Jake Stangel "California Wandering"

I think it’s something very internal, if there’s a photography DNA strand of some sort, I feel like I have it, that as best as I can put it. It’s an absolute love and very pure, direct relation that I have… some sort of drive and I’m not sure where it came from, but it just feels very natural.

That said, I’m not ‘obsessed’ with photography… I don’t have a camera slung around my neck at all times, and I take very conscious breaks away from it. I think it’s incredibly important. Sometimes nothing can give me pleasure more than not having a camera, and appreciating a completely unadulterated moment… being at complete peace with that. - Jake Stangel

Photography Book Now 2011

Blurb's Photography Book Now 2011 is open for submissions. I just realized today that although I've been tweeting about this, I didn't really post about this. Y'all can follow me on twitter if you like as I tend to post and repost more links there.

The judges this year is Darius Himes (co-founder of Radius Books), Gerry Badger (historian / photographer), Chris Boot (executive director of Aperture), Matt Eich (LUCEO images), Larry Fink (photographer), Claudia Hinterseer (director of NOOR images), Henry Horenstein (photographer), Whitney Lawson (photo editor of Travel + Leisure), Larrisa Leclair (founder of Indie Photobook Library), Jon Levy (director of Foto8), Steve McCurry (photographer), Laura Brunow Miner (founder of Pictory), Markus Schaden (publisher, Schaden)

Check the other videos that go through the different categories here.

WIP Flash "Heal The Bay" event @ Broadway Art Space 929 Broadway Santa Monica, CA 90402 on April 29, 2011

2011 Smashbox Assistant Show (6/2)

(Click to enlarge)

Picked this up last night. Smashbox is currently accepting submissions to their Assistant Show to be held on June 2, 2011 7-11 pm at Smashbox Culver City. This is open to all photo assistants and students here in Los Angeles.

All you got to do is email up to 5 images along with the application. All delivered work must be framed or moutned and ready to hang. Size must be between 8x10 to 24x36.

There's a link on the page to smashboxstudios/com/yellow/assistant-show for the application but I don't think they've posted up yet - didn't see it on the page but I'll update this when they upload it up.

Submission is due May 20th, work delivered May 30th and the show opens June 2 till June 30th.

++ UPDATE ++

Here's the entry form PDF !

CURRENTLY : "A Fine Day’s Work: Photographs from the Michael R. Whalen Collection "

Jerry Uelsmann Untitled (Desk Metamorphosis – Ellis Island Desk), 1988

This exhibition consists of over 100 vintage photographs created between 1895 and 1988 by eighteen renowned photographers. All of the prints are drawn from a single private collection. Included are works by Richard Avedon, Ruth Bernhard, Ilse Bing, Margaret Bourke-White, Josef Breitenbach, Ralston Crawford, Imogen Cunningham, Harold Edgerton, Helen Levitt, Ralph Meatyard, Hansel Mieth, Lisette Model, Alexander Rodchenko, Aaron Siskind, Karl Struss, Jerry Uelsmann, Adam Clark Vroman and Weegee.

On exhibit until May 12, 2011 at the Los Angeles Valley College Art Gallery, Monday - Thursday 11 am - 2 pm / 3 pm - 9 pm

Los Angeles Valley College
5800 Fulton Avenue
Valley Glen. CA 91401

Enter the campus at Oxnard Street and Campus Drive (between Fulton and Ethel). Please park in one of the lots (B or C) north of the Art Gallery – no parking permit is required during Gallery hours. The Art Gallery is located in the Art Building.

Fun times at Smashbox / MOPLA !

Events This Weekend

_ T H U R S D A Y _


+ MOPLA + Smashbox Group Show 7 - 10 pm @ Smashbox Studios 8549 Higuera Street Culver City, CA




_ F R I D A Y _



+ "Skydreamers" opens @ The Autry in Griffith Park from April 29 to Sept 4, 2011.

Flight gave us perspective. Photography made it real. When the pioneers of flight conquered the air, it was possible for the first time to look down at the Earth—to perceive its curving horizon, witness its smallness. And as new technologies made flight possible, the new medium of photography captured this remarkable journey. Skydreamers uses more than 150 primarily photographic images to chart the story of the men and women who, from the 1700s through the Space Age, made this incredible leap of faith.

