Photoshop User and Patrick Brown
I am toying with a new description of my photography. I don’t know if I am prepared to use the term broadly. I find it is a good exercise to keep thinking through just what is my style. So, here is the term I am playing with these days; photo-ethnography or ethno-photography. Ethnography is the study of peoples as in people groups or ethnic groupings. So, Photo-Ethnography would seem to be a method to study distinct ethnic groups using a camera. Sounds like what I do.
I just got my December issue of Photoshop User magazine. It comes with my membership in the National Association of Photoshop Professionals or NAPP. By the way if you use Photoshop and you are not a member, shame on you! For a mere $99 a year you get all kinds of benefits not the least of which is a month subscription to Photoshop User magazine. If you buy it at Boarders bookstore each month it will cost you $9.95 for each issue. So, right there you’ve made good on your membership!
Anyway, I wanted to point out two articles from this issue that are worth looking at. The first is the “Annual 100 Photoshop Hot Tips”. This is an outstanding resource. For instance, did you know that Google has a searchable 3D warehouse of images? These are 3D models you can upload to Photoshop. The next time you need to make a mockup of your next self promotional DVD, just search for a DVD cover and presto, you got it and now you are ready to roll.
You will find many other cool little tips in the article, like number 31; “Using the High Pass Filter to Sharpen Content” or number 49; “Create a Quick Poster Frame” around your image. This article alone would be worth the cost of the magazine. But of course there is more.
Also in this issue is a highlight of a increadably talented documentary photographer named Patrick Cavan Brown. Brown has some excellent images from around the world. In his own words he is focused on “light and gesture”. It shows. Check out his website at here.
Hope you have a great weekend and for all you American readers, Happy Thanksgiving!
My impression is you do visual ethnography. That raises the question, how does an image become a narrative /story? I teach qualitative research theories. What you do is of great interest to me.
http://www.socresonline.org.uk/10/1/knowleshalford.html
You could find the above reaffirms your thinking: Reflections on Working Visually. Best Wishes.
Very interesting article. I need more time to look it over but it does bolster my thinking. Thanks
Hey, Matt, I’ve got an idea for what you could call it. Borrowing the first part of Photography and the last part of ethnography, you come up with. . .
Photo-graphy !!
What do you think?!!
M’yeah see?
You know, there are some people that I should seriously consider barring from this blog. But then, it would be too serious and I can’t get anyone else to proof my spelling!