every day is like sunday
Now Playing: blur - the great escape
Topic: photography



Phewf! Another crazy week and a half, and I never feel like I have enough time in the day!

I've been scanning some shots I took in Blackpool back in 2001 for a submission; my new book of portraiture is in the very last stages; I have another submission almost done; my print for Unsensored09 is ready to collect from the framer, and I found out last week that Truth Lies Beyond has been selected as a finalist in this year's Corangamarah Art Prize!

I have to find a way to get there for opening night this year, as this is my second year in a row being selected and I didn't get to go last year.

On top of all that I am trying to make a start on culling down my belongings for the move, and went to an old friend's wedding on Sunday night.

...And some of my self-portraiture is featured in the latest edition of Frame Lines: #8 Contrasting Landscapes.

Hoping to get a couple of gallery visits in on Friday, including the Dali exhibition at the NGV.

Please forgive my irregular posting for a bit, but in the meantime I did a little tweak to a couple of sections in my site about a week ago, so if you haven't taken a look lately, now's a good time :D

lights out
Now Playing: the cure - seventeen seconds
Topic: photography



I have come to the borders of sleep,
The unfathomable deep
Forest where all must lose
Their way, however straight,
Or winding, soon or late;
They cannot choose.

Many a road and track
That, since the dawn's first crack,
Up to the forest brink,
Deceived the travellers,
Suddenly now blurs,
And in they sink.

Here love ends,
Despair, ambition ends,
All pleasure and all trouble,
Although most sweet or bitter,
Here ends in sleep that is sweeter
Than tasks most noble.

There is not any book
Or face of dearest look
That I would not turn from now
To go into the unknown
I must enter and leave alone
I know not how.

The tall forest towers;
Its cloudy foliage lowers
Ahead, shelf above shelf;
Its silence I hear and obey
That I may lose my way
And myself.

- Edward Thomas

i was always your girl
Now Playing: the reindeer section - son of evil reindeer
Topic: photography



About a week ago, I received an email about what I would consider to be pretty much my dream workshop.

Aaron Hobson is running a 3-day workshop in his local area, the Adirondacks in upstate New York, primarily based around narrative, cinematic-influenced photography, to culminate in an exhibition on the final night.

Not only am I an admirer of Aaron's work, I share a passion for cinematic imagery and self-portraiture with him. He is one of the many folk I would love to share a pint with and discuss photography, inspiration and self-portraiture, and the landscapes and abandoned structures, whether houses or places of industry, in his photographs regularly invoke my jealousy at what is at his proverbial fingertips.

Currently I don't know that I will be able to scrape together the funds for a trip to the US in August this year, but failing that I hope he will be able to continue to run workshops like this in 2010 which would be more likely for me to be able to participate in.

If you're able to participate in this and you think it looks good (I think it looks awesome!), I encourage you to contact Aaron through the workshop site.

And to all photographers reading this in New York, Los Angeles and maybe San Francisco (or even non-photographers!), if I were to come over to the US in August this year, or in June or September next year, would you be interested in catching up to show me around, take photos, or even just for a pint or a coffee?

a sidelong glance
Now Playing: depeche mode - exciter
Topic: photography



I just booked my flight to Brisbane to visit my parents for my birthday (the 17th of April). My return flight arriving in Brisbane on 16th April and returning to Melbourne on 10th May is costing me far less than I expected. Apparently I had more Qantas Frequent Flyer points than I thought, so most of the cost is being covered by them! Nice one!

So if you're a photographer in Brisbane, drop me a message and let me know if you're maybe interested in catching up for a photo walk or a drink. My parents live a bit of a way out and I don't drive, so my mobility may be a bit limited, but I'll see what I can do :o)

Meanwhile, I have an image in the latest round of the Saatchi Showdown. Please vote.

And I will have a print in the CCP Kodak Salon 2009, the opening night for which takes place from 6 - 8pm April 2nd 2009.

If you're after a print from my stores I'd recommend getting in before I jet off, as I won't be able to post / ship prints whilst I'm out of town.