+ Marc Valesella "Legs" opening reception 6-10 pm @ Edgar Varela Fine Arts 727 South Spring St. Los Angeles, CA 90014


+ Closing Reception for KCRW Photographer Larry Hirshowitz 7-9 pm @ Duncan Miller Projects Gallery 1716 Ocean Park Blvd. Santa Monica, CA 90404



+ WIP FLASH Group Show: Heal the Bay Benefit 7-10 pm @ Broadway Art Space 929 Broadway Street Santa Monica, CA 90402

Please join us on Friday, April 29, 2011 for a fun filled evening of art benefitting Heal the Bay. WIP FLASH is a MOPLA event featuring Women in Photography. This one night event is hosted at Broadway Art Space in Santa Monica. The night will start at 6pm for donors* of Heal the Bay with a private VIP curator presentation. The event will be open to the public at 7pm. 20% of the proceeds will benefit local non-profit Heal the Bay.

+ Fresh Look Portfolio Review on Friday + Saturday @ Pier 59 West 2415 Michigan Avenue, Santa Monica, CA 90404


_ S A T U R D A Y _


+ Danica Dakić exhibition opens @ Hammer Museum 10899 Wilshire Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90024

Bosnian artist Danica Dakić creates videos and photographs that explore displacement, role-playing, and alienation. Employing the tropes of historical painting, she places people in ornate and poignant settings. Her works come out of collaborations with her protagonists—including Romani communities in Kosovo, underage refugees in Germany, and a Huichol family in Mexico—who participate in various aspects of the work, including the script, costumes, and staging. This level of involvement allows their distinctive personalities and desires to permeate the tableaux vivants created by Dakić. In this way, she explores identity with a sense of empathy and empowers her often politically, socially, or economically disadvantaged participants to perform their own narratives.

+ APA/LA "Photo Assistant Basic Training" Saturday + Sunday 9 am - 5 pm @ Pier 59 West 2415 Michigan Ave. Santa Monica CA 90404


+ "Redefining Hollywood: Fourteen Photographers" opening reception 3-6 pm @ The Factory Gallery 912 E. 3rd St. Studio 204 Los Angeles, CA 90013


+ David Leclerc "Paris, Mon Amour" opening reception 6-9 pm @ Alliance Francaise de Los Angeles, 10390 Santa Monica Blvd, Suite 120, Los Angeles, CA 90025


+ MOPLA Closing Night : Pro'jekt LA (Part IV): Sound/City Scapes 7-10 pm @ Broadway Art Space, 929 Broadway Street, Santa Monica, 90402. The projection showcases the work of Angie Smith, Dan Busta, Tamar Levine, Wesley Brown, Carmen Luceno, Rachel Langosch, Patrick Fraser, Ryan Schude, Michael T. Regan, Peter Bohler, Ben Goddard, Alyson Aliano, Chris Moore, and Emily Shur.

+ Fresh Look Portfolio Review on Friday + Saturday @ Pier 59 West 2415 Michigan Avenue, Santa Monica, CA 90404



_ S U N D A Y _


+ Quake : Photography Exhibition + Silent Auction 1 - 6 pm @ Siren Studios 6061 W. Sunset Blvd Hollywood CA 90028. Prints donated by Kwalu Alston, Patrick Fraser, WilliamHirakawa, Jeff Lipsky, Pamela Littky, Anthony Mandler, Michael Muller, Dewey Nicks, Mason Poole, Emily Shur, Lauren Ward, Jeremy+Claire Weiss and Jim Wright.


+ APA/LA "Photo Assistant Basic Training" Saturday + Sunday 9 am - 5 pm @ Pier 59 West 2415 Michigan Ave. Santa Monica CA 90404

Dan Shepherd "Draw Me A Tree"

"Deadly Car Crash, 1988"
Drawing by Ashly S.
Coral Tree (Erythrina lysistemon)
San Vincente Boulevard, Santa Monica, CA
2011



"From meeting in the movie line to walking down the wedding aisle."
Drawing by Rachel and Brad B.
Hollywood Forever Cemetery, Los Angeles, CA
Monterey Cypress (Cupressus macrocarpa)
2011



"My Clean Car Nemesis"
Drawing by Shawn R.
Deodar Cedar (Cedrus deodara)
West Los Angeles, CA
2011




"Where the Orange tree used to be, before the earthquake induced remodel."
Drawing by Frank G.
Boyle Heights, Los Angeles, CA
Orange Tree(Citrus sinensis)
2011



"A Nice Place for Henry to Play"
Drawing by Aline S.
Morton Bay Fig Tree (Ficus macrophylla)
St. John's Nursery School, West L.A, CA
2011


Currently @ f/9 Gallery in Culver City is Dan Shepherd's "Draw Me A Tree" exhibit. Here he talks about his series.





