Earlyriser's photos

[mark]

I am amazed by the postings of Earlyriser, in the gallery. Truely beautiful work. Few photographers are able to hold this sufferer of ADD's attention. His have.

Just thought I would make my awe of them public.

 

[jstraw]

I'm in awe of Brian's vision.

 

[David A. Goldfarb]

Brian really does know how to reduce a scene to its basic forms. There's nothing in the image that doesn't belong.

Another thing that I've noticed in his recent postings is that he takes all the qualities that I don't like about T-Max 100--that plasticky tonality that resembles B&W video--and does something really interesting with them. Instead of plastic, he gets smooth and dreamlike. This one really stands out in this regard--

(there was a url link here which no longer exists)

 

[Robert Hall]

I second the emotion. Excellent vision, quality, and consistancy.

 

[Konical]

Good Evening,

Ditto to the comments above. Best stuff posted lately.

Konical

 

[Kevin Caulfield]

Likewise here too. I agree that the images have only what is necessary, and it takes real skill to reduce a subject to its simple beauty.

 

[jovo]

Instead of plastic, he gets smooth and dreamlike.

I've seen a number of Brian's actual prints and they are exceptionally beautiful. He explained to me a technique he uses to slightly diffuse the prints in at least some of his work. Perhaps, Brian, if you read this you'll discuss some of that procedure.

I hope he gets represented by a NYC gallery again soon (he had been featured there by the Edward Carter Gallery that closed in 2001). I'd love to see the new work that's being offered in larger sizes than before.

 

[JLP]

Can only agree to what's been said already. Would love to hear about the technique used in Brian's work but know that tchnique no matter how good does not make the photo alone. These photos just have a very special feel in this "high" tonal range.


jan

 

[jd callow]

I can't agree more and I am glad mark brought it up. I have been having a runing discussion behind the scenes with member about how good his work is. I/we should have started a thread.

The thing I really like about his work is how well he understands his subject and the medium. Many have shot the same objects as he has, but few do it as well.

 

[MurrayMinchin]

Yup, me too. Love the care in positioning the camera. Love the patience to wait for the scene to unfold. Love that almost imperceptable dark halo thing. Love the way he blasts solid blacks into distant objects in moist marine environments. Admire the commitment it must take to pull it all off.

Murray

 

[zenrhino]

Not only is he a great shooter, but a fine critic and theorist as well. We had a thread running about the snapshot aesthetic (which I believe came off of a thread about Alec Soth's blog) where he really make some fatastic points. Persuasive enough to make me really rethink how and what I shoot.

He is truly another example of why I am so grateful to be an APUG member.

 

[wildbill]

I met him here in los angeles on opening night of one of his shows. Very nice man and very nice prints.

vinny

 

[keeds]

Echo everybodies comments. It has been an absolute joy to revisit the gallery and see what gem he has put up next. An inspiration...

 

[Leon]

me too - his pictures are an inspiration to me

 

[jstraw]

At the risk of being misunderstood as a negative criticism, I'll repeat here what I told my wife while were were visiting Brian's website a week or so ago. I told her that becase he has such a consistancy of vision...the way his wide format horizontals become a very distinct "eye," the way his composition is consistantly head-on, either symetrical or balanced, zen-like in their quietude and lack of clutter that the very, very small number of "heroic" landscapes (beautifully done, without a doubt)stand out and not really in a good way.

Here is an example:

(there was a url link here which no longer exists)


Those very few images, as perfectly executed as they are, do not re-enforce his very individual vision because they are what one would expect.

As a body of work, his photographs are nothing if not unexpected, except as one grows familiar with his way of seeing and then, only in a context they create for each other.

As I said, I'm in awe. At this moment he's a favorite pohotographer and represents the absolute pinnacle of what I've discovered as a direct result of APUG. I must see actual prints one day.

 

[Michel Hardy-Vallée]

At the risk of being misunderstood as a negative criticism, I'll repeat here what I told my wife while were were visiting Brian's website a week or so ago. I told her that becase he has such a consistancy of vision...the way his wide format horizontals become a very distinct "eye," the way his composition is consistantly head-on, either symetrical or balanced, zen-like in their quietude and lack of clutter that the very, very small number of "heroic" landscapes (beautifully done, without a doubt)stand out and not really in a good way.

