Yesterday Leica announced an exciting addition to their digital rangefinder lineup, the Leica M Monochrom.  With an 18 megapixel, black and white CCD sensor, the Monochrom promises to be the world’s first full frame black and white digital camera.  The Monochrom also boasts the ability to make toning decisions (sepia, selenium, etc) in camera.  Because the sensor doesn’t have RGB filters to make color channels, each pixel reads the whole luminance level at its location.

After the jump we talk about the Leica X2, the M mount 50mm f/2.0, and a new adapter that adds lens options for the S2.  Technical data on all cameras is available as well.Leica’s #May10 was full of surprises as three new cameras, a new lens and a new lens adapter have been unveiled.

Leica M Monochrom

Camera type- Compact digital rangefinder system camera with black-and-white
sensor

Lens attachment- Leica M bayonet with additional sensor for 6-bit coding

Image sensor- Active area approx. 23.9 x 35.8 mm, 5212 x 3468 pixels (18 megapixels). Infrared filter for non-visible spectrum over 700nm, no low-pass filter

Storage medium- SD cards up to 2 GB, SDHC cards up to 32 GB

Sensitivity range- ISO 320/26° to ISO 10000/41°

Flash exposure metering- Control with center-weighted TTL pre-flash metering (with SCA-3501/3502 adapter, or SCA-3000 standard flash unit such as Leica SF 24D/Leica SF 58).

Exposure modes- Through the Lens (TTL) metering, center-weighted with variable aperture. Center-weighted TTL metering for flash exposure with system-conformant SCA-3000/2 standard flash units.

Monitor- 2.5″ monitor (color TFT LCD) with 230,000 pixels

Software- Adobe Lightroom, Nik Silver Efex Pro, as download versions (highspeed internet connection required)

The Leica M Monochrom page on Leica’s website

Leica X2

The X2 is a fixed focal length 24mm f/2.8 ASPH (35mm equivalent) compact point and shoot with a 16mp sensor that replaces the X1 in the Leica product line.  The newly developed sensor gives the X2 better image quality, especially in low light.  A pop-up flash and new leather trimming round out the changes that Leica has made.

Lens- Leica Elmarit 24mm f/2.8 ASPH.

Image sensor- 16.5 MP, APS-C, CMOS image sensor (effective 16.1 MP).

Metering modes- Smart multi-segment metering, center-weighted metering, selective (spot) metering.

Sensitivity- Auto, ISO 100, ISO 200, ISO 400, ISO 800, ISO 1600, ISO 3200, ISO 6400, ISO 12500.

Continuous shooting- 3 fps or 5 fps, max. 8 consecutive exposures with constant shooting speed in DNG + JPEG fine quality.

Exposure modes- Standard, dynamic, natural, b/w natural, b/w high contrast.

Flash Modes- Auto, flash exposure correction, red-eye correction, fill-in flash, slow sync, studio, 1st /2nd curtain sync. Hot shoe Compatible with Leica SF 24D, Leica SF 58 flash units.

Monitor- 2.7″-TFT LCD with 230,000 pixels, wide-angle

Storage- Internal memory (Approx. 110 MB)

Memory card compatibility- SD, SDHC, SDXC.

Interfaces- HDMI out, USB (USB 2.0 high speed).

Software- Adobe® Photoshop® Lightroom® (free download option after camera registration)

The Leica X2 page on Leica’s website

Leica APO-Summicron-M 50mm f/2 ASPH

The new M mount 50mm lens from Leica boasts unprecedented sharpness, fast speeds, and even an integrated lens hood that rotates into position.

From the Leica press release:

The LEICA APO-Summicron-M 50mm f/2 ASPH will offer the following advantages:

High speed standard lens delivering outstanding imaging performance

Supremely soft rendering of blurred image areas (Bokeh)

Integrated lens hood, extendable by rotating

Product package includes milled brass lens front cap

Exclusive presentation packaging box

The 50mm/f2 on Leica’s website

Leica V-Lux 40

The V-Lux 40 is Leica’s newest addition to their compact digital camera line.  With a 20x super-zoom lens (24-480mm!), a 15.3 megapixel sensor and the ability to shoot up to 60fps in high-speed mode the V-Lux promises to be a welcome addition to the photographer who doesn’t want to sacrifice portability for quality.  Some of the V-Lux 40’s other nifty features include a built in GPS module, optical image stabilization, and full-HD video recording.

Lens- LEICA DC VARIO-ELMAR 4.3 – 86 mm f/3.3-6.4 ASPH

Sensor- 1 / 2.33” CMOS with 15.3 MP (effective 14.1 MP)

Exposure modes- Program mode (P), Aperture priority (A), Shutter speed priority (S), Manual Setting (M)

Metering modes- Multi-field / Center weighted / Spot

Sensitivity- 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600, 3200

Monitor- 3.0” TFT-LCD, approx.. 460,800 pixel, Touch Screen functionality

The Leica V-Lux 40 page on Leica’s website

The Leica M9-p ‘Edition Hermes’

The last addition that these purveyors of fine camera equipment made to their lineup on #may10 is the result of a collaboration with Hermes, a company equally defined by fine craftsmanship.  The is the third in a line of premium special editions of the M-System to be created in collaboration with the well-known Parisian house Hermès. The Leica M9-P ‘Edition Hermès’ is being offered as a strictly limited edition. For more information visit the manufacturer’s product page below.

The Leica M9-p ‘Edition Hermes’ on the Leica website

More images from the show after the jump!

More details after the jump:

The Prodaylight Air 800 provides 800 watts of continuous, 5600K light.  The cooling system within the head is designed to be as quiet as possible, allowing a photographer to use the light shaping tools that they have been using for years.

For more information visit the Profoto product page

Updated 4/17/2012

Updated 4/24/2012

Canon’s replacement for the 5D Mk II was released last week and there was a flurry of movement to the new 5D Mk III.  Unfortunately, almost all of the software regularly used by photographers requires an update to function with the new Canon CR2 (raw) file.  Today we will go over some of the workflows and workarounds that can get you using your 5D Mk III.

Adobe Camera Raw 6.7

Before Adobe releases a new software update they go through a couple of different phases of testing.  Adobe starts with internal versions of the software and builds to the “Release Candidate”.  The Release Candidate is the final step before software is widely released and promoted as functional.

The Adobe Camera Raw 6.7 Release Candidate is available for download from the Adobe Labs website here.  This Release Candidate version will expire on May 31st and will have been replaced by the full release of Camera Raw 6.7.  Also, Camera Raw 6 is only compatible with Photoshop CS5, so anyone using an older version of Photoshop will have to upgrade.

This upgrade will allow you to open the 5D Mk III CR2 file in the Camera Raw interface of Photoshop.  The interface will not have changed from earlier versions of Camera Raw

Adobe DNG raw converter

Adobe has a Release Candidate version of the DNG Converter 6.7 available on the Adobe Labs website here.  Users can convert the file from CR2 to DNG, which will work in an older raw workflow.

Canon Utilities

The CR2 file from a Mk III can be interpreted by any of the software that Canon included with the camera.  The EOS Digital Solution disk version 25 (pictured below) has an updated version of Digital Photo Professional and EOS Utility.  DPP will allow you to convert files from CR2 to 8 or 16-bit tiffs, which you can then use in a raw workflow.

Canon Asia has issued an update to DPP to 3.11.26 to fix a bug that was causing softness in raw file conversions.  A translated page with the download can be found here.

Link on Canon USA for DPP 3.11.26 here

EOS Utility currently provides the only tethered support for the 5D Mk III.

This option will only work with for Mac users on OS 10.6.8 or newer.

Lightroom 4

Lightroom 4 users can update to the Release Candidate version of 4.1 here.  This version will allow users to work within Lightroom 4 with the CR2 file from the 5d Mk III.

Capture One Pro 6.4

The latest version of Capture One Pro (6.4) has added support for the 5D Mark III files for processing only. Capture One 6.4 has not added tethered capture support for the 5D Mark III or D800.

You can find the updated version of Capture One Pro (6.4) here.

Legacy Software Compatibility

Photoshop CS4 and earlier- not compatible with Camera Raw 6.x (5D mk III not supported)

Lightroom 3 and earlier- Lightroom does not utilize the Camera Raw plugin.  Support for cameras is built right into the program and since LR3 was replaced by LR4 (and therefore no longer supported) the 5D Mk III is not compatible

Capture One Pro 6- Currently both raw processing and tethered capture are not supported.  Phase One has not issued a statement to when they will be updating.

Born to Play Baseball will be opening at 6:30 PM, March 20th at Foto Care Rentals and is sponsored by Presidente Beer

Q. These images are a big departure from the refined, lit work we see from you in the commercial realm.  How did you come to shoot a project with available light thousands of miles from home?

A. I’ve been very interested in baseball all my life.  I’ve played it and I’ve always heard about the Dominican Republic and its almost mythic ability to create great ball players.  I’ve never had clear answers to why the DR has always been able to turn out such talent and I always wanted to see it for myself.

It came to me when I was down there, they play ball not for sport but for hope, or a means to get out of the country.  Kids grow up with the idea that if they are good enough they might have the chance to take care of their family or community.   The level of dedication and athleticism that you see from these young kids is incredible; they are hitting home runs, turning double plays, and throwing pitches at 70+ miles an hour while kids their age back in the states are just learning the game. It’s crazy.

Q. So did you do a lot of pre-production before the trip or just kind of show up and see what you could find?

A. For 7-10 days I just traveled around and documented baseball.  Basically myself, a backpack and two assistants.  I had a translator and I was able to tell him to pass along the message that “I’m not here, try not to look at the camera” to the kids I am photographing.  I wanted the viewer to have a realistic view of what is going on there, nothing posed or produced.

I shot almost 10,000 images, narrowed them down to 1600 selects, and for the show I think we’re at 30 images.  I’m making a book, which is going to have around 100 images in it.  The book will have two purposes.  The first is a promo piece that I’ll give to creative directors and the people that I work closely with throughout the year as a thank you.  In the photo industry you are only as good as your last project.  I’m going to make 1,000 books, half of which will go out as promos.  The other half I’m going to sell and send all of the profits to a charity that will help to provide equipment and clothing to the kids in the Dominican Republic.  To me, you have to give back.

My passion is taking a camera and documenting something that I care about, you can only plan out so much.  My next book is going to be about Sumo in Japan, I’m following 10 wrestlers as they train and prepare.

Q. Wandering around with a backpack full of lenses and a body or two is pretty similar to how you started in photography, right?

A. I started shooting skateboarding, surfing, and snowboarding.  There was nothing better than that.  As I got older and needed to expand my horizons I turned to more production, artificial lighting, etc.  I also started to find an outlet in working on the files, figuring out how to combine that style that I love and grew up with and mix it with a polished, commercial look.  I still learn every day; there is always something new to learn.

Q. How has your time in the DR affected your approach to photography (if at all) since then?

A. The only thing it really did is made me stick to an idea.  I kept putting it (the trip) off, saying it would be too difficult, that there was too much other work to do here. I am glad I stuck with it and went there,  if anything it has spawned a few other projects that I am very much looking forward to start.

As an artist I will print something,  show something or put it online and then just hate it a week later.  I don’t have any of my own images up in my studio; everything is either an illustration or a painting or sculpture done by someone else.

Born to Play Baseball will open at 6:30 PM, March 20th at Foto Care Rentals

Top 10 People with Only One Known Photograph

List Guru site TopTenz.net has a fun one on the top 10 famous people who have been commemorated on gelatin just once.

We love to look at pictures because it gives us a chance to remember a specific moment in time.  For this reason, family portraits are among the most cherished items in most households.  In the 1830s, the first commercially successful photographic process, the daguerreotype, was invented.  Daguerreotype photography spread rapidly across the United States in the early 1840s.  People loved the process because they were able to obtain an exact likeness of themselves and their family members for the first time, making portrait photographs extremely popular.

The first use of photographic film was pioneered by George Eastman.  Eastman’s first camera was named the “Kodak” and was offered for sale in 1888.  The time period between the first photo and the first commercially sold camera (1838-1888) has become known for a large collection of rare pictures.  Many famous outlaws from the American Old West and influential personalities from the middle of the 19th century have only a few known photographs.

In some rare instances, famous historical figures are known to have only one existing photograph.  This article will examine ten famous people with only one remaining picture.  Some notable figures that were not included are Mary Seacole, Bahadur Shah II, David Owen Dodd, Ike Clanton, Moondyne Joe, Regina Jonas, Etta Place, and Louis Keseberg.

10. Karl Denke

In 1870, Karl Denke was born in Münsterberg, Silesia in the Kingdom of Prussia (now Zi?bice in Poland).  There is not a great deal of information about Denke’s life as a child, but as an adult he was well-liked in the community.  Between the years of 1918 to 1924, Denke operated a rooming house in his hometown.  His tenants affectionately called him “Papa.”  He also played the organ for the local German church.  It has since been realized that Denke led a much more sinister lifestyle.  He was a mass murderer that cannibalized the remains of over 30 people.

On December 20, 1924, one of Denke’s tenants, a coachman by the name of Gabriel, heard cries from Denke’s flat.  After rushing down to see if everyone was alright, Gabriel witnessed Karl Denke in the process of murdering a man with an axe.  The police were called and Denke was arrested.  In his house, the officers found the remains of human flesh in huge jars of curing salts.  They discovered a ledger that contained the details of over 30 people Denke had murdered and cannibalized.  The ledger had information about the victim’s weight and how to pickle a human.  Apparently, Denke had specialized in killing beggars, tramps, and journeymen who seemed unlikely to be missed.  In a disturbing fact, he sold the flesh of his victims to the local market in Breslau (today’s Wroclaw).

The Picture

The day after Karl Denke was arrested he committed suicide in jail by hanging himself with his suspenders.  Denke was never fully interrogated by the German police and little is known about his true personality.  After his death, one photograph was taken to document the case.  The picture shows Denke’s dead body and is the only known picture of Karl Denke.

