Digital Hybrid Photography

Victorian bloggers may have visited the Different Takes on show at PhotoSpace until 9 June (street address: 34 Dight Street Collingwood, email: photospace@optusnet.au). The show features some of Australia’s finest alternative process practioners – many of them are internationally recognised artists. If the types of image making on display at PhotoSpace appeal to your artistic sensibilities then a visit to AlternativePhotography.com would be well worth your time.
The site features work by artists from all over the world, lists upcoming workshops and exhibitions and
contains heaps of handy tips! You will also find lists of technical reference guides as well as lists of
suppliers who can help to get you started with equipment and materials. TPI think that is wonderful to
see historical techniques being applied to contemporary subject matter. The world of alternative
process photography offers the mysterious pleasures of artisanship, suspense and tactility that simply
not exist in purely digital photography. The site does however contain some hot tips on how to create
digital hybrids.

A Treat for Book Collectors & Marilyn Monroe Fans…

Andre De Dienes : Marilyn Monroe
Get in quick because this special will not last! We have three copies of De Dienes’ Limited Edition Individually Numbered Box Set in store now. After sitting in storage since his death in 1985, De Dienes’ complete Marilyn archives have finally been gathered together for this exclusive publication, presented as 2 volumes in a box. During their travels, they fell in love and were briefly engaged. His unique, loving photographs of Norma Jean helped to launch her model career, and a few years later, the film career that was to make her a legend. His entire relationship with Marilyn is detailed in his memoirs, published here for the first time. The enlarged facsimile Kodak box contains a 240 page cloth book of sumptuous photographs printed on matte stock, as well as a softcover fascimile of his complete Marilyn memoirs, and his Marilyn composite book of nearly 1000 contact-sized prints. Also includes a brochure containing all 24 of Marilyn’s magazine cover shots by de Dienes.

Homage or Rip-Off?

 A Paris court recently awarded the photographer William Klein extensive intellectual property damages after designer John Galliano featured Klein-esque images as backgrounds for fashion advertisements. Klein received 150 000 euros as compensation for Galliano’s abuse of Klein’s rights as author. An additional 50 000 euros was paid as compensation for damages to the image of Klein’s work found to have arisen due to the poor quality of the reproductions. Galliano did not use or reproduce any of Klein’s original pieces in the campaign so the judgement was made purely on the basis of perceived similarity. Clearly Klein’s original works were deemed to be so groundbreaking and idiosyncratic that any form of reproduction diminished the integrity of his vision.

Where however does that leave those photographers and artists who are not lucky enough to share such status and power within the arts? Surely one of the broadly accepted characteristics of the advertising and fashion industries is the cannabalistic tendency to regurgitate what has come before, or exists co-temporaneously, in new, or barely differentiated, forms? And really isn’t it also a part of the whole postmodern thing that continues to pervade popular culture? On a more pragmatic level, who among us can claim to be completely blameless when it comes to incorporating the influences of others into our own work? And likewise, who hasn’t seen a great idea writ large in someone else’s hand?

It May Not Be Too Late…

TPI stumbled across this competition that might be of interest to some of our readers when we were researching inkjet printers…

Harper’s Bazaar & Canon have joined forces to fund a new photography competition. Aimed at students and “enthusiasts” – which we take to mean keen amateurs – the competition is limited to fashion images.

Prizes include publication of the winning images in Harper’s Bazaar June/July 2007 issue and a Canon Eos 400D Digital SLR twin lens kit (RRP $1649.00). The winner will be announced during Rosemount Australian Fashion Week which runs from April 30 – May 4 2007.

 See www.harpersbazaar.com.au for more information!