For the Professional Photo Productionist
Summer 2011
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Table of Contents See what’s up.
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Masthead Our version of a police line-up.
Tricks of the Trade: Tim Laman, National Geographic Photographer. No s’mores for this happy camper.
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Letter From the Editors What history taught us.
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Industry Tales: The Tall Tales of a Russian Illusionist. From Russia, with love (and mischief).
PHOTO
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History: Andy Warhol & Jean-Michel Basquiat. Two heavy-weight champions of the art world meet.
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Gallery Show: “Mark Morrisroe 1959–1989” at ClampArt. Life is a hustle.
Interview: Phil Toledano—A Photographer Explores Life’s Delusions. “Mr. Toledano will see you now.”
CREW
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Locations: Tokyo in NY. Skip the twenty-hour flight.
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Etiquette: Money Matters. It’s all about the Benjamins!
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Shoot Talk: Shooting the sh*t about photography.
Breaking In: Documentary Photographer Matt Eich. You can do what you love and still pay the bills!
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Resource Guide To: Designer Cameras. Le chic, c’est chic.
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Photo Deco-Page: Rally Bikers. Don’t mess with them or they will kick your ass.
Education: SVA’s 5th Year Award: Anders Wallace. And the winner is....
Mini Feature: Kickstarter, A Revolution in Art Funding. Crowd funding is as cool as crowd surfing (and a lot more lucrative).
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Event: NY FotoWorks. They came, they saw, they loved.
STUDIO/EQUIPMENT
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Technique: Frank Oudeman on Shooting Interiors. What story does a space tell?
Interview: The 4x8 Workshop. Set builders fake it all the time.
Interview: Raygun Studios. Stay away from Pixar.
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Re:Sourced. Welcome to Resource World.
Summer 2011
CONTENTS
Development: Attic Studio. Long Island City is the new Brooklyn.
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Mini Feature: Are You Tony Gale Famous? A photo event doesn’t exist until Tony Gale shoots it.
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Dawn of the Industry: Skip Cohen. From college drop out to President of Hasselblad, Skip Cohen proves the photo industry doesn’t run on diplomas.
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Mini Feature: Phase One One as in “#1.”
AGENCY
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Interview: The Warehouse Agency. It’s warehouse, people, not whorehouse!
Mini Feature: We Transfer. File sharing can be beautiful.
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FEATURE ARTICLES
Gear Guide 2011. Products we love.
REVIEW
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Where to Take your Clients Out: Chinatown Tour. The Vuittons are fake but the dim sum real.
Go-See: Flash Drives. USB Keys have personality.
Elliott Erwitt, American Dreamer. A sense of humor never hurts anyone.
110 112 118 128 Book Review: Daguerrotypes. Great things come in small packages (sometimes).
Directory: People we’ve used and re-used and used again.
Films For Photographers: Sidney Lumet. His movies from the 70s, about corruption and greed, are still relevant today (scarily so).
End Page.
Cover and End Images by xxxxxxxxxxx Cover and End Images by PAMU: www.muzphotography.com / www.paolaambrosidemagistris.com
“ YOU’RE IN A HOTEL LOBBY IN BANGKOK
at 2:00 in the afternoon. The talent arrives from the U.S. and you realize you need someone different. But you’re scheduled to start shooting in the morning. You quickly log on to RedPenny, easily pick another model using the QuickTime video, and your new talent arrives from Hong Kong by 8:00 a.m. the next day. Who else can deliver that? International scale and super high quality — right to you, whether you’re in New York City or Bora Bora.” Michael Ancevic Senior VP, Group Creative Director, Mullen Advertising
Simpler, Smarter Casting red-penny.com 917-289-0966 contact Suzanne Stack: suzanne@red-penny.com
Resource Magazine is a quarterly publication from REMAG Inc. 139 Norfolk Street #A - NY, NY 10002 info@resourcemagonline.com
Summer 2011 EDITORS IN CHIEF Alexandra Niki, Aurelie Jezequel CREATIVE DIRECTORS Alexandra Niki, Aurelie Jezequel
Subscriptions: $32 in the U.S., US$50 in Canada, and US$60 globally. For subscription inquiries, please email info@resourcemagonline.com
ART DIRECTOR Chris Brody
Special thanks to: John Champlin/ LUX-SF, Mark Chin, Landon Garza, Patrick Liotta.
COPY EDITORS Isaac Lopez, Anthony Rivas, Mike Wilcox
We welcome letters and comments. Please send any correspondence to info@resourcemagonline.com
DESIGN Harold Hull-Ambers, Saki Hashimoto, Katie Iberle, Sharon Gamss, Rebecca Lewis, Jack Liakas, Katherine Lo, Claudia Madera, Johanna Méndez, Angel Ortiz, Emil Rivera CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Cybelle Codish, Jonas Cuénin, Tony Gale, Elise Gannett, Michael Halsband, Ben Kaufman, Tim Laman, Michel Leroy, Patrick Liotta, Gail Mooney, Frank Oudeman, PAMU, Daryl Peveto, Adam Sherwin, Phil Toledano, Ellen Warfield, Nadirah Zakariya CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Rory Aledort, Alex Baker, Aimee Baldridge, Sophia Betz, Marc Cadiente, Skip Cohen, Lindsay Comstock, Jonas Cuénin, Charlie Fish, Benjamin Gustafsson, Alec Kerr, Stella Kramer, Michel Leroy, Isaac Lopez, Alec Kerr, Justin Muschong, Alex Niki, Stephanie Nikolopoulos, Bao Ong, Josh Steen, Feifei Sun, Kenny Ulloa, Mike Wilcox
The entire content of this magazine are ©2011, REMAG Inc. and may not be reproduced, downloaded, republished, or transferred in any formor by any means, without written permission from the publisher. All rights reserved. For more info, please visit our website, www.resourcemagonline.com FIND US ON NEWSSTANDS ACROSS THE COUNTRY! EASIER YET, GET YOUR ONLINE SUBSCRIPTION AT www.resourcemagonline.com AND NEVER MISS AN ISSUE!
CONTRIBUTING ILLUSTRATORS Katherine Lo, Claudia Madera, Emil Rivera INTERNS Yohan Bignon, Gregory Bochl, Marion Damiens, Jasper Deregt, Alla Kirichenko, Dorianne Kotcherga, Jack Liakas, Isaac Lopez, Guillaume Mace, Chistian Mageot, Caleb Olson PUBLISHER REMAG Inc. DISTRIBUTION info@resourcemagonline.com ADVERTISING Alexandra Niki alex@resourcemagonline.com Adam Sherwin adam@resourcemagonline.com
A freelance photographer specializing in fashion/beauty and food, Ben Kaufman expanded his work into video, shooting a food pilot and music recently. Ben’s work can be viewed at www.dripbook.com/ halcyondream with his official website being launched soon. Ben admires the work of Brian Duffy and Peter Lindbergh.
Summer is the favorite season of this 24-year old illustrator. Claudia Madera got her Fine Arts/Illustration ASA in the DR then moved to NY to complete her BFA in Illustration at Parsons. Inspired by the human body, nature and love, her favorite mediums include wood, oil, charcoal and sanguine. www.claudiamadera.com.
Angel Ortiz is a graphic designer. Angel thinks he is to busy to think... but he has to keep trying... Creative thinking gives him purpose. See his work at http://angeore.daportfolio.com
Isaac Lopez (writer)- I like candlelit dinners, long walks on the beach, sunsets, and the smooth sounds of Lionel Richie‌ wait, this isn’t for my Match.com bio? Argh. Well what can I say, really? I love music. And dogs. And writing. And music playing dogs that write... what? They exist!
Stella Kramer is a creative strategist working with photographers to strengthen their creative eye, put together the strongest portfolios and websites that reect their work, and set a course to reach
their professional goals. Available for one-on-one consultations nationally and internationally. She blogs at blog.stellakramer.com
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I always hated history class; the past never felt relevant to me, I could not see how it applied to my life. This changed once I started studying art history; I was then able to understand how religion, politics, society, major events... influence art. Everything is connected. You can see that Greek sculptures reflect the humanitarianism of that society; Renaissance paintings follow science’s development and the increasing understanding of the human body; Matisse’s work highlights a burgeoning individualism by using interpretation to express the simplicities of daily life; and Warhol mirrors consumerism by co-opting the commercial images of his time. Today, we may look to Terry Richardson to reflect the most current flood of trashy, hipster lifestyle—careless and ugly, as it may be. Adulterated by the American Apparel generation, we will soon be ready to move on. But, what’s next? We live in a time of technology, overwhelmed with information, opportunities, websites, social networks, events… you name it. How does this all translate into the next art history textbook? Our minds have adapted to speaking “Internet.” Our creativity is communicated online, our social behaviors are recorded on our Facebook page, we watch YouTube and Vimeo rather than our TVs, and we can’t wait to be on the next big thing. Times are changing, and as individuals we always are ten steps behind. But don’t underestimate what is in your power. As my vague memory goes on this story, a friend was talking about their history teacher who inspired them with a story of a Russian tsar who created a love making contraption and died while using it, with his death prompting the rise of Communism. Although possibly misinterpreted, the idea is that from the past to a butterfly flapping its wings in Bolivia today, everything is connected. Everything we do and create ripples into the rest of the world. We hope that this issue of Resource Magazine inspires you, as you inspire us. We look forward to the legendary artists who will rise in this upcoming generation.
Alex and Aurélie
Photos by Tony Gale: www.tonygale.com
Enjoy the summer!
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By Isaac Lopez
CONTEST: WHERE'S LOGO? Resource is everywhere. Really. We’re like that random acquaintance who you always seem to bump into in the strangest of places, except that you actually like us and your encounters with us don’t consist of very awkward small talk. In June, we held a “Where’s Logo?” contest via Facebook where our fans determined the location of reader-submitted photos that had the Resource logo in it. The person who correctly identified the most locations received a dinner and a signed print by celebrity photographer Joseph Cultice.
And the winner is....(drumroll please)... WHE
RE’S LOG
Michelle Kawka.
O?
Congratulations Michelle!
RETV: print not dead- original programming premiere episode Ever wonder what people did before digital? Before people said, “print is dead!” We can not only tell you, we can show you, with our first original program, “Print Is Not Dead.” Ryan and Peter from Gotham Imaging, one of New York City’s finest printing agencies, have teamed up with RETV to bring you the past, present and history of days gone by when it comes to your favorite historical printing and shooting processes. Tune in to RETV for a first hand experience and learn all the in and outs of a place we used to call “the darkroom” while at the same time having a laugh with two of the photo industry’s most endearing professionals. Watch Print is Not Dead at: www.resourcetelevision.com
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LA: what's going on with resource in la?
Photos by Patrick Liotta
ADC contemporary Art Gallery opening
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Santino Liotta
Patrick Liotta - www.patrickliotta.com
The Los Angeles crowd loves Resource, whether you’re at a photo opening or if you’re just learning how to read (Dr. Seuss is overdone, anyway).
QUARTERLY POLL: POLL WHy are you a photographer? We asked and you responded. Resource will conduct a quarterly poll on our facebook page. Want to tell us what you think? Then join our page and answer our poll.
# OF RESPONSES
This quarter we asked, “Why are you a photographer?” And this is what our readers answered:
IT'S YOUR PASSION.
70 PEOPLE
BECAUSE I LOVE THE MOMENT...IT’S PRICELESS!
35 PEOPLE
I THRIVE ON SOLVING A CREATIVE IDEA WITH A VISUAL SOLUTION.
27 PEOPLE
TO EXPRESS MY EMOTIONS.
16 PEOPLE
BECAUSE I LOVE TELLING A STORY.
13 PEOPLE
IT QUIETS MY BRAIN AND IS THE ONLY THING I KNOW WILL MAKE ME SMILE AND AT PEACE.
11 PEOPLE
JUST MY FAVORITE WAY TO INTERPRET THE WORLD.
11 PEOPLE
JUST LOVE IT!
7 PEOPLE
TO SHARE HOW THE WORLD LOOKS THROUGH MY EYES.
5 PEOPLE
BECAUSE I LIKE TO CAPTURE SOMETHING MOST PEOPLE DON’T TAKE THE TIME TO NOTICE.
4 PEOPLE
BECAUSE I AM A NINJA!
4 PEOPLE
BECAUSE I CAN USE A CAMERA.
4 PEOPLE
BECAUSE I HAVE TO BE.
3 PEOPLE
ART, ART, ART, ART, ART, ART, ART.
3 PEOPLE
LIKE A TREE IS A TREE, I AM A PHOTOGRAPHER.
3 PEOPLE
IT’S MY FATE!
3 PEOPLE
IT’S YOUR JOB AND IT PAYS YOUR BILLS.
3 PEOPLE
BECUASE I DON’T LIKE MAKING MONEY.
2 PEOPLE
I AM NOT A PHOTOGRAPHER.
2 PEOPLE
BECAUSE I’M NOT A GROCER.
2 PEOPLE
PLEASE JOIN RESOURCE MAGAZINE’S FACEBOOK PAGE IF YOUR WOULD LIKE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE NEXT ONLINE POLL. WWW,FACEBOOK.COM/RESOURCEMAGAZINE
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ETIQUETTE:
By Kenny Ulloa I Illustration by Katherine Lo
W
hat is it that drives people in creative fields? More specifically, in this industry.
Is it an authentic desire to tell the world a “story” through the eyes of a garment-obsessed viewer? Or is it the innate yearning of acquiring more material goods? The seemingly abundance of money can be looked at as a by-product, a distraction, to the slew of people who enter this industry under the illusion of making “art”. It would be overly simplistic to call ourselves art makers, pretending we have mutual incentives with contemporary artists. That’s why theres a certain energy and “honesty” when working on advertising shoots. They represent the cyclical nature of creation and consumption being captured in a single frame. That stylist with Chanel boots has become a layered post-modern parody of the average consumer. An editorial serving as an ad for an ad, which provides us with enough capital to attain what is being advertised to us in the first place. We’re all in it for mutliple reason, and the duality and possible conflicts this produces are what makes the subject of this article so complex and just straight up awkward. Money.
