Modernist Cuisine

I love food AND I love photography. So artful photographs of food, like these of a new cookbook by scientist Nathan Myhrvold, combine the things I love.

Photos of Beloved Objects

Here's an interesting item from the NY Times and a great idea for a photo project; recording beloved objects. I've seen some kid's treasures and favorite toys that were worn and used to almost unrecognizable objects. I also see a little humor in the title of the article... Those objects better be beloved if you are going to spend more than $500 for the photograph!

READING: Current Research in Digital Photography

Here's a brief NY Times article about some of the leading research in digital photography. Since the megapixel race for large sensors appears to be over, most of the effort is on the processing side, which is called computational photography.

For example, there are efforts at MIT using laser pulses to calculate, model and record the 3d geometry of subjects like a room. Stanford is working on processing multiple images and "re-focusing" the still image after it has been recorded.

Another direction for researchers is the open source software model so that any software developer can use and contribute applications which control the camera's functions. Using open source software, a student programmer at Stanford has developed an application which can direct you to the exact location, position, and angle that was used for a given photo.

READING: Photographing Autism

Here's a short NY Times article about a father and son who use photography to build bonds between them and document the boys autism. The story and the photos are touching. Some readers left comments saying that the father is exploiting the condition of his son by publishing these photos and a book. What do you think?

READING: Emotional Sports Photography

At it's core, sports is about raw physical effort and intense emotions. I love how this photo conveys the friendship, respect and admiration these famous players had at the peak of their ability. Read the New York Times story to learn more about the photo and the photographer (John Varley).

READING: Framing the American Landscape by Car

The New Yorker magazine and the New York Times recently published reviews of the Lee Friendlander's "America By Car" exhibit at the Whitney Museum. How do the reviews compare? Is using the car window a gimmick? Do you like the images?

 

How does Friedlander's work compare to Oscar Fernando Gomez (a younger Mexican photographer)?

 

READING: Incidental, Personal, Abstract Photography: Is it for Everyone?

New York Times Lens Blog looks at web sharing of photos which are personal, incidental and often very abstract. These photos are taken by Sasha Frere-Jones with a cell phone camera on a whim and without pre-conception. Do you like them? Do you take photos like these? Are they interesting? Would you call them art?

READING: Challenges of Video Journalism

Great article from a video journalist for the NY Times describing the challenges of dealing with the multimedia elements of a story.

INFO: Getting the Big Picture - Print Services for Large Photos

The New York Times recently published an article featuring several services that provide very large photographic prints. Some of these are quite affordable and could make for an interesting art project. These include fabrics, wall coverings, large decals, and wallpaper.

READING: Self Portraits in the Social Networking Age

Some interesting results about which portraits are considered most successful for social networking uses are described in this NY Times article. Don't forget to smile!

READING: NY Times Review of Corcoran Muybridge Exhibit

The New York Times provides a nice overview of Muybridge's life and a recent show at the Corcoran Gallery in Washington DC.

Nature photos on display in the wild

A New York Times Lens article on nature photos of Iceland on display in the wild.

It would be so cool to display large photo prints like this outdoors on the Menlo School quad...

2010 Pulitzer Prizes for Photography

See the 2010 winners at the New York Times web site.

Scale Model Photography

I really enjoyed reading the NY Times article about this man's passion for building miniature sets of buildings and cars, and photographing them against real backgrounds. I think the results are mesmerizing.

One in 8 Million

I love the New York Times One in 8 Million series of audio slide shows. It features wonderful photos, short engaging stories, which are told by real New Yorkers.







The creators answer questions from the public and talk about the process of production.

Photoshop: When is it real?

New York Times columnist, David Pogue, explores the idea of what a "real" photo is in the age of Photoshop. This is in response to a recent Popular Photography reader's contest where manipulated landscape images of a lighthouse and a motorcycle rider won top awards.

Polaroid Treasures To Get Auctioned for Millions

Part of the Polaroid archives which contains some historic images are being sold off. Like this Hockney collage for example.  See the full story at the New York Times.