rosemary took care of her brother. During that time, I got to know both of them pretty well. I was told by big sis in a hushed but urgent tone that neither had cases for their belongings, no underwear and no school uniforms or shoes.

Remember Helena? She's a young friend of Anna's. She and her little brother Jack decided in 2010 to become best friends and supporters of Rosemary and Vincent. They have been raising money for them ever since. The money helps pay for Rosemary and Vincent's school fees.

And now that money  has gone toward uniforms, shoes, underwear and cases!!

A photo of the the happy siblings arrived in my inbox this morning. Thanks, Melissa, for brightening this gloomy, grey Kansas City morning. And thanks, Helena and Jack, for being the amazing children that you are. I hope one day you'll get to meet your friends from half way around the world. A pizza party would be fun, don't you think?

Rosemary in her village, 2009 (Photo by Anna)

Rosemary and Vincent arrive at SMK, 2009

Helena 

Helena and Jack's collection jar

Rosemary and her friend take care of Vincent in the clinic, September, 2012

Rosemary and Vincent, February 2013

a photo a day

"Taking pictures is savoring life intensely, every hundredth of a second." - Mark Riboud

What fun I've had continuing this project. Now it will have to be on hold until I return to Portland this summer. I did make a few images I'm very happy with.

a photo a day

“You don’t make a photograph just with a camera. You bring to the act of photography all the pictures you have seen, the books you have read, the music you have heard, the people you have loved.”  – Ansel Adams

Still wandering the streets of Portland looking for those moments when, if I'm lucky, all of those things might converge. Adams' sentiment is a lovely one, isn't it?

drawing

I'm dividing my time between photographing and drawing while here in Portland. Not a bad way to spend a few days.

a photograph a day

‎"Stare. It is the way to educate your eye, and more. Stare, pry, listen. Eavesdrop. Die knowing something. You are not here long." - Walker Evans

I'm back in Portland photographing. Here's what I made today.

exhausting and exhilarating

Going through years of work is a daunting task, but one I've undertaken for the sake of the show I'm having in May.

There are images I've always kind of liked but have never printed. There are images that didn't work for me ten years ago that make sense to me now. There are pictures that just needed a little cropping (which I never used to do, but in my older and wiser stage now allow), and there are pictures that suddenly blossom when placed in a new context.

I'm excited and energized and realize once again that I am so lucky to get to do what I love - and that what I love to do - making pictures - is just about the coolest thing on earth.

snow day

From my window today I got to watch a foot of snow fall on the neighborhood.

Kind of a meditative and beautiful thing.

leah

Here is a wonderful article about Leah (Team 6). It is hot off the presses of the Kansas City Jewish Chronicle. So proud of you, Leah!

Read it here.