Send clear and concise ‘HOLD’ emails. “U free the 6th/5th for shoot?” is vague and frustrating. A proper hold email should at the minimum provide: - How many possible shoot days are happening (is it a two day hold for a one day shoot, or a two day hold for a two day shoot?). - Information whether it’s an editorial, advertising or simply a test shoot. - The realistic possibilty of overtime (same goes for your response—be vocal about your OT policy, no one likes unexpected charges). - Traveling information / location (doesn’t matter if the shoot is not out of state, a job at a local studio versus a job in the Bronx can mean a world of difference to a worker with a family). And follow up with information as soon as you receive it and be honest about what you do or don’t know yet. Invoice the right way. Make a proper invoice (learn excel, use a template if you must) and send it in a timely manner after the job is complete. Include the date, your client’s info, a description of service rendered and your Social Security number. From an anonymous producer, “Yes, people sometimes just send an email saying: ‘please pay me $200.’“
Be disorganized. It’s not ok to try and get away with extraneous charges. Like tacking on your grocery receipt and calling them “working meals”, or faking extra taxi receipts because you spent your petty cash on alcohol. In regards to equipment and supplies, don’t go over budget, unless you’ve cleared it first. Even if you’re on the run, you should have a good sense of what you’ve spent and how much you have left. As soon as you start hitting a red zone, you should bring this up with your client so they can clear it with their clients. Everyone needs their share of the budget, so be mindful. Be anal about keeping receipts. Unless you want to cover for these job-related expenses, be on top of those receipts. You may want to go as far as keeping an envelope or something. Think of it this way: if you lose them, you’re screwed. Be the Walmart of your position. Everyone working in this industry has to struggle to keep budgets at a moderate level. Factor in competition, and then working against an average national inflation rate of 3%. A hypothetical $100 in 2001 would cost $124 in 2011. if Joe Cheap Ass takes a job for even 25% less than your day-rate he is already undoing tenyears worth of normal economic activity. This type of undercutting shrinks the availability of capital and makes it harder to sustain a proper freelancing gig in the already too expensive city you live in.
Re-send that invoice after thirty days. It’s not pushy or weird, it’s just a friendly reminder that someone you performed a service for owes you money. You have the right as a freelancer to inquire about your payment.
As for Photographers/ Stylists/ Producers, try to fairly compensate your assistants. We know these youngin’s can be desperate, but when your budget allows for $300 for an assistant, don’t call your nephew to help and pay him a measly $100. Be fair and just, it’s the American way.
30 days—Friendly email, with another copy of the invoice 60 days—Repeat email 90 days—Phone call to accounting department 120 days—Release the hounds, or yorkshier terriers because I doubt anyone in this industry owns hounds.
Openly discuss your day rate. While it is usual for everyone to tacitly know what everyone is making, it is not proper etiquette to discuss this at any point while on set. The prices set for each individual vary greatly on their experience and just straight up moxy.
Ask, ask, ask. A lot goes unsaid in this industry—pretty much all of it is expected to be a priori knowledge.
Be whiny. A common phrase heard on set is “[random onset worker] doesn’t do shit” and “We [random onset workers] work the hardest”. The worst thing about this is that everyone in the studio has the exact same thought running through their minds. From the “All the pressure’s on me!” art director to the guy making fruit smoothies at the bar area. Don’t act like your anxiety is special.
Ask the producer when you’re not sure. If you foresee going overbudget, ask. If you don’t know if you can charge your lunch or taxis receipts to the job, ask. Just like in school, ask questions when you don’t know.
RESOURCE GUIDE TO:
DESIGNER CAMERAS By Rory Aledort
Canon Powershot G12 Diane von Furstenberg. The fashion designer adds an Andy Warhol-designed lip print made with Swarovski crystals. Only 50 cameras are available, exclusivley sold on luxury online boutique AhaLife for $625 - www.ahalife.com
Leica M9 Titanium, a collaboration between Leica and automobile designer Walter de’Silva. Exteriors elements made out of solid titanium. Only 500 cameras available. Approx. $29,000 - www.us.leica-camera.com
Lomo Lubitel 166+. The camera is a recreation of a Soviet-era classic. Shoots both medium format and 35mm film. $350 www.lomography.com
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ot only are cameras mandatory instruments for photographers, but they have become so for the world at large. People find pleasure in capturing special moments and sharing memories. Since not everyone can draw or paint, photography is a much easier (and quicker) way to do it. But cameras are not just utilitarian tools. They can be a way to show how deep your pockets are. Depression/recession be damned: a few camera manufacturers have recently added some ‘bling’ to their gear. These special limited editions prove that purses and sunglasses are not the only status symbols you can carry around. Luxury has found its way into the hands of photographers.
Leica M7 Limited Edition Hermès. The luxury good manufacturer added a leather cover to the camera. Comes in brown or the famous Hermès orange. Only 100 cameras are available in each color. Approx. $15,000 - www.en.leica-camera.com
Pentax K5 Silver. Limited edition. Silver finish, slick looking. Approx. $1,700 - www.pentax.com
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Lomo Diana Deluxe Kit. It has “deluxe” in its name so we had to include it. Lomography’s classic camera with all its accessories. $240 - www. lomography.com
Leica O-Series. Only 25 cameras were produced… back in 1923. One of them recently sold at auction for $1.9 million.
Hasselblad H4D Ferrari Edition. Only 499 cameras were made. Camera body bears the famous Ferrari red color and logo. Approx. $31,000 www.hasselblad.com
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TRICKS OF THE TRADE:
TIM LAMAN, NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC PHOTOGRAPHER By Fefei Sun I Portrait courtesy of Tim Laman
B
iologist-photographer is one of the more unusual hyphenated titles. But Tim Laman has been pursuing those two subjects since his college days. A rainforest field biologist by day, Laman has used his science expertise to develop a career in photographing endangered and lesser-known species for publications such as National Geographic. From the physical and mental preparation needed for trips to remote areas, to the equipment he uses to get the closest shots possible, Laman talks to us about the tricks of the wildlife photography trade.
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Let your passions drive your photography. I really pursued my interest in photography and in field biology in parallel. When I was in college and spent summers working as a field research assistant, I did photography on the side. It has really been a great combination because my field research opportunities took me to spectacular wild places where I had a lot of time to get to know my subjects. My interest in photography grew over the years and got more and more serious, with a desire to publish and share my work. By the time I was in grad school doing research in tropical rainforest, I had joined a stock agency and was selling pictures regularly. Get more assignments by developing and parsing out one dynamo idea. My NG assignments have mostly come from stories I pitched myself, although I have also done some assigned jobs, so it works both ways. Most of my stories grow out of my personal experience in a region or a focus on a species I want to photograph more of—wherever I think there is an important story to tell. My first story for NG grew out of my own PhD research studying wildlife in the rainforest canopy in Borneo. Subsequent to that, I did a whole series of stories about that place, so one story often leads to a related one. The editors also need to choose [the right] photographer for stories they are working on. For example, I was tapped to shoot a story on mangroves because I had proven myself both in forests and underwater—but also because they apparently thought I would be unfazed by spending months in mosquito-infested swamps.
Tim Laman: www.timlaman.com
When shooting endangered species, keep your profile low and your lens wide. I use a very wide range of gear, from super macro and wide lenses to a 600 mm f4 with 2x converter. I do a lot of work from blinds when I need to keep myself hidden. Mastering the art of camouflage is part of the secret to getting close. Another approach is the use of remote controlled cameras that are obviously much easier to hide than me in a blind. Placing these close to the action and triggering either by the animal itself breaking infrared beams, or by me watching from a distance with a remote control—these types of techniques are all part of my arsenal.
And stay fit. It helps. I don’t have a specific regimen. I stay fit when at home by running, biking, and cross-country skiing. But my preparation is really my lifetime of expeditions and life in the outdoors. Some people go on an occasional weekend camping trip. I may live in a tent for a month deep in the jungles of New Guinea and do that several times in a year. You have to love it. A few years ago, I was explaining to my then five-year-old son that I was going to go camping in New Guinea for a month. Photo smarts are great. Common sense is better. Just use common sense, really. The key thing is to understand your subjects so you don’t put yourself in harm’s way. Differentiate your work by telling a story. What I am trying to do with my photography is tell stories about wildlife that put them in the context of their environment. And my goal is to try to do it in an aesthetically pleasing or artistic way, as much as possible. My favorite shots are those that show rare and elusive species in the landscape, and have light and weather that add atmosphere to the shot. I also like to capture a rare moment of behavior—something that surprises and has not been seen before. That is always the goal. Use your experience in other areas to improve your photography. They may seem like unrelated fields, but for me [photography and biography] are complementary in many ways. For one, being a field scientist, you are training your powers of observation. You have a curiosity about nature. Your eyes are always open and you are trying to take everything in. This approach helps tremendously with photography and is really the same thing good photographers are doing all the time. My long experience studying wildlife in the field is really helpful to wildlife photography. And beyond that, my experience in science means I really respect field scientists and their work, and I have the ability to relate to what they do and speak their language. This really helps on the many projects where I work with scientists and feature their work in my stories.
The photographer talks about his new book project about New Guinea’s Birds of Paradise. The idea grew out of a National Geographic article I did on Birds of Paradise in 2007, which covered about a third of the species. I subsequently have managed to find ways to go back to New Guinea to complete a comprehensive coverage on the family. The book is about the extraordinary family of nearly forty species found only in the New Guinea region. These birds have the greatest variety of extraordinary plumes and display of behaviors of any birds in the world. Yet the difficulty of finding them in the dense rainforest has meant that they have been documented in only a limited way to date. It is a really exciting project that breaks new ground and is important to showcase the wonders of New Guinea rainforest to promote conservation as well.
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INDUSTRY TALES:
THE TALL TALES OF A RUSSIAN ILLUSIONIST By Stephanie Nikolopoulos I Illustration by Claudia Madera
“It’s a family reunion,” the art director said when she called the photographer to discuss the shoot. “Here’s the situation,” she continued, “they haven’t spoken to each other in five years.” There had been some sort of falling out. She didn’t specify, and the photographer didn’t ask for details. She added, “You’ll have to be discreet.” To make matters more complicated, she said the musicians had refused to be on set together for more than five minutes. The photographer would have to work fast. “Don’t worry about it,” he responded. The evening before the shoot, he sat down at his table and sketched a few compositions on a sheet of a paper. He envisioned various positions in which the feuding brothers could stand together. He arrived at the photo shoot prepared. All he needed was one memorable photograph for the cover of the jazz trio’s album. He quickly got to work. Every suggestion he made was met with resistance. They wouldn’t try the poses he had sketched. Any semblance of positions they made, no matter how awkward or tense, he shot. He took a few rolls of film, but he knew he wasn’t getting shots he could use—their expressions were terrible. They might have been willing to cooperate by showing up, but their body language and facial expressions showed they were still harboring grudges against each other. Time was limited but the photographer stopped the shoot. “Do you want some beer?” he offered. “Scotch? Cognac?” They accepted. “You know,” he said, reaching for a connection, for something he could say to put them at ease and gain their trust, “I photographed Duke Ellington.” “You’re lying,” they said. The photographer always carried his portfolio with him to shoots, and now he pulled out a few prints he had taken of Duke Ellington. They were huge fans of the famous jazz legend and perked up as they looked at the portrait. The brothers weren’t amateur hobbyists. They were true lovers of big band, hard bop, and jazz. In the 1940s and ‘50s, each of them had struck out on his own career path, playing with such greats as John Coltrane, Miles Davis, and Dizzy Gillespie. It was only in the mid1970s that they united to start their own band. In less than five years of working together, their relationship had become strained. Now, as they excitedly talked about Ellington, their attitude turned 180 degrees. They said to the photographer, “We’re going to do anything you ask us to do.” Suddenly, they had all the time in the world and didn’t care how long it took to get the right photograph. They were laughing and making inside jokes. The oldest picked up his bass, the middle his saxophone, and the youngest his drumsticks, starting an impromptu jam session.
Under his arm he carried a manila envelope of photographs he’d taken. “I hope you can help me. I am looking for some dangerous criminals. I have photographs. I hope you can help me identify them.” With their attitude changed, the photographer got the picture for their album. In the image, the brothers lean into each other, their arms wrapped around one another’s shoulders. After the photo shoot, they were so happy with how it had gone that they invited the photographer to listen to some live jazz with them at a nightclub in Greenwich Village. Two decades later, the brothers were still playing together. The photographer heard they had an upcoming show at Blue Note, a famous jazz club in New York City, and went to see them. Despite their age, their music was still full of energy. It was a fantastic set. After the show, the musicians gave autographs, and the photographer stood in line to say hello. They hadn’t seen each other since the photo shoot. When it was finally the photographer’s turn in line, the musicians didn’t recognize him. “I am from the FBI,” the photographer deadpanned. He invoked the stern tone from his days in the Soviet air force. “Can we talk privately?” “Sure, sure, sure,” the musicians said gravely, and led him backstage to their dressing room. Under his arm he carried a manila envelope of photographs he’d taken. “I hope you can help me. I am looking for some dangerous criminals. I have photographs. I hope you can help me identify them.” The musicians agreed to help in any way they could. The photographer pulled three candid, black-and-white photographs of the brothers, drinking and playing their instruments. Their eyes grew wide. “Where did you get these?” “I was the photographer for your album twenty years ago,” he said.
Stephanie Nikolopoulos: www.stephanienikolopoulos.com
E
ven though he was not in the business of taking family portraits at the local department store, there was a day in the fêted Russian photographer’s career when he had to photograph three squabbling brothers. These weren’t matching-sweater-wearing, runny-nosed children getting their annual portrait in front of a generic fall foliage backdrop, though. They were three adult brothers who comprised a famous jazz band. The photographer was not taking a mere fireplace mantel portrait; he had shot many well-known musicians and was hired to shoot the cover for their new record.
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The brothers had only seen the final portrait the art director had chosen. Their jam session started coming back to them. Grins crept over their faces in recognition of the photographer and the memory of the family reunion that day. They all began talking at once, catching up with the Russian photographer. The photographer explained that at the start of his career, he’d assisted a famous fashion photographer in New York. There was going to be a big party the following night, where the Russian photographer, the fashion photographer, and many other artists would be. “Why don’t you come?” he asked.
Claudia Madera: www.claudiamadera.com
It happened that the art director who had worked on the jazz trio album shoot was at the party as well. She elbowed her way over to ask if the Russian photographer could get her a copy of the fashion photographer’s iconic photograph of a woman in an evening gown, flanked by elephants. Winking at the brothers, he responded.
