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August 31, 2006
KNOWING YOUR GRANDFATHER
Paul Katz is one of Index's top artists and also a story teller. Enjoy his 'quick history of photography' in 3 parts. The following is Part I.
KNOWING YOUR GRANDFATHER
Some thoughts about photography
Digital and otherwise
By Paul Katz
When I first became seriously interested in photography I joined an old established camera club in Brooklyn. At this Brooklyn Camera Club my photographic interests quickly turned from seriously interested to insanely fanatic. I understand that this is what happens to most people who get seriously involved in photographic imaging. One of the senior members of the club, Marty, told me that to really understand photography I should understand the history of recording images. He called this "knowing your grandfather." Fifty years later this concept still holds true for me. So, keeping this thought in mind let's take a journey back to the dawn of image making and how capturing images has led us to the photography we know today.
This is going to be a very broad overview omitting some of the developments that diverge from the main thrust of what we know about the infancy of photography. Hopefully, what you read here will spur you to go on your own exploration of the development of the photographic process and meet your photographic grandfather.
The emotional need and achieving the ability to record images was one of the first intellectual achievements of the human race, somewhere between utilizing fire and the portable hairdryer. Before Cave Man Ogg learned how to build a shelter instead of living in a cave, he learned to communicate with his hunting partner, Cave Man Mogg, his images of the wild horse, buffalo or reindeer, by drawing on a cave wall with charcoal. I doubt that these drawings were used to decorate the cave. Maybe they were a part of religious symbolism used in the aid of the hunt. But for whatever purpose, it was man's need to communicate what he saw, that to this day form part of our ability to express ourselves to our fellow man. Cave drawings gave way to cave painting and the use of some form of brush and pigment, which at that time must have been a great leap forward from the charcoal stick. Other advances in image capturing came along over the 35 to 40,000 years afterwards. Paintings eventually broke free from the cave wall, onto stretched hides, clothing decorations, slabs of wood, and eventually stretched canvas. Pictures were carved onto rock surfaces and in South America gigantic images of birds that are only readable from aircraft were stamped into desert sands. Pictures were used for religious, political, historical and decorative purposes. All of these developments were probably, at their time, significantly important leaps forward in image recording.
At some point in history, someone noticed that if you were in a darkened room on a very bright day and there was a small opening in the wall, an image, inverted and reversed, of the outside world would form on the opposite wall. The phenomenon of this image formation was the result of the small opening acting as a glassless or pinhole lens focusing the image on the far wall. The important discovery was that light and light alone could be used to form an image. People could sit in a darkened room and observe the goings on outside as images created by the light focused through the small aperture projected onto the far wall. It was probably like sitting in a movie theater looking at an upside down motion picture in color, not that well focused and probably quite a bit dimmer than the outside illumination, but the important thing was that there was a way to look at life and re-create it as an image. The next thought was how do we fix this transitory image, capturing it at a point in time that can be preserved long after the original event.
One solution to capturing this image required placing material on the wall and tracing the image by hand onto it. The next development was creating a smaller version of this room (a large box) with a pinhole on one side of the light tight box and a frosted glass on the other, allowing an image to form which could be traced onto a piece of paper and later copied to some other medium. It was the development of this device, known as the Camera Obscura that helped artists see and understand prospective. Paintings of the time before and after the camera obscura reflect the new vision that artists gained from this device. For artists of the time the traced image from the camera obscura was akin to the Polaroid camera of our time.
In the early 1800s people started to think about how to use the light captured in the camera obscura to actually record and fix an image to some form of transportable material. It was noted that silver when exposed to light and air darkened proportionately to the amount of light that it was exposed to. This observation led to experiments into exposing material coated with silver solutions to the projected light inside the camera obscura and then causing the silver to darken proportionately to the amount of light that struck it. There were many people experimenting with using light and chemicals to capture a photograph (photo = light, graph = writing). The first really successful and widely accepted method was the daguerreotype. In the early 1830s this was a breakthrough method of capturing what you wanted to record without having to actually draw it. People bitten by the photography bug, and with the motivation to record their vision grew in great numbers as the process of the daguerreotype grew more sophisticated and easier to accomplish.
In 1839 a professor at New York University, Dr. William Draper, went up to the roof of the University and photographed his sister-in-law, making the first known photograph of a human face. His sister-in-law probably had to sit quite still for a number of minutes because of the long exposure time necessary. Nevertheless, man was now able to record a person's face by using light alone to paint the image. Photography had really arrived! People were now able to capture images of their loved ones, their properties, their cities, bowls of fruit and any other object of interest to them.
Look for Part II and Part III coming.
http://www.indexstock.com/store/search.asp?SearchStr=///direct 174
Posted by Pat at 06:12 PM | Comments (0)
August 30, 2006
ASPP Fall Trip
As a member of ASPP, Index is proud to announce their upcoming events:
An Afternoon at the Peabody Essex Museum
Here's a chance to escape for a few hours and gather with your friends!
