Category: Photography

Ami Vitale: From Photographer to Conservationist | PetaPixel

Ami Vitale: From Photographer to Conservationist

A look at the life and work of Ami Vitale, a photographer and well-known conservationist who champions the cause of endangered wildlife.

via PetaPixel: https://petapixel.com/ami-vitale-photographer-biography/

“Today, my motivations are very different from when I began. Photography and storytelling are much more than a tool for my own self-empowerment. In the beginning, I plunged right in to tell the stories of humanity and war, and I was asked to focus on the horrors of the world. After a decade, I realized a profound truth; I had been telling stories about people and the human condition, but the backdrop of every one of these stories was the natural world.

October 28, 2022
The Rock Pays Touching Tribute to Legendary Wrestling Photographer | PetaPixel

The Rock Pays Touching Tribute to Legendary Wrestling Photographer

Classy from The Rock.

via PetaPixel: https://petapixel.com/2022/10/17/the-rock-pays-touching-tribute-to-legendary-wrestling-photographer/

Addressing Napolitano, Johnson said: “I want to say thank you so much for being so supportive of my family over the year. My grandfather, my grandmother, you took incredible shots that still hang in our house. They still hang in our house today! Thank you, brother.”

October 17, 2022
Meet the Jury of the LensCulture Black and White Photography Awards 2022 – Photographs by various artists | Text by Joanna L. Cresswell | LensCulture

Meet the Jury of the LensCulture Black and White Photography Awards 2022 – Photographs by various artists | Text by Joanna L. Cresswell | LensCulture

In a world of color, what makes black and white photography stand out? We asked each of the experts who will be judging your entries to find out what they are looking for

via LensCulture: https://www.lensculture.com/articles/lensculture-design-meet-the-jury-of-the-lensculture-black-and-white-photography-awards-2022

In a world of color, what makes black and white photography stand out? We asked each of the experts who will be judging your entries to find out what they are looking for.

October 9, 2022
The Women of Magnum Photos | The New Yorker

The Women of Magnum Photos

An exhibit, at the International Center of Photography, of the work of twelve photographers includes a daringly intimate depiction of life during the recent revolution in Lebanon, by Myriam Boulos.

via The New Yorker: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2022/10/03/the-women-of-magnum-photos

An exhibit, at the International Center of Photography, of the work of twelve photographers includes a daringly intimate depiction of life during the recent revolution in Lebanon, by Myriam Boulos.

September 23, 2022
These Photographs Were Made in Protest

These Photographs Were Made in Protest

The camera became the center of Chauncey Hare’s life, and a tool for awakening his political consciousness.

via Hyperallergic: https://hyperallergic.com/741181/chauncey-hare-quitting-your-day-job/

Hare’s photography is little known today, partly because of his own efforts. Disillusioned with the art world, he called himself an “anti-official art artist” for a time before bitterly denouncing his artistic work altogether in 1985.

September 20, 2022
Michelle Agins on Perseverance and Photographing Martin Luther King

Michelle Agins on Perseverance and Photographing Martin Luther King

The second Black woman ever hired as a New York Times staff photographer, Agins built her career at a time when photo editors gave very few assignments to women — much less to women of color.

via Hyperallergic: https://hyperallergic.com/761200/michelle-agins-on-perseverance-and-photographing-martin-luther-king/

The second Black woman ever hired as a New York Times staff photographer, Agins built her career at a time when photo editors gave very few assignments to women — much less to women of color.

September 20, 2022
The Full Story Behind the Collapse of the Nat Geo Fine Art Galleries | PetaPixel

The Full Story Behind the Collapse of the Nat Geo Fine Art Galleries

The full story behind the National Geographic Fine Art Galleries.

via PetaPixel: https://petapixel.com/2022/08/31/the-full-story-behind-the-collapse-of-the-nat-geo-fine-art-galleries/

This saga of the National Geographic Fine Art Galleries (hereafter referred to as the Galleries for the sake of simplicity) has been ongoing for years and started when PetaPixel contributor Ken Bower published an opinion where he expressed concern over the Galleries’ commission rate in July of 2018.

September 20, 2022
Photographers on Photographers: Emily Wall in Conversation with Victoria Sambunaris – LENSCRATCH

Photographers on Photographers: Emily Wall in Conversation with Victoria Sambunaris – LENSCRATCH

I first saw Victoria Sambunaris’ work at the Museum of Art at Brigham Young University during my last semester as a student. I was struck by the scale of the prints as well as how the strong geometry within the work carried her themes. I was further impre

via LENSCRATCH: http://lenscratch.com/2022/08/photographers-on-photographers-emily-wall-in-conversation-with-victoria-sambunaris/

Initially, I taught during the year and was only able to get on the road to work in the summers. This inhibited the work and eventually realized I needed more flexibility to remain on the road. I began to pick up editorial work to help fund the trips, credit cards, loans, whatever it would take. Later came grants and sales. I live a minimal existence and I have chosen not to live a more conventional life with a family and such. My responsibility is to myself and the work. While traveling, I’m camping, living modestly and in the moment. This type of existence in contrast to my energetic life in New York creates balance and keeps life diverse.

