Used Photo Book Stores in LA : Alias Books

About 4 months ago I posted up about one of my favorite used bookstores with an amazing photography section, the Illad up in North Hollywood.

Today, I had to pick up my tax forms from my accountant over in West LA and made a stop over at one of other favorite used bookstores on the Westside, Alias Books. Now the photography selection is pretty slim compared to Illad but I never fail to spend at least $50 on photography books every time I walk in. Alias used to be called West LA Book Center and it has been there since 1959. The current owner Brian has run the place since 2002.

You can see by the selections that the owner definitely has an interest in photography. If you got an extra $750 lying around, you can get Todd Hido "Outskirts". The more valuable photography books are kept behind the desk.

The photography section is to the right when you walk into the main room. Yes, it is tiny but the selections keep me coming back.

Alias Bookstore
1650 Sawtelle Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90025

(Right around the corner from NuArt)

Yelp

NOTE : Atwater Village Newbie recently posted that Alias opening a new branch in Atwater in May 2010.

American PHOTO & APA National "Advocacy in the Arts" (3/31)

If you happen to be out in Palm Springs this week, tonight at the Palm Springs Museum from 5-6:30 pm

An Important Conversation About the Power of Photography to Effect Social Change. Moderated by Michelle Dunn Marsh (Publisher, Aperture Foundation). Special guests include Kenro Izu, Chris Rainier, Connie Samaras and Linda Connor.

It's free.

INFO

Wed Briefs

+ If you're a food photographer, you should check out "Picturing Food", a lecture held at The Getty next Thursday April 8th at 7 pm.

Evan Kleiman, host of KCRW's Good Food, leads a panel discussion exploring the visual aesthetics of food with Darra Goldstein, founding editor of Gastronomica; Maite Gomez-Rejón, chef and founder of Artbites; and photographer Charlie Grosso.

RSVP here

+ Happy Birthday LACMA ! Hitting the big 3-0 aren't cha ?


+ Quick run of stuff going on tomorrow :

-> Over at Fahey/Klein, a double bill of "Legends of Jazz Photography" exhibition with the images of Herman Leonard, William Gottlieb and William Claxton. Herman Leonard will be there in person at the opening. In the smaller room, Jim Marshall "Trust" exhibition with images from his new book Trust.

-> Over in Century City at Annenberg Space for Photography, IRIS Nights lecture series with Daniel Beltra "The State of Tropical Rainforests". Fully booked but there's stand-by. 6:30 - 8 pm. By the way, today (Wed 3/31) at noon, tickets will be available for Balazs Gardi "Facing Water Crisis" lecture on April 8th.

-> Over at Bergamot Station in Santa Monica, Track 16 Gallery will have the opening reception for Mike Watt "Eye-Gifts from Pedro". If you're an old school punk, you'll recognize Mike as the bassist of San Pedro punk band "The Minutemen"

-> Down in San Pedro, it is Art Walk night


+ RT@Miki Johnson Wow. We're trying to figure out where this came from exactly...a HILARIOUS ad for liveBooks that we didn't make!



lol ! I used to assist a photographer in Dallas back in the 90s that reminds me so much of this photographer.

+ Oh, speaking of LiveBooks, there's another portfolio template site I used before called Fluid Galleries. They just recently did an update so check out their new look at www.FluidGalleries.com. I currently use Viewbook.com

+ Finally, Jaime Escalante dies at 79; math teacher who challenged East L.A. students to 'Stand and Deliver'

Pillow Fight Los Angeles 2010 !

Yup, it is that time of year again - time to pillow fight !

Last year I went down to Pershing Square in Downtown LA and spent some wonderful time in a midst of a pillow fight (BTW : April 3rd is International Pillow Fight Day) with my camera Truthfully, this is one of the reasons I love LA - wacky events such as pillow fights, undie runs, zombie walk - I mean, this is Los Angeles !

One thing I was surprised to see was there's so many photographers. Most would stand on the outside of the "fight zone" and shoot. I chose to brave the crowd and got myself into the mob. At that point, I was more concern of getting hit (you're not suppose to hit people without pillows but accidents happen) than actually framing the shot. Seriously, after a while, I just started random "point and shooting" - since it is hard to really frame a shot when there's a mob of people around you flinging pillows.

This year, the event goes down Saturday April 3rd at Pershing Square at 3 PM. Details here.

See photos I took last year after the jump.

Legends of Jazz Photography / Jim Marshall "Trust" @ Fahey/Klein (4/1)

Herman Leonard


William Gottlieb


William Claxton

Reception for Herman Leonard, Thursday, April 1, 7 - 9 p.m.

The Fahey/Klein Gallery is pleased to present Legends of Jazz Photography, featuring the works of Herman Leonard, William Gottlieb, and William Claxton. This exhibition is a photographic journey through the golden years of the Jazz, Blues and Bebop eras that document the larger-than-life legends that comprise the visual album of America's music. Focusing on the life and times of famed artists such as Billie Holiday, Duke Ellington and Thelonious Monk among countless others, this exhibition features a selection from their extensive photographic history.

