[ Nighttime snowstorm at Federal Hill Park, Baltimore ]

Interesting Photo Links

These are interesting photography-related pages that I've come across. Tempramentally, I think I'm more interested in a regular-person type of photographer who puts up some nice photos than a professional who does it to sell the images. (Besides, if they're a pro, the pictures are SUPPOSED to be nice.)

Shep Siegel's Onteora 1976 Yearbook Photos.

This is a page from a guy who apparently had a camera at his side through much of high school. I stumbled across this page one day, while looking for something else (sometimes the search is much, much better than the destination)

Normally one would think that there would be no major interest in something that amounts to looking at someone's old high school yearbooks and photo albums.

For some reason though, there is a strange but definite appeal to this. The photos were taken mostly in the early to mid-1970's and look it: the guys with their dinky little moustaches and long permed hair, the girls mostly braless with turn-up-at-the-edges Farrah Fawcett 'do's. I won't even get started on the clothing, except to say that they are suddenly in fashion again in 1997.

If you are looking for kitch, I suppose this qualifies, but that isn't the real appeal. This is by no means an "images of a bygone era" site. There is something strangely timeless about high school.

Philip Greenspun's photo.net.

What on earth can I possibly say about photo.net except GO THERE. This is a spectacular site whether you want to just look at some beautiful photography, or learn how to make some beauty yourself. Do you want to know what to look for in a camera? It's there. How about a how-to on star trail photography... how about how-tos on practically everything?

Then there is the Web Travel Review, with thousands of travel photos and stories by Mr. Greenspun and others.

One major highlight of the site is Travels With Samantha. Greenspun: "This book is about the summer I spent seeing North America, meeting North Americans, and trying to figure out how people live."

After I read it for the first time, I wrote in:

I just wanted to say thank you for all you have contributed to the net. Far more than the latest whatever from Microsoft or Netscape, Travels with Samantha is what the web was invented for.

I haven't changed my opinion yet :)

Credits

The school bus photo was taken by and is copyrighted by Shep Siegel.

The photo of Phil Greenspun and George was taken, and is copyrighted by Rebecca Schudlich, and is courtesy of Philip Greenspun.

I took the photo at the top of the page in Federal Hill Park in Baltimore one freezing 2am morning, terrified of being mugged.

David Shaw <dshaw@jabberwocky.com>