The CoalWorks story…

It all began with an unusual excursion to the rocks 200 feet into the ocean at low tide at Carter road. I spent hours meditating and listening to the sounds of the ebb and flow of the tide. And also witnessed the sound of water lapping in pools. It was an eruption of creativity that captivated my mind. I spent weeks taking photographs and recording the sounds of the ocean.

The photography you see here was taken at low tide out among the rocks. It’s an idea that has stayed with me all these years!

Would like to hear your critique! A fine art photograph if I might say so !

Feel free to leave your comments and mention your interest in a purchase. Each image is 300 dpi in a JPG format. Or, you can email me at info@mosstech.in

This image is for sale!

Introducing the precursor to CoalWorks with a set of pictures by myself Akhil for sale. Every alternate day I will post one photograph on Instagram and Facebook with a link to my portfolio.

Feel free to leave your comments and mention your interest in a purchase. Each image is 300 dpi in a JPG format. Or, you can email me at info@mosstech.in

Today’s image is about The Gatekeeper at an old building on Marine Drive, Mumbai. This image was shot using a Nikon D70 in the afternoon light. It tells a story that would appeal to inquisitive tourists exploring the locales of Mumbai!

This image is for sale!

https://coalworks.myportfolio.com/work

This photograph is called Jute, taken at a construction site in Bandra, Mumbai. The jute evokes a feeling of silence, winding down the machines and downtime. A time to rest and regroup for the next day’s work.

Taken with a Nikon D70, I aim to do much more of abstract street photography in the locals of Mumbai.

For every story I place here I will place the same picture and story on my Facebook page.

Feel free to leave your comments and mention your interest in a purchase. Each image is 300 dpi in a JPG format. Or, you can email me at info@mosstech.in

If you have a connect with semi- professional and professional photographers I would like to give them a voice via my blog posts. I have a Photo Feature to showcase photographic talent.

Please do follow me on Facebook, and enjoy ! This image is for sale!

https://www.facebook.com/akhil.sahgal

Our Photo Feature for this week is on celebrated photographer and music video maker Anton Corbijn, best known for his work with U2.

I would like to share about watching Anton Corbijn shape the image of U2 and many other artists over many decades. Having looked at his work specifically his time spent with U2, I am inspired to say the least.

Anton Corbijn, a Dutch photographer, is best known for his work as a photographer, music video director and film director. In Corbijn’s career there has been one constant: the band U2, and their collaboration over thirty years. “It was Anton Corbijn who “invented” U2’s public image and he is still shaping it.”

“Anton Corbijn is very interested in pushing the boundaries in respect to the media he works in.  He has been working in film and video with some of the musicians he photographed and was in 1983 one of the first photographers to direct music videos. He has since made approximately 80 music videos; for among others U2, Johnny Cash, Arcade Fire, Depeche Mode, Nirvana, Metallica, Nick Cave, Coldplay and The Killers.”

The origin of these Photo Features comes from the initial idea for a stock
photo agency called PhotoWoto. The project didn’t start because of the
pandemic. However, the blog has been kept alive and has morphed into a written
and aesthetic journey into still photography!

I’ve also attached a pic of The Rolling Stones.

References:

https://www.worldpressphoto.org/people/anton-corbijn

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anton_Corbijn

Our intent in bringing you these blog posts is to highlight the creative processes and discovery of photography as a medium of art and expression. While we may not have first-hand knowledge of everything we present (it’s hard to), we bring an amalgamation of ideas and content in a succinct fashion to present the community’s body of work, feature great photographers and various techniques. Enjoy !

Photographer: Ansel Adams

Anna-Lou “Annie” Leibovitz (born October 2, 1949) is considered one of America’s best portrait photographers. From capturing John Lennon on the day he was assassinated, to her work at start-up rock music magazine Rolling Stone (and went on to create a distinctive look for the publication as chief photographer). In 1983, Leibovitz left Rolling Stone and began working for the entertainment magazine Vanity Fair, continuing to produce images that would be deemed “iconic and provocative”. With a wider array of subjects, Leibovitz’s photographs for the magazine ranged from presidents to literary icons to teen heartthrobs. She is the first woman to have held an exhibition at London’s National Portrait Gallery.

In 1967, Leibovitz enrolled at the San Francisco Art Institute, where (although initially studying painting) she developed a love for photography. While with Rolling Stone, Leibovitz developed her trademark technique, which involved the use of bold primary colors and surprising poses. “Leibovitz is much influenced by Richard Avedon, and his ‘personal reportage’, developing close rapport with her subjects.” Leibovitz’s images have been showcased in several books and major exhibitions around the world.

Leibovitz was using medium format cameras before they ever went digital. In fact, she originally started with the Mamiya RZ67. Annie reportedly shot most of her work with the RZ67 till her transition into digital by the early 2000s.

This is a medium format film camera that has stood the test of time. Some photographers still use it for the nostalgia factor of film photography. It has a sturdy build quality, and the variety of available lenses are still praised as excellent to this day.