Jim Marshall "Trust" after the jump

Blurb’s 3rd Photography Book Now

Time for this year's Photography Now event. Deadline is July 15,2010 and there's a submission fee of $30 each. Thre's three categories : editorial, portfolio and fine art. Grand prize is $25,000

By the way, you don't have to use Blurb as they do take other print-on-demand. This competition is off-limits to traditional publishers, offset printing (darn !) or hand-made books.

This year's jury

Darius Himes, acquiring editor at Radius Books
Monica Allende, Photo Editor, London Sunday Times
David Fahey, Gallery Director, Fahey Klein
Michael Mack, Publisher, Steidl/Mack
Lesley Martin, Publisher, Aperture
Susan Meiselas, Photographer
Erin O’Toole, Assistant Curator of Photography, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
Martin Parr, Photographer
Judith Puckett-Rinella, Senior Photography Editor, T: The New York Times Style Magazine
Brian Smith, Photographer

Here's a list of prizes and find out more info on competition here.

MOPLA Starts This Sat !

The official opening night to the Month of Photography Los Angeles starts this Sat (4/3) over at Bergamot Station from 7-10 pm. Pro'jekt LA Part 1 will be projecting images from Jeff Antebi, Livia Corona and Marc Smith as well as exhibitons at Frank Pictures Gallery and Robert Berman Galleries. Samy's Camera will be there doing a photo booth and LA photographer B+ will be DJing as he did last year. Tiffany Trenda will have an installation there also. If you haven't seen Tiffany, she's been doing events all over SoCal lately - the last one I remember was at the Downtown Art Walk a few months back.

Oh, RSVP to openingnight@Monthofphotography.com

PDN's 30 "Transitions: Strategies for the Young Working Photographers" (3/29) (4/2)

Tonight over at Art Center, PDN 30 Seminar starts their tour in Pasadena. You'll get a chance to hear from Holly Hughes (editor of PDN) as well as Lauren Dukoff (2010), Jennifer Rocholl (2008) and Alex Prager (2010) as well as TBWA\Chiat\Day art producer Jigisha Bouverat at 6:30 pm.

These photographers will give you specifics on how they got to where they are today, including how they got their first jobs and structured (and more importantly paid for) their first promotional efforts. They will discuss what they learned in school and what they wish they’d been taught, and share career advice you won’t hear anywhere else. This seminar is a must for any young photographer beginning his or her career.

Seminar 6:30pm – 8:00pm
Reception 8:00pm – 9:00pm

Art Center
Ahmanson Auditorium, lower level
1700 Lida Street, Pasadena CA 91103


OR

if you happen to be at Palm Springs Photo Festival going on right now, the PDN 30 Seminar series will be there on April 2nd

Seminar 5:00pm – 6:30pm
Reception 4:00pm – 5:00pm


Palm Springs Art Museum
101 North Museum Drive
Palm Springs CA 92262

Open to the public, free.

(INFO)

Monday Briefs

+ Santa Babara artist/photographer Kip Fulbeck's "Mixed" on exhibit at the Japanese American National Museum in Little Tokyo until Sept. 26, 2010. If you remember, Kip did the Hapa Project a few ago.

+ Found out ICON lab over on Wilshire has a blog now -> http://iconla.blogspot.com/

+ Matthew Jordan Smith looking for interns. If was still a young kid, I would jump at the chance !

+ Photographers ! Cover your equipment if you leave your car. Heard someone broke into a car in Calumet's parking lot just this weekend and stole some gear. I do remember a sign at Calumet urging people to hid their valuables. Keep a spare blanket and cover your gear !

+ Easy Release, the model release app for your iPhone just got an firmware upgrade to 1.5 . Very useful - no need to search for those model releases in your bags. It's on your phone now !


+ Found a new rental studio up in Pasadena to add to the "Photo Studio Rental" list under Los Angeles Resources. The spot is called RMS and has 22x60 shooting space with 18" cove, 15" ceiling. Call Bobby @ 626-405-0922. I posted up the promo card here. Always looking for studios to list so if you know any that isn't on the list, email me -> pixfeed@gmail.com

After the jump, Studio 1444 in Hollywood seeking two folks to share the space with.

Saturday Briefs

+ BoxEIGHT owner/photographer Pete Gurnz has a new book out "We are all Kids…Naked + Beautiful" which will be available at the closing party for Fashion Week El Paseo closing party/Pete Gurnz exhibition at Melissa Morgan Fine Art in Palm Desert,CA. There's about 50 copies and will go for $250 each. Closing party is tomorrow Sunday the 28th 6-9 pm

+ Speaking of Palm Desert, right next door, Palm Springs will be the hot spot for the Palm Springs Photo Festival at the Hyatt Regency Suites starting tomorrow Sunday the 28th.

