PIX Holiday Hours / New Hours

(Yes, we are fans of the man himself !)

You know, I just realized that I haven't written much about PIX itself. I think out of the last 500 posts, I mention them less than 5 times... kinda weird as this is the PIX blog and yet not much of PIX. In any case, the July 4th weekend is upon us again and so just a quick note that we will be closed for ONE day. Here's the hours :

7/3 Friday 6 am - 6 pm (we usually close at 10 pm)
7/4 Sat CLOSED
7/5 Sun 9 am - 5 pm (we usually do 8 am - 8 pm)

Then we are back to our regular schedule but hold on, starting next weekend (the weekend after July 4th weekend), we will have new hours. Instead of the usual Sat/Sun 8 am to 8 pm, it will be Sat/Sun 8 am to 6 pm. Sort of sad in a way as I remember PIX back in the day when we were open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Yup, and I'll say it again, if you buy Sam, our night manager a drink, he'll tell you all the adventures he has manning the night shift !

For those of y'all not here in Los Angeles, just to let you know, PIX is a photographic sales/rental facility. If y'all know about us, skip the rest of this paragraph but for the others, a quick history. PIX started in 1990 in pretty much the same location - except it was one door down. PIX tried out two different locations - I believe both to be on Melrose but returning back home. About 10 years ago, PIX took over the building next to it which used to be a car repair shop. It was stripped and remade to house the new PIX.

If you check our MySpace page, you'll see polaroid taken during reconstruction.

We rent the range of strobes - Dyna, Profotos, Speedos, and we now carry Broncolor. We have digital bodies for Canon/Nikon as well as Leaf/PhaseOne digital backs as well as traditional 35mm, medium formats (Hassys, Maimyas, Fuji 680s) and large formats (4x5). Lens, cases, c-stands, cross-bars, octabanks, generators, apple boxes, as well as expandables such as gaffer tape, Superior seamless, 4x8 white/black foamcore and so on.

PIX also offers a delivery service so you can instead of sending your assistant or yourself to pick up the gear, we can have it sent to you. The cost starts at $5 for WeHo, Hollywood and Beverly Hills, $10 for Culver City, Downtown, Santa Monica/Venice and $20 for Valley, South Bay, Long Beach. There's some restrictions but you can read the fine print here

Hmmm...I think that's about it. If you have questions, call them up at 323-936-8488 or if you are outside CA, just call 1-866-697-0081. For emails, you can email sales@pixcamera.com or rental@pixcamera.com

PIX Inc
211-217 S. La Brea
Los Angeles CA 90036
PIXcamera.com

(Miracle Mile region, same block as Trade Joe's on 3rd/La Brea)

Random Tuesday Briefs

+ PhotoSecrets blog recent checked out the ASPP Reinvention Seminar held in Culver City last week. Yes, I did miss posting about this seminar and found out only after it happened but lucky for us, Beate Chelette was there and she recaps it on her blog.

+ Over at Resolve blog, Jessica Korman posts about stock photography. “You should be shooting more of what you see the most of.” What ? I usually go away from what is shot before, but then I read her story and understand why to shoot more. Good read. And I need to get cracking, my checks from JupiterImages aren't that great.

+ Remember that NY MTA employee who got arrested by NYPD for taking photos of the subway...even though he works for the subway ? Yup, now he has filed a lawsuit against the city.

+ Ever wonder how it would be to grow up in Case Study House #22 ? Now you know.

+ Over at PixelatedImage Blog, they talk about your Oh Sh!t Kit , what you carry when something goes wrong on a job.

For my own personal kit, (and not counting on extra bodies or batteries), I carry a flashlight (it gets dark on set), gaffers tape on a pen (learn that from another photographer - as you don't need to carry the whole roll), tissue paper, extra lens tissues, earplugs (for on-set - music videos, etc), sharpies, Leatherman, a screwdriver set, those smaller micro-screwdrivers, old 512 cards as back-up in a separate compartment than my other cards, extra card reader, back up external hard drive, and air blower for the lens.... what do you guys carry ?

The Edge of Vision : Abstraction in Contemporary Photography (7/8)

“The Edge of Vision: Abstraction in Contemporary Photography
Panel Discussion

The Hammer Museum and Aperture Foundation present The Edge of Vision: Abstraction in Contemporary Photography, a panel discussion moderated by author and curator Lyle Rexer; participating artists include Walead Beshty and Susan Rankaitis.

From the beginning, abstraction has been intrinsic to photography, and its persistent popularity reveals much about the medium. The exhibition (currently on view at Aperture Gallery) The Edge of Vision showcases the work of nineteen contemporary photographers who base their practice in some form of abstraction. Rexer defines abstraction as “a departure from or the eliding of an immediately apprehensible subject.” Within this broad definition, a host of approaches explore aspects of the photographic experience, including the chemistry of traditional photography, the mediation of lenses, the direct capture of light without a camera, temporal extensions, digital sampling of found images, radical cropping, and various deliberate destabilizations of photographic reference.