Leibovitz, unlike many who built their careers in the days of 120 film, had no issues migrating to digital. It’s more than just a nostalgia camera, however.

References:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Annie_Leibovitz

The origin of these Photo Features comes from the initial idea for a stock photo agency called PhotoWoto. The project didn’t start because of the pandemic. However, the blog has been kept alive and has morphed into a written and aesthetic journey into still photography!

Every week, we feature one great photographer. Some of these photographers are of Indian origin. We would like to feature new and upcoming photographers along with stalwarts in the field, both in India and overseas. We are looking for talent that we can feature to help others understand and learn about this amazing field.

I first started out in the field of photography in the 1990s as Photo and Graphics Editor for the student run ENGINEER magazine at Rensselaer. In 1995 I completed my Master’s in Aerospace Engineering in the Bay Area, San Francisco. During that time, apart from engineering courses, I took many courses and workshops in art & photography and discovered the various photographic techniques used before the digital camera came about. Spending extensive time in the darkroom was a very rewarding experience. The art scene left a mark which still echoes in my subconscious. More later…

An Excerpt from the pictures shown at the exhibition and a few from the set that is listed on ShutterStock stock photo agency online. The link below takes you to the ShutterStock portfolio page for Akhil Sahgal, where you can view, purchase and download a copy.

https://www.shutterstock.com/g/whereakhil

Dayanita Singh is a photographer whose primary format is the book. She studied Visual Communication at the National Institute of Design in Ahmedabad and Documentary Photography at the International Center of Photography in New York City. She has published twelve books. Her books rarely include text; instead she lets the photographs communicate and speak for themselves. These ideas are furthered through her experimentation with alternate ways of producing and viewing photographs to explore how people relate to photographic images.

Singh has created and displayed a series of mobile museums, giving her the space to constantly sequence, edit, and archive her images, in large part due to her interest in archives. Each mobile museum contains 70 to 100 photographs displayed in wooden vertical frames.

On a personal note, while Dayanita uses less text in a book and lets the image speak for itself, one can’t help but wonder about the placement of the image on the page. This brings back memories of studying graphical appeal of photographs in California. The entire page is an image. The canvas is only bound by the size of the page.

Museum Bhavan has been shown at the Hayward Gallery, London (2013), the Museum für Moderne Kunst, Frankfurt (2014), the Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago (2014) and the Kiran Nadar Museum of Art, New Delhi (2016). Singh was awarded the Prince Claus Award in 2008. In 2013, she became the first Indian to have a solo show at London’s Hayward Gallery.^[

http://dayanitasingh.net/

http://www.saffronart.com/artists/dayanita-singh

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dayanita_Singh

https://dayanitasingh.org/

During my time at Stanford, in the summer of 1994, I spent time in the San Francisco Art Scene where I was introduced to photographic techniques such as the Polaroid Image Transfer and Ansel Adams’ The Zone System. Till today I find that inspirational. I thought I could research Image Transfers and share this today with you.

What I discovered was that, as an art form one could use a slide film and project it onto a surface such as paper, glass, cloth or wood. Using an enlarger – printer, even the most simple photographs can be replicated in their own artistic ways.

Methods of Image Transfers

1. Polaroid Image Transfer: Using a camera, enlarger, slide printer or Day Lab, expose colour Polaroid film. You need pull-apart type film, such as Polaroid 669 (now discontinued), 669, 59, 559, and 809, or Fujifilm FP-100C. Develop by pulling the film from the holder. Wait about 10-15 seconds and quickly pull the film apart, not letting the two sides (the picture and the negative) touch. Put the pulled apart negative face down on paper (or other material). Place pressure over negative and let sit for about 20 minutes. Then pour hot water over each side of the negative/paper sandwich. Gently peel the negative from the paper. Allow transfer to dry, face up. Slide printers allow you to make Polaroid transfers from previously-taken slides or negatives. [Ref 1]

In a nutshell, the process involves copying the film or slide onto a Polaroid, followed by aborting the developing process of the Polaroid and transferring the still developing image onto a medium of your choice. Typically, 30 seconds after the Polaroid is created it is peeled apart and hot pressed onto a medium where the full development time of 90 seconds is achieved. Thereby you transfer the image onto cloth, paper, glass or wood.

2. Emulsion Lift: An emulsion lift is basically just cutting open the Polaroid and submerging it in water to remove the emulsion from the plastic backing. Then you take that emulsion and transfer it to whatever you want, in this case water-colour paper.

Here’s a great video that illustrates the process and the web page lists the materials required and the method involved. [Ref 2]

https://www.picturecorrect.com/tips/how-to-transfer-a-polaroid-image-to-paper/ Some of the equipment used: http://www.polamad.com/polaroidFAQ-imagetransfer.html

References:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polaroid_transfer

https://www.picturecorrect.com/tips/how-to-transfer-a-polaroid-image-to-paper/

https://petapixel.com/2011/10/06/how-to-transfer-a-photograph-onto-a-block-of-wood/

http://www.polamad.com/polaroidFAQ-imagetransfer.html