+ Marcos Zimmermann's "Desnudos Sudamericanos" is currently at the Couturier Gallery in Los Angeles until April 17

+ From APE interview with Spencer Heyfron

It’s a business. I think that’s a key component in this industry. When you are in college and you’re thinking about what sort of photographer you want to be, what you want to shoot, how you’re going to shoot it and how you’re going to put your personality into the work, that’s all fine but in the end it’s totally a business. Jake taught me that. And, he always came back with the goods. Do you know what I mean? He always came back with what he would have decided to do and he would shoot extra and have lots of options for himself and for the client.

+ Metblog "Silver Lake’s Reservoir Of Black Balls Makes National Geographic"

+ Ali Prosch "Traveler's Suite" @ The Company (946 Yale St 90012) until April 10, 2010

For her first solo exhibition at The Company, Prosch will be re-imagining Travelers' Suite, an ambitious nine-channel video installation depicting the metaphysical essence of a hotel room and the activities of its transient inhabitants. Presented in a gaudy pastiche of periods, Travelers' Suite is a veritable visual mash-up: caveman meets rococo meets your spinster great-aunt, where oversized velvet couches, gilded chairs, rock wall fireplace, and a mirroring set of Victorian beds more than decorate the room -- they become characters.

+ AP : Marty Lederhandler, AP lensman for 66 years, dies

+ Annenberg Space for Photography opens "Water : Our Thirsty World" today

+ Next weekend : Echo Park Art Walk !

+ This morning I was over at Castex Rentals on Cole St. (right next to Gold's Gym) picking up some director's chair for my own shoot tomorrow and I notice they now rent Profoto gear ! Interesting ! Castex services the motion picture industry but looks like they're expanding a bit into the photo industry. The info isn't up on their website yet but you can call them 323.462.1468

+ There's other stuff going on tonight, just check our calendar !

Patrick Swirc "North Korean Confidence"

“It is impossible to travel alone in North Korea. As soon as you arrive, two guides pick you up. In reality, they act like policemen. They look at each of your actions, each of your movements; you are not allowed to do anything without them. They prevent you from speaking with anybody. As my two guards said it was forbidden to take any photographs, I decided to photograph them and to write their comments.” - - Patrick Swirc

Book to be release in April 2010

$100 off Mary Ellen Mark's Workshop

Through the many emails I get, I found one from Julia Dean Workshops. Looks like they are offering $100 off the Mary Ellen Mark weekend workshop if you enroll before March 29th

Legendary, world-renowned photographer Mary Ellen Mark will be conducting a weekend workshop in April called "Deep Into Photography." The workshop will offer a rare opportunity to work closely with Mary, both one-on-one and as a group, critiquing and discussing bodies of work.

SAVE $100 if you enroll between now and March, 29th!!

Here's the course listing over on Julia Dean's website. The weekend is April 16-18.

Jim Marshall (1936-2010)

Photo by Tim Mantoani as part of his Behind Photograph series

We all miss Jim immediately. We all miss Jim tremendously. Maybe we’re surprised by how much we miss him. Jim was a constant in our fraternity of music photographers. He WAS our “fuckin’ guru.” He was a sweet man with a tough, raspy way about him. Jim Marshall stories will abound now, as if they didn’t already. Everybody has a Jim story. That’s because he was an original and he didn’t suffer fools lightly. He had an opinion and he didn’t mind telling it. Jim was the top of the line in music photography. He was a film guy to the end. He did not abide digital. Even answering machines bugged him. He had very little patience for a lot of things except for taking pictures and he was a master at that. He was quick and relentless, wading in with his quiet little Leica and capturing the essence of the person and the moment. I have a picture in my mind of Jim in his “light body” approaching the pearly gates, shouting, “Open the fuckin’ gate” and I’m sure he’ll be given “all access.”

Jim is survived by his wonderful assistant Amelia, and the thousands of people whose lives have been graced by his lens.

- Henry Diltz

Los Angeles Times "Jim Marshall dies at 74; iconic photographer shot music greats"

New York Times "Jim Marshall, Rock ’n’ Roll Photographer, Dies at 74"

MOPLA Founder Responds

Over on J. Wesley Brown's blog there's a response from Hossein Farmani, the founder of MOPLA. Read it here.

Hossein mentions :

MOPLA is a community event. Its not a for profit event. Its all volunteer based. Its an event to put the photography community on the map so YOU and the rest of the community can benefit.

I challenge you and invite you, to gather 50 or 20, or as many as you can, great photographer's work, together find a venue, put an exhibition together and MOPLA will publicize it for you. Do your part! Volunteer to help.

We are doing this to promote the art that has given us so much. I write the check each year to support it, a few hundred thousands dollars.

If you and your readers love photography and are part of LA photography scene. Why don't you get involve. This is as much your event as anyone else in LA.