Join us as at the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem. In addition to a guided history & highlights tour of the museum including the yachting photography of Willard B. Jackson we will be given a private tour of the:
Yin Yu Tang: A Chinese House & Gallery
For two hundred years, the house known as Yin Yu Tang stood in the rural village of Huang Cun in a mountainous region of southeastern China. This ancestral home of the Huang family was relocated to the Peabody Essex Museum piece by piece. Come learn about eight generations of the Huang family and explore the culture of China.
Thursday, September 14, 12:30 PM
Members: no charge for ASPP members
PLEASE R.S.V.P. to Sharon Donahue at sharon.donahue3@verizon.net
Our tour group is limited to 20 people. R.S.V.P. promptly to reserve your spot.
Directions
The museum is approximately 16 miles north of Boston, at 137 Essex St. in historic Salem, Massachusetts (corner of Essex and New Liberty Streets). For recorded directions, call 978-745-9500, ext. 3145.
By car, take Route 128 North. NOTE: I-95 and Route 128 North share the same loop around Boston. When I-95 and Route 128 North divide, stay on Route 128 North, to Exit 25A. Take 114 East into Salem, following signs for the Peabody Essex Museum and Rte. 114. Approximately one mile after entering Salem, you will cross an overpass. As you come off the overpass, take the exit on your right. This puts you on Route 107/Bridge St. At the rotary, continue straight and take your second right, onto St. Peter St. Go left at the stop sign and right onto New Liberty St. The museum is straight ahead and a parking garage is on your right.
To park, you may use the parking garage on New Liberty St. In addition, there is a municipal parking lot on nearby St. Peter St., and a smaller garage on Derby Street, at the corner of Hawthorne Blvd. and Derby St., three blocks from the museum. Limited on-street parking is available around Salem Common and at two-hour meters.
By train, take the MBTA Commuter Rail (Newburyport/Rockport line) from Boston’s North Station or other points, to Salem station-a five-minute walk from the museum. Go up the steps to street level, cross Bridge Street, and walk down Washington Street. Go left on Essex St. to the end of the pedestrian mall.
Posted by Pat at 04:41 PM | Comments (0)
August 29, 2006
Eureka, We Failed!
How Smart Companies Learn From Their Flops
That's the title of the July 10th Business Week magazine, which poignantly featured an image represented by Index Stock Imagery of Karl Lindenmann and his Flying Bicycle in the early days of aviation technology.
Image # 395413, Copyright KeyColor
The wonderful historic photo captured for all time, is offered by KeyColor, the Swiss affiliate of Index and co-producer of their Extensions 13 catalog, entitled, Progress.
The catalog consists of historic images from both agents, and remains one of the most unique vintage image collections.
http://www.indexstock.com/store/search.asp?SearchStr=///direct 5020
Posted by Pat at 08:47 PM | Comments (0)
Our Newest Images, August 29, 2006-Flowers, Food, Animals, Babies, Sports and Recreation, Doctors, Dentist, Business People, Italy, Iran, Jordan, Indonesia and Iceland
We are always adding new, fresh images to our already spectacular collection. Take a look and see the newest images we have added.
Our newest Rights Managed Images
Our newest Royalty Free Images
Check back to see a whole new set of images next week.
Posted by Valerie at 04:24 PM | Comments (0)
August 23, 2006
I once met a man in Cyberabad…
Walter Bibikow is a world class travel photographer and contributor to Index Stock. While on the road he writes his “missives” about his colorful adventures in new lands. Ongoing we will enjoy a series from his recent trip to India.
Part II - Greetings from Busy Hyderabad!
I got here a few days ago to shoot the "new" India driven by E-commerce, IT technology and call centers.
The center of this town is a major change from the Rajasthan and the rest of the "traditional" India I've seen, as it is the first to look somewhat clean, perhaps not like Zurich but more like Kuala Lampur! No cows, goats, pigs or other wildlife in central Hyderabad and with that comes smoother flowing traffic and fewer "landmines" on the pavement! Toured the new Hi-Tech city being constructed in the suburbs, and it looks as if the big tech companies are remaking the snake infested and dusty mountains around here into a new "silicon valley" with big mansions of the cyber-barrons appearing all over the place, and with latte places hot on their heels.
Copyright Walter Bibikow
All this sophistication still doesn't result in a more sophisticated populace, and even here I spend a good deal of time having to field most of the same questions like..."Where are you from?," "What is your country?," and today was even chased by a one legged man who wanted to know how many megapixels my cameras had! At first this was mildly amusing, but going on three weeks I'm ready to throttle most of these "friends" I make and figure that if they can't take a hint, I might as well have a bit of fun!
Actual conversation today...
?-"Excuse, Sir, Please, which your country?"
WB-"Oh, hello, I'm from Somalia, I enjoy being a Black African!"