“You will have to ask him yourself, as it is his photograph. When you do, be very careful. That photograph is the biggest tragedy of his life. The model was his first wife. She was very beautiful and he was madly in love with her. That photograph was taken just moments before the elephants went berserk. They killed her and ate her.” The art director was shocked and agreed she would word her request delicately. The night progressed with wine, spirits and rich foods. The art director steadied her nerves to make her request. “I understand the photograph is a great tragedy, but I really would love a copy of it,” she said concluding her appeal. A strange look came over the fashion photog rapher’s face. “Tragedy? What do you mean?” “The elephants…” the art director stammered, “they ate your wife.” “Who told you this?” She pointed at the Russian photographer. The room, which had grown quiet during their exchange, now erupted in laughter. The photographer glanced over at the three brothers, and they were were bowled over, laughing like they were little kids.
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BREAKING IN:
DOCUMENTARY PHOTOGRAPHER MATT EICH
Tell me about LUECO. The group came together in 2007. We hadn’t gone to school together, but we all knew each other’s work. Some of us came together in Atlanta and we slept on David Banks’ floor for a few days and hashed it out. Some of us had had previous agency experience and didn’t feel that was a sustainable model, so we were looking for something else. We formed as a business in 2009. We fund everything through monthly dues and also give a percentage of all of our assignments and sales to a project support fund, which is how we give out a $1,000 student award each year. That’s also how we fund one another’s projects internally.
Which kinds of clients want to deal with you directly? They’re largely editorial. Some of us have tapped into commercial stuff more than others. We’re trying to diversify between editorial clients, fine art, weddings on a selective basis, and commercial work for local businesses. Recently I was commissioned by a hospital that was building in the community. They wanted documentary photographs from the area to hang as big prints throughout the building. That was one of the most fun things I’ve worked on in a while. Sometimes it’s multimedia work for editorial publications. We’ve got a partner network that includes a composer, editors, designers, and Web folks who can build out a team, depending on what the client is looking for. It’s called the LUCEO Partner Network. Are there kinds of clients you work for that you wouldn’t have thought of initially, and how do you find them? Typically we think we need to sell our images as fine art prints for a gallery. But I know a lawyer from Florida who has been a photography
LUCEO: www.luceoimages.com
Describe the path your professional life has taken, from your student days to the present. My experience has been different than the typical student’s. I found out that I was going to be a dad when I was a junior, in early 2007. I started freelancing in 2006. I was trying to pick that up more and more as school went on, especially once I found out that we were going to start a family. I really had to up the freelance game because I knew that there wasn’t a staff position that could support us right then. In 2009, I found out that I got into the Joop Swart Masterclass. The best way I could describe it is to say that four years of undergrad studying photojournalism was my incubation and that experience was my birth in photography, because I was exposed to so many visual languages and ways that people can speak with photography in that one place. That was like continued education after school for me. Other than that I’ve just been working full time with LUCEO and freelancing as much as possible, but also trying to diversify my business outside of the editorial market.
Why did you decide it was better to found your own collective instead of working with existing organizations? We’re in a day and age where we don’t need people to pick up our film off a plane and have it processed while we’re overseas on assignment, and we don’t really need anyone to answer the telephone for us either. We can be in contact with our clients directly—and we found that most of our clients wanted to be in touch with us directly. There are people we feel we can develop relationships with over time, and we’re not in any real hurry because we’re trying to find people that we work well with to develop lasting business relationships with. Being a group helps on a number of levels. We’re all on the same path. We all have different skill sets that we bring to the table. We’re in different locations across the U.S. and in Southeast Asia. Everybody’s editing one another’s work. We’re supporting one another on all of the questions that freelance photographers have, like how much to charge and who to talk to about this, that, and the other.
Daryl Peveto: www.darylpeveto.com
What is your educational background? I went to Ohio University, where I studied photojournalism in a four-year undergrad program. It was a really strong community of people who were trying to push storytelling and aesthetics forward. I graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Visual Communication.
Matt Eich: www.matteichphoto.com
D
orothea Lange’s Depression-era migrants, Sebastiao Salgado’s tableaux of workers... we’ve all seen these iconic documentary images. Even if you end up shooting product for De Beers, you will probably have received a healthy slice of early inspiration from the documentarians of the imagemaking world. But if examining the lives of others through the camera is your calling, how do you follow it in this era of shrinking budgets without ending up feeling like you would fit right into one of Lange’s shots from the Dust Bowl? We asked Matt Eich, a twenty-five-year-old documentary photographer with an already impressive resume. Since being honored as the 2006 College Photographer of the Year, Eich has won numerous grants and accolades, and has had his work published, exhibited, and collected widely. He’s also a founding member of the LUCEO photographers’ collective.
Aimee Baldridge: www.aimeebaldridge.com
By Aimee Baldridge I Photo by Daryl Peveto / LUCEO
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collector for more than twenty years. He’s purchased two limited edition photo prints from my Baptist Town series because he collects work from the South. It’s significant support. You have to keep your ear to the ground. I have a friend who did a $38,000 job for an apartment building in Portland, Oregon, and he regularly works for a bank. They’ll say, “We’re going to open a branch in this community and we want you to go out and make wonderful documentary-style images about this community and they’ll be projected in a slide show in the lobby.” And he makes really reasonable money from that. You have to think outside of the box. What do you do during a typical day? I don’t know if there is a typical day. Sometimes I’m at home, doing office work, and there’s never any shortage of it. A typical office day would be phoning, invoicing, archiving, pitching stories, writing exhibition and grant proposals, blogging, and trying to feed the social media beast. I’m always really grateful to be home, close to my family. But after two weeks of being home, that means there’s no money coming in, so it’s time to start thinking about going somewhere. Most of the time I only travel for assignments or projects. I don’t go to a place and shoot on spec or hop to news events. When I’m on the road working on projects I cut myself off from e-mail a little bit and really focus on what I’m doing for a short stretch, like forty-eight hours to a week. Sometimes it’s a day shoot around the area within a two- to fourhour drive. Everyone knows it’s complicated to make a career out of being a documentary photographer these days. What is essential to make a sustainable living doing it? Persistence, obviously, and diversification—not relying on one client to keep food on your table, and not relying on one type of photography. There are so many places that need visuals and storytelling and
emotional images, as opposed to something sterile and stock or studioproduced. If you can find clients across different spectrums and build relationships with them, that can enable you to make a sustainable living. And you shouldn’t discount the new trend of crowd funding, the idea of building an engaged audience of people that supports your work. Just trying to learn how to build relationships better is important. There are people you meet sporadically, and they’re trying to keep tabs on a whole lot of people, so how do you handle that? Some people are very good at it—consistently staying in touch with people who know your work and can support it, but doing it in a way that’s not intruding on them. What have you done that ran counter to the conventional wisdom but ended up benefiting you? Photographers working together is not entirely original, but it’s still unconventional for a lot of people because they perceive photographers as lone wolves. When we go to New York for our January meeting—we meet in person on a biannual basis and weekly via Skype—we go six people strong into an editor’s office and we talk about one another’s work. It creates an interesting dynamic; it’s kind of counterintuitive. I don’t really think about breaking rules so much because I feel after I walked out of school the rule book kind of went out the window. There was no silver bullet that was going to let me do the work I wanted to do, so I needed to figure all this shit out—not to be a jack of all trades, but to have enough understanding about the different aspects of photography that I can sustain it over a twenty-, thirty-, or forty-year career. The Internet is the Wild West. Who really knows what’s going on or how it’s going to be monetized or where publishing is heading? We’re figuring it out a little bit at a time and tweaking it as we go. It’s a wild ride that we’re on for the long haul.
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What advice would you give to people coming out of school now and trying to do what you’re doing? Projects. If any of the LUCEO photographers were slacking on that and not producing some really significant body of work, we would lose momentum. The beauty is that with six photographers, somebody is always working on something. Most of us have two, three, or four projects that we’re working on at any time. That really helps validate what you’re doing. It keeps you creatively stimulated and fulfilled. Try to find a balance: Don’t be a starving artist, but don’t forget about what made you interested in photography from the outset. Always continue pursuing that. Make sure the commercial pursuits feed your habit. That’s the way most of us work. And it just doesn’t end. There are no work hours, no weekends. There’s only time that you make for yourself. I have to make time to work on a project or make time to be a dad and to be a husband, and then I still have to make time for the work. Time management is crucial. That’s something I’m learning every day.
The freedom is beautiful and totally crippling at the same time. For people who need structure in their lives it’s probably not the best avenue. But those who thrive on chaos to some degree, they can make it work. What do you hate most about your work? The office stuff really wears me down. I wish I were out taking pictures more often. If I could split my life between making pictures and being with my family, that would be a much happier balance. Like if e-mail answered itself, perhaps. What do you love most about your work? Everything? Sure, it sucks a lot of the time trying to make it and not being sure where the next paycheck is going to come from, but it’s totally worth it to meet interesting people on a regular basis. This is my way of understanding things and trying to find out what has importance to me or to someone else, and I’m being paid to do that. I can’t really imagine trading that for anything.
The “Breaking In” series asks successful young professionals in photo-related fields about what it took to get into their line of work, what it’s like to make a living doing what they do, and how they made the transition from student days to working life. You can find more “Breaking In” articles and a wealth of other resources for photography students, educators, and emerging pros at MAC-On-Campus.com
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HEADLINE: TIM HETHERINGTON Like the rest of the photography world, we here at Resource were shocked and saddened to hear of the death of conflict photojournalist and filmmaker, Tim Hetherington. Hetherington, 40, was covering the conflict in Libya when he, along with Chris Hondros of Getty Images, was killed on April 20 in a rocket-propelled grenade strike in the city of Misurata. Two other photographers – freelancers Guy Martin and Michael Christopher Brown – were also hurt in the strike, but managed to survive their injuries. Along with frequent collaborator / fellow Vanity Fair contributor Sebastian Junger, Hetherington directed and produced the Oscarnominated documentary “Restrepo,” which detailed his time covering the war in Afghanistan (“Restrepo” was actually featured in our film festival last year). He also put together the short film “Diary” (which can be found at vimeo.com/18497543), a powerful experimental film linking our daily life in the western world to the harsh, war-ridden realities that exist elsewhere. Hetherington won the World Press Photo of the Year award in 2007 for his work in Afghanistan, much of which appeared in Vanity Fair. He received many other accolades over the course of his career, including a fellowship from the National Endowment for Science, Technology, and the Arts and a grant from the Hasselblad Foundation. This tragic event is yet another example of the dangers that journalists and photographers unfortunately face while doing war coverage. At the time of this writing, among the over 450 attacks on journalists covering the ongoing political unrest taking place in the Middle East, 12 have been killed, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists. On top of being an award-winning photographer, Hetherington was also a friend of Resource, allowing us to interview him for our Fall 2010 issue. From his South Williamsburg apartment, he spoke of his main motivation behind being a photojournalist in the depths of war, saying that it’s not the craft of photography that really matters. “At the end of the day, I’m interested in talking about the war in Afghanistan,” he said. Hetherington will be sorely missed.
INTERWEB: Twitterific media
upgrade
In June, Twitter launched its own native platform for uploading photos and videos. After leaving the dirty work to services such as Twitpic and Yfrog, Twitter finally got jealous and had enough, saying, “Screw you guys, I can do this too.” (Well… maybe it didn’t happen exactly like that. OR DID IT?) They teamed up with Photobucket to develop their photo- and video-sharing service, which lets users upload straight to twitter.com. Happy uploading, kids!
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THE NEWS: JAPAN EARTHQUAKE Japan is an important geographic center for the photo industry, with its many camera factories and corporate offices. As such, the tragic March 11th earthquake affected (among many other, undoubtedly more important, things) our little photo world. Dozens of employees at facilities run by Canon, Hoya, Nikon, Olympus, Panasonic and Casio were reported injured in the quake, and sadly, one Nikon employee was killed. Immediately after the quake, most camera supply factories were shut down. When they managed to reopen, they still had to deal with a shortage of electricity, keeping them from operating at full capacity. Reuters reported that Ohara and Hoya, the top two optical glass producers, have had to limit their output due to an unstable supply of electricity. The supply of image sensors for cellphone cameras was also disrupted, as a Toshiba plant remained closed at least a month after the quake, and Sony’s deliveries of the sensors were backed up, according to a Los Angeles Times blog. Nikon has warned of camera shortages this summer, while USA Today reported many major retailers being out of stock of some of their top-selling DSLRs—Target specifically stated that many point and shoots were unavailable due to the earthquake.
FUTURE: LATEST APPLE KEYNOTE Apple had its annual Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) keynote address on June 6th—or as many like to call it, “that thing where I find out the iPhone I bought a fucking month ago will be obsolete soon (TTWIFOTIIBAFMAWBOS).” While there were no details on a release date for the much-anticipated iPhone 5, there were several other cool things unveiled by everyone’s favorite (or most hated, depending on which team you’re on) black-shirted CEO. Mac OS X Lion will let you do things such as swipe your MacBook’s trackpad so you can flip between your open programs (like you can do on an iPhone / iPad), and turn on your Mac and see all of your open windows and palettes the way they were when you shut your computer down. In iOS 5, you’ve got new features such as: all of your notifications from Twitter, Facebook, your e-mail, etc. in one list, a messaging service for devices with iOS not unlike BBM for BlackBerry, and most importantly, photo editing capabilities—you’ve got cropping, color enhancing, rotating, and red-eye reduction. And iCloud will seamlessly sync your e-mail, address book, calendars, bookmarks, app purchases, songs, photos, etc., among PCs, the Internet, and, of course your Apple devices.
