Dr. Rebecca Senf - Center for Creative Photography - “Ask a Curator” life webcast

Recent Photography Webcast Worth Viewing - Becky Senf & Joel Meyerowitz

October 23, 2023

I have been able to watch a number of great live web events recently about photography and I want to quickly mention them in a post. With all the material out there today, I feel like I was lucky to have found these. The first two I discovered because I follow Dr. Rebecca Senf at the Center for Creative Photography and the last one was an Instagram alert about a live broadcast starting because I follow Joel Meyerowitz.

The first webcast was four weeks ago and was the Center for Creative Photography’s “Ask a Curator” event where Rebecca Senf (Becky) answered questions about being a curator for an hour. I thought this was outstanding and I encourage photographers, or anyone interested in fine art photography, to follow the “Ask a Curator” link and listen to her talk. I have really focused on getting to know curators and other photography professionals lately, just to deepen my understanding of the medium and the direction it is going. I have met Becky several times, have heard her lecture, and read her writings. She shares content in a way that every person who receives the information will gain a better level of understanding of the topic. I love listening to Becky talking about photography, her knowledge of, and passion for, the medium always comes through.

The next live webcast I saw was also promoted on Rebecca Senf’s Instagram. This event was the Photographic Arts Council - Los Angeles’s A Picture a Minute where well-known photographers, collectors, and curators each selected a single photograph and spoke to why the image was important to them, ideally for just one minute. You can see with my screen shot above the list of participants was impressive.

With the picture in a minute webcast, speakers were moving fast and my note taking was not perfect, but here is what I got down – I researched as much as I could to prevent errors, my apologies if I missed anything.

The concept for the event came from a project Agnes Varda had done for French television where she did 170 episodes called “un minute for un image”. Agnes wanted to how a single photo could impact people. Agnes felt that viewing photographs gave her space and time to think and wanted to share that with others.

Here are a selection of the presenters and their chosen photographs:

Alia Malley shared the photograph “Earth rise over the Moon” taken on 12/24/68 by Apollo 8 astronaut Bill Anders and spoke about how incredible that moment was for all of mankind and how important the image was capturing it. She also mentioned how intriguing it is to think the camera only captured 1/250th of a second in time but how powerful that fraction of time was.

Andrea Liss highlighted Carry Mae Weems photograph “Moody Blue Girl”

Arpad Kovacs’s photograph was David O. Alekhuogie’s 2015 image “Bandana Hearts”.

PAC LA’s Director, Bayley Mizelle, talked about Alvin Baltrip’s 1975-80 series “The Piers” documenting the gay cruising spots in New York City before the Aids epidemic.

Cesar Rueda showcased a photograph by Magnum’s Yael Martinez.

Paula Ely shared Vik Muniz’s “Ecstasy of St. Theresa after Benini” 2015

Clare Kunny and her husband Colin Westerbeck spoke about a photograph in their personal collection which is a dual portrait of Colin by Joel Meyerowitz. They spoke about how the image was photographed and how special it is to them (There is more about this image below including Joel’s comments about it which I heard in a separate web cast).

Dan Solomon spoke about Deborah Turbeville’s American Vogue editorial in the 1970’s and mentioned there was a ‘sense of decay, Photos are about memories”.

Gallerist Douglas Marshall paid tribute to Lawrence McFarland, who passed this year by talking about the power of his photograph “Wheatfields Nebraska/Kansas border 1976”.

Elena Dorfman’s choice was an 1872 Eadweard Muybridge print.

LACMA’s Eve Schillo chose Yan Wang Preston’s 2017 image Egongyan Park.

Hiroshi Watanabe didn’t understand the “one-minute” aspect of the event, but he gave an interesting talk about a Robert Frank print he had owned once, “New Orleans Trolley 1955”. Hiroshi paid $8,000 for the print in 1992 and when he decided to sell it a few years later, because it had started to fade slightly, it sold at auction for $36,800.

Jeanne M. Connell showed a 1948 print of Solarized Calla Lillies by Carlotta Corpron. I was not familiar with Corpron, who a teacher at Denton College in Texas, but this image was beautiful.

Jo Ann Callis shared Daido Moriyama’s famous 1971 photograph “Stray Dog”.

Rebecca Senf chose a photograph by Ansel Adams which was printed early in his career, a 1927 print of Mount Galen Clark. I found her selection interesting because I have seen exhibitions of Adams’s photographs where multiple prints of the same image, from different stages in Adams’s career, are hung together to show the evolution of his technique. I also found it interesting to see which Adams image Becky chose since she has expert knowledge of most all his work.

Robert Berman selected a Julian Wasser image that I know and like of Duchamp playing chess with a nude model. I did a blog post earlier this year when Wasser passed away. I have seen video of Wasser talking about his life and photography before, he definitely lived life to the fullest and made some great images. I also liked the fact this particular image was made in Pasadena, California in 1963, because I was born there that year.

Former gallerist Stephen White shared a Bill Brandt nude.

Virginia Heckert, who is the curator of photographs at the J. Paul Getty Museum talked about Shigemi Uyeda’s 1925 photograph “Reflections on the Oil Ditch” from their collection.

Michael Hawley, Chairperson of the Getty Photographs Council, chose a Graciela Iturbide photograph, titled “Angelita” 1979. Listening to Hawley, he obviously has great insight into the medium and he said a couple good things worth sharing: “The art of photography are pictures that offer more questions than answers” and he reminded people to get to know their artists who are still here.

Long time Los Angeles gallerist Paul Kopeikin shared a vernacular photograph of a cowboy and a girl from his collection and spoke to how anyone can collect photographs which I thought this picture was an awesome share. Paul’s words reminded me of some of Bill Jay’s lessons on the value of a photograph back when I was studying at Arizona State.

I am thankful the Photographic Arts Council - Los Angeles put this event on, it had a lot of value.

**Darius Himes - Christie’s**

Interviewing Joel Meyerowitz along with Alejandro Cartagena

The final live webcast I saw was Darius Himes and Alejandro Cartagena interviewing Joel Meyerowitz about his recent venture into the NFT market. I follow Joel on Instagram and got notification that the live video was starting, and at that time I was able to watch it. Alejandro is an artist in his own right, but he is collaborating with Joel, helping his go through his massive archive to find images from the past. Darius is the International Head of Photographs for Christie's. The conversation between these three was interesting enough but then Alejandro brought up the fact he had participated in the Photographic Arts Council - Los Angeles’s A Picture a Minute and mentioned one of Joel’s photographs had been featured in the event. The photograph was a dual portrait of Colin Westerbeck, one image in the morning and the second image in the afternoon in his apartment, I believe in Chicago. In the pre-digital age, it was a slightly complex image to compose so the frame edges lined up correctly. During the PAC LA event Colin and his wife, Clare Kunny, spoke about the print which still hangs in their house and how important it is to them because of their relationship with Joel. When Alejandro brought it up in this webcast Joel then talked about his photographic process for the image. It was fascinating hearing the perspectives from the three people involved in making the image. Colin is the former Curator of Photographs at the Art Institute of Chicago and an educator. Clare Kunny specializes in education programs within the museum environment. Colin and Clare have lived in Los Angeles for some time now. Joel Meyerowitz is another photography icon that is always worth listening to. He is one of the best image makers of all time and has such incredible energy.

There is so much content online now and it’s hard to navigate through it all, but when you do you often find some amazing content. Hopefully you will find the time to explore some of the links I have shared here.

Photographing with Ave Pildas - September 22, 2023

October 8, 2023

On Friday September 22nd I spent the afternoon photographing and hanging out with legendary Los Angeles street photographer Ave Pildas.

I discovered Ave’s work, when I found a copy of his book Street People at Arcana Books in Culver City five years ago. I liked his work so much I bought a copy of the book. I authored a blog post about Street People and how his photograph “Cop Salute” really stood out to me. I loved the fact Ave was apparently self-publishing small edition books, promoting his work, making his own opportunities. Los Angeles is a hard town to photograph in and it was obvious Ave has been out there documenting Los Angeles for a long time. I followed Ave on social media and when Deadbeat Club Press released Ave’s Star Struck book last year, I went back over to Arcana for the signing to meet him; I also authored a blog post about that. We had a great talk and I suggested going out photographing on the street together.

Ave and I had talked a few times this year trying coordinate our schedules to go out and photograph. When we figured out September would be good for both of us, Ave specifically told me he wanted to find new areas in LA to photograph. The light in September is also usually better than the summer months which I thought would be a plus, but of course the day we went out it was oddly overcast for September here. Ave lives in Santa Monica and is probably best-known for his Hollywood street photography. When we were planning the day Ave told me he was interested in exploring two Los Angeles neighborhoods: Liemert Park and York Boulevard in Highland Park. Because I knew I would be coming from a morning meeting with Photography Curator Linde Lehtinen at the Huntington Library I chose York Boulevard which was closer. I also liked how he described York Boulevard as a gentrified neighborhood with plenty of foot traffic and people out and about to photograph. I love an image rich environment.

We met at Avenue 50 and York which was perfect. There is also a bench there which allowed us to talk for half an hour before we started walking and photographing. I also got a good feel for the area watching the people pass us.