Last chance to view the work is this Saturday noon to 5 pm. f/9 Gallery is located in Patina Studios at 5239 Sepulveda Blvd, Culver City, CA 90230. The Gallery can only be accessed from the alley behind Centinela Pet & Feed so check the map on their website.

College Night 2011 @ LACMA (4/28)

A free evening just for college students! Come, bring your friends, and explore the special exhibition David Smith: Cubes and Anarchy. Discover what influenced and inspired the greatest American sculptor of the twentieth century. Share your ideas in a gallery discussion, create art, or enjoy a free reception in your honor! LACMA is open to the public until 8 pm—Feel free to stop by and check out the rest of the museum before the reception.

Want to get on their College Night emails ? -> educate@lacma.org Check out their Facebook event page here.

April 28, 2011 8-10 pm

LACMA
5905 Wilshire Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90036

TONIGHT : Albert Watson Talk (4/26)

MOPLA, Art Weekend LA & The Downtown Los Angeles Neighborhood Council present:

Albert Watson: Artist Talk & Book Signing

April 26, 2011 at 7:00-10:00pm

Ronald F. Deaton Civic Auditorium
100 West 1st Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012

Talk is free with RSVP plus you can purchase copies of his new book as well -> http://moplawatson.eventbrite.com/

APA/LA "Why We Hire You" (5/18)

What makes a photographer's style just right for a job? Does the creative team know the photographer they want to use from the beginning of the concepting process? What makes a photographer the one they want to use? What goes into the process of choosing a photographer and who wins?

Let's ask the head art buyer at TBWA/Chiat/Day, an art director and a photo editor and let them explain it to us. Let's get the inside scoop!

Andrea Stern, SternRep, will take on the role as your photo rep for the evening. She will delve into the minds of top decision makers to find out how you can increase your chances to be hired. Let's get clearer together, on how this goes down.

Panel includes Jigisha Bouverat, Director of Art Production TBWA\CHIAT\DAY and Rob Haggart, Creator APhotoEditor.com, Owner of APhotoFolio.com. Third panelist TBA.

If you're an APA member, this event is *FREE* and you have first dibs as currently registration is open to APA members only until May 2, 2011 via director@apa-la.com.

The rest of us will wait until afterwards. I'll update this post with the price for the public plus make an additional post once that information is released.

May 18, 2011 6:30 - 9:00 pm

TBWA/Chiat/Day
5353 Grosvenor Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90066

PDN's 30 2011 (4/27)

Selected photographers include: Rachel Barrett, David Black, Bartholomew Cooke, Philip Cheung, Nicholas Alan Cope, Katrina d’Autremont, Adam Dean, Nicolò Degiorgis, Giulio di Sturco, Rebecca Drobis, Pari Dukovic, Dyad Photography, Justin Fantl, Dima Gavrysh, Nick Hall, Erik Madigan Heck, Ryan Heffernan, Liz Hingley, Therese + Joel, Matthew Kristall, Spencer Lowell, Silja Magg, Joel Micah Miller, Ivor Prickett, Justine Reyes, Jody Rogac, Will Steacy, Judith Stenneken, Daro Sulakauri, Susan Worsham.

This Wednesday April 27 is the opening reception for PDN's 30 2011 6-9 pm @ Clark | Oshin Gallery at The Icon. 5450 Wilshire Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90036

Los Angeles Times Festival of Books (4/30 + 5/1)

(photo : Candice Montgomery)

Southland tradition has now moved to a new location, the USC campus and they just released their schedule. Took a quick look. Some panels of interest wold be the The Many Paths of Publishing (Panel code 1023) held on Saturday followed by Publishing in the 21st Century (panel code 1024) at 3:30 pm at Seeley Mudd 124 location.

Other notes of interest : LAT photographer Don Bartelli will give a presentation "My Camera as Witness to a Non-Fiction World" @ the Discover the World stage on Saturday 4 pm and on Sunday at 4 pm, LAT photographer Michael Robinson Chavez "Dateline Earth : Photographing a World in Transition.

Finally at the Los Angeles Times Pavilion tent, photography exhibit featuring Celebrity Portraits, the Four Seasons of Yosemite, and Southern California Close-Ups as well as talks by LAT photographers Mark Boster and Genaro Molina. Check the pavilion's schedule here.