9. Johnny Ringo

Johnny Ringo was an outlaw of the American Old West.  He was born in Greensfork, Indiana, of distant Dutch ancestry.  In 1879, Ringo turned up in Cochise County, Arizona Territory.  He quickly made an impression on the town when he shot an unarmed man named Louis Hancock in Safford, Arizona for refusing a drink of whiskey.  Hancock survived the gunshot, but the event gave Ringo a reputation for anger.  On January 17, 1882, Johnny Ringo and Doc Holliday traded threats in the streets of Tombstone and almost got into a gunfight.  Both men were arrested by chief of police James Flynn and hauled before a judge for carrying weapons in town.

It remains unclear, but Johnny Ringo could have participated in a large number of robberies and killings with the Cowboys.  In March of 1882, Ringo was suspected by Wyatt Earp of taking part in the murder of his brother Morgan.  On July 14, 1882, Johnny Ringo was found dead in the crotch of a large tree in West Turkey Creek Valley, near Chiricahua Peak, Arizona.  He was shot once in the head.  Ringo’s revolver was found hanging by his hand and the death was officially ruled a suicide.

Many people have been put forward as Ringo’s possible murderer, including Wyatt Earp, Doc Holliday, Mike O’Rourke, and Buckskin Frank Leslie.  Author Louis L’Amour has found no information in Old West history to commend the idea that Johnny Ringo was a noteworthy “badman.”  It has been speculated that perhaps Ringo’s memorable name, coupled with his confrontations with the “good” Earp brothers, has contributed to his current-day reputation.  In the movie Tombstone, Johnny Ringo is portrayed as a leader of the Cowboys and one of the best shots in the Old West.

The Picture

Around the year 1880, Johnny Ringo posed for his only known photograph.  In the picture, Ringo can be seen with a large and bushy mustache, which is typical for men during the early 1880s.  He is wearing a nice suit and is groomed for a professional portrait.

8. Ichabod Crane

In 1787, Ichabod Crane was born in Elizabethtown (now Elizabeth), New Jersey.  In 1809, he was commissioned as a second lieutenant and assigned to the USS United States, a 44-gun frigate commanded by Stephen Decatur.  During the War of 1812, Crane served on the Niagara Frontier.  In 1832, he led five companies in the Black Hawk War.  The Black Hawk War was a conflict between the U.S. Government and the Sauk Native American tribe headed by Black Hawk.  During the Second Seminole War (1835–1842), Crane commanded the 2nd Artillery unit and acted as Commander of the U.S. Army District of Northeast Florida.

Ichabod Crane died in October 1857 while still on active duty.  He is buried in Asbury Methodist Cemetery, in New Springville, not far from his former home.  Crane’s grave marker bears the inscription: “He served his country for 48 years and was much beloved and respected by all who knew him.”  The name of Ichabod Crane is familiar as it was used by Washington Irving in his novel The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.

Washington Irving never admitted that the character is named after Colonel Crane, but the two men met at Fort Pike located on Lake Ontario in Sackets Harbor, New York in 1814, while Irving was an aide to New York Gov. Daniel D. Tompkins.  The similarity between the two Ichabods seems to end with the name, as Colonel Crane was known to be a respected military man with a loving family.  Cranes’ somewhat unusual and memorable first name Ichabod comes from the biblical name of the grandson of Eli the High Priest and son of Phineas.

The Picture

In 1848, Ichabod Crane posed for a daguerreotype photograph.  It was taken for his official U.S. military portrait.  The portrait remains the only known picture of Crane.  At the time of his death, Ichabod Crane was a Colonel, 1st Artillery, in the U.S. Army.

7. Jack Swilling

Jack Swilling was born on April 1, 1830, at Red House Plantation, Anderson, South Carolina.  In the 1850s, Swilling was elected captain of the Gila Rangers militia company that was formed for protection from Apache stock raids on miners in the Arizona territory.  In 1860, the Gila Rangers made an expedition to the unexplored Bradshaw Mountains of central Arizona to “chastise” Apache raiders.  This resulted in some noteworthy discoveries, including the existence of the Hassayampa River and traces of mineral riches, including gold.

During the American Civil War (1861–1865), Swilling was a Confederate States Army minuteman, but could not fight much due to injuries he sustained in 1854.  He was also a civilian aide to the U.S. Army during the end of the war.  In 1863, Jack Swilling played an important role in the settlement of the previously unexplored central Arizona highlands in the vicinity of modern-day Prescott, Arizona.  He sparked a major gold rush in the area, and in turn led to the establishment of Arizona’s first Territorial Capital at the brand-new town of Prescott.

In 1867, Jack Swilling founded the city of Phoenix, Arizona.  He organized the first successful modern irrigation project in Arizona’s Salt River Valley and started a small farming community that has since grown into the modern day Phoenix.  In the early days, Jack Swilling was one of the most prominent leaders of the Phoenix settlement and was its first postmaster and first justice of the peace.  Jack’s friends remember him as an honest, hard-working, and generous man that was always ready to help people in need.  “Swilling would put his own life at risk for others, literally riding to the rescue when he heard of an Apache attack.”

The Picture

In 1878, Jack Swilling died near the small mining community of Gillette, a few miles south of today’s Black Canyon City.  The details surrounding his death are unclear and he is survived by only one known photograph.  The picture shows Swilling with long hair and holding what looks like a pistol in one hand and a hat in the other.  It is unclear when the photograph was taken.

6. Margery Booth

In 1905, Margery Booth was born in Wigan, Greater Manchester, England.  In 1936, she began her singing career in Covent Garden, London, but moved to Germany in the late 1930s and achieved fame with the Berlin State Opera.  At the outbreak of World War II, Booth was positioned at Freigegeben Stalag IIID by the Third Reich, a camp for potential recruits to the British Free Corps.  At the camp she worked as a British spy with agent John Brown and obtained details surrounding British traitors.  During the war, Booth helped prisoners of war send coded messages back to their chiefs in London.

On one occasion, Margery Booth met and sang for Adolf Hitler at a British prisoner of war camp.  While singing for the Fuehrer, Margery had a collection of secret ciphers hidden inside her undergarments.  Hitler was so taken by Booth’s performances that he once visited her dressing room, and sent her 200 red roses wrapped in a sash with a swastika on it.  After being discovered as spy, Booth endured torture by the Gestapo, but kept her silence.  At the end of the war, Margery escaped to Berlin and fled to Bavaria.

Margery Booth was a valuable spy during World War II and the information she provided was used to convict both Lord Haw Haw and John Amery of treason.  Unfortunately, after returning to England Margery was rejected by the people and viewed as a Nazi sympathizer.  She was not offered work and eventually forced to move to New York, where Booth died from cancer in 1952.

The Picture

The only known picture of Margery Booth was taken at Freigegeben Stalag IIID during World War II.  On the photograph Booth wrote “With kindest remembrances, Good luck, Margery Booth.”  The picture emerged from a private collection in 2010 and was auctioned off at Ludlow racecourse in Shropshire.

5. Blind Lemon Jefferson

“Blind” Lemon Jefferson was an American blues singer and guitarist from Texas that was born blind.  He was one of the most popular blues singers of the 1920s and had a strong influence on the Texas Blues scene.  Jefferson is remembered for his distinctive high-pitched voice and guitar play.  He was one of the first people to record a solo blues guitar album.  Between the years of 1926 to 1929, Jefferson released about 100 tracks with a large number of popular songs.  He traveled around the United States and was a popular act.  Blind Lemon Jefferson helped make Paramount Records the leading music recording company for blues in the 1920s.

At the height of his popularity, Blind Lemon Jefferson died in Chicago on December 19, 1929.  His death certificate officially states the cause of death as “probably acute myocarditis.”  However, a large number of theories have been proposed.  In the 1930s, rumors circulated that a jealous lover had poisoned his coffee.  Others think he died of a heart attack after becoming disoriented during a snowstorm (i.e., he froze to death).  Some people have written that Jefferson was attacked by a dog, while others claim that he was killed while being robbed by a guide escorting him to Union Station.

In 1929, Blind Lemon Jefferson was buried at Wortham Negro Cemetery (later Wortham Black Cemetery) under an unmarked grave.  In 1967, a grave stone was placed in his honor at the cemetery.  In 2007, the cemetery’s name was changed to Blind Lemon Memorial Cemetery.  Given his influence on the history of music, it is unfortunate that we don’t know more about Jefferson’s life.  His sound has influenced a large number of great recording artists, including B.B. King, T-Bone Walker, Lightnin’ Hopkins, Canned Heat, and Robert Johnson.

The Picture

Around 1926, Blind Lemon Jefferson posed for his only known photograph.  The picture is of bad quality and was heavily retouched in the 1920s.  Record executives even painted a fake tie on the photo.

Just like Jefferson, Robert Petway is a blues musician that has only one known photograph.  Robert Petway recorded only two sessions for Bluebird Records (Chicago) in 1941 and 1942.  He released 16 songs and suddenly disappeared in the early 1940s.

One of Robert Petway’s most influential songs is Catfish Blues, which was recorded in 1941.  Muddy Waters used the lyrics and style of the song for his first single Rollin’ Stone.  Robert Petway’s short musical career influenced some notable blues and rock musicians, including John Lee Hooker and Jimi Hendrix.

4. Samuel Wilson

In 1766, Samuel Wilson was born in historic Arlington, Massachusetts, to parents originally from Greenock, Scotland.  In 1789, Samuel and his brother Ebenezer moved to Troy, New York, where they went into business.  At the time of the War of 1812, Samuel Wilson was a prosperous middle-aged meat-packer in Troy.  He obtained a contract to supply beef to the Army, which he shipped in large barrels.  The barrels, being government property, were branded with the initials U.S. for United States, but the teamsters and soldiers would joke that the initials referred to “Uncle Sam”, who supplied the product.

Over time, it was believed that anything marked with the same initials (U.S.) was also linked with the name Samuel Wilson.  On September 15, 1961, the United States Congress issued the statement: “Congress salutes Uncle Sam Wilson of Troy, New York, as the progenitor of America’s national symbol of Uncle Sam.”  If you are unfamiliar with the image, Uncle Sam is a national personification of the American government.  To honor Wilson’s achievement, a collection of monuments were built in his honor, one in Arlington, Massachusetts, and the others at his grave in Oakwood Cemetery, Troy, and outside his second home in Mason, NH.

The Picture

There is only one known photograph of Samuel Wilson.  It was taken sometime before his death in 1854 and shows Uncle Sam’s grey hair and stern facial expression.  The photo is small and of low resolution, but you can still see the famous expression that made the image so popular in America.

3. Billy the Kid

William H. Bonney (Billy the Kid) was a 19th-century American gunman who participated in the Lincoln County War and became a frontier outlaw in the West.  According to legend, he killed 21 men, but the actual number is generally considered to be between four and nine.  Bonney was 5 feet 8 inches (173 cm) tall with blue eyes, a smooth complexion, and prominent front teeth.  He was said to be friendly and personable at times, but could have a bad temper.

Contemporaries have described Billy the Kid as a “neat” dresser who favored an “unadorned Mexican sombrero.”  Bonney was relatively unknown during his lifetime, until New Mexico’s governor, Lew Wallace, placed a price on his head in 1881. In addition, a collection of newspapers published stories about Billy the Kid.  Bonney was incredibly skilled with a firearm, which has contributed to his image as both a notorious outlaw and beloved folk hero of the Old West.  After his death at the hands of Sheriff Pat Garrett, several biographies were written about Billy the Kid.

The Picture

Sometime in late 1879 or early 1880, Billy the Kid had a ferrotype (tintype) photograph taken by an unknown photographer.  The photograph is a 2 x 3 inch (5.08 x 7.62 cm) picture and the only image of Bonney which scholars agree is authentic.  A tintype is a photo made by creating a direct positive on a sheet of iron metal that is blackened by painting and lacquering.

After Billy the Kid’s death, Dan Dedrick, one of Billy’s rustler friends, kept the picture and passed it down to his family. The ferrotype appeared in several copied forms before the original was made public in the mid-1980s. The original photograph of Bonney was sold at auction on June 25, 2011, in a three-day Western show.  It was purchased for $2.3 million dollars, some six times the estimate.  The picture became the 6th most expensive photograph ever sold.

2. Chief Seattle (Si’ahl)

The American Indian Wars is the name used in the United States to describe a series of conflicts between American settlers and the native peoples of North America.  The wars were spurred by ideologies such as Manifest Destiny, which held that the United States was destined to expand from coast to coast on the American continent.  As a result, the Indian tribes were pushed westward.

Many tribes rebelled, but other Native American leaders accepted the white settlers and tried to form a friendly relationship.  One of these men was Si’ahl (Chief Seattle).  In 1780, Chief Seattle was born on Blake Island in the state of Washington.  He was a prominent figure among his people and earned the reputation as a leader and warrior.  Si’ahl was known as a great orator.  It was said that when Chief Seattle spoke, his voice carried from camp to camp, a distance of 3/4 of a mile.  In 1856, during the Battle of Seattle, Si’ahl kept his people out of the fight.

There is a lasting controversy over a famous speech given by Chief Seattle concerning the concession of native lands to the settlers.  Even the date and location of the speech has been disputed, but the most common version is that on March 11, 1854, Si’ahl gave a speech to a large crowd in Seattle, Washington.  After Chief Seattle’s death, Dr. Henry A. Smith wrote an English version of the speech based on notes.  Chief Seattle purportedly thanked the white people for their generosity, demanded that any treaty guarantee access to Native burial grounds, and made a contrast between the God of the white people and that of his own.  Chief Seattle died June 7, 1866, on the Suquamish reservation at Port Madison, Washington.  The city of Seattle and numerous related features in the Pacific Northwest are named in his honor.

The Picture

In 1864, at the age of 84, Chief Seattle posed for a picture taken by E. M. Sammis.  The photograph remains the only known picture of Chief Seattle.  Unfortunately, Si’ahl has his eyes closed in the image.

1. Emily Dickinson

In 1830, Emily Dickinson was born in Amherst, Massachusetts, to a family with strong community ties.  As a child she was stricken with a “deepening menace” of death, especially the deaths of those who were close to her.  Emily Dickinson lived a reclusive lifestyle and was rarely seen outside her home.  She wrote nearly eighteen hundred poems, but had fewer than a dozen of them published during her life.  Many of her poems contain short lines, no titles, and often use slant rhyme.  In her work, Dickinson deals with the themes of death and immortality.