The Edge of Vision is accompanied by a new book, The Edge of Vision: The Rise of Abstraction in Photography, by Lyle Rexer (Aperture, May 2009). Illustrated with more than 150 images, this is the first book in English to document the trajectory of this artistic approach and put it into historical context, while also examining the diverse methodologies thriving within contemporary photography. The book covers the impulse towards abstraction from the early days of the medium through the present day.

Wednesday, July 8, 2009
7:00 pm

FREE

The Hammer Museum
10899 Wilshire Boulevard
Los Angeles, California
(310) 443-7000

Aperture
Hammer Museum

"Top 40" Group Show (7/2)

TOP40

July 01, 2009 - August 22, 2009
Opening Reception: July 02, 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM

Each year Los Angeles Center for Digital Art (LACDA) and director Rex Bruce puts out a call to contemporary artists in the field using computer-based tools as their primary medium. The quirky and illustrious works submitted to TOP 40 frequently represent the best of the merger between 2D design and photography. This year’s exhibition will open May 14 thru June 6 at LACDA then travel to the UC Riverside California Museum of Photography and open during Riverside’s ARTSwalk, Thursday, July 2 thru August 22. A reception for the artists will take place on July 2, 6:00-8:00pm.

The works featured in TOP 40 2009 were curated by LACDA’s Rex Bruce and ARTSblock Digital Studio director Reggie Woolery. They will be exhibited at UCR/CMP on three large plasma screens within the space. Last year’s top prize went to artist Leslie Tucker. Her ironic analysis of the American Dream is put forth in a series of digitally collaged "stamps" that commemorate objects, places and historic moments in our culture that are iconic markers charting our socio/political development. "Toxic Carbs is my latest stamp work. I am gripped by the sense that processed white bread is eroding due to the encroachment of whole grains," says Tucker.


UCR/CMP (University of California-Riverside / California Museum of Photography)

LINK

"Erotica vs. Nudes: Photography" Group Show (7/4)

"Erotica vs. Nudes: Photography" curated by Heidi "Bluegirl" Calvert

Heidi Calvert / Ashley Fontenot / Wil Cohen / Austin Young / Ivana Ford / James Groves / Marianne Williams / Stephan Canthal / SayntMykl / Macsorro / Miss Numa / Dave Naz / Steve Diet Goedde / Darren Saravis / Michael Rababy / Rebecca Peloquin / Eric Hill / Ron Outlaw / Julie Hershberger / Bd Miller

The Hive Gallery & Studios
729 South Spring Street
Los Angeles, CA 90014

8 pm - midnight

This seems to be part of a bigger event The Hive is hosting that night called "Beerotica". Besides the photography, there'll be other art along with performances on different stages. Admission is $8 ($5 if dressed in an erotic outfit)

INFO

LAUSD & GQ's "Bruno" photo shoot

This month's GQ cover model is "Bruno" (Sacha Baron Cohen) and in one of the many spreads shot by Mark Seliger, there is a series of photos done at Birmingham High in the San Fernando Valley with their football team. Well, apparently this didn't sit too well with LAUSD Superintendent Ramon Cortines.

"I hold the principal and the athletic director accountable, and I have asked the local district superintendent to take appropriate action,"

Cortines blamed Birmingham's Principal Marcia Coates and athletic director Rick Prizant. This Wednesday, the debate of converting Birmingham to a charter school is up for vote at a school board meeting and Cortines feels this is an embarrassment to the school.

"This recent GQ thing has not helped matters. We've allowed our students to be used, and not in the most glamorous circumstances, either."

"Bruno" hits theaters on July 10th.


UPDATE (7/1) : LAT : Coach, principal being disciplined over 'Bruno' photos

LINKS
+ LAT : School officials not amused by comedian's photo shoot
+ DN : 'Bruno' photos at Birmingham High raise eyebrows

Resource Magazine + WIN-Initiative's 10 BEST 10 International Competition

So another photo contest. I know Resource Magazine but didn't know who WIN-Initiative was. Quick google search tells me WIN is a stock agency and is a content provider to Getty. Images looks to be rights-managed. How does entering this contest affect your images ? A quick read through the FAQs shows the usual "we use it to promote our contests" lines for "up to 24 months following the contest" in Resource Magazine, WINk amagzine (WIN-Initative's mag), WINk blog, exhibitions and promotions so no dumping into stock.

There is no fee to enter and you can enter between 5-10 images. They DO ask for images to be around 50 MB which has me surprise - usually contests asks for a small jpeg, then the bigger ones when they are selected. What's the deal with this ? FAQ says they need it for the final images for the gala if selected. Alright...I guess.....

Who are the judges ? David Carson (cool !), Roberto De Luna, Stella Kramer and Dan Deacon. You got a designer, photographer, photo editor and a musician ? Not sure how that works out either. There are to be prizes but the site tells me to keep an eye out as sponsors and prizes will be announced soon. But you will get exposure in Resource magazine, through WIN's sites and there's a gala event over three days where you can press palms with other creatives.

