If you read here now and again, you’ll know that we have a strong love for photographic projects that gives us an insight into the human condition.
Sometimes it’s on a comparative basis between cultures, sometimes it’s a common footprint, and sometimes it’s just a matter of seeing what is there.
From Family of Man, to Paris-New York-Shanghai, photography can give us a not just a record, but an insight into how we live our lives.
The book of the 1955 exhibition, Family of Man, was seminal in my visual growth, as you are treated to over 250 photographers’ interpretations of the human condition, from birth to death, on a global basis.
The Paris-New York-Shanghai collection showed us 3 phases of our cultural history as it stands today; with the people of a old city, a current city, and a city of our probable future. Not architecturally, but as determined by the populous. And how, with the globalization of goods available, have become a blend of assimilation.

The books we have for you this week are “Material World: A Global Family Portrait” and “Hungry Planet: What the World Eats”, by Peter Menzel, 2 photo books, that are part of our collection and are always within easy reach.
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“In honor of the United Nations-sponsored International Year of the Family in 1994, award-winning photojournalist Peter Menzel brought together 16 of the world’s leading photographers to create a visual portrait of life in 30 nations. Material World tackles its wide subject by zooming in, allowing one household to represent an entire nation. Photographers spent one week living with a “statistically average” family in each country, learning about their work, their attitudes toward their possessions, and their hopes for the future. Then a “big picture” shot of the family was taken outside the dwelling, surrounded by all their (many or few) material goods.”

“The age-old practice of sitting down to a family meal is undergoing unprecedented change as rising world affluence and trade, along with the spread of global food conglomerates, transform eating habits worldwide. HUNGRY PLANET profiles 30 families from around the world–including Bosnia, Chad, Egypt, Greenland, Japan, the United States, and France–and offers detailed descriptions of weekly food purchases; photographs of the families at home, at market, and in their communities; and a portrait of each family surrounded by a week’s worth of groceries. Featuring photo-essays on international street food, meat markets, fast food, and cookery, this captivating chronicle offers a riveting look at what the world really eats. ”

[photopress:n608888964_1290186_4416.jpg,full,centered] Germany: The Melander family of Bargteheide
Food expenditure for one week: 375.39 Euros or $500.07 © Peter Menzel

As we all experience this global economic shift, it’s a good time to look both inward at how we each live our material and nutritional lives, and outward, to understand the what the rest of this small plant may be doing.

In times of stress we look for comfort, whether it is in a food that conjures warm memories, or an object that becomes a touch point to aid our lives, or become that bit of “buying a little happy” to make it all OK.

Peter Menzel and his editor Faith D’Alusio have brought us an impressive look at ourselves, inside and out.

For over 18 years, I have been photographing lunch, and it is sometimes in reviewing these images that I realize what the heck I’ve been putting in my body. Yeah, I know, “can’t you remember ?” you may ask.
But when the shots are all laid out, it’s a full reality.
Eating more salads now.
I’m just saying.

Details on getting this set of books for free, are right here:

1. Check you email inbox and make sure you have the NEWSLETTER from us (info@photoinduced.com)
2. Delete the body of the email (saving server space)
3. Put the special word into the subject line. you know, the one that was in your weekly NEWSLETTER ( sign up for next weeks here)
4. Add a shipping address.
4. Make sure you did all of that.
5. Hit reply.

Reply #50 is getting the official set this week.

It’s about time.
The good folks at Nikon have done it right this round, nabbing the best selling Photoshop guys to help explain some great camera tips.
Even though it’s Nikon-centric, anyone will get some good info here.

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Especially dug the Live View use for White Balance.
The manufacturers are getting it together these days. Teaching customers how to use the gear they make, in easy to digest bite-size portions (this one is about 10min.), and for free is just the right diet.
Check out this premier episode
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Only thing we didn’t agree with was a piece on the GPS attachment for your Nikon. We have gone through them all, and right now the GEOPIC II is the best. Hands down.
The unit Scott discusses, is not as fast as the GEOPIC II.
We are currently working with the new Nikon GPS unit and will get a review of that to you shortly.

[photopress:twitter.jpg,full,alignright] Yep, although we’ve been twittering for a while, the jury may still be out on how much you folks dig it.
So next week, when we are in Las Vegas at PMA, looking at all of the new camera gear and software, there will be write-ups, videos, and photos, but this time we will be updating on Twitter as it happens.
Want to follow us? Click here to subscribe to the official photoinduced.com twitter..
Would you like to join us on the floor at PMA and see this stuff for yourself?
Send an email to: damonw@photoinduced.com, put “PMA” in the subject line, and we’ll forward you a free entry form, courtesy of Delkin. Viva Las Vegas!!

And a question for everyone relating to this week giveaway:
The right answer was Albert Watson, based on the video under the heading “Now Playing” on the right hand column.

But some folks said they can’t see that video. You do need Flash installed on your computer for those vids.
However not be able to see the vid at all, concerns us.

Now that YouTube offers HD quality, would it be better for the majority, to switch from Flash to YouTube?
We just want you all to see the vids.
Please leave a comment below.

New giveaway coming up tomorrow.

Well, maybe if you don’t win the giveaway this week you should buy Annies books and DVD’s. A lot of them.

“Last autumn, the noted photographer famed for her iconic images of Hollywood and Washington personalities, borrowed $15.5m (£10.8m) from Art Capital Group, a Manhattan lender.
Leibovitz secured the loan partly against properties she owns in New York, but also by putting up the copyright, negatives and contract rights to every photograph she has ever taken or will take in future as collateral, according to the New York Times, which cited documents filed to the city.” credit: Telegraph (click to read)

The credit crunch hits the best of them. And here is another article on the subject.
Seems the UK is a bit more up on this than the US.

In other news, photographer and director Howard Zeiff, passed away Sunday.
An influential commercial photographer in the 50’s and 60’s , Mr. Zeiff moved on to become a major feature director. with films like Private Benjamin to his credit.
And ofr those who love commercials, his Alka Seltzer spot with the actor who could never get it right saying Spicy meatball, was a classic in advertising.

He recieved the Achievement in Advertising Photography Award at the 2007 Lucie Awards.

We had the opportunity to meet with photographer Mark Savage awhile back at the Corbis offices in Los Angeles.
This passionate shooter shares with you, not only what he uses daily in his profession, but why. And some great insights into the job.
So if you are considering this profession, or you’d like to meet one of the nicest guys in the business, check this video.

We’re going through some of the videos we have shot, and featuring them on the HOME page to highlight the subjects. This one comes from our “What’s In The Bag?” series
Sometimes we flip through our DVD collections and only then, remember the movies we have.
It’s kinda like that.
The entire collection is available in high quality on the VIDEO SHORTS page, sans ads.