Here is an example:

(there was a url link here which no longer exists)


Those very few images, as perfectly executed as they are, do not re-enforce his very individual vision because they are what one would expect.

As a body of work, his photographs are nothing if not unexpected, except as one grows familiar with his way of seeing and then, only in a context they create for each other.

As I said, I'm in awe. At this moment he's a favorite pohotographer and represents the absolute pinnacle of what I've discovered as a direct result of APUG. I must see actual prints one day.

I agree with you, as much as the rest of his body of work is original and consistent, that particular picture struck me as too Ansel Adams-like.

 

[Early Riser]

Wow, leave the room for a minute and people start talking about you...

I am extremely flattered by all of the comments and am very gratified that others feel merit in my work. I already have an inflated ego and now I fear that my wife will have to suffer with at least a temporary boost in my incorrigibleness. On the plus side this sort of positive reinforcement gives me increased motivation and encourages greater efforts on my part.

JStraw and MHV are correct in their astute observation. The image cited as being "Ansel Like" is much more Ansel like than any of my work. The reason behind this is simple, it's a very early piece of mine. I only started doing landscape work, after a two decade absence from the genre, in 1998. I decided then to go out and try my hand at landscape so in '98 I made trips to New Mexico/Colorado and Death Valley ( I just posted a photo from that trip, the oldest piece in my portfolio). At the time I was very influenced by Ansel,something I think that is very common among landscape shooters, especially when they first start out. On those early trips I was not selective in what scenes I felt were worth being captured. As a city boy just the sight of a mountain with snow on top was awe inspiring. At this point, for better or worse, I've gotten a little jaded and it takes a heck of a lot more to impress me and have me stop the car and pull out the gear.

The image "Mono Lake and the Sierra Nevadas" was shot in early 2000. It is an attempt by me to do the "Heroic" or "Grand Vista" landscape. It is not a signature type piece for me and is very traditional. However even now if I am presented with a heroic scene, or even one that has been done to death, as has nearly everything, I'm still going to give it a shot and see if I can do something more, or different with it. I don't think that because someone else has shot a certain scene already that that scene is now "done". However if you're going to shoot something that has been done before, you really need to bring something new to it, or be there at a truly exceptional moment.

The work that I loaded onto my APUG gallery back in November ( Norway, Newfoundland, Greece, Utah) is recent work. They are scans from negatives and have yet to be even printed. I think that in the last year or so I have been finding my particular POV more and that my work is becoming more unique to me. I have posted some recent images, "Pet Area", "Wrong Way" and "Clothesline" that are a departure for me, yet I feel drawn to doing.

If anyone has any questions about my work, gear, technique, whatever, etc. Feel free to ask. And again, thank you all for your comments.

 

[Michel Hardy-Vallée]

Well.... Does that call for a new APUG Featured Member? Let me propose you, EarlyRiser!

 

[jstraw]

If anyone has any questions about my work, gear, technique, whatever, etc. Feel free to ask. And again, thank you all for your comments.

As was mentioned above, you seem to have some pretty developed techniques for achieving a sort of glowing, soft focus. I'd be interested in hearing about what equipment and processes you use for that.

Also, when you first saw the tv commercial where the stymied composer gets the answer to his problem by seeing the musical phrase formed by birds on a set of wires, did you wonder if someone had seen your website?

 

[zenrhino]

Well.... Does that call for a new APUG Featured Member? Let me propose you, EarlyRiser!

Hear, hear!

 

[keeds]

Well.... Does that call for a new APUG Featured Member? Let me propose you, EarlyRiser!

ditto...

 

[Early Riser]

What does being the APUG featured member entail? A drug test? Public disclosure of assets? Or the opportunity for me to talk about myself for a half hour.

If you guys want me to be the subject of a featured member piece, I'm game for it. I'm not sure if the powers that be would be interested in that.

 

[jstraw]

You ducking my questions, E.R.?

 

[Sportera]

I second the nomination. Your photo's are stunning.

 

[Sportera]

The drug test didn't bother me but the prostate exam was a bit much though.