Yesterday I went through my LensWork #75 Extended DVD and found lots of inspiration within. I've mentioned LensWork before and it continues to be one of my favorite and useful photography publications. The Extended DVD has the benefit of delivering LOTS of images, audio, and video interviews, and other goodies. I never fail to find something useful and relevant to my work. The highlight of the issue was an interview with Bruce Barnbaum, who is a very well known fine art photographer in Washnigton. The portfolio shows Barnbaum's latest exhibition called Stone and contrasts the natural and built environments. It is fantastic. There is also a video interview (32 mins) that is enlightening. What is good about the videos is that you get to see and hear the artist, which adds to our ability to relate to the artist's work. Also on Barnbaum's web site there is an excellent essay on digital photography, a must read for everyone.
The other very interesting portfolio was by Larry Blackwood entitled Elevations: Grain Elevators. This was my kind of stuff, details of these huge structures in Montana. There are several grain elevators in Montréal near the Old Port that I pass each time I ride my bike to Ile Notre Dame (the Formula 1 track). I've contemplated photographing them and now I am highly motivated to do so.
One last item, a very valuable interview with Bill Jay, whom I would have never know about should it not be for Lenswork. Bill Jay is one if not the most prolific photographer of photographers. He is also an author and educator. His web site contains hundreds of downloadable essays and also scans of the magazine Album. Very significant reading for anyone interested in both contemporary and the history of photography. He is very critical of the current state of fine art photography today.