Most of Emily Dickinson’s poetry was not recovered until after her death in 1886, when Lavinia, Emily’s younger sister, found her cache of poems.  Lavinia burned most of Emily’s correspondence (by request of her sister), but recognized the value of the poetry.  Emily Dickinson’s first volume was published four years after her death and her work has remained in print since 1890.  Dickinson is now considered a persistent figure in American culture.  Twentieth-century critic Harold Bloom has placed her alongside Walt Whitman, Wallace Stevens, Robert Frost, T. S. Eliot, and Hart Crane.  Today, Dickinson’s life is taught in American literature and poetry classes all over the United States.

The Picture

In December 1846 or early 1847, Emily Dickinson had a daguerreotype photograph taken at Mount Holyoke in South Hadley, Massachusetts.  The picture remains the only authenticated photo of Emily Dickinson.  As a child she had a portrait painted with her family.  The original photograph is held by the Archives and Special Collections at Amherst College.

BONUS:  Leo Tolstoy

Lev Tolstoy (known in the West as Leo Tolstoy) was a Russian writer of novels and short stories.  His two most famous works, the novels War and Peace and Anna Karenina, are widely considered to be two of the greatest books ever written and a pinnacle of realist fiction.  Many people consider Tolstoy to be one of the greatest authors ever.  During his lifetime, Tolstoy was known for a complicated personality and extreme moralistic views.  He became noted as a social reformer and strongly rejected the use of violence to solve problems.  Tolstoy’s work had a profound impact on such pivotal twentieth-century figures as Mohandas Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr.

The Picture

In May of 1908, Leo Tolstoy was photographed at his Yasnaya Polyana estate (12 kilometers (7.5 mi) southwest of Tula, Russia) by Sergey Prokudin-Gorsky.  The picture remains the only known color photograph of the writer.

To see more of Nichols’ wild work visit http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/visions/field-test/nichols-serengeti/assignment

Michael Nichols is working with a micro-copter, an adapted toy helicopter, to photograph lions in the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania.  ©National Geographic/Ken Geiger

Nichols has done just that, taking a Micro-copter and a remote controlled “lion tank”, an armored camera on wheels to offer unique perspectives for the series.  The ground “tank” provides an up-close and intimate angle, while the micro-copter hopes to offer wide-angle, overhead shots from 15 feet above the pride.  Check out this view from the tank and this aerial of the wildebeest migration from the microcopter.

A lioness gets to know a new creature on the savanna ©National Geographic/Michael Nichols

The original model of Lion Tank didn’t stand up to the punishment that the big cats dished out, but a new iteration designed by a U.S. robotics company should offer a sturdier tool.

Photographer Michael Nichols taps out an email from inside his custom-built, camera-laden vehicle.  ©National Geographic/Michael Nichols

Another cool piece of technology that Michael has been utilizing is a set of infrared cameras and lights mounted to a 4×4 that allow him to photograph through the night.  To read Nichols’ daily entries and follow along with his progress on the project, visit the National Geographic’s Field Test site.

The DR-40 is a linear recorder with two high quality stereo condenser microphones built into it.  The Tascam rents for $20/day or $60/week

The Tascam DR-680 is a virtual studio-on-the-go.

• 8-track portable recording
• Record eight individual inputs or six inputs plus a stereo mixdown
• Up to 96kHz/24-bit Broadcast WAV file resolution for 8 channels
• Stereo 192kHz/24-bit recording mode
• 4-channel MP3 recording
• Digital monitor mixing (level and pan) with recordable stereo mixdown
• Mid-side microphone decoding, either during recording or monitor/mixdown
• Ganged input option for use with stereo microphones
• Ideal for surround music and effects recording
• Cascade function for running two units together
• Pre-recording feature
• Auto-recording mode begins recording when the input reaches a certain level
• Mark function during recording/playback
• Edit functions such as divide and delete
• 128×64 backlit LCD display
• Powered through (8x) AA batteries or (included) PS-1225L adapter
• Records to SD/SDHC card media (not included)
• Premium AKM Audio4Pro™ 192kHz A/D converters with over 100dB signal to noise ratio

Tascam DR-680 $55 day / $165 week

For a demonstration of either of these recorders come in and see us at 41 w 22nd street!

Tell us about yourself and how you got into photography?

I attended Hallmark Institute of Photography.

What was your break out job that helped launch your career?

A stylist referred me for a job at an advertising agency and I was hired on the spot.  Then my first big client was Victoria’s Secret and that really solidified me as a young photographer.

What has been your favorite assignment(s) to date?

Yet to be done… That said, I really enjoy assignments that take me out of the studio and on location… I love concept driven assignments.

Where do you draw your inspiration from?

Contemporary art, Music, Photo literature, Irving Penn and my family.

What do you do to market your services?

I use a website, have an agent, and utilize magazines.

Do you use Social Media as part of your marketing mix? Do you think it is effective?

I do use social media but I question how effective it is.

How has your work changed in the last few years?

I am doing much more editorial and I am enjoying the shooting process more than ever.    I am also doing much more stop motion for an ipad app.  The ipad has changed the game yet again.

Where is your work heading next? Where do you see yourself in the future?

Completing my next book project on the cremated remains of patients forgotten at the Oregon State Hospital.  The future, teaching, gallery shows, books and of course assignment photography.

What equipment are you currently using to produce your work?

I use a hasselbald 503 cw and a phase one P45+ back.  For lighting I use everything. HMI’ s Profoto, Broncolor…

Do you work with Video? Have you stepped into the Hybrid Video market at all?

Yes, I am approaching it slowly as there is so much bad video work being produced.  That said there is also some beautiful work being done and I am trying to be one of the photographers who will make the transition from photographer to director without sacrificing the quality that my clients have come to expect from me.

How did you get interested in telling the story in photos of Ward 81?

I was working on another photographic project at the time on the cremated remains of thousands of patients whom had died at the hospital and were never claimed by their families.  I was informed that I could get into the infamous Ward 81 if the Oregon state legislation and the hospital board approved me.  I was approved and I wanted to tell that story of “the Demise of Institutional services.”

When/ How did you first hear about Foto Care?

I have been working with Jeff for 18 years now and I call him a friend!

What is it about Foto Care that brings you back?

Jeff and his staff are always, helpful, their rental gear is reliable and in great condition, the service is unmatched!  As you can tell I really love and respect Jeff!

Please RSVP to RSVP@fotocare.com for Bill’s January 26th Opening!

More on RAID’s after the jump…

RAID 1

When two drives have been configured in a RAID 1 they are exact copies of each other, making the possibility of losing data very slim.  If one of the drives dies, swap the dead drive out for a new one and the RAID unit will copy all of the information from the working drive to the new drive.

RAID 5

A RAID 5 can be difficult to understand how it works, yet quite simple to work with.  RAID 5’s are normally built with four to eight hard drives.  With this configuration, your data is being written onto separate drives in the system.  Thanks to a formula involving a process called parity (better explained on Wikipedia), when one drive fails, your data will still be safe.  When a drive failure does occur in a RAID 5, just swap out the dead drive for a new one of the same size and let the RAID rebuild.  Most units will do this automatically when they detect a new drive.

So what kind of RAIDs are out there?

We are big fans of the RAID systems made by our friends over at Wiebetech.  Their ToughTech Duo is a high-performance RAID storage system using dual 2.5″ notebook hard drives that are bus powered from a Firewire 800 interface, making it the perfect device for on-location archiving.  When you are done with a shoot you have two drives with all of your images on them.  For the truly paranoid you can then split up the two drives into different bags for travel so that if one is lost there is still a duplicate of the images from the shoot.

Specifications

• RAID1, RAID0 and Single Drive operation modes.

• Default RAID1 Mirroring to assure data integrity and protection on the road.

• Easy-release removable 2.5” drive sleds.

• Designed for Solid State (SSD) & standard SATA HDDs.

• Quad host interface: eSATA, FireWire 800/400 & USB 2.0

Wiebetech also makes a 2-bay RAID called the RTX220-QR.  While it operates just like the ToughTech Duo, the RTX220 takes a larger, 3.5″ desktop hard drive and requires wall power.

Specifications

• RAID1, RAID0 and Single Drive operation modes.

• Default RAID1 Mirroring to assure data integrity

• Easy-release Tray-Free technology makes swapping drives in and out a breeze

• Designed for standard SATA HDDs

• Quad host interface: eSATA, FireWire 800/400 & USB 2.0

The larger, 4-bay brother to the RTX220 is the RTX-400QR. The RTX-400 is configurable as a RAID 5, meaning that you can protect your data from hard drive failure without needing exact copies of all your data.  This is a great solution for the photographer who is constantly creating new work and needs the space to hold it all.

For more information call Foto Care Sales at 212-741-2990

From Thomas:

I came up with an idea to shoot these close ups of insects with high end accessories awhile back. The only thing keeping me from shooting it was the lack of insects, and the absence of a lens that could do the job. I knew that I wanted these insects to be larger than life so I had to find a lens that was almost like a microscope. After searching online for a short while I ordered some insects, and came across the canon 65mm macro lens. This lens allowed me to get 1x-5x closer to my subject. Perfect, it was truly what the lens was made for. I called up Fred at Fotocare and he came through for me and got the lens so I could rent it. It was quite an exercise lighting these little bugs. The slightest movement of the light and it would throw the whole look off.  After a little trouble shooting and setting up a rail system so I could focus my shots, the shooting went relatively smoothly. Being a still life photographer I feel that I tend to look at the normal things in life a little more closely. I try and find what makes them stand out, what makes them special. This was the purpose of this shoot. By making the subject larger than life we get to see what makes these bugs special, they almost start to have a personality when you get so close.

So where did you find all the bugs?

After searching around and doing a small test with dead bugs that had been dried out and taxidermied, I found out that I had to get bugs that were really fresh.  Believe it or not, I got all the bugs on eBay.  There are actually a lot of people that collect insects and there is a huge market for it on eBay.  I ended up getting a collection of 65 insects that came in a solution so they were fresh and not dried out.

Which bug is your favorite?

I have two favorites, the black beetle with the gem on its back and the beetle holding the jewel in its arms.  The one with the jewels in its arms seems to be almost talking to the earring.

What first inspired you to combine bugs and fashion accessories?

I wish I could say that I saw a bug on the sidewalk one day and I dreamed that it told me it really wanted to wear earrings and walk around in pumps.  The reality is, I was riding my bike home one night and it just sort of popped into my head.

Opening night drew the largest crowd we have had at a gallery show to date (250+ visitors!)  While the show hung we had a steady stream of guests coming in to see the electrifying imagery from Burning Man.  The images are all packed up but here is a last look at a Beautiful Burn!  More images after the break…

Tell us about yourself and how you got into this field?
My interest in photography was casual when I was young.  It wasn’t until high school when my father gave me his old Nikkormat that I began to explore the creative side of photography, but even then I didn’t shoot much.  The camera’s light meter was broken which made it hard to successfully expose entire rolls of film.  I would typically use a whole roll to take one picture, experimenting with the settings and different types of film.  I learned a lot about exposure, but for a kid it was an expensive process so I didn’t do a lot of it.  I got into film making in college and learned about lighting and how to tell a story visually, but it wasn’t until Digital SLR’s began to take over that my interest returned to still photography.

What was your break out job that helped launch your career?

I can’t say that my career as a photographer has necessarily been launched yet.  A portion of my income comes from photography but not a significant amount.  When I moved to New York City a friend that worked for a publishing company gave me my first assignment, I’ve been working with them ever since, about six years now.  I feel lucky to have that connection, there are a lot of photographers that make more money than me, but few of them could say that they have over a dozen books published.

What has been your favorite assignment(s) to date?
I worked on my most recent book, Past Objects, for almost two years.  The author and subject of the book is a man named Scott Jordan who has been digging in construction sites and backyards in and around New York City for decades.  He is an amateur archeologist of sorts, he digs up artifacts from old New York, things like bottles, shoes, toys, and pottery.  All of it is hundreds of years old.  His apartment is a museum of this stuff.  For the book I photographed thousands of these artifacts, also Scott on digs, his apartment, everything.  Scott and I became friends over the two years we were working together, I think the friendship had a lot to do with my attachment to the project, that and I like old stuff.

Where do you draw your inspiration from?

Other photographers.  Before I leave for a trip or start a new project I always study the work of the photographers I admire.  But once I’m out in the field it’s my subjects.  The land, the light, the people, the animals, all dictate what the picture is.  When I was younger, I remember seeing an exhibit of Frans Lanting’s photographs at the George Eastman House in Rochester, NY.  It really opened my eyes to the possibilities of wildlife and nature photography as an art.  He photographs nature in an often abstract way and his pictures erase any idea of the presence of humans thereby creating a prehistoric look.  I didn’t know it then but Lanting would become one of my biggest influences.  When I accomplish what he has I’ll retire.

What do you do to market you services?

Not much.  I have a full time job that I am dedicated to and this takes up a lot of my time.  I still take photography work when it comes to me but between the assignments from the publishing company and my own projects it is hard to find time for much else.  Photography is something I always want to love, even if it were to become a full time job I would only want to do work that interests me on a personal level.

Do you use Social Media as part of your marketing mix? Do you think it is effective?

It is effective for what I want to do, which is share my pictures.  Making a buck off of my photography is always a great thing, but the bottom line is that I want people to be able to view and appreciate what I am doing and social media sites are great for this.  I also use them to keep the people that know my work updated as to what I am doing.  As my business grows social media will become more and more essential just like with any other business these days.  People want to find out what is going on through social media, if you can’t provide information in this way people will lose interest.

You mentioned you have a full time job — what field is this in? At what point, if ever, would you consider the transition from a full time 9-5 job to dedicating yourself to a career in photography? Is this a goal of yours?

I’m general manager at Eastern Effects Inc. in Brooklyn, NY, a grip and lighting rental house for film and television production. When would I transition to photography full time? When National Geographic calls…but really, I’ve thought about this a lot.  I enjoy the stability that my job provides, and the people I work for understand how important photography is to me and give me the time to take on big projects.  In all honesty I wouldn’t be able to do what I do without that job, it provides me with the resources I need.  I think a full time career in photography is inevitable, but it’s a long ways off, I’m happy with where I am.

How has your work changed in the last few years?

It has just plain improved.  It gets better and better year after year.  This is important for me now because in the grand scheme of things I haven’t been shooting seriously for very long.  Challenge drives it, whether that be the environment I’m in or the subject I’m faced with.  My biggest fear is my work becoming stagnant, and I think that as long as I continue to challenge myself it will continue to improve.

