First attempt with the muse lens from lensbaby

Here is the first attempt with the muse lens from lensbaby. More on this later …

First afternoon at the FOAM

Well, first able, for those who don’t know the signification of FOAM, it stands for FOtografiemuseum AMsterdam. So, if you are living in the Netherlands or are passing by and are interested in photography, this place should interest you. They have only non-permanent exhibitions and they’re changing them quite often. The good thing is that they have every time 4 completely different exhibitions. It can be about an artist or a theme. I like that variety, as you can discover different styles in one visit.

You can subscribe for 34€ a year to the foam club which give free access to the museum. There are also other advantages that you can check over here.

I took my subscription recently and today I’ve decided to take advantage of the grey and cold dutch weather and go check the FOAM for the first time. Below, a quick overview of this afternoon :

The first exhibition on the ground floor is “Avenue Patrice Lumumba” by the South African photographer Guy Tillim. This is some photographs out of the book of the same name published earlier in 2008. The photographs are mainly architectural and depict the emergence of the modernism after the Congo won its independence.

The exhibition is nicely arranged. There are two rooms with large size framed photographs and an extra room on a half-floor with some 24×32 that make a long strip all over the walls. This second part is over the decay of Johannesburg.

More pictures here.

The FOAM also have a nice garden where you can enjoy the sun if there is any. At least, you can drink some nice lemonade or have an ice cream for 1€ and take a fresh breath before moving further. Unfortunately the garden is open only once a year (every third week-end of June) and I was lucky enough to have chosen by coincidence this time to visit the museum. As compensation, here is a picture of the garden.

Continuing my tour, I went upstairs to see the exhibition “Marks of Honour “. This is a photobook exhibition. A couple of photographers are presenting the most inspiring photobooks to them. You can see some photographs out of the book and the books themselves are arranged on table so you can leaf through. Also, you have some screens where someone is leafing through the book for you. I thought it was a nice idea for lazy people like me. That’s a very friendly exhibition where you can sit and read books or just look at the framed pictures. Your choice.

Next, is an exhibition over the italian photagrapher Massimo Italia
. Massimo is making pictures of crowded beaches and enlarges them to create huge panorama. Very colorful over saturated photographs.

And the last exposition is the one from a dutch photographer Emilie Hudig, “Control”. This is a documentary about her struggle again cancer. You’ll see very intimate pictures of her every day life fight against her sickness. Very moving and unusual exhibition. You can check more pictures on her website. Mine are only about the room where the photos are exposed. It takes place in the library of the FOAM which is a very nice and quiet room that fit well the theme of the photographs. Be prepare to be stirred up !

In conclusion, there are a lot to discover at the FOAM. The museum is very friendly. You can also take a drink at the nice cafe (check the cafe blog here) where you can as well borrow books and magazines about photography. They have nice lemonade with 14 different taste! (I took concumber which definitely taste like melon). Next time you don’t know what to do around Amsterdam, don’t hesitate to spend some time there. And if you are dutch resident interested by photography, I strongly advise you to take the FOAM club subscription !

Day 57 :A desiquilibrium day

I just finish to read “Face to face” by Rick Sammon’s. In my opinion , it’s an amazing book for all photographers who like to photograph people and make better picture out of it. Very inspiring. I’ve decided (never too late !)to pay even more attention to the composition in my pictures starting with my daily mobile picture. This work is just starting and there will be more to come. Here is the thinking I had today before I took the daily shot.

When I arrived on the platform to wait for my train, I saw this girl who was sitting in the middle of the platform to read her book. I thought that it would made a nice picture, as it was funny to see how she was completely unaware of the world around her.

My first thought for this shot was to try to compose something with the lines on the floor. First to make something original and dynamic, and secondly to try to split the picture in different areas. I decided to put her head in the white line and to tilt the mobile so the line will lead our eyes to her. Here is my first shot :

Then , the train was about to arrive so I’ve started to want to oppose the girl who was sitting with some other people who were walking in a hurry around her, hopping secretly that she will not get away as well. It gave these two shots:

I wasn’t happy with those two and I realize that it would be nice to catch people out the train while the girl was still sitting as these people would be completely on the other side of the middle line. I must say I was pretty lucky as the guy that get out the train first was a roller skater who was wearing red clothes. It was exactly the type of shot I had in my mind. I could create the opposition of two different worlds with the line, one dynamic and colorful and one quiet and dull. And that makes the picture of the day ! Hope you’ll enjoy it as much as the comments !

Day 56 : A flourish day

Day 55 : A festive day

That’s all made with plastic bags strips !  Though it might not be the best way to recycle those, it produces a nice colorful effect.

Day 54 : A surrealist day

Day 53 : An industrious day

Day 52 : A closer day

Love is an irresistible desire to be irresistibly desired.
Robert Frost

Day 51 : A blue day

Thank you Chase !

I should have done that since way too long. Well “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s” ‘ ”he” said, so here am I : I’ve started to take a picture a day with my mobile after Chase Jarvis did it (probably some of you knew already). His belief that photography is something that can be done everyday, everywhere helped me to really want starting as a photographer.

My way in this world is just started and there are probably many more excitements to come for me. But one thing for sure, doing  this daily picture helped me to want  looking around even more, to want observing the world, paying attention to humdrum scene and trying to find in them interesting pictures.  I strongly believe that this simple exercise helped me already and will continue to help me seing better pictures, noticing details here and there, renewing my eyes and keeping my motivation up on a daily base.

Simple exercise but yet someone had to think about it … Thank you Chase !

Ps :If you don’t know Chase Jarvis yet, I urge to check his blog right here.