He's right. If this event is for the photography community here in Los Angeles, then we as photographers should all help to make this a better affair. I can not imagine how my life would be without photography. I think about it everyday, all the time (not counting the PIX Feed LA blog). I plan on doing what I can to help. I urge readers out there to do what they can too.

If you have a photography show or know someone having a photography show, please send me info about it ! I love to help promote it ! One of the reason I started this blog was to make it a place to find out what is going on in town. The bigger shows I can easily find info on. It is the smaller local shows I have problems locating info. So please, if you have a camera club, or a Meetup group, or a photo show, let me know via pixfeed@gmail.com and I'll be happy to post it in the calendar.


With MOPLA 2010 just around the corner, here's an opportunity to relive last year's MOPLA.

MOPLA not representing LA Photographers ?

I read a recent post by local photographer J. Wesley Brown about MOPLA's 160/160 list. This year's MOPLA theme is "Celebrating 160 Years of Los Angeles through 160 photographers".

Stated on their website is : "MOPLA will showcase the work of 160 Photographers who live, work and/or have extensive bodies of work relevant to Los Angeles through our Exhibitions and Projections."

Out of the 160, PDN 30 emerging photographers are included into the mix. Yes some of them live in Los Angeles but others live in different countries. By the way, they only have 91 out of 160 photographers listed so far. Check out their list here.

Okay, PDN is a sponsor so all right, I understand that I supposed.

Besides PDN 30, Wesley research some of the other photographers listed. I checked some of those out to see if they have "extensive work relevant to Los Angeles". I did notice one thing on that list : Eva Kolenko, Jamey Stillings, Morgan Silk are all rep by Sharpe+Associates based here in Los Angeles.

Then I noticed the other names on Sharpe+Associate's roster : Adam Levey, Anthony Redpath, Comrade, Hugh Kretschmer, Steve Lippman and Zachary Scott are also on the MOPLA 160/160 list. I checked their sites - Adam lives in Portland/New York and Anthony Redpath in Vancouver. The rest live here. I grant you both Adam and Anthony probably were here before for work.

Now I didn't go and specifically check out Adam or Anthony's site for "relevant to Los Angeles". I'm just surprised the whole photographer roster for Sharpe+Associates is listed for the 160. This actually bugs me more !

Wait, I just noticed it is stated that the Pro'jekt LA curated projection show is curated by Sharpe & Associates which explains why their whole roster is in the show. I usually think of museums, galleries or specific person curating...never a photo rep agency.

Something doesn't seem right here.....

Granted, I'll still attend and check out the exhibition but this does leave a bit of a sour taste. On the plus side, I'm delighted to see many familiar names here - Aline Smithson, Susan Burnstine, Christine Caldwell, Dan Monick, Mark Edward Harris among others. Aline has done so much to help the photography community here in Los Angeles - she deserves the praise to be in the 160.

EDIT : Interesting ! I wrote this post a day ago and right before I posted this today, I check Wesley's blog to see if there's any updates and in the comments OV responds that MOPLA has change their wording. Apparently the folks at MOPLA read his post and now have changed the wording to "With the support of the Photography Community, MOPLA will showcase the work of 160 Photographers worldwide. " instead of "160 photographers who live, work, and/or have extensive bodies of work relevant to Los Angeles..."

"Horowitz By Arbus: The Lost Diane Arbus Portraits" (3/29)

Press release after the jump.

Leica S2 & M9 Road Show hits Los Angeles this Fri & Sat !

If you like to get your hands on the latest S2 or M9, then you're in luck ! Leica has set-up a Road Show tour and they'll be at the Sheraton LAX hotel so you can have a chance to check out their new M9 as well as other M-line series and lens.

They'll also cover :

Topics covered will include:
Camera & Lenses orientation
Troubleshooting & Maintenance
Understanding the Digital Imaging Process
Configuring Your Computer
Organizing & Storing Your Images
Lightroom Introduction
Color Management Introduction
Methods to Produce Better Work in Less Time
Strategies for Profitability

And of course you get a chance to talk to Leica reps as well as professionals who have

This does cost some change - $99 for M9 and $149 for S2 but hey you'll get a voucher that you can use toward the purchase of M or S product so score if you were already thinking of getting one.

March 26th for the S2 1 pm - 5:30 pm
March 27th for the M9 1 pm - 5:30 pm

Sheraton Gateway Hotel
6101 West Century Blvd.
Los Angeles CA 90045

All the details here.

San Francisco people - they're coming to you on April 19th & 20th, Orange County (or specifically Irvine) - they'll be here in May 19th & 20th. San Diego, you're out of luck :( Everyone else, check their tour here. 24 cities in United States.

TONIGHT : An Evening with Ian Shive

Wild Exposure Episode 4 - The Channel Islands from Wild Collective on Vimeo.

(Part 4 of a series of "making of " Ian Shive’s new book, The National Parks: Our American Landscape.)

On Wednesday, March 24th, take a photographic journey from the Florida Everglades to the highest mountain in North America with Ian Shive, author and photographer of the new book, The National Parks: Our American Landscape.