Ave and I are very different in a lot of ways, first and foremost I am 6’5”, Ave is not. I was born in the 1960’s, Ave was “living life” in the 1960’s and 70’s; and he still attacks life today. But I quickly discovered we are very similar when it comes to photography even though we work in different styles. We both constantly look for images in our travels, framing things in our mind when we don’t have a camera in hand, and we both have a strong desire to document our world. We also both feel the pressure of fleeting time and its impact on our efforts to preserve our work, so our images live on long after we are gone. We also have a similar geek side, like where we both got excited with the visit to Galco’s Soda Pop Stop. I bought some PEZ and Ave asked for a handful of eclectic bottle caps. I also loved listening to Ave and Ernestine at Leaf & Spine talk about succulents for ten minutes. We discovered her shop while adventuring around York Boulevard.

Street Photography Styles:

When it comes to photographing people on the street, Ave talks to people more, and likes to engage with his subjects. I like to move anonymously through crowds while photographing. I don’t want people to be aware that I am photographing them because I want to document the world as it is, without interfering with it; but I always do get incredibly powerful images when I get suspicious stares directly into my lens. We talked about our different approaches and during the conversation I referenced Bruce Gilden who photographs in a very confrontational style, on the street of NYC with a wide-angle lens and a flash. There is never a doubt when Bruce has taken your picture, he’s in your face. The confrontation Bruce creates is an important part of the image. Ave and I both like Bruce’s photographs but agreed we would never want to work in that style; we also agreed that style would not go over well in Los Angeles.

I think Ave photographs in a more methodical manner. Granted he is 84 years old, but he is in great shape still and could move along the street faster. He just really likes to examine everything around him and often photographs details from multiple angels to get exactly what he wants. I like to do that as well with static subjects but when I am photographing on the street I am usually moving and reacting to the people I see. I often “Shoot from the hip” literally, with a Sony RX100 vii with the rear screen tiled up so I can glance down and see it. I miss some things in the frame with this approach but with it I can move about better, and people are more natural. Missing an image is just part of the process, some things aren’t meant to be. When I see something that is amazing I will frame it regardless of whether people will notice. Often I have a Nikon D850 around my neck and will transition to that for those images. I also use the DSLR camera for all the static subjects. A DSLR camera body around the neck often helps me photograph surreptitiously with my Sony RX 100 vii. Suspicious people focus on the DSLR body, and they don’t even look at my hands. Good Life Lesson from my Law Enforcement days, always look to see what’s in people’s hands.

William Karl Valentine - York Boulevard Portfolio

The Experience of Photographing with Ave

The afternoon photographing with Ave was one of the coolest times I have had in a while. I almost always photograph alone or if I am with other people I am the only photographer. After leaving ASU I have never really had a mentor photographer. I have had outstanding advisors like Mary Virginia Swanson but no one I went out photographing with. Ave and I photographed well together, each discovering different things to photograph and moving at a pace that didn’t hinder either of us. The pace was also good because it gave us the opportunity to discuss so many different things. We meshed well, I did not set the day up looking for a mentor, I was looking to exchange ideas with an experienced peer, and I got that. I know we both got something out of the day and developed a good friendship. Ave even called me last week to tell me about photographing Liemert Park the weekend after we were on York Boulevard.

We discussed so many things there is no way to list everything here, and some things were just between us. Ave life has been an adventure. He was a successful designer in Cincinnati and when he wanted to get to the next level he followed the advice of his mentors and went to study design in Switzerland. He met his first wife in Switzerland and has two granddaughters who are Swiss. He taught in Philadelphia and ended up in Los Angeles because one of his former students worked at Capitol Records and introduced him to management when he had been in town on a road trip. He had to fly back to Philadelphia to get a portfolio to show them and was hired. We talked about some of the legendary photographers of our time, and it was interesting learning how Ave had met Danny Lyon in Milwaukee once and had seen Garry Winogrand photographing around Los Angeles on several occasions.

I look forward to getting back on the street again soon with Ave and could see somehow collaborating with him one day. His schedule is crazy, with pending trips to New York and Morocco coming up soon, but that also means I get to see more new images from him. I encourage everyone who reads this post to check out Ave’s website and follow him on Instagram, you won’t be disappointed. There is also a recently completed documentary film about Ave called Ave’s America that I am looking forward to watching once the release is complete.

William Kart Valentine on York Blvd – photograph © 2023 Ave Pildas

Ave’s Bio from his website:

Born and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio, Ave Pildas worked early in his career as a photo stringer for Downbeat Magazine in the Ohio Valley and Pennsylvania in the 1960's.

In 1971 Pildas began working as the Art Director at Capitol Records in Hollywood and designed and photographed album covers for the label's recording artists. He launched a career as a freelance photographer and designer soon after, specializing in architectural and corporate photography. His photographs have been exhibited in one man shows at the: Contemporary Arts Center, Cincinnati, Photographers Gallery, London, Janus Gallery, Los Angeles, Gallerie Diaframma, Milan, Cannon Gallery, Amsterdam, Gallerie 38, Zurich and numerous group shows. His photographs are in the permanent collections of the Museum of Modern Art, New York; the Bibliotheca National, Paris; the University of Arizona as well as numerous other public and private collections. He is a Professor Emeritus at Otis College of Design.

“Manos Arriba” CA DSC - 08450 9-22-23 Ave Pildas

Atlanta Photography Group - Storytelling 2023 Exhibition - Opening September 19th

September 21, 2023

I am honored that the above print is included in the Storytelling 2023 exhibition which opened this week at the Atlanta Photography Group.

The exhibition celebrates street and documentary photography and was curated by Alyssa Coppelman.

APG shared the following about Coppleman on their website:

Alyssa Ortega Coppelman is an independent photo editor and photobook consultant based in Austin, Texas. She is Art Researcher for the Oxford American magazine; and Archival Researcher on the Emmy-nominated, PBS NewsHour series, Brief But Spectacular. Previously, she was Deputy Art Director at Harper’s Magazine.

About Oxford American

The Oxford American is a nonprofit arts organization and national magazine dedicated to exploring the complexity and vitality of the American South through excellent writing, music, and visual art. Billed as “A Magazine of the South,” it has won four National Magazine Awards and other high honors since it began publication in 1992. The Oxford American is published in partnership with the University of Central Arkansas.

The Image

This is the first time I have exhibited this image which I photographed in June 2022 at the First Annual West Hollywood Pride Parade. I have been concentrating on photographing more aspects of Los Angeles the last few years, partially because I think is important to document where I am from and partially because of the constraints related to the pandemic. I have always found it difficult to photograph in LA, it is not like New York or Chicago or even San Francisco. Los Angeles has so many diverse communities, and is geographically massive, it is really hard to capture everything about this place. People also don’t move around here like in the other big cities, in LA most people drive to where they were going, they don’t walk. Although this is changing some, as a photographer I still find that I have to search for the areas where people are congregating on the street. Hollywood and West Hollywood have always had more foot traffic than other areas and I knew the Pride parade would bring out lots of people for me to photograph so I went to it. I felt it was important to document the LGBTQ+ community because of its population size in Southern California and I was also interested to see how people would interact with each other at one of the first large post pandemic events.

When I saw this person in drag, and the people with them, I knew I was going to have the opportunity to capture a good image. I was first thinking my images would only be of the entourage but as this woman in in the tan hat started to fumble to get her cellphone camera up, I recognized that having her in my frame could take the image to a different level. The woman was so excited by what she saw approaching her that she stepped right in front of me to get her shot. Normally I would say something if someone did this while I was photographing but I wanted her in my frame. I stepped to my left and took my time framing the image. I made a number of exposures and worked to make sure the person in drag was featured, was in focus, and that I could see their image in the woman’s phone. Normally when I photograph on the street I am moving, often photographing from the hip (literally with a Sony RX100 vii), and when I frame an image, it’s quick. The parade setting obviously allowed for a more traditional photographic approach, framing in a viewfinder, but with this image I spent even more time than normal to perfect the frame.

For me, the interaction between the woman and the person in drag is key. The stare down of a dominatrix, the desire of the woman to capture the image and maybe even a desire for other things. The stare was so intense it seemed to single them out from the crowd, like a scene you might see in a movie, where all other noise is silenced and it’s just the two of them alone, albeit in the middle of a crowded parade. The other elements of the image work well too: the laughter of the other woman witnessing the scene, the contrast between the muscular man and other woman crossing the street, and the how the majority of the crowd isn’t even taking notice of their connection. With many of my street photographs I look to document relationships between individuals, and relationships between a person and the whole of a group or society. I love that this image has lots of layers to it, which allows each viewer to have their own experience of seeing it. The image is also a solid document of the event and a segment of the Angelino population.

The Print:

The exhibition print has an image size of 24” x 16” which is the largest sized print I have produced so far in an edition (I have produced some larger prints for commercial clients). This print is on a sheet of 26” x 18” Hahnemȕhle Photo Rag Ultrasmooth paper, framed with a window matt to an external size of approximately 33” x 25”. The print in the exhibition is #4 in an edition of 9 for this image size.

The print was made by Digital Arts Studio in Atlanta who I have been using to produce all my large print editions. Owner Barry Glustoff is fantastic to work with and his lab is one of the top certified printers of Canson and Hahnemȕhle papers in the world. I had Barry produce editions of 19 other images this summer at this size, and he has printed and framed all my photographs for every one of my APG exhibitions. His work is outstanding, and the staff is professional.