?"Do you have a big family , Sir?"
WB-"Well I have a sister, Iman, the famous fashion model? My father, he is a chief you know, was very worried when she married that white singer, but we got used to it!"
?"Oh yes, Sir! Thank you sir!, How do you like India?"...
It seems that everybody was taught the same aggravating conversation starters by some English teacher from Hell, but most never followed up with anything else! It doesn't matter how you respond as long as you do...and so it goes!
Copyright Walter Bibikow
Thought that I would send along a mini album of snaps of Rajasthan Forts & Castles. I saw quite a few and they were all wonderful and straight out of 1001 Nights! Amber, had its incredible Elephant taxis (just don't walk behind vast numbers of elephants in a confined space!), Udaipur, a truly beautiful place with its palaces all facing a lake. I also was able to buy a ticket to have dinner with the Maharani of Udaipur (who looks a lot like Francis Ford Coppolla, BTW) last Friday due to its being Brahma's Holiday coinciding with the full moon. The dance recital offered was kind of a drag BUT seeing the big man driven into his palace in a 1938 Cadillac after his minnions threw rose petals in his path was priceless, as was seeing the City Palace inner courtyard lit up at night, which only happens once a year! And, finally, Jodhpur, a city that gave the world those funky riding breaches, is a dive BUT has a truly grand fort perched on a high hill above the town. The fort is history itself and allows views of the city, mostly painted blue (both a Brahmin color and to supposedly ward off mosquitos) that are interrupted only by the smog and fog on its horizon!
So, being here in Cyberabad I've been able to go about 500 years in five hours distance! I send you all my best wishes, and if you see my sister Iman give her my best as well and tell her that David really is much too white!
http://www.indexstock.com/store/search.asp?SearchStr=///direct 1462
Posted by Pat at 06:33 PM | Comments (0)
Our Newest Images - August 23, 2006 Part 1-Parents with children, Summer on the beach, Bocce ball, Business people, Fitness, Air travel, Black and White Portraits, Europe and Asia
We are always adding new, fresh images to our already spectacular collection. Take a look and see the newest images we have added.
Our newest Rights Managed Images
Our newest Royalty Free Images
Check back to see a whole new set of images next week.
Posted by Valerie at 03:14 PM | Comments (0)
Our Newest Images-August 23, 2006 Part 2-Birds, Wildlife, Flowers, Seasons, Landscapes, Faith, Prayer and Communion
We are always adding new, fresh images to our already spectacular collection. Take a look and see the newest images we have added.
Our newest Royalty Free Images
Check back to see a whole new set of images next week.
Posted by Valerie at 03:07 PM | Comments (0)
August 22, 2006
Jim Oltersdorf and The Discovery Channel
The Discovery Channel crew is filming Jim Oltersdorf, an Index photographer, as he photographs the giant Alaskan brown bears in the wilderness off the edge of a cliff. A documentary is in the making.
Copyright Jim Oltersdorf
Copyright Jim Oltersdorf
Copyright Jim Oltersdorf
Quote from Jim: "A book deal that I have been working on is a behind the scenes reflection of my 28 year long career of being an outdoor photographer and on the cutting edge, as I walk in high-risk and extreme environments.
In light of that a separate and independent film crew for The Discovery Channel also came the day after the first filming to Soldotna. I was asked to make a guest appearance on another TV special in which I am shown at the death site of a gentleman that was attacked and killed by a giant Alaskan brown bear. That too, is now completed and will air early next year on The Discovery Channel."
Copyright Jim Oltersdorf
Copyright Jim Oltersdorf
http://www.indexstock.com/store/search.asp?SearchStr=///direct 2498
Posted by Pat at 08:39 PM | Comments (0)
August 10, 2006
What Stock Business Model is Right for You
This year’s Photo Plus Convention at the Jacob Javits Center will once again enjoy an exciting group of luminaries in one room. At the November 4th workshop on – What Stock Business Model in Right for You, Pat Hunt will moderate a panel of eight stock company leaders, who have been instrumental in forming the future visions of the industry and continue to be dynamic leaders in global business. Enjoy a presentation, and the opportunity to speak with:
Steve Pigeon – President of Masterfile
Patrick Donehue – VP, Photographers Services for Corbis
Roger Ressmeyer – CEO of Science Faction and President of PACA
Ellen Boughn – VP, Content Strategy for Superstock
Sal Siggia – VP of Creative Content at Jupiter Images
Leslye Borden – President and Co-Founder of Photoedit
David Norris – CEO of OnRequest Images
Brad Kuhns – Founder and VP Customer Service of IPN Stock
Pat Hunt – VP of Corporate Relations at Index Stock Imagery
Last year’s workshop discussions were compelling and educational. Some of the important issues addressed were:
- Rights Managed Imagery vs Royalty Free Imagery and their changing pricing models.
- Royalty Free’s varying percentage payments to artists and why.
- Growth areas in the industry.