September 10, 2022
Photographers on Photographers: Sara Bennett in Conversation with Thomas Holton – LENSCRATCH

Photographers on Photographers: Sara Bennett in Conversation with Thomas Holton – LENSCRATCH

In 2014, I began photographing four women who were returning to New York City after spending anywhere from 17 to 35 years in prison. As a former journalist and criminal defense attorney, I thought a lot about the ethics of getting so close to the women I

via LENSCRATCH: http://lenscratch.com/2022/08/photographers-on-photographers-sara-bennett-in-conversation-with-thomas-holton/

In 2016, I discovered Thomas Holton’s “The Lams of Ludlow Street,” when it was featured in the New York Times Lensblog. At that point, Tom had already been documenting the Lam family for 13 years and his project had become personal. He had established very close relationships with the Lams, even visiting their relatives in China and Hong Kong

September 7, 2022
Photographers on Photographers: Alex Henderson in Conversation with Idris Talib Solomon – LENSCRATCH

Photographers on Photographers: Alex Henderson in Conversation with Idris Talib Solomon – LENSCRATCH

On a search to find more Black photographers and artists, I discovered The Black Shutter Podcast. From Jamel Shabazz to Dee Dwyer, I listened to each artist’s story as they were relatable and inspiring. As a developing artist, I felt that I struck true go

via LENSCRATCH: http://lenscratch.com/2022/08/photographers-on-photographers-alex-henderson-in-conversation-with-idris-talib-solomon/

On a search to find more Black photographers and artists, I discovered The Black Shutter Podcast. From Jamel Shabazz to Dee Dwyer, I listened to each artist’s story as they were relatable and inspiring. As a developing artist, I felt that I struck true gold with my newfound resource. As I listened, I realized that the stories of the visiting artists were just as motivating as the host conducting the interviews. This is where I learned more about the work of Idris Talib Solomon.

September 7, 2022
A New California Center Is Building a Legacy of Black Photographers

A New California Center Is Building a Legacy of Black Photographers

With The Black Image Center, a group of young photographers has established a space for Black image makers in need of a place to create.

via Hyperallergic: https://hyperallergic.com/755408/a-new-california-center-is-building-a-legacy-of-black-photographers/

CULVER CITY, CA — For the group of young Black photographers who founded The Black Image Center, a collective turned 501(c)(3) nonprofit in Los Angeles, COVID-19 allowed time to think deeply about a space where Black artists can come to stimulate their imaginations through photography, and one that can provide resources for their economic empowerment. Kalena Yiaueki, Maya Mansour, Zamar Velez, Haleigh Nickerson, Samone Kidane, and Michael Tyrone Delaney, who all have diverse backgrounds within the field of photography, came together digitally during the pandemic. The Black Image Center opened in Culver City’s arts district in early 2022.

September 7, 2022
17 Photographers Reflect on Key Images for Aperture’s Seventieth Anniversary

17 Photographers Reflect on Key Images for Aperture’s Seventieth Anniversary

In Aperture’s Seventy x Seventy Sale, Stephen Shore, Graciela Iturbide, Tyler Mitchell, and more offer prints from their history with Aperture—ranging from the classic to the contemporary.

via Aperture: https://aperture.org/editorial/17-photographers-reflect-on-key-images-for-apertures-seventieth-anniversary/

In Aperture’s Seventy x Seventy Sale, Stephen Shore, Graciela Iturbide, Tyler Mitchell, and more offer prints from their history with Aperture—ranging from the classic to the contemporary.

September 7, 2022
Ray Johnson’s Camera Was Disposable. The Photos Are Unforgettable. – The New York Times

Ray Johnson’s Camera Was Disposable. The Photos Are Unforgettable.

The Pop artist spent his final years taking pictures and kept them a secret. Dozens are on view in a revelatory show at the Morgan Library & Museum.

Link: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/24/arts/design/ray-johnson-photography-morgan-library.html

The Pop artist spent his final years taking pictures and kept them a secret. Dozens are on view in a revelatory show at the Morgan Library & Museum.

September 7, 2022
Photographers on Photographers: Jordan Mount in Conversation with Craig Stevens – LENSCRATCH

Photographers on Photographers: Jordan Mount in Conversation with Craig Stevens – LENSCRATCH

I met Craig Stevens this year when I took his Intro to Inkjet Printing class at Savannah College of Art and Design (known as SCAD). From the first day, he shared countless stories from his career and life. Sharing anecdotes about the photographers he’s be

via LENSCRATCH: http://lenscratch.com/2022/08/photographers-on-photographers-jordan-mount-in-conversation-with-craig-stevens/

I would propose a healthier approach to it is to open your arms up like an embrace and say, this is what photography is, a big tent. It has room for the technical, aesthetic, or edgy fine art, and it also has room for the commercial and documentary.