The Exhibition:

I have had a chance to see the other images in the exhibition and some early photographs of the installation. The exhibition looks great, some outstanding images, and I am pleased to be showing work with Gwen Julia, Joe Hoyle & Peter Essick again.

Clint Woodside, Taylor Galloway, and William Karl Valentine - LAABF 2023 at The Geffen Contemporary at MoCA

"I Can Feel You Dreaming" - Taylor Galloway

September 9, 2023

The Deadbeat Club publishers have been crushing it lately with some amazing titles. I have a few of their books in my collection so when I went to Printed Matter’s Los Angeles Art Book Fair one of my top priorities was to find their booth, introduce myself to Clint Woodside - the founder, and see what new titles they had out.

Once I got to their booth, I was immediately drawn to Taylor Galloway’s book “I Can Feel You Dreaming” (Deadbeat Club publication #85). The book looks simple at first, but it so well printed and has a handcrafted feel to it. The images are wonderful, they allow the viewer to have their own interpretations of them, and they allow for unique experiences every time you revisit the book. The copy on display was a special edition with a small print from one of the images in the book which I loved. I like trains to begin with but the way the image is framed is absolutely perfect, I dig it. Taylor’s book gave me the opportunity to introduce myself to Clint.

Clint made a solid first impression, he knows his craft and is passionate about it. I told him how much I enjoyed owning a copy of Ave Pildas’s book Star Struck and I told him how I met Ave and Ian Bates at their book signing at Arcana Books. We started talking about Taylor’s book and how the Special Edition version was editioned to only 30 copies. Clint was showing me an artist proof and the other person in their booth said that AP copy was all they had left, that the edition had sold out. I guess I made a good impression on Clint because when I said I would still buy an AP copy because I liked it that much, he turned around and pulled out #30 of 30 which he had apparently set aside. I like to think Clint wanted to find a good home for the last copy of the special edition. If that’s the case, I am thankful I struck up that conversation. I am still pumped up about adding this book to my collection.

I have had a number of conversations with publishers over the last few years, Clint definitely stands out. I know I will be adding more of Deadbeat’s titles to my collection over time and I understand why Ave decided to publish one of his most important books with Clint.

The Archival Pigment Print included with the Limited Edition book.

Printed Matter's LA Art Book Fair - Geffen Contemporary at MoCA

September 8, 2023

I was able to make it out to Printed Matter's 2023 LA Art Book Fair on August 13th at the Geffen Contemporary at MOCA which did not disappoint. This was the first LAABF since 2019, which was fantastic, so I wanted to get up there for it. Ticket demand was high, so I ended up going up on Sunday during the masked-up visitor time which actually worked out great because there were less people there and I was even able to find a parking spot after driving around for half an hour.

The organizers did a fantastic job bringing the fair back to life after the pandemic. I saw lots of great material, things that were innovative ways for sharing art, and lot of well-crafted print on demand or self-produced works. I saw work I thought was amazing and had strong artistic value and there were things that saw which I thought were weak. A lot of the sexually explicit works seemed to fail as art in my opinion. Solid erotica for some folks I guess, I just didn’t see much more value in a lot of it. One of the most beautiful aspects of art is every visitor brings their own background to the viewing experience so everyone’s take on something can be different. I will also say that most all the booths were professional and tasteful about the display of their work so most people could enjoy LAABF without being offended.

The organizers remembered their past layouts in this epic facility and once again it was outstanding how the exhibit was set up. Photo books in their own area, and the traffic flow throughout the show worked well. I roamed around the entire exhibit a couple of times.

Below is a gallery of images from my visit, I am also authoring a couple other blog post about two books I bought there and my visit with Clint Woodside founder of Deadbeat Club publishing. If you are in Los Angeles, the next time LAABF is up you need to check it out.

The Atlanta Photography Group - Critical Mass 2023 Finalists

August 25, 2023

I am trying to catch up on Blog Posts. wanted to take a quick moment to share the Atlanta Photography Group’s announcement last week that 23 APG members are among the 200 Finalists for this year's Photolucida Critical Mass call. I am proud to be one of those finalists as well as a member of the Atlanta Photography Group. I have authored numerous blog posts already about APG, it is an incredible organization with some outstanding photographers. I have exhibited work with at least five other finalists before and have met a number of them. I encourage you to check out some of the links below to get to know their work, I am in good company with this selection.

***Greg Vaughn and Brewers at Scottsdale Stadium - Cactus League Spring Training - Arizona (CL-152 #08 3-16-89)***

Photo Lucida Critical Mass 2023 - Finalist Announcement

August 15, 2023

I am honored to announce that my submission to Photo Lucida’s Critical Mass 2023 has been chosen to be a Finalist. This is the third time I have been a Critical Mass Finalist. I was also a Finalist in 2014 & 2016 with law enforcement portfolios. Critical Mass is one of the most prestigious international photography calls for submission there is. It attracts thousands of entries each year from around the world and the jurors for Critical Mass are some of the most renowned photography professionals in the world. 200 photographers are chosen as Finalists and now a panel of 150 jurors will select the 50 Winners.

I also want to congratulate Denise Laurinaitis who is another finalist this year. Denise and I have exhibited together twice this year. First in May at the Atlanta Photography Group’s Portfolio 2023 Exhibition and opening next month in The Decisive Moment juried exhibition at the Photo Place Gallery in Middlebury, Vermont. Denise is a very good emerging artist, and I am always honored to have my photographs exhibited with her work.

This was the first year I submitted images from my Cactus League Portfolio which documents baseball’s Spring Training in Arizona each March. I have been photographing the Cactus League for over 40 years now. With my submission, I selected images which showcase the decline of the number of African American athletes playing professional baseball in recent years as many of those athletes now concentrate on Football or Basketball. Below are the rest of the images in the submission and my statement:

“Black in Baseball" William Karl Valentine

This submission is a selection of images from my Cactus League Baseball portfolio to showcase player demographics changes since I began documenting the sport forty years ago.

African American players only accounted for 6.1% of Major League Baseball’s 2023 opening day rosters. Of the 945 players only 58 were Black. The last time the percentage was this low was in 1955 the year before Jackie Robinson retired. Five teams had no black players and 9 teams only had one player who was black. 29% of Chicago’s 2.75 million residents are black, the city has two baseball teams, and only two black players.

Diversity though is up in baseball, with 269 International players on opening day rosters. The sad reality is fewer African American athletes are choosing to play baseball when it comes time to select a focus sport in high school, they tend to pursue football and basketball instead of baseball. Popularity, visibility, marketing, and related attire are suspected factors. The path to the NFL and NBA may also be easier with many players turning professional after only a year in college. The prohibited costs of youth travel baseball may also be impacting the numbers of black players.

Many of baseball’s greatest players have been Black, it is sad to see the decline in numbers today. Thankfully baseball is working on this by investing in programs to bring these athletes back. If baseball is to continue as America’s National Pastime it needs more Black players back in the game.

Photo Place Gallery - Middlebury, Vermont - September 2023

July 29, 2023

I am pleased to announce that Curator Aline Smithson has selected the above photograph to be included in The Decisive Moment juried exhibition at the Photo Place Gallery in Middlebury, Vermont. This will be my first-time exhibiting work in Vermont, and it will be the 55th exhibition I have participated in.

I am honored that Aline selected my photograph. She is the founder, and editor, of Lenscratch Magazine and an accomplished photographer in her own right. I first met Aline at the Medium Festival of Photography ten years ago and she featured my Santa Anita book in article that same year. Earlier this year, we both had our work showcased in the Atlanta Photography Group’s Portfolio Exhibition, in an exhibition curated by Shana Lopes, who is the Assistant Curator of Photography at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art .

This is the first time I have exhibited the above photograph which I captured 15 years ago while photographing for my Cactus League portfolio. The image is from the White Sox training facility in Tuscon before they moved to Glendale, Arizona and their current shared facility with the Dodgers. When I saw this call for entry, I realized this exhibition could be the perfect opportunity to finally showcase this image which I have liked.

I also want to congratulate Denise Laurinaitis who received the Directors Award for her submission “In Flight”. Denise exhibited this image with my work in May at the Atlanta Photography Group’s Portfolio 2023 Exhibition. It is an outstanding image and worthy of the recognition.

APG - 2023 Portfolio Exhibition Installation Photographs

July 29, 2023

I authored a blog post in May about my inclusion in the Atlanta Photography Group’s Portfolio 2023 exhibition. I recently received the photographs of the installation, and this post is just to share them. I again want to mention how honored I was that Shana Lopes selected my photographs for this exhibition and to have my photographs exhibited with the other outstanding featured artists.

Juror Shana Lopes and the other Photographers in the exhibition:

Artists Names and Links:

I am pleased that my work was exhibited with the other photographers and lens-based artists listed below. Collectively their accomplishments include a Pulitzer Prize, multiple Photo Lucida Critical Mass Finalists, and photographs in many prestigious permanent collections. Four of us live in Los Angeles, two in New York City, and the rest live in the following: San Francisco, Indiana, Mississippi, and Jason is in the Midwest. Hopefully you will take a moment to follow these links and learn more about their work:

Aline Smithson Instagram Web Site Linktree

I first met Aline ten years ago at the Medium Festival in San Diego and she interviewed me for Lenscratch about my Santa Anita portfolio and book. Aline has also featured Justin Carney’s work twice in Lenscrach as an emerging artist.

