Interwar Postcard

in the rice field, by and © ••fly••.

Today I discovered Simon Kolton’s Flickr stream (screen-name ••fly••), which exhibits many brilliant black-and-white and color images from Southeast Asia. These strike me less as travel photos and more as social documentary with a dramatic and intimate tone.

The image above depicts rice farming in the northern, Isaan region of Thailand. The low perspective and stark, monochrome processing brings out an ominous sky that matches the World to the intensity of the farmer’s expression and labor. Largely due to the farmer’s posture, but also the oppressive mood, this image reminds me of Diego Rivera’s Flower Carrier painting.

THERE IS NO SANCTUARY, by and © Michael Zara.

Oakland, California.

 

Train Coach D, by and © St Stev, used under a Creative Commons license.

It would be difficult for me to care any less about U.S. pro football, but I’m fascinated by sports photography. Via Scott Kelby, I read David Bergman’s write-up of a recent trip to shoot several football games, including some emphasis on Brett Favre after he was traded to the Jets. Most interesting is that Bergman’s tale is essentially one of logistics – how to get his full kit, and himself, ’round the country and arrive in shooting shape. He seems to be a master, embodying the old military proverb that “Good generals study tactics. Great generals study logistics.”

   

Ranier from Maury (HDR), by and © monkeytime.

Last Thanksgiving, I visited the Seattle area, staying on Maury Island (Vashon Island) in the Puget Sound with friends whose house had the back-porch view of Mount Ranier seen in this image. I shot this at about 5:15 p.m. The foreground was in deep shadow, while the mountain was still in relatively bright sun. (more…)

 

Telegraph Hill and Tower, by and © monkeytime.

The 5D kit did not lend itself well to traipsing around San Francisco this month – or maybe I just didn’t lend myself well to carrying the load. At times I wished I had only my little Powershot, but, then, there would have been shots I couldn’t have gotten, like this one. I shot this just a few minutes short of Noon, against significant glare, which was compounded by shooting through an office building window. (more…)