Apology portraits

Dr Croubie · May 26, 2014

Regardless of which side of the politics you fall on, I just think that these are just some very cool portrait/landscape pairings.
On no less than LF with expired film, the colours definitely give some ethereal qualities to the work:
http://www.bbc.com/news/in-pictures-27516379

and more work here: http://www.aletheiacasey.com/ (but the website only half works for me)

Tom1956 · May 26, 2014

Richard S. (rich815) · May 26, 2014

Very interesting. Thanks. I went to her website. Is it me or are many of her images not focused properly or blurry where it seems they should not be? Maybe bad scans?

Dr Croubie · May 26, 2014

Well, I managed to get it working on my work laptop, must be an issue with my PC at home.
Still, the gallery marked 'Australians' is password protected, so can't see any more of them (actually edit: there's a gallery called 'After the Apology', that's where more of the portrait/landscapes are).
Interesting that they're square, and include the rebate showing 'Fujifilm RDP' (II or III, can't tell) on a lot of them. So maybe the BBC mixed up LF and MF, or there's some cropping (but somehow not on the edge with the markings), or it's just one of those instant-borders added after scanning. Or maybe I shouldn't try to figure it out and just accept them for the really nice shots that they are, I love number 9 of the beach.

Just on the blurriness, I did notice that there's some in-browser resizing going on, that generally makes photos blurrier, so that could be it (although the first few in the 'portraits' gallery have some heinously wafer-thin DOF going on, even a bit of tilt it looks like, and there's a few that are dfinitely just OOF, whether intentional or not).

I do also like this one though, perfect timing on the pigeon.

Richard S. (rich815) · May 26, 2014

That is a good one with the pigeon.

This gallery has some real focus issues for me: http://www.aletheiacasey.com/remains-of-hasankeyf#1

Poisson Du Jour · May 26, 2014

"Real focus issues"??
None of the images are out of focus or poorly focus; there is a very skillful use of limited (context) focus, swing and very shallow depth (effective for isolation) that is all too rarely seen in quality LF work that tends to be monotonously sterile and clinical. As an adventure in the use of expired colour media, it is outstanding. The 6x6 format works beautifully for the portfolio (which is of course not restricted to this one). At the best of times it is very difficult to photograph indigenous Australians but Aletheia is no newcomer to this and has a real empathy and understanding that shows through her images. I consider Aletheia's work to be exceptionally well crafted and executed and a call-out for taking large format studies to a higher and greater subconscious level — very especially where people are involved in the telling of a story.

Richard S. (rich815) · May 26, 2014

Make up your mind.

Wayne · May 27, 2014

The gallery isn't working for me at all (I'm on dialup) but I liked the samples in the article a lot.

AgX · May 27, 2014

I did not understand those image couples neither before nor after reading the article.

Dr Croubie · May 27, 2014

AgX said:
I did not understand those image couples neither before nor after reading the article.

This may help.
(but then, history or not, I still just like the photos)

AgX · May 27, 2014

Thank you. I basically know the history, but I just don't understand the coupling of two photographs in this case, like those two shore sights.
Maybe though I'm expecting too much from that coupling. It's not the photos as such, I just do not get the point of that formal structure.

darkosaric · May 27, 2014

Dr Croubie said:
This may help.
(but then, history or not, I still just like the photos)

To quote Jim Jarmusch:

"Stupid fucking white man!"

Poisson Du Jour · May 27, 2014

The work concerns Women of the Stolen Generation and (the portraits) and the Country / Dreamtime to which they are connected. More than one image of Country / Dreamtime represents multiple connections (family). I agree it's easier for Australians to understand the work and is in itself an abstract work requiring knowledge of the political and cultural undertows.

MattKing · May 27, 2014

Anyone from Canada familiar with our "Residential Schools" tragedy/atrocity will understand and appreciate these portraits.

Apology portraits

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