Ashleigh Coleman Instagram Web Site

Denise Laurinaitis Instagram Web Site

Justin Carney Instagram Web Site Linktree

Preston Gannaway Instagram Web Site Linktree

Michael Young Instagram Web Site Linktree

Simone Lueck Instagram Web Site

& Alternate Artists: Diane Meyer and Jason Lindsey

BLM Protest - Newport Beach, California (NB DSC 6686 6-06-20)

Picturing Resistance Exhibition at Art Intersection Gallery - Gilbert, Arizona

July 13, 2023

I am proud to announce that legendary photojournalist, and educator, Ken Light has selected three of my photographs for inclusion in the Picturing Resistance Exhibition at Art Intersection Gallery in Gilbert, Arizona. The exhibition runs August 12th through September 30th and includes 59 photographs.

Protest against Governor Newsom’s orders to close the beaches during the Covid Pandemic - Huntington Beach, California (HB DSC 9916 5-01-20)

BLM Protest - Hollywood, California (CA DSC 5652 6-02-20)

I have enjoyed Ken Light’s work for some time, and his books “Texas Death Row” and “Course of the Empire” are in my library. Ken is a great photographer to follow on social media. Not only has he been documenting America, and other parts of the world, for 50 years, but he is also the Reva and David Logan Professor of Photojournalism and curator of the Center for Photography at the Graduate School of Journalism at the University of California Berkeley, so he has knowledge of most all current trends in photography today. Ken posted about this exhibition call on social media and I took the opportunity to get my work in front of his eyes. I didn’t know about Art Intersection before the call but in researching it some it looks like Alan Fitzgerald, the Executive Director, is overseeing a good space with a great photography community. I’m glad to have discovered Art Intersection.

With Ken selecting these images for the exhibition it gives me some validation for my pandemic portfolio which makes me very happy. I think mu pandemic era photographs will become an important documentation of what occurred during the pandemic, especially here in Southern California.

Art Intersection Gallery

207 N. Gilbert Road, Suite 201 - Gilbert, Arizona, 85234 480-361-1118

Gallery Hours: Wednesday - Saturday 10 AM to 6 PM

Owl in my Star Pine - Newport Beach, California (NB DSC 5929 11-6-22)

Small Works Exhibition - South x Southeast Gallery - August 2023

July 13, 2023

I am pleased to announce that curator Donna Garcia selected the above photograph, “Owl in my Star Pine” for inclusion in the South x Southeast Gallery’s upcoming “Small Works” Exhibition. The work will be displayed online and in the South x Southeast’ gallery space in Molena, Georgia this August through September. I am also excited that exhibition will hang during “Slow Exposures” Photography Festival: Celebrating Photography in the Rural South, in neighboring Concord, Georgia.

This exhibition call was a chance for me to showcase one of my lesser-known images, in this case a photograph I have never exhibited before. I really like this photograph, but I knew when I made the exposure that the image would not fit in to any of my primary portfolios. Didn’t matter, this is an example why you should make the exposure when you see an image that interests you even if you don’t know how you would ever use it. Like that old paraphrased Winogrand quote says: “You photograph something to see what it looks like photographed”. I also liked the technical challenge of photographing an owl at night that far away.

Background about this Image. If you are familiar with Newport Beach you might not expect to find a home here with two pine trees and a 100’ tall Star Pine on the property, but my house does. I have lived here for 29 years and a couple of years ago I started hearing owls in the neighborhood, eventually they started sitting on the top of my Star Pine. The owls come and go, sometimes I hear them every night for two or three months straight and then they will be gone for several months. I have heard them on a couple times in the last week and not in my tree. I have used a 400mm lens with a flash on my D850 to photograph the owl before and was lucky to have been able to photograph two owls in the tree at the same time. With most of my owl photographs I am standing within 6 feet of my front door. For this submitted image I used my D500 with a 300mm zoom lens because I was in a hurry to get the image of the owl with the alignment of the rising moon. This image lent itself to be cropped square so for this exhibition I had it printed and framed so it was 12” x 12” with no matting (Price $375, no edition set but limited up to 27).

More photographs of the Owls

NB DSC 0854 12-21-22

NB DSC 0869 12-21-22

NB DSC 0872 12-21-22

NB DSC 0873 12-21-22

And a few photographs from last September when the crows were going after a Cooper’s Hawk in the pine tree 20’ away from my Star Pine. I didn’t see the owl at first, he looked like he was just hanging out, but I assume that he and the hawk were both going after the young in a nearby crow’s nest.

Cooper's Hawk - NB DSC 5521 9-26-22

Cooper's Hawk - NB DSC 5522 9-26-22

NB DSC 5548 9-26-22

NB DSC 5565 9-26-22

I am not a nature photographer, but I appreciate God’s creations and find all the birds in my yard interesting (although I hate the crows, they are annoying), so as a photographer, I photograph them, it is just a compulsion I guess at this point.

Atlanta Photography Group - Portfolio 2023 Exhibition - Now Open

May 18, 2023

I am proud to announce that six of my photographs have been selected for the Atlanta Photography Group’s “Portfolio 2023” exhibition, which opened Tuesday. I am especially honored that Shana Lopes, who is the Assistant Curator of Photography at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art was the juror for this exhibition. Only eight photographers were selected, and one of us will have their photographs placed into the permanent collection of the prestigious High Museum in Atlanta from the purchase award associated with the exhibition.

This is my sixth Atlanta Photography Group exhibition, and this is the first time I have had my work selected for their portfolio exhibition. This is a significant career moment for me because the APG Portfolio exhibition is so competitive and always judged by a renowned curator. I am once again thankful for Donna Garcia and the staff at APG for all their work organizing this exhibition and securing Shana to make the selections. I am also thankful for the APG board, staff (Nicole LeCorgne), and community for building the best photography organization of this kind in the country. I am also excited about APG’s future with the addition of David Clifton-Strawn as APG’s new Executive Director.

Photographs in the exhibition

"Welcome to Hell" Officer Bill Walton (PPD - 026 #17 6/27/85)

Bus ride to the Rose Parade briefing (PPD-146 #23 12/31/86)

Officers Gales and Rangel in the report writing room. (PPD-053 #19A 10/4/85)

Agent Pratt dusting a recovered stolen vehicle (PPD-128 #18A 7/9/86)

Officer Aguilar filling out gang card - Chino PD (PD-048 #20 March 1995)

Domestic Violence suspect - Chino (CPD DSC_1618_ 11/17/22)

Background Information about the images in the exhibition:

“Welcome to Hell” (1985) – Bill Walton was an outstanding street cop. Where all the young officers wanted to work in the action-packed area with the gangsters and rock cocaine sales, Walton was happy working in the slower East side of the Pasadena. He wasn’t lazy in fact he had to work harder to get his arrests than officers in the busy areas. I remember how Walton would hunt vehicle burglars hitting the cars in the restaurant and theatre parking lots of his area. He had a number of hidden lookout spots where he could sit with his binoculars scanning the lots for thieves. He made lots of self-initiated arrests because he cared about protecting his beat. His clipboard has his unit call sign (“3L41” - signifying Swing shift, solo officer car, Beat 4, and the first unit in that beat, usually he was the only officer on that end of the city) and “E.S.P.” (Copying the East Side Pasadena gang graffiti), as well as the bumper sticker.

“Bus Ride” (1986) - Every New Years Eve, officers would get dressed at the old police station then get bused the half mile over to the convention center for the large briefing of all personnel working security along the route of The Rose Parade. Over a million people come to watch the parade each year, many of which camp out overnight and like to celebrate New Years Eve. Some areas of the route are calm and other areas were known to be rowdy every year. The buses used for these trips were Los Angeles County Sheriff inmate transportation buses. I always thought the contrast between the gang graffiti etched on the roof of the bus and the police officers added a lot to this image. I also love how this image captured the comradery of the officers and diversity.

“Report Writing” (1985) - Documents the unglamourous part of law enforcement you never see in the movies or TV shows, having to write reports. Back then everything was handwritten or typed by the officers. Lots of white out and erasers. I chose a different angle to showcase how much paperwork actually have to deal with. The images also lets the viewer see how unglamourous the report writing area was.

“Dusting for prints” (1986) – I learned so much about the profession while photographing at Pasadena PD that I would later use in my own career as a Police Officer and Detective at Chino PD. As I was photographing Calvin Pratt, he taught me to always dust the center review mirror on recovered stolen vehicles because everyone always adjusts the mirrors the first time. He said most car thieves would wipe down the stolen cars when abandoning them but often would forget to wipe down the center mirror. Auto theft investigation would later become one of my areas of expertise’s at Chino PD.

“Gang Card” (1995) – Foremost this image documents the era when law enforcement was encouraged to do more gang enforcement to combat rising crime in Southern California. There are a few layers in this image, the gang tattoo, which was hidden at first, the subject looking away avoiding eye contact and the posture between the officer and the subject.