Shive will describe the challenge of finding new ways to document national parks that have already been photographed countless times – and how he brought a fresh perspective to that work.

Ian will explain how an aggressive marketing campaign led to the success of the top-selling title and describe how applying multimedia, social networking, and internet-based publicity were used to further develop his career in editorial and commercial photography.

Ian Shive is a Los Angeles based conservation photographer whose award-winning work has received critical acclaim nationwide. His images have appeared in numerous publications including National Geographic, Outside, Time, U.S. News & World Report, and many others. Shive presented his images and perspective on climate change at the United States Capitol in Washington D.C. for the head of the National Park Service and members of Congress.

REGISTER HERE:

http://asmpla100324.eventbrite.com

COST: FREE FOR ALL

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 24, 2010
7 PM (doors open at 6:30)
LOCATION: G2 GALLERY

1503 Abbot Kinney Blvd.
(Corner of Millwood and Abbot Kinney)
Venice, CA 90291

Wednesday Briefs (3/24)

+Very useful video from PhotoShelter ! 7 Common Tax Mistakes Made By Photographers.

+ Folks, if you're down in San Diego, over at the Museum of Photographic Arts present an artist talk with Uta Barath tomorrow (3/25) at 7 pm. Next week's artist talk will be with Mona Kuhn on April 1st at 7 pm.

+ Yes, another Art Walk in LA ! I've already lost count to how many there are ! This one is the Santa Monica Airport Art Walk on Saturday the 28th 1-5 pm

+ Check the event calendar out. I spent a few hours adding more photo events in there and with MOPLA 2010 coming up, there'll be plenty to see here in Los Angeles !

+ You can catch PDN 30 Emerging in a few weeks at the Clark|Oshin Gallery at The ICON on April 8th 6-8 pm. Info

+ Over at Book Soup tonight at 7 pm, photographer Mona Kuhn will be signing her new book "Native"

+ Tomorrow, Four Evenings with Fine Art Photographers kicks off with a bang with Tierney Gearon at A&I Hollywood (933 N Highland Ave 90038) 7-8:30 pm. A not-to-be missed event ! Props to Aline Smithson for starting this event, now in their 3rd year.

+ BTW : MOPLA have posted up their calendar for the 2010 edition. Check it out !

+ Love Polaroid 665 ? Looks like ICON has a bunch of expired 665 there ! Call 323.933.1666 and tell them PIXFeed LA sent ya ! ^^ ICON is located at 5450 Wilshire Blvd in Miracle Mile - south side of the street.

+ Adobe Photoshop CS5 will be launched on April 12th, 2010. Man, I'm still running CS3 on one computer and CS on my laptop !

MOPLA 2010 / d.e.n contemporary opening reception (3/25)

Video interview with Sarah Rossiter (Nov 09) Parts are in Italian.

Looks like this is the first exhibition relating to MOPLA (Month of Photography Los Angeles) 2010. d.e.n contemporary in the Pacific Design Center, suite B275. The exhibition opens today but the opening reception is this Thursday March 25th 5-8 pm.

d.e.n contemporary art is pleased to present an exhibition of collaborative work by Sarah Rossiter and Dorsey Dunn in the main gallery at Pacific Design Center, Suite B275. Working together for the first time, the artists will present a large-scale installation of sound and image, transforming the gallery into an elevated, floating landscape. The installation will consist of a 34-channel sound field by Dorsey Dunn and a photographic mural by Sarah Rossiter, with additional smaller works on display.

Meanwhile in the Project Room, you'll get a chance to see recent photo projects from Leyla Cárdenas, Corina Gamma, and Michael Napper .



Leyla Cárdenas


Corina Gamma


Michael Napper

These images are from their website. You can check out the press release for this event here.

Save Our Library !

You know this already, LA is broke. Now they're gonna slash the library budget. Seriously, not good. My early days are spent in the library and even today, I visit the library once every two weeks - either the Downtown Library or the one a few block from my house. Check out SaveTheLibrary.com. Anyone remember when Annie Leibovitz spoke at the Central Library in downtown a few years ago ?

We Need Another LARGE GROUP in City Council Chambers Wed. March 24th at 10:00 AM! WHY? Because Councilman LaBonge invited us back & LAPL CUTS are on the agenda! City Hall, 200 N. Spring Street, John Ferraro Council Chambers. Show up a little early to fill out a speaker card! Tell City Council what your library means to you!

Impossible Project to unveil B/W SX-70 & 600 film this Thursday !

Yes, SX-70 and 600 is back ! The Impossible Project has announced their new black & white line fit for SX-70 and 600 and it goes on sale on Thursday, March 25th. You can buy it online and will later be release to select retail

The PX 100 will contain 8 monochrome instant picture for Polaroid SX-70 and the PX 600 will contain 8 monochrome instant picture for Polaroid 600 camera. Retail price is $21 per 8-exposure pack.

