Does everyone know photographers? Maybe it’s because I’ve been a camera buff myself, but I’ve been blessed by having visual artists around me, well, all my life.
There’s snapshot photography…and commercial action…and pure art…then there’s the Indy DIY scene. It’s as big in photography as any other art.
I started this OYB stuff because I wanted to get the indy spirit out there into the wider public, in particular I wanted to show that it was the lifeblood of outdoor sport—to do that I wanted to make a venue for indy outdoor media of all kinds.
Before the Internet came along I had rounded up candid outdoor photography from a dozen famous photographers—this was work of theirs that had no hope of commercial results—the corporate style of canned presentations (“big air skiers”) totally dominated the public face of outdoor sport, but these folks all had their personal favorite stashes. I was trying to figure out a viable pathway to the market for this. Calendars were one small option that I explored a bit and had plans to push into farther. (Bob “Woody” Woodward, renowned gonzo ski journalist, was one of my faves in that day.)
Then the Net changed everything. Now the truly fun stuff is out there everywhere. I suggest, though, that it’s STILL not so easy to find. You need to hear it from a friend, get a tip/link on where to look. Sure, you can find endless pics of nifty stuff. But to get the inside track on the culture, the “set and setting” still isn’t easy. You need to get the good word.
So…
My bro Tim is a fine, lifelong photographer. (My parents both enjoyed a good composition. Our mom worked at a studio. I caught the bug as well…but in a minor way compared to my bro, who was even the manager of a global stock agency!)
Then there’s Ross Orr…who used to co-edit this here OYB…and Joey Harrison, also a contributor to OYB efforts and a zinester of yore…and Amanda Edwards, gardener photographer dancer…and John Baird, a furniture/designer who I’ve known about friend-of-friends-style for years. By the way, these folks all know each other, too.
Flickr has helped me stay abreast of a fair bit of their work. Flickr has helped them, too, I think, bust out and share their indy visual spirit in a global way. But they haven’t just been a part of the opening of the art—they’re opening the process, too: indy photography liberates the cameras and the processing as much as it does the final image. In particular, these pals have gotten into the Cheap Camera scene. Pinholes, too. 70’s plastic. Helga!
Ross has rediscovered his love of film—so he combines the 2 worlds in nearly all his work. The new helps keep the old alive. He shoots freaky film—then uploads it.
Word sure has gotten out about these folks. They’re good! So I’ll pass them along to you…
Take a look at what you see!
Here are some links…
Ross… flickr.com/photos/vox/
Joey… flickr.com/photos/joeyharrison/
Amanda… flickr.com/photos/gardenmuppet/
John… flickr.com/photos/johnbaird/
My bro Tim has less of a social photo scene but has done tons of work in the public eye over the years… picasaweb.google.com/flyingdutchman63
…And here’s my own Flickr photostream: flickr.com/photos/jeffoyb
Here’s just one little sample, teaser photo… I mean, once I started uploading “supercool photos” as examples from these folks, there’d be no end to it!