“Domestic Violence Suspect” – (2022) Last year the Chief of Police at Chino PD asked me if I would be willing to come back and photograph officers out on patrol again and I immediately told him I would. A couple years ago I had decided it would be good to photograph this current era of Law Enforcement so I could document the changes within the profession in my time. With the pandemic I had not found the right opportunity yet. This image documents something that unfortunately never seems to change, domestic violence. The man in the back seat of the unit is a domestic violence suspect who allegedly got drunk and slugged his wife in the face during an argument. When the first officers arrived, he resisted arrest and a crowd formed in the apartment complex prompting officers to have to call for a “code three back” for more assistance. After being handcuffed the man refused to walk to the police car and had to be carried to it by officers. The man’s brother, whom he had been drinking with, said the man resisted arrest because was afraid the arrest would hurt his ability to lawfully immigrate to this country. If I correctly remember the man and his family came to the United States from Nicaragua, crossed the border illegally, and were placed in this apartment complex while waiting for their immigration hearing about their asylum request.

Information about images in Previous APG Exhibitions (see below):

“Kevin Hall at the Do Dah Parade” (1985) – The Do Dah Parade is an annual event where people hold a spoof parade making fun of the Rose Parade. I think it still exists, but its popularity has waned, it was at its peak in the 80’s and 90’s. This image is a great document of the parade, but I also love the symbolism in it. Kevin was a big good-looking cop, who wore the uniform well. Here he is looking cool, calm, and collected in amongst a world of pandemonium. The image symbolizes what society expects from all officers but has little concept of how hard that is to achieve, especially in today’s world.

“Young Guns” (1986) – Pasadena PD Officers Hal Edwards, Matt Harrell, Mark Rangel, and Don Osterholt. These are Graveyard shift officers lined up in the hallway at the station waiting to check out their unit keys, shotguns, and portable radios. Law Enforcement Graveyard shifts inherently have many young officers because they have the least amount of seniority and can’t get a better shift yet. Younger officers often bring more energy, make more mistakes, and have lots of bravado. When I made the exposure I felt the image captured the invincible, fraternal, mindset many young Graveyard officers have. I also liked the fact this image documented the diversity which Pasadena PD had in the 1980’s. I gave this image the title “Young Guns” sometime later, with the inspiration being the 1988 Western movie with that title.

Related photographs which have recently shown at APG but are not in this current exhibition.

Officer Kevin Hall - The Do Dah Parade (PPD-057#14 - 12/1/85)

"Young Guns" (PPD-071 #01A - 1/03/86)

Artist Statement for this submission:

My father was a Reserve Police Officer with the Pasadena Police Department for over 30 years. I would go with him when he went to the station to drop off paperwork and he often stopped by our house nights he was on patrol. Because of this I saw my first dead body when I was about six years old, 1969. A hippie had overdosed, and his friends brought him to the emergency clinic next to the station, but he was already dead. MY dad took me over to his body in the VW bus and told me my first lesson about drug use. I remember the scene vividly to this day.

I started attending Arizona State University in the fall of 1984 as a Photography major. For a class assignment, I needed a documentary project to photograph during spring break. I came up with the idea of photographing the Pasadena Police Department and my dad made the arrangements so I could go on a series of ride-alongs to photograph. The first night I rode with a Sergeant who was a good family friend. He took me all over, introduced me to the younger officers, and he got me on scene of a suicide, a woman named Tina Hart who shot herself in the middle of the street. I immediately liked being in a police car and knew the access I had could lead to a powerful body of work. Northwest Pasadena in the mid 1980’s was crazy, lots of rock cocaine and gangs; the Bloods and Crips in Southern California were very active. When I got back to school the work was well received.

I continued the Pasadena PD series during the following summer. I quickly earned the trust of more officers and ended up becoming a technical reserve working in the photo lab during the day while still photographing on the street at night. Between 1985 and 1987 I spent over 1,000 hours on the street photographing officers with unlimited access.

When I graduated I did not want to become a press photographer, so I decided to become a police officer. I attended the Rio Hondo Police Academy and then became our class photographer which gave me more unique access. I was then hired by the Chino Police Department in 1987. I spent most of my career working Patrol with years in the Detective Bureau. I was medically retired in 2008 because of injuries. Working patrol photographed when I could but I obviously had to perform my duties first. Last year the Chief at Chino PD asked me to return and start photographing the department again.

This portfolio documents law enforcement during a period which is now being scrutinized by people examining ways to bring about change to our criminal justice system. I don’t know of any other photographer who had the access and vantage point that I did during this era.

Other Artists in the Exhibition

I am pleased that my work is being exhibited with the other photographers and lens-based artists listed below. Collectively their accomplishments include a Pulitzer Prize, multiple Photo Lucida Critical Mass Finalists, and photographs in many prestigious permanent collections. Four of us live in Los Angeles, two in New York City, and the rest live in the following: San Francisco, Indiana, Mississippi, and Jason is in the Midwest. Hopefully you will take a moment to follow these links and learn more about their work:

Aline Smithson Instagram Web Site Linktree

I first met Aline ten years ago at the Medium Festival in San Diego and she interviewed me for Lenscratch about my Santa Anita portfolio and book. Aline has also featured Justin Carney’s work twice in Lenscrach as an emerging artist.

Ashleigh Coleman Instagram Web Site

Denise Laurinaitis Instagram Web Site

Justin Carney Instagram Web Site Linktree

Preston Gannaway Instagram Web Site Linktree

Michael Young Instagram Web Site Linktree

Simone Lueck Instagram Web Site

& Alternate Artists: Diane Meyer and Jason Lindsey

Julie Blackmon signing a copy of her book Midwest Materials (Radius Books - 2022) Fahey/Klein Gallery

Los Angeles Openings - Leica Gallery & Fahey/Klein Gallery - May 4th, 2023

May 16, 2023

I had a great night gallery hopping in Los Angeles earlier this moth. Started out at the Leica Gallery and then went over to Fahey/Klein Gallery to meet my favorite contemporary photographer, Julie Blackmon.

Leica Gallery - Los Angeles is incredible. The bottom floor is a camera store with a selection of books by photographers who use Leica cameras. Upstairs is one of the most beautiful private gallery spaces I have ever seen, 8,000 square feet. It has a balcony lounge, an insane amount of liner wall space, plenty of room to move about and a grand stairway leading up to it. Located in West Hollywood near the Beverly Hills city limits it definitely brings in the West Side crowd. The work on the walls was great and the people in the gallery equally interesting. I went to support Nick Ut who had a few prints up on the walls including his Pulitzer Prize winning image “Napalm Girl” shown below.

AP’s Nick Ut’s Pulitzer Prize winning photograph: Nine-year-old Kim Phuc, center, runs near Trang Bang, Vietnam, after an aerial napalm attack on June 8, 1972.

Fahey/Klein Gallery - Julie Blackmon: Midwest Materials and Geof Kern: Midtown Exit - ends June 10th

Julie Blackmon and William Karl Valentine at Fahey/Klein Gallery - Los Angeles

I first saw Julie Blackmon’s prints at Robert Mann Gallery in New York about six years ago and immediately loved her work. The prints are beautiful and have so many layers of information to them. Every time I see them there is always something new and interesting, I take away from the images. This was the first time I had seen Geof Kern’s work and I liked it. Interesting content and well-crafted prints.

Fahey/Klein’s flat file room is amazing.

I picked up two more books at the openings, Brad Mirman’s “Street Life” (Drago Publishing 2021) and Julie Blackmon’s “Midwest Materials” (Radius Books 2022). This is the second Blackmon book now in my library, I had purchased “Homegrown” (Radius Books 2014) at Robert Mann Gallery in NYC. I had Julie sign this book for my daughter Alyssa, Brad’s book came already signed. Julie’s work is so detailed it works best in large prints, but Radius does justice to her work with the size of these books and good print quality. I was not familiar with Brad Mirman’s work but bought the book because some of the subject matter, specifically the portraits of LA area gang members. In preparing this post I looked up Brad and found he is an established writer, producer, and director in the film industry. He is almost 70 years old now and splits his time between Paris and Los Angeles. His portraits are well crafted, and he obviously is willing to go to the hard areas to photograph some dangerous people, I totally respect that ability. He is not shy about putting on a wide-angle lens and getting close to those people and that really makes his images powerful. The images work better individually or in different groupings than they do in the editing of the book though. There seems to be several portfolios in this book, and they aren’t tied together well. I think there are also a few poorer images, where he tries to photograph on the street but misses, most the photographs of LAPD are weak. I feel if he would have done one book with portraits of LA gangsters and a second book on LA women it would have worked better or divide this book like that and edit out the other photographs that don’t tie in to those two groups. The images are also printed too dark. I know it is for a powerful visual effect, but they lose shadow details with that, with the ability of today’s presses that shouldn’t happen. Brad is a decent photographer and individually there are lots of valuable images in this book still.

Phoenix Art Museum - Fashioning Self: The Photography of Everyday Expression

May 16, 2023

Fashioning Self: The Photography of Everyday Expression examines the role of photography in shaping, sharing, and shifting identity. March 8th through November 5th 2023

I made my annual pilgrimage to Arizona in March to photograph a few Cactus League games. On the 18th I left the Angels game at Tempe Diablo Stadium a few minutes early so I could stop by the Phoenix Art Museum on the drive back to California, I didn’t bother to check beforehand what was being shown because the Phoenix Art Museum has never disappointed me; it is also an amazing space which is interesting in its own right.

