Fuji X100
I don’t post about cameras very often because I prefer keep my kit simple, and honestly, technical specs aren’t all that interesting to write about. But I have to admit, the newly announced Fuji X100 is one very attractive camera:
John Gossage, The Pond
You may or may not have heard that John Gossage’s The Pond is being re-issued. It’s a book I’ve always wanted to own, but the price of the first edition has kept it out of reach. In fact, I’ve never even seen the book; none of my usual libraries have a copy. To give you a taste of how much I want this book, here’s what Gerry Badger has to say about it:
“Adams, Shore, Baltz–all the New Topographics photographers made great books, but none are better than The Pond.”
You can listen to a conversation between Badger and Gossage on the Aperture website.
What I didn’t know is that the entire series is being exhibited—for the first time ever—at the Smithsonian this winter, through January 17. Looks like I’ll be making a trip to DC soon.
Conscientious Portfolio Competition
I’m very happy to report that I have been selected as a winner in the 2010 Conscientious Portfolio Competition. Along with the benefit of the exposure that comes with being featured on the Conscientious website, I will be doing an interview with Joerg in the near future. Joerg had this to write about my entry:
“What struck me about Dalton Rooney’s Outer Lands is how engaging these landscapes are if you spend time with them. Seemingly simple, they are deeper than they seem; seemingly messy, with their tangle of branches, they are clear and beautiful. They offer space for contemplation, without pushing an obvious message. Outer Lands shows the contemporary landscape – with various human traces – photographed most beautifully in a contemporary way.”
It’s not often that someone has written something so thoughtful about my work. Even in this short snippet I think Joerg has given me something to think about as I continue to work on the series.
The two other winners, Lydia Anne McCarthy and Oksana Yushko, are both terrific photographers, I recommend a visit to their sites too.
Constellations
I like the general idea behind these urban landscapes, but I’m not sure if there’s quite enough here to warrant a series. My experience of shooting large format in the city at night has been pretty lousy—I think if I did decide to do more of these I might pick a different camera.
I’ve enjoyed experimenting a bit this summer. I started off with those Flickr compositions, got into iPhone street photography for about a month, did some urban landscape stuff in July and August, and from there I started working on these images. All of which is quite different from the landscape photographs I typically work on the during the rest of the year. I’m really, really looking forward to getting into gear on Outer Lands again, though, which has been more or less on hold since May.
Mario Popham: Track Record
Continuing with another UK photographer, Mario Popham’s Track Record takes a look at an abandoned railroad line in Manchester. I know the pleasure of dropping out of sight for a little while and getting to know a patch of land, and Popham has captured a wonderful atmosphere in his pictures.
