On these gravel township streets…
Archive for the ‘PHOTOGRAPHY’ Category
Africa
Friday, January 21st, 20112011.01.01.
Saturday, January 1st, 20112010 was a year littered with a number of wake-up calls. 2011 will be different. My photography is going to be different. More ‘Yaweh’, less ‘vampire’.
Here’s my personal favourite image from 2010. More to come on this series later…
Happy New Year.
untitled, 2009.
Saturday, December 11th, 2010Contemplation, memory, reflection, past…
Untitled, 2009.
Taken in South Africa, during a return visit, in a small town, in the back room. 2009.
Expanse…
Wednesday, December 8th, 2010
Australia
The book entitled 1000 Places to see before you die suprisingly suggests only a handful of of places to vist in Western Australia. Margaret River wine region & surrounds is on that list.
So recently after an unexpectedly pleasant (albeit slightly expensive encounter) at Leeuwin Wine Estate , I started to appreciate the landscape in a new way. Not having travelled to this area before but knowing that December gets hot, I was feeling expectant for a good afternoon’s shooting when the temperature dropped and the rain clouds moved in.
Just out, beyond the neatly clipped vineyards, the Australian landscape started to present itself. Scale, colour, mood, structure, texture, shadow and light. 1/400th f10.0 ISO 200.
[ untitled ]
Tuesday, December 7th, 2010
What makes a good photograph? A little discussion going on here …
Elevation 3,842 m (12,605 ft)
Sunday, November 28th, 2010Suspended in mid air [Coordinates 45° 52′ 43″ N, 6° 53′ 14″ E]
Holding the title of highest vertical ascent cable car in the world, the two-section journey to Aiguille Du Midi is guaranteed to induce a slight tingling sensation. Launching from the picturesque town of Chamonix, in the heart of the French Alps, one ascends through some of the most beautiful scenery in Europe, reaching Piton Nord and the 360° platform at the summit of Aiguille Du Midi.
After a strong coffee, the potential onset of slight shortness of breath and an altitude induced headache, you can choose to board a much smaller cable car, roughly the size of a helicopter cockpit and travel horizontally to Helbronner at an elevation of 3,466m. Weather permitting this section of the journey offers spectacular views over the Valley Blanche and the Der Mer Glacier far below. Reaching Helbronner platform at the Italian border you may be rewarded with the most spectacular panoramas into Italy. Or maybe not…the mountainous weather changes with phenomenal speed, clouds, mist and rain able to render the cable car stationary at any time.
Photographically somewhere between ‘tourist snap’ and documentary black and white; the approach was simple: to capture the feeling of the journey. The ‘trophy view’ of the Mont Blanc summit being forfeited for ‘the essence of the experience’. Constantly marvelling at how this was first established and how much faith we place in the steel cable, I hope these images will give a considered and timeless representation to this unique experience.
See this story at JPGMAG
Month 11
Wednesday, November 24th, 2010Those partial to facial hair; who are supporting men’s health, kudos to you. Those who know someone who actually has cancer my heart goes out to you. Those all over the world who have been in contact since my recent family news, thank you. Those who have shared how people you know have been healed,
I’m keeping the faith……
Month 11
Latest Published Work
Friday, November 19th, 2010
Cover Image for Philip Carlo’s newest book.
Destroying the Essential; for the sake of the Superfluous…
Wednesday, November 17th, 2010I have been captivated and moved by the work of photographer Yann Arthus-Bertrand , since visiting the ‘Earth from the Air’ exhibition at the Natural History Museum in London.
The aspect that sets Yann apart from many other photographers / people is the underlying importance of the message in his work.
The message from ‘HOME’ for me is a simple one concerning beauty (earth) and greed (humanity). I wasn’t really prepared for the impact ‘HOME’ would have and how it would subsequently keep playing on both my sub concious and my conscience.
Whoever you are, or wherever you live, this film is relevant to you…go and buy this film, or at very least watch it (for free) on-line:
The photography is awe inspiring and deeply emotive, fantastically composed and inspirational. The message is sobering. Whether or not you have any kind of faith or ‘spiritual’ bent I find the movie intrinsicly linked to this statement from the Bible: ‘Each of us will have to give a personal account to God’. Romans 14:12 I am not here to give a sermon, but we are responsible for our planet and we have to take responsibility for our actions, and at very least make some part of our lives / work in some way help to save the planet.