- Volume and quality production issues.
- The growth of Wholly Owned Imagery.
- Diversification options.
- Keywording and search engine technology.
- International expansion.
This year offers a whole new crop of issues that require in-depth discussion:
- Defining and understanding the Microstock industry.
- How the subscription model works.
- The continuing mergers and acquisitions.
- Wholly Owned production and work-for-hire.
- What about the niche players?
- How to produce for foreign sales.
- What global economies are growing.
- What’s the value of editorial photography?
- Understanding RPI – Return Per Image.
- Shooting custom stock on Assignment.
As Betsy Reid, Executive Director of The Stock Artists Alliance, points out: “Artists and their images are at the center of this industry, yet they feel largely unempowered and acquiescent to the status quo. There is not a standard road map anymore, but there are strategies that work.” So, come to New York and enjoy this afternoon seminar to enhance your business and move into the future with focused goals. Register at www.photoplusexpo.com.
Steve Pigeon, President Masterfile Corporation www.masterfile.com
Steve Pigeon entered the media business in 1973, charged with developing a stock photo enterprise for a Canadian newspaper group which ultimately led to the creation of Masterfile in 1981. Steve has been president of Masterfile since 1984 when he and a consortium of employees and photographers purchased the company from its former owners. Under Steve's leadership, Masterfile has become a significant force in the global market for rights-managed and royalty-free stock images. Masterfile has its world headquarters in Toronto, European headquarters in Dusseldorf, and sales offices in New York, Chicago, London, Milan and Paris. Its photo editors are based in Toronto and Dusseldorf. The company recently announced the global release of its new RF brand, Radius Images.
Patrick Donehue, VP Photographer Services www.corbis.com
Patrick Donehue is responsible for helping to recruit, retain, and maximizing productive business relationships with contributing photographers at Corbis. Donehue joined Corbis from Getty Images where he served as director of photography for special collections. He began his career as a commercial photographer, and companies such as Chrysler, Motorola, and General Electric have published his images. He transferred his expertise behind the camera to the management of stock photography agencies, working at Photo Researchers, Inc., ALLSTOCK, and Tony Stone Images. Well-known as an industry expert, Donehue is a frequent lecturer on the creative and business aspects of photography. He is vice-president of the Picture Archive Council of America (PACA) and sits on the executive board of the Picture Licensing Universal System (PLUS). He is also on the faculty of the Santa Fe Photographic Workshops.
Roger Ressmeyer, CEO of Science Faction Images http://sciencefaction.net
Roger is also President of (PACA) The Picture Agency Council of America. In the past, Ressmeyer held senior positions at both Corbis and Getty Images, where he helped launch the Image Partner program and created the Photographer’s Choice brand. Earlier in his career, Ressmeyer photographed celebrities for major publications including Time, Life, People and Rolling Stone. Later, as a National Geographic photographer specializing in space and science, Ressmeyer owned the Starlight Photo Agency. In 1995, Corbis made Starlight their first major acquisition. Roger is a Yale graduate and winner of many awards.
Ellen Boughn, VP Content Strategy, Superstock www.superstock.com
Ellen Boughn founded the innovative, Los Angeles stock agency, After-Image. She sold the company to Tony Stone and later joined Corbis as its first Executive Editor for commercial content. Ellen developed the Artville collection that became BrandX, and was a key employee in the development of Workbookstock. Just prior to joining SuperStock as its VP of Content in March of this year, she created the UpperCut collection for Punchstock. She recently abandoned the Northwestern US for Northeast Florida, where SuperStock has its worldwide headquarters.
Salvatore Siggia, VP Creative Content at Jupiterimages www.jupiterimages.com
Sal is responsible for developing and implementing a strategic plan for creative content of assigned collections to ensure that corporate and creative objectives are met. He also oversees product development processes, and leads and directs creative teams ensuring the highest level of unique, creative and marketable content. This covers managing the wholly owned content productions and budgets, and setting creative objectives and the CD title publishing agenda across a spectrum of Jupiterimages owned brands producing photography, footage and flash. Sal has almost 20 years in the stock photography industry as photo editor, creative director, art director with notable agencies such as Index Stock, International Stock, FPG and Dynamic Graphics. He played an integral role as Group Content Director at Dynamic Graphics developing unique photo and footage brands and the third party supplier’s web distribution network. He also developed an image licensing program at Aperture Foundation.
Leslye Borden, President and Co-Founder of PhotoEdit www.photoeditinc.com
Leslye started PhotoEdit with her still business partner, Liz Ely. Their commitment to education and diversity is the driving force behind PhotoEdit. They learned at the outset that diversity was their niche in the market. Educational philosophy and psychology indicate that children learn better and more easily if they identify with what they see in their textbooks. Being located near Los Angeles, where educators face 120 different languages in their student body, Leslye and Liz have encouraged their photographers to search out people from all these language groups. Now their office is in Long Beach, a city divided between Latino, African American, and South-East Asian populations. Again, a valuable resource for textbook publishers.
