This just in:
The brilliant, compassionate photographer, Eugene Richards will receive $20,000 and collaborative support from Getty Images photo editors as he pursues his documentary photography projects.

He began work on “War is Personal” in 2006 as a series of photo and text essays focused on the lives of people in the US who’d been profoundly affected by the war in Iraq. Eugene’s grant will be used to move the project forward in the coming months. “Eight photographic essays are now completed,” he commented. “With the assistance of a Getty Images Grant for Editorial Photography, I will undertake at least seven more.” At the completion of the project there will be a book and a multimedia piece that interposes photographs with personal writings and interviews to advance the dialogue on the Iraq war. Based in New York, Eugene is a noted photojournalist, writer and filmmaker.

We met Mr. Richards last year at the Lucie Awards where he was honored with a Documentarian Achievement award.
Here is the interview:

OK, first… what the heck is a wayback machine?
On the Rocky and Bullwinkle Show, 2 characters, Mr. Peabody and Sherman, would travel back in time via the wayback, to learn about history.
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And LAFlash?

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It was a celebration of Los Angeles style in 1973, told by photographers.
Stop laughing. It may be coming back.
No, seriously, you have to click on the link to check these clothes (and struts) out.
At least we know the event is coming back. The 2008 version.
This Saturday to Los Angeles County Museum.

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DJs ( DJ CArlos Nino palying a blend of 1973 and now made and recorded in LA), projected images (LA Times photography series, LACMA Teens Street project) book signings (Lauren Greenfield,Henry Wessel, Larry Sultan, and more) gallery tours, Film (Thom Anderson-LA Plays Itself), and all covered by Wireimage photographers so it will be posted.
Oh, we’ll be there too. To give a slightly photoinduced.com spin to the review.

It seems like with Fashion Week dominating NYC, this is a very appropriate event. Take a look at what people are really wearing on the left coast.
And everyone can also share globally by clicking on the sites and seeing what people are wearing, and what the designers think you should be wearing.
The LA event should be more like a happening, though. A photographic, cultural happening.
And you know how much we like those.
If you’re in town, check it out. If not check out the site, and the uploaded photos when they become available.
I wonder if Levis, Chuck Taylors, and a T-shirt will make the grade.

Here is a little cartoon fun for your Friday. Mr. Peabody and Sherman Explain It All RE: WayBack Machine.

As we continue in our theme of sharing,saving and accessing your photographs, we bring you an article, by reader Debbie Zeitman, which hits right on target with us.

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Liberate Your Photos
by Debbie Zeitman

Digital photography makes it easy to leave your photos locked up in your computer, meticulously backed up and protected, but largely invisible. Yes, they’re simple to share by email and to post to Flickr or a personal website, but what about the times you want to sit back and reflect?

For me there is nothing like turning the pages of a photo album, images placed in order, captioned, edited, and thoughtfully displayed. When my photos reside inside iPhoto or Aperture, I call them up effortlessly, but the choices are endless, and since I seldom toss out the less desirable shots, there’s a lot to pore through. Even when placed in organized folders, it’s just not the same as stepping away from the computer for viewing.

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I’ve become a big fan of liberating my photos and designing photo books to be printed and kept on my living room shelf. Memories become more precisely organized and the feel of a book in my hand can’t be beat. Sitting beside someone on a couch and looking through a book together simply feels better than sitting in front of a computer screen as images flash by. At least to me. In moments of computer sharing I start to feel as if I’m treating a visitor – even an eager viewer – to one of those slide shows of ‘Look at my vacation’ mocked in countless movies to reveal the obliviousness of the host.

But when someone holds a book of photos in their hand, the reaction turns to that of engagement. They move through the images at their own pace. They pause and ask questions and relive your moments beside you. And I find I look over these books far more frequently and with greater enjoyment than I do when parked in front of a computer.

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I’ve started giving photo books as gifts, at times using photos I’ve snapped at a meaningful event such as a wedding or birthday or even a fun, casual gathering. Other times I ‘borrow’ the photo library of a family member or friend and layout and purchase the book for them. It’s a gift that is never outgrown and never becomes a trinket to discard (well, maybe in the event of an ugly divorce, but I’ll let that one goâ€:)

So far I’ve used iPhoto to create my books, though now that I’m an Aperture user, I’m eager to test out its offerings due to the flexibility of creating your own layout and having Aperture’s vast adjustment tools nearby. The ability to caption and note key facts to go along with a photo can turn your book into a mini journal as well. And this is a great way to connect your kids to their memories. Hand them a camera on a trip, encourage them snap away, and when back home let them create their own book of their experience. There are plenty of online sites that offer similar services as well, such as Blurb, Shutterfly, Picaboo and countless others.

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When I speak of this to many point-and-shoot users who don’t see themselves as photographers, a look of fear crosses their face and words emerge that mimic, “I don’t know how to do that.” In response I say, “Trial and error. It’s actually quite easy.”