I'm slightly cautious but hey, another chance to get my work out there. Plus it is FREE ! Believe me, if you saw how much I spend on these competitions ! I'm going for it. Deadline is August 5th, 2009.

All the details here.

Hugh Kretschmer opening @ Clark/Oshin

(Hugh is the one in the middle)


(James Cromwell)

I couldn't make it out to the Hugh Kretschmer opening on Saturday as I was working but my friend did cover it for his blog Reserve Result. He usually carries two cameras - a Polaroid (actually Fujiroid) and a digital camera. We talked on Sunday and he told me the place was wall-to-wall packed. Wish I could have made it out :(

Bonny (who runs the Fine Art Dept for ICON) tells me that Hugh will be speaking in the future at the gallery.....further info as it comes in.

UPDATE : Okay, Lee Varis was nice enough to volunteer some of the images he took at the reception for posting.


(Ramesh (l-r) is the man behind ICON, Tricia Burlingham (photo rep) and her friend)

Hugh working the room

B2Pro Demo @ Mole-Richardson (7/1)

B2Pro Demo @ Mole-Richardson

July 1, 10:00 AM- 5:00 PM

Mole Richardson Stages
924-925 N. La Brea
Los Angeles, CA 90038

INFO

Philip Gefter Lecture/Book Signing (6/29)

Philip Gefter Lecture and Book Signing

Monday, June 29 | 7:00 pm

Please join us for a talk by New York Times writer and former picture editor Philip Gefter, who will discuss his new book, Photography after Frank: Essays by Philip Gefter. The author presents the tale of contemporary photography, starting with a pivotal moment: Robert Frank’s seminal work in the 1950s. Along the way, he connects the dots of photography’s transformation into what it is today. Photography after Frank offers a page-turning yet journalistic approach bound to appeal to students and art world aficionados alike. A book signing will immediately follow in the adjacent Director’s Roundtable Garden.

LACMA Brown Auditorium | Free, tickets required | Tickets available at the box office one hour before program begins.


This program is organized by the Wallis Annenberg Photography Department and is supported in part by the Ralph M. Parsons Fund.

INFO

Sunday Readings

+ I read this over at Aline's blog Lenscratch. Aline is a photographer and an instructor here in Los Angeles and enjoy her blog where she profiles emerging or undiscovered photographers - many whom are West Coast photographers. Thought I'll help her out by passing this along.

1. I am looking for imagery taken by fathers of their sons or fathers (already have Shawn Records, Timothy Archibald, B. Blake Andrews, Shawn Gust, Philip Toledano, Doug Du Bois, Todd Deutsch, Byron Wolf). If you are familiar with a photographer that is working in this way, I would love to know about them.

2. If you applied to Review Santa and did NOT get in, I'd still love to feature your work--please send me the body of work you submitted, a bio and statement..and if I can fit you in, I will! This idea came from Aaron Cohen and it should prove interesting!

Her original post here

+ Over at Matthew Jordan Smith's blog, he shares some of his Promotional & Marketing methods. He talks of "The new images were not shot thinking about what clients may want to see, but what I love to do" and I believe that to be true. In my early days, my style was more all over the place trying to figure out what THEY wanted. Now days I make sure to show in my portfolio what I WANTED. A few months ago I had shown my book to a director. It composed of two sections. One had special meaning to me and is more personal. He immediately picked out that section.

Matthew also talks about timing of sending out promos..."I never want to send out promotions at the end of the week. In New York City some people start the weekends on Friday so I never want to send my promotions out on Thursday or Friday.". That's the great thing about the internet - now you can learn from other photographers about what works and what doesn't (though that is subjective to what market it is) and I remember in the early-mid 90s that my main information about photographers was through PDN magazine. I also read up on American photo, Pop Photo but PDN meant more with their articles with working photographers. In any case, I hear the timing thing before in different forums and people that Tues/Wed is a better time - which makes sense. Monday is right after the weekend so everyone is playing catch-up. Thur & Fri is close to the weekend and where it gets busier - everyone wants things done before the weekend. Same thing about doing email promos over the weekend - it'll just get lost in the mess of emails on Monday - unless, you already know the person.

+ Other links :

sexyexecs.blogspot.com
Yes, a blog of corporate executive photos and their tag line is "the finest corporate photography" lol !

thephotobook.wordpress.com
Ah, a blog dedicated to reviewing photo books ! This I like :)

UPDATE (6/29) Speaking of photo books, this morning, I ran across on The Online Photographer, his list of what he considered influential photo books of the past 50 years.

Assistant Managing Editor Michele McNally (she manages photography for New York Times) answers questions about photography and the NYT. here Honestly I wish it was longer. Enjoyed finding out the nitty gritty in the NYT photo dept.

Saturday Random Links

+ Wall-E Miniatures ! (I want one !)

+ LAT Review of Eugene Richards @ Fahley/Klein

+ Phase One announces intent to acquire certain Leaf camera business assets

+ Tumultuous at Interview

+ The Making of Dan Winters' 'Periodical Photographs'

+ WALL·E end title sequence (Jim Capobianco & Alex Woo interview)

+ Five Reasons War Photographers Are an Endangered Species

+ The Trikilis brothers created the world's best-selling poster. It almost destroyed them.

