I'm working in the same genre as Avedon

[johnastovall]

Anyone who's been around here for a while know's I have a gallery on "Roadkill". Well I just found I'm in great company. Richard Avedon as part of his shooting for The American West did roadkill. Laura Wilson has an example of it in Avedon at Work in the American West.

[rusty_tripod]

Go for it! Avedon was a great photographer. I hope to get down to Tucson later in the month for his American West show The book about the show is certainly interesting. He had a great eye for characters. It would have been great to tag along on one of his shoots.

When you have some samples, be sure to post them. What kind of camera and glass will you be using? My cameras are all manual dinosaurs so I know I would have trouble getting the clarity he was able to capture. Good luck.

Rusty

[johnastovall]

Originally Posted by rusty_tripod

Go for it! Avedon was a great photographer. I hope to get down to Tucson later in the month for his American West show The book about the show is certainly interesting. He had a great eye for characters. It would have been great to tag along on one of his shoots.

When you have some samples, be sure to post them. What kind of camera and glass will you be using? My cameras are all manual dinosaurs so I know I would have trouble getting the clarity he was able to capture. Good luck.

Rusty

Just about everthing on my gear list at one time or another but I like low, close and wide.

Samples? Here's a galley of them.

I've been doing this for over a year.

NOTICE DO NOT LOOK AT THE ROADKILL GALLERY UNLESS YOU ARE MATURE ENOUGH TO ACCEPT GRAPHIC IMAGES OF DEATH AND DECOMPOSITION.

[JohnT]

What compelled you to begin shooting roadkill pictures?

[chempilot]

love it!

advantages of roadkill photography:
1. subject never complains
2. seemingly endless supply of subjects
3. subject understands the meanings of "look natural" and "relax"
4. no need for a make-up person
5. no haggling over price
6. no release forms or possible litigation

disadvantages:
1. strange looks
2. smells less than pleasant
3. traffic does not always cooperate

any more stovall?

[johnastovall]

Originally Posted by chempilot

love it!

advantages of roadkill photography:
1. subject never complains
2. seemingly endless supply of subjects
3. subject understands the meanings of "look natural" and "relax"
4. no need for a make-up person
5. no haggling over price
6. no release forms or possible litigation

disadvantages:
1. strange looks
2. smells less than pleasant
3. traffic does not always cooperate

any more stovall?

Vicks on the upper lip takes care of the smells.
Additional equipment needed is a fly net for your hat.

Advantage:

Subject retains pose for sometimes weeks on end. This lets you come back and re-shot under different light and state of shall we say decomposition rather than recomposition.

Get you handed another glass of wine at galley shows when you mention, "Would you be interested in hanging a show of Roadkill?" I think they want you to pass out in the corner quickly.

Disadvantage:

People will stop asking if you have car trouble.

You see a something with a nice bloat on and by time you turn around and get back the Buzzards have gotten to it.

[johnastovall]

Originally Posted by JohnT

What compelled you to begin shooting roadkill pictures?

Gary Snyder's poem, Dead by the Side of the Road was a start with these lines.

Pray to their spirts.
Ask them to bless us: our ancient sister' trails the roads were laid across and kill them: night-shinning eyes
The dead by the side of the road.

"The Dead by the Side of the Road" by Gary Snyder from _Turtle Island_.

And several years of seeing dead animals there was we just speed by and reflecting on the fragility of all life. I want to do with photos for this what William Burroughs said of Naked Lunch, "reveal what is at the end of every fork."

And the film by Stan Barkhage, Sirius Remembered

It had many inputs and had gestated for many years.

An art project has no single starting point but many things weave its warp and woof on the enchanted loom in time.

[rusty_tripod]

Interesting subject matter to say the least. I had seen some of them before, I believe. While I prefer some of the shots of the rabbit and the armadillo, the others seem full of potential for someone who wants to get close and dirty.

Rusty