Archive for December, 2006

Paris Photo

Friday, December 1st, 2006

Paris was full of photographs in November, and there were some great ones at Paris Photo. But there were things that were hard to take too. Large empty wastes of dollar-rich nothingness covering the walls of some galleries. Vintage prints pulled from some photographers waste-bins and awarded stupendous price-tags. I found it hard not to burst out laughing when a dealer came up to the person next to me and told her the price of one rather ordinary ’60s fashion print was 20,000 euros. A couple of years ago we would have though 200 rather steep, and 2000 definitely well over the top.

Still, all good news for investors, and for the minority of photographers who have a place on the gravy train. There were a few other photographers around, trying to talk to dealers, but this wasn’t the place for it. “Best if you e-mail us” they were politely brushed off.

The first day I had a panic attack of sorts as the place got more and more full of people, all there for the free opening party, and had to rush out and up from the bunker into the fresh air above. The next day things were better, less crowded, but still more a place for millionaires than photographers.

But fortunately, there was much more in Paris than Paris Photo.

Peter On Photography

Friday, December 1st, 2006

Hi. This is a site where I can write what I like about Photography. I hope sometimes you’ll like it too.

I’ve been writing on Photography for over 30 years, and between May 1999 and May 2007 I was the Photography Guide for About.com, reaching a worldwide audience of millions. In that job I wrote a daily blog for several years – well over a thousand entries – and also around 400 longer features.

If you are mad about photography, whether as a photographer or collector, and particularly if you are a student of photography, you are likely to find things of interest on this site. How it grows and in exactly what direction depends on many things.