The Impossible Project expects to present their first PX Color Film this summer for the SX-70, 600 and Spectra.

Okay, if you wanna buy it, according to their press release it'll be available online on April 25th at their website. For us here in the United States, you can actually see the product at The Impossible Project Space, a shop & gallery space at 425 Broadway in New York on April 30, 2010

Press release

Random Light Test

Yet another random image from Light-Test.com. Now y'all know better not to turn the Dust-off upside down and trigger it right ? Bad for lens, your hands, or whatever. And seriously, don't stick it in your ear..... I think i've seen everything you can do with a can of Dust Off XL by now ^^

PIX Feed LA turns Two

March 22, 2008

That's the first day I started the PIX Feed blog. At that time I was using the MySpace blog platform and the first post ? It was about the 3rd Annual Slideluck Potshow held at 5th & Sunset Studios over in West LA.

Seems how time flies. One Saturday I was bored at PIX (I used to work the weekend shift) and started a PIX MySpace page just for kicks. It was unofficial. I used it to gather the present and past PIX employees.....then I started adding photographers who rent from us. Then I started posting events around LA and NY. This went on for a few weeks before my boss got wind of it. Uh-oh. Here I was using the company name and logo in an unauthorized usage. I got chewed out but the boss liked what I was doing and I got his blessing. I began running the blog while working in the sales dept. In Jan 2009, I moved the platform over to a Blogger template and left sales dept. The rest is history.

Just for your enjoyment, I dug the video from the PIX old MySpace page. Sometimes everyone at PIX goes out to do karaoke or bowling and in this video, Richard and Adam from the rental dept do their best Bon Jovi. "woooooooo...half way there, woooooo... living on a prayer !"

Good times, good times ^^

"Water : Our Thirsty World" (3/27)

The Annenberg Space for Photography presents an exhibit examining the precarious state of the world’s fresh water. Coinciding with National Geographic’s special issue "Water: Our Thirsty World," this exhibit features the work of award-winning photographers looking at our most precious resource from environmental, social, political and cultural perspectives.

Explore the causes and consider the ramifications of the world’s impending fresh water crisis through stunning images and larger-than-life video - HD in a gallery like you’ve never seen.

The "Water" issue of National Geographic will be available on newsstands on March 30, 2010.

The exhibit will be open to the public from March 27 through June 13, 2010.

Annenberg Space for Photography
2000 Avenue of the Stars
Los Angeles, CA 90067-4700

APA/SD "Creativity Roundtable" (3/24)

For our San Diego readers, coming up on March 24th APA/SD is doing a creativity roundtable to discuss creativity and how we manage it.

Come join your peers in a thought provoking evening where we toss around notions of creative habits, innovation, inspiration and inventiveness–and what can be done to overcome creative block. Sometimes being creative is plain old work.

I have a friend who works as a music video director - he tells me whenever he's stuck, he goes and takes a shower !

The event is free to APA members. Students and ASMP folks just pay $5 and all others $10


March 24, 2010 7 pm

Harrison/Rogozienski Studios
930 West Ivy Street
San Diego CA 92101

RSVP here.

WestWeek & The Avenue : Art & Design Walk

The Pacific Design Center and the Avenues of Art & Design are combining forces to bring together "WESTWEEK + Art & Design Walk". First up is WestWeek 2010, an event bringing thousands of designers to the Pacific Design Center on March 24th & 25th.

There'll be Keynote Panels hosted by ELLE DECOR, Interiors and Editor-at-Large magazine as well as more than 50 showroom events, book signings as well as lecture series. This is definitely an event not to be missed if you're an architectural/interior design photographer. In fact, Santa Monica photographer Karyn Millet will be honored at Stars of Design Awards held March 24 at 5:30 PM in the PDC’s Blue Conference Center. Toast anyone ?

The Pacific Design Center hosts West Week, an internationally-recognized design trade event that welcomes thousands of design professionals each spring. The event includes top industry keynote speakers, showroom programs, book signings, exhibitions, product launches and the 14th annual ‘Stars of Design’ ceremony. Experts discuss and present such items as trends graphic & interior design, urban landscape, photography, contemporary art and architecture. Highlights of the event include programs hosted by Architectural Record, Elle Décor, House & Garden, and Metropolitan Home.

Then Avenue of Art & Design will hold their annual "Art & Design Walk" on Friday the 26th and Saturday the 27th.

Designers, foodies, fashionistas and art enthusiasts will gather on March 26 and 27 at The Avenues – West Hollywood’s exclusive collection of more than 300 prestigious interior design showrooms, galleries, boutiques and restaurants — for the 13th annual Art & Design Walk.

A must-see event for every style conscious Angeleno, the Art & Design Walk features special receptions, new product launches, gallery shows, shopping discounts and food and entertainment hosted by individual showrooms located on Melrose Avenue and Beverly and Robertson Boulevards.