The Festival of Books is April 30th and May 1st. More info at their site

Help Portrait 2011

Founded by Celebrity Photographer Jeremy Cowart, Help-Portrait is a community of photographers, coming together across the world to use their photography skills to give back to their local community.
In December, photographers around the world will be grabbing their cameras, finding people in need and taking their picture. When the prints are ready, the photographs get delivered.

Yep. It really is that easy.

This year's date is Dec 10, 2011 and the Los Angeles chapter will be partnering up with Union Rescue Mission, PATH (People Assisting The Homeless), L.A Mission, Faith in Christ Ministries and L.A Dream Center. If you like to volunteer as a photographer, assistant, makeup artist, stylists, or in any other capacity, please check their site as well as their Facebook page or Twitter.

The video below is one posted by Jeremy Cowart a few years ago about his project.

Alec Soth "Looking for Luck in South Texas"

“ Best advice: only send out an e-promo when you actually have something to say. Don’t just send one when you have a new picture to show off. If there is something interesting or newsworthy in your promo, you have a much better chance of the buyer reading it and clicking on a link.

- Jasmine DeFoore (via)

Porter Gifford "Portraits at Noon"

Portraits at Noon began as a self-assigned exercise during which I determined to take a picture of a different person every day for a year. By forcing myself out into the world with my camera, I had hoped to re-establish some of the photographic impulses I had developed early in my career, but felt had been waning. What emerged from the process is a series of images that present a diverse and personal portrait of my life and my community. While the project is based on an artificial construct, the 365 individual images combine to meaningfully reflect my own life in a way that I had not anticipated.

Read the rest of Porter Gifford's project statement and view his images here

Allan Barnes / Marjorie Salvaterra / Jess Koehler / Jeff Berlin

Open Show Los Angeles #5 held Wed night (4/20) @ Venice Arts

Open Show organizes FREE social screenings of compelling work by photographers, filmmakers and multimedia producers held in high-profile spaces. Our shows give a rare chance for the public to interact directly with project creators.

Mathieu Young "Walkabout : Phnom Penh, Cambodia"

I met Mathieu Young a few years ago at PIX. He was an assistant at that time but he had that go-get-them energy. I remember once in 2008 he showed me his Walkabout series here in Los Angeles. I was so impressed, I interview him for this blog in 2009. A few months ago, he was overseas in Asia and here's his latest Walkabout from Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

Events This Weekend

_ F R I D A Y _



+ "A Place in the Sun : Picturing California" opening reception 7-10 pm @ H-Lite Studio + Project Space 533 S. Los Angeles St. 6th Floor LA, CA 90013

Curated by Audrey Landreth, the group exhibit showcases a selection of images by LA based photographers. All images of California by artists who have chosen to live and work here. Together, the images comprise an honest portrait, one interpretation, of California as a place of promise. Promises fulfilled, promises deferred, and promises denied.

Participating photographers include: Emily Shur, Bryce Duffy, Jordon Nuttall, Angie Smith, Sam Comen (photo above), Dan Monick, Kurt Iswarienko, J. Wesley Brown, Katrina Dickson, Yoko Kanayama, Jesse Chehak, Alex Hoerner, Alex Tehrani, Jeff Minton, Williams & Hirakawa, Chad Ress, Gregg Segal, Reuben Cox, Osceola Refetoff, Darcy Hemley, Pascal Shirley, Ture Lillegraven, and DJ Rare Matthew.

_ S A T U R D A Y _



+ Art Weekend LA runs noon to 10 pm at participating galleries in downtown Los Angeles. Shuttle service available



+ Susan Silas "Eyes Wide Shut" artist talk 3-4 pm @ CB1 Gallery, 207 W. 5th Street, Los Angeles, CA 90013



+ Ryan Schude / Dan Busta opening reception 6-10 pm @ Caporale/Bleicher 355 North La Brea Ave. Los Angeles, CA, 90036



+ Lucie Foundation's First-Annual Benefit 7 - 10 pm @ Factory Place Arts Complex 1330 Factory Place Los Angeles, CA 90013. Tickets available here.

Please join the Lucie Foundation for our first-annual benefit event to support and develop SNAPSHOP! our hands-on photography workshop program for at-risk Los Angeles high school children. The night will include a selection of photographic works by David Lynch, Amy Arbus and Tasya Van Ree. Musical performance by Quartetto Fantastico. Dj set by Peanut Butter Wolf.

+ Derrick Hinman "Photographs" 7-10 pm @ Gus Harper Studio 11306 Venice Blvd LA CA 90066

_ S U N D A Y __


+ Art Weekend LA runs noon to 10 pm at participating galleries in downtown Los Angeles. Shuttle service available