TONIGHT : Sarah Moon "Coincidences” opening @ Fahey/Klein

I have thought about it, but something I have come to realize is that I never photograph reality. That's a reason I could never do reportage. It's not my thing - not my way of working or my vision. I could never go out into the street and take a photograph. Also, I would be incapable of photo-graphing somebody without their agreement. I can't bear to be pushy, to intrude. People forget how cruel the camera can be - it seems often to reveal more than the naked eye. I've always been interested in fat people and old people, but I could not take advantage of them. So reportage would contravene my moral code, whereas fashion is perfect for me. It's not so much the clothes, but the beauty of the shapes and colours that appeals to me. But I also think there's a ceiling to fashion - and it's a low one - you can bump your head against it. At the end of the day, the real purpose of fashion photography is to serve the client and sell the product. Everything that you as the photographer add to it by way of story and mood, is for yourself alone. - Sarah Moon

March 31, 2011 through May 21, 2011

Opening Reception: Thursday, March 31st, 2011 7-9 p.m.

Fahey/Klein Gallery
148 N. La Brea Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90036

Vince Aletti and Britt Salvesen

Quick note that today at noon, New York photography critic Vince Aletti will be in conversation with Britt Salvesen, head of Photography for LACMA over at Roski School of Fine Arts. Info here

USC
Graduate Fine Arts Building (IFT)
3001 S. Flower Street
Los Angeles, CA 90007

Don't worry if you miss it today as tomorrow, Thursday March 31st, Vince Aletti and Britt Salvesen will taken the stage at LACMA's Brown Auditorium from 7- 9 pm. Details here.

LACMA
5905 Wilshire Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90036

Richard Avedon "Darkness and Light" video

Vividly portrayed in this American Masters Special, photographer Richard Avedon shoots for two different worlds. Primarily, he is a fashion photographer, having worked for various magazines for more than 50 years. Of particular note is the description of photographing Natassja Kinski, a shoot that took two hours of her lying naked on a cement floor as they tried to coax a snake up her body. As a fashion photographer, Avedon became known for his sense of movement and the energy he captured in each image; he gets exquisite models to leap, move, and flip their hair. His second, and perhaps lesser-known, body of work is art photography, including portraits of the famous and the unknown, with a signature style of photographing his sitters on a white background with no props. This documentary ably captures the tension between these two directions in his work by overlaying the positive and negative viewpoints about his photography in a collage of voiceovers. We learn how Avedon views his role as a photographer, and that for him the end result captures "the death of the moment." Also included are the controversial images of his dying father. This program aptly depicts this highly creative man exposed through his work as vulnerable, obsessed, and a perfectionist. This 81-minute-long program will interest a broad audience, from those interested in fashion, people of our times, the history of the 20th century, artists and art historians, and photography in general. --Anne Barclay Morgan

Click to see the other parts of the video.

VBS.TV "Stefan Ruiz - Cholombianos"

"I'm like this dinosaur that gets hired on ad jobs to use my 4x5 and then the art director are 'wow I haven't seen one of those in a long time' "

Fascinating little piece on Brooklyn photographer Stefan Ruiz. I actually remember his Caterpillar campaign about a decade ago.

MOPLA Kick-Off this Saturday (4/2)

Yup, time for Month of Photography Los Angeles ! The official kick-off starts this Saturday over at Pier 59 West in Bergamot Station with the following :

Sound unseen: KCRW’s Visual Diary in Print and Projections as told by Stephen Laufer and Larry Hirshowitz.

Bergamot photo hop: Robert Berman, dnj Gallery, Frank Pictures Gallery, Gallery Luisotti, Peter Fetterman and Rose Gallery.

Clark|Oshin Gallery presents an exhibition of photographs by Marjoria Salvaterra.

A special projection by the Los Angeles Times and photographer Kiino Villand.

The event runs from 7-10 pm and the place will be hopping ! Alas, I'll be in Orange County working so this will be my first year to miss the opening but fear not, I'll be around town checking out the scene. Oh, I've been updating the calendar daily - there's new events coming down the pipes every day it seems.

Saturday April 2, 2011 7-10 pm

Pier 59 West
Bergamot Station
2415 Michigan Avenue
Santa Monica, CA 90404-4092

4th Annual PhotoFest@LBCC

The 4th Annual PhotoFest at Long Beach City College is expanding to become a citywide and month-long festival of free photography-related events and celebrations throughout the month of April. Our goal is to celebrate photography and it's impact on our world while providing opportunities for photographers to socialize and share their enthusiasm for photography. The main emphasis of the festival will be the workshops, demonstrations, art walks, exhibitions and seminars held throughout the month of April. These events are free, open to students and the general public as well, and are suitable for all levels of expertise.

