“A fashion picture is a portrait, just as a portrait is a fashion picture.” - Irving Penn
April 28, 2008
Ever wonder why Lindsey Lohan is in a Miu Miu ad, or how a certain celebrity landed on the cover of your favourite indie fashion magazine?
Well, there’s a very good chance Starworks was involved (their blog here).
The latest issue of W Magazine has a great profile on this company.
The work of Jill Freedman, reminiscent of the work of Weegee…capturing the grit of 70’s New York.
An audiovisual tour through Yosemite National Park, Ansel Adams’ biggest muse.
Behind George Lois’ Esquire covers.
Cultural observations by Virginia Heffernan on the Flickr phenomenon…how photography made purely for the web has taken on its own life and aesthetic, and the rise of one Rebekka Guoleifsdottir, who has grown her photography skills with Flickr to land a major advertising campaign for Toyota.
I have never been one to overly look at Flickr for new talent (ok, I have never looked at Flickr for new talent) and I wish Rebekka all the best, but this last observation by Virginia Heffernan is terribly, terribly depressing.
“On Flickr, Cartier-Bresson is no Guoleifsdottir. Maybe it’s no surprise, then, that when a prankster posted a Cartier-Bresson photo of a cyclist passing a spiral staircase, passing the photo off as his own, a mob of commenters shouted it down, crying for it to be deleted. “When everything is blurred you cannot convey the motion of the bicyclist,” one commenter carped. “Why is the staircase so ‘soft’? Camera shake?” wrote another. “Gray, blurry, small, odd crop,” someone concluded. That seemed to be the final word.”
April 26, 2008
Interested in seeing some student work? ICP’s Slidefest is coming up…
May 2 | Friday | 7:00 pm | $3/Free for ICP Members
School at ICP, 1114 Avenue of the Americas at 43rd Street
The ICP-Bard Master of Fine Arts Program presents the fifth annual Slidefest, an artist talk and slideshow by the class of 2009. Slidefest is open to the public and will be followed by a reception. Seating is limited, so please arrive early.
This event is hosted by Nayland Blake, Chair ICP-Bard MFA Program, and Marvin Heiferman, ICP-Bard core faculty member.
CHRISTINE CALLAHAN | BETH CHUCKER | THERESA EDMONDS | BESS GREENBERG
KIM KREMER | KANAKO OKAZAKI | PAUL QAYSI | KATIE WATSON
April 25, 2008
Avisualsociety is pleased to announce what one hopes will be a regular new voice on the blog…The Contributing Agent.
They will have complete freedom to talk about whatever they like each week!
So without further ado…
First, let me say that I am very excited to be a new contributing voice to Avisualsociety. I have been a fan for quite some time so I am honored to share some of my thoughts with you. So what will be the inaugural topic for me to discuss?
One particular issue that keeps resonating for myself and others is a photographer’s expectations for their careers. As a photo agent, I have worked with many industry professionals with seasoned careers. These are photographers who have spent many years perfecting their craft in one particular genre, such as portraiture.
So what do you do when this photographer decides to embark on a new photographic genre, let’s say, landscapes? Or you sign on a photographer for a certain style and they decide to pursue a different avenue? Like any good agent you put their book together, begin research, make the applicable calls, and spread the word that your artist would like to be considered for “landscape” work.
But what is the designated time frame for when they should expect work? I have encountered photographers who, due to their previous or current success EXPECT to be working consistently in their new genre in 3-6 months. From my perspective it can be hard to say. The industry can be very set in its ways and once you have spent years building yourself in one direction, making a major switch can take some time. This can often be a difficult concept for photographers to understand. Very plainly put.. “If you are a portrait photographer why would someone immediately hire you as a landscape photographer because you spent the summer documenting your travels? Even if you are Joe Schmoe.” (There are obvious exceptions to this statement…)
So that’s my first post…thanks to AVS and all the AVS readers for reading! Very open to feedback or comments (but go easy.. first time blogger!).
This is a great topic and I think Contributing Agent makes some great points. I’ve encountered many a photographer looking to switch agencies simply because the agencies they are looking at represent a certain market (fashion, advertising, whatever it is) that they are trying to get into…but never mind that the agency is probably not interested in them because they haven’t been doing that sort of work!
Of course photographers can always adapt and switch styles or genres until they find what either they really love to do or are best at. But it takes some serious self realisation sometimes. (Jackanory is a good case in point!) And for my money I think a case like this can take far longer than three to six months.
Thank you Contributing Agent!
