What's The Difference Between A Mug Shot And A Portrait?

Stylistic intent is the real difference. Some times it's merely the difference in the quality of the camera equipment used to make the picture. The artists and the various local police departments who made these mug shots really share many of the same objectives. Some of the following pictures were made by Richard Avedon and Andy Warhol. The others by arresting officers. The mug shots were all found on the The Smoking Gun.









Larry King by Mug Shot, Donald Rumsfeld by Avedon, Karl Rove by Avedon, Rush Limbaugh by Mug Shot, Field Worker by Avedon, Glue Sniffer by Mug Shot, Amy Fisher by Mug Shot, Young Girl by Avedon, Debbie Harry by Warhol, Lindsay Lohan by Mug Shot, Perp In T-shirt by Mug Shot, Tom DeLay by Mug Shot, Marilyn Monroe by Avedon, Anna Nicole by Mug Shot, Nick Nolte by Mug Shot, Lee Friedlander by Avedon

"The Dude Abides"

I spent some quality bowling time recently at Melody Lanes in Brooklyn. It's right next door to the Jackie Gleason Bus Depot and Green-Wood Cemetery. While it may not have the same west coast vibe as the bowling alley in The Big Lebowski it's still a pretty groovy place to throw down.

Arnold Odermatt

For 50 years First Lieutenant and police photographer Arnold Odermatt documented traffic accidents and the colleagues of his native police department in Niwalden, Switzerland. While the subject matter of his pictures may seem severe most of his pictures are anything but. Because the photographs were made by and for the police department they are detailed and seemingly objective. What makes them so much fun is Odermatt's obvious strong sense of humor and personal point of view. In addition, many of the pictures feel as if they were plucked directly from the world of Jacques Clouseau and the Pink Panther. Here is a link to his books published by Steidl And of course he has his own website:www.nordwestfilm.

Cat In The Box

I put my boots on early Sunday morning to take the dog out for his walk and to make a few pictures. After a loop around the block and a few snaps I spotted a small kitten inside a box that someone had deposited the night before at the entrance to the neighborhood vet's office. The poor thing was freezing and close to collapse. I brought it inside and later delivered it to the vet after they opened.

Wakey wakey, eggs and bakey

I had a fun breakfast at the Cheif Martindale Diner on Sunday. It's a great old Diner manufactured by Silk City that sits right off the Taconic Parkway in Columbia County. I greatly impressed my kids by balancing a salt shaker on a single grain of salt!

Quote Of The Day

"I always thought of photography as a naughty thing to do -- that was one of my favorite things about it, and when I first did it, I felt very perverse." Diane Arbus

Pictures From A Day- a short visit to the burbs

Gullible

I thought it might be a charming diversion to take my daughter to go and feed the birds. After some convincing I grabbed her hat and some old heels of bread and we ambled over to the river. An instant after tossing out our offerings the gulls descended and we were surrounded by hundreds of desperately aggressive, screaming birds. They damn near surrounded us and would have pecked our eyes out probably if given half the chance.

Andre the Giant

Andre Kertesz is one of those great, some times remembered photographers whose pictures pop up here and there and then and now. He was a surrealist, a romantic, a photojournalist, a still life photographer, and a portraitist. The subjects of his work included nudes, landscapes, interiors, war, ballet, "decisive moments," staged portraits and pictures of objects. It's hard to imagine any photographer today exploring the world in such a varied and broad manner. Or if they did they'd be best advised to keep most of the work in a box and only show one face to the public at a time. Today when even niches have their niches success is typically best served by doing one thing well and doing it again and again. And again.

Lost In The Supermarket

It's unusual to make it through a Thanksgiving holiday with out at least one visit to a super market. Bringing a camera definitely alters and vastly improves the experience. Particularly if it's an IGA in upstate New York.

The Decisive Turkey

Attica, Greece - "A flock of Turkeys being driven along the seaside..." 1953
Henri Cartier-Bresson/Magnum Photos

Holiday Parody Hilarity

There are few images that are as well known, over used, and more often parodied than Norman Rockwell's "Freedom from Want" It's a large, lumbering bird and an easy target to shoot at. Happy Thanksgiving!