The PhotoFest runs from April 1st to April 16th wrapping up with the artist reception of Melvin Sokolsky at Orange Coast College. Check their list of schedule of seminars, workshops and artwalks here. Most of the events are located at Long Beach's Liberal Arts Campus but others are scattered around Long Beach. You can also follow them on Facebook.

La Brea / Melrose

( via LA TACO )

Lise Sarfati "Austin, TX"

I like going to small towns where the people get bored. At first it was hard to unfold a story around that, using a human being, a body, an environment, a house. - Lise Sarfati

ASX "Interview with Lise Sarfati" (2008)

Events This Weekend

_ FRIDAY _



+ The documentary of New York Times' street photographer "Bill Cunningham : New York" opens at the NuArt in West LA tonight for a one week engagement. Meet the director and producer tonight at the 7:30 pm and 9:45 pm screening.

+ The "Hohos & Photos" Photography Show @ 643 S. Carondelet Street Los Angeles, CA 90057 8 pm - 2 am. Billed as "the BIGGEST NIGHT of PHOTOGRAPHY in LOS ANGELES!! OVER 40 of LA's EMERGING PHOTOGRAPHERS will be SHOWCASING their work!!" as well as photo booth, music, and drinks.


_ SATURDAY _


+ APA/LA "High End Beauty Retouching with Dennis Dunbar" 10 am to 2 pm @ Strauss Studios 6442 Santa Monica Blvd.#204 LA, CA 90038-1513.


+ Maria Luisa Morando "Silver" opening reception 4-6 pm @ DNJ Gallery 2525 michigan avenue, Suite J1 santa monica, california 90404.

.... Maria Luisa Morando’s photographs are so washed in light that only the barest traces are left to represent landscapes where sand and water interplay to form the shore. From her early years in theater and costume design, Morando brings an eye that is skilled in developing the essential, leaving details to be fleshed out in the mind of the viewer.

+ Michael Eastman "Plexagraphs" opening reception 4-6 pm @ DNJ Gallery 2525 michigan avenue, Suite J1 santa monica, california 90404.

Michael Eastman's prior work featured photographs of richly colored American landscapes and captivating architectural settings. In this new series, he focuses on much smaller objects, windows and building design elements. As before, Eastman portrays a nostalgic elegance.

+ Mike Saijo "Dream Defered" opening reception 6-10 pm @ Caporale/Bleicher Gallery 355 North La Brea Los Angeles, CA 90036

By looking at three different ethnographic subcultures; Japanese-Americans, African Americans, and the Jewish communities in and around the Los Angeles area, Saijo discovered that the cultural histories of each group all shared one vast intersecting history.

+ Phil Parmet "Selected Works" opening reception 1 - 5 pm Harris & Ruble Gallery 6424 Santa Monica Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90038

"Selected Work" is an exhibition of Phil Parmet's black & white photography created in the course of his wildly independent career as a cinematographer for film, television, and music videos

+ The Next: L.A. Photographers 2011 group photo show opening reception 7-10 pm @ Julia Dean 755 Seward St. Los Angeles, CA 90038. This is also the grand opening of Julia Dean's new Hollywood location.


_ SUNDAY _


+ Connect 2011 : The Palm Springs Photo Fest starts today !

The Palm Springs Photo Festival is an intense week-long event for Professional, Emerging and Serious Advanced Amateur Photographers. We are dedicated to providing a rich program intended to inspire, educate and instill or reignite passion for the art and commerce of photography.

Firooz Zahedi on Elizabeth Taylor

Currently at LACMA is the exhibition "Elizabeth Taylor in Iran: Photographs by Firooz Zahedi". In this video posted by LACMA, Firooz Zahedi talks of his experiences.

I owe my career to her. She encouraged me when no one else would, when my family was pressuring me to go back to Iran. She was doing a movie in L.A. and said I could be her photographer on the set. When the movie finished, I was supposed to back. But I decided to get married and [Taylor] was the matron of honor.

Currently at LACMA until June 12, 2011.

LAT "Q&A: Firooz Zahedi captures Elizabeth Taylor in pre-revolution Iran"
Vanity Fair "Photographer Firooz Zahedi Remembers Elizabeth Taylor"

LA Weekly People Issue

Every year I enjoy going through LA Weekly's People issue as shot by Kevin Scanlon. I found this video clip of Kevin talking about his work from last year. He's currently has about 50 more shoots to finish up for this year's edition to be released at the end of April-ish.