And it is and the results don’t disappoint. Give it a try and get your photos out of your computer and into your living room.

To contact Ms. Zeitman, email her at :wavewatcher@verizon.net

Yep, we’re talking about your life and every thing in it. Especially the photographs. These are the visual records of your history, and the cultural times you’ve lived in.
Whether there are cues from the clothing, the vehicles, the furniture, the hairstyles.
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You may not have realized it, but all of these captured moments and records have been placed into a category of photography and are sought after by collectors. Uh-huh. they are paying money for these found images.
It’s called Vernacular Photography.
Now the folks at Merriam-Webster (no relation) define it dryly like this:
ver·nac·u·lar
Pronunciation:
\və(r)-ˈna-kyə-lər\
Function:
adjective
Etymology:
Latin vernaculus native, from verna slave born in the master’s house, native
Date:
1601
1 a: using a language or dialect native to a region or country rather than a literary, cultured, or foreign language b: of, relating to, or being a nonstandard language or dialect of a place, region, or country c: of, relating to, or being the normal spoken form of a language
2: applied to a plant or animal in the common native speech as distinguished from the Latin nomenclature of scientific classification 3: of, relating to, or characteristic of a period, place, or group; especially : of, relating to, or being the common building style of a period or place
— ver·nac·u·lar·ly adverb

But Wikipedia speaks more to our group with this explanation:

“Vernacular photography refers to the creation of photographs by amateur or unknown photographers who take everyday life and common things as subjects. Though the more commonly known definition of the word vernacular is a quality of being “indigenous” or “native,” the use of the word in relation to art and architecture refers more to the meaning of the following subdefinition (of vernacular architecture) from The Oxford English Dictionary: “concerned with ordinary domestic and functional buildings rather than the essentially monumental.” Examples of vernacular photographs include travel and vacation photos, family snapshots, photos of friends, class portraits, identification photographs, and photobooth images. Vernacular photographs are types of accidental art, in that they often are unintentionally artistic.”

As the summer draws to a close, and you take those photos of family and friends during a last hurrah of the warm breezes, cold drinks, and hot dogs, you may not have realized it, but you are making art.
Is it a signpost for future generations ? A cultural stamp on the calendar? Or just your memories ?

Take a look at some of these sites and see if any of it looks familiar to your life
Found Photo
Accidental Mysteries
Vernacular Photography
African American Vernacular Photography – ICP
Luminous Lint-Vernacular Photography: Photobooths .

The point is that this “accidental” art honestly tells us stories that have roots in out deepest memories. The group gathering for the snap before leaving, some child blowing out the candles, the candid innocence of conversations. The moments in all of our lives that we felt the importance of so strongly, that the camera had to come out. Whether posed or caught unawares, these are certain truths in life, visual told and treasured in albums and shoeboxes for years.
There are few people in this world who have never picked up a camera before in their lives.
It is the images that most of them have made, we now call Vernacular photography.

yeah, you’re making art. All the time, we suspect.
We knew you were holding.

Yep, he’s has a few things going for him.
Brad Pitt just added another assignment into his ultra cool life: cover photographer for W. Coming in November.
Luckily, he knew the talent so it must have been a lot more comfortable for him. Plus at least one of them was very at ease in front of camera.
OK, it was Angelina. And their kids.
At their Château Miraval pad in the south of France.

Did he use the Littman 45 single camera? A birthday gift from his wife? We hear she also ordered her own.
The company, Littman, has taken the convenience of the Polaroid 110 with parallax focusing, and combined it with the luxurious richness of a 4×5 negative.
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From their site:
William Littman
Creator of the Littman 45 Single

“The ability to be mobile and utilize the whole frame is not a marginal convenience because otherwise people would stay with a smaller format and save the difference or stay on a tripod and use ground glass on a much less expensive camera than any conversion.

The ability to get the sharpest possible image while mobile and shooting wide open is also not a marginal convenience and its absence severely limits the ability to hand hold unless in optimum lighting conditions or inability to use fast shutter speeds required while mobile.

The combination of the two plus its portability is what makes our product a 4×5 snapshot camera.

A 4×5 camera already offers a more corrected image than a smaller format even without the use of any movements…..”

“Many have said why use a 4×5 camera as a snapshot camera and I believe that would appeal to those who wish to be able to take a picture in” a snap” while seeking a more true to life feel in the image rather than something which looks less true to life.”

[photopress:twonew.jpg,full,centered] You didn’t really need another photo of Brad Pitt, right?

With multiple options of cameras, custom built for your purposes, get ready to pay for the hand made quality of this fine, exclusive club of Littman 45 owners.
from about $5000-$5700 USD should do it. Plus tax, if you are in NYC.

The digital cameras are all in our hands, but Littman 45 is bringing sexy back, in a very 4×5 way.

And if you really need that gratuitous Brad Pitt shot:
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And rocking a Leica. Nice.