+ Following SoCal art museums on Twitter

Bonny Diadhiou (ICON Fine Art Dept)

I email Bonny over at The ICON and asked if she didn't mind talking about the new gallery space so I gave her some questions. Here's what I got back :

PIX : So tell me what you do for Icon ?

I currently head up the Fine Art Department at Icon. It was an idea I had that Ramesh was encouraging enough to support me in. My department has been in the works for a little over two years now. I love to collaborate with our clients. I have always enjoyed helping each photographer or artist fulfill their vision, project, or job. I seem to have a knack at giving good guidance as far as what medium is best and what process. I have high expectations for the final product - that the piece looks like it could hang in a gallery - or else I am not making it. That philosophy has caused me all kinds of problems but in the last two years, Ramesh has allowed me to put together a small team of gifted artists here at the Icon and together we have a lot of fun pushing the envelope of what we have all known to be "final print". I would have to say that my best gift is that I am able to understand our artists' vision and I become the bridge between them, the team creating the final print, and the work getting to the wall.

PIX : And how did the idea of the gallery come together ?

I have wanted to start a gallery since college. The last few years I have worked as a curator and art consultant. There is an art to creating a show. How the pictures breathe next to each other and carry the viewers around a room is very important. You can make or break a show even if the work is good by hanging or sizing something wrong. So, as I was doing this and talking with Ramesh, he encouraged me to find away to do this at Icon as well.

Two years ago I selected a handful of photographers and printed their work, then teamed up with the amazing finishers at Fine Art Solutions, and created a gallery that was to be viewed as a room of inspiration with a number of styles paper and framing concepts.

It was all for the clients who could not know what was possible with out an actual piece in front of them. How many people know that a Fujiflex print, face mounted to glossy plex can look like a old Cibachrome print, or that an inkjet printed on Japanese paper could look like something no one had seen before? It was a huge labor of love and we were supposed to have an art opening but then a car crashed through my office and, well, life got in the way, and then too much time went by, and then it was time for something new.

So now we are here.... but more to explain. I had the pleasure of overseeing a couple photo shows over the years for Kathleen Clark when she was at Los Angeles Magazine, and one which Nan Oshin was working on as well. Again, all about the collaboration of us all working for the love of photography as an art form is what brought us here today. Now with a plummeting economy and the photo world changing quickly, I was feeling like I was spread very thin. I would come to work every day haunted by the walls but could not imagine how I could do this again alone, as well as the Icon could not afford to just keep printing work and putting it up getting it framed for free. That was just impossible.

So on one day when Kathleen came into the lab, we got to talking and I was telling her how I wanted to reach out and really create a space where young and seasoned photographers and multimedia artists could feel they could come to create, work with technology that you can not put in your home, and that came with a support team that would help you create work you would hope for. (If I told you how many people said they wasted hundreds of dollars trying to make that fine art print at home before they came to see me you would laugh, but my heart goes out to them cause I get it - Everyone wants to make their own prints.)

So Kathleen came back with Nan Oshin a few weeks later and suggested that we find a way to have contemporary photography shows here at the Icon, using the space in a more traditional sense, that could be received as a legitimate gallery in LA. We wanted to have shows printed here at Icon so we would all have the opportunity to show work of established professional photographers - people that may have never shown their own work otherwise, since they are usually busy getting the next job. That does not leave a lot of time to be a artist. This was perfect for Kathleen and Nan as they have had the opportunity to work with countless photographers and find a way to bring their work to another level. For me it is a dream partnership for us all and I would expect to see nothing but inspirational work. Kathleen and Nan have an amazing eye as a curatorial team --- we should all be excited!

PIX : What plans do you have for the future for the gallery ?

Well we are hoping that we will create a community that embraces photographers and artists. Through these gallery events, that will also include artist talks and various workshops, we will find new ways to contribute to the life of photography. I can only say to keep checking in because we all need a place where the artist can be an artist and photography can truly be reinvented and pushed so that one day the work will get to the wall. We have to support each other.

...

I understand they hope to do this every two months and they're already working on their second one. The reception is tonight from 6-9 pm showing the work of Hugh Kretschmer. So if you're in the Miracle Mile area, stop by and check it out !

By the way, their hours are Mon – Fri 7AM – 9PM, Sat 9AM – 5PM so unlike traditional galleries, you could actually walk in at 7 am and see the work.

CORRECTION (6/29) : I understand that the last name is Diadhiou and not Taylor. My apologies !

Paul Simon "Kodachrome"

RIP Kodachrome....

Events This Weekend (6/26-6/30)

::: Friday ::::

+ Wrong: A Program of Text and Image over at Eighth Veil (7174 Sunset Blvd 90046) in WeHo. 7-9 pm "Curated by artist and writer Jibade-Khalil Huffman, this group show explores the ways in which different artists experiment with the interplay of word and image, and focuses on the notion of contemporary art as an expanding visual language "

:::: Saturday ::::

+ Over at Calumet, they're presenting Rudy Harvey "My Prints Don't Match My Screen" lecture from 1:30-4:30. $45 and all attendants will receive a $50 discount on a Colormunki calibrator.