From the video Kevin mention he did 300 shoots just for that issue - talk about a wealth of experience ! Every subject different, different locations, different situations, all done within a few month's time.

You can see about 60 of Kevin's portrait from the 2010 edition here.




Two of the four different 2010 covers that I could find online.

IRIS Nights - Erika Larsen "The Sami Reindeer Herders" (3/31)

I have seen the Arctic as a place where the extremes play out in the daily lives of the people that inhabit this land. It is a place where man has learned to adapt to the environment that surrounds him rather than adapting the environment to him. Here I found the Sámi, which translates to ‘The People.’ They are the indigenous people living in the Arctic Circle region of northern Scandinavia and it is the largest area in the world with an ancestral way of life based on the seasonal migrations of the animals. The Sámi are by tradition reindeer herders and live a nomadic lifestyle based on the reindeer migration.

I have come on a search to understand the primal drive of the modern hunter by taking an inclusive look at an original hunter-gatherer society. I have come to see if when the land speaks there are those that can interpret its language. I have come in search of silence so that I could begin to hear again.

I will spend the next year exploring the Sámi’s symbiotic relationship with the environment. They are the only people who can own and sell wildlife in Scandinavia. By possessing a livelihood that is dependent on their surroundings the Sami are acutely aware of the changes in nature. They have managed to survive in extreme climatic circumstances for ages. I believe that through exploring this culture I will better understand our role as stewards of the earth.

Next Thursday at the Annenberg Space for Photography's IRIS Night lecture series, photographer Erika Larsen will be speaking of her experiences. Passes are available today at noon right here as well as tomorrow (Thursday) at 9:30 am. Hurry, they go quick !

Thursday March 31, 2011 6:30 - 8:00 pm

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

The "Hohos & Photos" Photography Show (3/25)

Why called Hohos ? Simple. They're serving hohos, twinkies and cupcakes all night long :)

Billed as "the BIGGEST NIGHT of PHOTOGRAPHY in LOS ANGELES!! OVER 40 of LA's EMERGING PHOTOGRAPHERS will be SHOWCASING their work!!" as well as photo booth, music, and drinks.

This goes down this Friday night from 8 pm to 2 am. Facebook event page here. Already 200+ people RSVPed.

643 S. Carondelet Street
Los Angeles, CA 90057

Bill Cunningham New York (3/25)

Starts this Friday for a week at NuArt over in West LA. Director Richard Press and Producer Philip Gefter in attendance to do Q&A at end of the 7:45 and 9:45 screening.



LAT "Before Cobra Snake or the Sartorialist, there was Bill Cunningham"

Los Angeles Times Printing Facility Tour

My friend’s dad took us on a late night tour of the Los Angeles Times print facility in downtown. We got to see the robotic forklifts in action, the different levels of printing and folding, and the differences in the early and late edition of the newspaper.

Check Vinh Pham's tumblr for more photos as well as a video !

Also coming up in April, the Los Angeles Times is doing a one-night event in conjunction with Downtown Art Walk to exhibit some of LAT photographer's work as well as meet & greet with the photo staff on April 14th 6-10 pm. I'll post up more info as that gets closer. I plan on getting myself down there and checking that out !

Open Show : Los Angeles looking for Submissions

Are you working on a personal photo project and looking to get some feedback from the public ? Well, this coming up Wednesday is Open Show #5, a free monthly event where photographers gather to interact directly with the project creators. It is a chance to show off what you've been cooking in the lab and get some real world feedback of your work.

To submit, go here -> http://openshow.org/losangeles/

The event is held this upcoming Wednesday night (March 23) at The Forge studio rental at 2636 Huron St. Los Angeles, CA 90065 from 7:30-9:30 pm.

(3/22) Just found out the event has been cancelled.

Francis Scott "MonoVisioN" opening reception (3/22)

Pacific Design Center is pleased to present MonoVisioN, a selection of photographs from design and architectural photographer Scott Frances. The exhibition, on view from March 22nd to April 29th, is located among the Design Loves Art Galleries on the Second Floor of the Blue Building at the Pacific Design Center in Blue Space 231.

Renowned for his architecture and lifestyle photography, Scott is a frequent contributor to such illustrious magazines as Architectural Digest, Vanity Fair, New York Times Magazine, and Departures. Scott has worked with many of the world’s most famous architects and designers after beginning his career shooting for Richard Meier.

