Photos of workspaces

For four years, photographer Joseph Holmes documented a variety of compelling workspaces, from the workbench at NYC's Phototech Camera Repair (above) to the cash register at the late, great CBGB. You can see some at Businessweek and even more at Holmes's portfolio "Worskpace (2007-2011)." (via Dave Pell's NextDraft)

• [einsteinatthemall]

  In the big scheme of things, people really aren’t that interesting. We’re creatures of habit and even our loftiest dreams tend to become misguided nightmares. These photos are well-crafted, but to me they indicate the nightmare aspect of humanity (piles of disorganized paper, rusty staplers, dusty knick knack drawers) – no wonder so much of what people produce is self-centered and tacky. If Tiny Tim bobbleheads and empty plastic water bottles make a workspace fascinating, then we’re headed for trouble. These man caves and woman caves just leave a sour taste in my eyes. I guess if it wasn’t for Post-It Notes and bulletin boards, we would all be lost! – interesting photos, but are they the stuff of Genius? Who knows!

  • [Stefan Jones]

     Jeeze, dude, did someone just run over your dog?

    • [einsteinatthemall]

      Nope. Don’t have a dog. But our goldfish was sneezing earlier this morning

    • [totally80s]

      I was just going to say the same thing, except substitute grandma for dog

  • [Joseph Francis]

     Okay Einstein, what would you find fascinating?

    • [Cefeida]

      I find the various musings that a simple photograph can inspire fascinating.

• [Joseph Francis]

  From the backseat of a taxi in Mumbai I saw an open air storefront filled with dusty computer innards and lit by a single shaded pendulum lamp. Looked like something out of Bladerunner.

• [totally80s]

  I’m not that familiar with Clowes or the character, but the costume is cool in a cool geek kind of way

• [Cefeida]

  Suddenly my workspace looks really tidy.

• [nathan foote]

  Glad they had a welding shop included in that set. Spotted that one within an instant.

• [Stefan Jones]

   My workspace is better lit than most of these:

  http://www.flickr.com/photos/stefan_e_jones/5846608341/in/photostream

  • [Charlie B]

     Has more rockets, too.

• [mat catastrophe]

  Amateurs. 
  http://www.will-self.com/writing-room/

• [inkfumes]

  In the big scheme of things, people are fascinating and seeing these workspaces gives deep insight into the mindset of the owner and the setting they work within. I am always intrigued by people’s workspaces, especially artists both digital and traditional and hobbyists as well. It doesn’t take much for even my own desk to become a cramped space, overly crowded with coffee cups full of pens, x-acto knives and tiny screwdrivers, piles of paper, computer components, hardware bits and the other items that are only rarely needed yet essential to have on hand. Someone else can look at it and see chaos and a nightmare of humanity. I look at it and am intrigued by the way a space has evolved specifically to assist the owner in the tasks they embark upon. Part of the fun of learning a new artistic technique or hobby or skill is tooling up and organizing your workspace.

• [grima]

  Hannibal Chew: Don’t know, I don’t know such stuff. I just do eyes, ju-, ju-, just eyes… just genetic design, just eyes. You Nexus, huh? I design your eyes.