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Dear
Cole,
It seems that the time between my newsletters
keeps increasing. It's not because I lack
new work to share, but rather because I find
myself spending so much time traveling and
creating that there is little time left for
newsletters! Since the last newsletter I've
been to Salt Lake City, Oklahoma City and Tulsa to
create new images. I always refer to my
process as "creating new images" rather than
"capturing photographs" or "taking pictures"
because I believe that I'm "creating" something
new rather than "capturing" something that already
exists. Just a slightly different
perspective I know, but an important
one. ~ In one of my recent blogs we
were discussing how each of us define
success. Someone had used the word "amateur"
and Keith Bond responded with this
bit of instruction: "...the very word
"amateur" is derived from the Latin root meaning
love. The original definition meant that to be an
amateur meant that you did something simply for
the love of it. Our language has since diluted the
true meaning of the word to that of a hobbyist who
isn't "good enough" to be "professional". I'd
rather be an amateur who happens to sells some
work than a professional who has lost the
love/passion for the work."I have
never cared for the distinction between amateur
and professional. Do I really care about
such things as I look at art? Shouldn't the
art say everything that needs to be
said? ~ Summer is ending and fall is
coming. This reminds me of a few lines from
one of my favorite movies, "Being There" with
Peter Sellers. It's a brilliant political
satire where Chauncey Gardener, a simpleton named
Chance who is a gardener, is mistaken for a
brilliant philosopher in
Washington: President: Mr. Gardner, do you
agree with Ben, or do you think that we can
stimulate growth through temporary incentives?
[Long pause] Chance the
Gardener: As long as the roots
are not severed, all is well. And all will be well
in the garden. The President:
In the
garden?Chance the
Gardener: Yes. In the garden,
growth has it seasons. First comes spring and
summer, but then we have fall and winter. And then
we get spring and summer again. The
President: Spring and
summer?Chance the
Gardener: Yes. The
President: Then fall and winter.
Chance the Gardener: Yes.
Benjamin Rand: I think what our
insightful young friend is saying is that we
welcome the inevitable seasons of nature, but
we're upset by the seasons of our economy.
Chance the Gardener: Yes! There will be
growth in the spring! Benjamin
Rand: Hmm!
Chance the Gardener: Hmm! The
President: Hm. Well, Mr. Gardner,
I must admit that is one of the most refreshing
and optimistic statements I've heard in a very,
very long time. [Benjamin Rand
applauds] The President: I admire your good,
solid sense. That's precisely what we lack on
Capitol Hill. ~ The Butterfly
CircusCole
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Centered
(The Angel Gabriel -
Newport Beach, CA)
One
of the first rules you're taught in photography is
to not center your subject and ironically I have
always been drawn to the centered subject.
For years I felt bad that I didn't feel bad about
breaking this rule, and others. Finally I
came to the realization that there are no experts
and no rules when it comes to your art, only
guidelines and opinions. Please enjoy a
sampling of my centered images
below. |
(Harbinger No. 1 -
Nowhere, UT)
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(Footbridge No. 2 -
Tokyo, Japan)
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(Plate of Leaves -
Livermore,
CO)
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(Lone Man No. 35 -
Guanaja, Honduras)
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(Packard - Livermore,
CO)
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Portfolios
I've
recently made some changes to my website and have
organized my portfolios a bit differently.
If you've not visited for awhile, you will find
something new. Click here to see the Portfolio
Page. |
The
Fountainhead
(The Fountainhead No.
68 - Oklahoma City
In
the last six weeks I've visited Salt Lake City,
Oklahoma City and Tulsa in my search for new
Fountainhead images. I created over twenty
new images, here are four samples or you can click here to view all of The
Fountainhead images.
I've also included
some of my favorite quotes from the novel The
Fountainhead, for which this series is
named.
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(The
Fountainhead No. 51 - Salt Lake
City)
"My dear fellow, who will let you? That's
not the point. The point is, who will stop
me?"
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(The Fountainhead No.
65 - Oklahoma
City)
"Sometimes, he was
asked to show his sketches; he extended them
across a desk, feeling a contraction of shame in
the muscles of his hand; it was like having the
clothes torn off his body, and the shame was not,
that his body was exposed, but that it was exposed
to indifferent
eyes."
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(The Fountainhead No.
41 - Salt Lake City)
"One can't love man
without hating most of the creatures who
pretend to bear his
name."
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Writer
Sought
Hugeaux
is a prolific traveler, photographer and
documenter of cultures that I greatly
admire. I have never seen anyone produce
so much work out of so much love!
This fall
Hugeaux and I will be collaborating on a project
tentatively titled "CONCEPTUAL Photography"
and we are looking for a writer with a refreshing
writing style to assist in this project.
If you would like to be a part of this
project, please contact me at Cole@ColeThompsonPhotography.com
Visit
my friend's website at www.hugeaux.com
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Poster
Drawing Winner
(The Corner of the Pier
- Crystal Beach,
CA)
The winner of this
month's drawing is Jenny Boone from North
Carolina. I'll be sending her a poster of
"The Corner of the Pier" pictured
above. Next month's drawing will be for a
signed copy of the LensWork issue that featured my
portfolio "The Ghosts of Auschwitz and
Birkenau." To enter the drawing please email
me with "Ghosts" in the subject line.
Cole@ColeThompsonPhotography.com |
Exhibition in
Tulsa, OK
(Auschwitz No. 4 -
Poland)
My work at Auschwitz and Birkenau was
recently honored by Living Arts gallery in Tulsa,
OK. It is a beautiful and spacious gallery
and I was warmly welcomed by an extremely informed
and active arts community.
If you're
in the area, the exhibition continues through
August 26th.
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About Cole
Thompson Photography
(Old Sarum Castle -
England)
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