Seeing sounds:
CAMERA SONGS Artist: EDITORS Album: The Back Room Song: Camera
Artist: Spoon Album: Gimme Fiction Song: I Turn Camera On
Artist: Matt & Kim Album: Sidewalks Songs: Cameras
Artist: Herbie Hancock Album: Blow-Up: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Song: The Naked Camera
Artist: Apartment Album: The Girl is Not Right Song: The Camera Song
OTHER MAGSTUFF: where do our
electronics come from? Ask Tim Freccia
Recently, photojournalist Tim Freccia got together with Vice Magazine to do a piece about the Democratic Republic of Congo. What I bet you didn’t know is that 80% of the world’s natural resources used to make consumer electronics such as cell phones and video game systems come from there. As such, there’s a struggle to control these resources, and many different rebel groups use methods such as murder, rape, and employing child soldiers to do just that. Freccia photographed one of these rebel groups—the Mai Mai—in this eye-opening essay. www.timfreccia.com/core/
Artist: Paul Simon Album: The Essential Paul Simon Song: Kodachrome
Artist: J. Geils Band Album: Freeze Frame Song: Freeze Frame
Artist: The Cure Album: Show Song: Pictures of You
Artist: Duran Duran Album: Song: Girls on Film
Artist: Jack Johnson Album: Brushfire Fairytales Song: F-Stop Blues
Artist: Wilco Album: Yankee Hotel Foxtrot Song: Kamera
GOOGLED: NYC PHOTOGRAPHER When you ask a question, you get an answer. We Googled “NYC Photographer” And the first person who came up in the search was: CHRIS MACKE PHOTOGRAPHY: www.mackephotography.com
EYE SPY A SITE: WEBSITES WE'VE BEEN LOOKING AT WEBSITE: viralvideochart.unrulymedia.com FOR WHAT: As we compulsively create new videos for RETV (www.resourcetelevision.com) we also do our homework to see what videos are hitting it off with the general public. Great way to get inspired, while seeing what trends occur in the online world of video viewing.
WEBSITE: MOG.com FOR WHAT: Although completely irrelevant to the photo industry, this site is revolutionary in the music biz. This is like Pandora on steroids. You can access basically anything ever created while controlling playlists, favorites, and everything else you would ever want to control.
WEBSITE: thefwa.com FOR WHAT: For anyone wondering what the next big thing is on the web. The FWA (Favoite Website Awards) scours the Internet every day and brings you the best of the best in web design and development. Whether you’re looking for inspiration or simply what is possible, this is the place.
WEBSITE: thewildernessdowntown.com FOR WHAT: In a joint effort between Google, director Chris Milk, “The Wilderness Downtown” is a video set to the music of Arcade Fire. The site highlights the next stage in web development and viewer interaction. Developed in HTML 5, the site engulfs us in a complete first person experience as we not only watch but, are made part of this video.
WEBSITE: spezify.com FOR WhAT: This is interesting... although it may lack complete usefulness. By searching anything, this site will scan the whole Internet for images, mentions, quotes, comments, etc.. and create a visual page of your results. Perfect for stalkers!
WEBSITE: deathandtaxesmag.com FOR WhAT: One of the best sites for news, music and politics with a sweetly satirical twist. As funny as the Onion but the stories are actually about reality for a change. One of the new kids on the virtual block but definitely a must visit.
DID YOU KNOW??: drive-in 24 studios is renovating This is sooo fresh of the press that we wanted to blast this news while they’re still in the process of making changes. Right now the scoop is that the cafe is changing, the front desk already changed big time, they have new flags in front of the building and it’s looking sick! We’ll post the finished product on our Facebook and blog. Don’t forget to check back in OR just go visit them yourself. www.driveinstudios.com
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T
wenty-three years after having last painted, the world’s most famous Pop Art star, Andy Warhol, decided to collaborate with graffiti-writerturned-artist and red hot star Jean-Michel Basquiat. Introduced—and likely prompted—by their shared art dealer (the influential Bruno Bischofberger), the duo made for an unlikely, yet dynamic pairing. With a thirty-two-year age gap between them, Warhol had decades of renown, refinement, stardom and excess under his belt; with a fading spotlight hanging over the fifty-four year-old, Bischofberger’s advice to align himself with the edgy, charming rising star was heeded.
HiStOrY:
By all accounts, the friendship was genuine. Basquiat moved into Warhol’s 57 Great Jones Street building. At twenty-two, Basquiat— who only ever reported negative things about his father—looked to Warhol as a mentor, friend and father figure of sorts. Warhol, in turn, would make appearances at Basquiat’s shows. In 1985, the two artists collaborated on a series of paintings, all Untitled, for an exhibition at Tony Shafrazi’s gallery. For his part, Warhol painted enlarged headlines, brands and ads—a direct link to his work in
ANDY WARHOL AND JEAN-MICHEL BASQUIAT By Charlie Fish i Photo by Michael Halsband/Landov
29 the ‘60s. Basquiat then added his graffitistyle commentary and “primitive” black figures (attributed to his Haitian upbringing) atop such headline-driven works about subway fires and FBI pursuits. It was timely, reactive and indicative of each artist’s style. Its promotion centered on a “fight of the century” concept: old star vs. new star, established vs. emerging, Pop vs. Graffiti.
Michael Halsband: www.MichaelHalsband.com
Charlie Fish: http://charliefish.writersresidence.com/
Despite the press largely panning the show, the partnership remains among the more unique and legendary of its kind. Photographer Michael Halsband, who was tasked with shooting the promotional pictures for this purported bout, is reminded of the significance of this brief, fi ve-week engagement every time he’s asked about the photograph, or every time he’s interviewed about Warhol or Basquiat. Resource sat down with Halsband in the same studio this shot was taken, near Manhattan’s Korea Town, to learn more about the session, the knockout punch and working with the two art stars. Getting The Gig. Eric Goode—who ran the club Area with three other partners—and I had been friends, and I had been making the pictures for the club’s theme changes; this particular upcoming theme was going to be Art. They had commissioned a selection of well-known artists to contribute: Michael Heizer, David Hockney, LeRoy Neiman, John Chamberlain, Julian Schnabel, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Sandro Chia, Ronnie Cutrone and Dennis Oppenheim, among others. [Goode] said he was going to throw a dinner for the artists at Mr. Chow’s, and asked if I would do a group portrait of them, as I had done before with the other themes—Fashion and Gnarly. Basquiat was at the bar drawing in Michael Chow’s book. I walked up and tried to talk to him, but he was fully engaged in what he was doing and he kind of ignored me. I walked away and kind of wrote him off. Area ran the image as an ad for that opening in Interview and Details, and other publications. A couple months later, I get a call from Paige Powell (who worked with Andy Warhol) and she said, “We’re putting together a dinner and we’d like to invite you.” [The restaurant] had a private back room with a big, long table. There were at least twelve people. Andy was at the head. I walked in the room and the only seat available was next to Jean-Michel. I still felt like I’d written this guy off, but JeanMichel right away turned to me and said, “I’ve been a fan of your work for fi ve years.” I was like, “Oh, yeah? Cool.” We immediately got into a conversation about all sorts of things and people we had
in common. Then he said he wanted to talk about this project. We went into the bathroom, which was right off the side of the table. He said, “Andy and I have collaborated on these paintings. We’re going to do a poster, like a boxing fight poster; would you do the picture of us for it?” And I said, “Absolutely. I’d love to.” Mapplethorpe vs. Halsband. We walk out of the bathroom and as we sit down, Jean says to Andy, who was in the middle of a conversation, “Michael’s going to take the picture for the fight poster.” Andy says, “We already arranged it with Mapplethorpe, but I love Michael’s work.” Jean insisted, “No, no, no. We’re going to do it with Michael.” There was no discussion; it was decided right there. Was That For Real? I forgot about it. I thought maybe it was talk in the moment. I thought if this happens, it’d be a miracle. Then I got a call a few days later asking about my time and the cost. We were booked to do it; I must have put it on my calendar, but I forgot about it. I didn’t really think about it in any kind of historical terms or anything: them, what I was going to do, how I was going to do it. I didn’t make a big deal out of it. I kept thinking maybe they’ll forget or maybe it was all just talk. The date came and I was [in the studio] packing with an assistant for a shoot and getting ready for another job; the buzzer rang and it was Tony Shafrazi [the show was going to be in his gallery]. We weren’t set up for the shoot! Susan White, who is now the photo director of Vanity Fair, was my studio manager then. She said, “Tony is downstairs.” And I was like, “Oh my god, I forgot all about this shoot. Go down and get him and in the meantime we’ll set something up to make it look like we’re ready to go.” Getting To Work. Tony came and he had the boxing gloves in a bag and some Everlast shirts and trunks. Shortly after he arrived, Jean-Michel came and then Andy arrived a little while after that. We went right into work in the sense that they didn’t want to necessarily get all dressed up. They put on the boxing gloves and went out as themselves, as they were dressed when they came in. Jean took his pants off and had his boxer shorts; Andy had on his black jeans and he put on an Everlast t-shirt, took off his black turtleneck that he ended up putting back on at the end. (Andy didn’t feel comfortable showing any skin at all, he felt his arms looked really skinny.)
I think we took a few Polaroids and shot a bit, and then made adjustments. Andy put the turtleneck back on, Jean put the trunks on and Andy put the trunks over his jeans. It was nice; they were just figuring it out as we were going along. As each would step off the set, I would make individual portraits. Then they would switch and I would do another set of the pair of them. [The shoot] lasted maybe an hour—fifteen rolls of films. There was no set structure. We talked as we shot about the idea of isolating the individual versus trying to get the shot in one frame. They were changing things too, which required another three, four rolls. We eventually hit this point when all the pictures anybody’s seen of this session are from that one roll. It’s really within a short little burst. Neither of these pictures was used on the poster. The poster features two individual portraits [as boxing fight posters traditionally do]. The Artists As Subjects. I couldn’t have predicted what that would be like. It was Jean and Andy and their honest reaction. You see it from the first frame, where Andy is kind of unsure of the situation and Jean is stepping in and throwing the first punch. Andy was reserved, but in an organic way. He was soft spoken and shy. He physically embodied that in every way, not to mention that he felt awkward a lot of times, in a genuine way. To put boxing gloves was not going to move him to be any different. He didn’t try to become anybody else. He was Andy Warhol with boxing gloves. I was very removed from being affected by anything else than what was going on in the viewfinder. This was me working to get the pictures perfect. Once I started the shoot, I was deep in the concentration of trying to make the best picture. My part in the making of this picture is me at 100%, and their part is themselves at 100%, and their interaction was really pure. I was there, in this great way, performing my role as the camera operator. It was a real three-way interaction; everybody was working in that moment fluidly and going through ideas. As soon as I was capturing [a moment], they were moving on to something else. If I fought for it to stay to shoot a few more frames, the moment had happened—you couldn’t build on it. It moved really quickly. And then we were done. Basquiat and Paris. I processed the film—I had the contact sheet to Jean-Michel within two to three days. We met at his studio and I went through
30 the contact sheets with him first. He made some initial choices and then he asked me if I wanted to go with him and Eric Goode to Paris the next day. As we traveled together through Europe, we spent quite a chunk of time in Paris, Portugal and Italy. Then we [came] back and it was time for the opening of the show. The Show. It blew my mind that this show was panned, that it got bad reviews. It was a big moment. It was a big show. Hilton Kramer slammed it in the Times and made Jean out to be a puppet for Andy and Andy to be this user. Postmortem. When Andy died in 1987, the whole thing was rough. It was just something you wanted to go away. It put a cloud over [the shoot]. I went into my files and pulled this image out for myself as a portfolio piece. It was #143
of 180 images. It’s actually in the order they were photographed. I know I balanced the picture in the frame. The composition is very much a then-up-todate culmination of all my experience, painfully composing in the camera as precisely as I could get it. The image started to take on a life of its own. It was an image I chose; nobody had ever used that picture for anything. This photo was more about my energy and my attitude, with the arms crossed and the skull and cross bones pose. That’s a little more me. The Technical. I used a Hasselblad with 100mm f/3.5, a 150mm f/4 and an 80mm f/2.8. I used a regular 500 cm, so it was manual with a rapid winder that I just became good at advancing quickly, so I could get as fast as the light would recycle. I used a magenta tripod, Norman strobes, a 12-foot piece of paper
and shot in this same studio. There was one assistant, Drew Carolan, and my studio manager Susan White. Andy came with Benjamin Liu; Jean and Tony Shafrazi came alone. On Being Part of a Historical Moment. If people look back in time, with Andy and Jean-Michel not being here anymore, everything gets smashed into being a historical event, and everybody who’s a part of it gets smashed into it together: that was important and you were there, so you’re important. But not really. I think I was just trying to work my own thing out, as I still am, and we all would be if everybody were still alive and still working. Maybe they wouldn’t be as famous, and this moment wouldn’t be as critical or famous.
What I’m Working on Today The artist talks about his straightforward portraits, the lack of concept and his pure, simplified role as a “camera operator,” in his own words. Where I started versus where I am now, it’s been a logical path. It’s always been a nice continuous line, step by step toward this point. I’m nowadays really looking for something without any props, accessories, crutches or gimmicks. I think of expression and body posturing as accessories to the straightforward image. I’m trying to get it as emotionless and unanimated [as possible], to let people be as they are, with no interpretation on my part or their own. No thought. No feeling to perform in any way on either of our part. From the objective or the reason all the way through to the end result, it’s completely a meditation—it’s not even an idea, it’s the elimination of the idea. As much as I can take all the contrivance or conceptual aspect out of the making of images, it’s almost a celebration of THAT for me. Concept… is a manipulative device. The whole essence of contriving images—the whole objective or method—is so pure in its own way, but very antithetical to making honest pictures. I am not an idea person. I just love photography and making pictures, but I don’t have any ideas. The last thing I want to do is force an idea, a man-made idea, a one-man-made idea, on somebody else; it’s a reduction that limits all possibilities. I’m fighting myself, in a way. Letting go of any point to making a picture is more challenging and demands more courage. What, you don’t have an idea? What are you doing? I think people pick up a camera because they have a reason to make a picture. I’m trying to do it now without the idea. The camera is a recording machine. What is my role? I’m here to run the camera. I realized the camera is something between me, as the photographer, and the subject; it’s a device that records our interaction. The more I thought about it, the more I thought: What is my role? I started to rethink that. I’m just a camera
operator, and the machine is recording an interaction. But what if you take out the interaction, what if the interaction is with the subjects themselves, and I’m only present to operate the camera? I’m stripping away all the layers of my own role and my presence in the moment that the picture is being made, and modifying the definition more toward a less active role in the interaction, and making the interaction an interaction of one. The courage to allow that to happen and not have a presence or an ego or anything attached to that is the challenge, is the adventure. It’s exciting. Really, it’s the removing of one’s self, one’s ego. How far can you go? Where does it take us? It’s scary because you feel, ”Who am I if I’m not imposing myself? What do I have to do with them? I’m only here to run the camera and let them make the picture.” We’ve all been trained to perform in front of a camera. It’s a performance. I’m really trying to eliminate the performance. You just need to be here and let go. Just breathe and look into the camera. That interaction with themselves informs them of where their zero base, their pure self is. This is a dream of mine that’s been going on for years. To work in this way was a perfect fit and then I took the long way around to finally get back to it. It was a weird thing in the back of my mind; I always had this idea for the work. This is just work, it’s not really a series. It’s part of what I’m doing now and I don’t know if that’s going to be forever or not, it’s just what I’m happy to do now. You think people are going to get it the way you get it, and they don’t. I guess it’s a good sign in a way when people don’t respond immediately—it’s obviously not as familiar to them or as recognizable as something they’ve seen before. They are intentionally very straightforward, simple portraits—not sensational in any way. That is the objective, to do a very straightforward image of somebody.