David Norris, CEO of OnRequest Images www.onrequestimages.com
David is pioneer of an innovative business model that leverages a patent-pending technology infrastructure to produce high-end custom photography, at rights-managed prices. A seasoned executive with more than 20 years of broad business experience, OnRequest Images unites David’s lifelong passion for photography with a deep understanding of technology to help corporations and their advertising agencies build brand equity through custom imagery. Prior to co-founding OnRequest Images, David was the founder and CEO of OSI, a company that provided software and professional services that enabled enterprise clients to integrate disparate business systems internally and over the Internet.
Brad Kuhns, Founder and VP Customer Service of IPN Stock www.ipnstock.com
Brad worked for the photo Agency Aurora for nine years as both New Media director and then later Archive Director. Five years ago he co-founded the Independent Photography Network which grew as a grass roots business providing websites and digital tools to independent photographers. The business grew and was then acquired by VNU, the parent company of Photo District News. IPN’s business has expanded dramatically and continues to embody the principles of increasing photographer’s royalties and provide them with their own agency caliber websites. IPN gives photographers a search engine, lightboxes, e-commerce, automated distribution opportunities and a suite of other business tools necessary to market stock.
This distinguished panel of innovators will be moderated by Pat Hunt, VP of Corporate Relations at Index Stock Imagery www.indexstock.com.
Pat has a long history of participation in the Boston business community as owner of Light Sources Retail, Light Sources Stock Photography, and Light Sources Gallery. She has built and sold businesses and continues to be on the leading edge of digital media and the creative commercial arts world. She spent the last three years in Manhattan as VP of Corporate Relations at Index Stock Imagery, and is a prolific writer about the business of the imaging industry. Currently teaching Business at Boston University, Pat is a Board Member for the Center for Innovation and Change Leadership at Suffolk Sawyer School of Business, and she hosts regular business seminars at national conferences. She is also handling Public Relations for Shutterstock in NYC, and Pat is a principal at HUNTstock of Boston, an RF production company. path@indexstock.com or pat@shutterstock.com
Posted by Pat at 08:47 PM | Comments (0)
August 09, 2006
FOCUS AND CONCENTRATE
By Rick Hornick
Focus and concentrate are the keywords for running an effective business. You need to focus your photography talents to get your business working at an optimal level, and your concentration of work has to be enjoyable and profitable. It is said, “If you love what you do, you’ll never work another day in your life.” First of all be grateful that this expression could apply to you. Second, try imagining what you want to shoot, and how it makes you feel. If you imagine yourself feeling miserable shooting assignments in a hospital, because you don’t do well in that setting, steer yourself away and look somewhere else. If you feel totally comfortable shooting circus people, then work hard to make yourself available to circus people, even if it is not very profitable at first.
I don’t happen to enjoy every assignment that comes in, but I am always positive, and bring my own creative style to each job. I would suggest exposing yourself (pardon the expression) to fine art and classic photography, and see what might spark your interest. It could be people, places, things, situations, causes, illustrations, or themes. It could be anything that solves a visual problem that someone might have. I call them “visual problems” because there is always someone or some group who needs to express a thought through the use of photography. You just need to match what you enjoy shooting with a visual problem someone else needs to solve.
I can still remember years ago when my partner asked me, “What would you enjoy shooting?” I happen to like guitars and guitar playing, so that gave us something to work toward. Eventually we sought out a local guitar manufacturer, and have been shooting his line for twenty years. Maybe it’s not our biggest moneymaker, but it’s not always about that. Sometimes it’s that emotion that can make certain work worthwhile. That guitar manufacturer is not our only specialty or client, but it is an incentive to find many more clients which provide that same satisfaction and enjoyment. Interesting how that client is still one of the most enjoyable clients to work with. And we’ve become very good at shooting guitars because it is so fulfilling. It’s not always the money you’ll be making from an assignment, but also the experience of enjoyment and pride.
We’re fortunate, as freelancers, to be able to make choices about what clients and what services we provide, and how if affects our lives and business. If you’re ever at a loss trying to realize what freedoms you have as a freelancer, remember that you can always say yes or no to each and every phone call. I was attracted to shooting fashion on-figure and still life early in my career. That did provide great insight into learning casting and production. I also found my business accepting high technology assignments early on, which I enjoyed because I could understand the problems. Some of these assignments helped propel my business into certain categories of specialized shooting. This helped me decide which categories to eliminate. Some clients believe photography should entail some sort of visual perception, rather than simply being a good quality picture that tells a story. It just has never fit my business model doing anything other than classic simple photography. Colored gels on lights, Plexiglas backgrounds and floating products have never really been one of my specialties. Even now that I shoot most assignments digitally, I still try to maintain a natural simple shooting style as if film never went away.
The portfolio is typically known for natural daylight, and I pride myself in delivering a consistent style.