And darkness & light is only available for another 20 days!

what's a girl to do?
Now Playing: dresden dolls - no, virginia
Topic: photography



A Flickr contact of mine posted a photo today that caught my attention as soon as it appeared on my Flickr homepage when I did a refresh. This isn't all that odd. Often his photos do catch my attention because he has a lot of talent, a signature style and I'm always impressed by his knack for making his wooden box within a basement or bedroom look like an impressive studio, replete with wallpaper, carpet, props and himself or a stunning model posing within it.

However, he is not prone to posting photos of breasts and nudity unless he has something to say, so of course when I saw what appeared to be a semi-nude woman reclining on a bed, I guessed he had some axe to grind.

Sure enough, he was taking a (not-at-all veiled) shot at Miss Aniela and Rebekka Gudleifsdottir's inclusion in a recent issue of Spanish Playboy. He was pretty quick off the mark too, given that only a few hours earlier I had clicked through to Rebekka's stream to view the tearsheets she'd uploaded, and already here he had a custom-edited photograph of his head sewn Frankenstein-style onto a naked female torso to go with his comments.

Although this photographer is somewhat infamous on Flickr for posting controversial rants about female self-portrait artists, especially those who use nudity in their work, he has a tendency to claim it all as a joke when confronted by the artists he is criticising / lampooning the work of, so it's hard to really tell how serious he is being.

A lot of the time I just shrug off his rant posts and go "oh well, he's at it again", and move along to whatever else I'm working on, or check out work from other contacts.

But today, without it actually making me angry (because it didn't), it disappointed me once again that the attitude "Having tits is all I need to become famous, I don't need talent" seems to abound amongst those jealous of the success of artists like Miss Aniela and Rebekka.

The assumption they haven't spent tireless hours devising, shooting and editing photographs; they haven't done the "hard yards" of contacting galleries, magazines, potential clients, potential sponsors, of promoting their work through Flickr, their blogs, and other online outlets (and anyone who claims this is far easier than toting a portfolio around door-to-door really hasn't spent any time updating sites / profiles / blogs, researching, and promoting their various endeavours online); that they've just snapped off some quick shots of T&A and then whacked them up on Flickr and waited expectantly for galleries, magazines and clients to click through and hand them everything on a platter, is really quite insulting, both to Miss Aniela and Rebekka, but by extension to any successful female self-portrait artist who might take nudes or implied nudes. The notion there is a direct correlation between the amount of nipple shown and the amount of success these artists achieve outside of Flickr is a naive and offensive point of view, and I'm disappointed that it exists.

I haven't seen the spreads of Miss Aniela's images, but as Rebekka says in her post about the article, she's "going to take at least some pride in being featured in this publication wearing clothes". I think that is a testament to the quality of her work that it has been included in a magazine where her imagery is quite different to the magazine's standard photography and does not include the (seemingly) obligatory nudity.

But moreso than all of this, why is it such a bad thing that so many female photographers are now getting recognition around the world? Personally I think it's fantastic and about bloody time, especially since in the past there were probably many, many talented female photographers but relatively few of them became famous because, like most industries, photography has historically been a male-dominated arena.

Here's a challenge for you: see if you can name 50 world-renowned female photographers. They can be in any field – fine art, portraiture, self-portraiture, photojournalism, fashion, etc.

Wikipedia is not the ultimate resource, but as an example, I only found around 24 female photographers in their list of photographers who I would consider "world-renowned" (and that was being generous, some of them may not be as well known as I would like to think).

However, going through their list for world-renowned male photographers, I found 50 before I even hit the end of the S's, and that was me being restrained as I know not everyone has studied photography or art history to know many of the ones I know from classes in college.

Oh, and guess what? Of those 50 male photographers, around half of them shoot / shot nudes, and many are / were renowned for their nudes. Only difference I can see is that, apart from a few of them, they photographed other people nude, not themselves...

