Recommended reading

A couple nights ago, I added a list of links to photo blogs I regularly check out. Here’s a quick rundown of what I’ve listed (so far) and why:

Jen Bekman: Her Personism blog is all about art and photography and poetry and such. And she owns a gallery in New York and runs the Hey, Hot Shot! contest (see below). Way-cool stuff.

Jörg Colberg: He publishes the Conscientious blog (usually short posts, often multiple times a day). It’s a great place to find out about other photographers’ work. Plus, his interviews with photographers are must-reads—check them out by clicking the Conversations link on his home page.

Amy Elkins: Her blog started as a series of self-portraits—one a day for every day remaining in her father’s incarceration. She often includes a sentence or two from a recent phone call with her father. I like Amy’s blog because it leaves me with more questions than answers.

Martin Fuchs: His Journal of a Photographer blog is a glimpse into the life of a photojournalist. The blog grew out of an earlier one that Martin did during his internship with Magnum Photos in 2005. If you have the time, read some of his first posts in that first blog—you can get to it by clicking on the About link on the home page and scrolling down.

Hey, Hot Shot!: This is the blog affiliated with the contest by the same name (see Jen Bekman, above). I think this may be my favorite blog of all, just because I love seeing all the work people are putting out there. I’m not ready to enter Hey, Hot Shot! just yet. But in the next year or so, I’m there. In the meantime, I’m watching.

Shane Lavalette: To illustrate my point (see Hey, Hot Shot!, above), I found out about Shane’s work through the Hey, Hot Shot! blog just a few days ago. His blog is mostly photos, some words, and a good ride.

Alec Soth: I’ve said enough about Alec Soth already. His blog is a great big goulash of photography and poetry and randomness, and all you have to do is start reading it to get why his blog is popular.

State of the Art: This blog is a group effort by the editors of American Photo magazine. You get everything from tech news to gallery news to gossip here.

Amy Stein: Amy’s photos are just amazing, and her blog is pretty nifty, too. I think I first heard about her in PDN. If you’re not a fan of her work already, you will be.

Zoe Strauss: She’s the cool kid on this blog block, as far as I’m concerned. She’s got a voice and she’s not afraid to use it.

Brian Ulrich: His Copia, published as part of MP3: Midwest Photographers Publication Project (Aperture, 2006), rocks. So does his blog.

P.S. Here’s a photo to end the post with, in honor of all the incredible, awe-inspiring photographers whose books will crush me in my sleep if we have an earthquake. Buried in photo books. Could it get any better than that?

Copyright © 2007 Liz Kuball