Actually, this is our game face. ---
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GALLERY:
“MARK MORRISROE 1959–1989” AT CLAMPART By Sophia Betz I Photos courtesy of ClampArt
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lampArt’s exhibit “Mark Morrisroe 1959–1989” is as much about the expression of his life through art as it is about the images he created during his brief lifetime. When ClampArt director, Brian Clamp, first encountered Morrisroe’s work in 1999—ten years after the artist’s death—he said he was surprised to discover Morrisroe had “a small but fervent cult following.” His pieces, many of them Polaroids or photogravure, have a dark intensity to them; yet even the loneliest images are infused with the energy of Morrisroe’s obvious need to create art. Clamp’s press release for the show describes Morrisroe’s artwork and his life as “inextricably entwined.” On a tangible level, his dedication to his work allowed him to climb his way out of a chaotic youth. On an artistic level, the themes in his work express that inextricable tie between who he was and what he created; Morrisroe’s subjects (himself, his friends, scenes of day-to-day life) are imbued with a dramatic, kinetic creativity through his unique approach to color, composition, and photo manipulation.
Raised in Boston by an alcoholic mother who, for a time, rented an apartment from the man later known to be the Boston Strangler, Morrisroe left home as a teenager. He worked as a prostitute and when he was seventeen, an angry client shot him in the back, narrowly missing his spine. Despite his early tribulations, Morrisroe’s determination and creativity landed him at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston.
From childhood, Morrisroe’s creative expression ranged from a punk-style celebrity zine, Dirt, which he made when he was young, to performance art (a medium which mirrors the intimacy and immediacy of his photographic work displayed at ClampArt) and eventually to photograph and print manipulation. Friend and artist Nan Goldin called Morrisroe “Boston’s first punk;” indeed, Morrisroe was deeply involved in the Boston punk
scene of the 1970s. One of the exhibit’s most fascinating images, “Two X-Rays of Mark Morrisroe’s Chest with Embedded Bullet,” shows a duo of x-rays of the artist’s mid-section in which one can clearly make out the bullet from the shooting and the proximate damage. The injury left Morrisroe with a severe limp, and the bullet remained in his body for the rest of his life. This image, along with its self-referential third-person title, is telling of the artist’s almost frenetic desire to both see and be seen, a theme that permeates his oeuvre. A similar kind of image “Untitled (Self Portrait / Teeth X-Ray)”—this one a photogram—practically screams out in an attempt to see into the depths of his own physicality and perhaps find his identity reflected therein. There is an overall focus on the human form and spirit in all of Morrisroe’s work—even his still lifes—that is precise, yet hauntingly visceral. In the
33 show’s marquee image, simply titled “Self Portrait,” a nude Morrisroe appears in a powerful yet natural stance. His quotidian surroundings and warm expression give the image a comfortable feeling; his nudity, while certainly sexual, is also an expression of vulnerability. The erotic tension in much of his work is countered by the ease with which the images communicate with the viewer. Morrisroe’s focus on the body extends beyond his varied self-portraiture into dreamlike, passionate portraits—often nudes—that carry a surprising empathic weight. In works like “Untitled (Jonathan)” & “Paul Fitzgerald (Back),” his use of light to highlight the contours of the body is a celebration of and a desire to understand the person pictured, and, more broadly, to understand the human form. By walking a fine line between explicitly posed portraits and spontaneous candids, Morrisroe’s work presents an intense intimacy while sidestepping objectification of its subjects. Echoing his interest in expressing the physical form through imaging is Morrisroe’s fascination with the possibilities of print manipulation. As effortless as much of his work appears, Morrisroe spent significant time and energy working with and manipulating his prints in myriad ways, including double exposures and photograms, as well as hand painting on some of his photos. In fact, several of Morrisroe’s images on display at ClampArt almost resemble the images given to psychology patients in Rorschach tests—in both their eerie presentation of shapes and figures, sometimes verging on abstraction in Morrisroe’s work, and in the seeming paradox of a carefully constructed image designed to produce an immediate, visceral response.
Clamp Art: http://clampart.com
Morrisroe moved to New York in the mid-80s and started showing his work at the Pat Hearn Gallery. He was incredibly prolific, leaving behind thousands of works when he died of AIDS at the age of thirty. Incredibly, he made art right up until his death, creating impromptu darkroom setups in his hospital bathrooms. Brian Clamp describes the process of gathering Morrisroe’s art for ClampArt’s first showing of his work in 2007, and collecting the forty plus works he displayed this spring: “I met a former executive of the Polaroid Corporation at an awards ceremony at a museum in Boston. He owned a great deal of work that the artist had given him over the course of the 1980s, and he was interested in selling it. This group of photographs largely served as the basis of our first exhibition of Morrisroe’s work at ClampArt in 2007. The show almost entirely sold out, so I then began buying whatever prints I could find. It took four more years to amass enough photographs for a second show.” Morrisroe always craved fame and notoriety. Well-deserved recognition of his work has emerged not only from ClampArt, but from New York’s Artists Space as well, which put on a large retrospective of Morrisroe’s work this spring, including a few short films Morrisroe made on Super 8. During his lifetime, colleagues, friends, and other artists admired Morrisroe and his unique style. Goldin also said of him, “Mark was an outlaw on every front—sexually, socially, artistically... His touching still-lifes of rooms, dead flowers, and dream images stand as timeless fragments of his life, resonating with sexual longing, loneliness, and loss.” The stark, captivating candor that comes across in the ClampArt exhibit reads as a kind of catharsis-turned-art—a finely-crafted communique dependent on the notion that the act of documenting life, no matter how difficult life can be, is an expression of hope. The perseverance of Morrisroe’s creativity, and his radically unique expression of the human condition, lives on in his work.
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PHOtO DeCO-PAGe:
RALLY BIKERS Photos and words by Michel Leroy
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ally Bikers define an instant community with a singular common interest. Attending motorcycle rallies throughout the American West allows me to create portraits of riders ranging from seven-year-old kids on 90cc hill climbers to middle-aged firemen on 1200cc road bikes to sunburnt grandparents on 1800cc luxury touring marvels. The style is unrelenting: black-and-white images that reveal texture and detail beyond the casual glance.
I photograph riders in a portable studio to capture that moment just after we meet: that point of simple truth while the shared humanity is still in our eyes. The studio serves to remove visual distractions and allows pause for a more intimate portrait, a brief moment to reveal the truth and veneer of identity.
Michel Leroy: www.michelleroyphoto.com
Through portraits of Rally Bikers, I am looking for the significance of the individual in the community that defines them. Biker clichĂŠs do little to describe ordinary people who live for the freedom of open roads, camaraderie, and the love of bikes. The patches, leather, and tattoos are trappings of a lifestyle that riders have chosen as a release from the obligations of a nine to five weekday existence. This portfolio of images represents the diversity of bikers through the people who keep the spirit and legacy of the community alive.
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EDUCATION:
THE SVA 5TH ANNUAL AWARD WINNER: ANDERS WALLACE
W W
hile I am utterly infatuated with completely fantastical romanticism, I also find perfect romance in the most ordinary aspects of life. More often than not, however, real life is simply not good enough. In my images I often depict scenes and portray characters of fantasy. I invent a story to convey an idea and stage a scene, creating—as others have done before me—a tableaux to show that world to this one. The pictures are both literary and character-driven. Individually they are allegories about their heroes. They come together to form something of a modern mythology. I usually choose to capture a moment of inactivity. The intention is to invite the viewer to join the subject and share this moment while examining the details and deciphering what may be happening. I find the pensive moment often to be the most compelling. In a situation of futility or melancholy, the figures may seem disinterested or dissatisfied. My characters are always captured amidst rich, colorful and heightened action and drama.
This, for me, is what photography is best at. It can exaggerate (by indefinitely prolonging) the moments that filmmakers talk about as being the most dramatic: the time between when the gun is introduced and when it goes off, the second the blood first appears. In telling my stories, I use artifice and hyperbole to establish a healthy and almost humorous sense of the absurd, injecting a good dose of strange into a potentially ordinary fiction. I think this may be one of the most important aspects of my sensibility. In using the advantages digital photography grants me, I often manipulate pieces of the picture in post-production. I work similarly to an illustrator and draw heavily from hand media disciplines. In doing this, I try to make pictures that are not typically seen photographically and to create a potentially heightened reality.
SVA thanks the following sponsors:
Anders Wallace: www.anderswallace.com
Words and Photo by Anders Wallace
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interview:
PHIL TOLEDANO
A Photographer Explores Life’s Delusions
Phil Toledano: www.mrtoledano.com
Charlie Fish: http://charliefish.writersresidence.com
By Charlie Fish | Photo courtesy of the artist
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C
areer changes are increasingly common in our post-recession age—a recent study cites that the average American is likely to change careers, not jobs, up to five times in his/her lifetime. For Phil Toledano, however, his leap from successful art director to successful photographer carried with it a strong foundation: his big ideas remain central tenets.
Toledano’s work has run the gamut from photos of empty offices in the post-dot-com era (“Bankrupt”) to video game players’ unbridled, pure expressions (“Video Gamers”) to phone sex operators. Throughout his work, the artist has managed to effectively marry concept and execution while imparting each series with his distinct, humorous and brazen personality. Who else could portray himself as the North Korean dictator Kim Jong Il (and appropriately title it “Kim Jong Phil”), while still reaching and touching millions of hearts with his paean to his dying father? Toledano’s work has appeared in Vanity Fair, The New York Times Magazine, The New Yorker and Esquire, and he counts among his clients the likes of Diesel, Absolut, Jack Spade and Le Tigre. Resource interviewed the photographer to find out more about his ideas, his methods and his book-turnedoptioned movie, “Days With My Father.” So you started out being an art director. Could you tell us a bit about those early days and what led you to becoming a photographer? I was living in Paris after college and was trying to be a photographer, but I found it to be a difficult existence. Being a photographer is a very solitary thing. You have to create your own structure, your own world around you. I always found that very daunting. A cousin told me I should move to New York and get into advertising. And I thought, “OK, that sounds great, why not?” I grew up in England; advertising there is something people really enjoy. You don’t have that same relationship here, where it’s just irritating. Generally, British ads are really funny and interesting and peculiar, so [the idea of pursuing advertising in New York] seemed really fascinating.
I moved to New York and got a job in advertising and worked in it for nine, ten years as an art director and a copywriter. I had a good career and I worked at good agencies, but I felt like I wasn’t making genius stuff. When I was in big agencies, I’d always get fired ‘cause I was just really shitty at negotiating the political aspect of things. I just said the things I felt and I didn’t really understand the point of not speaking freely about what you thought or felt, or all the ideas you were thinking about. I knew that I wasn’t really fit for a corporate structure. More importantly, I felt like one day I was going to wake up at fifty, have a house in the Hamptons and a Porsche and a bald patch, and I’d be working on relaunching the Today Sponge or Always with Wings, making $500,000; I was going to be that guy. I thought it just seemed miserable. So I thought, why not have another go at photography and see what happens with that? I quit / got fired, and I put a bunch of projects together and started getting jobs right away, which was amazing. And it’s been pretty surprising and amazing ever since. How’d being an art director inform your photography? I studied English Lit in school, so I didn’t have any training to be a photographer or an art director. What advertising was really amazing for was to teach me and expose me to photography, to film, to editing, to design, to typography—all of it. It was like going to school, but being paid well for it. Advertising made me realize I liked ideas and it made me focus on what kind of artist I wanted to be. I like concepts; everything I do revolves around ideas. Advertising brought
out what was there already. It trained me to be quicker about ideas and it trained me to evaluate ideas and to think about them from lots of different angles. It gave me a lot of structure, a skeleton. Do I wish sometimes that I’d started earlier? Sometimes I do. But then I think, well, no, because all that experience is invaluable; I was exposed to so much. A cursory glance would indicate your projects are all very disparate. Do you see a common thread throughout them? For instance, can you link “Bankrupt” and “Kim Jong Phil?” I will say that a lot of my work deals with delusion. “Bankrupt” was really about the things that were once so important and now mean nothing. “Kim Jong Phil” is about deluding myself to believe I have something important to say, whereas I may actually be talking complete shit. But to produce that stuff, to produce any kind of art, I must believe I have something important to say. It’s only become apparent to me quite recently when I start looking back at my “enormous oeuvre” of work. I don’t really think about other stuff when I’m making it.
Even if the idea is very cohesive at the time of creation, the reasoning behind why I’m creating is not very apparent to me at all. I have this idea and I have to make it and I’m not really sure why I’m making it; I just have to do it.
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You also said you could liken “Phone Sex” to “America the Gift Shop.” Do you still find that to be true? “Phone Sex” is similar; that’s about a mutually agreed upon delusion. “America the Gift Shop” is about us participating in a lie, willingly, for the most part. Actually, “Plastic Surgery” is about that in some ways. In part, it’s about how we can delude ourselves in terms of how we see ourselves or what we want ourselves to be. That’s a pretty common thread throughout everything for the most part, delusion. Some of the products in “America the Gift Shop” look like they could be reproduced and sold. Was that the idea all along? For the show, yes. That was always the idea. There were bobble heads, the chocolate bar, the t-shirt. With the snow globe, I had two prototypes, but it was $2,500 to make that thing. When that stuff was shown, it was shown in the context of being a fake gift shop at the gallery. It’s funny because some people really embraced the idea; some people even shoplifted some of the stuff. You talk a lot about the Internet’s role in art. And you’ve mentioned that the “Days With My Father” site has had over one million hits— 1.7 million people at this point. I really, really believe the web is this extraordinary thing. I was a photographer for about two or three years before blogs existed. Then blogs happened and then I happened. What I mean is that, all of a sudden, if you do something interesting, the web will find it and things will happen. For whatever reason people saw the project, all around the world. If the web hadn’t been around, those would’ve just ended up being pictures I took. What do you make then of the burgeoning art e-commerce sites? I haven’t participated in the reselling of my prints. It’s funny, I talk about democratization but the art world is pure snobbery. It’s not dissimilar from high school. The more peculiar and difficult you are, the more wanted you are. If you’re around selling prints for fifty bucks, suddenly you’re not that interesting, because you’re so available. Yet, you have to make a living, and it’s hard to make a living as a photographer.
