Maybe if you’re reading this at home, you know exactly where your bag is.

But what about the other night when you were covering that event?
The manager of the facility told it would be cool to leave your main gear bag over in the corner. No one goes there. And besides, they’d be there the whole night.
You suit up with your cameras, gear belt, and a small bag with essentials.
Those mini crab cakes are tasty, and you’re getting the shots needed, plus more. Then you see that lucky strike bonus shot: A second floor wide angle beauty of the whole event.
Heck, yeah! Good call.
So you go back to your camera bag. Hmmm..left it right here…..manager seems to have stepped away.
The sweat starts to build in the areas you hate that it builds. WHERE..IS..THE..BAG????
If you’re smart, you had placed an iFi Smart Tag T4.0 tracking unit in the bag.
You pull out your smartphone and go to the iFI app, click “Find It” and if the bag is 30ft away or more, you will be emailed a Google map to its location. You can add a beep so you can follow the beep as well, but there’s a tip off to someone lifting your gear.
So maybe someone at the venet just moved your bag to the coat check room, since there would always be someone there. And maybe they couldn’t find you to let you know.
Your phone tells you the new location. The beeps (you can turn on and off from the phone) confirm it all.
Whew.
Originally designed for your keys OR your phone, I liked to add a photogs touch.
made for IOS and Android. New one coming shortly that will do both on one unit.
$30.00
Scenario #2:
While out of town on assignment, my apt manager called me to ask if someone was in my apartment.
I had no clue. Could easily be a family member.
They assured me they’d check in the morning.
Hmmmmm…
Time for some security cameras.
After going though a ton of research, the features needed were clear: sound, remote operation, zoom, pan.
Foscam had a great deal on what looked like the perfect fit. Night vision, too!
Set it up. Kinda. always had some glitches. Called customer service. Many times.
They told me it was my fault it wasn’t working. My network was messed up. They even had me change the name of the network.
Unplugged the camera, and put it back in the box. After 4 total hours of trying to set it up, I was done.
The I saw the Dropcam HD .
OK, this thing was not cheap.
$150. per unit.
Then Amazon had a special during the holidays for $100.
Burned once, figured let’s give this one more shot.
Woah!This is the simplest unit I had ever seen.
Take it out of the box, set-up on your computer in 4 minutes, then pug into an out in your home.
Done. Really.
OK, you do need to download the app to your smartphone. Control the unit wherever you are. And you can turn off the “record” light.
Motion Detector which send you alerts on the phone, HD quality is the best I’ve seen, and affordable monthly plans for recording the footage.
By the way, did you know that many burglars pick these thinsg up, look at it before they disconnect it?
Yeah, then you had a darn fine portrait of them.
there is a feature that I have not much use for: a microphone.
Do you say” Hey, stop robbing me! Put that down!”
I was informed by the company that it’s more as a baby monitor, or maybe keeping rover off the couch.
Anyway, I ended up with 3 so far.
Even travel with one. Why not?

© Sal Veder
The horror of war has been presented to us in it’s most naked form since the time of Matthew Brady’s images of the Civil War.

The advent of the fairly new art of photography, coupled with the endless amount of bloodshed of the North V South war, gave the public one of their first realistic views of the cost of war.
With the growth of the photographic technology, and the photographers drawn to the endless conflicts, the War Photographer evolved.

The current show at the Annenberg Space for Photography come with most of the iconic images throughs the wars, and depending on your age, you will most likely see the single images that changed your personal perception of war.
Because of theses generational touch points, this show may be the most emotionally searing exhibit that The Space has shown.
As your mind fills in the space before or after your generation once you glimpse the single, telling image, one thing becomes abundantly clear: We have have been at war forever.
You can call it conflict, peacekeeping. protective, occupied territory. war is hell.
The exhibition does have some of the lifestyles of the soldier, with C rations, govt issued clothers/gear.
Even a hot of Elvis, when he was drafted.

The photographs run the range to ensure that every frame is not the worst parts of war, complete with body parts. The exploration goes deeper, and shows those of us who may not experience the armed forces first hand.

The iconic images are there: including Joe Rosenthal’s Old Glory Goes Up on Mount Suribachi, Iwo Jima and Alfred Eisenstaedt’s V-J Day, Times Square, New York, Eddie Adams’ image of the execution of a Viet Cong prisoner on the streets of Saigon, and the Pulitzer Pirze winning Nick Ut photo of the girl and her village running from the Napalm drop.

It’s hard to see, but you are drawn to it. It’s our history.