March 24th & 25th WestWeek 2010
March 26th & 27th The Avenue : Art & Design Walk

Andre Paul Pinces

Vancouver-based photographer

http://pincesphoto.blogspot.com/

Joel Sartore "Rare : Portraits of America's Endangered Species"

Joel Sartore's latest project Rare: Portraits of America's Endangered Species and all shot on white.

RARE: Behind the Scenes from Joel Sartore on Vimeo.

Coming April 2010....

http://www.mopla.org/

This Weekend (20th & 21st)

SATURDAY

+ David Levine "Hopeful" opening reception over @ Francois Ghebaly Gallery 6-8 pm over near Downtown.

+ Julia Dean Photo Workshops is doing an open house on Sat from 1-4 pm, then stick around later that night for the "4 x 14: Uncommon Imagery From 14 Los Angeles Photographers" opening 6-9 pm. Julia Dean is over in Venice, CA.



+ Rose Gallery having an Evelyn Hofer tribute exhibition opening this weekend. Runs till May 1st. Rose is over at Bergamot Station in Santa Monica.

+ Meg Madison "Rightsizing Narrative" opening reception 7-10 pm @ Kristi Engle Gallery 5002 York Ave. Highland Park, CA 90042


SUNDAY

"Las Vegas Studio: Images from the Archives of Robert Venturi and Denise Scott Brown" opens over at MOCA Pacific Design Center on Sunday and runs till June 20th.

Over at the Pasadena Elks Lodge is Pasadena Camera Show & Sale from 10 am to 3 pm. Just $2 bucks to get in. 400 W. Colorado Blvd. Pasadena, CA 91105





Oh, another thing, the LA Marathon is this Sunday so check here for street closures. I remember one year it ran by my apartment and by PIX I was delayed by half a hour or more getting to work. I even remember this poor photographer who had to park blocks away, run across the Marathon to buy a 9 ft. seamless paper, then run back for a shoot. Not fun ^^

RETNA "Desaturated" (3/20)

Okay, I usually don't post items not photography-related but I'll do it for this guy. So five years ago I moved into a space in downtown Los Angeles with another photographer and a group of street artists - RETNA was one of the guys. In his early days, he would take Bebe bus shelter ads and paint over it. Later on he and a photographer would collaborate on a piece - the photographer would shoot the model, RETNA would do his work over it.

This weekend, he'll have his solo exhibition "Desaturated" over at New Image Gallery on Santa Monica Blvd. March 20th 7-10 pm

More of his work after the jump.

David Levine "Hopeful" (3/20)

When I first moved to Los Angeles, I got a roommate with an actress from Dallas. I used to see her going through Backstage West, putting her headshot into an envelope and filling out the address. She did this weekly. Heck, some of her early headshots were taken by me on a Canon A2 - yes folks, 35mm black & white. At that time the industry hadn't moved to the color headshots we see today.

Each 8x10 holds hope for an actor out there - all looking at you when you open the envelope. David Levine must have seen thousands of headshots as he is a former actor, director and acting teacher. This Saturday March 20th 6-9 pm at François Ghebaly Gallery, David brings his "Hopeful" exhibition, a collection of over 1,000 headshots and cover letters to Los Angeles after solo exhibitions in New York and Berlin.

Photos after the jump

NASA remembers Photographer Bill Taub (1923-2010)

"I had the privilege to be there to record it. I made sure I recorded it to the best of my ability because I have a sense of history," - Bill Taub

Photos after the jump

Siren Studios Expanding Again

(photos from Siren's Facebook page)

Last year Siren open another location over on Orange/Santa Monica Blvd and called it Siren@Orange. Now looks like they are moving into the building right across the street from their Orange location.

Built by RCA Victor and the recording spot for none other than Elvis, Bing Crosby, Nat King Cole and Stevie Wonder among others, the Radio Recorders building is now home to the Siren Orange production offices, conference rooms and a 2000+ sq. foot studio! We'll be opening the doors soon!

It seems just a few short years ago that Siren enter the scene. I can't recall exactly what year it was but I remember going to their Christmas party with taco trucks outside and upside down trees from their ceilings at their Sunset studios.

Find out more at Siren Studios

Mona Kuhn "Native" book signing (3/24)

“This work began as a personal journey. Metaphorically, I was thinking of a bird that flies back into the forest, searching for its childhood nest. The images here are a creation of my abstracted wishes and dreams. As I was searching, instead of home, I found an empty past, just traces of it. Yet, my journey was filled with new friendships, and discoveries made along the way.”

Mona Kuhn will be signing copies of her new book Native over at Book Soup. If you remember, Mona had an exhibition at M+B last October.