+ This weekend is the Dwell on Design and one of their programs will be a film series, one of being "Visual Acoustics: The Modernism of Julius Shulman " @ MOCA Geffen. The film series starts at 6:30 pm. $15.LINK

+ And over at Clark/Oshin @ The Icon, they will be having their inaugural opening reception with Hugh Kretschmer. 6-9 pm

+ Robert McGinley "Topography, Light and Magic" @ Blue 7 Gallery (3129 Pico Blvd Santa Monica, CA 90405 ) 6-9 pm INFO

+ "Re-figurative Ordering" a group show curated by artist Kaucyila Brooke that features the work of European and American artists who use photography, text, and collage to address their own interpretations of historical subjects. DNJ Gallery 6-8 pm


::: Sunday :::

+ Your Bright Future: 12 Contemporary Artists from Korea opens at LACMA


::: Monday ::::

+ Philip Gefter Lecture and Book Signing over at LACMA for his book "Photography after Frank: Essays by Philip Gefter". 7 pm. Free but tix required. INFO


::: Tuesday ::::

+ In Focus: Making a Scene at The Getty. Comprising more than twenty-five photographs from the Getty's collection, it features works by Henry Peach Robinson, Julia Margaret Cameron, Man Ray, Ralph Eugene Meatyard, Lucas Samaras, and Eileen Cowin. INFO


This weekend, Dwell on Design hits downtown LA for three day event.

For more art-related events, check out losangeles.foryourart.com

For some exhibitions closing this weekend and next week, check out "M is for Melancholia" @C4 Gallery, Jo Ann Callis "Paintings and Photographs" @Craig Krull, "Transforming Photography": group show @Edward Cella, Brad Elterman "Like It Was Yesterday" @Equator Books, or Paul Outerbridge: New Color Photographs from Mexico and California, 1948–1955 @LA Central Library

Hugh Kretschmer reception (6/27)

"There's something tactile about the results I get that cannot be easily accomplished through digital manipulation. Everything is preplanned up front. A program such as Photoshop is just like an X-acto knife, not something that dictates the way an image is conceived."

Today I had the privilege of getting a chance to see Kretschmer's work being readied for exhibition over at The ICON. The curators and the head of the ICON's Fine Art Dept where busy setting up and getting the photographs prepared for the Saturday night. I've seen Hugh's work over the years - either from Communication Arts or PDN Annuals. I think of him more of an illustrator that happens to work as a photographer. In many ways, it reminds me of some of Dan Winter's work. The thing that impresses me is how much is real world vs. computers. He tries to keep it as in-camera as much as possible. If you get a chance, go to the opening and ask how he did some of the images - you'll be amazed.

The opening reception is Saturday June 27 6-9 pm

Clark/Oshin Gallery @ The Icon
5450 Wilshire Boulevard
Los Angeles, California 90036
323.933.1666


+ Photo Insider interview w/Hugh Kretschmer

"The Man in the Mirror"

Photos : Ted Soqui

What a strange day today is. Before I left home, I checked twitter and there were reports of Michael Jackson rushed to the hospital. I thought nothing of it and headed out to ICON to take photos of their upcoming exhibition and to have a chat with Bonny Tyler (she heads ICON's Fine Art Dept) along with Nan Oshin and Kathleen Clark. My phone rang, noticed it was my friend and ignore it but then got a text "Michael Jackson just died". All work stopped.

Quick google check confirmed it. As I was driving in my car, local radio station broke the news and started playing some classic tracks. At a local Subway sandwich shop, the sandwich artists were all about what had just happened.

Icon is a word used a lot today but it is probably a good way to describe him. Is there anyone else a musical icon today ? A while back I had a discussion with some friends as who were the "names" in today's musical world. And there doesn't seem to be too many. Yes there's many bands such as Green Day, Smashing Pumpkins, Killers but they're not really "names" as say Elton John, Rolling Stones, or U2.

With the passing of Michael, I don't see too many left.

BTW : Love the photo Ted Soqui took over at UCLA medical center above with the girl and her pillow and there's another taken by AP photographer Nick Ut over at Jackson's star in Hollywood here.

Gary Leonard "The Billboard Show"

Okay, this is so cool ! Gary Leonard (y'know, of the Take My Picture ! fame) has a showing at his gallery of photographs of billboards here in SoCal he took back in the 50s & 60s. And in fact, CBS Outdoor actually gave him a billboard to advertise his billboard show ! It's over 5N past the Country hospital in East LA. And now some classic billboards :




(all images : Gary Leonard)

I'm usually downtown somewhere so I'm gonna make to make sure to stop by and check out his work !

