Vignettes

Rare Color Photographs from Farm Security Administration (FSA)

dsrito@gmail.com (Dennis S. Rito) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 09:11:00 +0000

Photo by Jack Delano. Sharecroppers chop cotton on rented land near White Plains, Greene County, Georgia, 1941

I was surprised to see these 14 rare color photographs from the FSA published by PDN recently since most of the photographs I have seen in photography books and even in online archives are in black and white. It was interesting to note that these photographs were shot during the American great depression era, sometime between 1930s-40s.

It seem to me that some of these photographs have a contemporary feel in them and it seem hard to make a connection that these photographs were from a bygone era except for some visible signs (i.e. clothing/ hair style, etc). Some even argue that these photos were Photoshopped! You be the judge. Head on to PDN and don't forget to scroll down on the comments section for an interesting historical discourse.

Related links:
Farm Security Administration
Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, FSA-OWI Collection

As it is: A Collective Portrait

dsrito@gmail.com (Dennis S. Rito) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 12:00:00 +0000

As it is, the collective output from Espen Eichhöfer workshop is now online. Espen Eichhöfer was invited by Goethe Institut – Manila last September, to conduct a photography workshop on portrait photography at Silverlens Gallery as its contribution to its regional project, City Scapes. Goethe Institut focused on the Philippines as it was the only country in the Southeast Asian region that enthusiastically responded to the first workshop.

My grateful appreciation to Goethe-Manila, Silverlens Gallery, Espen Eichoefer, Henry Bateman for helping me in crafting my artist statement, my co-workshoppers, my friends who had helped in linking me up to possible subjects and most specially to various individuals who had willingly participated in my project. Thank you so much!

Website design courtesy of Estan Cabigas (Thanks too, Estan!).

Day Four

dsrito@gmail.com (Dennis S. Rito) — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 06:40:00 +0000

Dayfour is a magazine of personal work, mainly by photographers. Like any magazine, it has a variety of contributors, runs collections of (visual) articles, and is printed and published periodically. Some people call it a book, because, well, it looks like a book. In fact it is produced more like an album: issues are put out once a year, each one built around a theme. Dayfour magazine is printed digitally in a very small, numbered, limited edition (we don't have much money). It is produced annually so we can put lots of thought into each issue (and carry on with the day job). The worldwide publishing industry does a great deal of damage to the environment, and so dayfour makes a virtue of being small and an effort to be beautiful.

Online Symposium: Seeking Justice - Social Activism through Journalism & Documentary Practice

dsrito@gmail.com (Dennis S. Rito) — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 07:34:00 +0000

The Centre for Documentary Practice invites you to logon and join the world’s first online journalism and documentary conference on October 15th 2009, starting 12:01am (GMT).

Speakers include Paul Fusco, Ed Kashi, Jodi Bieber, Marcus Bleasdale, Shahidul Alam, Gary Knight, Robin Hammond, Adam Ferguson, Travis Beard, Michael Coyne, Masaru Goto, Jack Picone, Megan Lewis, and more to be confirmed.

On October 15th we will connect an international community of documentary practitioners and journalists for one day, to share stories, to stimulate discussion and debate about our discipline, and to inspire each other to continue the fight for justice.

Register now for this free online conference.

Deluge

dsrito@gmail.com (Dennis S. Rito) — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 03:55:00 +0000

Neither of us was spared from Ketsana's wrath last September 25 (Saturday). I was in Gil Puyat Avenue for a meeting with a supplier when I received an SMS from my sister asking me to go home and help them salvage our belongings. It was also supposedly the last day of our workshop with Espen Eichhoefer at Silverlens. I managed to take the MRT up to Cubao. On my way, I saw cars and buses sank in flood waters near Camp Crame, with some men still swimming near the Camp perimeter fence. What made worse was when I reached Cubao - I can't find a jeep and Farmers also is closed so there's no way for me to pass through to LRT Line 2 which will take me to J.Ruiz Station (the nearest station from where we live). With that, I decided to walk in flooded streets up until Partas Bus Terminal. Still, no jeep was in sight. I was gripped with fear as I failed to advise them (my wife and sister) to switch off the main fuse box. Feeling frustrated to go home, I managed to hitch on a motorbike (thanks to that kind-hearted man who was also rushing to be with his wife). Drenched in rain while clutching some prints (which was meant to be shown at the workshop), I reached the street corner which leads to our house - only to find that the street is flooded in 3-4 meter-deep floodwaters. I was feeling helpless as I am thinking what is happening to them. The creek nearby had its water spilled towards the street leading to the apartment building and the current was so strong it's impossible for me to get in. I stood by as the water level goes deeper.