Where is your work heading next? Where do you see yourself in the future?

It’s more of where am I heading next, that’s the real question.  Traveling has become a love of mine and I never do it without a camera.  I am becoming more and more interested in leaving my comfort zone, going farther into the wilderness or visiting places where I don’t speak the language.  I just got back from a trip to Japan, I shot a lot at night and with the idea of converting the images to black and white.  All of this was new to me and I believe I was successful in creating the look I wanted.  I want to continue to adapt my style to the places I visit and hopefully turn traveling with a camera into a career.  What I don’t want to do is manipulate my photographs in a dishonest way.  I like things to play out naturally in front of my lens, I think I’m attracted to both nature and street photography for that reason.  With both of these subjects things are out of the photographer’s control, it’s chaotic, I like that.

What equipment are you currently using to produce your work?

Canon DSLR’s and Canon lenses.  I have nothing against any of the other brands, Canon is just what I started with.

What equipment would you most like to own but don’t yet have?
Anything that weighs less than what I currently use, when I go backpacking I typically carry one camera and three lenses, along with a bunch of other camera junk I don’t need to survive in the wilderness.  Needless to say I carry a heavy load.

Do you work with Video? Have you stepped into the Hybrid Video market at all?
I own a 5D and 7D, I bought these because they are fantastic still cameras and I could rent them out as video cameras and make a little money back.  I don’t have much of an interest in shooting video myself, but I believe the future of advertising photography is the moving image.  So… I don’t know, maybe I should start, but I don’t want to, I like stills.

To Learn More about JK Putnam Photography:

www.jkputnamphotography.com

facebook: www.facebook.com/jkputnamphotography

Book: Past Objects by Scott Jordan, with photography by J.K. Putnam: http://markbattypublisher.com/books/past-objects/

Merry Christmas From Lee Friedlander is on view at Janet Borden, Inc New York through Dec. 31.

Baby with cigarette from The Art of the American Snapshot
Unknown photographer, September 1969, chromogenic print. National Gallery of Art, Washington.

Anonymous: Enigmatic Images from Unknown Photographers – $21.86

“Haunting, cryptic photographs…fire the imagination. The images come with no explanation, only speculation, so we are free to let our minds roam wild.” —Miami Herald

The wonderfully diverse images reproduced here include many of transcendent beauty and psychological insight, all with the magical, mysterious charge that comes from speculating on the circumstances in which they were taken. Novelist William Boyd, whose introduction identifies thirteen ways in which to look at photographs, explains: “The anonymous photograph…makes us ask, with new concentration, what it is about a photograph that elevates it above the casual and the banal…why some images move and enthrall and remain in our memories.”

The number of collectors of anonymous photographs is growing exponentially. Robert Flynn Johnson has spent more than a decade on a personal journey of discovery through what were previously uncharted waters to find the works reproduced here. Reflecting themes that govern our lives—birth, death, love, war, travel, celebrity—these photographs are pleasurable and poignant, giving insight into the human secrets with which we can all identify. Over 220 illustrations.

The Art of the American Snapshot - $36.66

Book Description: The impact of the humble American snapshot has been anything but humble. Any American who takes a snapshot contributes to a compelling and influential genre. Since 1888, when George Eastman introduced the Kodak camera and roll film, the snapshot has not only changed everyday American life and memory; it has also changed the history of fine art photography.

Cowboy
Unknown photographer, “Taken Dec. 20 at home 1959. Bud and Jeff, “gelatin silver print, printed January 1960. National Gallery of Art, Washington.

The distinctive subject matter and visual vocabulary of the American snapshot–its poses, facial expressions, viewpoints, framing, and themes–influenced modernist photographers as they explored spontaneity, objectivity, and new topics and perspectives. The book shows that among the countless snapshots taken by American amateurs, some works, through intention or accident, continue to resonate long after their intimate context and original meaning have been lost.

Child in Bag
Unknown photographer, January 1965, chromogenic print. Collection of Robert E. Jackson.

Reviews:
“The prints in The Art of the American Snapshot are reproduced at their actual modest size, with lots of blazingly white space, and have taken their riddles into oblivion with their anonymous creators…The camera, that highly evolved mechanism, put into Everyman’s untrained hands the chance to become, if half by accident, a death-defying artist. The collector Robert Jackson deserves the last shot; his afterword to the catalogue manages to cast a pall of reasonableness over his curious passion.”–John Updike, The New Yorker

“Professionals who leaf through The Art of the American Snapshot 1888-1978 may despair as they realize that offhand efforts with a camera frequently produce more visual excitement than their studied exercises…Sarah Greenough…and her colleagues help to give meaning to the ordinary by probing, in their essays, how deeply the artless has shaped what we now consider art.”–Richard B. Woodward, Wall Street Journal

Blurb.com Personal Photography Book or a Blurb.com Gift Card (so they can make their own)

If you really want to surprise your camera toting loved one, and you have the time to create and access their images (high res of course) you will most certainly bring a burst of joy to the recipient of this gift. Imagine their surprise as you present him or her with a printed photography book only to discover its their own work beautifully printed as a coffee table art book.  With Blurb, you’ll find all the tools you need to make your own photo book and you can count on bookstore-quality printing and binding with a range of choices from Hardcover photo books to Softcover paperbacks in an array of trim sizes.

If gaining access to their work is not possible – fret not; Blurb gift cards are a great way to give the gift of bookmaking to your favorite people. You can give a Blurb gift card to anyone, whether they’ve used Blurb or not, and let them take part in the fun of making their own book. The process is easy. Simply select a gift card in dollars, pounds, or euros at any of the increments and you’ll receive a unique code to pass on to the lucky recipient. You can either print out your gift card as a note to share, or you can send it in an email.

The F-Stop Watch- $35

You’re a little fuzzy around 2, start feeling fine around 8, but at 11 you’re sharp, focused, and ready to party. The f-stop watch gets you. Aperture numbers mark off the hours on this understated timepiece. The zinc-alloy frame encircles a glass-encased dial, and a 9.25″ band sits comfortably on your wrist.

A quartz movement ensures accurate time-keeping, and a bright-red second hand is ready to help you time your manual exposures. Truly, ’tis a timely accessory for photo-making that any photographer would love.

Nikon or Canon Camera Lens Mugs - $24 – $30

The ultimate head-turner. Drink out of a lens! Clever Canon or Nikon Lens Mugs that look JUST LIKE your favorite lens. Be careful, they are so realistic you might have to use post-its just to remind yourself which is for coffee and which is for taking photos. The 24-105mm black lens has a realistic lens-cap lid with rubber-grip focus zoom rings. It even has an auto-focus switch that actually switches. The 70-200mm white lens has a liquid tight travel lid and a rubber-grip bottom to keep it from sliding on your dash. Both mug models are equipped with an easy to clean, heat preserving, stainless steel lining. 

Happy Holidays!!

G.M.B Akash Photo Exhibit at Anastasia Photo Gallery
166 Orchard Street, New York, NY 10002
212.677.9725
http://www.Anastasia-Photo.com
The gallery is open seven days a week, 11:00 – 7:00

“To be able to articulate the experiences of the voiceless and to bring their identities to the forefront gives meaning and purpose to my own life.”

Eleven year old working in a silver cooking pot factory

Akash’s current show, Survivors, spans a 10-year period where he aims his lens at child laborers and sex workers in Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Philippines, Pakistan, and Bhutan. The New York exhibit showcases photographs from Bangladesh. While the images will tug at your heart, Akash successfully documents, even in the most trying circumstances, the resilience of the human spirit.

The owner of a texture factory beating a twelve-your old child laborer. The boy works for 10 hours a day and earns about $1. Dhaka, Bangladesh, 2005

A child working in a textile factory in Dhaka. The average child laborer earns between 400 to 700 taka (1 USD = 70 taka) per month

Children carry bricks on their heads at a brick factory. Dhaka, Bangladesh, 2003

When asked how he is able to get so close to what is going on or to capture an injustice to a child, he explains,   “In the beginning, it feels like forbidden territory, a place you are not supposed to enter surrounded by borders of privacy… You, the photographer, are there at a factory or brothel with your simple black bag hanging from your shoulder…the first days following these intrusions, I never take pictures, they would not be good. I have a friendly conversation….and there is consent. People don’t accuse me, reject me or pose in unnatural ways. Then I click away and it feels like conversation.”

Judith is preparing for her clients as the evening crowd gathers. Bonded sex workers put on make-up several times between the morning and midnight, transforming their faces into white masks which is considered beautiful by their clients.

What’s astonishing about these pictures is seeing close-ups of children working for ten dollars a month in extremely hazardous jobs to support their families. Often times the families do not care of the child’s welfare–they welcome the money to the family. Each of the fifteen photographs in the exhibition has very descriptive captions that add to the sadness/power of the photos. For example, several captions explain how underage sex workers in the brothel are given a drug that makes them appear older since the law says they have to be 18. It also causes them to retain water and appear plump—which some Bangladeshi men like.

Anastasia Photo specializes in Documentary Photography and Photojournalism. The gallery also serves as a center for discussion and portfolio review. To connect these photographic images and the events they depict, Anastasia Photo endows each exhibition with a related, on site, philanthropic organization. For this exhibition, we have chosen Free the Slaves (www.freetheslaves.net), which is a non-profit organization dedicated to ending slavery worldwide.

Anastasia Photo specializes in Documentary Photography and Photojournalism. The gallery also serves as a center for discussion and portfolio review. To connect these photographic images and the events they depict, Anastasia Photo endows each exhibition with a related, on site, philanthropic organization. For more information about the charitable organizations we help fund, click on the links below:

A River Blue
A Leg To Stand On
Focus For Humanity
Free the Slaves
Partners in Health
Reporters Without Borders
Sacre Coeur
Save the Elephants
St. Kizito Orphanage

Manfrotto/Gitzo will be in Foto Care on Friday, November 18th and Saturday, November 19th taking your trade-ins towards a new tripod!

Hours

Friday, Nov. 18th 12-6

Saturday, Nov. 19th 12-4

Each day there will be a drawing and one lucky person will win a free photo bag or backpack!

(Need not be present to win)

Here are the offerings:

Manfrotto

$25 received for the trade-in of a head

$75 received for the trade-in of a tripod

$100 received for the trade-in of a kit

Gitzo

$50 received for the trade-in of a head

$150 received for the trade-in of a tripod

$200 received for the trade-in of a kit

Kodak has made a few major changes to their film lines, including the move of some stock to special order only.  Only the listed products are effected, all other films and/or formats of the film types below will not be discontinued and will continue to be produced.

Discontinued

Kodak Professional Plus-X 125 Film/px135-24

Kodak Professional Plus-X 125 Film/px135-36

Special Order

Kodak Professional T-Max 100 film/ 35mm x 100ft

Kodak Professional Tri-X 320 film/ 320 TXP/ 10 sh 8×10 in

Kodak Professional Ektar 100 film/ 10 sh 8×10 in

Packaging Changes- these products have a different look

Kodak Professional Tri-X 400 film/ TX 120

Kodak Professional T-Max 400 film/ TMY 120

Kodak Professional Ektachrome film E100VS/ 120

See more work on Jonathan Lipkin’s Portfolio Site.

Tell us about yourself and how you got into this field?

While I had always dreamed of being a photographer, it was only after returning from a two-year trip around the world did I dedicate myself to image making as a career. After a while, I realized that I don’t just shoot pictures. I practice visual anthropology, telling image-based stories based on a framework of culture, tradition, and practices usually behind the public’s view. I do this in my work documenting Carnival around the world, a marketing campaign for a business, or when I photograph a musician for their promo kit.

Visual anthropology means learning as much as possible about what to shoot before I shoot it. It means listening to my inner voice, and potentially photographing things that would not normally be captured — a symbol on a wall; a backyard shrine; certain tattoos or markings; maybe a kind of costume or how it is being made; or one aspect of a ceremony.

What was your break out job that helped launch your career?

One break out job was photographing the band Antibalas. They have many musicians in their collective, so the opportunity to have them together was limited. In a short time, we shot some outdoor, conceptual work, some studio work, and I added a serendipitous shot to the range of images. While moving to another planned location, the band was walking in a V formation and I captured that. It was a long and hectic day but the band members still tell me they’ve never had group shots quite like the ones from that day. This was a breakout because they are a major band and the shoot was for the cover of a national music magazine and the band licensed them for promotion. The label distributed my photos widely. Even now, years later, they’re still using a few of those images.

What has been your favorite assignment to date?

My favorite project has been my multiple visits to Pernambuco, the state in the northeast of Brazil, because it has been the most significant toward forming my point of view of being a visual anthropologist. I started by documenting one traditional music group by taking photos of their preparation for and performance during Carnaval. As I gained their trust, they started to invite me to their sacred spaces to photograph the private rituals and shrines that were intertwined with their identity and their involvement in the culture. Then I continued with other traditional music groups and movements in the area.

I strive to place my photos of culture, music, dance, and ritual in a larger framework. Carnaval is more than just the popular conception of a wild party, especially in Pernambuco, where it’s widely recognized as an authentic, folkloric blend of color and tradition, as well as having a democratic and populist nature, being largely free and in the streets.

This work has resulted in photos published in Rolling Stone Brazil, articles in the world music magazine Global Rhythm, an assignment with the Associated Press, a photo license contract with Putumayo Records, publication in Revista Magazine of Harvard University, and exhibits sponsored by the Brazilian Consulate in New York in 2007 and San Francisco in 2010.

What do you do to marketing you services?

I publish a monthly newsletter informing my database of updated projects and images. I do a lot of networking in the creative and general business community. I also co-produce a networking event for people in the creative industry, called Toasted Almonds. Last event had over 150 attendees!  Since I do not have a traditional formal education in photography, I’ve had to rely on the power of word of mouth and marketing to drive my business. I always recommend to other photographers to visit events outside of their normal circle of contacts. Pick an alumni association, church group, or any kind of gathering where there is a shared affiliation to tell your story in a group setting.

Do you use Social Media as part of your marketing mix? Do you think it is effective?

