Thanks to a recent post on Jim M. Goldstein’s Blog, I think I have discovered a new artist to admire - or rather an older artist that I should have discovered a long time ago. Eliot Porter is most known for his nature photography as he was one of the photographers that helped to introduce color film to the world of nature photography from the 1940’s through the 1970s. Apparently, he became widely known in the science world as his photographs were widely recognized in the conservation movement. I’ll be honest, I have only barely scratched the surface of his life and his works, and I don’t know much about him yet. But I have to thank Mr. Goldstein for introducing me to Porter’s work. As I honestly feel that there’s a lot to be learned from past photographic works, this is one artist that I shouldn’t have overlooked in my initial photographic education.

If you are interested in reading more, Jim Goldstein wrote an interesting article, titled “The Subtlety of Greatness and Today’s Loss of Appreciation“.  His article deals mostly in how people so easily overlook the skill of the classic artists, such as Porter, who really pushed the envelope of technology at the time.   His article is definitely worth a read.  There is also a short biography over at the Getty Center’s web site.  and of course, we can’t forget Porter’s Wikipedia Entry.

There’s more to photograph at the Zoo than just animals.  Look around!

Same holds true for nearly any location.

Mixed media has always been an incredible way to express yourself. With the advent of the digital world, the term mixed media is used loosely. Artists can now mix photography with digital paint and pencil in an array of textures. One of the best artists in the modern world of mixed media is Alberto Seveso. Abduzeedo has a an exclusive interview with the artist. An excerpt from the interview:

Alberto Seveso is a graphic designer and illustrator from Italy who has simply created a fantastic style by mixing colourful vectors with black and white photos known as “sperm shaping”. It’s very hard to look at his work and not say WOW.

Read the full interview: Interview with Alberto Seveso (abduzeedo.com)

If you like Alberto Seveso’s work, be sure to check out the work of my friend, Jennifer K. Mulcahy.