“You have to see things other people don’t want to see. You have to do your job”
Colin Crawford, Director of Photography Los Angeles Times

And that job has been examined and celebrated in the second exhibit at the Annenberg Space for Photography, the new photographic jewel in the crown of Los Angeles.
A joint effort with the oldest and most prestigious photojournalism competition in the world, the Pictures of the Year International (POYi), the Annenberg is currently showing the work of the winners, or best of work from photographers around the world.
On the walls you will see 80 prints, and in a digital presentation, literally thousands!
There are a few programs running on the high-end projection screens in the main hall that you should spend the time with. Have a comfy seat and take a look and a listen.
You’ll hear from the photographers themselves; about their process, and their projects.

A documentarians life can very easily find extreme subject matter.
But it is the artistry of the photographers selected in this show, that will reach deep into you.

Whether it is the an incredible moment of impact like this image from Emilio Morenatti, Newspaper Photographer of the Year,

© Emilio Morenatti

Or his drastic and touching series on the women of Pakistan who, for reasons of perceived shame, a sleight, or prospective divorce, have been doused with acid, forever scarring them. Hard to look at, but they told a horrific social story that will not soon leave you.

Emilio Morenatti

Of course, the balance of the photographs, did have some of the lighter parts of life. Sports moments were highlighted and some beautiful portraits of Barack Obama and his wife on the campaign trail.
Plus they had a silent auction of framed prints from POYi, with prices starting at only $100.

The Global Vision award went to Balzas Gardi, a VII Network photographer, who told us he only shoots with film, and includes his Holga in the mix.
When we asked him about the time spent at airport security with film, he just smiled and said ” Add another hour for the airport, that’s all “.

The day was started with an intro from Leonard Aube, Managing Director of the Anneberg Foundation, who set the tone and reiterated the mission statement of the space to illustrate the Human Condition through the power of photography, a concept near and dear to our hearts.

The entire program will take about 2 hours to see , if you watch all of the digital presentations and we advise that you do.
The admission is free, the parking is very inexpensive, $3.50 max, and there is amazing photography.
( By the way, the new season of Thursday night IRIS lectures starts up shortly with Steve McCurry, first up )
So…whats the hold up?
And remember, if you are not living in the area you can still access the materials on line here. Or here.
We will tell you that many images are very strong and not intended for children, so be aware.

ANNENBERG SPACE FOR PHOTOGRAPHY
Century Park
2000 Avenue of the Stars, #10
Los Angeles, CA 90067
tel: 213.403.3000
fax: 213.403.3100
Wed-Sun: 11am – 6pm

We could tell you that this program runs for 4 months, but then you may procrastinate about your visit.
So we won’t.

NB: A photographer we introduced you to about a year was at the event, and Andre Hermann won a Bronze in the competition.

© Andre Hermann

And he is still a student at Academy of Art in SF.

Yesterday I did a pre-walk around Chinatown getting ready for the July 18th Global Photowalk.
A little Dim Sum, some conversation, and a bit of GPS photowork. I know, a slow Sunday.
While downtown, no visit is complete without a walk around some of the available art.
And now at MOCA is an exhibit of the complete set of 83 B&W prints from the ground breaking book The Americans
by Robert Frank.
Oh yeah.
These are vintage prints from the 50’s made by Frank, which comprised every image in the book.
Commemorating the 50th anniversary of it’s publication, MOCA realized that they owned this collection and were able to easily put it out.
Summertime is usually when the museums check into their art larders and mount a show from the permanent collection.
This one is pretty damn amazing to see. Plus they have some of the original publications from the time with images culled form the the book.
Plus there is another set of these prints traveling the US. Check this link for details.
Enough gushing, some of you may be saying “so what is so special about this book”
For one thing it’s the impressions of America in the 50’s by a young Swiss photographer, who traveled the country and came back with a slightly darker, sadder, and revealing portrait of a country than had been seen before.
With a forward by Jack Kerouac, this journey has survived and been reprinted many times through the years, including the current 50Th Anniversary edition from Steidl.
After seeing the images, Kerouac ” you end up finally not knowing any more whether a jukebox is sadder than a coffin ”
This new editions’ production was overseen by Robert Frank and actually has some changes from the first edition, including some re-cropped images.
One that needs to be in your collection, but first in your hands.

