Augenblick, Blog on Photography , Profile : Orang-Utan Nonja

Well i do like some photos taken from Orang - Utan Nonja , she is a female photographer living in a cage, often being visited by zoo fans, I have spoken about a great body of work from Korean photographer Jeong Mee Yong done in a zoo. Now is quite unusual to speak about the other side of the barricade ... although i would love to see a series from Nonjia to portrait visitors... we will see next projects.. she does not have a web site but a fan page in Facebook here we go (her photos also there.. )
I think she will get some work here in Shanghai, she is social enough (it is enough to work as commercial photographer here in shanghai .....)

Augenblick, Blog on Photography , Profile : Zhu Feng

Zero Shanghai is perhaps the most interesting project of photographer Zhu Feng, in his web site you can view many different approach , different techniques and different idea on how use the camera.

Augenblick, Blog on Photography , Profile : Martin Kollar

European Parliament is the latest project from the Slovak Photographer Martin Kollar . It is interesting and funny expecially...

Augenblick. Blog on Photography , Books : Italian Riviera by Mark Cohen

Book on Italian Riviera with photographs by Mark Cohen released last year

here the note from publisher :

Mark Cohen adheres to the fundamental principles of street photography. He uses small format equipment and chooses the urban context as his unique field of action. Despite this he does not haunt large metropolises but, almost without exception, produces his work in small towns and, above all, in his hometown of Wilkes-Barre, a coal mining suburb of Pennsylvania, where he was born and where he has always lived. This is also true of the series he produced along the Levante Riviera in Liguria, during his stay in Rapallo. The scale of places in which the American photographer moves, as well as his attitude, is essentially unchanging. Unlike fellow photographers working on the streets of New York, Paris or London, Cohen is actually unable to disappear into the crowd and remains constantly visible. The act of photography becomes a veritable performance for him, made up of ambushes, agility and a rapid encounter/collision with his subjects the moment the shutter is released . . . The aesthetics and the content of the American artist’s photographs are essentially the same on the Ligurian coast as they are just a few steps from home. Wherever he is, Cohen continues to use the same method and remains sensitive to similar influences. His work presupposes a strong ability to plan. Although, as we mentioned earlier, his work contains the street photographer’s instinctiveness, this acts within the boundaries of a plan which corresponds to his idea of the world and of photography. Beyond the genius loci (geography, even if recognisable and typical, proves to be a chance element in his work) and the decisive moment, in Italy as elsewhere, Cohen uses photography to tell his own story.

Photographs by Mark Cohen. punctum, Rome, 2008. 96 pp., 35 black & white illustrations, 6x8½".

Augenblick. Blog on Photography , Profile : Zhang Xiao

Was really a pleasure to meet up with Chinese Photographer Zhang Xiao in Pingyao festival. Zhang Xiao is one of the most interesting iconographer in China , he can combine the reality of life in city like Chongqing (one of the most interesting and massive experiment of Chinese Urbanization) with the surreality of people using the Holga Camera. Was hard to choose a photo from the cover of this post , I do have many I like. I am also waiting for his latest project as he told he has 150 rolls still to develop.....

Augenblick, Blog on Photography , Profile : Pawel Jaszczuk

I spoke about Steven Ahlgren which has done a series on corporate office life and today I will talk about polish photographer Pawel Jaszczuk which has worked on after work life of so called "Salary Man" . Is quite common in Tokyo as in other big cities in Japan to see typical employee getting pissed and drunk.

Apart from this project also have a look at Kinky City... quite interesting nightclub life in Tokyo....

Here a note on Salary Man:

Same suit, same tie, same suitcase. Hundreds of thousands of individuals. 8 AM jump in the train packed with dozens of salaryman. Arrive in the office in some fancy building in central Tokyo. Sit on their desk, don´t share their own ideas, never question their boss´s judgement. Accepted boring jobs without question. Salaryman’s lifestyle revolves entirely around work at the office. Nobody challenge the system and the system will provide for all.

If some coworker senior to you (sen pai) wants to go drinking after work, you go. Hang out with colleagues and clients into the night in outdoor standing bars in Shimbashi. Karaoke in Shinjuku, cigarettes, sake or shochu everywhere.

It´s already midnight and salaryman not even thinking of the last train. Exhaust, death-drunk collapse after a night of heavy drinking. Some of them manage to get to a capsule hotel if they know one, some make it to a taxi, and some others just try to make themselves as comfortable as they can wherever they fall.

In Japan heavy drinking is a naturally accepted and sometimes compulsory catharsis for the hard working salaryman. They don’t really care about having their suitcase or they mobile phone stolen. This is Japan, and as easy as it may seems to pick their wallet, drunk salaryman are part of the urban landscape, respected by everyone. A million ways different from the West, where young people get wasted and break the limits as an accepted crazy young attitude, but where for respectable family men it’s shameful to be cought totally drunk by a neighbor.

Augenblick. Blog on Photography , Profile : Yang Yankang

One of the best work on Tibet done by Chinese Photographer Yang Yankang which is also represented by Agence VU in France.

Augenblick, Blog on Photography , Profile : Steven Ahlgren

Living in a corporate city like Shanghai means living daily with the business talk, working eventually in some corporate events and have the chance to buy good version of TV serial "The Office" ( by the way i do prefer the english version...) . Apart from this personal (and sad) experience.. I have the chance to see some work from photographers who were able to describe this world. I have a couple in mind and today I will post the link of Steven Ahlgren , american photographer who had done different project. Have a look at Inside the corporation series , as well the Outside the corporation one.

Augenblick, Blog on Photography , Profile : Cang Xin

Photographer and Artist Cang Xin from Heilongjiang province has developed different art projects which is worth to have look. Main focus on his works are the different issues related to Identity . I do like the series on Communication and Identity Exchange Series from which I use the photo done on Wedding.

Augenblick, Blog on Photography :Exhibition : Lu Guang at Beaugeste Gallery

Exhibition not to be miss at Beaugeste gallery in Shanghai, the 2009 Eugene Smith award winner Lu Guang will present his big project on Pollution's effects on China. The exhibition curated by Jean Lohn is titled "Requiem for Mountain & Waters" and will showcased impressive photos from different places which depict the heavy consequences of the rapid industrial progress of  Asian's biggest country. Lu Guang will be attending the event which will open the 21st of November at 3 Pm. Looking forward to seeing you there.