The business has gained more momentum and recognition in the industry since our earlier days. Assignments have varied greatly in fees and expenses based upon the usage and circulation of the work consigned. It’s always tough to decide when to invest in the lesser paying jobs. It could be wise to take the assignment because your business needs some cash flow. I decided to take on editorial jobs a while back. It gave me a bit of freedom in how the assignment is handled. Many editorial assignments for newspaper and magazine publications don’t pay very much, but provide a credit line and tear sheets to present to new clients showing what my studio can do.
In recent years my business has moved toward people and still life for health and beauty. If I do have a choice I find myself eliminating “tough to work with clients.” At some point you may find that it’s more important to concentrate on the people with whom you work rather than the money. Sometimes, you’ll take that boring job as simple bread and butter, but just keep it separate in your mind as a stepping stone toward something better. I would much rather shoot a rather boring catalogue with a nice client than a big money job with very difficult people. If you’re working with something or someone you enjoy, you are probably performing well in that environment. So focus on your talent and concentrate on what you enjoy.
Rick Hornick has been one of New England’s top Assignment Photographers for twenty-five years, and has worked on national campaigns for clients such as Alaska Airlines, Benjamin Moore, Boston Acoustics, Crabtree and Evelyn, Philips, Seagrams, Thermo Electron, and TJX. He has taught the Business of Photography at The Art Institute and writes regular articles for publication.
http://www.indexstock.com/store/search.asp?SearchStr=///direct 2090
Posted by Pat at 01:10 AM | Comments (0)
August 03, 2006
Forward/Backward and Reloading
"Forward/Backward and Reloading" - from July 29th to August 29th 2006
Heungman Kwan
Island6 Arts Center, Shanghai's venue for the latest trends in contemporary art invites you to "Forward/Backward and Reloading", a show curated by Thomas Charveriat, July 29th 2006 at 19H.
• Rose Tang • Heungman Kwan • Steve Messam • Romain Hostal •
• Bob and Roberta Smith • Jessica Voorsanger • Arnaud Bianquis •
• curated by Thomas Charveriat •
Forward/Backward and Reloading
History: past, present, future. We were, we are, we will be. Island6 Arts Center opens the debate. The cards are on the table - NOW is the time. With the opening of its new exhibition, Forward/Backward and Reloading we bring to light the conundrum of the present, the interrelation between the tenses and the inexistence of past, present or future as independent entities. Perception augmented: are we here or there, or are we swaying between times and spaces?
The velocity of the present has corroded all mythical associations with the past into a famished appetite for a constructed and predictable future. Yet this very speed, rapidity and debauchery with which we project the future, has brought us to a standstill: we linger in a misunderstood present. We must now look back, not in order to dwell in the nostalgia of the past, but to reconcile ourselves with the present; the present as a space of recursive transformations between the past and the future. We must return from the past, only to run back to the future. We must revive memory as a rebuke to a present sandwiched between ineffectual moments, between worries, anxieties and anticipation. It is time to wind down. Or not?
Forward/Backward and Reloading seeks to open a contentious dialogue on the different realities and perceptual layers of the timeline. Through a wide range of pieces and installations, the artists corroborate in a series of studies that conjure different times and different moments, each sustaining an argument of its own. The show looks to evoke the transient nature of the past and the future in a present that dwindles in a confined space of uncertainty.
If in Hindi, the word for "yesterday" and "tomorrow", "Kal" is the same, but only "today" has its own word, "Aaj", then perhaps there is a lesson to learn. It may be said that the present is in itself conceptually different from the past or the future, and therefore we must question the passing of time as well as the present moment. The I Ching, the book of changes and the oldest oracle in history on the other hand, deals with the dynamic balance of opposites, with the evolution of events as a process, and the acceptance of the inevitability of change. So change, opposites and the present, past or future will be themes running through the work presented at this exhibition.
Lewis Carroll says in his book Through the Looking Glass, that "It is a poor sort of memory that only looks backwards". The artists comprised in this show play with the idea of past and future as a source of identity and with indeterminate space-time as the present location in memory. In many of the pieces, the present purports a frameless existence that seeks to understand itself through the study of its past or future, sometimes moving forwards, while others backwards. One example is the artist Rose Tang. In her work, Rose projects herself by means of a photomontage onto a portrayed past of herself and then back again to the present, as a means to understanding her sexuality. In his work, Heungman Kwan attempts to discover answers to the present moment in Chinese history by establishing a visual discourse with the past.