The genius part of the exhibit are the videos. For the first time, you get to hear the stories of the war photographers.
When you look at the images, imagine the person on the other side of the lens.
And when you know that it was a pretty wide angle lens, think again: what makes the photographer make the images and not jump in?
It’s a hard question and this video helps you make some sense of it all.
The protected press are not as protected as in the past. The danger of life and death are real and suffered daily.
But no war photographer I’ve ever met, has been maimed or damaged by the weapons of war, and didn’t want to go right back out. It seems to be a calling.

DO not miss the video.

This is not just a patriotic show, nor a display of death and destruction. It is an exhibit that will stay with you for a very long time.

Pick up the book at the front desk for your home. More there than could ever fit on a wall.

We’ve said it before, but thank you Wallis Annneberg for your continued support of photography, and bringing important exhibits such as this to Los Angeles.

WAR/PHOTOGRAPHY: Images of Armed Conflict and Its AftermathHours:
Wed-Fri: 11am – 6pm
Sat: 11am – 7:30pm
Sun: 11am – 6pm
Mon – Tue: Closed

Location:
Century Park
2000 Avenue of the Stars
Los Angeles, CA 90067
tel: 213.403.3000

Aperture has been creating some very cool events in the past year,(Daido recreates Xerox book) and this one is huge.
One of our favorite photographers, Martin Parr, is having an exhibition of work at Aperture Gallery in NYC.
The opening day, from 9AM to 6PM, Mr. Parr will be shooting portraits of the attendees against an appropriate background.
Nope, not free. Actually $400. But when else would you be able to get your portrait made by Martin Parr?

PORTRAIT SHOOT AND BEACH PARTY
WITH MARTIN PARR

WHAT: Aperture presents an all-day portrait shoot and beach party with the one and only Martin Parr, in conjunction with the release of the beach-bag-size edition of his monograph Life’s a Beach and the related exhibition at Aperture Gallery. This is a rare opportunity to have your portrait taken by Mr. Parr; join us to have your picture snapped or to pose with friends, family, or even your cherished pets.

Parr will shoot beach-themed portraits throughout the day in a temporary studio space at Aperture Gallery. Feel free to bring your own props or favorite objects, or have fun with the beach toys on hand.

Limited to ninety-six portrait slots, each commission guarantees you one personal 8 x 12 inch portrait taken and signed by Martin Parr. Studio time will be scheduled in the order of booking, and you should arrive at least fifteen minutes prior to your slot. On the day of the shoot you may purchase additional images from your session or upgrade to larger prints at additional cost. The signed original photographs will be available for pickup at Aperture Gallery beginning Tuesday, May 21, or can be shipped directly to you for an additional charge. Purchase is non-refundtable.

While you’re waiting for your close-up, sip Dark n’ Stormy® cocktails, provided by Gosling’s Rum, while you view the Life’s a Beach exhibition.

WHO: Martin Parr is a key figure in the world of photography, recognized as a brilliant satirist of contemporary life. Author of over thirty photography books, his photographs have been collected by museums worldwide, including the Getty Museum in Los Angeles, New York’s MoMA, and the Tate Modern, London. A retrospective of his work continues to tour major museums around the world since opening at the Barbican Art Gallery, London, in 2002. Parr is a member of Magnum Photos.

WHEN: Saturday, May 18, 9:00 am–6:00 pm

WHERE: Aperture Gallery and Bookstore
547 West 27th Street, 4th Floor
New York

ADMISSION: Portrait Shoot: $400 for a signed, one-of-a-kind portrait by Martin Parr
Exhibition and beach party: Free and open to the public.

SPONSORSHIP: The event is made possible with support from Canon U.S.A., Inc., Gosling’s Rum, and Mondrian Soho.

Click here for the event info EVENT INFO.:

I’ll be honest: been trying to get to this AIPAD show for years.
Knowing the general tone behind it is the collecting of the finest of vintage photography, it’s an enriching experience to see almost 80 galleries display in an elegant setting such as the Armory. There was a sprinkling of new media and contemporary photography as well.

Most of the West coast shows are relegated to transformed convention centers. This regal architecture puts you in a proper mood.

At the preview, guests were treated to a bit of the bubbly to start the hopeful shopping tour.

Highlights for us:
*The Halsted Gallery showed a brilliant cross section of some of the most iconic images in photography.( booth 106)
*Staley-Wise brings an au courant show for the seasoned and new collector with Bert Stern Marilyn Monroe, plus more form the Mad Men era (booth 210)
*Robert Klein Gallery had not only some new Julie Blackmon, but some painterly, beautiful, still lifes that stopped every one. (booth 310)

*Daniel Blau Gallery had a unique collection of iconic press photos, complete with printing notes or copy headlines from the pub on the images. Not great prints in the purest sense of the word, but true history as the original intent of the photographs is celebrated. (booth 400)
* PPOW Gallery – This work has 2 phases: one is a hand built snow globe scenario, the second phase is a photograph of the scene.
A must see part of AIPAD, have a look at the book at the booth as well.