Your site, mrtoledano.com, sort of brands you. It’s what some people refer to you as. With your past career, I’m wondering how much branding played a role in creating this persona? That was totally accidental. A friend of mine was doing my website, and I was looking at a lot of photographers’ websites and I felt like there was no sense of personality anywhere—it was all just the usual thing. I felt like why not have a little bit of me in there. Having Mr. Toledano on there for some reason just seemed funny. That website used to say “Mr. Toledano will see you now.” I thought that was funny. I realized either people would think it’s funny or people will think I’m a dick. It’s either-or. And then everyone just started calling me Mr. Toledano. I didn’t have a branding thought process; it was just accidental. You’ve mentioned before how important it is for you to juggle multiple projects. What is that process like, and how are the projects coming along? When you work on multiple projects, they all reflect off each other. I like my mind to always be busy. The other thing is that projects always have a gravitational pull of their own and obviously some of them have a greater pull than others. So you start working on three, but one of the three will really draw you in. That’s what happened with “Plastic Surgery,” which sucked me in completely. But, I think you always want to be working on two or three projects, because there’s going to be one that’s going to be genius, and you don’t really know which one’s going to be genius until you start working on all three at once.
In the past you’ve said that genius and stupidity are next-door neighbors. Is that something you still believe in? Yes it is. You look at ideas often and they’re so stupid that they are genius. It’s like a circle. There are ideas that are so obvious that they’re fantastic. Do you remember the Budweiser frogs? That was so stupid that it was hilarious! Your sense of humor comes through in your work, even in something as personal as “Days With My Father.” Do you think you got your sense of humor from him? I don’t remember him being funny when I was a kid. Although I do remember a real sense of lightness from my dad. We would joke a bit, but he was always my father. He was always focused on me and what I could do for school or for my career. He was very strategic and ambitious for me. When my mum died, I suspect he became the person he used to be before he became my father, which was a very funny person. He had a peculiar way of seeing the world, in a lovely way. I really got to see that in the last few years when I was taking care of him. So I feel like it was always there, and maybe I sort of absorbed some of that by osmosis. Your series “Days With My Father” generated many online hits and then was published. And now we hear it’s being made into a movie? Someone optioned it as a movie, yes. It never occurred to me it’d even be a book! And who would play the leading roles? Vin Diesel would play me and Chuck Norris would play my dad. No, actually, I wouldn’t mind Clint Eastwood as my father and Matt Damon playing me.
I’ve come out of a period of amazing What do you think your dad’s reaction would be to the film? productivity. In the I think he’d be completely confused. He never last three or four particularly liked the photographs. He liked idea of me documenting our relationship years, I’ve had three the together. You know what? He would be very happy for my success. He was very focused books, four or five on me being successful. That was the thing that gave him the most joy, so I think he’d be projects—it’s been very happy at the success of it. this extraordinary outpouring of creativity. I’ve sort of come to a point where I have ideas I’m thinking about, but not doing any of them.
Where are you from? I grew up in Amsterdam, in the Netherlands, and moved to New York in my early 20s. Did you go to school for photography? I didn’t; I learned the technical aspects of photography through a long apprenticeship in Amsterdam and through photo assisting here in New York. I did earn a Masters degree in fine arts as a photographer, and that really informed the ways I see and frame space. My photography and video-based work as an artist emerges from a focus on interior and architecturally-structured spaces, but I take it a lot further. I treat a space more metaphorically, less as an actual documentation as I do with my commercial work.
By Bennjamin Gustafsson i Photo by Frank Ouderman
teCHniQUe:
FRANK OUDEMAN ON SHOOTING INTERIORS
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Tell me a little about your career. How did you arrive at where you are now? Frame Magazine approached me to shoot the interiors of some upscale, New York-based retail spaces after they had seen my portfolio. The editors at Frame offered me an incredible amount of freedom in how I approached the interiors; they just let me create the images according to my own formal and aesthetic eye. Their only direction was to “shoot this location.” So I was very fortunate that this set-up allowed me to develop and hone my own visual answers to the structure and character of interior spaces. What is it that draws you to shooting spaces? I see space as a kind of character or narrative that can evolve out of a heightened attention, or intense “seeing.” It’s my concentrated attention and seeing—I am almost solely responsible for evolving that narrative, for drawing that out of the space in a sequence of pictures. When I am photographing a person, it’s about trying to get something out of them, so it’s very much an interaction. And you can help enhance that situation in a variety of ways— having a set, letting them do something. Shooting a space is a lot slower, quieter and more “one-way only”, even solitary. I like the challenge. I see making these photographs as problem solving, and it’s a nice set of problems to solve. And ultimately, I really love design and architecture. Do you have a standard approach to composition? I do rely often on certain approaches. I don’t like diagonals much, so I tend to frame things straight on. That results in a kind of compartmentalizing of the three-dimensional space. So in this way I focus on the verticals and horizontals. All the elements within the picture are distributed within this composition, so I try to be subtle around the recession of space—I try to even out receding space. The emphasis on the two dimensions acts to compress or flatten the space even while a three-dimensional volume is brought to life through light and perspective.
Please discuss the composition of this photo. This image utilizes a simple, straightforward one-point perspective. This is the entryway to the location. I don’t show the door in the picture because that is too literal of a representation. The one-point perspective welcomes, invites and draws the viewer into the space of the picture, just as a visitor would be in the actual space. So, very directly, the composition complements the psychological intention and function of the design. Did you use any special techniques? This image was shot on 4x5 large format camera—I currently work fully digital. I shot this in two frames, a left and right frame. By shooting this image in two sections, you are able to widen the view of the lens and at the same time minimize distortion. Visually, this also allows the viewer to feel more physically inside the space. Do you do a lot of post processing? Always. The digital process is very involved, compared to when I shot with film. Because I shoot each picture in two or more frames, my first step is the stitching together of these frames to create one complete image. Then, there is a lot of cleaning, color-correction and retouching—often, more time-consuming than the actual shoot. How did you light this photo? Most of the time, I let the pictures be informed by the particular light conditions that the location presents—daylight, tungsten light, fluorescence lighting or combinations of all. In this image, I added to the existing light of the location and enhanced the light intensity of the areas behind the Buddha statue and in the hallway and then the room in the background. This created a succession of volumes. This image is also based on a one-point perspective. The viewer is brought into the picture through the one-point perspective as well as through this progression of lights and darks. How many shots do you take? Depending on the location and scope of the project, I mostly shoot between eight to fifteen images per location. The first shot in the day often defines the visual approach of how the location will be photographed. It sets the tone, so it often requires the most time. Where do you draw the line between creating a spectacular image and faithfully representing a space? Or are they completely compatible? I do think they are compatible. As I described earlier, this was the directive I was given, and always have taken, for shooting interiors. I am completely guided by what is actually in front
Frank Oudeman: www.frankoudeman.com
Benjamin Gustafsson: www.bgustafssonphotography.com
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of me in the space—but I also have to step back and realize that what is captured in a still, singular moment in a two-dimensional picture is always very different from what the eye sees and experiences in an actual three-dimensional space. The three-dimensional experience needs to be translated into two dimensions and I try to make that a spectacular image. I don’t change anything major, either in postproduction or elsewhere. I just enhance and reflect back what is there already. I work with the perimeters and restrictions that exist—how far can I back up, what are the light conditions, etc... It’s a whole set of issues that I assess, and after that I frame it out. How much input comes from the client? I talk a great deal with my client in order to understand what the important information is, what and how much they want to see. My task is to translate what they have created. When I talked earlier about drawing out a character or narrative from the space, it’s the conversation with my client that begins to shape this direction for me. I try to build everything around this point of view, and that becomes the central “problem” that I try to resolve as I frame each image.
You use the word narrative, what kind of narrative or stories can be told with interiors? I don’t mean narrative as in a story to be told. That would be too literal. It’s an unfolding of space, of individuality and sensibility. It’s basically an aesthetic and a spatial narrative, and if it is a story, then it’s a story of how a space is lived in, how an interior is inhabited, used and enjoyed. It’s a narrative of how this space enhances and contains the life and work of the people who use it. To what degree do you refer back to the “golden rules”? I’ve had a lot of art history and formal art education in my background, so I think the golden rules must be intuitively worked into my compositions. I don’t systematically apply those rules in my understanding of space or composition though. But, considering that all visual art—and most especially architecture— is deeply influenced by those ideals of proportion and balance, I am certain that they are there, guiding me, as I take in all the visual and spatial information and attempt to translate it into a still, two-dimensional image.
Your Vision “Apricot” by Ben Briand
www.vimeoplus.com
PHOTO BY CYBELLE CODISH
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hen the Smithsonian gave photographers Cybelle Codish, Idris Rheubottom and Tony Craig the opportunity to exhibit their film stills from a documentary about the Native American Grab Day, they were ecstatic. But when they learned the museum was unable to finance the show and they only had three weeks to raise money for the printing, framing and production costs of exhibiting forty-five images, they turned to Kickstarter for help. And in only twenty-one days, they raised $22,606 (well above their original $5,000 goal). At the time of Kickstarter’s launch two years ago, “crowd funding” was a term yet to resonate in artistic circles. It was a time when the ‘Great Recession’ was deeply felt. As if making creative visions come to life wasn’t already a difficult task, the lagging economy posed an additional threat to artists. As traditional means of art financing began to dry up, organizations like Kickstarter entered the cyber domain at precisely the right moment. And in turn, revolutionized the way artists now think about funding. The website offers a platform for individuals or groups (both professional and amateur) to finance their creative ideas, and bring “their
A F T E R J U S T O V E R T W O Y E A R S , T H E N E W Y O R KB A S E D T E A M ( N O W T W E N T Y-T W O S T R O N G ) H A S M O R E T H A N 7, 5 0 0 S U C C E S S F U L P R O J E C T S U N D E R T H E I R B E LT A N D P L E D G E S O F O V E R $ 5 3 M I L L I O N . projects, events, and dreams to life.” Co-founder Yancey Strickler did not anticipate the power that could be leveraged from an already active social network to build a democratized funding mechanism. It all began in 2005, when Perry Chen—a sort of jack-of-all-trades, then working as a waiter—shared an idea for a conditional funding scheme with Strickler—a music journalist—at a restaurant in Brooklyn. They were stumped by the difficulty in funding a concert and were looking for another way to do things. In 2006, Charles Adler, the most tech-savvy of the bunch, joined the organization. And in 2009 the site went live. At that time, they weren’t paying themselves and according to
Strickler, “made every mistake that could be made.” But within a week, two projects were fully funded. After just over two years, the New York-based team (now twentytwo strong) has more than 7,500 successful projects under their belt and pledges of over $53 million. The most successful project thus far, with pledges just under $1 million, is a kit called the “Tik-Tok+LunaTik” that turns the iPod Nano into a multi-functional watch. According to Kickstarter, once projects reach thirty percent of their goal, they succeed ninety percent of the time. Kickstarter takes a five percent fee of the total amount raised from a successful project.
PHOTOGRAPH BY IDRIS+TONY: Photographers Cybelle Codish, Idris Rheubottom and Tony Craig financed their exhibit of film stills from a documentary about the Native American Grab Day using Kickstarter.
Adding a project to Kickstarter is an intuitive process for those accustomed to setting up profile pages on social networking sites. One must first submit an original creative idea to the team, who approves it based on outlined conditions. A project, according to the Kickstarter website, “is something finite with a clear beginning and end.” Donations cannot be solicited for “causes, charity, or general business expenses.” If the project is accepted, a campaign page must be set up, which can include a video or photo and project description. The project creator decides upon a funding timeline (from one to ninety days) and monetary goal (infinite) that cannot be changed once the page goes live. In return for backing a project, investors receive
PHOTOGRAPHS BY GAIL MOONEY: Mooney, a photographer and filmmaker, collaborated with her daughter Erin Kelly on a ninety-nine-day project titled “Opening Our Eyes.” They turned to Kickstarter to fund the editing and post-production of the film, and fully funded the project in just sixty days.
one or more rewards determined by the project creator. Because it is an ‘all-or-nothing’ funding model, a campaign must reach its proposed monetary goal in the time frame chosen or pledges do not become concrete, no money changes hands, and the project ‘fails.’ Image-makers quickly caught onto the craze, using this new platform not only for funding ideas but for experimenting with new media and avant-garde art projects that would not ordinarily receive funding through traditional venues. Some photographers fund book projects on the site. Others realize their potential as an activist for the first time. Photojournalists such as National Geographic contributor Gerd Ludwig tap into this resource to fund causes that print media can no longer support. He explains his decision to use Kickstarter to document the current state of contamination around the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant on his campaign page: “As traditional news outlets struggle financially, photojournalists must now turn to alternative funding methods for longterm projects close to their hearts.” There is also the example of ‘curated’ pages such as the Magnum Foundation Emergency Fund—an initiative that gives support to individual photojournalists who are covering ongoing human rights stories in collaboration with non-profits throughout the world.