The featured Photography exhibition had 54 works of street, documentary, and self-portrait prints curated to examine the long-intertwined relationship between people’s use of fashion for self-expression and photography’s role in documenting it over a century of time. The exhibition was organized by the Phoenix Art Museum and the Center for Creative Photography. I didn’t see the curators listed for this exhibition, but I assume Becky Senf was very involved in this project.

I have a simple sense of fashion, I live in T-shirts, basketball shorts, and baseball hats (fitted & prefer wool 59Fifty’s) most days. So, an exhibition dealing with fashion shouldn’t be where you would find me. But this exhibition had Max Yavno and Garry Winogrand photographs in it, and they are two of my favorite photographers.

The exhibition is curated so well, the curators had knowledge of works I had never seen before, and they brought everything together perfectly to tell this story. Just the design of the exhibition layout is so creative. How the various prints were grouped, the use of video, and incorporating an interactive Instagram component all come together to create a perfect experience. It is not like the old days where the selected works were just hung in a line, and it was more about the individual prints or paintings. The creativity of the curators shows through. This exhibition is timely and a great document of part of our history, the Phoenix Art Museum and CCP staff nailed it. Below are my images of the exhibition.

I wasn’t that familiar with Bill Cunningham’s work but it was a perfect addition to this exhibition. They had a video installation showing Bill working and his photographs. Bill was definitely a street photographer, but when I picked up of his book, which I bought in the Museum shop, I learned that he considered himself a fashion historian before being a photographer. He was good at both.

Selfie on the left, a self portrait, with the help of Adam from Phoenix Art Museum staff on the right. Below are examples of the interactive Instagram component of the exhibit. Notice my classic T-shirt and hat style, perfect for a day at the yard watching ball (and looking at art and driving 350 miles comfortably). #PhxArtFashioningSelf .

The Geoffrey Beene exhibit was outstanding, and it was because of the design of the space. Graphic colors and patterns, how the mannequins are posed, and the incorporation of the fashion still photographs & proof sheets, just come together amazingly. The curators had incredible vision to be able to take the artifacts they had and create this space. The exhibition is obviously static but had the feel of action the way it was designed. I loved how they worked the photography component in too, it added to the experience perfectly.

More photographs of the Phoenix Art Museum. I love the scale and design of this space, plus I always discover artwork I didn’t know about every time I visit. Phillip C. Curtis’s paintings are fantastic and I love Rebecca Campbell’s “Jack and Diane”; humor in the title and the painting style was so unique how it dealt with the light.

Miguel Palma’s(1964) “Action Plan” (2009) was on display near the Museum Store and immediately grabbed my attention. Miguel is just a year younger than I am, so I assume he grew up with G.I. Joes like I did. I understand the psychology behind why societies have had toy soldiers for their boys to play with, and I recognize the horror of war, but as a kid I loved my collection of G.I. Joes and spent lots of days outside in the dirt playing with them. This collection of accessories is epic. I appreciate the deeper meaning here, but with every piece of artwork on display, each view brings their own past experiences with them when they experience the work. A nice work of art but I am still also jealous of this collection.

New Avedon, Cunningham, and Friedlander books I bought in March while at the Phoenix Art Museum.

New Library Additions - Avedon, Cunningham, and Friedlander

May 9, 2023

When I visited the Phoenix Art Museum in March, I decided to buy a membership instead of just a single admission. I like to have memberships at museums I want to support even if they aren’t local. One benefit of that is a discount in the Museum Shop which I used to add three more titles to my library. I encourage anyone interested in these titles to purchase from the museum shop to help support the Phoenix Art Museum.

Richard Avedon - Relationships

Released in conjunction with Avedon’s 2022 retrospective exhibition in Milan, this book was published by Skira Publishers in Italy and edited by the Center for Creative Photography’s Rebecca Senf. The book is beautiful, it was printed and bound in Italy and the edit is outstanding. It was nice to finally get a signed copy of one of Becky’s books, I still need to get my copy of her Ansel Adams book, Making a Photographer: The Early Work of Ansel Adams autographed. The Center for Creative Photography houses Avedon’s archives and Becky was also involved with curating the exhibition as well as editing this book. You can see examples of the images in the book on Avedon's website.

Bill Cunningham -

Published by the New York Times in 2019 this retrospective of Bill Cunningham’s fifty-year career is a nice document of fashion during that time. Bill was a fashion columnist and photographer who worked for the New York Times. What I love about this book is all of these images were taken on the street, these photographs aren’t of models on a runway, they are all of people on the street. It is a better documentation of what fashion really was because it accurately shows what people were wearing during this period. Bill Cunningham referred to himself as a Fashion Historian more than a photographer. I agree with him 100% on his title but I also acknowledge he made interesting images and is more than worthy to also be called a photographer. Bill’s work is about the fashion not the frame or the interaction, but in this format it absolutely works. I wasn’t familiar with his work before seeing the exhibition Fashioning Self: The Photography of Everyday Expression at the Phoenix Art Museum but it was a perfect fit, and I purchased the book because I enjoyed how it was a different approach to document people on the street. If you are a fan of fashion photography you need to add this to your library.

Lee Friedlander - Prayer Pilgrimage for Freedom

This very unique book, published in 2015 by Eakins Press, only documents the events of one day, May 17th, 1957 when Dr. Martin Luther King spoke at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington DC during the Prayer Pilgrimage for Freedom. I wrongly first assumed this book documented the famed day when King gave his “I Have a Dream” speech but that would not occur until 1963. I researched the events and learned the Prayer Pilgrimage for Freedom was actually the first time Martin Luther King addressed a national audience. It makes sense now why photographs of Dr. King were not more prominent in the book since he was the last speaker of the day. The book is an outstanding document plus Friedlander’s photographic style is amazing, I always love looking at his images. I found it ironic I discovered this book a couple months before Fraenkel Gallery’s Friedlander exhibition opened this past weekend. The most incredible thing is Friedlander was 22 years old when he photographed the event. The book is a nice reference point to examine how Friedlander’s vision and career developed. He obviously knew early on how to be at the right place at the right time.

One more shout out to the wonderful people at the Phoenix Art Museum and their Museum Store, please purchase directly from them if you want any of these titles.

Chris Field - Visual Engineer

April 22, 2023

I watched an episode of The Green Planet this week and saw at the end where they showcased the inventions of Chris Field that allowed to capture time lapsed images in the rain forest. The images that Chris’s rigs captured are amazing. They were basically able to document the process of photosynthesis and show things like the relationship of ants and plants in the rain forest food chain. The images on their own were beautiful and I continue to be blown away by what the technical advances in cameras allow us to document. For me when I consider the complexities of the food chain it bolsters my faith, I know science answers many of life’s questions but when I see how well designed our world, I just can’t believe all this happened by a collision of a couple of rocks. The Green Planet episodes also remind me we need to do better to cherish our planet.

In the simplest of terms Chris designs camera systems (rails, camera mounts, computer programing of their movement and function) which allow cameras to track and photograph subjects like bugs and plants. The camera captures time lapse images which are then used to create video. Some of the lenses he uses are micro lenses with built-in ring lights which allow the camera to photograph tiny creatures in tight dark spaces. Much like drone cameras, his designs allow the documentation of things most of the world has never seen before.

Being a documentary photographer who works with still images I don’t have the need to use any of the rigs like Chris designs, but I found his story interesting and since it is a photography subject I decided to write a blog post about it. In researching Chris, I didn’t find a whole lot about him. The BBC mentioned he was an engineer in the US Military but I don’t see much more on line other than he was based in Colorado and I found his email address. After gathering my links for this post, I decided to something I don’t do much, I reached out to Chris, explained I was doing a post and asked if he would be willing to answer a few questions. He replied immediately and the time he took to answer my questions exceeded my expectations. When I read them I knew I picked a great topic for a blog post, his insight is outstanding. Below are my questions and Chris’s answers:

WKV- I would like to know more about your technical background. Is there greater detail you can share about your military background and how it gave you the skills needed to create these rigs or inspired your interest in building these. Was there another background that gave you your technical skill set.

CHRIS - So there is a little bit of confusion there with the whole military engineer thing, I think they should have put a comma between Military and Engineer. I spent 4 years in the military working on telecommunications. But I never have considered that engineering, but it did give me a great trade to fall on when I got out of the military, I ended up spending 20 more years in Telecommunication working on repair, test and turnup, new product implementation, and was tasked with quite a bit of telecommunication engineering as well as tier 2/3 support for newly developed products. I eventually ended up in charge of my own team. It was a wonderful career which paid well enough for me to really dive into my hobbies. As for mechanical and robotic engineering this has been mostly self-taught over time. A huge part is learning how to use Arduino, they are incredibly useful in this line of work and have an easy learning curve. These devices became critical to learn in order to build out the automation that I needed as there are really no good off the shelf solutions that can coordinate the camera, plumping, motion control, environmental, etc. I remember seeing the end of the tropics episode where it mentioned “Chris Field, an ex-military engineer” and suddenly those words were all over the place and there was not much I could do about it. I think “Chris Field, a self-taught engineer” would have been closer to how I would have written it. While I was in a technical field, the “military” portion makes it sounds like I was doing crazy DARPA stuff. I was in the USAF from 96-2000. I did 4 years and I’m proud of that service and continue the tradition, but it is not something I define myself by.

WKV – Did you have an interest in capturing visual scientific information about plants and animals to learn more about them? Is this a business concept where you saw a need and thought you could develop a niche that was profitable? Do you just like complex challenges and building rigs capable of capturing such amazing images just motivates you?

