The Photo Agent
I recently signed with Troy Braun at The Photo Agent. This is really exciting news and I am looking forward to working with together! Here is the announcement from The Photo Agent Blog
Allow Me A Moment...
Like a lot of folks who grew up in the 60's and 70's my psyche was shaped by events of the time. Now, I know this sounds like drama but, we grew up in the most violent decade on our soil since the Civil War. The list is long: Vietnam, John F. Kennedy, El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz, Martin Luther King Jr, Robert Kennedy, '68 Democratic Convention, Desegregation, Jackson State and Kent State to name just a few. This week is the anniversary of Kent State and next week the always forgotten Jackson State. Forgotten! It's true, black students were killed doing the same thing as the white students at Kent State. Exercising their constitutional rights to organize. Our country open fired on students because they were "throwing rocks." No one responsible for the order to shoot has ever really explained why or apologized for it. It wasn't just the violence that shaped me, it was the condescending and seemingly ignorant justification for it.
Even though we were young in my neighborhood we weren't oblivious to the events going on in our world. My neighbor went to Vietnam and returned home in a bag. Another came home from the war AWOL and when the Feds came looking for him some parents in the neighborhood (including my mom) helped him evade capture for a couple of days before they sent him back to the war. I can still see him sprinting through my backyard as the Feds tried to catch him. We watched the news in silence as the fallen were taken off of military planes, we all wore POW bracelets hoping our guys were set free. We were conscious. As a result many of the violent images from that time, like this Pulitzer Prize winning photograph by John Filo of Mary Ann Vecchio who was 14 years old at the time (a couple of years older than me) have been forever seared into my consciousness.
May 4, 1970
By noon May 4, two thousand people had gathered in the vicinity of the commons. Many knew that the rally had been banned. Others, especially commuters, did not know of this prohibition. Chants, curses and rocks answered an order to disperse. Shortly after noon, tear gas canisters were fired. The gas, blowing in the wind, had little effect. The guard moved forward with fixed bayonets, forcing demonstrators to retreat. Reaching the crest of the hill by Taylor Hall, the guard moved the demonstrators even further to a nearby athletic practice field. Once on the practice field, the guard recognized that the crowd had not dispersed and, further, that the field was fenced on three sides. Tear gas was traded for more rocks and verbal abuse.
The guardsmen then retraced their line of march. Some demonstrators followed as close as 20 yards, but most were between 60 and 75 yards behind the guard. Near the crest of Blanket Hill, theå guard turned and 28 guardsmen fired between 61 and 67 shots in 13 seconds toward the parking lot. Four persons lay dying and nine wounded. The closest casualty was 20 yards and the farthest was almost 250 yards away. All 13 were students at Kent State University. The four students who were killed were Jeffrey Miller, Allison Krause, William Schroeder and Sandra Scheuer. The nine wounded students were Joseph Lewis, John Cleary, Thomas Grace, Alan Canfora, Dean Kahler, Douglas Wrentmore, James Russell, Robert Stamps, and Donald MacKenzie. Dean Kahler was permanently paralyzed from his injury.
Disbelief, fright and attempts at first aid gave way quickly to anger. A group of two hundred to three hundred demonstrators gathered on a slope nearby and were ordered to move. Faculty members were able to convince the group to disperse.
A University ambulance moved through the campus making the following announcement over a public address system: "By order of President White, the University is closed. Students should pack their things and leave the campus as quickly as possible." Late that afternoon, the county prosecutor obtained an injunction closing the University indefinitely. Normal campus activities did not resume until the summer session.
Minneapolis Photo Center Landscape Show
If you are in Minneapolis Friday April 23rd and are looking for a warehouse full of eye candy. Minneapolis Photo Center Landscape show is for you. Opening Friday APRIL 23, 7-10PM on exhibit until May 13, 2010.
This image I shot of the Potala Palace in Tibet was included in the show.