Gallery Hours
mon-fri: 10am-2pm mon, wed, Fri: 3-6pm
sat: noon-6pm sun: noon-3pm

860 S. Broadway
Los Angeles, CA 90014
213.622.2256

LINK

Lee Varis "RAW Processing Techniques for ACR & Lightroom" (7/1)

Okay, so Lee Varis' next free seminar is on RAW processing for ACR & Lightroom. Lee does this about 4 times a month - each time the same topic and it is every Wednesday from 7-8:30 at The Icon in Miracle Mile.

He'll cover :

Gray cards & white balance adjustments
Recovery and Fill Light - how they work together
Setting end points and getting the contrast you want with the Curves panel
Setting up Presets "folders" and a strategy for using presets
Gradient and Brush Tools - how to best take advantage of these features
Radical slider settings for special effects
Using Virtual Copies in Lightroom for maximum benefit

The catch is you have to RSVP for it. I missed his last series so making plans to catch it this time around.

Dates for July are : July 1, 8, 15, 22, 29.

The Icon
5450 Wilshire Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90036

Oh, don't forget this Saturday, ICON will be having their premiere of their Clark/Oshin Gallery from 6-9 pm

Jennifer Loomis "The Birth of a Mother" (6/25)

PORTRAITS OF PREGNANCY: THE BIRTH OF A MOTHER - A RETROSPECTIVE
An Exhibition of fine-art photography by:
JENNIFER LOOMIS
Freestyle Advisory Board Member
June 25 - August 13, 2009

PORTRAITS OF PREGNANCY: THE BIRTH OF A MOTHER - A RETROSPECTIVE features the fine-art photography of celebrated maternity photographer Jennifer Loomis. Loomis has been hailed for her work in distinguished publications and media such as the New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Good Morning America, CNN and many more.

Her photography is much more than simply documenting women's pregnancies. It is a delicate, refined study of and appreciation for the female form during this special nine months. Using black and white film, Loomis accurately captures the curves and changes in her subjects bodies at the apex of their femininity as the carrier and protector of new life. As she notes, when a child is born, so too is a mother.


Loomis will be on hand to sign copies of her brand-new book, Portraits of Pregnancy: the Birth of a Mother.


ARTIST RECEPTION:
Thursday, June 25, 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

The Gallery at the
Creative Center for Photography
Freestyle Photographic Supplies
5124 Sunset Boulevard
Hollywood, CA 90027-9897, USA
323.660.3460 x121

LINK

Wednesday Random Links

: The Incredible Century Old Color Photography of Prokudin-Gorsky

: Soviet Russian Album Covers

: The Branding of Polaroid 1957-1977

: Battlespace : Photographs From Iraq and Afghanistan

: Firmware mod for 5D Mark II

"Famous Photographers Tell How"

Photos from Boogie Woogie Flu

Oh, this is so great ! In 1958 Candid Recordings released a LP called "Famous Photographers Tell How". A blog Boogie Woogie Flu posted up a mp3 of Weegee and man, I love sitting here listening to Weegee telling stories from the 1950s. Weegee speaks for about 10 minutes on how to get into photography and relates stories of his experience.

Boogie Woogie also posted a mp3 of Henri Cartier-Bresson's talk also. In the comments of the Online Photographer post, I found this comment :

Every time I see a reference to Weegee I think of my first full-time photography job. It was on the photo staff of the Portland Press Herald and Evening Express in Portland, Maine, in 1970. A lot of the city still looked like it was right out of the 1930s.

The oldest guys on the staff were close to retirement and they carried around 4x5 Speed Graphics or Mamiya twin-lens reflexes and shot with flash bulbs or "potato masher" electronic flashes. A couple of them limped, wore floppy brim hats, and chewed on cigar stubs.

I was the youngest guy at age 21 and I shot with a Leica M2R and a Nikon F loaded with Tri-X push processed to ASA 1200 a lot of the time. To my back some of the old guys called me the "prima donna." I suppose I was. I was just out of the University of Maine journalism program, had the fancy new gear, and thought I knew it all. It was like working in an old, black and white movie. Amazing to think back on it. - Steve Muskie


(Via The Online Photographer)

Althea

I was forward this and thought I'll post it up and perhaps some kind soul out there can help out !

Hello friends, colleagues, and mentors!

As some of you may know I recently worked on a project for Venice Arts partnered with the LA County Arts Commission, and NEA, where I mentored and taught photography to a group of homeless women in Santa Monica. The women used imagery to document and voice their experiences in the homeless community and the project empowered them during a turning point on their road to permanent housing.

One of the women, Althea, who's photograph is attached, discovered a new love and talent. The photograph below was taken minutes after learning the use of fill flash. As you can see, she is a great photographer and has a lot of potential. As a former chef, Althea's path took an unfortunate turn and through lack of support and resources, she ended up homeless, at a shelter.

When the photography program came to an end, which she claims a has given her hope and reassurance in life, she enrolled at Santa Monica College and signed up for Photography classes!

She called me last week while researching cameras, and is planning to use her government assistance checks to purchase one. We all know how expensive equipment is! She needs a DSLR, and I though I'd reach out to all of you. Perhaps you have an older camera sitting in your closet??