Many of the older people are telling me that those flood is the most worst kind they had experienced in their lifetime (they were born and raised in the Barangay where I live). A little later, my brother in-law arrived, who walked from SM Megamall all the way to our place. We spent the night on the street walking to and fro waiting for the water to subside. Finally we managed to get in at 3am the following day, in a chilling chest-deep flood waters. We also found out through the marking on the wall that only 1-foot remained before the flood waters hit our ceiling. My wife and my sister was able to salvage my camera bag, books and a lot of other equipments (but not my film cameras). They told me that the water was quick so they weren't able to salvage all our personal documents, ref, books and some clothes. I am sincerely grateful too to our neighbors who helped out my wife and my sister.

Ad Board

dsrito@gmail.com (Dennis S. Rito) — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 03:55:00 +0000

An unknown bystander scans the various ads posted in a university bulletin board that is seemingly has a life of its own. This image was photographed in a commercial center inside University of the Philippines - Diliman.

This image was also featured in Black Snapper Magazine.

Serendipity

dsrito@gmail.com (Dennis S. Rito) — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 07:49:00 +0000

I was at the frame shop this morning and while waiting for the job to finish, I decide to hang around outside. At the back of my mind was the thought of the hanging deadline for the workshop. As if searching for a character for a movie, I scanned the multitude of faces – people from all walks of life - passing outside the shop. I almost catched the character I wanted but quickly slipped out of my sight. I waited. Then the same man, wearing long hair, a lot of tattoo and several studs on his face, came back. With a slight hesitation, I followed him and before he can make a turn on the other street, I hurriedly introduced myself and explained about my project. I was told to follow him on his shop and I obliged. He turned out to be a tattoo artist and has a shop near the area. We exchanged numbers and parted ways. I’ll be photographing him tonight.

Espen Eichhoefer: Family and Photographs

dsrito@gmail.com (Dennis S. Rito) — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 01:17:00 +0000

Kjell Und Vinai, 2003

The Silverlens Gallery and Goethe Institut invite you to an Artist Talk and Slideshow by visiting editorial photographer Espen Eichhoefer. Here in the Philippines on a grant from the Goethe Institut, Eichhoefer has been conducting a workshop on Portraiture in Silverlens Gallery. A workshop that received an overwhelming number of applicants.His talk will focus on photography of family. "Private family pictures always produce positive images, confirming that these people belong together", he says. "But what of the possibilities of different stories to contend?", he questions.

The talk is open to the public. RSVP required at 816-0044 (Leonore).

Workshop with Espen Eichhoefer

dsrito@gmail.com (Dennis S. Rito) — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 11:42:00 +0000

Last September 3 was the first day of our (portraiture) workshop with Espen Eichhofer held at Silverlens Gallery. I am grateful indeed that I am one among the nine participants who was accepted in the said workshop. Isa Lorenzo, Creative Director at Silverlens shared that there were 70+ who applied online however, workshop sponsor Goethe Manila set a limit and chose only nine.

After Espen shared some of his work and his way of working, each of us were given 10 minutes to do the same. On my part, I presented an initial edit of a personal work (serial portraits) which I started last June of this year. Since its a workshop on portraiture, it seems practical for me to continue on my serial portraits and have it finished as my output for the workshop.

My project was slowly taking shape now and I hope to finish everything on or before September 23rd.

Farewell, President Cory Aquino!

dsrito@gmail.com (Dennis S. Rito) — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 10:58:00 +0000

Black Snapper Magazine

dsrito@gmail.com (Dennis S. Rito) — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 11:52:00 +0000

The Black Snapper is a project created by designer Frank Kloos and documentary photographer Diederik Meijer, based in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. The Black Snapper aims to create an online community that will inspire photography professionals and photography enthusiasts worldwide.

Hope to see an eclectic mix of photography from 'unrepresented' regions of the world like the Southeast Asia.

You may sign-up for updates/ newsletter here.

The fight back begins here...

dsrito@gmail.com (Dennis S. Rito) — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 10:50:00 +0000

British Journal of Photography has launched a campaign to counter the rising paranoia that targets every photographer who shoot images in public places.