August 23, 2022
Photographers on Photographers: Su Ji Lee in Conversation with Kensuke Koike – LENSCRATCH

Photographers on Photographers: Su Ji Lee in Conversation with Kensuke Koike – LENSCRATCH

“If I have many ingredients in my refrigerator, I can cook everything I want. But some ingredients may never be used. If I find only a carrot inside, I must cook it in the best way possible by chopping, grating, roasting, boiling, frying, drying, etc. Wit

via LENSCRATCH: http://lenscratch.com/2022/08/photographers-on-photographers-su-ji-lee-in-conversation-with-kensuke-koike/

How does one come across non-archival photographs? There are boxes and boxes of strangers’ faces ready to be picked up in antique stores, flea markets, or even weekly garage sales. Though they might have been forgotten by one, it never goes discarded through Koike. With additive motion and revealed subtraction to the found images, strangers tend to warp, mutate, or remobilized. When I first came across his works in my freshman year of college, I was in awe to witness his treatment of guiding the viewers into possible lifeforms of still strangers, introducing a new paradigm to image appropriation. Through Photographers on Photographers interview, I had the pleasure to take a peep behind his curtain, a tricky visible world.

August 17, 2022
One Year Later: The 2021 Lenscratch Student Prize Winners – LENSCRATCH

One Year Later: The 2021 Lenscratch Student Prize Winners – LENSCRATCH

Over this past year, I’ve had the pleasure of celebrating, corresponding and zooming with the 2021 Student Prize Winners. Last summer, I met Allie Tsubota in Providence and she walked me through her studio at RISD. Through these awards, I always feel lik

via LENSCRATCH: http://lenscratch.com/2022/07/one-year-later-the-2021lenscratch-student-prize-winners/

If I had to share any advice with current students about life after school, it would be to first allow yourself to feel everything that you need to feel. Honestly, post-grad depression is very real, and it can often leave people (myself included) feeling quite lost and confused during that period. I went through it all, but I came out on the other side, so here are some more tips that I learned along the way and that helped me get through this period:

August 8, 2022
photo-eye | BLOG: Creativity and Turmoil, part 1

Creativity and Turmoil, part 1

Left to right: Mitch Dobrowner, Shiprock Storm ; Mark Klett, Moonset with Venus ; Edward Bateman, Antelope Island No.766 I would have…

Link: https://blog.photoeye.com/2022/07/creativity-and-turmoil-part-1.html

At the beginning of the pandemic, I watched a live Zoom of Sophie Calle talking to students. I believe she wanted them to be totally in the moment – since she requested that it not be recorded. She was asked: “What advice would you give to students in this moment of peril.” There was something very grounding in her reply – or at least in how I remember it. “Every moment is a moment of peril. We never know when tragedy will personally strike us.”

July 22, 2022
Lee Miller: From Vogue to Buchenwald and Dachau — Blind Magazine

Lee Miller: From Vogue to Buchenwald and Dachau — Blind Magazine

The exhibition at the Rencontres d’Arles retraces the most intense decade in the life of the American model and photographer Lee Miller, who became a war correspondent during World War II.

via Blind Magazine: https://www.blind-magazine.com/en/news/lee-miller-from-vogue-to-buchenwald-and-dachau/

Lee Miller possesses sculptural beauty, an unfathomable gaze, the aura of a sylph, and steely determination. A Poughkeepsie native, she lived multiple lives scarred by trauma. Her childhood was brutal: she was raped at the age of seven by a family friend. Her adolescence was fractured: she was made to pose nude before her father’s camera. Yet she was able to overcome the emotional turmoil. She was discovered by Condé Nast and was offered the cover of Vogue US; she worked and lived with Man Ray; was painted by Picasso and sculpted by Cocteau; and the list goes on.

July 6, 2022
The Future of the Photo Festival in the Covid Age – LENSCRATCH

The Future of the Photo Festival in the Covid Age – LENSCRATCH

If I feel physically as if the top of my head were taken off, I know that is poetry – Emily Dickinson As a photographer, editor, and publisher I have had the good fortune of seeing a lot of photography. I came to photography through an education in drawi

via LENSCRATCH: http://lenscratch.com/2022/06/the-future-of-the-photo-festival-in-the-covid-age/

Ms. Dickinson has expressed precisely what keeps me looking at pictures – I keep looking to find a repetition of that feeling as if ‘the top of my head were taken off’. You may have felt that too at some point in your practice or collecting — at least I hope you have. It is sometimes expressed as the difference between a photograph that is akin to illustration and a photograph that carries the impact of art.

June 7, 2022
Paolo Pellegrin’s Photographic Quest for the Sublime | The New Yorker

Paolo Pellegrin’s Photographic Quest for the Sublime

For as long as the celebrated photojournalist has been doing his best work, he has been grappling with the threat of blindness.

via The New Yorker: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2022/05/23/paolo-pellegrins-photographic-quest-for-the-sublime

“To find silence, you need silence,” Pellegrin had observed, and as we drove in darkness no one spoke. An hour later, Anthony parked in the sand. Pellegrin handed me a flash and a tripod, and we set off on foot into the dunes. Here there was no sky; a thick fog obscured it. Individual particles cascaded in front of us, refracting light from the headlamps—tiny droplets, seen but not quite felt. Nearby was a brown hyena, sensed but not yet seen.

May 17, 2022