If anyone has a camera or knows of someone who does please do extend this message to them and I will gladly connect you to Althea. She is young, ambitious, talented, and worth supporting!

I wish you all well and please stay tuned for an invitation to the programs' exhibit on July 25th!

maya



If you can help, please contact Maya at : studio@mayamyers.com

Arnaud Gregori's "52 Editions"

Paul Adams "First Light, First Day, Bonneville Raceway, Utah"

"We are constantly bombarded by slick images whose only purpose is to sell us more stuff. I think it's important to showcase honest photographs, which exist solely because they capture something beautiful... a landscape, an object, a moment."

Arnaud Gregori, well-known (at least to me) for co-founding Paris Photo Lab & Imaging over on Melrose has started a new site called 52editions which features a new photograph every week - for under $100. In celebration of their launch, their latest find is Paul Adams "First Light, First Day, Bonneville Raceway, Utah" available currently for $45 bucks (8.5x11) until June 30th. If they haven't sold out, it goes up to $75 after that.

On their "About" page, they call themselves the "anti-gallery".

Our weekly goal: to demolish the misconception that collecting great photography is a privilege solely for the hoity-toity. We're knocking it off its pedestal, and bringing it live, to your walls.

Here's my favorite of the images they currently have available :


Kris Graves "East Hampton beach, New York, Winter 2007"

Oh, you can also be a fan on Facebook.

Lomo Turns 25

“The Lomo is not only a welcome novelty camera that can open new possibilities to the jaded professional, it is a didactic tool,” says Fedida. “You can sense the amazement, as if film photography was being reinvented. I do hope that some of that joy of discovery, of disbelief will lead people to relearn the photographic arts.” - Gavin Thomas

Last Friday (June 19) marks the 25th year anniversary of the first shipment of LOMOs from their factory. In 1991, founders of what will later be known as Lomographische AG, discovered the Russian Lomo camera and charmed by it, they secured an exclusive distribution contract to sell the camera outside the Soviet Union. Today, there is lomography.

In an age of technology, this little fun plastic camera inspires a community of "lomographers" whose motto became "Don't think, just shoot". For giggles, I keyword "lomo" and "los angeles" into Flickr.



Jaechon Anderson


Mike Cole


Oℓivia

Icon International changes office

Icon International is now based in Culver City instead of Larchmont Village. Their new phone number is 310-842-8866 and fax number is 310-842-6812.

All the email addresses are the same.

Four Evenings with Fine Art Photographers : Douglas McCulloh (6/25)

This Thursday (6/25) will be the final photographer of "Four Evenings with Fine Art Photographer" series. Hosted by Aline Smithson and presented by Julia Dean Workshops. Over at Aline's blog she posts about Douglas McCulloh.

A&I Santa Monica
1550 17th St.
Santa Monica, CA 90404

7-8:30 pm

Kodachrome (1935-2009)

This morning, the LA Times reports that yup, the Kodachrome film will be retired. Mary Jane Hellyar, the president of Kodak's film, photofinishing and entertainment division states :

"It was certainly a difficult decision to retire it, given its rich history. However, the majority of today's photographers have voiced their preference to capture images with newer technology – both film and digital."

The film is expected to last till early Fall and currently, the only photofinishing processing the film is Dwayne's Photo in Parsons, Kansas and will continue processing Kodachrome until 2010.

Over at Kodak's blog, they posted a tribute to Kodachrome.

Return of The Orphan Works

Over at Photo Attorney blog, she has a post referencing The Illustrators Partnership of America own blog that the Act may be re-introduced in a number of days....

Markku Lahdesmaki "Lost in Space" (6/27)

CANVAS presents Markku Lahdesmaki "Lost in Space"

Opening reception is June 27th 6-9 pm though the show opens June 23rd (Tuesday)

RSVP : Canvasevents@earthlink.net


Canvas Boutique & Gallery
23410 Civic Center Way
Malibu, Ca 90265
tel.310.317.9895
info@canvasbg.com

You probably recognized his commercial work such as :

APA/LA "Deanne Delbridge : Mindful Marketing" (6/25)

Next Thursday, Deanne Delbridge will be speaking about marketing in today's world at 7 pm @ Helms Daylight Studio in Culver City. She'll also be doing a marketing workshop next Saturday from 9:30 am to 1:30 pm.

RSVP required over at : director@apa-la.org


Click here for more details and prices.

PIX CLICKS : Tracy Park Gallery / Kinkead Contempoary

Last night decided to hit a few gallery openings. My plan was to check out the "Live Nude Girls" photo show at Tracy Park in Malibu, the Heather Cantrell @ Kinkead Contemporary in Culver City, the "Summer Love" group photo show in Larchmont Village and maybe...just maybe "Home" silent auction benefit in downtown.

First on the list was Tracy Park Gallery in Malibu which turned out to be pretty darn packed around 7:30 pm. The DJs were just setting up and I had a chance to meet one of the photographer Jack Guy and his printer from Schulman's Photo Lab (on Sunset Blvd). I believe his name was Russell but sometimes hard to hear at an opening. Personally I was drawn toward Jack's work more. The other photographers with work there were Mike Rosenthal, Christian Gibson, Alan Roderick Jones, Keith Lander and Victor Spinelli.