©Sara Jorde Photography
This image is cannot be downloaded or used without written permission from Sara Jorde Photography
Henri Cartier-Bresson: The Modern Century on Charlie Rose
A look at the Museum of Modern Art's 'Henri Cartier-Bresson: The Modern Century' exhibit with Martine Franck, photographer and widow of Henri Cartier-Bresson, Peter Galassi, director of the Museum of Modern Art's department of photography and Agnes Sire, director of Foundation Henri Cartier-Bresson. On display April 11- June 28, 2010.
Photographer Roger Ballen
Photographer Roger Ballen talks about his work , Jung and exploring your hidden repression on Lens Culture. Very interesting piece and the work is fantastic!
Roger Ballen: Lens Culture Conversations with Photographers from Jim Casper on Vimeo.
Keeper? Doubtful.
Go ahead and keep rubbing our nose in it. Just don't get too comfortable because we will prevail! Also, it is not a "keeper" it's just a snapshot.
Microstock
A great post by Fair Trade Photographer talking about the dreaded Microstock. The article is titled: Microstock: why would a reputable company do this to themselves? These are just a few companies who have used this image. FTPhotographer shows quite a few more. How long did it take him to find these examples? Under a minute.
Jim Marshall Legendary Rock Photographer
Jim Marshall died in his sleep this week. So many of us grew up looking at and loving his images. They really shaped the way we thought of the people he photographed. You know ... the stars. Jim Marshall made Bob Dylan cool, he made our hearts break for Pearl on that couch with her boyfriend Southern Comfort. He showed us real black people being their smart, beautiful talented unapologetic selves. Hendrix was only 26 or 27 years old, just a youngster when he lit his guitar on fire and Jim Marshall captured it and shared it with us. Jim helped create, document and deliver a brave new world. Godspeed Jim Marshall.
Misplaced Man Hole Covers
Found this while snooping around on a Friday. It's a great idea and is a nice reminder that little things really do matter.
"Misplaced Manhole Covers form part of a loose photographic study of the minutiae of our everyday surroundings, entitled 'As found'. 'As found' is a collection of photographs, taken by a number of contributors, documenting hiccups, adaptations, encounters and subversions in the street. 'As found' can also be viewed in full on the Medium website."
Last One Out, Please Turn On The Light
Photographer Richard Nicholson has documented the last remaining professional darkrooms in London. All the images are shot 4x5 film and lit to reveal the often hidden contents of the room. Looking at these images I feel a bit of nostalgia. Also, I can still smell the chemicals.
All copyrights to this image belong to Richard Nicholson.
Flashlight Photorental
Flashlight Photorental had their latest promo printed by Hatch Show Print in Nashville. I like the non-comfortaty of the poster for a photography rental joint. FLPR cared enough to think outside the box with this piece. That ability has a lot of value to me. If I am dealing with a vendor and there is a problem, I want someone who cares enough to problem solve with me. This has always been my experience with Flashlight. The gear is always clean and works as it should. FLPR will help you determine what gear you may or may not need based on your shot specs. Then there is the fact that they deliver 365 / 7am-7pm! Who does that these days?
If you are in Minneapolis or coming to town for a shoot, Flashlight is the go to place to rent the gear you need.
Hatch is one of the oldest working letterpress print shops in America and their look is unmistakable.
PDN
It's funny that I came across this article after my earlier post talking about a couple of my mentors.
Doug Beasley another old friend and mentor to most of the Minneapolis photo community at one time or another was featured in the latest issue of PDN. The article is titled "What Makes A Good Mentor? In the article Raoul Benavides talks about the role Doug played in helping him think about and expand his vision. Doug's parting statement is a small part of what makes him not only a great human being but also a committed mentor. He has a gentle yet firm way of holding up a mirror while asking you to look inside.
"It's not just about your photography career, it's about the kind of life you want to lead, it's about where you're headed with your life."
If you are interested in taking a photography workshop Vision Quest is a great place to start.
