Jeff Curto's Camera Position

What happens when you give your viewer some visual tension? What does that visual tension feel like when it gets resolved in the viewer’s mind? By having a quick listen to an edited version of Beethoven’s 5th Symphony, we get a sense of what it means to create tension in your work. I worked with … Continue reading Camera Position 113 : Tension and Resolution with Ludwig Van →

“Chance favors the prepared mind.” This great quotation by the important 19th century chemist Louis Pasteur is a springboard for some thoughts on preparedness for photography, both physically and intellectually. In the podcast, I mention the great Alinari Archives in Florence, Italy and its online resource of amazing images of one of my favorite places … Continue reading Camera Position 112 : Chance Favors the Prepared Mind →

A pair of emails from podcast listeners provided the impetus for this episode and its brief discussion of “a real time for things.” Kristian wrote, “But when looking back at the time (especially after a by a PhD degree and two years of intensive R&D work) I realize the most important thing to learn, is … Continue reading Camera Position 111 : A Real Time for Things →

In my fifth and final piece of conversation with Mary Virginia Swanson, we talk about the relative importance of story and narrative in photographic work. Mary Virginia Swanson’s website Publish Your Photography Book – a book about making books from M.V. Swanson and Darius Himes Todd Hido – Pier 24 in San Francisco – at … Continue reading Camera Position 110 : Mary Virginia Swanson – Part 5: Story & Narrative →

The 4th part of my conversation with Mary Virginia Swanson, where we discuss public art, galleries and work for the wall, image size and the life of images that aren’t meant for traditional display. Links to resources mentioned on this podcast: Mary Virginia Swanson’s website Martha Madigan Chuck Close – Magnolia Editions Tapestries Susan kae … Continue reading Camera Position 109 : Mary Virginia Swanson – Part 4: Public Art, Galleries & Image Size →

I continue my conversation with Mary Virginia Swanson, covering the importance of photographic craft, the world of print-on-demand publishing and how folios of photographs fit into the mix. Galleries mentioned in the podcast: Clampart Yossi Milo Gallery Yancey Richardson Gallery Fraenkel Gallery The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art (repository of the Hallmark Photographic Collection) Mary Virginia … Continue reading Camera Position 108 : Mary Virginia Swanson – Part 3: Craft, Publishing & Folios →

In part 2 of my conversation with Mary Virginia Swanson, we talk about the rise of the small group Salon, various online presences in the photo world and the importance of books. For some context for this part of the conversation, see Part 1 of this interview. See below for a large number of links … Continue reading Camera Position 107 : Mary Virginia Swanson – Part 2: Books, Blogs & Salons →

I recently had the good fortune to interview my longtime friend Mary Virginia Swanson, one of the most important photography consultants working today. This episode is the first in a series of posts that will cover that interview. Mary Virginia Swanson’s website: www.mvswanson.com & her blog Paul Strand’s White Fence (mentioned in the podcast)   … Continue reading Camera Position 106 : Mary Virginia Swanson – Part 1 →

“Always stay ready so you never have to get ready.” So said the great modern artist Constantin Brancusi, whose statement seems to be about both being ready with our equipment and materials and also about being ready emotionally for the creative act. Constantin Brancusi in the Guggenheim’s collection Ed McCullough, sculptor and my great teacher … Continue reading Camera Position 105 : Stay Ready →

Learning to do photography well isn’t about checking a series of checkboxes about “how to do” the medium. Instead, it’s more about figuring out what to do with those basic principles of photography and then go out and make photographs using those basic ideas. It’s the “why” not the “how.” There are still some spots … Continue reading Camera Position 104 : Don’t Check the Checkboxes →