Camera Style

As majority pictures around the world taken with digital cameras of different incarnations, old school analog film cameras becoming fashion accessory and personal creativity statement. In the streets of big cities hip characters sporting old Leicas, Nikons, Canonets, Pentaxes and other obscure cool looking image taking machines. Most digital cameras produced today are ugly and lack of tactile appeal. Like cars on the street, all brands look like they came from the same assembly line. Film cameras is total opposite: they are heavy and solid tools, fruits of passionate engineering. Produced in Japan, Germany or Sweden, countries with reputation for attention for details and craftsmanship, they easy outlast any today's soap dish shaped gizmo.
Most film Leicas are sold in Japan. Most film camera cultists roam streets here.
Take a look to Tokyo Camera Style, site devoted to analog cameras in use.

Bailout According to Gospel

To him who hath nothing, nothing will be given; to him who hath, more will be added to.

Barefoot Biopirate

Fascinating and at the same time sad story in WIRED magazine about Brazilian biologist Marc van Roosmalen, originally of Dutch birth living in Manaus in Brazil. Scientist who spent most of his research time in the field, deep in the jungle instead of library or lab. His nontraditional work methods and fight for preservation of rain forest made him enemy of jealous colleagues and corrupt Brazilian bureaucrats, who accused him in biopiracy. Roosmalen, voted a Hero of the Planet by Time magazine in 2000, was sentenced for 15 years for trying to protect the Brazilian wilderness and many still undiscovered creatures. Rain forest is cut for shortsighted agricultural use. Exports of soya for cattle feed, mostly to China and Europe, are being put ahead of the environment. Just remember fate of activists Chico Mendez in 1988 and Dorothy Stang in 2005.
Read also interview with Marc van Roosmalen on Aquatic Community's site.

Brain in the Gut

The most innovative and daring ideas lately coming not from philosophers, artists or academia. They come from the kitchens around the world. Wonderful interview with celebrated cooks Chef Ferran Adrià & Chef Jose Andres from Spain just proves that statement. Fantastic.

UNREALx36

My brother's Tomas Andrijauskas photo show UNREALx36 opens at Photography Museum of Siauliai (Lithuania) on March 20. Pictures taken with snapshot camera, without any thinking at parties and all kind of encounters with friends in Siauliai between the late 90's and 2003. Raw and unpolished.

Frontal Truth of Alberto García-Alix

Considering how conservative Spanish society is, photographer Alberto García-Alix deserves double respect and attention than he receives. For some reason he is not very well known and represented beyond Spain. His raw and sensitive portraits of human soul materialized from the drops of the artist's blood and sweat, soaked in wine and cigarette smoke. He lives his images and photographs people alike, friends who balances danger, self destruction and lust for life. Alberto García-Alix's images very Spanish, Latin. When I look at his images it reminds me films of Argentine film director Jorge Polaco, who is even less known, yet makes wonderful and strange movies. Blend of machismo of corrida with passion and sexuality of flamenco serves more like shell and temporary safe place for naked bodies with vulnerable faces and sad wondering eyes.

The Album Art of Hipgnosis

You can't judge music record by the sleeve, but in most cases it works. Smart and talented musicians has good enough taste to pick right visuals. Sometimes record artwork much better than music it contains. Many wonderful vinyl album covers from 70's stuck in my mind, but I can hardly recall music of quite a few. Artwork alone was enough to enjoy record as an object. At that time I was not aware that majority of them was produced by single creative unit called Hipgnosis. Founded in 1968 by Storm Thorgerson and Aubrey Powell in London, this company created packing for the best albums of Led Zeppelin, Genesis, UFO, Black Sabbath, Peter Gabriel, Black Sabbath, Rainbow, Paul McCartney, Syd Barrett, Scorpions, Styx and The Alan Parsons Project among others. Storm Thorgerson was responsible for the imagery of Pink Floyd stage shows. Based of photographic image, playful and daring ideas rather than gimmicks of Photoshop, Hipgnosis work remains unsurpassed by this day and most likely will never be, since Storm Thorgerson and Aubrey Powell still in business and full of fresh ideas as ever.