The exhibition will focus on the different aspects of the concept of time, and how these have influenced the works presented here. While some artists deal with issues of identity or of a confounded past, others like Steve Messam or "The Family Project" team seek through their work to be catalysts for change and call for active participation and, or reaction by the audience. Some are rebellious, while others delicate and subtle. (Yasmin Sabet, Madrid 2006) [ ↑ ]
People
Rose Tang
Rose Tang was born twice; first as a boy on the beautiful hills surrounding Taichung (Taiwan) in 1967, and then, in Shanghai, at the turn of this century as the most promising Chinese artist of her generation. Rose is extravagant, rebellious and fearless, and she indiscriminately touches on all aspects of Chinese culture. In Forward/Backward and Reloading, Rose tries to understand the impact and influence that culture, relationships and family values had on the development of her sexual identity. Rose Tang's work captures much of the essence and uniqueness of her identity journey by presenting a delicate balance of sociological analysis, social perception, facts, style and history.
Heungman Kwan
Heungman Kwan was born in China, brought up in Hong Kong and currently lives in Shanghai. He studied at the California State University (BA) and then later studied photography at the Art Center College of Design in California. In this show, using the naked body as "eternal truth" and the Cultural Revolution as the "recent past," Heungman attempts to discover answers to our present moment in Chinese history. Heungman has been working as a photographer in New York for 12 years. His work has been published in RollingStone, Spin and WallPaper magazine, amongst others. He is currently working on two photography projects: 100women 100motors 100yrs of Harley-Davidson and TeaAfterMao. Both books are being published in the United States.
Steve Messam
Steve Messam's primary interest lies in the crossover between popular culture and contemporary arts practice, with a particular emphasis on the way it relates to isolated rural communities. "Souvenir", a site-specific installation made from 96 umbrellas across the wasteland, surrounding Island6, leads the visitor to an alternate view of the Orient Pearl Tower. By day, the umbrellas form red balls that emphasize the contrast between two individual architectural structures: Island6, a preserved remnant of Suzhou Creek's industrial past and the Orient Pearl Tower, a symbol of the new 'New China'.
Messam is a co-founder of Fold, an artist-led organisation based in England at Kirkby Stephen on the Cumbria, North Yorkshire and County Durham borders. Established in 2001, Fold aims to provide and promote access to contemporary art in the rural environment and challenge the preconceptions of work by rural artists. Messam is also co-founder and Director of FRED, an annual art event in Cumbria. It consists of installations and interventions in non-gallery environments. FRED has become Europe's largest festival of site-specific work. "Souvenir" was supported by Artist Links, a two-way artist development and exchange opportunity funded by Arts Council England and operating within the British Council in China.
Bob and Roberta Smith
Patrick Brill, better known by his pseudonym Bob and Roberta Smith (London, 1963) is a British contemporary artist. After studying at Reading and Goldsmiths College, Brill launched his career. The possibly apocryphal story is that Brill devised a number of artist personas and types of work and then sent them to commercial galleries; the first to gain a positive response was Bob and Roberta Smith. Patrick Brill paints slogans in a unique brightly colored lettering style on banners and discarded boards of wood and exhibits them in galleries of contemporary art across the world. The slogans are usually humorous musing on art, politic, popular culture, Britain and the world in general and they often support his activist campaigns, such as his 2002 amnesty on bad art at Perogi Gallery, New York. As well as sign painting, Bob and Roberta Smith also makes sculpture using cement, as in his 2005 Cement Soup Kitchen at Beaconsfield Gallery, London. "[Patrick Brill] grew attracted to postures of amateurism and failure. His more recent work has suggested an interest in the utopian impulse of art as an agent for social change, although this often seems hedged with doubt or irony". Bob is co-founder of The Family Art Project.
The Family Art Project
The Directors of The Family Art Project are Etta age ten and Fergal age six. The aim of the project is to radically assert the value of Art in family life. The project embraces Globalization. "In New Global Concept Art (NGCA) all national boundaries are obsolete and all human activity is Art" (Etta 23-4-2006) and "We are all one big family" (Fergal 24-6-2005). Technical assistance comes from Bob and Roberta Smith and Jessica Voorsanger. This is the fourth manifestation of The Family Art Project which has previously promoted its ideals in Finland, Germany and Britain. For Island6, The Family Art Project have produced six banners and some short films which show the results of their many researches. The banners promote the values of the project to the people of China. The Family Art Project also suggests to the public that they make airplanes from vegetables and draw popstars and sportsmen. The Family Art Project was supported by Artist Links, a two-way artist development and exchange opportunity funded by Arts Council England and operating within the British Council in China.
Jessica Voorsanger
Jessica Voorsanger (New York, 1965) is an American artist living in London. She makes work exploring celebrity through obsession, fans and media representation. This is achieved through video, performance, mail art, installation and painting. She studied at the Rhode Island School of Design (BFA) and Goldsmiths College (MA). She's had solo shows in London, New York, Edinburgh, Berlin and Turin. She is currently showing at Gallery-33 FON in Berlin. In September 2006, she will be doing a performance at the Hayward Gallery in London and will be showing at the Serpentine Gallery as part of the project 'Hearing Voices Seeing Things'. Jessica is co-founder of The Family Art Project.
