Dallas Simmons' Blog

  Michael Kenna, a Widnes, England native is a photographer. Kenna has taken all kinds of photos but his true claim to fame is his black and white landscape photographs. However, Kenna did not always want to pursue the arts. His first studies were centered around becoming a priest. This decision was heavily influenced by his Irish and Catholic parents.  Eventually, Kenna's focus shifted to art and photography and attended the London College of Printing. His career really jumpstarted with a trip to Japan. In Japan, he photographed the terrain of the country which was very intriguing to him. Kenna experimented with longer exposure times and shot during times close to dusk or dawn. Kenna states,    "You can't always see what's otherwise noticeable during the day... with long exposures, you can photograph what the human eye is incapable of seeing.". Personally, I really enjoy the works of Kenna. The work is extremely detailed and carefully exposed. I can see so many d...

  Lee Friedlander is an American photographer who was most recognized for the types of photos he specialized in. Friedlander had an eye for implementing reflections into your typical everyday landscape portraits. Although this has proven to be most successful for Friendlander, the beginning of his career started with taking pictures for musical artists and freelance photography for media companies.  In the 60s, Friedlander began the transition to a street photography. Britannica best describes it as, " using a “snapshot aesthetic” to capture contemporary urban life with unflinching realism.". He often used mirrors and glassfronts to create the perfect illusion in his shots. The reflections play a huge role in making the average picture a work of art. Personally, I am a huge fan of this style and idea of photography. I like the fact that there is almost always a story or deeper meaning behind every image. The one provided at the top has a deeper, darker meaning to me. I plan t...