© Valentine Schmidt

Valentine Schmidt’s series ‘Plunge- The Plight of the London Lido’ was taken during the winter months at four London lidos (outdoor public swimming pools). Schmidt focuses on the relationship between the floor of the pool and the surface of the water. This dynamic of architectural and natural elements is constantly in flux – affected equally by the changing seasons and by the human forces of social policy. Plunge uses the evocative qualities of the surfaces to speak to the history and demise of these beautiful and tranquil spaces. Full, or particularly when bereft of water, the Edwardian bathing spaces are honored in their various states of preservation and dereliction. Contact Zoe Bingham Fine Art for further information or see the entire collection.

-courtesy Zoe Bingham Fine Art.

If you feel like you’re watching a cinematic production when you see Cade Martin’s photographs, it’s because film inspires many elements of his work, from potential locations and staging to the way light falls through the trees. For his work with the Washington Ballet, Martin was able to use the influence of the cinema to create images with a unique sense of story and character. In his photographs, he aims to capture moments that seem to continue beyond the picture itself.

The Washington Ballet project, in collaboration with Design Army, is now published in “Wonderland,” a commemorative book of lush images.

(more…)

© Wilmar Koenig. Above: William Eggleston with son and friend, 1990, Memphis, 50×60 cm, Ed. of 15.

In the 1970s Wilmar Koenig made his name among the pioneers of fine-art color photography in Germany and, over the years, went on many trips with the American photographer William Eggleston. Those trips generated images of mutual inspiration, as well as a friendship between the two that dates back over twenty years. They visited one another in their respective countries regularly, during which times they’d go on frequent photo excursions. These images are currently on view at Photo Edition Berlin.

(more…)

© Manjari Sharma

Darshan is a Sanskrit word that means “sight”, “view” or ‘vision.”  With the help of a creative team, New York-based photographer Manjari Sharma is recreating the nine classical images of Gods and Goddesses pivotal to mythological stories in Hinduism. The making of the image above can be seen on a short three minute video here.

Sharma explains, “Historically considered a mechanical device to keep record, photography didn’t even start to find a place in galleries until the 20th century. It’s no surprise then that paintings and sculptures of Hindu deities were the dominant way to experience Indian mythology. Despite my extensive exposure to Hindu temples and artifacts my whole life, I have never seen a photograph of a deity created from scratch. Darshan is my attempt to show that photos too can evoke a strong spiritual response. At a larger level Darshan is a cultural calling for me to preserve my heritage by using the medium of photography.”

All photos © Clint Blowers.

Clint Blowers is a still-life photographer residing in Chicago, IL. In this series, he reinterprets the traditional icons of coffee by presenting them in unexpected ways. Emphasizing their more graphic qualities through contrast and texture, he turns these everyday objects into something more heroic.

(more…)