Over in Culver City, Heather Cantrell was having an reception for "A Study in Portraiture : Act 1" where she did some live shooting. The background in her series was also set up in the space and she shot a couple on Fujiroid. A woman there called it "performance art". The space was packed - but then again, it was sort of a small space and the problem I had was the gallery of her work was in a room next to the room where her backdrops and camera was set-up so when she was shooting, I didn't want to cross paths and get in her way.






Alas, an old friend from high school whom I haven't seen in some time text me she was in my neck of the woods so off I went to Mandrake to have a few drinks. By the time I got out, downtown and Larchmont was out of the question.

The Glamorous Life of a Traveling Photographer

When I was assisting, I used to travel for my gigs sometimes. No I wasn't as a high flyer as Mark Seliger's assistants but I did my fair share of traveling. This would be the film days where rolls of film would have to be hand-checked and inspectors would hold up one and gazed upon a 120 roll as "what is this ?". I learn quickly to strip 120/220 from their packages and pool them into a zip lock bag to speed through. Flying out of LAX to Florida, Arizona or Canada or even a quick flight up to San Francisco and my friends would say "That's great ! You get to see different cities and places !"

Uh...yeah...right.

I see the airport, rental car place, the freeway, the hotel, the location we're shooting at, dinner, hotel, airport. Once in a while I would actually get out - once in Calgary I checked out the local clubs but that's pretty dang rare. For the most case, you don't see much. And as the assistant, you're constantly counting number of luggage, watching equipment, assisting, the usual stuff. It ain't bad but it can wear you out.

Today, I rolled by Andrew Hetherington blog and chanced upon his "A Week in the Life" series where he has taken photos of his days - all you see is airport, luggage claim, rental cars, location, hotels, the USA Today at your door , that sort of stuff. My favorite being Day 4. There's just photos and a time frame along with some notes. Hilarious to me as I have days like that.

Tracey Landworth & Creative Photography Workshops

So about two weeks ago I had gone to a gallery opening "Visions" over at Creative Photography Workshops/Gallery right across the street from BCAM/LACMA. I was intrigued - the group photo show are images by local Los Angeles high school photo instructors.

Tracey Landworth is the gal running the workshop & gallery and had a quick moment to talk to her during the show, promising to email her later in the week with a few questions.

PIX : Tracey, I love the fact that you showcase work by high school instructors here in Los Angeles ! I have no doubt that teachers don't get enough recognition that they so deserved. I wondered how you came about doing this as your first gallery opening at your new space ?

Tracey : Sharing photographic energy. As a working photographer, photography teacher & artist, the idea to bring many photography teachers together to show their diverse work just sounded exciting to me. While there are a number of photo galleries in Los Angles there are very few venues for teaching/working photographers to exhibit. . I want the public to see the high quality of work that is done by these dedicated & passionate teaching photographers. Also it gives the teachers a chance to see what others are doing.

PIX : What's your background in photography ? How did you first get into photography ?

Tracey : I discovered photography in High School. My Photography teacher, Paul Kluth at Taft High School in Woodland hills, was a major inspiration to me. He opened up my visual world way beyond how to take a photo. He taught me to See the world. In class we would walk around the campus looking through empty 4x5 film holders framing scenes, as he talked about the top, bottom & edges of our unexposed images.

With humor & patience’s he inspired class after class, for some students I am sure he was the only reason they came to school. He was one great teacher! My father was an architect, and through my high school & college years Julius Shulman would photograph his projects. Kindly, Julius would look at my work, give me feedback & let me come along on shoots.

At UCLA I studied dance, and continued my interest in photography. After UCLA I decided to go for my MFA in photography at Pratt Institute New York. What a wonderful experience that was. Three years of shooting, talking, reading and experimenting with photographic ideas. After Grad school, I came back to Los Angeles. My first job was teaching photography at Barnsdall Park, Camera skills & darkroom. As I was teaching I stated shooting small commercial jobs. 20+ years later I am stilling shooting large & small commercial jobs and teaching. Teaching keeps my work fresh & shooting keeps my teaching real.

PIX : What inspired you to start a photography workshop ?

Tracey : I have been a working professional commercial photographer for the past 20 years, teaching on & off for that same period of time. I have had this idea to start a school for many years, this New Years Eve my resolution was to put it into play IF NOT NOW.. WHEN.

So I just went for it. I want people to not be afraid of photo technology and to go beyond just point & shoot. The camera is still even with all its buttons & menus just a black box with a lens. Classes have started, please join us!

PIX : Thanks Tracey !

www.creativephotoworkshops.com

Smashbox Industry Soiree #4 (6/25)

Yup, Smashbox bringing the game back with their latest Industry Soiree held this time at Palihouse in West Hollywood June 25th 7-11 pm, free drinks 7-9 pm ..... RSVP at vip@smashboxstudios.com