Helen Levitt, one of the best street shooters we’ll ever see, passed away a couple of weeks ago at the age of 95.
And it didn’t seem like she ever stopped shooting in her long life.
You’ve no doubt seen some of her work.
Perhaps this shot of kids in their Halloween costumes. New York, c. 1942

© Helen Levitt

Or actually, one of my favorites,

© Helen Levitt

which will always be linked in my mind to another image by Henri Cartier-Bresson, both of which I wish were on our walls.

© Henri Cartier-Bresson

2 of our favorite photographers, telling us the stories of the streets. Both, unfortunately gone.

This woman had such a profound sense of the city streets and the people who lived there.
It was the high end, hidden folks, but the working class, the families, the 4th floor walk-ups, the fire hydrants being loosed in the summer kids. The real city.
Her view was a gritty view, unvarnished, yet, declaring a celebration of honestly and dignity, for her subjects.
It never seemed that the idea was to elevate, but be honest and revel in who they were and what their life meant.
Her chronicles of the human condition in NYC were, and are, unparalleled for the entrée she had and the compassion for her subjects. She was a part of them and spoke with her camera
And she was not only a black and white shooter, but spent a lot of time with color in 1959-through the 60’s, thanks to 2 Guggenheim Grants.
The images appear properly muted and real, taking away that last layer of separation between the viewer and the streets she loved.

© Helen Levitt

In 1944, she collaborated with James Agee and Janice Loeb to make a short film called “In The Street” which we just watched again.
This 14 min. film captures Helen Levitt’s visual style and you can hear the influence of her collaborators. With a few paragraphs of preface, the jazzy sound track, gave you a view of 103rd ST in East Harlem in NYC.
In the preface, Agee uses a quote from Goethe :
“It is good to think, better to look and think, best to look without thinking.”

I’ll never forget the first time I saw this film at ICP in New York. They had a Sebastian Salgado exhibit with massive prints from his worker series, a perfect way to see them, Lauren Greenfield’s Fast Forward show, then off in the darkened theater, was this short film by Helen Levitt.
B&W, evocative, with no dramatic story of heroes and heroines to tell you, but a rich experience to share and have wash over you.
Sitting alone in the little theater, this short film transported me through a time warp, very gently, to a different NY than what was just outside the ICP doors.

And 65 years later, the film is still incredible to see.

Stan Brakhage ranked it among the greatest films ever made. The 3 principals went onto make another film shortly after which was nominated for the Best Writing, Story and Screenplay and Best Documentary Feature Academy Award.

At this time we don’t have a copy of this film to give you. It’s been a tough one to locate. When, and if, we do, you know we’ll give one away here. See, it happens with the videos as well as the books. You see, you want, you buy. Veni, Vidi Vici.
I think.

Her work is here for you, though, in many book forms, and no doubt a retrospective show will be forthcoming.

There was a book we wanted to share, called Crosstown, which was a great retrospective published in 2001. But gone.
Luck is on our side though and we have located a copy of the most recent book, published by Powerhouse last year. This one was made in conjucntion with a retrospective exhibit of her work in Germany, in 2008. Her iconic images plus some pf her more recent color work is included.

It will be our pleasure to gift a copy of this book to one of you.
Details will be in the NEWSLETTER, so sign up by Tuesday at midnight PST, to be eligible.

By the way, this weekend we gave away our first goodie via Twitter. The response was lighting fast, and we’ll be doing more of those.
If you’re into that sort of thing.
Don’t worry, we won’t send posts that let you know when we’re eating toast…..with jelly, but on-the-spot events and reporting from gallery shows, trade shows and things photographic that we may not cover elsewhere.

Ah yes, the sweet, manufactured colors of the delectable Easter candies, called Peeps.
Shaped like abstract baby chicks or simplified rabbits, these sugar encrusted, basket fillers, have made their way into the collective unconscious. We have even seen a TV documentary on the making of Peeps.
Not really a food, but a filler. Once you’ve eaten just one, the experience could last a lifetime.
But the visual and the name stick with you.
Peeps.
After you, or the young ones around you, have satisfied the traditional sugar enhanced rush of tasting the traditional Easter baskets bounty, then what?
Sit very still? Go for a run? Pass out on the couch?
Oh, no. Not if you have a mind like one of our readers, Carolyn A Hampton.
You think past the expected. You take on the challenge.
You reshape the historical meaning of Peeps, with photographs.
We just love her take on it.

Octo-Peep

© Carolyn A. Hampton

Peep Show

© Carolyn A. Hampton

Now, every culture around the world has their own iconic parts of this holiday. What’s yours?
Or has Peeps, seeped into your culture too?

Of course there are more photographic scenarios that Carolyn shot, but we wanted to share these, just to hopefully give you a little laugh.
And remind us all to always be thinking past what may appear to be the obvious.

Happy Easter!

Yes, the hottest new place for photography in LA, Annenberg Space for Photography, just opened on March 27th, with 11 photographers from Los Angeles, featured.

It’s free, parking is way cheap ($1.00 for evening events, $3.50 during the day) and not only is there a brilliantly curated standing exhibit, there is a study area with books, and media all about your favorite subject.
Yes, photography. That is why you’re here, right?
OK, we’ve told you all about this place in past posts, but last night, they plussed the deal with the second in a series of IRIS Nights Presentations.
The first event had Douglas Kirkland talking about his 50 year career and showing a selection from his massive archives. We blew it. We missed it.