As the movie describes, the lesson is there to learn from Easter Island, but it seems like we have not learned it.
To summarise, take Dubai, as illustrated in the film – a place so unnaturally focused on growth and development, pillaging and raping the earth to get to where it is, it then ships in all the essentials you need for daily life: food & water, etc..to the extent that the very essentials it needs to survive are not as important as the superfluous beast that it is…look in the mirror and I guess you will find there’s a little ‘Dubai’ in each of us.
See Yann’s Charities and find out more here: www.goodplanet.org
Watch the movie here: www.youtube.com/homeproject
Book Cover: Ojos Violeta
Tuesday, November 16th, 2010
Book Cover: L’Ultima Risposta de Einstein
Saturday, October 30th, 2010
New Work: The Art of Decay
Saturday, October 30th, 2010
A small selection from my latest work ‘The Art of Decay’ has been uploaded to my website. In summary, inspired by the disasterous environmental situation we find ourselves in and with my full thoughts and statment to follow you can view the selection of images by following the link on the front page. More to come…
CFL’s Image of the week (facebook)
Saturday, October 2nd, 2010Those of you who know me, will know my slight aversion to facebook.
However, Brendan Behan is famously quoted as saying; ‘There is no such thing as bad publicity…’, so when Creative For Life’s Manager informed me that my photograph would be photo of the week I duly obliged.
When the lab producing the best quality prints in Australia, and arguably the world (Ken Duncan’s recommended printer of choice) gives a little attention, who am I to argue.
Visit the page here:
'eric'
Thanks to Glenn and the team.
If facebook is your thing, my page is located here alternatively, the facebook icon on the sidebar will send you on your way.
Skin and Bones – Video Trailer
Saturday, October 2nd, 2010SKIN AND BONES Book Cover photograph by Douglas Mark Black.
The book has been out for a while – but I was sent the link on you tube to the promotion video – the book cover shot is at the end of the video. The image – a little bit of black and white grainy ‘hitchcockesque’ suspense!
Those interested in buying the book can get it from amazon here:
5:51am
Saturday, September 25th, 2010
Leaving Early
The homepage image on my website has been updated. Comments welcome. To see a larger version follow the image to the site. DMB
Exploring the (self) portrait…
Saturday, September 25th, 2010
Ever since seeing this photo of Salvidor Dali in a book as a child I have thought the idea of a photo that captures the methodology or conceptual approach of the artist an interesting one…especially in purely photographic terms, no manipulation.
man
Saturday, September 25th, 2010
African can make a man a little crazy.
LPA Finalists: Landscape 3 Competition
Saturday, August 28th, 2010I’m a Finalist in the Landscape 3 Competition run by the London Photographic Association. See the winners and finalists here.
To view the Douglas Mark Black’s photographic entry click here.
inspiration vs. imitation…
Saturday, July 31st, 2010I am not a sports photographer.
But, I am inspired by great sports photographs and the images in this years 2010 red bull illume competition…(as emailed to me yesterday) are no exception.
But, there is a difference between inspiration and imitation.
Earlier this morning, I had a few bizzare moments that photographer’s amongst you are probably familiar with – where another ”photographer” (or two in this case) tries and not very convincingly ‘copy’ the shot you are composing, whilst you are there! ..it’s happened before and will again but, I always find it comical/sad that some ”photographers” will literally do this in front of you, rather than try and create or see something in the moment for themselves.
I could have pointed my camera at my own backside and they might well have looked to see what the shot was…
If you are looking for some inspiration here’s a great place to start…or alternatively wake up earlier.
STOP: Security Check!
Sunday, July 11th, 2010
Eastern Cape, South Africa 5:21AM
Apologies to everyone who has recently posted comments on the BLOG, seems the SPAM catcher has been in overdrive and a number of posts have been inadvertantly deleted.
If you have the time to re-post, pelase do and I will respond individually. Thanks.