We are calling all photographers, amateur or professional, to join our protest by taking part in a visual campaign, designed to raise awareness about increasing restrictions on shooting in tFhe public realm, which together with abuse of police powers and increasing hostility from the public at large, is impacting on photographers every day, in the UK and abroad.

The 'Not A Crime' campaign has already got the backing of two of Britain's leading photographers, Stuart Franklin and Chris Steele-Perkins of Magnum Photos. We invite you to join them by posting a self-portrait of yourself together with a sheet of white card with the phrases 'Not a crime' or 'I am not a terrorist' (in your first language) to
http://flickr.com/groups/iamnotaterrorist. Details on how to do so can be found at www.not-a-crime.com.

A Camera as Big as a Truck!

dsrito@gmail.com (Dennis S. Rito) — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 11:22:00 +0000

Shawn Irving shoot photographs inside his camera: an old postal delivery truck converted to a fixed-focal-length camera with a singlet (two large lenses, one convex, one concave) lens. The shutter is a sheet of metal that slides between the two lenses to block out the light. The truck is called Peanut, perhaps the modern version of The Mammoth.

Read more via Lens & Wired.

Shaun's work can be viewed via Cameratruck.

World Press Photo 2009 Exhibition | Manila

dsrito@gmail.com (Dennis S. Rito) — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 13:03:00 +0000

SCHEDULE

The Podium
Sat 01 Aug 09 - Exhibition open for public
Mon 03 Aug 09 - 18:30 h. Official opening
Sat 08 Aug 09 - Last day of exhibition

The Block, SM North Edsa
Sun 09 Aug 09 - Exhibition open for public
Mon 10 Aug 09 - Official opening
Wed 19 Aug 09 - Last day of exhibition

Mall of Asia
Thu 20 Aug 09 - Exhibition open for public
Thu 20 Aug 09 - 18:30 h. Official opening
Sun 23 Aug 09 - Last day of exhibition

EXHIBITION VISITING HOURS

Monday - Thursday : 10:00-21:00
Friday - Sunday : 10:00-22:00

Exhibition is being organized by Ateneo de Manila University Konrad Adenauer Asian Center for Journalism at the Ateneo and supported by SM Malls/ SM Prime Holdings, and Unilever Philippines.

You may also view the 2009 winners' gallery via WPP Website.

Photolucida's Critical Mass 2009

dsrito@gmail.com (Dennis S. Rito) — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 02:51:00 +0000

L to R: Andy Freeberg, Céline Clanet, and Priya Kambli

Critical Mass 2009 is now open for registration!

Critical Mass is a program about exposure and community. The idea is simple- photographers (from anywhere) submit a 10 image portfolio for $75. This work then gets pre-screened by a committee of approximately 20-25 great jurors and from there, 175 top Finalists are determined. These top finalists then pay an additional submission fee and their work goes on to a jury of approximately 200 of the world's best curators, editors, and professionals who have agreed to view and vote on these finalists. From these votes, two or three photographers receive book awards and once the monographs are published, everyone who enters and reviews will receive copies of the books.

Registration is up until July 22nd!

Read more on Photolucida for details,

Flickr & Twitter Integration

dsrito@gmail.com (Dennis S. Rito) — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 08:28:00 +0000

Flickr now lets you Tweet out any photos directly from the site (via Flickr2Twitter), and works for both photos you've upoaded and other photos you find on the Flickr Site.

Found via TechCrunch.

'Staged' Photojournalism Wins Prize

dsrito@gmail.com (Dennis S. Rito) — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 07:48:00 +0000

"We pushed the clichés to the limit. We thought the whole thing was so hackneyed that it could never win ... We wanted to call into question the inner-workings of the attitude of the kind of media which portrays human distress with complacency and voyeurism" - Guillaume Chauvin and Remi Hubert, art students at the Ecole Supérieure des Arts Décoratifs of Strasbourg who recently won Grand Prix du Photoreportage Etudiant- source

View photo reportage via Paris Match.

More discussions via Lightstalkers

Related links:
British Journal of Photography
French Photo Hoax
Le Figaro (French)
Fake Photojournalism wins prize

Only in the Philippines

dsrito@gmail.com (Dennis S. Rito) — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 12:28:00 +0000

Sorry for quite a long hiatus. Here are some photographs I took during the recent feast of the City of San Juan (this happens yearly though) where even I wasn't able to escape a bucket-full of water :).

Blind Boys

dsrito@gmail.com (Dennis S. Rito) — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 10:38:00 +0000

BlindBoys.org is a relatively new online 'space to see South Asian Photography in a new light.' Photographers from Southeast Asia are encouraged to submit their picture stories, click here for details.