“A S T R A D I T I O N A L N E W S O U T L E T S S T R U G G L E F I N A N C I A L LY, P H O T O J O U R N A L I S T S M U S T N O W T U R N T O A LT E R N AT I V E F U N D I N G M E T H O D S F O R L O N G -T E R M P R O J E C T S C L O S E T O T H E I R H E A R T S .” - N AT IO N A L G EO G R A P HIC P H O T O J O U R N A L I S T G E R D LU D W IG
Some of the most profitable projects are inventions for photographic gear. One called the “C-Loop,” a device that relocates a camera’s strap position, raised more than $60,000. And the “Glif,” a tripod mount and stand for the iPhone 4, brought in $137, 417 (way more than its $10,000 goal). In the category of photography alone, there are more than 300 successful projects and over $1.75 million pledged to date. Though there is no proven method for success, Strickler emphasizes the need for a campaign idea to be compelling and for the video to “have a narrative that produces a sense of wonder.” Although Kickstarter does not directly help to promote project, they do highlight some which are of interest to them on their homepage and/or blog. Because of the popular-
ity of the site, many people are now going to Kickstarter just to look at projects and donate. But it is up to the project creators to market it. As is the case with any good marketing campaign, it is the story that sells. Because photography projects have the added bonus of being inherently visual, photographers have the unique opportunity to engage the audience through a compound strategy that can include the impetus for the campaign, the story behind the photo series, a video plea for funding, and still images. The strategy behind Codish, Rheubottom, and Craigs’ approach to the Smithsonian exhibition campaign was minimal: they set a goal that was a quarter of the amount they needed and solicited donors with only a photo and a project descrip
“WHEN
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BIGGER THAN YOU,” SAYS CINEM AT O GR A P HER NADIRAH ZAKARIY. “YOU HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO DO A GOOD JOB.”
tion. They started out slowly, targeting clients and setting up a Facebook page. Codish says that because the team had not over-saturated their clients in the past with requests for funding, their plea felt authentic. “People were eager to donate as philanthropists,” she explains. Still, she was overwhelmed by the quick response, especially since she feels that many people place little monetary value on photography because of its mass-production capacity. “Photography is such a hard medium to propose,” Codish says. “It’s a bit of a bastard child of the art world, so I’m excited to have the support from the community for an exhibition.” Gail Mooney, a photographer and filmmaker, embraced a world-view approach to Kickstarter. She and her daughter, Erin Kelly, collaborated on a ninety-nine-day project titled “Opening Our Eyes.” In this time, they
traveled to six continents, documenting through still images and video individuals who are making a difference in their communities. When they returned, they had over 4,000 stills and 150 hours of video footage. At the suggestion of a colleague, Mooney turned to Kickstarter to fund the editing and post-production of the film, with the hope that the message of positive change would reach as many people as possible. In just sixty days she had more than 160 backers and a fully-funded project. Although Mooney used typical avenues for promotion such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, she says that her campaign went viral after networking at a conference in Switzerland. She suggests a targeted marketing approach to people who believe in the project, emphasizing the need for authenticity. She warns that although financing a creative
Kickstarter: www.kickstarter.com | Lindsay Comstock: www.lindsaycomstock.com | Cybelle Codish: www.cybellecodish.com | Gail Mooney: www.kellymooney.com | Nadirah Zakariya: www.nadirah.net
PHOTOGRAPH BY NADIRAH ZAKARIYA: Zakariya used Kickstarter to fund her film “When You Leave This Earth” about two sisters who return to Malaysia to mourn their mother’s recent death.
AS WITNESSED DURING THE RECENT NORTH AFRICAN UPRISINGS, LIKE-MINDED PEOPLE ARE BEGINNING TO USE SOCIAL NETWORKING TOOLS TO CREATE SOCIAL CHANGE. PHOTOGRAPHER GAIL MOONEY EXPLAINS THAT “NO LONGER DO WE HAVE TO VALIDATE OUR OWN IDEAS... PEOPLE ARE FUELING EACH OTHER, THUS LEADING TO INNOVATION.”
project with Kickstarter is much easier than through traditional methods, it still takes diligent research and effort. The realization that Mooney gained from her experience was groundbreaking. She began to consider the idea that social media tools are a viable way in which activism is now taking shape because mainstream media outlets are no longer acting as ‘gatekeepers’ to news agendas. As witnessed during the recent North African uprisings, like-minded people are beginning to create swells, which in turn become the impetus for social change, she explains. “No longer do we have to validate our own ideas,” Mooney says. “People are fueling each other, thus leading to innovation.” She touts social networking as a “major vehicle for profound change.” She was recently invited to speak at Cal Poly’s “Distinguished Scholar Lecture Series” about the role of mass communication and media technology in the global economy, and has other lectures in the works. This is an exciting prospect for Mooney, who is now focusing on using her films for activism. Though Strickler acknowledges that his company stems from the success of already-existing social networking sites, he points to other underlying societal trends that have made web-based commerce possible. Strickler attributes the success of Kickstarter to a burgeoning force of consumers who desire a greater connection to their purchases. Much like the local food and DIY movements, Kickstarter donors share the same need to feel personally vested in the online communities they support. Strickler explains that people enjoy being able to have their name
associated with a positive cause. “There’s a kind of romance to it,” he says. He suggests that when starting a project, individuals should consider submitting “a passion project”—an idea that is “number two on a list of things to do in five years.” He recommends not having overly ambitious expectations for a project that is not realistic. Nadirah Zakariya is no stranger to astounding support. She is a photographer who will soon début as a cinematographer, thanks to the help of Kickstarter. Her short film, When You Leave This Earth, directed by Jessica Collins, will be made by an all-female cast and crew and is about two sisters who go to mourn their mother’s recent death at a house in the woods. Collins began spreading the word about the project through a heartfelt email to friends, family, and colleagues. They then pooled support from their networks on Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr and used Kickstarter. In only sixteen days their $5,000 goal was met. Zakariya equates the project’s success with the fact that many could relate to a strong female figure in their lives. Their rewards included donor recognition in the credits, and even photomontages and songs made in honor of the main donor’s mother. But with success came unanticipated pressure. “When people start putting in time to check out your work and then donate money… it becomes bigger than you,” Zakariya says. “You have no choice but to do a good job.” This is when she realized, whether ready or not, that she would be transitioning into film.
Like Mooney and Codish, Zakariyah was also awe-stricken by the outpour of help she received from unexpected sources. Even acquaintances from her native Malaysia whom she had not seen for years pitched in to help. “I felt so humbled because in Malaysia not a lot of people have credit cards, and people were donating large sums of money in comparison to the exchange rate,” she explains. “We were so speechless.” This tie to a global network influenced other organizations to emulate similar funding models. And many have caught on like wildfire, beginning to demand the attention of the government. A recent Wall Street Journal article states that the Securities and Exchange Commission is now “looking at adapting its rules to encourage Internet-age techniques for small companies raising capital.” This includes relaxing regulations on the disclosure of investor shares for crowd funding small businesses. Strickler takes pride in the fact that he now has the opportunity to meet so many creative individuals. He explains that the company has made him much less cynical about society. “There are things we want to do, but often we don’t feel empowered [to do them],” he says. The success of others has instilled in him a respect for ideas and for the individual who pursues their dreams. “I don’t see this type of energy as a fad.” Strickler says. “It’s rooted in society.” He is now the proud backer of over 400 projects on his site.
LOCAtiOnS:
TOKYO IN NEW YORK By Alex niki i Photos by PAMU
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o you have a shoot and you’re trying to capture a Japanese man getting off work and slurping away his worries over a hot bowl of ramen and a cup of sake. Maybe Benihana’s won’t cut it and Nobu is just a bit too high-end. Don’t fret. Thanks to NYC’s diverse culture, you can capture Tokyo right here in your backyard. Tokyo has a special ambiance that mixes extremes of bright and vibrant with dark and dingy. The atmosphere is unique and hard to replicate, but good luck trying to squeeze ten round-trip tickets to Tokyo into your next estimate. Budgets these days will likely have you hopping on a Toyota freight ship before they approve that. Instead, look around you: these dirty underground steps lead to one of NY’s oldest sake bars; the pop-colored and fluorescent-lit bookstore is decked up with Japanese characters and signs; the narrow ramen bar is genuinely reminiscent of those that scatter the streets of Tokyo, and the toy store brings to life the many fictional obsessions and absurdities of the Japanese imagination.
PAMU: muzphotography.com / www.paolaambrosidemagistris.com
If you’re getting your sushi rolls in a bunch, quit your worrying. Resource has done the research for you. After eating tons of ramen, buying Godzilla toys, reading books from back to front, getting plastered off sake, eating bizarre octopus-filled pastries, and drinking way too much o-cha (tea), we have narrowed down for you the most authentic Tokyo locations. So put your extra budget toward… oh I don’t know, buying yourself a hand roll? Nihon wa daisuki desu! (We love Japan!)
RAI RAI KEN 214 E 10th St. - New York, NY 10003 212 . 47 7.7 0 3 0
Scouting Notes: A typical and authentic Japanese ramen bar. The close quarters and view into the open kitchen give you the feeling of being in Tokyo. This space is particularly narrow. Most of your crew (and clients) will need to stay outside (or in the RV). The place is also very dimly lit. Your lighting should account for this, although remember, the dim light adds to the atmosphere of this environment.
KINOKUNIYA 1073 Avenue of the Americas New York, NY 10018 www.kinokuniya.com 212 . 8 69.17 0 0
Scouting Notes: Japanese bookstore. Very bright space (lots of lights and colors). Reminiscent of a standard Tokyo Bookstore. The place is like a maze since there are so many aisles to work around. The whole store is lit with bright fluorescent fixtures, so you will need to compensate for this.
PANYA BAKERY 8 Stuyvesant St. - New York, NY 10003 www.panyagroup.com/bakery.asp 2 1 2 .7 7 7 .1 9 3 0
Scouting Notes: Japanese bakery. Authentic Japanese classic pastries, with a touch of European influence as you might find in a bakery in Japan. The space here is limited so keep this in mind when calculating your lights.
DECIBEL 240 E 9th St. - New York, NY 10003 www.sakebardecibel.com 212 .9 7 9. 2 7 3 3
Scouting Notes: Dark and slightly dingy, lots of graffiti on the walls. The bar is located in the basement of a building, so the space is dark—bring lights! And be prepared to carry you gear up and down the stairs. Two different rooms are available: a small bar and then a larger room with tables and chairs.
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TOY TOKYO 91 2nd Avenue - New York, NY 10003 www.toytokyo.com 212 . 67 3 . 5 4 2 4
Scouting Notes: Toy store which carries exclusively Japanese toys. Very cluttered space, lots of visual elements. Similar atmosphere to a comic book shop. The aisles are narrow and the place is filled to the brim. You will need to keep gear and crew to a minimum in order to be able to move around.
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MITSUWA 595 river road - edgewater, nJ 07020 www.mitsuwanj.com 2 01.941.9113
Scouting Notes: Japanese mall. This space is massive. There are many different sections to this location including: a grocery store, bakery, a food court, small cafes and restaurants, a bookstore, a clothing store, a home and kitchenware shop, a toy store, and more. There are so many different elements to this location that you should be prepared to bring the kinds of equipment you would need for a variety of shooting conditions. Also, this location is in Edgewater, NJ. Not a far hike, but still a hike.
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CHA-AN TEA HOUSE 230 e 9th St 2nd  oor- new York, nY 10003 www.chaanteahouse.com 212 . 2 2 8 . 8 0 3 0
Scouting Notes: Very traditional tea house. Offers a serene and quiet environment. Note that the place is located on the 2nd fl oor of a building, so you will need to carry your gear up the narrow stairs.
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FOTOBILL NYCFOTOWORKS: PORTFOLIO REVIEW SPRING 2011
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NYC FOTOWORKS By Isaac Lopez I Photos by Adam Sherwin
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Cast Bio:
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till trying to get that big career break? Making it big as a photographer has plenty to do with the people you know and making the right connections. That’s what NYCFotoWorks aims to help you accomplish. This past June, they held their bi-annual Portfolio Review, where photographers and illustrators had the opportunity to meet with editors and creative directors from some top magazines, as well as agents, art buyers, and gallery owners. The event gave artists a great opportunity to get feedback on their portfolios from established reviewers, while at the same time giving these editors, art directors, etc., access to fresh, undiscovered and up-and-coming talent. Resource chatted with a few of these reviewers, and they talked to us about what they’re looking for in an artist, who they like working with, and how personality factors into the equation.
For more information on NYCfotoworks please visit: www.nycfotoworks.com
How many different photographers have you worked with in the past year? Are you always looking for new talent or do you feel more comfortable working with the same few photographers each time? We’re looking for new things to show, but they’re not new talent. They’re usually mature bodies of work. They could come from anywhere in the world, but they’re not going to come from unsolicited presentations. They’re going to come from friends, or museums, or books. And generally, they come recommended by people I know. How often do you review artists’ websites when you receive an email blast? Never. Programmatically, I never will open an unsolicited website.
STE V EN K ASHER, STE V EN K ASHER GALLERY What has been your previous experience with NYCFotoWorks? I had such a good time last year, I was dying to come back. I met a diverse group of photographers interested in being involved with the [Steven Kasher] gallery. There were various levels of achievement, and it was really interesting. We had some good conversations; I think they got something out of it. I did meet some [photographers] that I was curious about where they would go, but I didn’t get involved in any relationships from that. This year, there were two younger artists that I am very interested in and I told them both to come back in a year and show me where they’re at. How many portfolios do you see every week? In my gallery? None. I programmatically don’t look at anything. How many submissions do I get? Several per day.
What is the best way for artists to send you news about their work (mailers? emails?) Through a friend. Through somebody I know. If it doesn’t come through somebody I know or respect, I will never see it. What are you looking for in a photographer or illustrator? Are there certain aspects of someone’s portfolio or personality that turn you off even if you like the work? No, to the latter question. The first question, I’m looking for something I haven’t seen before. Something that shows depth, thought, and a lifetime of work. Is personality more or as important as the quality of the work? Personality is totally unimportant to me. I mean, if I thought the devil was doing good work, I would probably take him on. And in fact, I have!
