2022: 17 Camera Work

I was going to give myself the day off today, chilling out with some non-photography related pursuits. A reward for spending the day in my studio yesterday, finishing off the next self-publishing project I’ve been working on. Hand-binding a stack of books was intense work, and I need a break. So, of course, I stumbled upon something too photographically relevant to avoid, and in the interest of sharing my obsession, I will let you in on this discovery.

Apparently a complete set of the seminal photo journal “Camera Work” is going up for auction. Unless you have about $200K burning a hole in your pocket, this treasure trove of early 20th century art photography will most likely be out of reach. Fear not, the entire collection has been digitized, and is available for downloading (as PDFs) from the good folks at the Modernist Journals Project. Enter this rabbit hole at your own risk. All I know is…there goes my peaceful, non-photographic Saturday.

For some background (thank you Wikipedia):

Camera Work was a quarterly photographic journal published by Alfred Stieglitz from 1903 to 1917. It is known for its many high-quality photogravures by some of the most important photographers in the world and its editorial purpose to establish photography as a fine art. It has been called "consummately intellectual" … "by far the most beautiful of all photographic magazines"… and "a portrait of an age [in which] the artistic sensibility of the nineteenth century was transformed into the artistic awareness of the present day."

2021: 14 Hey, Lomography!

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Short and sweet this week, since I actually just emerged from 5 days in the high desert of West Texas… a HUGE thank you to the great folks at Lomography for a featured article on their website and social media platforms that hits today. A nice deep dive into my latest “destruction” series, featuring (tongue in cheek) easy to follow instructions… so you too can make your own mess. All kidding aside, at numerous times in my life, Lomography films and cameras have inspired and reinvigorated my photography. It is indeed an honor to have my work featured by these film renegades.

Check out the full feature here:
https://www.lomography.com/magazine/346051-5-1-mastering-the-art-of-hand-manipulation-with-nick-tauro

2020: 18 (Maybe Love Will Save Us)

All this time in lockdown has made me itch for a long road trip, to where…it doesn’t matter. Open highway, my camera sitting in the passenger seat, and a set of great songs on the stereo. The romance of the endless drive, with time to think, to see, to sing out loud…to feel free; these are part of our American birthright. Unfortunately, these thoughts are just dreams right now, but I can take a momentary escape, via the new video by Beloved.

The song is titled “Burning Van (Maybe Love Will Save Us) and it perfectly encapsulates the feeling of driving down some New Mexico back road, the windows rolled down, the hot summer air swirling through your hair, the stereo cranked up, the sun shining a path to the horizon. David Garcia and his wife Nikelle are the beating heart of Beloved, and the vocals and violin (that they respectively bring to the track) create a lovely dance that winds its way into your soul. I’ve been privileged to see the development of Beloved from up close, and this latest track shows the band on confident, new ground.

The new video, beautifully shot by Dean Mitchell, is a visual love letter to the quintessential New Mexico experience, the summer road trip. And even thought lyrically the song may be a somber ode to loss and the fragility of things we care for, it is also, ultimately, a song of hope. I dare you to sing along with the “la la la la”s at the end of the tracking not have a big smile on your face while doing it. Maybe we’re not done for after all.

Watch the video below:

2019: 31 (Grateful)

There’s a quote by Kurt Vonnegut that I try to keep in mind… “If this isn’t nice, I don’t know what is.” It’s a reminder that we all need to stop and recognize the sweet things in life, right in the moment. There is much pain and sadness in life, and in the world right now, so I am even more aware of savoring the good things that come to me. Yesterday was one of those times for me. After two years of working on a collaborative project, the fruits of our labor were finally shared with the world. “The River, The Ocean, The Sea” exhibition is now on view at the Open Space Visitor’s Center in Albuquerque, NM, until September 29th. Below are some great photos of the opening by my photo pal, Dan Shaffer.

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I am particularly grateful for the support of my friends through this entire project. Many people stepped up to contribute to the GoFundMe campaign, and that financial support helped offset the cost of printing and framing the exhibition. I was beyond thrilled to see so many of these same folks show up at the opening yesterday, along with many other people who spent time viewing the work. I am so, so grateful for such wonderful friends in my life. Thank you all.

Also, thank you to the great staff at the Open Space Gallery for giving me a venue to share the work. Thank you to KRQE for doing a nice story about the show on their broadcast yesterday.

Thank you to Clarke Conde and the Weekly Alibi for putting me on their front cover and running a wonderful interview. Thank you especially to my collaborators Fabio Miguel Roque and Hean Kuan Ong for sharing your vision with me. I am so proud of what we accomplished together.

“If this isn’t nice, I don’t know what is.”

Beyond / Além featured on P3 Público website

Very excited to receive an incredibly nice feature in the Portuguese publication, P3 Publico today. The book project I completed with Fabio Miguel Roque earlier this year was a very rewarding collaboration. I thank Fabio for his friendship and ambition to bring this project to fruition. (Note: the text to the linked story is in Portuguese, but Chrome browser allows you to translate to English.)

Beyond / Além featured on Shifter

Thank you to photo publishing evangelist Daniel Milnor for the very nice profile on his website, Shifter.  I love this quote in particular:

“Classic black and white photography, classic layout with nice paper and rich color... There are images in here that remind me of Depardon’s Voyages.”

It's always an enlightening experience when a project I've worked on, in a private bubble, finally gets released into the world. I really never know how it will go over once it's in the hands of the viewer. This review is validating for so many reasons, not the least of which is due to the fact that I respect Daniel and his work so much. Read the entire review here.

"Looking Down" featured in Dodho Magazine

I am honored to have some of my photographs featured on the Dodho Magazine website. Amazing to look back at these photos that I took in the days of the US election and see how depressed I was. Time heals all wounds.