Yes, I use social media, and I’ve seen results from it. I used Facebook, Twitter and Linked In to promote an exhibition I had in San Francisco last year. I only knew a few people in the city before I installed the show, yet by tweeting every day to promote the exhibition, and promoting a FB event invitation, more than 200 people came to the opening. It was amazing! One FB friend invited 1500 of his friends. I sold books and prints that night

Where is your work heading next? Where do you see yourself in the future?

I’m aiming my work toward multimedia and video space, especially as I work on documenting more culture, music, and events that require audio and visual components. I see myself doing longer, larger projects, perhaps working with cultural foundations and universities to not only document culture but also to travel and teach, showing the importance of culture as a dynamic force in our modern lives.

Do you work with Video? Have you stepped into the Hybrid Video market at all?

I’m experimenting with video, and learning about the technical and creative aspects of storyboarding, shooting, and editing, using all assets available to me to tell a story — video, audio, still and archival footage.

I’m finishing a video I shot in New Orleans earlier this year, interviewing a Big Chief of the Mardi Gras Indian tribes, and interweaving that with live footage and still photos. I’m showing another side to New Orleans Mardi Gras — the societal influences. Hopefully my work will allow viewers to develop a richer understanding of the world around them. For me, culture reveals the universal ways humans communicate their most profound thoughts and beliefs.

When did you first hear about Foto Care?

I’ve known about Fotocare since the beginning of my career. In the beginning, when I assisted photographers, and when I was doing tests, their rental department was phenomenal, patiently explaining the ins and outs of certain equipment setups. They’ve been always supportive of emerging photographers. Their service is among the best, and photographers know that and keep returning.

To learn more about Jason Gardner check out his website: Jason Gardner Photography

Based in Brooklyn, NY, his photography has been published by The New York Times, Rolling Stone, Photo District News, Time Out New York, New York Magazine, The Washington Post, The New York Daily News, SPIN Magazine, Harvard University’s Revista Magazine, Relix Magazine, and Global Rhythm Magazine.

He has completed assignments for Stern Magazine, Gourmet Magazine, Epitaph Records, Putumayo Records, AFS International, Adelphi University, and various corporations, nonprofits, and design companies. Jason was the official photographer for Celebrate Brooklyn’s 2008 season, shooting over 25 performances in one summer.

Foto Care mourns the loss of Pierre Bron, the “photographic industrialist”, who passed away peacefully in Switzerland on November 5th.  Pierre and his brother co-founded Bron Elektronik AG in 1948, quickly rising to prominence in the photographic world.  A more detailed history of Pierre and Bron Elektronik AG can be found on the Bron Imaging Blog.  Our thoughts go out to his friends and family.

The Artist as Art
The Gallery at Hallmark is pleased to announce the opening of “The Artist as Art”, a stunning series of intimate portraits by photographer Ellen Denuto. A successful commercial photographer based in New York and New Jersey, Ms. Denuto is also an accomplished fine art photographer. Her series includes images of artists such as poet Allen Ginsberg and photographer/musician/writer Gordon Parks.

Denuto has been working on the series for a number of years, inspired by the creativity of the artists, photographers, writers, musicians and actors in front of her lens. She asks the question, “Why do artists create?” As an artist herself, she says the answer is always the same: “Because I must.” Her intent is to capture this truth in her portraits.

Charlie began his career in photography with an internship at the Annie Leibovitz Studio after studying Comparative Literature at Columbia University. He also holds a graduate degree in psychology.

  In addition to the work done in the entertainment field he as also shot for Rolling Stone, V, Interview, Spin, Elle, People, Jane, Seventeen, The New York Times Magazine, Wall Street Journal and CMJ; and for commercial clients including Earl Jeans, Grove Press, Shore Fire Media, Scrollmotion, World Science Festival and Songs Publishing.

Tell us about yourself and how you got into this field?

I have always been drawn to both the visual and the academic. I found my identity as a photographer as early as high school but got into the field professionally in the late 1990s. I was interning at Annie Leibovitz’s studio and had on opportunity to take some pictures of Beck.  He liked what I had done and a bit later, I was offered to be a tour photographer for him.  The same week I was offered a spot in an Anthropology PhD program, but I took the Beck job, and it turned out to be a starting point for working in the music industry and in doing personal fine art work that has a psychological and cultural basis to it.

ELLIOT SMITH

What has been your favorite assignment to date?

There have been many great shoots, but my work with Beck over a period of years had a special quality by the nature of the fact that it was a long-term artistic collaboration with a subject who is extremely well-versed in visual and cultural references.  I would most describe my work as environmental portraiture, and working in such a diversity of locations really solidified my style and provided my first publications. I also love the elements of chance and spontaneity that come with shooting on location — it ends up feeling like an interaction not just with the subject but with the environment itself in often unpredictable ways.  The challenge of creating a strong, often formal-feeling portrait in a reportage context is extremely exciting to me.

BECK

Where do you draw your inspiration from?

I am inspired by music, film and psychology.  I love old photos and old magazines and the nostalgia that is embedded in the look of even the most banal of old pictures. In my most recent work shooting album art and press for Meshell Ndegeocello, I was wanting to do something that felt loosely like Christopher Doyle’s work in Wong Kar Wai’s movies.  It’s very tapped territory, but I love how his work and lighting feels incredibly real and surreal at the same time — how characters just appear in their lives as if in a dream. I like to document the irony, humor, beauty and absurdism of subjects captured by their surroundings in ways they may not even be aware of.  And separately, I always admire photographers who shoot so much that it feels like they must have captured the beauty of their every waking moment – like Araki.

How has your work changed in the last few years?

I actually took a break from shooting too much professionally for a bit and went to graduate school for psychology. In the last couple of years though, I have been shooting actively again, and while it may be a unique path, it has led to me having a stronger, more mature vision of where I want to go in terms of professional photography. I have come to see much less of a division between professional and personal work, and I believe this makes both stronger.  Technically, like almost everyone else, I have transitioned to shooting less film and more digital, which I resent for being so good and so fun.  I have become more concerned with manipulating light as opposed to making the most out of available light.

Where is your work heading next? Where do you see yourself in the future?

I see shooting more psychologically and culturally focused portrait and reportage projects and have a few ideas percolating that make sense in terms of my photography and psychology background.  I also see expanding my work as an environmental portraitist in a greater a variety of contexts and applications whether commercial, editorial or fine art.  Music is a first love, but I would love to shoot more writers, beekeepers and manicurists.

JIM CARROL

What equipment are you currently using to produce your work?

Digitally, I shoot with a NIkon D-700 with mostly prime, fast lenses, some old and some new depending on the application. I shoot Leica for film and Fuji 6×9 for medium format and occasionally Mamiya RZ.  I love low light, so Nikon’s high ISO performance and Leica/Fuji rangefinders and fast lenses are a natural.  When not using or diffusing the sun or ambient artificial light, I use both strobe and constant source light — usually Profoto or a K5600 Joker Bug respectively.

What equipment would you most like to own but don’t yet have?

I covet the Leica M9, so I could put my beloved Leica lenses to more frequent use. It’s not the most perfect or versatile camera, but it spits the world back as a beautiful film still.

To see more of Charlie Gross’ work check out his website: http://www.charliegrossphoto.com

PDN PhotoPlus Expo showcases the latest advances in photography. Attendees are able to explore hundreds of exhibits and attend a wide variety of photography and imaging seminars.  In addition to viewing the latest technologies it is a great opportunity to network with your fellow shutterbugs!

Jacob Javits Convention Center

Shoot NYC- Oct. 27th and 28th

SHOOT NYC is an exciting and informative forum featuring live shooting sets incorporating the latest photographic technology on the market today. In addition to a wide range of FREE professional photography seminars, industry leaders Hasselblad and Broncolor, will help you learn how to harness and integrate the market’s most advanced photographic tools and education into your business, improving both your photography and your bottom line.

The Terminal Building- 11th Ave and W 28th St

Leica Meetup- Oct. 27th and 28th

Leica Camera is hosting multiple events at Sun West Studios throughout PhotoPlus, including demos of their medium format digital SLR, the S2.  5-6 PM every night is “open shoot” time if you want to try it out!

Sun West Studios- 450 West 31st Street, 10th Floor

Manfrotto/gitzo trade-in day at Foto Care- Nov. 18-19th

Come trade in your old sticks and head for up to $100 towards a new system!

Since the September 11, 2001 bombings of the World Trade Center, I have been documenting this horrific event.  I photographed the Twin Towers of Light the first time they were illuminated six months later, and I also shot a story on the efforts to rebuild the downtown area.  To commemorate the tenth anniversary, I wanted to focus on the positive.  This proved to be a daunting task.

I started by photographing the personal objects that were salvaged during the clean-up process from the rubble.  This was a very emotional experience for me, knowing that the items I was shooting belonged to the people who had perished.  i also had access to Hangar 17at Kennedy International Airport, where some of the large pieces of the Twin Towers were being stored.  Photographing what were once the two tallest buildings in the world, now reduced to fragments of metal was unverving.  I began to realize that documenting personal items and pieces of the Towers was not giving me the mood I wanted to achieve.  It was too somber, too devastating, too final.  My focus shifted to representing the living.

If these photos have a mission, it is this: to capture the images of the survivors, the people who escaped from the Towers and moved on with their lives.  A woman who now has two young children, a mother and daughter miraculously reunited, two brothers, now in high school, all survivors, each with a story to tell.

-Ira Block

The first photograph. Nicephore Niepce

Some musicians argue that by sampling another artist’s work and remixing it they are creating a new piece, that what they have made is transformative and therefore an entirely new work.  Greg Gillis, better known by his stage name Girl Talk, is a mashup/remix artist who works entirely with samples of other songs.  His work will overlay two, three, and sometimes four different elements from songs created by other artists.  Black Sabbath’s guitar riffs will play beneath Ludacris’ aggressive rapping, while on another track John Lennon’s Imagine is combined with Rich Boy and UGK.  In 2007 three men made a documentary called Good Copy/Bad Copy that discusses copyright law, piracy, and free culture, with a segment surrounding Gillis.  Within the documentary Gillis shows one of his album insets that has every artist he sampled listed.  “I feel like I did my own work but I absolutely owed them all a little credit because they are blatantly on the album, and I have a lot of respect for all their music.”  See the clip containing this quote from the documentary on youtube here.  You can see the full documentary here.

Girl Talk samples directly, while other instances of copying that have sparked debate over copyright have been less direct.  Justin Bieber’s new fragrance shares similarities with a Marc Jacobs bottle, Beyonce declares that she referenced a ballet named Rosas danst Rosas in the music video for her song Countdown, and Rihanna is being sued by photographer David La Chapelle over her S&M music video which, Chapelle claims, rips off a series of his images, a side-by-side representation can be seen on the Daily Mail’s website.  All of these instances bring up a debate that the supreme court has avoided ruling on, choosing instead to persuade out of court a settlements and other work-arounds.

Few images have become as prolific as the Hope poster of President Obama, created in 2008 by street artist Shepard Fairey.  As the image gained popularity two different photographers emerged who believed the poster to be a copy of their image.  After further analysis and an (eventual) admission from Fairey, it was discovered that the artist had used a photograph by an Associated Press photographer to create the Hope poster.  The legal battle that ensued was followed closely by the creative community because the case could have set a legal precedent for transformative and fair use art.  Unfortunately, whether or not Fairey was justified under copyright law to produce the graphic based on an AP photo was not determined, as the AP and Fairey settled out of court.

Copyright law in the U.S. strictly prohibits “actionable copying” of an image by being “substantially similar”, a statement that is both difficult to substantiate and is based on perception.  What is even more difficult to enforce is the concept of fair use and appropriation within art.  How many elements of an image have to be reproduced to be considered infringement?  Bob Dylan has come under fire in the past month for a series of paintings that reference the work of Bresson, Bruce Gilden, and others (side by side examples can be seen here and here).  Dylan is well known for his distaste for the media profiting off his image and there have been incidences at his concerts where security will wade into the first few rows and take point and shoots from fans who photographed him.  These cases have all brought up the same debate of appropriation versus infringement, referencing and influence versus plagiarism.

Some court cases have dismissed copyright infringement suits based on whether or not the infringing is “art”, a question that is as old as art itself.  One of the most famous examples, Marcel Duchamp ’s urinal signed with the pseudonym R Mutt, is on display in the Tate Modern.  Many argue that by re-purposing and intending the object to be viewed as something other than its original purpose, the artist has created a work of art.   While Duchamp’s Pissotiere is intended to question what art is, it brings up an interesting issue that has been prevalent in both a campaign for the presidency of the United States and now in a gallery showing of one of the most famous and prolific musicians in the world.

Are we impeding the flow of art and media with enforcing copyright laws or protecting the artists who rely on their work to live?

Helpful links on copyright

The American Society of Media Photographer’s FAQ on Copyright

The U.S. Government’s Copyright Laws FAQ

Digital Millenium Copyright Act Explained

From our perspective, there are two parts of this contract that are problematic. The first requires “approval of the photos,” a phrase we’ve seen crop up on more and more photo contracts recently. Basically, the management company is creating a situation where they can legally control which photos we are allowed to publish. This kind of phrasing sets a dangerous precedent for publications. If we’re allowing Dave Grohl’s management to pick and choose which photos they’d like to see of him in the press, what’s to stop them from thinking that, in the future, they could ask for control over the concert review itself?

Janet Jackson tried it recently, so it isn’t as crazy as it may sound. Luckily for journalists everywhere, Ms. Jackson’s contract was met with such opposition by outlets nationwide that she eventually abandoned it all together, but not before stirring up a new wave of debate over this ongoing issue.

The second sketchy part of the contract is becoming more and more common, and is more harmful to freelance entertainment photography as a profession: The management company wants to own all photos taken of their client from the moment the photographer’s shutter clicks. This goes far beyond the pale of what is usually asked in these contracts and strips the photographer of any ownership or rights in regards to their work. The contract even goes so far as to say that, if requested, the photographer must march down to the U.S. Copyright Offices and transfer ownership of the work over to the band. All for the ability to spend 10 minutes crammed into a photo pit in front of Dave Grohl.

While we have taken a stand against contracts like this — when we’ve encountered harsh ones, like at this summer’s Britney Spears show, we’ve flat-out refused to shoot the show — many publications are still either blissfully unaware of these problems or choosing to sign the contracts and look the other way. For the Foo Fighters show, a few of the publications pushed back and were allowed to sign less oppressive contracts instead. Unfortunately, after much negotiating we were told that we had to sign it as-is to receive a photo pass, so we declined.

