I tend to think that video was the right choice for this subject since I could use repetitive movements of the park’s water features and moving sculptures to carry the natural sound transitions, and having the chief architect talk about the park’s impact added some good insight and information. There were times while shooting this piece that I yearned for the still camera, especially when you look at how the art interacts with people. I’ll save those opportunities for later when the light is nicer. That’s the trouble with daily newspaper assignments carved around the schedules of multiple photographers. Sometimes you just have to shoot it when the light is at its worst.

Here’s the article written by critic David Bonetti in the Post-Dispatch, along with the video at STLtoday.

Triple Foam Wax, south St. Louis county, Missouri.

Here’s the Exposure Project blog site with submission information, and a link to their 3rd edition book on sale at Blurb.

Rental House, St. Louis, Missouri.

We’re on the rental house shopping tour. With our house under lease, there is freedom again to explore once our apartment lease expires. However, after a few showings, it’s becoming exceedingly clear that rent prices are still inflated. Apparently homeowners in St. Louis haven’t had their spirits broken yet like in Florida. I get a vibe of arrogance and denial in home values here and that’s worrisome — because by all measures from people more qualified than me — we haven’t yet hit the lowest lows in the housing market.

This particularly modest house with the two chairs is depressing. It seems old, tired, unhappy, and neglected. I sense sadness. Visually, it explains how I feel pigeonholed into something I absolutely don’t want. But without wanting to spend more (the rent is shy of a thousand (!) for this home if you add a pet) what else is there to choose from? Hopefully things will change for the better and we can find that elusive comfort of settling down.

Change. That’s what we’re all sort of looking for these days, right?

Art installation, Philip Slein Gallery, St. Louis, Missouri

John McCain’s cutout won’t stick, St. Louis University Museum of Art, St. Louis, Missouri.

Earlier I was at the St. Louis University Museum of Art photographing a selection of historic campaign memorabilia.  John McCain and Barack Obama’s cutouts greeted visitors at the exhibit’s entrance. Every few minutes, poor John’s cutout kept falling to the floor. After finding this image, I stuck him back up. Hopefully he is still standing.

All photographs from Pigeon Culture are Copyright Casey Templeton.

The former CPOY Templeton spent a considerable amount of time researching and shooting this story. He also compiled good audio interviews which served as perfect additions to the still photography. I am also particularly excited about a group of photographs Casey made on “thoroughbred” pigeons that really lets this remarkable project sing. I sat down with Casey over email for a few questions and here are his words:

Erik: How did you become interested in photographing pigeon culture?

Casey: I started this project when I was doing my internship with National Geographic.  I wanted to find a story that everyone could relate to but I wanted try my best to give people a whole new perspective on it.  I was taking a walk around downtown DC to try to brainstorm and I saw this lady get bombarded by pigeons and it was like a light bulb went off.

Erik: From planning to publishing how much time has this project taken you?

Casey: Throughout the project, I most likely spend 95% of my time researching and making phone calls and if I was lucky, spent the other 5% on actually shooting. From shooting to editing, to putting together a multimedia package, I most likely spend around 250 hours.

Erik: Your photographic style seems to take a radical and exciting shift in the “thoroughbreds” section. You move from documentary to almost studio portraiture. Could you tell me why you chose this style and elaborate on the technical details?

Casey: Shooting the project I started by really concentrating on the men in the sport and only photographed the birds as an accessory to the story.  Then, I was knocked back into place by my mentor Tommy Thompson, who told me that I needed to remember what the story was about.  So I realized I needed to show how these birds are such amazing flyers. We see pigeons flying everyday but these are not your standard pigeons so I wanted to show how graceful they could be.
Technically, I rented a Jeep Commander on my second trip down to Spring Hill and created a PVC pipe studio with $250+ of black velvet.  I set up 3 flashes in the back;  2 of them were pressed against the ceiling with the PVC on the top left and right, and the last one was shooting straight up from the floor.  All were connected to a pocket wizard.  The settings on the camera were a different story and I can’t give all my secrets away!

Erik: The story of love seems to anchor the project. The love relates to us on a human level. How did that inspire you with the project?

Casey: Pigeons are certainly hopeless romantics and so am I.  That is why I ended the project on that note as well as placed it in the section called “Why Pigeons.”  I attribute the same philosophy that the pigeons have to my life and photography career.  Keep my priorities straight and always keep my faith and family first above all else.

“From the shows to the races, from the bedroom to the backyard, from kittenhood to old age. The animal that shares our life as part of our families and more.”

Rozendaal said the project, which is an exhibition, book, and thesis “about the Dutch and their obsessive love for animals” is an interesting and remarkably unique look at some of our furry companions.

On Loving Animals, Photograph Copyright Isabella Rozendaal

On Loving Animals, Photograph Copyright Isabella Rozendaal

On Loving Animals, Photograph Copyright Isabella Rozendaal

I like Rozendaal’s minimalistic style and the photographs she chose for display. For example, the image of the cat in what appears to be a bin of deceased animals is both heart wrenching and beautiful. The dog and the decorations (center photo) mimic eachother. All of her photographs in the collection have a small element that connects them together.

I look forward to seeing her book – whether they will ship here to the states is uncertain. However, It is available from here site via email here and her publisher here.

There is an awfully large amount of foreign work in the portfolios — maybe it’s just because I prefer local life, but I’m personally a bit ho-hum about it. There are a few standouts, including the violent work of Mike Berube’s Kenya elections, which readily communicates the intensity of the situation.

Now, here’s where it gets better — all the students, some working professionals and others still in the educational system, will hopefully walk out of the workshop inspired and ready to take their work to the next level. Keep your eye on a few of these shooters and I’ll bet good money their portfolio changes dramatically in the next year or two.

The art subject to interpretation of Richard Prince finally hit a last straw when he rephotographed the work of Sam Abell. The PDN video posted on Aphotoday clearly shows an unhappy rightfully so Abell discussing the circumstances around his copied cowboy photograph. I applaud Sam for standing his ground against Prince and the art world deeming editorial photography “unworthy.”  I want to see what the art world’s answer is just as much as I think Sam does. Abell’s photography is pure and unadulterated. His photography has inspired countless students (and has fundamentally affected me) and, at the core, Sam represents how we should approach our daily and project work. To knock off his work is — unfortunately legal as it is — is gravely disappointing.

Here’s the video from PDN. You can find the whole story here.