The reception this Tuesday March 22, 2011 coincides with the beginning of WestWeek 2011, a week long design industry event held over at the Pacific Design Center.

Note that on Thursday at 1 pm, Francis Scott will give a lecture and book signing of his first book "MonoVision" with preface by Richard Meier. That will be held at Blue Conference Center (Suite B259)

March 22-April 29, 2011

Opening Reception
Tuesday March 22, 2011 6-8 pm @ B231

Lecture + Book Signing
Thursday March 24, 2011 1 pm @ B259

Pacific Design Center
8687 Melrose Avenue
West Hollywood, CA, 90069-5712

The Next LA 2011 (3/26)

The Next: L.A. Photographers 2011 is a group show featuring the work of emerging Southern California photographers who have been developing their unique and personal visions in contemporary photography. The exhibition features the work of 11 photographers: Aline Smithson, Ashly Stohl, Bob Bright, Carolyn A. Hampton, Claire Mallett, Dan Shepherd, Lisa Bevis, Shawn Robinson, Stacey Rebekah Scott, Stella S. Lee and Steven C. De La Cruz.

Held in conjunction with the grand opening of Julia Dean's new home in Hollywood. I planned to check it out but I'm working out of town this weekend.

Saturday March 25, 2011 7-10 pm

The Julia Dean Center for Photography
755 Seward St.
Los Angeles, CA 90038

Brian Smith "Stop Waiting For Your Big Break"

PhotoShelter hosted a webinar last week with Brain Smith called "Stop Waiting For Your Big Break".

Events This Weekend

_FRIDAY_

+ Michael Kirchoff ~ "An Enduring Grace" opening reception 6-9 pm @ Wildfire 640 S. San Vicente Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90048.

Traveling always brings inspiration for me. Seeing and learning about the landscape and culture of foreign places definitely gets the creative juices flowing.

_SATURDAY_



+ 5th Annual Santa Monica Airport Artwalk from noon to 5 pm. Food trucks : Border Grill and Sweets Truck. 2800 to 3100 Airport Avenue 90405


+ Gil Garcetti and David DiMichele on Photography @ LACMA. Brown Auditorium | Free, no reservations

Photographers David DiMichele and Gil Garcetti describe their photographic process as they discuss their work in the exhibition.

+ Iwan Baan opening reception 6-8 pm @ ACME Gallery in Miracle Mile. 6150 Wilshire Boulevard 90048.

I never planned to be an architecture photographer. I started with photography when I was 12 years old; that’s when I got my first camera. And I fell in love with photography. And I went to art school for photography and had a little bit of an interest in architecture. After art school 12 years ago, I worked for a few architects in Holland. And I hated it. It was super clean, no people, bright sunlight. It was not really my cup of tea. I was much more interested in documentary photography.

+ "Jam Session: America’s Jazz Ambassadors Embrace the World" opening reception 7-9 pm @ Fowler Museum of Art in UCLA. Tickets are $20 public / $15 Current Friends of Jazz members, Fowler members, UCLA Faculty & Staff / $10 students. Full details here

The Fowler teams with Friends of Jazz to present a jam session by UCLA faculty members Kenny Burrell, Dr. Bobby Rodriguez, Barbara Morrison, George Bohanon, Clayton Cameron, Justo Almario, Roberto Miranda, and Llew Matthews followed by a dessert reception and exhibition preview of Jam Session: America's Jazz Ambassadors Embrace the World..

_SUNDAY_



+ Family Flicks: Films of Charles and Ray Eames screening @ The Hammer Museum in Westwood. Free. 10899 Wilshire Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90024

Charles and Ray Eames revolutionized the form, function and manufacture of furniture, architecture and industrial design in the 20th century. Their influence remains as boundless today as was their passion and creativity throughout their careers, a joyful collaboration that also encompassed photography and filmmaking. The Eames made over 100 short films between 1950 and 1980, including the inimitable Powers of Ten (1977), Tocacata for Toy Trains (1957) and Blacktop (1952). This program presents a selection of their films, each one reflecting the sense of curiosity, craftsmanship and play that the motivated all their work. Digital video, color and b/w, approx 70 min.

_ENDING (this Saturday)_

+ Jane O'Neal "Environmental Memory Part II: Taking Flight" + Robert von Sternberg "Intersection" @ DNJ Gallery

+ Steve Schapiro "Taxi Driver" + Larry Fink "The Vanities" @ Fahey/Klein Gallery

Events Today (3/17)

Here's some events going on today Thursday March 17, 2011.