All of which indicates that the tour management knows they are asking too much with these contracts. This kind of abusive contract language seems specifically aimed at photographers who make their living as freelancers or those still amateur enough that they will sign away all their rights for a chance take pictures of a famous musician.

But for those of us trying to get awesome shots of Dave Grohl and uphold our publication’s editorial integrity, it puts us in an awkward spot.

To get a better sense for this trend of abusive photo contracts in the music industry, we conducted an informal poll of some of our colleagues and peers. Click over to page 2 to read their thoughts and see the contract that led us to decline shooting last night’s Foo Fighters tour kick-off show.

“The only way to make these contracts stop is if everyone says no to them,” says Nate “Igor” Smith, a freelance photographer in NYC who contributes to the Village Voice. “More and more artists are going to come up with bullshit like this unless photographers and media sources stick together and say no.”

On the other side of the coin, a seasoned photographer in L.A. says that the issue isn’t quite so black and white. “I understand both sides of the conversation as I’ve had conversations with publicists regarding this topic, including Foo Fighters’ publicist,” says Timothy Norris, who contributes to L.A. Weekly. “My take on it has changed over the years and although it’s still frustrating to read a contract that claims ownership of any image that comes of the shoot I have to keep in mind that at bottom the photos are about news. Nowadays there are just too many ‘photographers’ doing the same thing as me in the same time frame (first three songs) to think I’ll make a quick buck on reselling an image to another outlet.”

Norris also had an anecdote about a situation involving the Foo Fighters that indicates that their management may not be as vicious as the terms of their contract suggest. “I have a friend that once photographed Foo Fighters (contract signed) for a blog and management saw the photos and liked them. They ended up compensating him very well to use an image for marketing purposes involved with Gibson Guitars,” he says.

A member of the Foo Fighters’ publicity team also reiterated that the band’s intent isn’t quite what it seems on paper. “The language might be severe but that really isn’t the intent. Its just to protect the Foo Fighters from having their image sold and licensed without their knowledge or control.”

If that’s the case, why make the contract so ferocious? And why be willing to negotiate the terms with one publication but not another? There are no easy answers here, and the conversation is ongoing.

As far as this paper is concerned, we will continue to support our photographers who decline to shoot major acts with terms this harsh, not only because we want to advocate for entertainment photography as a viable profession — like any field, the more a photographer is able to support themselves with their creative work, the more time they can devote to their craft, which makes for better photos — but also to attempt a defense against this industry-wide assault on editorial integrity. We’re just one small outlet in the grand scheme of things, but you have to start somewhere.

Many musicians have a tumultuous relationship with photographers and the media.  Most photographers are given 10-15 minutes or the first 3 songs at a show to make the photographs they need.  Some musicians, however, have a reputation of playing to photographers and controlling their image by giving them a few great images.  One of the more famous examples of showmanship would be the Rolling Stones who, for the first 10-15 minutes of a show, are seemingly playing for the photographers, creating great moments and helping their public image.  Check out the Foo Fighters photo waiver below.  If you have a story from a concert to share you can tweet to us @fotocare or leave a comment here.

FOO FIGHTERS PHOTO WAIVER

Update:  Bob Dylan, famous for his dealings with the media and for shutting out photographers from his shows, has been busted for painting copies of famous photographs.  The New York Times has the story, along with comparisons of his paintings and the original photographs.

©Ira Block

1. Tell us about yourself and how you got into photography?

I started taking photos when I was a high school student in Brooklyn. My father helped me build a darkroom in our basement and I loved developing film and making prints. At the University of Wisconsin I didn’t have my own darkroom so I joined the student newspaper. I covered a lot of U. W’s  sporting events and got to know the local newspaper photographers.  They liked my work and when a position opened up for a part time photographer at the Wisconsin State Journal, I was offered the job.  I couldn’t believe my good fortune – I was finally going to get paid to take pictures! After working at the paper for a week I realized how little I really knew about photography and darkroom work. The next couple of years was like an apprenticeship for me.

2. What was your break out job that helped launch your career?

I covered the Democratic National Convention in Chicago for UPI in 1968 while I was still a student at Wisconsin and got some national recognition.  When I returned to New York I started freelancing and eventually hooked up with the National Geographic Magazine. In 1978 I went to the North Pole by dog sled with a Japanese explorer. This was my first cover story for the magazine.  I was only 29 years old and became a regular contributor to the magazine.

3. What has been your favorite assignment(s) to date?

It’s difficult to pick one assignment. Every time I head off somewhere it’s an adventure filled with possibilities. I did a story a number of years ago on the history of the condiment olive oil. I travelled to Northern California, Greece, Italy and Spain, met some really great people and had the opportunity to eat fantastic food.  So it ranks high on my list.

4. Where do you draw your inspiration from?

I draw inspiration from the people and places I photograph. Whether it’s an exotic culture, an uninhabited landscape, animals in the wild, a teeming city or ancient objects, photography has given me the incredible opportunity to roam through society as a respectful voyeur.  I am inspired each time I look through a view finder or at an LCD screen.

5. What do you do to market you services?

I’ve been published so often in the National Geographic that at this point in my career my stories are their own marketing tool. I do have a rep at the National Geographic assignment division who helps me obtain some of my commercial work. Also, over the years I’ve done a lot of corporate photography which has grown through word of mouth.

6. Do you use Social Media as part of your marketing mix? Do you think it is effective?

I do use social media as part of my marketing, though it’s a softer type of marketing. I am maintain a facebook fan page, I tweet and write a blog. I believe social media is an effective, low cost way to keep one’s visibility very high.

7. How has your work changed in the last few years?

I try to be less controlling and restrictive in my work. In the past I spent too much time compulsing about making everything perfect. Now I try to be looser with my shooting style which works well in the current marketplace.

8. Where is your work heading next? Where do you see yourself in the future?

I’m looking for projects that are less involved with the individual images and concentrate more on the entire body of work. I think this will fit in to the electronic use of photos very well.

9. What equipment are you currently using to produce your work?

I use a variety of equipment these days. I’ve been using Canon cameras for many years and have been very happy with the results. For a lot of my portrait work I use a Mamyia 645 with a digital back. The 16 bit color really is great for skin tones. For fun and looser photography I’ve been having a great time shooting with the Panasonic Lumix,  mirrorless  four thirds system.

10. What equipment would you most like to own but don’t yet have?

Wow, there is so much I’d like to have to play around with but I am in business and have to stick with equipment that will have a return on my investment.

11. Do you work with Video? Have you stepped into the Hybrid Video market at all?

I’ve been doing some video work using the Canon’s and the Lumix cameras. I like shooting video but find that the post production is very time consuming and very important. I’m still trying to find a balance between my capabilities and when I need  an experienced editor.

12. When/ How did you first hear about Foto Care?

I’ve been going to Fotocare so long that my wife thinks I should have my own bed and kitchen there.

13. What is it about Foto Care that brings your back?

The staff and their knowledge of all things photographic. And sometimes there’s free food!

Tricks

Experience Human Flight

Jeb Corliss and Roberta Mancino-wingsuits

Jamie Pierre, extreme skier

Tumbles

Skier takes a 300-400 ft fall

Go Pro survives 2.5 months underwater

Climber takes a big fall on lead

Timelapses

Panning Timelapse

Haboob dust storm in AZ

Tampa to Dulles in a minute

Animals POV

A boxer explores his yard

Seagull steals a GoPro

The New Gypsies Exhibition
Clic Gallery, NYC
24 Broome Street New York, NY 10013
August 29 – October 2, 2011

From Clic’s press release we learn: Fashion and social documentary photographer, Iain McKell tracked and befriended a ‘small tribe’ of New Gypsies for over ten years. But it is 25 years since he took his first series of photographs of the travelers from which they evolved.

The Summer Solstice in 1985 witnessed the new phenomenon of New Age Travelers in the ‘Peace Convoy’, double-decker buses ‘with Dickensian characters sporting battered top-hats and Victorian frock-coats’ – ‘gangs of urban subcultures let loose in a rural setting’. Margaret Thatcher sent police to ‘de-commission’ their convoys.

From those beginnings have evolved the New Gypsies. Now ‘horse-drawn’, the New Gypsies sport elaborately decorated caravans and share a desire for freedom and the open road, self-reliance and a disdain for the trappings of contemporary life. However, these new nomads are also driven by their desire for sustainability in today’s world; they embrace technology, a grapevine watered by the latest gadgets and solar power. Their roaming existence is probably greener than any other element in society.

Iain McKell’s photographs of this new group of itinerants reveal his deep-seated attraction to both the people and the lifestyle, and betray mixed perceptions of a romantic life coupled with a hard one. The women exude a ragged glamour; the male subjects have a harder edge. But every photo is permeated with a wistfulness and sense of being a proud outsider.

The journeys of the New Gypsies are built around a yearly map of festivals and celebrations and much of their time is spent poring over Ordnance Survey maps. McKell’s photographs map the seasons of the horse-drawn travelers’ lives – from primeval celebrations of summer to the interiorized life of wintertime. His portraits often seem like a character from some ancient mystery play, symbolic of a careless purity and oneness with their natural surroundings. (Source: Clic Gallery Press Release)

With sensitivity and honesty he captures a way of life that seems at once romantic, strange, beautiful and simple. The result is a deeply insightful portrayal of a culture that eschews the traditional creature comforts of urban life in favor of the simplicity and freedom of the natural world.

The Book / Click here to Order:

About the Artist / Author
Iain McKell is an international photographer whose work has appeared in numerous advertisements and major publications.  Born in Dorset England, School Clifton Collage, Studied graphic design at Exeter Collage of Art 1974-79 before moving to London in 1980.

Iain has contributed to Tha Face, i-D, Italian Lei, The Observer, Sunday Times, Inderpendent, WSJ, Telegraph, English Vogue, French Vogue, Italian Vogue, luomo Vogue, Cassa vogue, Zoo, Tank, Flair and V magazine. He has shot for Levis, Wranglers, JigSaw, Max&co, Red Stripe, Vladivar, Tia Maria, Mercedes Benz and at present agency favourite shooting for Diesel international campaign.

All Photos © Iain McKell

1.  Portfolio

A screen might not ever be able to replace the beauty and detail of a good print, but it just isn’t feasible to carry a traditional portfolio around with you everywhere you go.  With an iPad (and the help of an app) you can carry thousands of images and different portfolios in the double digits.  I have about 10 different “portfolios” of images that I can swap in and out in a couple of seconds, tailoring my book to whomever I am showing work to.  One of our favorites is Padport for its level of customization and ability to play video.  There are a bunch of these available from the App Store, so poke around and read some reviews before making the leap, at an average of $5-$15 per app trying them all might be prohibitively expensive.

2. Keeping clients happy while shooting tethered

Before you get too excited, tethering directly to the iPad is not there yet.  Update: Yesterday Eye Fi rolled out an app that, in combination with their wireless memory cards, allows for tethering using an iPad without jailbreaking.  We haven’t played with it yet, but when we do it’ll be on the blog.  However, by using the latest version of programs such as Leaf Capture Remote Server, Capture One, and Phocus, the iPad can free up your digital tech to continue working on his monitor while clients can still view images at their own pace.  These programs allow you to view, rate, and zoom in on any picture from the shoot, as long as the computer you are tethering to and the iPad are on the same network (wifi is easiest).  LC Remote Server has the same functionalities as the other two, but does not have a rating system.  Both Phocus and Capture One also allow you to change aperture, iso, shutter speed, and remotely trigger the camera.  Capture Pilot’s camera control is $15, while Phocus integrates these capabilities in when shooting with a Hasselblad.

Leaf Capture Remote Server 2

Capture One’s Capture Pilot

Phocus for iPad

Phocus Camera Controls

3.  Sun Seeker

With the iPad 2 came a revolution in “augmented reality” that had only previously been seen on mobile phones, and on.  The Sun Seeker app uses the rear-facing camera to overlay the path of the sun (and moon) over the street in front of you.  There is also a built in compass as well as an overhead view with arrows indicating where the sun will be throughout the day.  The date can be changed in the app to show you the position of the sun on specific days throughout the season.

4. Photo Editing and snapshot camera

By using the Ipad Camera Connection Kit you can download images on your way back from a shoot or use the iPad as a backup.  Also, if you shoot RAW+Jpeg on an dslr you can use an app like Snapseed to start roughing up how you would like to retouch the images.  Also, the camera on the iPad is not dissimilar from your normal cell phone camera, making it ideal for quick photos.

5.  Photographer Entertainment

Nuit Blanche New York is an arts organization specializing in supporting artists to produce nighttime public art events that engage creative communities. It was founded in the summer of 2010 by a handful of artists working in film, urban planning, music, curation and product design who share a passion for transforming the way we experience urban space.

Bring to Light is New York City’s annual Nuit Blanche festival. This one-night collaboration of installations, performances, and projection art enlivens the surrounding area, bringing our view of space into a whole new light.

This year’s Bring to Light event will illuminate the streets of Greenpoint, Brooklyn on October 1st. Check back for updates and behind the scenes information as we prepare for Bring to Light 2011!

Light Graffiti from Nuit Blanche New York on Vimeo.

FEATURED ARTISTS:

• Aaron Siegel
• Alex Villar

• Alyssa Taylor Wendt
• Amanda Long
• Andrei Severny
• Behnaz Babazadeh
• Camille Scherrer
• CHiKA
• Chris Jordan & Josh Goldberg
• Daniel Canogar
• Darkness Map
• David B. Smith
• Diller Scofidio + Renfro
• Eiji Sumi, Justin Riley and Wolfgang Gil
• Eli Keszler
• Elisabeth Smolarz
• Ellis & Cuius
• Fanny Allié
• Jason Peters
• Jeff Desom
• Jo Wood-Brown

• Karen Ostrom
• Karin Hodgin Jones
• Nat Evans
• Nathan Kensinger
• Organelle Design
• Poetry Performance and Projection
• Rita Ackermann
• Sean Boggs
• Sean McIntyre & Reid Bingham
• Stepan Boltalin & Ezer Longinus
• The Vandalights
• Ugly Art Room
• Urban Infills
• Ursula Scherrer & Kurt Laurenz
• Warm Engine
• Weston Currie & Grouper

Enjoy your photos anywhere you are, and make them look terrific using the same powerful photo-processing technology as Adobe Photoshop® Lightroom® software.

