Doug Rickard on a roll, (today, featuring Jim Goldberg)

Screengrab from American Suburb X

I just want to mention a site that’s really in a nice flow right now. The site is called “American SuburbX”. Today, he’s in good stride, featuring some amazing portraits by Jim Goldberg of Magnum.

If I remember correctly, when i was a kid, I was at Maine Photo Workshops, taking a class under Mary Ellen Mark, and I’m pretty sure Goldberg was there, in the class. His work certainly stood out, even then, at a young age. (Apologies if I’m incorrect). But I can remember, even then, there was the trademark B/W portrait, and then the handwriting from the subject of the portrait added later. So intimate; so simple and pure. Right to the core.

I was talking to my friend Troy House the other day, and we both agreed that — if money was not an issue, or raising a family, or any economic issues whatsoever — the highest calling on this planet would be to do environment portraits for magazines. I feel this more and more, the older I get. What an opportunity, for someone else to share the details of their life with you. What a priviledge to be included.

So check out these excellent Goldberg portraits, and then continue on to the Magnum site, and see his other work too.

As far as American SuburbX, DR is just on a roll. He’s featuring excellent photographers on a regular basis. Not sure I care for all the added words, but his choice of imagery and topics is right on the money. His blog/site is one for the Bookmarks, for sure.

(Update, added later: I was driving to the grocery tonight, wondering about this Goldberg fellow, and how he makes a living. I think of all the editorial assignments that I get called to do, and the phone call usually goes something like this: “Yes, we have a story where one of the subjects lives in your area. We need a nice portrait of them. They’re involved in ________ (fill in the blank, with their content). Can you shoot it next week?”. (It’s when you hear “he lives in your area”, and “we just want a nice portrait” that you know to turn it down, that they’re not calling for your style; they’re just calling to save money on the expenses, by having a local guy shoot it). And I imagine that my portrait might be be combined with other portraits from other photographers in different cities. (No budget to fly one photographer around any more). And then I imagine Jim Goldberg getting that same phone call, and then I think his style of work combining in with two other guys that shoot the standard “fill flash on location portrait”, and then I imagine the picture editor opening Goldberg’s Fedex box, and there’s one frame inside — no contact sheets — just the final frame that he chose, with the trademark writing below the image. And I imagine the picture editor’s face, and they realize that Goldberg’s style has to mesh in with the other two portraits. And then I imagine them fainting, and falling over backwards. And then I stand up, and I applaud Goldberg for doing what he does…

I see in his Bio that Goldberg teaches there in Oakland at CCAC, (great school). So that’s how he makes his living. I go to Magnum’s site, and I see his books, and I think, “My God, there is no money in book publishing — does he live in his car?”, and then I see that he teaches, so he’s doing OK, i guess.