Saturday, February 6, 2010

Risky Business


Emily Cook, freestyle skiier. Sweater by Rodarte.


As readers of this blog will know, I'm a big fan of photographer Ryan McGinley and New York Times Magazine Director of Photography, Kathy Ryan. And I'm pleased to say - they've done it again! After creating a hugely successful Summer Olympics portfolio in 2004, they've just produced a brand new Winter Olympics portfolio on the theme of "Highfliers".

I won't steal the magazine's thunder by nabbing their pictures so here's a link. And by the way, in my opinion, this kind of collaboration, with no absolute guarantee of success, is one of the few things that can keep that business vital and alive. Be smart. Be creative. Take risks!

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Seriously?
This series is mediocre, at best!
As a peer, I am quietly ashamed.
He's established himself as a creative force, no doubt - a respected photographer for sure, but this series of images...

No.

The Year in Pictures said...

FRESH PRINTS

Let me answer the above comment. McGinley brings a consistent and original personal vision - a blend of the snapshot with a dreamy and visionary color aesthetic. He blends elements of portraiture, reportage, and fashion into a unique look. His pictures are satisfying to me for their color, form, and content. They are youthful, free-flying, action-packed, and fresh - and whenever I see a new portfolio of his work it gives me the kind of pleasure I get when I hear a great new song, see a great new movie, or read a great new book.

: )

J.D.

Rachel Elizabeth said...

I love the snowboarding and skiing ones. Some of the other aren't my particular style. I wish I had cable so I could watch the Olympics.

Letterpress said...

I always learn something new about how to look at photographs when I read your blog.

Thanks,
E.

Mr. Fletcher said...

i kind of agree with anonymous above: there are a couple of interesting shots (the first figure skater picture is really amazing) but most are... well... uninteresting...

i mean, it's good photography, obviously, but i don't find them too impressive...

M

federico said...

Good overall, but not unforgettable -with a few uninspired portraits thrown in, that kind of suck.

He does manage to convey the Winter Olympics in his own (well known) style, though. Which I admit is an accomplishment.

Some of the skiing photos, for example, or the skating ones, have been done over and over by sports photographers, but these have a certain "mc ginleyesque" touch.

Anonymous said...

With some of the images, especially the one of Emily Cook that you link to in your post, it makes you wonder if they're double-exposures, or messed with in Post. If so, I wonder why they're not credited as Photo Illustrations, since that whole mirror-imaging architectural story blew up in their face, not long ago. I thought that was their new policy, to break out illustrations from straight photography.

If not, then Emily must be at about five thousand feet, and McGinley is hanging out of an airplace, with strobe head on a boom arm. Maybe that's why four assistants. (Or maybe this is his trademark fog machine)?

Whatever the case, kudos to him for trying something new with Olympic athletes.