Setting up Adobe Carousel is easy. Customers will just download the apps, set up a subscription plan on their iPhone and iPad, and they are ready to go. Subscribers can import a virtually unlimited number of JPEG files, and install Adobe Carousel apps on as many of their compatible devices as they want.

“With Adobe Carousel we are extending the power of Adobe’s imaging expertise beyond the desktop and onto tablets and smartphones, delivering instant access to your complete photo library and the freedom to edit and share photos anywhere, any time,” said Winston Hendrickson, vice president of Digital Imaging Products, Adobe. “Thanks to Adobe Carousel, users never need to worry about wasting time syncing, remembering if a photo was saved to a particular device, or worrying about maxing out storage on their iPhone or iPad.”

Familiar multi-touch gestures provide a fun and interactive experience to explore tens of thousands of photos quickly and easily, and Adobe’s powerful photo-processing engine lets users adjust exposure, shadows, highlights, white balance, vibrance, clarity and contrast. There are also over a dozen “Looks” that allow customers to quickly experiment with the appearance of a photo. Adobe Carousel simplifies and enhances photo sharing by allowing subscribers to invite friends and family members to collaborate on a photo library free of charge — so anyone with a Carousel capable device can view existing photos and contribute new ones, apply adjustments and Looks to images, and easily grab and flag favorite photos. Users can also share photos by sending them directly to Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr or via email.

Subscribe now for the introductory price of US$59.99 a year or US $5.99 a month. Offer expires January 31, 2012.

System requirements
Mac OS

* Multicore Intel® processor
* Mac OS X v10.7
* 2GB of RAM
* 40MB of available hard-disk space
* 1024×768 display
* Broadband Internet connection*
* iOS 4.2
* iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4
* iPad 1 and iPad 2
* iPod touch 4G

Bob Gruen Book Signing
Friday, September 23, 6:00pm–7:30pm
ICP Store, 1133 Avenue of the Americas

For forty years, Bob Gruen’s name has been synonymous with rock and roll. From taking early photos on tour with Ike and Tina Turner, to capturing the early CBGB/Max’s Kansas City scene to covering current stadium rockers such as Green Day, Gruen has always been at the right place at the right time—and he’s always gotten the shot.

In this lavish monograph, Gruen has curated his favorite photographs from his career, with intimate captions and behind-the-scenes anecdotes. Featuring such illustrious acts as the Clash, Led Zeppelin, the Rolling Stones, Sex Pistols, Ramones, and more, and including an introduction by the legendary Debbie Harry of Blondie, this collection is a must-have for all fans of rock and roll.

Please note that due to professional obligations, photographer’s book signing dates may change without notification. Limit of two signed copies per customer. Pre-orders and reserve orders are not guaranteed but every effort is made to fulfill orders. Books must be purchased from the ICP Store. If purchased before date of event, please bring your receipt.

For more information, call 212.857.9725.

In commemoration of the tenth anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks, the International Center of Photography is collaborating with the National September 11 Memorial Museum on Remembering 9/11, a major exhibition of photography and video that addresses the issues of memory and recovery from disaster and explores how New Yorkers and volunteers from across the U.S. responded to this inconceivable tragedy.

Francesc Torres, Folded Steel Column, 2009. © Francesc Torres

Gregg Brown, [Iron workers cut the remaining structure of the North Tower, 12/16/2001],
from Above Ground Zero. © Gregg Brown

Focusing on how firefighters, transit workers, police officers, construction workers, artists, photographers, and World Trade Center neighbors worked together in the aftermath of the attacks, the exhibition will include five parts:

1. Memory Remains: 9/11 Artifacts at Hangar 17, a major installation by Francesc Torres;
2. Photographs from Eugene Richards’ Stepping Through the Ashes;
3. A five-channel video installation, cedarliberty, by Elena del Rivero and Leslie McCleave;
4. Above Ground Zero, photographs and proof sheets by Gregg Brown;
5. and excerpts from here is new york: a democracy of photographs.

Peter Foley, [Untitled], 2001, from here is new york: a democracy of photographs. © Peter Foley

Eugene Richards, Funeral in Staten Island for Firefighter John Schardt, Engine Company 201, December 31, 2001,
from Stepping Through the Ashes. © Eugene Richards. Courtesy the artist

The exhibition is organized by ICP Curator Carol Squiers.

About the Museum of the International Center of Photography
Located in the heart of New York City, the Museum of the International Center of Photography is dedicated to exploring the possibilities of the photographic medium through dynamic exhibitions of historical and contemporary work.

There are two types of people who use computers, those who have lost data and those who will.  Chalk me up in the first category.  My sophomore year of college the single 125 gb drive that I was carrying my years worth of work around on crashed.  The five stages of Data Loss set in.

• Denial- “No way this drive crashed, I’ll bet it is the cord/power supply/drive enclosure”.  After replacing all of these things it was time to move on to Anger.
• Anger- No amount of cussing made the drive work, and not from a lack of trying.
• Bargaining came next, as I called up the manufacturer and offered to pay anything to recover my lost work.  They referred me to a data recovery firm that wanted $1000 to strip the drive apart and read the data platter by platter and with that price tag, my bargaining stage passed rapidly.
• Depression set in helping make a weekend full of shoots and editing to replace my lost assignments even worse.  Then I hit the final stage of Data Loss, Acceptance.
• Acceptance- I accepted that drives will fail, it is inevitable.  Not an if, but a when.  What could I do to prevent the loss of my photos?

This all falls into the category of Digital Asset Management, and most experts on the topic will tell you that you need 3 copies of everything.  At least 3 copies of everything, and one of those needs to be in a different location that the other two.  Here is what we recommend:

RAID Units

A Redundant Array of Independent Disks, or RAID, uses multiple hard drives to protect your data.  A simple two bay raid, such as the RTX220-QR from Wiebetech, stores your information on two separate drives simultaneously (called a RAID 1) and protects against the failure of a single drive.  An identical backup copy (your third off-site drive) can easily be created by swapping a third rotational hard drive with the bottom drive in your 2-bay RAID 1 system.

Hot Swapping and Archived Hard Drives

Once you have filled your two bay raid you can pull the two drives and install two new ones, but what do you do with the earlier ones?  Split them up into different locations and if you want to access information stored on one of them. try the RTX-100H-Q.  This drive enclosure allows you to read the internal hard drive in a hot-swappable (you don’t have to restart your computer) enclosure with the same trayless design as the RTX220-QR unit.  Accessing an archived hard drive can take under a minute.

If you are interested in learning more about Digital Asset Management, storage, and backup, Peter Krogh (the person who literally wrote the book – The Dam Book) will be Foto Cares guest speaker on September 13th and 14th.  Click here to learn more!

For more information in regards to storage and backup you can contact Foto Care and ask for either Jon Slesinger or Don Jakubowski, both are well versed in  storage and back up.

This year’s expo sets the stage for an incredible learning experience filled with inspiration at every turn.  There are opportunities to sample new products, test software and talk to reps from the industry’s top manufacturers that will be exhibiting their wares throughout the three day expo. As stated above there is also an exciting array of seminars and classes (over 115 to choose from!)  for photographers and image makers of all levels to help inspire and improve creativity and business goals and objectives such as:

• Transitioning from Stills to Motion
• Photo 101: Skills for Success
• Photoshop & Lightroom: The Dynamic Duo
• Untold Stories: The Secrets Behind Successful Wedding Photography
• Streamline Your Business and Maximize Your Life
• iPad and iPhone Apps for Photographers of the Future
• Adobe Lightroom 3 & Photoshop CS5: Take Your Images to the Next Level
• How to Get Work from Ad Agencies
• and many sessions taught in Spanish such as: Cualquier lugar, Cualquier tema, Cualquier pose, Cualquier momento

Some of this year’s confirmed presenters include, Julieanne Kost, Colin Finlay, Jasmine Star, Michael Grecco, Lauren Greenfield, Bambi Cantrell, Jay Maisel, Mary Virginia Swanson, Joe McNally, Derrick Story, and Joyce Tenneson, to name only a few.

PDN PhotoPlus Expo has secured several of the most dynamic, influential, and successful photographers to conduct the keynote presentations each day during the show.  Art Wolfe, Frans Lanting, and Thomas Mangelsen, three icons of nature and wildlife, will present their work on the same stage together on Saturday, October 29th. In addition, legendary Hollywood portrait and celebrity photographer Douglas Kirkland will present his work on Thursday, October 27th from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.

“Our goal each year is to offer a robust selection of educational seminars for attendees.  What we have been able to schedule this year is over the top for our industry,” explains Jeff McQuilkin, Director – PDN PhotoPlus International Conference & Expo.  “We continue to expand the topics and curriculum of the seminars based on the changing landscape of photography, but the real success comes from the presenters themselves who simply want to be a part of the experience and share what they know with other attendees.”

And to help make the most of your day, there is an online tool to plan in advance which classes/seminars you would like to take and which exhibits you would like to visit.

So, get ready for a day of networking with your peers and register today!

Rob Van Dorssen Represented by Judy Casey

Rob Van Dorssen Represented by Judy Casey

Rob Van Dorssen Represented by Judy Casey

Rob Van Dorssen Represented by Judy Casey

Do photographers need to even think about this? If so, what type of photographer should take note: advertising photographers, photo journalists, fine art or editorial photographer, portrait and beauty photographers, celebrity paparazzi?

There are purists who believe exceptional photographers use the light at hand (natural or studio) and crop images while setting up a composition in the viewfinder; those who do everything in their power to create the perfect image in camera. Does that still apply in today’s world of digital imaging, and where does photo enhancement come into play?

What is your stance on the Ethics of Image Enhancement and Image Manipulation?

If we define photo manipulation as the application of image editing techniques to photographs in order to create an illusion or deception and photo enhancement as techniques to enhance or correction an image–it is photo manipulation that most likely rises to the top of heated debates.

For example, should a photo journalist adhere to a set of rules when portraying their images? And does a commercial photographer need to adhere to the same set of rules or have their own–if any at all?

A photo journalist is expected to follow a set of rules and ethics and in return viewers come to respect and trust their images as truth. Click here to view The National Press Photographer’s Association’s Code of Ethics on Digital Manipulation.   It begins like this: “As journalists we believe the guiding principle of our profession is accuracy; therefore, we believe it is wrong to alter the content of a photograph in any way that deceives the public.”

While there are many cases that have come to light over the years for photo manipulation used for deception purposes (such as propaganda, advertising, the Loch Nest Monster and UFO’s), some usage of photo manipulation is widely accepted as an art-form, for example fine-art photographers have free range to alter images to make their visual statements, and illustrative techniques such as photo montages and collages are standard fare for today’s image makers–often with results that are obvious.

Photomontage by: Mmxx on Wikipedia

In our ever growing digital realm, faked images are becoming harder to detect. It was very easy for the creator of this image to super impose two images to create one that become a widely popular and highly “shared” image known as the “Helicopter Shark,” which was widely circulated as a so-called “National Geographic Photo of the Year” and later revealed to be a hoax.

What about commercial photography? Do you think advertising photography should have free reign to leverage all manner of photo enhancement or manipulation? Is it acceptable to retouch the face of a 50-year old woman, removing all wrinkles and blemishes who uses Brand X facial cream vs. showing a real woman with exceptional skin, wrinkles and all?

Is it possible to create a code of ethics for all photographers and image makers when it comes to photo alterations? Does it even matter? Is there a line to cross between alterations to make an image more pleasing verses image manipulation to deceive?

What are you thoughts? We’d love to hear from you.

This past week photographer Jerry Jack, a long-time friend of Foto Care, passed away.  Jerry was born August 20^th, 1962 on the Island of Aruba to Jacinth and Reynold Jack.  The third of four siblings, Jerry was the only one stung by the photography bug.  His father, Reynold Jack, moved his family to Trinidad where he introduced the art of color separation to the local newspapers.  He also set up a photo studio and documented the island’s beauty and culture in his personal work.  Jerry traveled with his father on many of these photo shoots and watched him develop images in the darkroom, fostering his lifelong love for photography.

Jerry and his family left Trinidad and came to New York in 1973 where his interest in photography and media arts continued to grow as he participated in photo projects in JHS.  Attending Edward R. Murrow High School, he majored in Photography and would continue to study his craft at the Germain School of Photography, the Center for Media Arts.  In 1985 Jerry met and worked with photographer Anthony Barboza, who became his mentor and friend. He was blessed to work with and learn from some of the top photographers of his time, including John Pinderhughes, Hugh Bell, Howard Bingham, David Stetson, David Langley, Francis Ing and Chris Sanders.

Through his work with the NYC Housing Authority, Community Centers teaching youth in the community Jerry worked to pass on his passion for photography to a new generation.  Jerry’s death will reverberate throughout the photography community and our thoughts are with his friends and family during this trying time.

Is there that one piece of equipment you just can’t live without, or just plain have to have?  Then these are the days to trade up, because we will give you an additional 10% bonus on your used equipment for new equipment of equal or greater value!  BUT this is only available during the event.

This is a great time to clean out some of your unused equipment before the spring shooting season

Foto Care & KEH Buy-Sell-Trade Day

Friday, August 19th
9:00am – 4:00pm

Saturday, August 20th
9:00am – 3:00pm

Foto Care, 41 West 22nd Street, NYC

The EIZO CG245W color monitor comes with an industry-first: a built-in calibration sensor that allows you to schedule the monitor to self-calibrate at your convenience, making this one of the world’s finest calibrated monitors, and with some practices–you a superstar image maker.

Click below for a few tips from the experts at EIZO about Color Management:

First, perfect color matching is basically impossible, even with professional equipment. This is due to differences in color reproduction methods between monitor output and printers, and due to discrepancies in the color gamut that can be rendered. Their are various procedures and precautions for using ColorEdge series monitors to achieve as close a visual match as possible between printed and monitor output. Take a few moments to learn more to get started on your path to improving your color management skills:

Color Matching between Your Monitor and Prints

Color Management in Practice

Choosing the Right Monitors for a Color Management System

Monitor Calibration

Gerald’s photography represents a psychological visual adventure filled with layers of taunting visual devices that come together to create haunting, and sometimes disturbing, images.  When you meet Gerald you will find he is anything but “dark”. He is easy going, charismatic and has a great sense of humor; but more than anything he is very passionate about his work and producing great images.

