looking for the owl

 looking for the owl. december 2011. fredericksburg, texas © Allison V. Smith

  looking for the owl. december 2011. fredericksburg, texas © Allison V. Smith

 looking for the owl. december 2011. fredericksburg, texas © Allison V. Smith

Merry Christmas 2011

Dos.  December 2011. © Allison V. Smith

Meet the one and only Dos, as in No.2, as in Daisy 2 or little d, our new rescued pup.
Wishing you a Merry Christmas 2011.

Vivian Maeir

 self portraits ©Vivian Maier

Self Portrait at a flea market. Paris, France, March 1966 ©Stanley Marcus
I love Vivian Maier's story and photographs. Both have interesting similarities to the story about my grandfather's gifting me over 5000 kodachrome slides and suggesting I "do something with them someday." In 2008, my mother and I published his photographs, Reflection of a Man. Come to think of it, Vivian Maier Street Photographer and Reflection of a Man, the photographs of Stanley Marcus would make quite the stack pack for 50s/60s found photo enthusiasts! Put a bow on it!

Book Report 2011

 Photography Book Report 2011. by Allison V. Smith

Fred Herzog. Photographs

Lee Friedlander. America By Car

Lee Friedlander. The New Cars 1964

Tim Hetherington. Infidel 

William Eggleston. Before Color

Wallace Berman. Photographs

Linda McCartney. Life in Photographs

Linda McCartney. Life in Photographs


In no particular order, here is a list of my favorite photography books that I acquired in 2011. Please note,  I'm not saying they were all published in 2011, they just came to my attention this year.

1. Fred Herzog. Photographs. My mom gave me this book for my birthday this year. It's one of the most inspiring of all the books above. The rich, saturated color and Vancouver street scenes are mostly from the 50s and 60s. Herzog's subject matter is similar to Robert Frank and even Walker Evans, but shot in color. I look forward to learning more about medical photographer/street photographer Herzog.

2 & 3. Yes, I love Lee Freidlander and am on a mission to own all his books (I'm getting close) because they never disappoint. America By Car is a collection of road trip images shot over the past ten years through the passenger side window, the driver's side window and sometimes the dashboard. Each image has it's own story and tells it though Freidlander's signature mash up of shapes and lines. The New Cars 1964 is equally fantastic and published by Fraenkel Gallery (a win win situation). Despite the title, all photographs were shot in Detroit in 1963. Shot through doors, reflected in windows, each image holds it's own mystery.

4. Tim Hetherington. Infidel. This small journal-like book is dark, powerful and haunting. I purchased it a week before Hetherington was killed in Libya. The last 15 pages are unforgettable photographs of sleeping soldiers. These perfect photographs have the power to bring me to tears.

5. William Eggleston. Before Color. Eggleston has his very own vision. A point of view that is his very own whether in b&w or color, you know it's his. This book just feels collectible.

6. Wallace Berman. Photographs Photo Eye calls Berman "The quintessential visual artist of the Beat Generation." I had seen his art but never his photographs. His photos of friends and family are very personal, beautiful quirky moments all shot in that love/magic light. I look at this regularly for inspiration.

7. Linda McCartney. Life in Photographs I LOVE the cover of this book. It's a portrait I wish I had made. I also love McCartney's black and white family photographs.The image above IS the decisive moment. Like Berman, her everyday family photographs make me want to shoot more and more.

And since we are in the season, I can confidently say that anyone of the above books would make a great gift to the photography book lover in your life. And if you want to know what to get me, here is my wish list of photography books that I don't own, but hope to someday. #photographybooks

December in California

 HOTEL + Geoff McFetridge wallpaper. California December 2011 © Allison V. Smith

walk this way + Getty Full Moon. California December 2011 © Allison V. Smith

Venice Sk8ter + Geoff McFetridge. California December 2011 © Allison V. Smith

Jim Marshall @ Fahey Klein + @Jeffhalbert @ Pipen Moore .California December 2011 © Allison V. Smith

our view + Heath ceramics. California December 2011 © Allison V. Smith

Buick at night + Free City. California December 2011 © Allison V. Smith

I managed to see a lot in the three days during a weekend trip to Los Angeles. 
I took some notes with my iPhone. I love LA, especially when someone else is driving, thanks Sally.

BLISS installation at BWG

BLISS installation at Barry Whistler Gallery. December 2011. Dallas, Texas © Allison V. Smith

BLISS installation at Barry Whistler Gallery. December 2011. Dallas, Texas © Allison V. Smith

Three shows opened at the Barry Whistler Gallery last Saturday night, including the group show BLISS which I am thrilled to be a part of. I have two brand new photographs from Maine in a smaller size 20x20. It's an honor to be surrounded by artists Linnea Glatt, Peter Ligon, Scott Barber, John Pomara, Danny Williams, Ann Stautberg, John Holt Smith, John Paul Philippe, Bruce Houston, Kirsten Macy and Tom Orr. See installation shots of both shows here and here. Also photos from the opening here.

Breakfast!

December 2011 issue of Texas Monthly

All Good Cafe. October 2011. Dallas, Texas © Allison V. Smith

Oddfellows. October 2011. Dallas, Texas © Allison V. Smith

Oddfellows. October 2011. Dallas, Texas © Allison V. Smith

I had the mouthwatering assignment of shooting Dallas, Fort Worth and Weatherford breakfast hot spots for this month's Texas Monthly. Pancake lovers should check out Oddfellows pancake sampler, whoa. See more delicious breakfast photos in my photo archive.

Mount Vernon TX

FD Luxe. December 2011

 Mount Vernon. October 2011. Dallas, Texas © Allison V. Smith

Mount Vernon car collection. October 2011. Dallas, Texas © Allison V. Smith

Check out the December issue of F!D Luxe. I shot photographs of the Dallas's Mount Vernon. I was thrilled with F!D's pick for a lede image. While I was shooting it , I could not help but think of Andrew Wyeth's Christina's World. See more images of Mount Vernon in my archive.

Collect.Give

Larry Fink's Developer Tray. © John Cyr

Collect.Give just announced a new edition by photographer John Cyr. The above image is one of my favorite photographer's, Larry Fink, developer tray. I like so much about it (simplicity, content & sentiment) and then I visited Cyr's website and was sold. What a cool project. Add to cart. I got 3/20.

Time Flies

Augusta&Ali. January 2002. Dallas, Texas © Allison V. Smith

I had dinner with my 16-year old twin nieces last night. It's hard to imagine that I shot this photograph in their front yard almost 10 years ago. I shot it with my now broken and shelved Yashica-A.