March 24, 2010 7:00pm

Book Soup
8818 W. Sunset Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90069-2125

Tierney Gearon - Four Evenings with Fine Art Photographers (3/25)

Aline Smithson last year hosted the first "Four Evenings with Fine Art Photographers" @ A&I Santa Monica and she's back this year with a new group of photographers to talk to : Tierney Gearon, Jay Mark Johnson, Robbert Flick and Susan Anderson. Every month at A&I Hollywood each guest will be speaking about their work, their passion and what drives them. Last year's speakers were Whitney Hubbs, Mona Kuhn, Douglas McCulloh and Hiroshi Watanabe

The first speaker is Tierney Gearon on March 25th. 7-8:30 pm. I've posted some of my favorite images I found on her website above.

The cost for all 4 is just $35 or you can pay at the door $15/$10 students. Register here.

(By the way, I posted the dates on all four events in the calendar section to your left under HOME)

A&I Hollywood
933 N. Highland Ave
Hollywood, CA 90038

Angels Flight

Angels Flight at the Hill Street tunnel (1903)

In tribute to yesterday's reopening of Angels Flight, I dug around UCLA's and USC's Digital Collections for images of the shortest train line in Los Angeles from the past 100 years.

More photos after the link.

4 X 14 : Uncommon Imagery From 14 Los Angeles Photographers (3/20)

4 X 14: Uncommon Imagery - An Exhibition of New Work from 14 Southern California Photographers

4 X 14: Uncommon Imagery is a group show featuring the work of Southern California photographers who have been developing their unique and personal visions in contemporary photography. Explorers, dreamers, perfectionists, voyeurs - photographers can be perceived in different ways, but passionate is perhaps the feature that characterizes them the best. Without passion their work could never see the light of success or have an unparalleled place in the contemporary art world.

Members of the group have exhibited nationwide and have had work published in JPG, File, Silvershotz, PDN, Communication Arts, Eyemazing, Black and White, Light Leaks, Shots, and other magazines. These emerging photographers bring their unique sensibilities to this exhibition, each showcasing four connected images that reflect the broad range of photography today.

Nancy Baron
Micheal Butler
Gerhard Clausing
Rebecca Gaal
Liz Huston
Cathy Immordino
Judy Hoffman
Michael Kirchoff
Gray Malin
Laurie McCormick
Zoran Milosavljevic
Linda Morrow
Aline Smithson
Todd Stern


March 20th- May 28th, 2010

Opening Reception: Saturday, March 20th, 6-9 pm

The Julia Dean Gallery
801 Ocean Front Walk, Studio 8
Venice, California 90291

Monday Briefs

+ NPR : A Contraband Camera: Photos Of World War II WASP

+ Did you read A Photo Editor's "Stop Accepting $200 Assignments!" ? Good read - and don't forget to check out the comments. This has been talked to numerous times over the years but always good for emerging photographers to take a gander at what's out there.

+ Weegee documentary (via A Photography Blog)

+ The Copyright Corner, a resource for designers and artists. Site maintain by the School of Art, Media + Technology at Parsons The New School for Design

+ Casey Templeton's self promo is insanely amazing !

+ Interesting...local photographer Michael Grecco has a YouTube channel filled with his behind the scene videos. Also Larry Fink has a blog now.

Markus Klinko & Indrani : 2010 Student Photography Competition

Okay photo students, Markus Klinko & Indrani have a photo competition just you !

The girl, (or boy) next door contest.

Bron Imaging Group has partnered with the iconic photographic team of Markus Klinko and Indrani.

The Bron Imaging Group bi-annual BIG ED photographic contest will be hosted by the power couple this spring. The theme of the contest is an intimate portrait of the girl or boy next door. The image could be a brief glimpse of an intimate moment, something that plays on the voyeuristic. Possiblythe image could be something more Rockwellian centered around a boy scout troop or a combination of the two, remember it is M&I…

The competition will run from February 1st to July 1st. Markus Klinko and Indrani will select the winners, along with a hand picked panel of stylists and magazine editors.

First prize will be a complete broncolor Mobil A2R travel kit. with option to add a second head from the following choices, Mobilite 2 head, a Unilite head, or a Ringflash C.

INFO

PIX CLICKS : Kohei Yoshiyuki "The Park" / Andy Freeberg "Guardians"

6:05 PM Kohei Yoshiyuki "The Park" @ M+B until April 17th.

ASX : "Nobuyoshi Araki In Conversation With Kohei Yoshiyuki "






6:47 PM Andy Freeberg "Guardians" @ Kopeikin Gallery until April 17th

I didn't set out to do another series on art institutions. I actually went to Russia last year with the idea that I was going to do some sort of “before and after” project. I had a nice set of black and white photos that I had taken in St. Petersburg in the 1980's and I thought it might be interesting to revisit some of those spots, since Russia has changed economically and politically in such a dramatic way. The idea wasn't coming together too easily so I went to look at the art at the Hermitage, which is one of the greatest museums in the world. I went back a couple of days later with my camera and then I saw the ladies. They were the Sentries of the Hermitage.

Interview with Andy Freeberg

7:22 PM back home safe & sound ^^ Wanna see past PIX Clicks ? Just put "PIX Clicks" into the search box on the top.