And for those bitter and jealous about the success of these artists, if you want to become famous and get your "15 minutes of fame" for your photography, here's a tip: spend less time sledging the work of others and more time concentrating on your own photography and I'm sure you'll find more success.

and the way the rain comes down, that's how i feel inside
Now Playing: the cure - open
Topic: photography



Though it's not raining at all, and that's not how I'm feeling right now.

Actually in a music mood today.
Joined blip.fm today and you can also find me on last.fm

why the long face?
Now Playing: arcade fire - neon bible
Topic: photography



This was a series I created titled "Why the Long Face?" for the Canon Photo5 competition. And though, as I expected, none of the images were selected as finalists, it was a fun series to do, and that is more important to me than any prizes :D

The image above is the one shown in Edward Steed's memory bubble in the final image, of happier times before the death of Felicity Mare from equine influenza.

Models: Karen and Greg
Photography, styling, concept and editing: Bronwen Hyde
Locations: Royal Botanical Gardens, Melbourne; Mitre Tavern, Melbourne; my old home and my new home.
Inspired by: the work of Elle Moss and the horse mask found at Fat Helen's.


a letter to her lover far away




news from home




not long for this earth




death came too quickly




now she is gone he sits alone

print and portrait session sale on now!!
Now Playing: the divine comedy - victory for the comic muse
Topic: photography



That's right! I'm having my first ever print and portrait session sale!

Until the end of August 2008 you can buy any¹ non-limited edition standard² size print from my website for only AU$45.00!³ That's 25% off my standard print price!

Or you can buy a limited edition print, framed or unframed*, and get a bonus non-limited edition standard size print of your selection for only AU$30.00 extra!³

And if that's not enough for you, I'm also offering 20% off my tailored portrait package prices until the end of August 2008!**

To take advantage of any of these offers:
- head over to my website and take a look around,
- then email me at propaganda@bronwenhyde.com with the URL of the image(s) you would like to purchase;
- or if you're after a portrait session fill out the contact form on my site or email me directly with as much information as possible and I'll get back to you with a discounted quote.

So what are you waiting for?!

The fine print:
¹ Some exclusions apply.
² "Standard" is defined as any single image printed at 7"x10.5", 8"x12" or 10"x10".
³ Postage & handling additional.
* Unframed limited edition print prices as shown in the 365days and alternate worlds stores, framed prices available on request.
** The portrait session can take place after 31 August 2008, but the booking must be made and the non-refundable booking fee of 30% of the total quoted portrait session price must be paid on or before 31 August 2008 in order to secure your booking and lock in the discounted rate.

when i'm sixty-four
Now Playing: tv on the radio - desperate youth, bloodthirsty babes
Topic: photography



Five of my images appear in Issue .30 of F-Stop Magazine.
They can be found in the third row of the group exhibit.

Five of my images are also included in Release #64 of Phirebrush.
One is in the featured section,
and it and four other images are in the
bottom row of the first page and the
top row of the second page of the photography section.

Buy my book!

boy's club
Now Playing: lou rhodes - beloved one
Topic: photography



Once again last night on an online forum I was reminded of the element of commercial photography I particularly dislike. That of the "boy's club" mentality of so many male photographers in the industry.

Coming across a thread about model / photographer's releases started by a model (who, by the way, seemed to avoid the thread after that), I decided I'd share what I do in terms of a general description of the photographic agreements I have in place with my clients and models. Having seen the way subsequent photographers (including one woman in particular) were torn apart I guess I'm happy I got off with minimal notice the way I did.

What disturbed me about the thread was the derogatory manner with which the photographers assumed superiority over their models; as if models, like all good Victorian (the era, not the state) children, should be seen and not heard. Admittedly there are times when I am thankful I can model for myself just for simplicity's sake, but in many cases these photographers would be nowhere without their models. In addition, the way that the male photographers (including one who is only 26 and has only been practicing photography for two years according to his profile) tore into other photographers including one woman in particular who was willing to voice herself in this area and defend herself once attacked (for I can find no better description of the way in which some of these folk took to her comments).

To a large extent, forty-something and older male photographers assuming superiority over female photographers never surprises me. However to see that this is still something being fostered amongst the younger generation of male photographers saddens me.

