Famous Artists Doing Nothing In Particular #1

Harvey Benge Has Great Tips.

Image David Kregenow

 

Photographer, artist, book maker and kiwi Harvey Benge recently posted his guide/ pointer/things to consider list, when making a photograph. I think this list may be of some use to lots of photographers. Even with this list I know I could never take the kind of effortless (looking) pictures that Harvey takes. Anyway if you want to have a go at being a photographer/poet (and this is the Holy Grail) then take a look at the list below.

 

1. The content, have an idea and think about what the pictures say.

2. The form, think about what the pictures look like.

3. Consider the context of the pictures, enough or too much.

4. Consider the sweet spot or punctum.

5. Consider the value of signifiers.

6. Avoid making decoration.

7. Don't make boring pictures.

8. Don't make a picture that somebody else has made already.

9. Don't make obvious photographs.

10. Avoid making cliches.

11. Don't make silly juxtapositions.

12. Avoid the one trick pony type of photograph.

13. Make pictures that are intelligent not clever.

14. Avoid fashion for fashions sake.

15. Make the work for yourself, if a few other people like the work, that's a bonus not a given.

Ten Ten Big Rubber Ducky Photo Fucky.

When I was about thirteen I had a friend called Ian who was a couple of years older than me. I say friend but in reality he just used to beat the fuck out of me. I'd put up with the beatings because he had a CB radio and for about two weeks in the summer of 1980 I was obsessed with CB radio's.

We would sit in a old Ford Escort at the end of his drive next to an old caravan that was even more beat up than me and talk complete bollocks into the handset. We seldom spoke to truckers who were trying to out run the police. No for some reason the demographic group that liked to use CB radio in North-West England at the time was fat sounding housewives with twenty Benson's voices.

They would have names or handle's like Angel  or Mother Bear, never just Debbie or Pauline. Over time you would get to hear the same names popping up again and again. A hierarchy emerged. When some people were "on air" there would be loads of other CBer's trying to talk to them, where as I would sit there lamely shouting "come back" till I was blue in the face and red in the arm where Ian had suddenly remembered to give me another dig.  Ultimately I got fed up with CB radio (and casual violence) and moved on to my next two week obsession, fishing.

What's this got to do with photography? Nothing, and everything. What with blogs, social media and photo festivals it takes me back to CB radio. "The online photo community" I keep hearing it called. Do me a favour "The online photo community" is often little better than a couple of little dicks sat in an old motor chatting shit.

This ones for SB.

STILL LIVES: Still lifes for all...

 

 

 

 

PLASTIK GANGSTA 2013

POSH 2013

THIS MORNING 2013

 

AT NAN'S 2013


 

ODDS ON 2014

TO SELF-MEDICATE 2013

ROADSIDE SHRINE 2013

 

ANGST 2013

 

 THE GLORIOUS TWELFTH 2013

THIRTY SEVEN PENCE 2012

A YEAR IN PROVENCE 2013

FULL ENGLISH 2013

YOUR ROOM 2013

THE HOARDER NEXTDOOR 2013

HENS 2013

AN INDIAN 2013

BIRD 2013

A CHRISTMAS DO 2013

 

 FOOD BANK 2014

Ongoing at www.markpagephotography.com

Fat Fuckers...

Jamie Oliver the patron saint of the middle classes as Grayson Perry calls him, was banging on again in the papers about us poor people being fat and it all being down to takeaways.
Anyway in view of this piece of wisdom I thought I would make a takeaway menu for the Michelin star restaurant that he trained in. No war only Class War as they say.