CHRIS - The why stretches back to when I first got into photography and astrophotography. I fell in love with hacking and building, and saw a timelapse with the milky sliding past and I was hooked. I gave up astrophotography overnight and started learning how to do timelapse. A friend of mine and I built a slider, and people started asking us to build them one. That led to a small side business that was ultimately a lot more work than pay. We eventually got burned out and stopped selling them. I had some cameras at that point and a few sliders and wanted to film some stuff, but with it being February in Colorado, it was cold so I bought a hyacinth plant and put it in a spare room in my basement and filmed it blooming. I was mesmerized by the results and started to turn that spare room into a studio. What I really loved about it was I was producing footage that nobody else was doing. A lot of folks were hiking to beautiful remote locations to film mountains and clouds. But aside from some plant timelapse sequences on BBC documentaries, nobody seemed to be doing it. Probably because it is so difficult and there are a ton of challenges. But it’s really the love of the process and the constant need to overcome challenges that keeps me hooked. I am always building something new, trying a new way to do something, experimenting around.Marketability never really occurred to me, until BBC gave me an offer to work on Green Planet that I could not pass up.

WKV- I was wondering about your photography background. I am a huge fan of Garry Winogrand who has a famous quote: “Photography is not about the thing photographed, It is about how that thing looks photographed.” Does something like Garry’s statement apply to you? Did you begin building your rigs to capture things you wanted to see but no one had been able to photograph (or video) them yet? Do you consider yourself an image maker or filmmaker or are you just focused on the technical aspects of creating the rigs?

CHRIS - I really consider myself a visual engineer, which to me means I create solutions to filming difficult things. I love photography, inventing, engineering, and creating stunning visuals. If I won a billion dollars today, tomorrow I would still get up and do the same thing. The financial aspect of this is certainly a bonus as it allows me to focus so much more of my time and energy to this sort of work, but even if I was not getting paid at all and working fulltime elsewhere, I would still keep doing this.

I am so happy I discovered Chris’ work and thankful he took the time to write back. I look forward to seeing more of his work on TV soon, it truly is amazing.

Chris’s company is Biolapse, please visit his website to learn more about his amazing creations.

I found another interesting article about the Triffid 1 system at TVB Europe’ website.

Finally, this is another video related link which has nothing to do with Chris’s work, but I stumbled across it while researching this post and since I don’t deal with video much, I figured best to share this as an add on rather than never use it. It’s a link to an article about the use of shallow depth of field video using mirrorless DSLR camera bodies to capture sports videos. I watch my fair share of sports and have noticed the trend, so it caught my interest.

Photo Forward - Los Angeles

February 20, 2023

Photo LA has been a long-standing favorite event of mine where galleries from all over the world come together in February, in Los Angeles (Santa Monica usually) and take over a large space and have a photographic art fair for the weekend. It began thirty years ago and unfortunately hasn’t had a full event since 2020 right before the pandemic hit. Thankfully the Photographic Arts Council Los Angeles made the effort to keep it going this year, along with James Danziger who hosted the event, to bring in a dozen top gallerists this past weekend for a scaled-down version of the fair. Danziger Gallery Los Angeles was the perfect host venue and the event seemed to be very well received. I went up yesterday and saw some great images, had some solid conversations, and added three more books to my library. I heard that Saturday was absolutely packed with visitors at Bergamot Station, which is fantastic for our local photo community. Sunday had the perfect sized crowd, enough people so every gallerist was always interacting with someone but with enough room and time to inspect work without feeling rushed.

Danziger Gallery - Photo Forward Los Angeles 2023

Joseph Bellow Gallery

It was good seeing Joseph Bellows again and the selection of work he brought up from La Jolla. I was excited to see that he was showcasing Ave Pidas’s Star Struck limited edition portfolio as well as some of his vintage prints. This was my first opportunity to see some of Ave’s original prints. I purchased a signed copy of a place in the sun - photographs of los angeles by John Humble. This 2007 book was published by The Getty to accompany his exhibition at the museum. It is so well done, and I really like Humble’s photographs. Bellows also had a stack of Humble’s photographs on site which were beautiful, and I thought they were reasonably priced. Some prints were vintage, and others were modern digital prints. I really like John Humble’s photographs and encourage you to get to know his work.

Ave Pildas's Star Struck limited edition portfolio

Joseph Bellows Gallery

John Humble's prints

John Humble

Aperture

I have been wanting to add Stephen Shore’s Uncommon Places, published by Aperture, to my library for a while. I think I was at the MFA in Boston the last time I saw a copy of it, and I didn’t want to deal with lugging it home then (I had already bought a few other books on that trip). So, when I saw a copy on the Aperture table, I decided to buy it. That’s when I met Kellie McLaughlin, Aperture’s Chief Marketing and Sales Officer. Kellie was so engaging and enthusiastically pointed out how the other Stephen Shore book they had, Selected Works 1973-1981 was a perfect complement to Uncommon Places and how it was unique in its own right. I love meeting people like Kellie who understand the medium of photography and are passionate about it. Kellie made me an offer that I couldn't refuse, and I ended up with both books. I did put one condition on the sale that she introduce me to Sarah Meister, Aperture's Executive Director and former MoMA curator, who I had seen talking to James Danziger in his office. Meeting someone like Sarah was amazing, she was so gracious and I’m still excited about the introduction.

Uncommon Places

Stephen Shore

Selected Works 1973-1981

Danziger

For this event James Danziger gave most of his 4,000 sq ft gallery space to other exhibitors and showcased his holdings in his private office, which was open to the public. I was in there looking at photographs when I realized Sarah Meister had come in from NYC for the show because I recognized her talking to James. It was interesting to see the selection of work James had up in his office for this event. Over his desk was a large Tod Papageorge photograph from The Beaches exhibition they showcased last year. There were O. Winston Link prints, and fittingly a famous Julian Wasser print. All the prints were amazing, as I expected they would be.

**Etherton Gallery**

Terry Etherton brought some amazing pieces including a portfolio of *The* *Bikeriders* by Danny Lyons.

Skidmore Contemporary Art

Every time I go to Danzinger I stop in to Skidmore Contemporary Art to check out their latest exhibition. Skidmore shows a lot of photo-realism paintings which is I really like; I know that’s shocking being that I am a documentary photographer. Below is the is the work that stood out to me. Eric Nash’s A Pool in Hills is epic Los Angeles, love it.

Andy Burgess

Eric Nash

Michael Ward

While at Bergamot I also stopped in to check out Robert Berman Gallery and had a great talk with Gallery Director Jason Vass. Berman’s current exhibition Focus on Women in Photography runs through March 14, 2023. It showcases over forty different female photographers. I immediately noticed two recent photographs from Los Angeles that I had never seen before. The photographs were by Rezeta Veliu who I had not even heard of. Jason explained how Rezeta’s husband was successful in the entertainment industry and was a big part of why she was in the area. To prepare for writing this post I researched more about Veliu. She was born in Kosovo in 1999 and came to New York city basically as a refugee in 2013. She married Rich Cook in 2020 and they have already started their family. Cook is a producer and co-founder of Range Media Partners. Veliu is also an actress and I assume a model; she is absolutely stunning.

Rezeta Veliu - *Born and Raised* -Los Angeles 2022

What impressed me most about Rezeta Veliu’s photographs is she is willing to go to hard areas to photograph. She takes her camera in to areas like Venice, Compton, and other rougher parts of Los Angeles and she gets among the people and photographs. I can tell by the images she often uses a wide angle lens and her subjects know she is photographing them. I respect that so much. Few things bother me as much as photographers who use a telephoto lens from safe locations and lay claim to being a street photographer. There is a time and place for both long and short lenses but to be a good street photographer you have to move amongst people sometimes. I spent time looking at Veliu’s work and saw a lot of good images. I also saw a photographer who is still emerging and needs to continue to hone her craft. She speaks of documenting Los Angeles extensively by visiting 43 different areas of the city over 6 months. I have been photographing in Los Angeles for 40 years and I still feel like I am just scratching the surface when it comes to documenting Southern California. Six months in LA is nothing, it is probably one of the hardest cities in the world to photograph because it is so big and diverse. Someone could get a good portfolio to document a small area, like say just Venice or just Malibu in six months but for Veliu to claim she documented that much in such little time shows Veliu still has a lot to learn. She also tells us she shoots on film and her prints are on “cotton paper”. Why? and can she tell me more? I have exposed, and processed, a few thousand rolls of film in my life. I used film because that was the best medium at the time, with today’s technology if someone is photographing on film, they should have a real reason other than it is hip. There are so many plus ins available for Photo Shop that most any analogue look is quickly obtainable in a digital image file now. I also don’t know what “cotton paper” means. Say what brand paper you print on, so the buyer knows the archival value. Some of her prints can also be better, some are flat and lack shadow detail. Veliu still has to learn more about the craft of Photography, but with her connection to the entertainment industry here in LA, and her marketability as a person, I expect her work to take off and her photography to become very well known. Veliu’s work is worth getting to know and she is a young photographer worth following.

List of Photo Forward Participants & Links:

Aperture

Joseph Bellows Gallery

Stephen Bulger Gallery

Danziger Gallery

Etherton Gallery

Paul M. Hertzmann Inc.