We are going back to the Weds. NEWSLETTER for the giveaway, so your details will be in there. Make sure you have signed up to receive it gratis, no charge.

Here is a little American we found at the museum.

(This is a previously published article, but the fireworks haven’t changed, so it should all still hold true.)

What is it about fireworks that draws us close, cause us to emit uncontrollable ooohs and ahhhhs, and brings a group experience unlike any other? That shared , almost primal feeling of amazement at seeing those colored explosives, bursting in air, and the crescendo of the finale, is an experience like no other.
[photopress:fireworks.jpg,full,centered]
Here are some tips on creating your own iconic images. And some more.

Want the basics?
1. Shoot with a tripod
2. No Flash
3. ISO 100 is sufficient
4. Photograph peoples reactions too. You may want to get those ooohhs and ahhhhsss on record. Mass happy reactions! Remember-no flash!
5. Experiment with focal lengths for a new look at the same patterns.
6. Set your focus to infinity
7. Shutter speed should be set to “bulb” or shoot 1-4 secs. Experiment!
OR
Set your point and shoot to “Fireworks” and shoot away. You may not get the best , but you’ll have a memory.

And have a happy and safe 4th!
All part of a good stay-cation.
For all of our friends around the world, keep these tips handy for your country’s celebrations.
Hmmmm…maybe July 14th for our French photographers.

It’s nothing new really.
I do shop for a ton of things on-line. But major camera gear, I like to put my hands on and have a brick & mortar store standing behind it. Plus the ease of servicing.
With books, it’s usually a different matter.
Amazon is always the first choice, as the deal is the best, even with their vendors.
But sometimes you just can’t do it on-line. Sometimes, that book you wanted is out of print. And killer expensive.
Such is the case with this weeks giveaway book, Americans In Kodachrome.
Sure I ordered one for you, and was told there would be a confirmation once shipped. Even had ordered a back-up book on the subject, so the winner would be guaranteed an appropriate book.
The job wasn’t over though. The hunter and gatherer in me was not resting.
Today was spent running errands and visiting the book stores in the area. Who knows, maybe someone had a copy that was not in the on-line list.
And there was.
One of my favorite bookstores of all time, Hennessy and Ingalls in Santa Monica, who, for years, has had the premium collection of art and architecture books in Los Angeles, had one lone copy. And it had a brodart (plastic) protector on the cover. Perfect!

Wasn’t going for a sweeter price than list, this store had just what I wanted. Just what you wanted. That was all that was important.

The lesson here is two-fold: 1) everything is NOT online, and 2) thankfully book stores like Hennessey and Ingalls exist so we recommend your hearty support of them. When the top sellers go out of print, and we’ve discussed this before, maybe a store like this will solve your search.
Oh, yes. the irony is not lost on me that writing about a store online, with a link to that same store, while recommending a physical visit, is a bit well…ironic.
If you are in Santa Monica, CA. you have to get there. If not, support your local bookseller. At least some of the time.
Continuing on this walk, a stop into Urban Outfitters had to happen as they are fervent supporters of the photoworld, with a full line of Holga and Lomo products, plus books.
They even sell lomo film.
This other item though, was a new one. In a cruder style of Chuck Close, they had a pixel image paint set, where you upload a photo, the site converts it to pixels and numbered squares, and you ‘paint by numbers” with the enclosed grey scale paint and paint brush.
The biggest decision is which photo to use.
It comes from a company called DIYART, and goes for about $20.

We’ll share what comes from that little project.

The best news is that the winner of the giveaway book, is guaranteed the first choice book. Whew! I feel so much better now.

