Digital Photo Gallery of Ted Szukalski
Fine art digital photography, photographic news, reviews, articles and resources.

I would like to pass the information about a very interesting photo competition. Please note this competition is open to Australians only. Naturally read all the relevant terms and conditions before participating. This should be a fantastic challenge and opportunity to anyone interested in people photography.

To celebrate the 60th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human
Rights, the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission (HREOC) is
holding a photo competition based on the theme - ‘Dignity and justice
for all of us’.

We’re searching for images that reflect the theme of the competition and
provide a unique approach to a human rights subject. For some, the
photograph will record a moment that celebrates dignity and justice; for
others, it will capture fundamental rights and freedoms being
recognised; or it may be an observance of what human rights means to
you.

Entry categories - under 18 female, under 18 male, 18 and above.

Great prizes and entry is free.

Entries close 31 October 2008.

Further details, entry forms and terms are located at the competition website

Recital

Here is the kind of photography I really enjoy taking: coincidental associations. A tuba player playing the Star Wars theme, which I must have heard him do many times before. To complete the scene a street sign showing the direction of City Recital Hall - how appropriate.

Young Mother

(photo of young mother used for illustrative purpose only)

As reported by SMH it took Classifications Board to declare that photographs by Bill Henson are not pornography and indeed they are “mild” and safe for many children.

I wonder what damage has this issue done to Bill Henson’s career as a photographer. How many art galleries, which owned his photographs, will hang them back?

I do agree that children should stay children and sexualisation of their lives is undesired. There are too many issues with it to list or discuss here starting with simple clothing designs for children that really belong in adult only boutiques, through body image and eating disorders to teenage pregnancies. However, this does not mean, like in this case, that the society needs to pin the label of “sexualisation” on everything it finds uncomfortable.

Child’s play

Children photography is under intense scrutiny from the public and law makers in Australia. A well known photographer Bill Henson is being investigated over his nude photography of adolescent children. Police has confiscated many of his works from a number of galleries.

My understating is none of the photos contained sexual scenes and thus, I am a bit puzzled why the word pornography is used to describe them. Everyone from a suburban house wife, who has never been to art gallery to Prime Minister of Australia, who expresses views as if he never visited a gallery either, seem to have only negative comments on Bill Henson’s photographs.

What next, in this politically correct word? Will the mob take to hammers and smash down all statues of naked people (statue of David anyone?) and erase the endless number of naked bodies from classic paintings starting perhaps with Sistine Chapel?

I hope before this happens you will have time to enjoy this playful child chasing after a colourful bubble under a watchful eye of his mum.

Chess - Your Move

After observing a game of chess played recently in the Hyde Park I had to visit there again. The game is played and watched by so many colourful characters that it may become a nice subject matter for my photography for days to come.

Wawel-Krakow-Poland-101_9491-Web.jpg

During my recent trip via many European countries I have come across phrase “Photography Forbidden” far too many times. Museums, churches, castles and in one case a public street display these signs. I have inquired on many occasions “why?” only to receive very long winded and meaningless answers. The only credible answer I received was in Krakow’s Wawel castle: the castle displays a lot of light sensitive paintings and finishings. Bright flashes damage the paint and it is far to difficult to explain and enforce “No flash photography” so they ban every kind of photography - just in case.

In one place I was referred to ministry of Art and Culture to get a photo permit. Seriously, who, as a tourist, would ever bother with that and yet the staff were very serious that is the way to go.

Some places would have you buy their brochures and thus they feel their business model is threatened if you take your own photos. In these places I’ve offered to buy their brochure if they still let me take photographs. Only 1 (ONE) operator agreed to such deal.

Far more successful is a practice of a fee based license: when you purchase your entry tickets you pay small additional fee to get a one off photo/video license. I think that is the most sensible approach and it works well for both sides.

Naturally, the point and shoot, small camera owners disregard all these signs and requests and fire away with blinding flashes playing ignorance. However if you own a DSLR no one treats you on the same level.

As I renew my ACMP membership for this year I wonder how many professional and amateur photographs face the same issues. Happy clicking and watch the “forbidden zones”. And please if there are paintings involved obey these directives. I want my kids and eventually grandchildren and generations after them enjoy the works of art I can look at!

Lodz, Poland 9346

Lodz is located in central Poland, about 100km from Warsaw. It became a city in 1423 but its real development occurred in 1800s, when it grew from few thousand inhabitants to over 300k thanks to the industrial revolution.

Textile mills have created enormous fortunes and lots of jobs. It is from this era that the most of glorious architectural monuments have been created being the merchant houses, palaces, extravagant shops and monumental churches. Lodz was a very complex cultural mix before Second World War as it was inhabited by Poles, Jews, Germans and Russians.

Today’s Lodz seems a city forgotten by investors and travelers as other Polish cities such as Warsaw, Krakow and even Wroclaw seem to be much more in favour. Not surprising the city looks quite neglected and only few fully restored facades of merchant houses on Piotrkowska Street (apparently longest street in Europe) remind us of its glory days. The legacy of bad communist planing is still visible in many houses and streets, which are in total neglect creating a lasting negative impression.

On another hand some modern developments such us Manufaktura - rebuilding of old warehouses in to a big trading and entertainment center are bright and promising signs for times ahead. Lodz has a lot of potential and hopefully it will prove to be the ugly duckling of Europe.

I invite you to see the Lodz photo gallery.