Filmwasters
Which Board? => Main Forum => : Ed Wenn June 06, 2016, 11:49:57 PM
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I watch a lot of TED talks and so when I saw a recent one on the subject of photography I was even more interested than normal. I've never heard of Stephen Wilkes before, but he's clearly been a big name 'tog for decades. He has apparently, redefined photography and created:
"A new way of seeing. Compressing time. Exploring the space/time continuum within a photograph."
Indeed ???
He certainly doesn't seem plagued by any doubts about his own awesomeness. At all. Check it out:
https://www.ted.com/talks/stephen_wilkes_the_passing_of_time_caught_in_a_single_photo (https://www.ted.com/talks/stephen_wilkes_the_passing_of_time_caught_in_a_single_photo)
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Struck me as the photographic equivalent of a velvet painting. And he can't pronounce "Luhrmann".
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I can't watch the film at the moment but I've just had a look at his website and he's clearly a good photographer. However, the list of awards, exhibitions and publications etc, on his CV (in the "Information" part of his website) is the most extensive I've ever seen. As mentioned, he could never be accused of hiding his light under a bushel.
Website link: http://www.stephenwilkes.com/ (http://www.stephenwilkes.com/)
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Wow there's an ego in overdrive. I made it through the first five minutes, until he pulled out the space time continuum 3d graphs and turned it off. Is it getting easier to qualify for Ted talks now?
I'm reminded that our very own Astrobeck makes incredible solargrams that capture far more time in a single image, and despite the loveliness of the result she manages to do it with humility. :-)
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Wow there's an ego in overdrive. I made it through the first five minutes, until he pulled out the space time continuum 3d graphs and turned it off. Is it getting easier to qualify for Ted talks now?
I'm reminded that our very own Astrobeck makes incredible solargrams that capture far more time in a single image, and despite the loveliness of the result she manages to do it with humility. :-)
Well said, Jeff. Couldn't agree more.
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I'm so pleased that technology has 'caught up' with his vision. I can't wait for it to catch up with mine. I have this spacetime continuum idea where somebody on the far side of the world coats light sensitive silver onto a base. I insert this alchemy into what I call my picture box. I beautiful woman poses in front of me. Now - here is the clever bit - I then press a button. The model is caught in a moment of time, usually between dawn and sunset and she will be like that forever! I have stopped time! She will never age! I have - with my vision - stopped the ages!
Personally, I don't like this guy's work at all. For UK readers, the next time you go into your favourite Indian restaurant, they often have not dissimilar pictures on their walls, recording the spacetime continuum of waterfalls etc.
Another thought - can one buy TED talks now to publicise ones own business?
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Uh.
The photos look like postcard kitsch to me. Like they've had plastic surgery (I'm reminded of explore on Flickr).
I think there are a few people who deal with this concept of long exposures much better. The best example being Michael Wessely (IMO).
http://www.artnet.com/artists/michael-wesely/ (http://www.artnet.com/artists/michael-wesely/)
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Ooh, day and night in one photograph. That's sooo going to change the way I look at the world.
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Yeah, I'd rather look at Titarenko's stuff, even though it is "just" long exposures. At least he has an eye for composition. I get more of an "artist" vibe from him whereas Wilkes gives off more of a "former highschool football hero who is now a used car salesman" vibe.
https://youtu.be/whoZ8SRgi2s
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Michael Kenna showed some much better work on Sunday at the B+H lecture. And Jeff is right--our Becky has done much more interesting and well-crafted work.
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Well, personally I must admit that there is something interesting about what he does.
It's a funny thing because I tend to make a clear distinction about what I find interesting and what I like. And both often don't agree.
Style wise, I too tend to find the images overly constructed and overly worked.
On the other hand I find the way he works to be interesting on many levels. First is that he actually is there working the camera for all this time and seems to have a pretty small crew. Then I tend to like the idea of splitting time in very clear-cut segments instead of using a continuum like a long exposure does.
For one, just the fact that he actually touches the camera gives me a better feeling of him as a photographer as opposed to Gregory Crewdson who says he's a photographer but never touches the camera and comes down with a crew of hundreds to make his images. For me, the later tends to dilute talent in a way.
There are two things I would really love to see though.
First, I would love to see how Wilkes would handle the same technique using an analog medium. I know that a good part of what he does could be done either in the darkroom or in camera with multiple exposures and masking... though not with the same number of images.
Second, I'd really love to get a chance to see one of his PSD files just to see how the layers are cut and constructed...
Oh yeah, the graphic he used to illustrate his view of time is actually the graphical representation of what a wormhole would actually do... and it has nothing to do with time in itself but more with the actual fabric of space and a way to circumvent the problems posed by general relativity...
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Coffee table book material. The type of book that after the hype settles down is found For three bucks on the clearance table. Gee wiz effects can entertain for a short time but picture after picture?
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He needs to invent a tardis for his ego - then he can explore the space time continuum to his heart's content.
To be fair his images are at least original but that's about it.
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Now here's a new thing: you can explore the space/time continuum through sunlight and shade. I imagine this would look equally grand in an airport lounge or in a 1970s Indian restaurant.
(http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a119/Sandeha/bike_ride/2016/160605_ekt_01.jpg)
And the price tag is 99% cheaper, too.
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God, he loves himself doesn't he.
They're some of the ugliest shots I've ever seen.
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Don't worry about that... it's probably eventually going to replace a lot of stuff we see online once there will be an app that makes this automatic... ;D
Scary isn't it? ;)
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Great shot(s), Sandeha. How did you did it?
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Great shot(s), Sandeha. How did you did it?
It's a triple pinhole, Ed. All three simultaneously, though this one includes a blended overlap with the subsequent shot.
(https://c6.staticflickr.com/8/7309/27286212181_46a46547cd_z.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/HzbYfa)
IMGP7544a (https://flic.kr/p/HzbYfa) by Sandeha Lynch (https://www.flickr.com/photos/sandeha/), on Flickr
The pic doesn't show it, but I have an outer paper band with three large holes in it that I shift left and right to open and close the 'shutter'.