Secret Still

Something I don’t really talk about, digitally or in person, is my love of jazz. I actually love most genres of music, and my collection is as diverse as it is stolen, but there is no form of music that I love as much or as philosophically as jazz. Well, maybe J.S. Bach’s fugues, but that’s different.

Jazz was America’s first real musical creation (yes, I know all about the Blues), in that some folks took instruments that had been around for a long time and did something that no one in history had ever done with them. They created a form of music that spoke directly to, and was created from, the world around them. But it was bigger than just their lives, and blossomed into a language, a philosophy, a mathematical realm, and a binding agent for cultures that had been fighting for ages. Jazz was like a lightning bolt of pure emotional expression that these men and women had somehow managed to grab hold of and pour through their instruments.

And during that time there was a man who was there to capture the beauty and heartbreak of jazz learning how to be itself. His name was Herman Leonard, he was a magical photographer, and a master of contrast. On August 14 he died at the age of 87, leaving behind a collection of beautiful moments in the history of jazz and those who created it.

Herman Leonard

If I hadn’t just gotten back from vacation, the photography of Jake Stangel would be giving my wanderlust a serious travel boner. He just gets to go around photographing, in beautiful saturation and clarity, the golden backroads and side pockets of the great land we sometimes call America. How can you capture my attention with your photography? Just do what Jake does and take photos to try and remember those moments in your life when things were so beautiful that you thought you might just float off into the sky and die happy. Recipe for success.

Jake Stangel

For most of us, the person we see the most in our lives is ourselves. And not only do we have to look at this person everyday, but we also know exactly what they’re thinking when we look at them. You can never really beguile your own reflection. So, what if you decided that the only thing worth capturing was your own image? Is that the ultimate vanity? Or is it an artist accepting that the only subject that ever really gets displayed is ourselves. Monet’s Water Lilies: just a self-portrait. Jeff Koons’ shiny, metallic balloon dogs: portrait of the artist as a young man. Accepting that, photographer Yulia Gorodinski has simplified the process, by only shooting self-portraits. In a multitude of styles, shades, and locations, she shoots herself without embarrassment. The idea proves to have merit, as we get to know her through the shots — coquettish, frank, innocent, and playful — and possibly she gets to know herself beyond just a reflection.

Yulia Gorodinski (Fair Warning: there are bewbz)

When I was looking around for inspiration for a menu design I’m working on , I came across the work of Trish Papadakos, whose work is even better than her name is fun to say. And she seriously hits all the bases with web and print design, photography, branding, and much more. Damn, woman, save some for the rest of us.

Trish Papadakos

Maybe it’s something about being French, or maybe it’s something about being young, or quite possibly it’s from being young and French, but whatever the root, the photography of Alexandra Sophie is lush and beautiful. Why do I always tend to prefer the work of young photographers over more experienced shooter? Could be because the young ones aren’t being forced into shooting anything for anyone, they’re trying to capture the things they actually care about. Also, I enjoy the roughness of it, the little imperfections that give each shot weight and reality. The world is beautiful, but it sure as hell isn’t polished, and young photographers haven’t been told to polish yet. Ok, that’s enough bullshit, go look at the photos.

Alexandra Sophie

Photography is all about the nouns; all photographs are of a person, place, or thing. Sure, you can hint around at intangibles (adjectives and verbs) with mood and everything, but that interpretation is the audience’s, and what you’re really taking a picture of is just a noun. Maybe it’s my frame of reference from being a person, but it seems to me that the most difficult noun to capture in an image is a person. Places are dynamic, but generally on a much longer scale, and Things are pretty much static, whereas people are changing second to second in millions of very visible ways. How can you capture a still image of something like that? I’m asking seriously, because I certainly never figured it out. The best I can manage is to take cute photos of my dog before she can wander off to lick her butthole on my pillow.

So I am always impressed by those that have managed to photograph people beautifully, like Benoit Paillé, a French Canadian portrait master. His series of portraits of strangers especially surprised and delighted me, and led to me ponder if the subjects were still strangers after he shot them. Don’t you need to empathize with someone to capture their essence? And the best way to empathize is to learn about that person, their life and times, the story they’re in. Or maybe I’ve got it all wrong, and it’s better if you know nothing. I wouldn’t be surprised, since I’ve never managed to shoot a decent portrait in my life. Not even of myself. Whatever that means psychologically.

Benoit Paillé

Come for the photos, stay for the paintings. SF artist Charmaine Olivia is a double threat (or possibly even more threatening than that) when it comes to making beautiful things. I think the most threatening thing of all is that she’s just sitting right there across the Bay making artwork to melt my little eyeballs. And yeah, I’m setting the bar high with her as the first post of 2010, but fuck it, I’m not afraid to shoot for greatness. And if I don’t live up to that I can blame all of you. Shoulder my burden, anonymous strangers.

Charmaine Olivia

The scientist and the artist in me both find Nikki Graziano’s FoundFunctions to be really relaxing for some reason. It’s like they can quit fighting for dominance and just enjoy looking at something together. They’re probably holding hands across the two hemispheres of my brain right now. Shit, does that mean I’m gonna start having seizures? Eh, worth it.

Nikki Graziano

Helluva illustrator. Helluva photographer. Helluva site design. Hot people. Hot fashion. If it weren’t for the ocean between us, I might propose.

Kelly Thompson

If you’ve been reading this website long enough, then you know how selective I am about photography. It takes a lot to impress me photographically, and generally a breadth of style and subject matter is required. So, you’ll understand how good Sabra Krock must be if I decide to feature her as a photographer, but not only a photographer, a niche photographer (that’s not an insult, I’m sure she’s equally amazing at shooting everything else, too). Krock creates some of the most beautiful imagery of food I’ve ever laid my pupils on. I mean damn, girl. I think my eyes and my stomach tried to climb their way out of my body simultaneously just to get closer to those photos. If you’ve ever wanted to know what kind of difference a real passion for subject matter can make in an artist’s work, then look no further. You can also read Krock’s blog for recipes of the various foods that she photographs. She has made my day.

Sabra Krock