No doubt that by now you’ve read a thousand-and-one posts about Leica’s new Mini M camera, unless you’re just back from Mars (how was the weather?).  So we’ll skip that particular news splash (cum explosion) and proceed to some interesting items that may have escaped your attention.

A Rare Exhibition

Photography Exhibitions in and of themselves aren’t unusual.  Some kinds and types of Photography Exhibitions, however, are unusual, even rare.  One of these is Making it Up: Photographic Fictions at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London.  But don’t jump to the obvious conclusion – this is not a show comprising manipulated and doctored images.  This exhibition concentrates on scripted ‘set piece’ photographs with an air of imaginative mystery.  The name that most immediately springs to mind is Gregory Crewdson and his works are featured in the exhibit alongwith those of several others.  Making it Up runs until March next year so you’ve got lots of time to catch it on your travels.

A Camera Collection

You’ve heard about William Eggleston and you’ve admired his photographs.  PetaPixel thinks that it’s high time you heard about and admired his camera collection.

Just as Saurav Ganguly had (has?) a penchant for collecting cricket bats, Eggleston has “something of an obsession” with cameras, particularly Leicas, to the tune of cases and cases filled with them!  All told, they number about 300!

Obviously, no photographer needs even a tenth as many cameras so Eggleston (besides obviously being a photographer) is displaying the indulgence and love of a collector.  His collection includes limited editions and commemoratives – more evidence of Eggleston’s collector credentials.

In case you missed it, all these stacks of Leicas were photographed with a dinky, relatively humble Fuji X-Pro1!  How cool!

A Photography Collective

The appeal of Photography and the passion it arouses sometimes catches one by surprise.  Witness some small town small gallery in America hosting an exhibition of their ‘Photo Arts Collective’.  

New Haven’s Collective is a loosely-assembled local group of photographers that support and critique one another.  This small-town casual group boasts skilled photographers.

Consider the photo “Meriden, CT, July 4, 2012” which illustrates New Haven Independent’s story of the Collective’s exhibition.  This arresting and somewhat bewildering image was described as containing “legerdemain of light and distance” (it has the distinct feel of a tilt-shift photograph) and was praised for framing fireworks in context with their setting and spectators.

If you read the charming story you’ll also come across a photographer opining, “To me this looks like Oz,” except that she was referring to L. Frank Baum’s ‘Oz.’