One of our favorite photographers, Elliott Erwitt was also in attendance, making his way through the booths, while saying hello to old friends.

A little opening nosh for the opening night- tasty sliders with homemade chips.

There is so much to see and yes, purchase (it is a art fair) that it’ll take a few hours to make your round.
Do not forget the stacks at many of the dealer booths, because sometimes the gold is hidden there.

Some great talks on Saturday as well, so get your schedule set.

Wait, before we forget: DO NOT MISS- 798 Gallery with the latest photo from Yao Lu. We first saw his work at Paris-Photo a few years a go and his use of materials to create classic imagery is astounding. it says booth 216, but may have moved

The show is sponsored by AXA, the art insurance people, and the have set up a SPACE with an set of images from Ai WeiWei.
Plus some important info about protecting your photographic art investment. Super Storm Sandy decimated many works of art as well as collection values. Be sure you are insured!

AIPAD
Park Avenue Armory
Park Avenue at 67th ST.
April 4-7th, 2013

We first saw these images of babies crying at a tucked away gallery in LA.
The collection, entitled End Times, is finally available in hardcover.

Very controversial, as critics claimed that photographer Jill Greenberg made these babies cry for the photos.

Sorry to disappoint the naysayers, but I have actually seen the boxes and boxes of contact sheets of photos of the babies that didn’t cry.
OK, here is a fact: babies cry.
Tired, hungry, wet, dry, angry, in pain, getting attention.
Many, many things will make them cry. As a parent I know this first hand.
OK, enough on that front.
The unique lighting and post on these photos blew the minds of photographers all over the place.
The quality of the skin, the way the tears fell down the cheeks, the intensely crafted, emotional portraits using only a seamless as a backdrop, seemed to reinvent what was possible with lighting.

So much so, that everyone jumped on the bandwagon and tried to rip her off.
I’m not going to go with the “homage” line, nor any claim that they had seen this before.
If you google her name, you’ll see pages of people willing to teach the “Jill Greenberg effect”.
Really?
Now, no one has time to chase down every imitator, but this is a photographic travesty.

To all of the imitators, stop it. Figure out your own style. And to the art buyers who engage the rip off photographers, shame on you.

OK, back to the book.
From the Amazon write up:

Pictures of crying children are viscerally upsetting. As photographer Jill Greenberg says, “there is something instinctive that makes you want to protect them.” End Times consists of 32 individual photographic portraits of young children crying, originally made by Greenberg in 2005 as a direct response to the policies of the Bush administration. Greenberg took her inspiration from an essay written by Bill Moyers titled “There Is No Tomorrow,” which discusses the negative influence of religious fundamentalists on American politics, in particular on environmental policy, foreign policy, gay marriage, stem cell research and abortion. She interspersed her highly saturated color portraits with reproductions of contemporaneous newspaper headlines, and gave the portraits titles that expressed her apocalyptic vision of Bush-era America, such as “Armageddon,” “Misinformation,” “Angry Country” and “Torture.” Needless to say, the controversy surrounding the release of these images in 2006 was colossal, erupting into a firestorm of debate that re-ignites nearly every time the work is exhibited. This volume gathers Greenberg’s series for the first time. At once discomfiting and quirky, unreal and heart-stopping, End Times is a howl of helplessness and condemnation.

Whether you see this as a political statement, or simply as amazing photographs, this is a long awaited collection we are happy to see.

Years ago, Jill Greenberg published this as an award winning, catalog in a small 4×6, soft cover format, in conjunction with a solo show in LA. This publication puts a crowning touch on the collection of her other books including, Monkeys, Bears, and Horses.
Collect the whole set.

Well spoken, sometimes outrageous, provocative Jill Greenberg should be in your home.
On your bookshelf or your wall.

She is represented by:
ClampArt
531 W 25th St
New York, NY 10001
(646) 230-0020

O’Born Contemporary
131 Ossington Avenue,
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
M6J 2Z6
t 416 413 9555
info@oborncontemporary.com
www.oborncontemporary.com

Jaski Art Gallery
Nieuwe Spiegelstraat 29
1017 DB Amsterdam
Tel: +31-(0)20-6203939
Fax: +31-(0)20-6203069
E-mail: mailto:info@jaski.nl