Not-So-Random Excellence: Stephen Gillette

After my post the other day about circular prints, TOP reader Stephen Gillette sent me a link to some of his own work in circular format that I liked a lot. He quipped, "I have a mild addiction for circular images at this point. But it's not a problem. Really. I can stop any time I want...." Maybe he shouldn't; you can tell from the pictures that he's having fun with it, and he seems to have a genuine feel for how to compose inventively this way.

I didn't want to bury this link in the Comments because I thought you'd enjoy taking a look.

Mike

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Original contents copyright 2011 by Michael C. Johnston and/or the bylined author. All Rights Reserved.

Featured Comment by Hans Muus: "Amazing how the circular shape is part of the essence of these pictures. No corners—what a difference that makes. Must be very interesting and inspiring to look at the world in this way (don't know if I would be able to do so at all). What an enjoyable, highly personal vision indeed."

Comments

[Christian Kurmann]

Top Prints please ;-)

I not only love the shots but circular prints would also be fun and have additional appeal for being slightly geeky.

[Jordan]

Stephen's modern circular work definitely stands out. I don't know how I found him, but when his images splash across my Google reader or my Tumblr feed, I am always refreshed and inspired.

[Robert S.]

Those are really cool. Shooting (or I guess I should say cropping) in a circular format never occurred to me, but I'd like to try it after seeing these images.

[Kenneth Tanaka]

I am not a fan of non-squared photographic frames. They generally twang as distracting, often sickeningly sentimental, affectations. I can honestly say that I've never seen a circular-framed photo that I'd waste water on if it caught fire.

Until today.

You've managed to select and compose scenes excellently for the circle, the best I've seen. My personal test is to imagine the image in a rectangle or square. As the optometrists say, would it be better, worse, or about the same? To the extent I can imagine, I come up with worse for most of your images.

Outstanding stuff, Stephen. And I completely agree that there's some good stuff for a print sale in there.

[John from Macro Photography For All]

I've been wondering about breaking away from the "cornered" formats, and I'm glad someone has done it. I'm assuming this is created with a PS mask?

[Bob Keefer]

Amazing and creative use of what could have been a gimmicky format. Great work!

[MJFerron]

Cool shot. I had to blink once or twice before dawn broke over Marblehead. (Old Yankee expression.)

[Robert Roaldi]

Cutting custom mats would be easy to do but does anyone make round frames? I can't remember seeing any.

[John Camp]

Yes. Interesting work.

JC

[Grumpycat]

I can't help feeling that I'm being invited to look through a hole into another world....

[Eolake Stobblehouse]

Gillette's work is excellent, I've blogged it myself earlier.
He also has an addiction to serious compact cameras, something I share, so we meet virtually sometimes and shoot up.
Oh yeah, I interviewed him about that here:
http://eolake.blogspot.com/2007/07/compact-cameras-stephen-gillette.html

And about his photos here:
http://eolake.blogspot.com/2009/11/stephen-gillette-art-show.html

[Alan]

I agree with Kenneth Tanaka, Circular prints have always seemed very gimmicky to me. Especially most of the "fish-eye" views. What I like about Stephen's images, is they seem to poke fun at the circular shape. In a lot of the photos, I find my eye looking toward the corners which aren't there. In others, there is a strong rectangular shape (angular shadows, a table, vertical lines) that contrast the circular border.
I like these, thanks Stephen.

[Adrian]

Art-historically speaking, the tondo (plural, tondi) is an important referend [en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tondo_(art)]. A famous circular composition from a different tradition that comes to mind is from the Aztecs (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coyolxauhqui). I'd be curious if fellow readers can point to other examples.

[Carl L]

Had a lot of fun with the old $59 Circular Fish Eye from Spiratone Camera years ago. I think it was made in Russia.
Darn if I know what happen to it. Images seemed to have disappeared also.

[Linda (ArtGirl) Berry]

Also not a huge fan of circular cropped images but Stephen (I call him Steve) has managed to change my usually unbudgeable mind with this photo. Good work! As always fresh and inventive. Oh, and do I see the color reflection of the Venice Monk here? Nahhhh, probably not : [

[MJFerron]

"Cutting custom mats would be easy to do but does anyone make round frames? I can't remember seeing any."

That's where a square whole with a round peg works out well. ;>

[Dave Sailer]

I never thought I'd have to say this, but you've found YET ONE MORE person who's a better and more interesting photographer than I am, in every possible way.

[Martin Doonan]

Even with the lack of corners and a symmetrical frame it is very interesting to me how the images still have orientation - a definite sense of "up".