Letter from the Editor
Edward Mendes
A little late but worth the wait.
September is always a busy month, the summer heat is giving way to the much more pleasant temperatures of Fall, kids are going to school and I’m up to my neck in high school senior portraits and wedding images. As many people may know, in addition to this gig at Whitespider, I also have a portrait and wedding studio and a fine art business. With everything going on the September issue always seems to get away from me and this year is no different. So, while the issue is out a bit later than I would have liked, it’s finally here and I think its well worth the wait.
Highlighting this issue is the announcement of our newest Whitespider Master, drum roll please, Kim Weston! Kim is one of the most talented photographers in the world, well known for his beautiful black and white figure work; Kim has started to also re-invent some of his images by painting on them. These new works are not only exceptional pieces of art but the emotion that goes into their creation is inspiring. Kim is also the grandson of Edward Weston and the son and nephew of Cole and Brett Weston respectfully, photography is in his blood. We did the interview at Kim’s home at Wildcat Hill in late July, what a wonderful experience, to be able to sit down with him and discuss everything from his work to his family. Kim was very open and honest and relaying many wonderful stories and insightful pieces of knowledge regarding photography. He was also kind enough to give us a tour of his own darkroom along with that of Edward Weston’s darkroom and home. It was a wonderful morning and we’ve brought you along for the ride. You can enjoy the interview anyway you’d like, reading , watching or listening via the article , video or podcast . Also, be sure to stop by the Master's Gallery and see some of Kim’s amazing work. In the coming weeks we’ll be adding some Extra Footage of our home and darkroom tour as we finish the editing process so stay tuned.
In addition to our interview with Kim, we also have some amazing columns by our regulars. John Ford takes us through the importance of a web presence for a photographer in Part II of his column Photography and the Web, started last issue. David Schroeder reminds us to listen to the locals in his column Local Knowledge , taking a page from his experience in Cambodia, and David Lee brings us along for one last road trip before summer is gone completely in his column A Photography filled Summer . As for myself, well fall is here and I love this time of year, but so does everyone else, if you’re going to make the most of the changing colors start planning your trips now. I walk you thought what I do to get ready to get everything out of fall that I can, in my Planning for Autumn Colors article.
We also have a preview of a pair of new cameras, one from Nikon, the D90 and one from Canon, the 50D. Both cameras continue to up the ante for well priced, high performance DSLR’s and each of them have a bit more under the hood than any other camera of its type before it. Give it a read in our On The Horizon article and see what’s new and what’s coming to a photography store near you soon.
As my fingers get tired from dancing around the keyboard, remember to check out the Whitespider Podcast and the still new Whitespider Video section. Feel free to check out some of the tutorials we have or upload your own photography related video. And don’t forget about the Whitespider gallery , a great place to show off some of your work to other and get noticed, and the Whitespider Forum . The forum is the place to ask question, share experiences, let everyone know what you’re up to and share some of your own knowledge. We can’t do it alone, get involved and make Whitespider the place to go for great photography information and community.
See you in December,
Ed Mendes
September 2008