On Self-replicating Pictures

dsrito@gmail.com (Dennis S. Rito) — Wed, 27 May 2009 12:26:00 +0000

Why do people photograph something that doesn't interest them? What is the point of making a name for yourself from something that holds no interest to you, of doing something just because some German or American or Japanese or British obsessive did it first but in a better way? What's the point of that? People should photograph what intrigues them, what fascinates them, what is personal to them...

Found via Colin Pantall's blog

Stephen Mayes, Director of VII and World Press Photo Secretary for six years, shares some insights in his keynote address in this year's World Press Photo which I think is very much relevant of today's photography practice (not just photojournalism). Audio recording of said address can also be listened to via Lens Culture.

Related links:
World Press Photo: 470,214 Pictures Later
World Press Photo 09 by Paul Lowe

Social Media Matters for Photographers

dsrito@gmail.com (Dennis S. Rito) — Wed, 27 May 2009 09:38:00 +0000

I still don't have a website of my own which is why I rely heavily in Social Networking Sites to promote my work, get to know other photographers' work, solicit feedback & comments, collaborate with other photographers, 'meet' new friends etc. Obviously, these are the reasons why I have signed-up in a couple of sites including - Ning.com. Facebook, Multiply, Flickr, Lightstalkers, Plaxo, Lnkedin, Friendster (which I seldom use now because of Facebook), and in micro blogging sites as well - Twitter, Plurk, etc.

Jim Goldstein shares some interesting insights here.

Where We’re From

dsrito@gmail.com (Dennis S. Rito) — Wed, 27 May 2009 05:36:00 +0000

Where We’re From is a project focusing on where it is that the selected photographers have grown up, lived, or are currently living. The project allows viewers an inside look at places that the artists have felt at home; letting people take a closer look at the lives of the photographers through their images and words.

Lots of interesting images here.

Kagyat: A Photo Exhibit (HK)

dsrito@gmail.com (Dennis S. Rito) — Mon, 25 May 2009 03:03:00 +0000

One of my work titled 'Video Gamers' (shown above) was included in a group photo exhibit called 'Kagyat' which will be shown in The Peak Galleria, The Peak, Hongkong. 'Kagyat' is being organized by Philippine Arts and Cultural Society (Hong Kong) as part of the 4th Philippine Arts Festival (Hong Kong) 2009. Show will open on June 6 up until June 30, 2009.

Among the participating photographers are:

Edwin Bacasmas
Bien Bautista
George Cabig, Jr.
Neil Daza
Angelo De Silva
Francis Galbones
Alberto Garcia
Luis Liwanag
Aldrin Monsod
Dante Peralta
Dennis Rito
Mario Rivera
Edgar Tapan
Donald Tapan
George Tapan
Harvey Tapan
Edwin Tuyay
Chito Vecina
Veejay Villafranca

Should you be in HK, please do drop by!

Fair Use and Online Video

dsrito@gmail.com (Dennis S. Rito) — Mon, 18 May 2009 12:55:00 +0000

5th PopDev Media Awards

dsrito@gmail.com (Dennis S. Rito) — Fri, 08 May 2009 05:55:00 +0000

The Philippine Legislators’ Committee on Population and Development (PLCPD) announces the Call for Entries to the 5th PopDev Media Awards.

The contest is open to all print, broadcast, online, photo, and citizen journalists nationwide. Entries must deal with population and human development issues such as the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD), public health (especially reproductive health), reproductive health policy and governance, economic growth and poverty, climate change, housing and urban development, sustainable development, environment, education, gender, maternal health, adolescent reproductive health, family planning, food security, reproductive rights, migration, and population ageing.

For the Photojournalism category, awards will be given for Best Single Photo and Best Photo Essay.

Citations will also be given for blog (text) and photo blogs (single photo and photo essay) in recognition of the significant contribution of citizen journalists in the informed discussion of population and human development issues. Entries from professional journalists may be considered as long as these were posted in their personal blogs.

Entries should have been published, aired, or posted between August 16, 2008 and August 15, 2009 in a publication or network that has been in existence for at least one year, or in a blog site that has been created at least since January 1, 2008. Deadline for submission of entries is on August 31, 2009.

Interested parties may send as many entries in a chosen category. Winners will receive a cash prize, trophy, certificate, and a chance to go into a study trip to a PLCPD project area in the Philippines.

Complete details here and here.