Each month there’ll be a different subject and I hope it’ll encourage me to go through my archive and fish out some pictures that have languished for too long in the dark caverns of my studio.

If you can’t see the movie below click here to see a wmv version

The first such spectacular uses pictures from my Bous al Carrer project. I hope you enjoy it.

(If you don’t know the Vivian Maier story then this is a pretty good place to start.)

"Late 1956" Courtesy vivianmaier.com (© Vivian Maier)

Well, after all the hype, it was my turn to be impressed. There is a wonderful spread of work on show in this exhibition, including some of her 8mm movies, but it’s the square Rollei work that is the most impressive. This was a woman who really knew what she was doing – the technical prowess is superb. Street photography at its best.

"Untitled, Unknown" Courtesy vivianmaier.com (© Vivian Maier)

An extra delight on seeing the show is the breadth of her repertoire. She didn’t just take observational street pictures but also fascinating portraits. I highly recommend a visit. The show closes on 24 July.

"Untitled, 1956" Courtesy vivianmaier.com (© Vivian Maier)

(detail from) The lynching of Thomas Shipp and Abram Smith, August 7, 1930, Marion, Indiana.

Visiting this exhibition is a harrowing experience, but I recommend anyone to go. I find it difficult to put my reaction into words. The newspaper clippings add excruciating background to the horrifying images. The story will stay with you.

There’s an excellent website for the Without Sanctuary project.

An item from Léonie's installation at the launch of her book 'In the Shadow of Things', London 2011

Léonie had made a fascinating installation out of items involved in the story of the book, and we all gathered round and drank home-brew. Fabulous!

There is another side to this buzzing photographic coin though. The astute reader of this blog will have noticed fewer posts about my own work and more about other people’s. While it’s clearly not a bad thing to engage with what other practitioners are doing – quite apart from being a lot of fun – I think I need to focus inside my own studio for a while. I need to make some new work.

As you’ll be aware, my work is defined by my approach rather than the genre in which I exercise it. Whether you call it fine art, journalism, documentary or shooting fish in a barrel, I approach it the same way. The sad fact is, though, that I haven’t been doing enough of it for too long. It’s time to change that.

The first step is going to be working through my backlog of exposed but unprocessed films to see if there are any gems lurking.

Raoul Ubac: Le Combat des Penthesilees (The Battle of the Amazons)

The Ubac above was the highlight for me. I’d never heard of the artist before but this is a picture I could look at for days at a time. Like many of the most interesting photographs of that period, I’ve got no real idea how it was made – and of course it doesn’t matter. It’s simply a beautiful piece. Of course the image above (which is not of the actual print in the show – that’s a much better print) gives you only a vague idea of what the real thing looks like. I urge you to go and see it in the flesh.

I don’t have time now to describe all the pictures I liked, but there are many. Get yourself down to Wells Street.

From: 'In The Shadow of Things' by Léonie Hampton

There were eight different shows to see but I’ll only go into the four that really stood out for me, which were In The Shadow of Things, a thoughtful and heartfelt piece about her mother by Léonie Hampton, The Letting Go, personal work by Laura Hynd, a documentary about the homeless in New York entitled The Urban Cave by Andrea Star Reese, and Helen Rimell’s work on the The Forgotten Houseboats of Kashmir.

I’ve posted just one picture from each of these pieces here but I urge you to follow the links and check out the full work, it’s worth the effort.

From: 'The Forgotten Houseboats of Kashmir' - Sunset over Nageen Lake after a monsoon storm.

Some of the work is good straightforward journalism, some of it much more personal and intimate, but all of it shows the quality that can be expected from gifted photographers at the peak of their talent. It’s very frustrating to know that work like this struggles to get the audience it deserves.

From: 'The Letting Go' by Laura Hynd

Last night was the first time I’ve been able to see the whole of an ASA event but I’ll make the effort to keep the evening clear next time. It’s quite a social event – the bar is open throughout and there are DJs going once the shows are done. Keep an eye on the ASA website and their twitter feed, and get down to the Nomad next time.

From: 'The Urban Cave' by Andrea Star Reese

Thanks to everyone for a great night and best of all luck to Léonie with the launch of her forthcoming book In The Shadow of Things on 12th May.

Bruce Davidson: CATHY FIXING HER HAIR IN CIGARETTE MACHINE MIRROR WITH ARTY AT THE OCEAN TIDE BATHS AND BAR, CONEY ISLAND, 1959 (©Bruce Davidson/Magnum)

There’s not much to say about Bruce’s work that hasn’t already been said, but as ever it is a great pleasure to see real prints of such great work, and respect is due to Giles for putting on a fine show.

Davidson’s mixture of humility and perseverance, and his genuine affection for people, glow out of every picture here. No exhibition can ever encompass in full the long term projects Bruce engaged in – the two years of East 100th Street for instance – but selection is always the curators greatest skill, and the essence of his work is captured well here.

Bruce Davidson: MAN AND WOMAN REFLECTED IN CAR WINDOW, LONDON, 1960 (©Bruce Davidson/Magnum)

It was another of those times when I wished my bank balance could absorb the price of a print. I reckon, for what it’s worth, that these prints are great value for money. I can’t see Bruce’s work doing anything but increase in value as the years pass.

Emmily Allchurch, Tokyo Story 3: Night Harbour (after Hiroshige)

As usual, you can find out everything you need to know about the project by the application of a little Google so I won’t go into it here.

Hrioshige, Tsukudajima from Eitai Bridge (2nd Month, 1857), from the Brooklyn Museum - click on the picture to visit the museum website

I recommend a visit to the gallery before 7th May to have a look at the pictures for yourself. They’re worth it. I enjoyed the thoughtful, playful nature of the work and hearing Emily talk eloquently about the project was a rare bonus.

Stary Rynek, Poznan, Poland. July 2010.

The city have now chosen the pictures they want to use for the ‘Poznan: Eastern Energy, Western Style‘ exhibition to take place simultaneously in London, Paris, Berlin and Milan and so I can make the other pictures available here on my website. There’s also a FaceBook page about the project.

Stary Rynek, Poznan, Poland. July 2010.

As always, I hope you enjoy having a look at the pics and look forward to hearing what you think of them. Click the little slideshow icon and sit back!

Robin's book

When I picked up Robin’s book at the London opening of his show last week I was chuffed to see he’d elected to put my picture on a spread opposite a Bill Brandt. What a complement!

Bill and me

I don’t know if it’s fate taunting me after I mentioned Brandt in this blog last month, but now I come to think about it, it’s a little intimidating. Quite a lot to measure up to! Still, all in all I’m thrilled.

For anyone who hasn’t been following the story: Robin is the man I have been using for my printing recently. He’s probably the most respected printer in London and, to mark his 35 years in the darkroom, he selected some favorite pictures to go in an exhibition. I was very flattered to be asked to contribute, especially considering the exalted company I would be amongst. The book is effectively the catalogue of that show.

The book is available from the gallery.