Week 5: Photography Specialisation

Stephen Dupont

I enjoyed the photographic work of Stephen Dupont. We saw a short video which showed the techniques Stephen Dupont uses, i found his darkroom techniques particualrly interesting, as he processes his photographs to a quite large scale which is tricky and time consuming. 

In his 'Axe Me Biggie, Or Take My Picture' collection we saw the process of this series when we went to Afghanistan. It was interesting to see everyone so eager to have their photo taken. Using a small sheetof material as a backdrop the subjects would sit down or stand to get their portait. This shows that keeping it simple can be very effective.

"Stephen Dupont was born in Sydney, Australia, in 1967. Over the past two decades, Dupont has produced a remarkable body of visual work; hauntingly beautiful photographs of fragile cultures and marginalized peoples. He skillfully captures the human dignity of his subjects with great intimacy and often in some of the world’s most dangerous regions. His images have received international acclaim for their artistic integrity and valuable insight into the people, culture and communities that have existed for hundreds of years, yet are fast disappearing from our world" 


'Axe me Biggie, Or take My Picture' 
 Some of My favourites from this series

  










Richard Avedon
some personal favourites of Richard Avedons work include:

'Donald Fischer 1981'

'Dovima with Elephants' 1955

Found Object/ Still Life Photography

Kate Breakey

Kate Breakey photographs dead animals in black and white then hand colours them in. The colours look amazing as if they were shot that way. The animals in the photographs are all dead, however some look alive. Even though they are dead they are still beautiful. I find some of her photographs sad. 

"The natural world is chaotic and unrelenting and randomly cruel. I know this from living in the brutally harsh desert, where the little deaths are constantly tugging at my heart.  In an attempt to compensate, I have collected up the dead and given them kindness and attention. I have constructed symmetrical shrines where they can have their memories and dreams in a kind of imaginary afterlife. Here in my theatre, the quail chicks have flight and love, the Cottontail is off to find his mate- as if in a children’s storybook- rodents sing and the geckos are lovers. Greek mythology, Aboriginal Dreamtime legends, Aesop’s Fables, are all here in my studio where I can have my own memories and dreams with these animal spirits".

Kate Breakey 2006

'Small Deaths'