One thing I've been aware of almost since I started pursuing photography is the (false) view that a photographer's skill is measured by the length of their lens or the dollar value of their kit. I don't disagree that using the right equipment for the job is valid, but just because you have a high-end camera, lighting and a studio in a fancy part of town does not make you a master photographer.

Many of the photographers I know of who have all the bells and whistles and make no bones about telling you all about them in detail, I find often take the most uninspiring and cliched images. Yes, they are technically perfect: well-lit, well-exposed, pin sharp. But they're boring.

And so many of those photographers love shooting nudes, which are also, for the most part boring. Because of course another part of showing how successful you are as a photographer is by how many young, beautiful female models you can get naked in your studio.

Not to forget, as the 26 year old male photographer above states in his profile, that it is important that his models be "tall and skinny fashion models for test shoots, and yes you need to be tall and skinny and (ideally) with an agency. It's not like I'm going to be mean to you if you're not tall and skinny, but I will point you to my rates." Le sigh.

All this is by no means to say that I am against male photographers in general – quite the contrary, I am regularly inspired by many male photographers (and males working in other areas like film and music). Nor that I am against nude photography – some of my favourite photographers create honest, raw, stunning nudes that not only beautifully capture form and the human figure, male or female, but also capture the essence of their subject as a person, not just as an easily substituted body.

But the three reasons I personally found the responses from some of these people irksome were:

- The assumption that you cannot write up a photographic agreement without having some sort of law degree. I have dealt with publishers, photographers and so forth who have put together plain language contracts that clearly state what is required of both parties, who owns copyright, what the usage rights are for each party and so on. As these documents are not full of legal doublespeak and therefore eminently more understandable to the average Joe (or Josephine) I understand they are as enforceable as any other contract as long as they are signed by both parties. The photo agreements I tailor to each client / model allows protection for both parties and clearly state what each party can expect from the other in respect to the shoot. In the event that an image or series of images of any of the models I photograph were to be sold for usage by a third party I clearly state that this would be subject to a further agreement, and in that instance I would seek legal advice. As it happens, to this date the usage requests I have received and accepted have all been self-portraiture so I have not had to deal with this element yet.

- That my view was dismissed because "Has it occurred to you that he is in Australia, which does not have the kinds of rights of privacy and publicity laws the US does?" I think that's a simplistic way to ignore someone given that many of our laws are similar, though admittedly (and thankfully) Australia is (thus far) less sue-happy than the United States.

- That as I was a photographer I was assumed to be male. The person (supposedly) defending my (naive, in their view) response managed to take the time to note my location from my profile, but didn't manage to read the word "Female" which appears above my location in my profile on that site. Because unless my name is a blatantly obvious feminine one (though Bronwen is just that, given that traditionally names ending in ~wen are feminine, and ~wyn are masculine, in Welsh grammar) the assumption is that as a photographer I must be male, and models should, for the most part, be female.

As I said: boy's club. And perhaps that is why I got off so lightly, because I was assumed to be male, though I did assert otherwise in my response.

To balance all that I have said above and make it clear that this is an element I dislike, not a blanket statement about all male photographers, let me introduce you to some of my favourite male photographers:

Lou O'Bedlam
Jon Jacobsen
Andrew Farrington
Brett Walker
Eamonn Harnett
Federico Erra
Patric Shaw
Simon Pais-Thomas

And since I'm in a giving mood, here are some of my favourite female photographers:

Katie West
Kristamas Klousch
Olive and Rose
Samantha West
Elle Moss
Bogna Kuczerawy
Brittany
McKenzie
Lara Jade
Julia Galdo
Miss Aniela
Haggis Chick
Kate O'Brien
Ola Bell
Shannon Hourigan

All of which are doing wonderfully creative things, whether with honesty and raw imagery or with highly fabricated fairytale-like worlds, and many of which include nudity in their oeuvre in ways that are not banal and soulless.

Thankfully there are far more people producing wonderful photographic work within all areas of the industry than those who continue to uphold the "boy's club" mentality.