+ "Felice Beato" exhibit curator's Gallery Talks @ The Getty from 1:30-2:20 pm. Free; no reservations required. Meet under the stairs in the Museum Entrance Hall Getty Center Los Angeles 1200 Getty Drive Los Angeles, CA 90049




+ "Artist Editions, Works on Couture" opening reception 6 - 9 pm @ Stepen Cohen Gallery over on 7358 Beverly Boulevard Los Angeles, CA 90036

The exhibition will highlight some of the most important names in fashion working from the 1920s to the present, and will include photographs ranging from traditional silver prints to long-extinct color processes, such as the color carbro and the Vivex print. The exhibition will showcase portraits of designers and other tastemakers in the fashion industry, along with a select number of images taken by the photographers whose own work brought many provocative designs to an attentive, and ever-expanding public. Artists will include Horst P. Horst, Edward Steichen, Louise Dahl-Wolfe, Lillian Bassman, Arthur Elgort, and Dennis Hopper.

+ IRIS Nights - Emory Kristof "Ghost Ships and Sea Monsters" 6:30 - 8:00 pm @ Annenberg Space for Photography 2000 Avenue of the Stars Los Angeles, CA 90067


+ Larry Hirshowitz "In Studio : The KCRW Sessions" opening reception 7-10 pm @ Small Print Gallery/Duncan Miller Projects 1716 Ocean Park Santa Monica CA 90405.

For the past decade Larry Hirshowitz has documented the musicians who have been interviewed on air at KCRW for the show Morning Becomes Eclectic. This Thursday at Small Print Gallery/Duncan Miller Projects in Santa Monica will be the opening reception / book signing of Larry Hirshowitz's exhibit.

+ Photographers’ Exchange Anniversary Party 7:30-9:30 pm @ The Irvine Fine Arts Center 14321 Yale Avenue Irvine, CA



+ "We Heart Japan" art benefit 8 - 11 pm @ Meltdown Comics. Art, Voice actors, raffles, three food trucks and drinks provided by Arta Tequila. 7522 Sunset Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90046

"Many of my close friends are photographers. I think it’s important to engage with others who have common goals and dedication for photography. By having conversations about project ideas, getting feedback on work or simply supporting each other’s career path, you learn from the different perspectives. These interactions have been crucial in developing as a photographer."

- philip cheung

PDN 30 Seminar @ Santa Monica (3/29)

Santa Monica College will host a PDN 30 educational seminar on Tuesday March 29.

“PDN 30: Strategies for the Young Working Photographer” will take place at Santa Monica College, Room HSS – 165 (Humanities and Social Science Building), 1900 Pico Boulevard, Santa Monica, California from 7:00 to 8:30pm; a reception with the panelists and sponsors follows the seminar. The seminar is free; seats are available on a first come, first served basis.

The panelists are:

PDN 30 photographers David Black, Ryan Heffernan and Spencer Lowell; Sony Artisan of Imagery Andy Katz; and art producer Natalie Flemming of ad agency 72andSunny. The seminar moderator will be Holly Stuart Hughes, editor of PDN.

Also on March 31st is another PDN 30 seminar at the Palm Springs Photo Fest.


March 29th 7:00 - 8:30 pm

Santa Monica College
Humanities and Social Science Building Room HSS-165
1900 Pico Blvd
Santa Monica, CA

Larry Hirshowitz "In Studio : The KCRW Sessions" (3/17)

For the past decade Larry Hirshowitz has documented the musicians who have been interviewed on air at KCRW for the show Morning Becomes Eclectic. This Thursday at Small Print Gallery/Duncan Miller Projects in Santa Monica will be the opening reception / book signing of Larry Hirshowitz's exhibit.

Exhibition: March 17 - April 30
Opening reception Thursday March 17, 2011 7-10 pm

Small Print Gallery/Duncan Miller Projects
1716 Ocean Park
Santa Monica CA 90405

Michael Kirchoff "Enduring Grace" (3/18)

My photographic work continues mostly because of my love for taking the worlds reality and creatively putting my own personal spin on it. Taking the three-dimensional world and putting it into a two dimensional space with your vision is an addicting process. Not only this but the tools or techniques are often changing, and it’s this change that makes for so many opportunities to explore new ways to create art. You’ll find me using these words over and over again, but really, I’m passionately addicted to creative pursuits.

Opening reception for Michael Kirchoff's work is this Friday March 18, 2011 6-9 pm. Check it out !

Wildfire Gallery
640 S. San Vicente Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90048