April 22, 2008
Since the Morgan Library unfortunately did not have reproduction rights to the amazing Irving Penn portraiture exhibition they hosted the last few months, I had to ’settle’ for a book by Penn called A Notebook At Random, which I found to be fascinating…a method to this man’s amazing artistry. Worth picking up for sure.
Design Observer has a great post on music in the design studio…and I’m sure we’ve all been on set where the dueling ipods and playlists are blasting.
I’ve also heard of a trend for DJ’s to be hired on set…that is both astounding and amazing to me.
So, what playlists have you lot been treated to on set? Would love to hear some stories…
That’s right a Word on the Street with links!
I’ve managed to catch up to most of my reading and here are some that you just might have missed in the last few weeks…
There’s no rhyme or reason to these, especially regarding timing, but enjoy.
A nice breakdown on the upcoming New York Photo Festival by Rachel over at Shoot! the Blog.
Last month’s Vanity Fair (not the one with Madonna going green…at least her legs weren’t spread) had a great piece on Robert Frank, and it can be read here with a short film by Charles Leduff.
…as well as a great profile of Calvin Klein by Ingrid Sischy that detailed his amazing support of young photographers and groundbreaking (and controversial) ad campaigns. Who knew a young Mario Sorrenti dated a really, really young Kate Moss?
and while reading these came across 15 years of Annie Leibovitz’s Hollywood covers…interesting to see how her style has evolved over the years.
Via a few blogs…genius - The Onion’s Sunday Magazine
Behind the scenes on a fashion shoot with Benjamin Alexander Huseby and Nicola Formichetti, from V’s blog. (.MOV file)
(photo by James Danziger)
Year in Pictures covers the recent AIPAD (The Association of International Photography art Dealers) show + a truly wonderful glimpse into the life of Ruth Ansel.
Street photography re-defined between the 30’s and the 60’s…via the Guardian.
Spring Fashions, by the peerless Bill Cunningham…all audio slide shows on the NYT’s website…have you heard this man speak? He could be Woody Allen’s father.
A nice analysis of the recent Elle covers from Magculture…
Some views on models trends from the Imagist…1998 all over again and the days of the 100K model are over.
The creative director of the Guardian has a blog now too.
And lastly, the Business of Fashion has a great post on the balance of advertising and editorial in fashion magazines. So for all you media buyers out there for YSL, Marc Jacobs, Target, Nike, whatever…AVS is accepting advertising stat!
April 21, 2008
It is possible to make a photograph of New Jersey regardless of where you are in the world…
(exhibition PDF catalogue here.)
and Remain in Light, curated by Shane Lavalette and Karly Wildenhaus, a contemporary print publication dedicated to promoting emerging and established photographers, releases it’s Volume One (head over to donate towards printing and distribution!).
Got this in the ol’ AVS inbox…
Friday April 25th
6-8 pm
Dashwood Books
33 Bond Street
between Bowery and Lafayette
Leigh Ledare’s astonishing first book is a searingly intimate investigation of the artist’s relationship with his mother, a once-promising prodigy ballerina.
Mapping his mother’s efforts to turn herself into a viable commodity, to find companionship, attention and a benefactor before her youthful, marketable currencies expire.
April 16, 2008
I know that most of this is old news and has already been mentioned elsewhere, but here it is again anyways.
Some agent news…
Stephanie Baptist left Bransch and is now with ARTMIX.
Michael Ash has opened up Michael Ash Partners with most of his roster, parting ways Radical Media.
Constanza Camargo has joined Vaughan Hannigan.
and some talent news…
Art Partner has added Cedric Buchet, Ellen Von Unwerth and Alasdair Mclellan (formerly of MAP).
Tom Pecheux has joined the Collective Shift.
Matt Hoyle has joined John Kenney &.
and Satoshi Saikusa has joined Jed Root.
Some linkage coming later…
Received an email not too long ago that went a little something like this:
I want to show you to my work.
212-222-2222
bob bobson.
That is not going to get you in the door of many places, just so you know. And I am being kind with the grammar.
April 14, 2008
Hello everyone, sorry for the lack of posting, sort of had a brief hiatus. But with Jackanory, APE, Conscientious, Shoot the Blog and Heather Morton amongst many others I know you’re well covered on the photography news and opinions department.
Went to the ICP Icon Auction last Thursday…as always some amazing pieces for ICP’s fundraiser…even got a piece for myself!
Some snaps…
(also, I hope you made it to Irving Penn’s exhibition at the Morgan Library before it shut today….amazing show.)