The Hulett Collection

jdc Fine Art

MacIntosh Collection

Minor Matters

Scott Nichols Gallery

Andrew Smith Gallery

At the APG 2022 Selects opening with High Museum Curator Gregory Harris who curated the Selects exhibition. 10-20-22

Atlanta Photography Group - 2022 Selects - Gregory Harris, Curator

December 9, 2022

In October I flew to Atlanta for the opening of the Atlanta Photography Group’s Gregory Harris Selects 2022 exhibition.

This exhibition was APG’s feature exhibition for Atlanta Celebrates Photography (ACP) 2022, the month-long, citywide photography festival. The Exhibition was open themed and juried by Gregory Harris, the Keough Family Curator of Photography at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta.

APG’s Program Director Nicole LeCorgne introduces Gregory Harris at the opening on October 20th.

I have been a member of APG for several years and this was the fourth APG exhibition I have had work featured in. Concurrent to this exhibition I also had two photographs up at Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in APG’s annual airport show, which was juried by Lisa Volpe the Associate Curator of Photography at The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. I also had a photograph in the APG’s 2022 Street Photography exhibition, curated by Henry Horenstein, which proceeded this exhibition. I have been so impressed with how professional everyone at APG is and the list of guest jurors they have brought in the last few years is amazing. So having the opportunity to see my photographs up in two separate exhibitions, and to also meet a curator like Gregory Harris, I jumped on a flight and headed to Atlanta. This was also an opportunity for me to visit Atlanta for the first time and explore a region of our country I need to get to know better.

I was honored as soon as I found out Gregory selected my photographs for the exhibition. I knew Gregory has an impressive curatorial resume and focuses on documentary photography when I submitted work for consideration. I also knew the High Museum has a prominent photography collection. Below his is statement about the exhibition:

The photographs gathered here are all straightforward pictures that respond to the wonders of quotidian human experience —the abiding pleasures of family and friends, the unexpected beauty of our built environment, the sheer marvel of the natural world—yet plumbing the depths of ordinary life offers boundless possibility for revelation. What links these seemingly disparate images is that their makers felt very little need to overly orchestrate them, and each was masterful at turning the most mundane situations into discretely poetic records of simply what was there before their cameras. – Gregory Harris

When I landed in Atlanta the day before the opening and immediately went to see the airport exhibition after getting my luggage, it was nice to finally see the space since I have had photographs in the airport exhibition twice now. The next day I went to the Atlanta Photography Group in the morning to see the exhibition before the opening. The APG space is outstanding, it has great linear wall space with a high ceiling and is laid out perfectly for a gallery. I was also happy to see that both of my photographs had prominent positioning in the center of the primary wall. I knew then I had made the right decision to fly back for the opening.

Going to see the exhibition early also gave me the opportunity to really get to know Nicole LeCorgne who is APG’s Program Director and a Curator. It was fantastic having so much time to learn about APG, the Atlanta photography community, and Nicole’s photography background.

Nicole LeCorgne, Caroline Hollingsworth, Beth Lilly, and William Karl Valentine

At the opening I was able to meet several APG’s board members and other long-time members who helped lay the foundation for this outstanding group. This gave me the chance to go to dinner with Benjamin Dimmitt, Mark Caceres, Peter Essick, Chip Standifer, and Beth Lilly after the opening. It was exciting to learn more about how vibrant the Atlanta photography community is and to just spend the time talking about the medium. The APG membership has a strong core of established photographers as well as many young emerging photographers, it is a nice mix. For example, I heard 22-year-old Joshua Walls tell us this was his first prominent exhibition when he spoke during the opening. For me, this was my 50th exhibition. The only thing I missed out on this trip was being able to meet APG Executive Director and Curator Donna Garcia in person because she had to be out of town that week. I have corresponded with Donna numerous times coordinating submissions and she has always been so helpful and professional. Donna is obviously taking APG to the next level.

Holding my photograph from the Street Photography exhibition which preceded the 2022 Selects exhibition. All three photographs were printed on Hahnemuhle Photo Rag ULTRASMOOTH Fine Art Paper and framed by Digital Arts Studio.

I also need to mention Digital Arts Studio in Atlanta and owner Barry Glustoff. I have used DAS to print and frame the photographs for both of my APG exhibitions this year. Their product is outstanding, they made the deadlines, and their fees were very appropriate. I am thankful for their work in really helping my images stand out. Digital Arts Studio is a qualified Hahnemuhle FineArt Certified Studio, one of fewer than two dozen in the United States as well as an accredited Canson Certified Lab and it shows in their product.

The Exhibition ran from October 17th to November 17th, 2022, and included the following participating artists:

Allison Plass
Beate Sass
Benjamin Dimmitt
Dana Weiss
Daniel Raniner
Ellen Mertins
Gwen Julia
Jo Ann Chaus
John Prince
Joshua Walls
Louis Leon

Mark Caceres
Nancy Marshall
Nate Mathews
Peter Essick
Reid Childers
Ross Landenberger
Seth Cook
Stephanie Hanlon
Willard Pate
William Karl Valentine
Zak Henderson

First exhibition for “Ponyhenge”. Photographed off of a rural road in Lincoln, Massachusetts and now displayed in the busiest airport in the world, Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. Last look before flying home on 10-22-22.

Atlanta Airport Exhibition 2022

November 28, 2022

2022 is the second consecutive year I have had two photographs on display in the Atlanta Photography Group’s Airport Exhibition. This year I also had two photographs in the Atlanta Photography Group’s Selects Exhibition, in APG’s gallery space, concurrent with the Airport show, so I decided to fly to Atlanta last month to see both exhibitions and finally visit Atlanta for the first time.

I had never seen photographs of the Airport exhibition space before, but I had a rough idea of where the space in the airport based on its description. I knew it was outside of security in a food court area. After landing I got my luggage and went looking for the exhibition, luckily it was near by the baggage carousels. There are 30 photographs in the 2022 Airport Show by 22 different photographers. The exhibition was curated by Lisa Volpe who is the Associate Curator of Photography at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. The prints are uniform in size because of the framing constraints, and they are displayed on four columns within the Central Atrium. My photographs were on a column in front of the Atlanta Chop House; I am sure everyone who knows me would say this is an appropriate location for me and my work. The column had four panels with two photographs on each panel. Below are details of my photographs, the Central Atrium area, and finally a slide show highlighting all the photographs in the exhibition. As I stated in early blog posts about this exhibition, I am honored that Lisa Volpe selected my two photographs to be part of this exhibition. I am thankful that the Atlanta Photography Group arranges this exhibition annually and that they are able to secure top curators, like Lisa, for the selection process. After visiting the space and seeing the exhibition I am even more proud that my photographs are being displayed with so many other strong images, in such a unique space, with so much daily traffic. This exhibition runs through January 25th, 2023.

Slideshow of all 30 prints in the exhibition:

Jackson Fine Art - Atlanta

November 20, 2022

I have known about Jackson Fine Art in Atlanta, and of their reputation as one of the nation's top private galleries, for years. I have casually followed who they were exhibiting in the past, but I had never seen their space. So, when I was in Atlanta last month for my opening of the Atlanta Photography Group’s 2022 Selects Exhibition, I made a point to stop by Jackson and finally see their gallery.

The gallery is a converted residence in the Buckhead shopping district neighborhood of north Atlanta. The gallery layout is a little unique, but it works well the way they designed it.

I planned my Atlanta trip last minute, so I was not able to make arrangements to visit Jackson beforehand; so, this was a complete cold call on my part. I just wanted to see their space and hopefully introduce myself to someone on the staff.

The visit exceeded my expectations, Gallery Director Coco Conroy and the staff were so nice, and Coco was gracious enough to spend half an hour showing me the current exhibition and talking about the gallery. We even were able to talk briefly about my own work and Coco was even able to introduce me to the owner, Anna Walker Skillman. I can see why Jackson has the reputation and client list that they do, everyone is professional, and their artist roster and inventory is large.

With Gallery Director Coco Conroy - Jackson Fine Art

Jackson was featuring the work of Tabitha Soren, who they represent, when I was there. Soren is a former MTV reporter and is married to Michael Lewis who authored the famous book “Money Ball”. Her prints are often individually unique. For her images from her “Relief” portfolio she damaged the print surface by causing small holes (from an airsoft gun or knife) or even burned some prints slightly to use that damage to create a finished work that better captured her feelings; the damage added an interesting element of texture to the photographs. Prints from her “Surface Tension” portfolio were also on exhibit. These large prints were made from 8”x 10” negatives where she photographed the reflective surfaces of iPads with vernacular images on the screen. She was interested in capturing the viewers fingerprints on the surface of the iPad to highlight the connection between the viewer and the electronic device. Soren’s photographs allow for a lot of viewer interpretation and for me they seemed to have lots of layers of meaning.

I would strongly recommend Jackson Fine Arts for anyone interested in purchasing photographs in the region. Jackson has a national client base and provides services to many top institutions as well as collectors. Hopefully I will have a chance to visit Jackson again soon as well as spending more time with Coco talking about photography.

Jackson Fine Art
3115 East Shadowlawn Avenue
Atlanta, GA 30305

info@jacksonfineart.com

Tel 404.233.3739
Fax 404.233.1205

Tuesday - Saturday, 10am - 5pm