30 photographers had their work chose to be shown in this continuous slide show of work, on the 2 main massive screens and various others around the exhibit halls.
As a sweet bonus, there was food and wine to help stave off any dinner hungers, since the event started at 7:00 PM. Hors d’vores, surely beating the cheese cubes and passable wines at most openings.
And to that point, each photographer presented a kind of visual hor d’vores of their work with a selection of photographs, and a contact/website card at the head.

So the crowd settled into the oversized ottomans, sat on the rubberized floor, or stood watching from multiple vantage points.
Felt like home to us.

Wallis Annenberg © Chris Weeks/WireImage

Many of the photographers like Jill Greenberg, Kwaku Alston, Jim McHugh (whom we just wrote about), Jeff Dunas, and many more were well represented. There were also personal appearances by a lot of them, so it you ever wanted to ask them a question, it was a perfect time.

Please note that you should make sure you have RSVP on-line for these events, as they fill up fast. If you care making your way to LA, don’t worry , you can do it all online. There were some disappointed folks last night, but there is a space limit.

We may not have done it before, but a major shout out to Wallis Annenberg for making it all happen. And of course, her hard working team that we catch glimpses of, as they make it all appear seamless.

The Annenberg Space For Photography
Century Plaza
2000 Avenue of the Stars, #10
Los Angeles, CA 90067
tel: 213.403.3000
fax: 213.403.3100
Wed-Sun: 11am – 6pm

That is kind of the concept behind this beautifully shot series of 20×24 polaroid photographs.
Tim Mantoani has gathered the current biggest names in fine art, photojournalism, commercial, sports, nature, music and everything else, and had them pose with thier most iconic images.

Douglas Kirkland posing with the photo of him with his Marilyn Monroe photograph.

Not only that, each artist has handwritten commentary on that image.

Tim Mantoani and Nick Ut with his iconic image of the young girl fleeing from a village in Vietnam after a napalm attack.

This exhibit currently at the Pacific Design center in Los Angeles, is another part of MOPLA, for April, and runs till April 30th.
At the exhibition space there is also a monitor showing all of the photographers not on the walls but in his files. Of course there will be a book coming. But when????
And Tim told us that he shot video of all of the shoots and with some Q&A with each subject.
We just hope he gets that footage cut soon so all of us can enjoy the experience.
But for now, check out his site for background and more images.
Well done, Tim.

Both exhibits and more are at this address
Pacific Design Center BLUE Building
April 4 – 30
Monday through Thursday
12:00 – 4:00 p.m.
8687 Melrose Avenue
West Hollywood, CA 90069
(entrance on melrose)

And then right next to Tim’s show, LA artist Jim McHugh, has a very strong overview of his work including a variety of printing techniques shown off and used to each ones best advantage.
OK, who am I kidding?
Yes, the techniques are interesting, but it’s the images that blew us away.

© Jim McHugh
“The Las Palmas Hotel”, Ink on Paper, 2005

With a long career photographing some of the artistic geniuses of our time, represented here, it’s his approach to those things we take for granted and his explanation of photographing common things in an uncommon manner.
Simplified explanation, but the beauty that he has found in the building parts, towering lit signs, and one of our favorites, steps in Bali, with details to a hidden life, printed in an almost monochromatic palette, and visually explains why big prints exist.
Wander about his website, and you see what we’re talking about.
And if you can get to the exhibit, you will get turned onto one of our most rounded, prolific and talented photographers.
Sure, we say our because he’s from LA, but he’ll be yours, too.
Just take a look.

A couple of weeks ago, we showed you some items from David Honl’s line of light shapers, distributed by expoimaging.
Basically for those using speedlights, which is basically ALL of us at some point, you really want to use the light in a better way perhaps, than just opening up the floodgates.
Sure, you can just aim it directly at your subject, naked to the world, harsh and unforgiving, but why not shape it a little? Be kind to your subject, and harness that millisecond burst of light.
This full system of light modifiers were designed by a photographer David Honl, who first made them out of need.
After some fellow photogs asked him to make them up a set, he did. Soon he realized that maybe a lot of other shooters could use these tools.

And they can.

So this week, we’re offering a chance to get into the system with a starter set, that could be all you’ll need.
First off is a well made “speed strap”, which is basically a velcro strap that allows you to attach all of the system parts to your speedlight.

Then we have a flat piece which can be used as a snoot, directing a more focused light on the subject, or it can be fanned out like a reflector to broaden your light source and soften the blow.
Either way, you’ll dig the compactness of it all.
Lays flat, plays big. (please note there are only 2 items in this weeks giveaway: photo shows more of the full line of product. Contact you local photodealer for more info and/or purchase details.)

All of the info on getting this set-up for free, will be in the weekly NEWSLETTER. (Do we have to say “flashes not included”? OK, fine. We will)

And starting this week, we’ll try some giveaways, just for the folks following us on Twitter. We’ll send out special codes for free photographic items on a twitter message, and see how that works out for everyone.
Checking it out and sussing the value of it all.

Here’s how to enter to win this weeks absolutely free giveaway:
1. Hit reply to the NEWSLETTER (yep, the one
that came in your email inbox)
2. Put the special word included in that email into the subject line of
the email.
3. Delete body of email (saving server space)
4. Add a shipping address
5. Hit Send

That’s it. That’s all you have to do. Pretty easy actually.
Good Luck!