That Which Is Called Style.

WallPaper. Copyright 2009: Knut Skjærven.

“The one element absolutely essential in every composition is balance, without which no picture can ever be satisfying. Lacking this,  a picture becomes restless and irritating, and the beholder turns from it with a sense of relief.

No formula can be drawn up for the simplification for the course of study necessary to an understanding of what constitutes good composition. To a natural taste must be added a careful and understanding study of the best accepted work of all forms of art, old and new. In photography this is even more essential, if possible, then in painting, for the photographer, usually working in monochrome, has not the resource of color upon the painter can draw. Consequently, the only advice is study the best pictures in all media – from painting to photography –  and to study them again and again, analyze them, steep yourself in them until they unconsciously become part of your esthetic being. Then, if there be any trace of originality within you, you will intuitively adapt what you have thus made a part of yourself, and tinctured by your personality you will evolve that which is called style.”

Alfred Stieglitz: Stieglitz on Photography, His Selected Essays and Notes, Compiled and Annotated by Richard Whelan, Aperture, New York. Library Thing.

This is a barebones pitstop post. For more pitstop posts, please go to pitstop puzzle.

One of Elimination

Berlin Fragment. Copyright 2009.

“The problem that is presented is practically one of elimination. To include all that is necessary for the elucidation of the composition, and to exclude everything that is unessential to a clear statement of the dominant underlying idea, taxes the abilities of even the best artists to their utmost. I must not be misunderstood to say that every great work of art must necessarily be simple in its composition, for many of the great masterpieces in painting are built up upon very complex geometric lines. In fact the nature of the composition is largely dependent upon the subject and the manner in which it is intended to be represented. I am now alluding mainly to the linear compositions, there being also tonal treatment, mass compositions, color compositions and combination of all these”.

Alfred Stieglitz: Stieglitz on Photography, His Selected Essays and Notes, Compiled and Annotated by Richard Whelan, Aperture, New York. Library Thing.

This is a barebones pitstop post. For more pitstop posts, please go to pitstop puzzle.

Barebones SchmapShot Copenhagen.

Click Image.

More smalltalk.

I have to to bother you with this, but barebones was in fact accepted as a provider to the Ninth Edition of the Schmap Copenhagen Guide. There even is an iPhone/iPhone version of it. Click the picture and you will be taken right there.

For the basic version of Schmap go here.

The Power of Presence

Katrine. Copyright Knut Skjærven.

“A man’s presence is dependent upon the promise of power which he embodies. If the promise is large and credible his presence is striking. If it is small or incredible, he is found to have little presence. The promised power may be moral, physical, temperamental, economic, social, sexual – but its object is always exterior to the man. A man’s presence suggests what he is capable of doing to you or for you. His presence may be fabricated, in the sense that he pretends to be capable of what he is not. But the pretence is always towards a power which he exercises on others.

By contrast, a women’s presence expresses her own attitude to herself, and defines what can and cannot be done to her. Her presence is manifest in her gestures, voice, opinions, expressions, clothes, chosen surroundings, taste – indeed there is nothing she can do which does not contribute to her presence. Presence for a woman is so intrinsic to her person that men tend to think of it as an almost physical emanation,  a kind of heat or small or aura”.

John Berger: Ways of Seeing, Penguin Design Series 2008. Library Thing.

This is a barebones pitstop post. For more pitstop posts, please go to pitstop puzzle.

Barebones Obama

This is probably as good as it gets. I will not interfere with words here. This is an historic speech not only for its contents, but most of all for the way it is delivered. (Short version).

Vacant Voices: Tom Remington on The Climate Summit in Copenhagen.

Well, the net was invented and so was YouTube. Both with an increasingly importance for communication. Bareboned or not.

From time to time barebones will introduce you to the vacant voices from the virtual vicinity. These posts will be tagged: vacant voices.

Here is Tom Remington doing an episode of his Open Air program.  It might be a bit long, but Tom is an entertaining storyteller. Presented by Skinny Moose Media and found on YouTube.

Enjoy.

She Is Here for The Forests

Eboko Marcelline, Copyright 2009.

This is Miss Eboko Marcelline. She is here for the forests.

Miss Marcelline is from Cameroon in Africa representing Association OKANI. She is of the Baka Tribe of Pygmies in Eastern Cameroon.

She is attending Klimaforum 2009.

Copenhagen, Denmark, December 8, 2009.

He Is Here for The Forests.

This is Mr. Messe Venant, Cameroon. Copyright 2009.

This is Mr. Messe Venant. He is here for the forests.

Mr. Venant is from Cameroon in Africa representing Association OKANI. He is of the Baka Tribe of Pygmies in Eastern Cameroon.

Mr. Venant is attending Klimaforum 2009.

Copenhagen, Denmark, December 8, 2009.

Probably Not That Good For Business.

TDC Stumble Upon. Screenshot.

Barebones is now on StumbleUpon.

Not by its own merits I am afraid, but because of Claus and Britta, the nude couple populating TDC’s recent brand advertising campaign. Someone stumbled upon TDC In The Nude, the barebones post written about 2 weeks ago. TDC is  the used to be Danish PTT, and now the major telecommunication company in Denmark.

The post was added to the pornography topic on StumbleUpon.

What can I say? It’s a wide world out there, but pornography? I’d rather have it photography.

Probably not that good for business.

barebones bouncing books

Lost in Translation. Copyright Knut Skjærven.

I’m actually reading 4 books at the same time these days. Not that this is very unusual, but this time the books fit together closely. So, I thought I would mention it.

The books are John Berger: Ways of Seeing; John Szarkowski: The Photographers Eye; John Szarkowski: Looking at Photographs; and Ashley la Grange: Basic Critical Theory for Photographers.

Reading books this way, you can actually read them as chapters of the same single book. Berger is flagging visual communication, and is a definite must for bareboner’s; la Grange lists the different sourced for theories within photography, and Szarkowski is a master of describing individual photographs.

All 4 books are very useful. Not only in terms of photography and visual communication, but for communication in general. And thus for barebones. Reading what others get out of photographs, is really an eye opener, and yet another source of experience . Could be for you as well.

Quote Berger page 150. “To be continued by the reader … “.

Good luck with it.