Q: Tell us about yourself and how you got into this field?

A: When I first started out in the mid ’90’s I wasn’t thinking about editorial work, I was busy concentrating on my first solo exhibit, called “TRUE” which was being shown at the Ricco/Maresca Gallery in New York City. My work was introduced to Kathy Ryan, the photo editor of The New Times Magazine, and that eventually led to my first editorial job.

Q: Was that the breakout job that helped launch your career?

A: Yes, it was. Kathy hired me for the Cover of The New York Times Magazine. I created the image to go with a story called “Attachment Theory: The Ultimate Experiment” which was about the tragic stories of eastern European children with severe parental deprivation and the difficulties faced by their American adoptive parents.

Q: You are that unique combination of art meets commerce. How do you maintain the balance of answering to your artistic side and yet being able to deliver commercial jobs.

A: I’ve been lucky enough to be hired to work within my style and have creative freedom while working with a lot of great photo editors. But I’ve learned to tailor editorial assignments to viewers, whether on concrete topics such as events or stories, or on abstract concepts like “deja vu” or dark matter.

Q: Where do you draw your inspiration from?

A: It ranges depending on the assignment. For some, I get a story or rough draft; for others, simply a general idea. In either case, I dissect the issue, emotion, and and I go from there. To me they’re like a movie script that I’m bringing to life with an image.

Q: What has been your favorite assignment(s) to date?

A: All of them. Really! Each one brings unique creative challenges, while giving me insight into areas ranging from politics and science to psychology, mental illness, and unexplained phenomena.

Q: How has your work changed in the last few years?

A: I began by spending a lot of time in a black & white film darkroom and either hand-delivering or mailing in the negatives/prints. In the past few years I went digital and started working mainly in color; sending my assignments via email.

Q: Where is your work heading next? Where do you see yourself/your work in the future?

A: I’m always looking to experiment with new subjects, new directions, and styles, and I like working with creative people. i think my work could fit in with a lot of different concepts…so maybe an advertising campaign, and I’ve always wanted to do a fashion spread. I have also done music videos and a couple of short films.  I really like the medium and directing, but it’s really about finding the right project and of course one that intrigues me. I go between still and film/video, so hopefully I’ll be doing another one soon.

Q: What equipment are you currently using to produce your work?

A: A point and shoot Nikon P6000. For me it’s not about the equipment, it’s all about the making an image that provokes the feelings and moods of the viewers.

More about Gerald Slota:

GERALD SLOTA is a fine artist and photographer who has been widely exhibited across the US and abroad. He has had solo shows at the George Eastman House in Rochester, NY, and Langhans Galerie in Prague, Czech Republic, as well as been shown at Recontres D’ Arles in Arles, France. Slota is represented by Ricco/Maresca Gallery in NYC and the Robert Berman Gallery in LA, and his images have appeared in numerous publications including The New York Times Magazine, Newsweek,The New Yorker, GQ, Esquire, Discover, and Scientific America, as well as in BOMB, Blindspot, ARTNEWS, Art in America, and Aperture. He currently teaches at the School of Visual Arts in NYC, and has lectured at many institutions such as the International Center for Photography (ICP). Gerald Slota has garnered many awards including a Polaroid 20”x24” Grant, a MacDowell Artist Residency, and a Mid-Atlantic Fellowship Grant in 2001 and 2009.

www.GeraldSlota.com

Facebook
Ricco Maresca Gallery
Contact: slotaphoto@aol.com

Let the adventure begin. Linda Louise Eastman McCartney was born in Scarsdale, New York, on September 24th, 1941. She graduated from Scarsdale High School, Westchester County, New York in 1960, and went on to study at the University of Arizona, where she majored in art history.

Linda got her first big break as a photographer while working as receptionist at Town and Country Magazine. She used an unwanted invitation to a Rolling Stones promotional party on the SS Sea Panther on the Hudson River in New York to document the event and photograph the band. Linda became a professional photographer in the mid-sixties. Her pictures during this period chronicled the musical revolution of the decade.

Whilst working as the house photographer at the Fillmore East in New York City she photographed many iconic musicians including; The Rolling Stones, Otis Redding, B.B. King, The Doors, The Grateful Dead, Frank Zappa, The Beach Boys, The Who, Cream, The Kinks, Traffic, The Byrds, Jimi Hendrix and, ultimately, The Beatles.

Linda’s photograph of Eric Clapton for Rolling Stone magazine’s May 11th, 1968 issue made her the first female photographer to have work featured on the cover of the magazine. In 1968, Linda was in London to shoot an assignment on the ‘Swinging Sixties’. Linda met Paul McCartney at the Bag O’Nails Club and then again four days later at the launch of Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band at Brian Epstein’s house in Belgravia. A year later they married at Marylebone Registry Office, London, March 12th, 1969.

Linda’s work has also reached the cinema screen.  Her photographs of The Grateful Dead became the inspiration and focus of Grateful Dead: A Photofilm, produced from a process of making stills photography move and morph that was invented by Paul McCartney. The photofilm was honored by entry into both the London and New York Film Festivals.

Despite her work as a photographer, animal life campaigner, cookbook author, musician and vegetarian pioneer, Linda has said the greatest achievement is her and Paul’s four children; Heather, Mary, Stella and James.”

Source: Linda’s Bio from the Bonni Benrubi Gallery Site

The exhibition, entitled “Linda McCartney: Life in Photographs” after the book, is a retrospective of McCartney’s life and photography, picked from a book that displays some of her best photographs that features striking stills of the McCartney family and musicians, including Jimi Hendrix, the Rolling Stones and the Beatles. The photos were handpicked by her family from a selection of photos of more than 200,000 images.

Here is the interview with our very own Fred Blake:

Q: How and when did Foto Care begin as a resource for production professionals?
A: Foto-Care was born in 1968 right here in NYC. At Foto Care, we are extremely passionate about photography but even more passionate about the lifelong journey that photographers embark on. We will do absolutely everything we can to support that journey. It is for this very reason that our commitment to the photographic community we serve extends well beyond a purchase. Or two. Or three. We believe the better we know our customers, (their needs, desires and goals) the better we are able to support them (guide them, educate them, celebrate their accomplishments) no matter what their experience level or where they are in the world.

We have held this belief since 1968 and to this day, not a day goes by where we don’t strive to over-deliver on it.

Q: What types of products does Foto Care offer?
A: We carry EVERYTHING and anything a professional photographer or videographer could want or need for either sale or rent.

Q: What are some of your latest or most-popular products?
A: The Canon XA10 HD camcorder has been getting a lot of attention along with the new Fuji Finepix X100.

Q: How do you differentiate from your competition?
A: Although we can’t say for sure how our competition operates, we pride ourselves on offering our clients exceptional customer service and follow-up. When you come to Foto-Care, we do not shuffle you through like a big-box store. We invite you to bring your questions, and will spend the time you deserve to make sure you leave here with the right answers. We know most of our customers on a first name basis – come to think of it, they are not customers, we consider them friends.

Q: What changes in this industry have you witnessed over the last couple years?
A: Over the past few years there has been a tremendous shift from film to digital cameras but as of late the shift is leaning towards cinematography.

Q: Where is DSLR filmmaking heading?
A: Well, technically, we see it evolving to a more simplistic design. A Box (with a sensor in it) and a lens. The Ipad, smart pad that will be out new platform to reach our audience. Some may not like it, but that seems to be the best way to the new audience.

Q: Will Foto Care be attending any upcoming trade shows or events?
A: Our next event will be Photo-East.

Q: Who can our users contact to inquire about your company and/or products?
A: They can either call our store directly to speak to one of our sales or rental experts at 212-741-2990 or send us an e-mail at info@fotocare.com

Q: Where can we find Foto Care online or on the social networks?
A: Our website: www.fotocare.com, Facebook, Twitter

Q: Are you offering any special deals for members of ProductionHUB?
A: Yes, say you saw us on ProductionHub and receive 5% off any order in our retail store or 10% off any rental order. Also, buy a new Canon 5D Mark 11 and receive a Foto-Care anniversary addition messenger bag FREE.

I am working on a series of blog posts about how photographer’s can use social media as part of their marketing mix and was in the process of searching for good examples, when I stumbled upon an intriguing post about Gail about how she used Social Media as a means to successfully promote her film Opening Our Eyes. I was so impressed by Gail’s business savvy and case study I wanted to share this story right away. I hope you find this helpful when thinking about how your business can leverage Social Media to your benefit.

Hello Gail, can you tell us about yourself and how you got started in photography?

I had been studying architecture at Syracuse University and decided to take some time off to travel. I ended up traveling half way around the world, during a one year period of my life when I was 19 years old.  I realized on that trip what kind of a lifestyle I wanted to live – one that would allow me to travel and explore cultures.  I thought that becoming a photographer would be a means to that end.  It would also allow me to use my “tools” – in my case cameras and motion cameras to tell the type of stories that I felt needed to be told – to create awareness.

I recently ran across an article on ASMP’s blog about how you effectively used Social Media as a business tool. Could you tell our readers about this effort and why you think social media played a key role in this successful marketing initiative?

Yes, in that blog I provided a real case scenario where I used social media for a project that I was producing.  It was a personal project that would take my daughter and I around the world on a 99-day journey with the purpose of creating a feature length documentary.  The title of the film is Opening Our Eyes and it tells the stories of 11 different people, on six continents who are making a positive difference in the world.  We used social media throughout the making of the film:

1. To find our subjects through Facebook, Twitter, blogs, emails etc.
2. Building Relationships and Audiences: We set up a website and a blog where people followed us virtually on our 99-day adventure.  We were building an audience at the same time for our film and a place where people could find out more about our subjects and their causes.
3. Fund Raising: When we returned from our trip we had over 150 hours of footage and over 4000 still image captures. I spent months going through all the video that I had shot with the Canon 5D Mark II, transcoding the files and laying down the first rough cut. I knew that I wanted to hire a professional editor for their skills and vision but I didn’t have the funds.  Our entire trip had been financed by airline miles, hotel rewards, American Express points and trades for gear and accommodations.  So, I put the project up on Kickstarter, a crowd funding site and raised a little over $10,000.

Would you attribute any business leads, activity or commissioned work as a result of this social media effort?

I can attribute quite a few business leads to social media.  As far as commissioned work, I find that I’d rather work on self initiated projects.  They are not only more gratifying, but can be more profitable as well.  So, I use social media as a networking portal to find partners for collaboration and/or funds.

What digital tools do you use to market your photography business? (such as social media, emails, website, blog, forums etc.) Which do you feel is the most important for your business?

All of the above.  I find my blog is perhaps the most important asset to my business because it creates a buzz in the community.  It’s also led to other opportunities like speaking gigs which I enjoy.

If you have a blog, how often do you post per week?

I actually have two blogs:
My professional blog
My project blog

I try to blog at least two times a week.

Do you think the time and effort required to maintain an online digital presence is beneficial for your business? How much time would you say you apply to this a week?

Yes, it’s beneficial for business because it gets my name out there.  It’s branding.  I spend about 1 – 2 hours a day.

Do you use any social media tracking tools?

I look at stats on my website, blogs, Vimeo etc.

Given the example outlined above which seems to have met considerable success, have you done anything else using social media that you would say has been successful in marketing your company and its services?

Yes, I uploaded the trailer to my film on Vimeo and within two months time, it had been played in over 107 countries! That’s more than half the countries in the world.

Any tips for photographers that want to start or ramp up their social media efforts?

1. Don’t (use the platform) to sell
2. Provide valuable information
3. Be authentic

Thank you Gail, I am sure many will find your business savvy inspirational! I wanted to end this interview by sharing this paragraph posted on Gail’s website about her film project:

“Believe in your dream.  Lots of us have dreams but most of us don’t really believe in them.  I think that makes all the difference as far as making your dream a reality – the ability to believe that your dream will happen.  I have felt that this would happen from the first moment that I conceived the idea – I saw it – I heard it – This idea picked me – not the other way around”

A workshop produced by Barbara Nelson and taught by Anja Hitzenberger, a photographer, filmmaker and video artist whose work focuses on the body and its relationship to architecture and space.

© Anja Hitzenberger

A photography workshop steeped in the time of early America, this workshop will focus on ways to create dynamic compositions and to develop a heightened sensitivity to your surroundings.  We will concentrate on lines, light and shadow to bring your subjects to life, helping you create photographs that show your personal vision. 

We’ll be photographing both day and night, reviewing and critiquing throughout the shooting.  Technical expertise for editing, processing and file management will be available to help those who need support.

Creating Dynamic Compositions with Anja Hitzenbeger
Beekman Hotel
Rhinebeck, New York

August 24 – 27, 2011
RSVP to bnelson2@earthlink.net

Workshop is limited to 10 people

$945 double ($175 single supplement) 3 nights*

$850 double ($125 single supplement) 2 nights, 2-1/2 days

Fee Includes Workshop instruction, Lightroom assistance, Hotel and breakfast and entrance to the Fair. Not included are meals, transportation to Rhinebeck, airplane rides.

Anja Hitzenberger is a photographer, filmmaker and video artist whose work focuses on the body and its relationship to architecture and space. Her projects feature people from around the world in a variety of places — from Asia to Europe, Latin America and the US. She has received numerous grants, commissions and residencies, and her work has been exhibited around the world and published internationally in magazines, books and newspapers. She is on the faculty of ICP (International Center of Photography) and also teaches private lessons, from personal vision to technical sessions. For more information about her work please visit www.anjahitzenberger.com

Barbara Nelson, photographer and journalist, produces photography workshops and seminars for the photography community, corporate and non-profit  organizations. Upcoming 2012 photography workshops include a repeat of the unique Italian ”Real life of Italy – small villages” and “Turkey from the inside”.

Adele Epstein is the founder of Araya Digital, which provides training and consulting services in Digital Asset Management, Photo Image Library Organization and Image Processing using Adobe Photoshop Lightroom software.  Its goals are summed up in its tagline,  “Developing Digital Workflow, Empowering Photographers.”