Well, whenever I travel, as in fly, I have to pack tight, light and right.
The gear that goes has to be rugged, have a purpose and many times, have some back-up.
On this last trip, since stills are always a part of the deal, and video gets packed in there too, a hybrid pack was developed.
The main attraction is the Nikon D700 w/ a 24-70 2.8 lens, set on the shoulder with a very comfortable Crumpler Industry Disgrace camera strap. After trooping around Austin for days at SXSW, a comfortable strap is essential.

And with the Nikon D700, it’s full frame, my favorite 51 point focusing system, able to react as fast as it should, enough exposure controls which get pre-set and numbered so depending on the main environs, customization is a button press away. And the glass…ahhh that sweet, fast 2.8 lens, works it hard .
The high noiseless ISO, saves me innumerable times. Even when i have to crop for the shot, there is plenty of clean room in the file.

In the apartment I rent (always preferred to a hotel) setting up your workspace is key and this little area gave me a glare-free environment plus access to the power strip.

The media cards are traveled in a zippered case, because it’s harder to lose the separate cards in their plastic holders. For me anyway.

The readers get doubled up. There is the Lexar firewire and the Delkin Express, which slips into the card port.
Now the Delkin unit saw more action this trip due to logistics:
The external hard drive of choice is the G-Tech G-DRIVE mini Triple Hard drive 320 GB –
which spins a fast 7200 rpm and has it’s own bus-powered fan. Great for stills, essential for video.
And when the G-tech was plugged in, that took too much space so the lexar was crowded. Hence the Delkin reader.
This trip saw the first time use of the Hoodman Raw SDHC Card Reader
. small and did the job, that’s all I ask for.

Batteries got their juice from the Delkin Dual Universal Charger
(except the Canon Elph) which allows you to mix and match batteries for charging 2 units at a time. Needed that.

As we had mentioned before the Canon PowerShot SD780IS12.1 MP Digital Camera
became our pocket camera, when the big boy was too much. And it worked hard capturing video and stills at a moments notice, with no unsightly bulge.

Always in the bag were 2 out of 3 of these pups:

The Joby Gorillapods in mini had a tripod screw AND a suction cup deal that was used for the old iPhone.

The tripod mount held the Canon when video was needed and I was the only one around. The XShot Camera Extender
was just a fun deal that got some attention as I could be included in the shot. Sometimes, I’d use it for video and it had a strange, Mean Streets look to it, if you know that scene with Harvey Keitel. Anyone?

OK, the big one was outfitted with a giottos ball head and could hold the other video camera, complete with the cool Litepanels, new micro pro adjustable LED light. On this new battery powered unit, added gels was super easy and brilliantly designed.
Throw in the lavalier mic, body packs, and HD tape and we were set.
By the way, that camera may be going through a change, although when on the road, recording to a hard media like a tape is a comforting thought.

Since we were out of the country, extra plug adaptors and transformers were part of the kit and traveled in a net zipper bag so it was obvious what was there. the red thing is a multi USB connector picked up at a design store. As long it works, a little cool design ain’t bad.

So wrap it all up and pack it into the Think Tank Airport International
, and this set-up goes with me all over the world. On board, in the hands.

On site, it always gets broken down and transported in another bag, it could be ThinkTank Urban Disguise, or a Crumpler 8 million dollar home, or a Lowepro Sling bag, or maybe just an Oakley backpack.
Whatever the venue is, the bag is appropriate, and I’ve used them all. Lots of factors come into play, and your mileage may vary.
So that is an overview of what travels around the world me these day.
Sometimes, additional lenses, always a Flip UltraHD Camcorder,
, rechargeable batts with the charger packed in the suitcase, mini power strips in the states, a 3M privacy screen for the laptop, especially on the plane. best for everyone.

What do you take on your trips?
Maybe we can highlight one of you every month and we can share some tips.
Email or comment right here with any questions you may have.