Thousand and One Words

Great photo commentary and critique blog - Thousand and One Words - by "Ryan Howard" ؟

From his Artists Statement

"They say a picture is worth a thousand words, but my photographs strive for more. I document life--capturing emotions and provoking thought. My pictures serve as a mirror, not only reflecting the truth in existence, but also providing the viewer a glimpse back through my lens, past the viewfinder, and straight into my spirit/soul.."

Here are a couple of posts:

Block Drive

"The eye is drawn to the sign and its cry for help. "Do not block drive." It begs us to examine what is blocking our drive. It's easy to believe we are resigned to this black and white life, but look closely at the picture. Notice how the letters go outside the lines just like the writer is trying to break free of the locked door. Delve deeper to see the play between light and dark highlighting the symbolism of the text. The washed out effect from the letters is our light within trying to break through. I could have shot this head on, but I choose the angle to emphasize the padlock - the darkest part of the photo...the darkest part of life. The lock in the shadows is the darkest parts of our lives; addiction, abandonment, orphanages, greed, metaphorical blindness. That darkness is the secrets and secrets locked deep within each of us - the darkness chaining our drive."

Mysterious Pipes

"Protruding out from the coarse stucco, these three holes are a mystery. Where do they lead? What flows through them? The observer cannot know for sure, giving them license to draw up their own interpretations. Looking at them, the viewer can easily conjure up images spanning from pollution to sex to Ninja Turtles and beyond... The true mystery comes from your imagination."

Ryan is also doing open critiques where you can send your own work in: It seems like anyone with an SLR camera seems to fancy themselves a "photographer," but there's a huge difference between "taking pictures" and "being an artistic chronicler." I could rant for hours about all the terrible photographs I've been subjected to--instead I'm going to do something about it. I plan to offer you unprecedented access to my brain, eyes, heart, and yes, even my soul. Every few weeks I'll pick a theme and you'll have the opportunity to submit your photos to my blog; a few lucky individuals will have theirs critiqued by me. The tips and insight I'm offering are sure to make anyone who pays careful attention to what I say (and what I don't say), fantastically better. And who knows, maybe you'll even teach me something in the process.

I'm surprised I haven't already seen Ryan interviewed on Conscientious yet.


(Link via Jon Feinstein via Joy Drury Cox - Jon, I hope you are considering Ryan as a juror for a show at Humble Arts Foundation?)