Arnaud Bianquis & Romain Hostal
As a cultural icon in Chinese society, the barbershop of old has become a relic of the past. Most of them have been replaced by trendier and fancier hair salons. The shantyesque, poorly-equipped spaces unable to upscale to the 'beauty salon' aesthetic have had to adapt to the changing society by incorporating depraved operations. The three-color swirling electrical barbershop pole has come to represent something entirely different than the pleasant greetings and friendly smiles of the past. They have become a lure towards carnal desire. Graffitist Arnaud Bianquis (Metz 1980) and photographer Romain Hostal (Lyon 1981) have captured the nostalgia and secrecy of Shanghai's barbershop in creating Candy , a large photographic installation. About the barbershop, Arnaud remarks that it "shows a point of view about an aspect of sexuality in China. Taboo or not, the barbershop is where Chinese or Lawai turn around. Illegal sexual activity is a problematic point in every society and particularly in ours where leisure and entertainment rule. This work is an "état des lieux", a place where Rose Tang, sometimes without letting anyone know, goes to spend a few hours.
Special thanks to all who have helped to make this exhibition a reality.
Especially: Christopher Charveriat, Phil Dorman, Lola Genoves, Ophelia Huang, Simon Kirby, Oussama Laftimi, Yang Longhai, Amanda Nicolaidis, Yasmin Sabet, Margherita Salmaso, Ben Shipley, Zheng Guo Yang, Zhu Yumei, friends and families.
Posted by Pat at 07:12 PM | Comments (0)
August 01, 2006
CEPIC and CEPIC Member BVPA collaborate in Photo Metadata Working Group at IPTC
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 2006
A working Group was established within IPTC, the International Press and Telecommunication Council, in order to study possible expansion of the IPTC photo header, used by virtually every photographer world-wide. Head of the group is Harald Loeffler from IFRA, the world leading association for newspaper and media publishing.
The IPTC was established in 1965 by group of news organisations with the purpose of establishing common standards for the transfer of high speed news information, including text but also photographs. Since December 2005 CEPIC is an Associate Member at IPTC together with German Member BVPA. As such these two organisations may participate as observers in General Meetings and Committees and may vote in Working Groups.
At the CEPIC annual Congress BIARRITZ in France in June 2006 Michael STEIDL, Managing Director of IPTC, made a presentation on the photo metadata standards maintained by the IPTC, the IIM based “IPTC photo header” and the XLM based “IPTC-Core”. More than 80 of the (around 700) congress attendees heard the presentation “and the following discussion showed a strong interest in the IPTC standards, along with but also strong request for metadata beyond the current set” reports IPTC. At CEPIC it was agreed to collaborate on metadata issues and finally a Working Group was set up at the AGM in July.
“I am really glad the the picture business gets a chance to co-operate with IPTC” comments Staffan TESTE representative of CEPIC at IPTC. “It is important that the picture industry has a chance to influence the way metadata in the future will look like. It is important that the special problems of stock & heritage may be taken care of. The photo metadata comes into a new era in which more and more information is taken from the camera. A working flow must be built up not only for news and print but also for web, mobile telephone and all media using pictures. If the information is provided as early as possible in the working flow, it will become much easier to search for the copyright owner and the information about the picture will never get lost, regardless how the picture is being used.”
Besides this internal photo metadata group, IPTC has also set up a public group for discussion available at the following link : http://groups.yahoo.com/group/iptc-photometadata
As recent initiatives from various organisations in the picture industry have shown, metadata is the burning issue for the future of this industry. CEPIC co-ordinates a Technological Committee made up of various experts in the photo industry Europe-wide and its input in the photo metadata working group is its contribution to the debate.
CEPIC, the Co-ordination of European Picture Agencies Press Stock Heritage, was established in Berlin in 1993 as a European economic interest group (E.E.I.G) in accordance with the European Communities Regulation and registered in Paris in 1999. The aim of CEPIC is to be a united voice for the picture library and agency associations of Europe in all matters pertaining to the photographic industry. CEPIC has Observer Status at WIPO, the World Intellectual Property Organisation and is Associate Member at I.P.T.C, the International Press Telecommunication Council. CEPIC represents over 1,000 picture sources in Europe with members from seventeen different European countries.
CEPIC is registered in Paris at 13, rue Lafayette 75009 Paris - Registration Nr (SIRET) is 421 723 073 00019.
Offices are located in Berlin, Germany, Lietzenburger-Straße 91, 10719 Berlin (Charlottenburg).
Posted by Pat at 06:02 PM | Comments (0)
Our Newest Images Part 2- August 1, 2006- Young Adults, Business People, Doctors, Children and Families, Health Spa, Shopping, Bible, Prayer and Comfort
We are always adding new, fresh images to our already spectacular collection. Take a look and see the newest images we have added.
Our newest Royalty Free Images
Check back to see a whole new set of images next week.
Posted by Valerie at 04:48 PM | Comments (0)