Getting the Band Back Together
Last Friday Mike Habermann and I were invited to speak at the Professional Practice class at MCAD that Paul Shambroom is teaching. When I was getting started in the photo industry I was fortunate to work as an assistant with both Mike and Paul. Both were generous mentors who really taught me about photography and in the process changed my life. To say I will be forever grateful would be an understatement.
For the last twenty years Paul's work has explored "America's power and culture through it's democratic, economice and security institutions". His new work is called Shrines and shows what happens to weapons of war when they are no longer useful.
I love the questions Paul presents about this new series:
"Why is a machine that was made for killing used as a memorial to the dead? Does it help a community mourn and heal from its losses, or is it intended to inspire new generations of warriors? Can it do both?"
"As these weapons age, their surfaces weather, and their technologies become obsolete, do they lose their associations with death and warfare?"
"With our nation once again at war, what can these relics of previous wars teach us about America’s (and humanity’s) proclivity for armed conflict?"
"As these weapons age, their surfaces weather, and their technologies become obsolete, do they lose their associations with death and warfare?"
"With our nation once again at war, what can these relics of previous wars teach us about America’s (and humanity’s) proclivity for armed conflict?"
"My hope is that images of these weapons will lead us to consider the complexities of community response to war and remembrance in America."
Me too.
Thanks to Heather Kraft for snapping this photo of us.
Foot in the Door 4 - Time-Lapse of Installation
The FITD4 exhibit is up until June 13, 2010. When you go make sure you see the Marco Breuer show too!
Honorable Mention (sort of)
A while back I was looking at a blog post about promos on aphoteditor. In the post APE was talking about and showing what types of mailers get a quick look from him and which ones hit the floor without being opened or even considered. While browsing I came across one of my postcards used as an example. Thankfully in the "easy to handle" category and not the "straight to floor" category.
Irreverent Love!
This scene happened a few weeks ago at a friends funeral. Reid would have been touched and proud. Actually, he was a bit touched and that is what we loved about him. The lesson here, try not die around friends with a limited moral compass! RIP Reid Galey
Foot In The Door 4
The folks at MIA did a great job putting this together! It was a fun event to participate in. From choosing and sizing a piece, to standing in line for 45 minutes to submit (I got lucky on that!), to talking to other artists and hearing stories from people who braved the 2 hour wait to get in on opening night. There is so much to look at that at times you can't really see anything. Crazy.
From MIA's website:
'"Held once every 10 years, "Foot in the Door" is an open exhibition for all Minnesota artists. This ever-popular exhibition celebrates the diversity and enthusiasm of Minnesota's visual — and, new this year, audio/video — artists. It's an important event for the arts community and a great opportunity for artists to display their work at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts. The sole curatorial criteria? Each submission must fit within one square foot.
In 1980 the first Foot in the Door Exhibition featured work by 740 artists. It was a fantastic success, a whirlwind of images and ideas coalescing into one gallery. And so, an exhibition and arts community event was born. In 1990 The Other Foot in the Door Show grew to include works by nearly 900 artists. And by 2000, the exhibition had become legendary, featuring over1700 artists, many of whom had participated in the previous two exhibitions. It has grown to be the state's largest art exhibition, with nearly 5,000 works registered for the current show."
Here are a few images from when I found my submission. Keep in mind this is only one out of three rooms the Museum allocated for the event.
In 1980 the first Foot in the Door Exhibition featured work by 740 artists. It was a fantastic success, a whirlwind of images and ideas coalescing into one gallery. And so, an exhibition and arts community event was born. In 1990 The Other Foot in the Door Show grew to include works by nearly 900 artists. And by 2000, the exhibition had become legendary, featuring over1700 artists, many of whom had participated in the previous two exhibitions. It has grown to be the state's largest art exhibition, with nearly 5,000 works registered for the current show."
Here are a few images from when I found my submission. Keep in mind this is only one out of three rooms the Museum allocated for the event.
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