In a sea of brilliant photographers, there are a few out there that really push the envelope and do something extraordinary with their chosen medium. I admire the work of many photographers when it comes to portrait work, specifically. But the work of Joshua Black Wilins inspires me.
I feel a little sleezy using one of his photos on this lowly blog post, so I didnt. But I am providing a link to his flickr page, in hopes that you will visit it and be likewise impressed by his greatness.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/joshuablackwilkins/sets/
I have always loved an artist that isnt afraid to use off-kilter angles or lighting that could be considered unflattering to the subject. His photos of Robert Duvall are simply beautiful...no other way to put it. And he is able to construct lovely things using tintype and polaroids as well. His subject matter is sometimes disturbing, his work w/ musicians unique. I find myself clicking thru his photostream almost spastically, eager to catch a full view of the thumbnails that seem to get more and more intriguing.
If any photographer where to officially 'shoot me', I would choose Joshua. I think he could capture the look I would most like to see encapsulated in a photograph. Something that speaks of the glamour of 'real life' as it existed in the 1940's..and not just a mock-up of what people currently understand as 'vintage'. Something that is similar to the antique snap shots you can sift thru online and that are thoroughly unposed.
Perhaps someday...