MICHELE H ADLOW, FORBES M AGAZINE DIR. OF PHOTO GR APHY What has been your previous experience with NYCFotoWorks? I enjoyed doing these reviews. I think they’re… I don’t want to say more organized, but they seem to have a grasp on which photographers would be a good match. The photographers that I see tend to be a little bit familiar with what kind of photography that I’m looking for. I’ve had some successes; there’s a couple of [photographers] that I still have my eye on that I haven’t had the right project for yet. How many portfolios do you see every week? I like to get a couple visits in every week or so, but it really depends on the schedule I have. I try to give priority to out-of-town photographers when they’re visiting. Some seasons are busier than others, some months are busier than others, so I don’t always have the time. This is another reason that [FotoWorks] is
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good; I can dedicate the time without being distracted by work and just meet a bunch of photographers in one swoop. That’s always better than trying to juggle their schedule. How many different photographers have you worked with in the past year? Are you always looking for new talent or do you feel more comfortable working with the same few photographers each time? It’s really, really hard to say a number. Between the U.S. edition and Asia, oh gosh, I couldn’t even say. The Asia edition is once a month and the regular Forbes domestic edition is every two weeks. Depending on the topics, some issues are heavier on shoots than others, but generally forty to fifty percent of the content include shoots. So that’s a lot. I definitely have a few photographers who I enjoy working with and I maintain relationships with, but I also like to pepper that with new talents. I try and bring in a new photographer every issue or two just to try out. I always try to keep it a mix.
of types of people, because that’s what they’re going to be faced with at Forbes. When I meet photographers in person, I get a pretty good idea of the balance between having a strong personality so you can get what you want and being accommodating enough that it’s not off-putting to the other large personalities and egos that we sometimes deal with when we’re shooting our subjects. Is personality more or as important as the quality of the work? I don’t think [personality] is more important, it’s just a factor that I like to weigh. In the end, it’s the quality of the work. It’s how the photographers’ personality translates into how they’re relating to the subjects that they’re photographing—what kind of interaction that they’re getting from the subjects. That’s ultimately what I’m looking for. Obviously, can they light it? That’s another big one. [chuckles] But, just how they’re relating to the subjects. What kind of eye contact are they getting? Are they getting the subject to relax, or getting the personality or attitude we need from them?
How often do you review artists’ websites when you receive an email blast? That again depends on timing. If we’re not shipping a magazine that week, I’ll definitely try and go and take a look at the website. I kind of want photographers to be a little persistent. Because there are some times when I have to skip over [the email blast] and delete it. And then there are good times, when the week isn’t so busy, and I have a little bit of time to go and look. I’ll look at their work, and if the work gets my attention, I’ll add the info to my address book and make notes about the photographer and location and things along that line. What is the best way for artists to send you news about their work (mailers? emails?) Mailers are kind of getting lost these days. I do look at them, but I’d say e-mails are probably the best way. But again, persistence—without being too spammy—is probably the key. If an e-mail catches my eye, I will eventually go to the website and take a look at the work. What are you looking for in a photographer or illustrator? Are there certain aspects of someone’s portfolio or personality that turn you off even if you like the work? Not really. I’m sure this is not uncommon, but the shoots that we do at Forbes tend to be personality-driven. So I like to see not just models who are photographed, or extremely beautiful people, or actors—although that’s always fun—what I like to see is how photographers handle personalities of a large variety
were receptive to that, too. I felt like it was an honest conversation. How many portfolios do you see every week? It’s been a lot recently; it’s literally been like three photographers coming in a day because suddenly everyone’s in town. I’d say five a week, in person. How many different photographers have you worked with in the past year? Are you always looking for new talent or do you feel more comfortable working with the same few photographers each time? That’s a really tricky question, because, not being in charge of the department, I, personally, would want to use more new people and get new people into the magazine but it’s not always the easiest thing to do, selling [them] to all the bosses I have. Within the last year, how many different photographers have I worked with… thirty? How often do you review artists’ websites when you receive an email blast? I always do. I think that’s rare, but I always do. What is the best way for artists to send you news about their work (mailers? emails?) I would say e-mails. I don’t think anyone really goes through their mailboxes anymore.
AMY WOLFF, FORTUNE M AGAZINE PHOTO EDITOR What has been your previous experience with NYCFotoWorks? I thought it was good. I thought it was well organized, and I felt like the people who came were prepared. It wasn’t a waste of time by any means. I did [meet photographers I wanted to work with]. I was honest with telling them if they weren’t right for our magazine but I would refer them to other people, and I felt like they
What are you looking for in a photographer or illustrator? Are there certain aspects of someone’s portfolio or personality that turn you off even if you like the work? Personality is important, but I think the most important thing today is to be aware of what kind of photographer you are and what kind of photography you want to do. I think what has happened in other portfolio reviews in the past is that people think they can do everything. Like “I can do portraiture, and I can do still life, and I can do landscape, and I can do travel, and I can do everything.” Depending on where you want to work, you’re looking for someone who really fits into certain things, and you want to know what you’re going to get when you send that photographer out on assignment. It’s important to know who they are. Is personality more or as important as the quality of the work? They go together, but I would say the work is more important.
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often, when you’re looking at a layout, you’re thinking, “We really need a look like XYZ’s kinda thing for this.” You go to that person, and if they’re booked or you can’t afford them, then you say, “OK, let’s see if we can find somebody else who’s an up-and-comer whose vision skews along the same lines.” How often do you review artists’ website when you receive an email blast? I would say it’s about ten percent of the time. If the email blast came in overnight, it’s a little more likely for me to go onto the website: in the morning, before my day is really started, I’m going through my emails and I will look at the images. If the email blast pops up while I’m in the midst of trying to do something, I, like everybody else, just delete it without ever having seen the link, because I’m trying to get work done.
ROBIN DAILY, F REELANCE ART B UYER What has been your previous experience with NYCFotoWorks? I was actually quite pleased with the level of reviewers that they had. It was just a topnotch and wide range of really knowledgeable people. I met photographers whose work I’ve gone back and checked on a few times since then. In terms of wanting to work with them… yes, there are people I would like to work with. However, the time difference between when I see somebody and when I get to work with them is usually a few years. How many portfolios do you see every week? Hardly anybody comes down with actual portfolios now. We go online and look at photographers’ website. I was looking for a photographer for a job recently, and I probably looked at 220 online portfolios. I was looking for something super, super specific. When I have a big job coming through, that’s the kind of research that I tend to have to do. How many different photographers have you worked with in the past year? Are you always looking for new talent or do you feel more comfortable working with the same few photographers each time? From this time last year to now, I’d say about eighteen to nineteen photographers. You go back to the person who has delivered for you in the past, and any photographer who does an outstanding job and shoots really well should have the inside edge on doing it again the next time around. However, at certain times, you just can’t afford the person you want. Quite
What is the best way for artists to send you news about their work (mailers? emails?) I hate to say this, because it’s bad for the environment, but the thing that is most likely to drive me to look at someone’s website is a postcard with a compelling image on it. Not a giant printed piece, or one that is several pages, or something that arrives in a box with a few tchotchkes. Just a simple postcard with a compelling photo or illustration. What are you looking for in a photographer or illustrator? Are there certain aspects of someone’s portfolio or personality that turn you off even if you like the work? Well, if there was something like child porn in somebody’s book then I would be like “Nah, we’re not—,” well, I actually would dial 911! [laughter] In terms of what somebody shoots or doesn’t shoot, what people need to do is shoot not for what they’re anticipating in the commercial market. If you feel, “This will get me work because this is what everybody’s doing,” then you should just put those images into a stock agency and you shouldn’t show them in your portfolio. What you should show
in your portfolio is your unique vision. That’s what I look for—the person who’s enough of an iconoclast that they’re not showing you a portfolio that’s trying to get them work, they’re showing you a portfolio that’s saying “Hey, here’s what I like to shoot, how I see things.” The only thing that ever turns me off personally in talking to somebody is if they ask me what I think, and I tell them, and they start to argue with me. Quite frankly, it’s one of those moments when I feel, “Really?” I’ve been doing this for so long and I look at so many books over the course of a year, if I tell you that I have seen this shot and that I can easily find you twenty examples of it almost identical to yours, just trust me on it. Don’t argue with me. The fact of the matter is, people don’t have to like my opinion, if I give them an unwanted suggestion, they’re more than welcome to argue with me. But if they specifically ask me a question and I specifically answer it, I don’t want to have to prove my point to them. Is personality more or as important as the quality of the work? It depends on the project and it depends on the quality of the work. Everybody has horror stories of photographers who were just such a pain to work with but their look was so unlike everybody else’s that you just flowed with it. But if there’s somebody who you really can’t trust on set, even if they have the best portfolio for your job, then you will pass them up because no agency can risk having the photographer offend a client. The photo shoot has to be a great experience for [the client], that’s their chance to get out of the office, that’s their chance to really feel like they’re doing something creative—even though what they’re basically doing is looking at the monitor and every so often going, “Hey, can we get one with her smiling?” If the vibe that you’re getting from a photographer is in any way one of surliness or dismissiveness, then, 98% of the time we’ll just say “Thanks anyway” and move on to the next person.
INTERVIEW:
THE 4x8 WORKSHOP By Mike Wilcox I Photos by Ellen Warfield
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e are in the business of visual aesthetic and story telling. That being said, in this industry, just because it looks like a million bucks certainly doesn’t mean that it costs a million bucks. It’s the job of set designers and builders to pull off these visual scams, like the guys at The 4x8 Workshop. Joe Bouillot and John Powell have been working for a collective twenty years in various roles in the photo industry; they have been running 4x8 for the past few years and with great success. One look through their portfolio will leave any resident of New York City thinking, “I remember seeing that ad on the subway.” I had the pleasure of visiting the Workshop and speaking with John about their current niche in the industry and what it’s like to be his own boss.
How did it all start? Joe and I lived in the same building, and we used to skateboard together. Joe was interning for Mary Howard, doing set design stuff. At the time, I was working as a freelance photojournalist in the city so I was always looking for extra work. Joe asked me to come work with them. We were there for a few years until Mary and her builder started going their separate ways. We sort of branched out from there—that was in February ‘07. That is when 4x8 became official? Yea, around that time. What is the key to being a good set builder? The key here is cheating it affordably. A client may want Venetian plaster, but that process is long and expensive; you find a way to do it
cheap and easy. This whole thing… it’s all fake. It’s a set; you learn to operate affordably but make it look just like the real thing. That’s a unique business model. Yea. You want to make a set look fancy and expensive, or authentic, but to make that work within budgets that are constantly shrinking. It’s almost like hustling. What is the process from securing a job to seeing it through? A client will call and ask for an estimate, based on their needs. If they approve the budget, we’ll fine-tune the vision with the designer. We work with the designer a lot to figure out exactly what needs to be done. The walls are often pre-made, so we don’t have to build any from scratch, but all of the trims and moldings are custom-cut, based on the designer’s idea.
Ellen Warfield: www.ewarfield.com The 4x8 Workshop: www.the4x8workshop.com
You’ve worked as a photographer. Do you think photography and set building somehow complement each other? I think when I was shooting, I was getting burned out because it is such a hustle in New York. A lot of the photojournalist stuff here is based on celebrity and business as opposed to personal story. For me, that got old quick. Now I’m woodworking and set designing all day. I don’t shoot professionally, but photography is like a release for me. I enjoy it more. What’s it like being your own boss? When I was freelancing, I had newspaper editors to deal with. Now, I am my own boss, which means I’m always working. You’re always looking for work, constantly trying to book jobs. You can have as much vacation as you want… but you don’t really. You’re always thinking about the business. No one is taking care of things—you’re taking care of things. You’re never secure—you could have a good month where you’re working every day, or a month where you work two days. When I was freelancing, I had no overhead. Here, I do—it makes me more nervous. Wouldn’t you rather have that freedom though? Hmm… well, when the money’s good, yes, but when things are bad and bills are piling up, it’d becool to have someone else deal with it. When business is good, it’s great. When it’s not, everything comes down on you. That’s the trade-off. How have you seen business changing since you’ve opened? We’ve grown tremendously. Our first shop was about 600 square feet. This one is about 4,300 square feet. Business has gone up, but the style of job has changed. We used to do these huge crazy fashion shows with Tom Brown with huge budgets that aren’t there anymore because the money isn’t there. A lot of the jobs are now smaller scale, or people shoot on locations instead of building sets. When you work with a set designer, do you only provide manual labor or do you get to be creative with the design? It depends. Tom Brown is very hands-on, he knows what he wants and communicates well. With certain set designers, they want our input and like our ideas, others know exactly what they want. Both work for us. It’s kind of all over the board. What projects are you working on right now? We’re kind of hanging out right now. Summertime is right around the corner and that’s a real busy season for us. During winter, everyone goes to Miami or L.A, but in the summer, New York looks great, there are a lot of location shots to be had. Everyone is here in the summer. We’re shooting ads for Christmas time too, which keeps us busy. Where do you think the industry could improve? It’s tough for us to recycle a lot of the materials. We help out friends and photographers who are trying to build sets and work; we use companies like Build It Green—but there really isn’t any good and efficient way of recycling a lot of set building materials. It’d probably be a great idea for someone to create a website or something—a main hub—for set builders, producers and photographers to recycle things.
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A R E YO
Intro b
y Isaac
Lopez
| Word s and P h
otos by
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Tony Ga
U TONY
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e all have that one friend who never leaves home without their point and shoot camera. That one friend who has more photo albums uploaded on Facebook than all of your other Facebook friends combined. That one friend who will nearly cause a seizure, what with the flash going off every ten seconds and all. And if you don’t have that one friend, then, well… you are that one friend. It’s a blessing and a curse, really. A blessing when, for example, you look back at those photos of you and your friends on the beach—smiling, tanning, and having a good time—and a curse when you look back at those photos of you hunched over a toilet at your friend’s roommate’s birthday party after your tenth tequila shot (not to mention having over half of your Facebook friends hitting the “Like” button). In the photo industry, “that one friend” has a name, and it’s Tony Gale. If there’s an industry event happening in New York City, you can place a safe bet on him being there, snapping away with his point and shoot. You don’t have to worry about downing shots of Jose Cuervo in excess around him, though. He leaves his camera out of your poor decision-making.
F E L A G
? S U O AM
Someone You Know
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You
? Who is Tony Gale? Tony Gale is an award winning, NYC-based photographer. Tony was raised in Bellingham, Washington (ninety miles north of Seattle) and spent most of his time as a child exploring the woods behind his parents’ house. At nineteen, after visiting Bruce Lee’s grave in Seattle and taking his first photo with a disposable camera, he bought his first camera. He promptly broke it and bought his first SLR. At twenty-one, he moved to Seattle to pursue photography, and in fall of 2000, he moved to NYC, the center of the world.
! A list of all (or as many as he could recall) events that he has been to in the last year.
Why I take the party pics. Like many photographers, when I first got a camera I took pictures of all my friends and everything I did. As a result I have a lot of photos of my late teens and early twenties. Then I started to be more concerned about the pictures I took, and ended with fewer snapshots and more work I thought had ‘portfolio potential.’ As a result I have very little record from my early twenties to my early thirties. Those friends and experiences just aren’t thoroughly documented. When I realized that, I started using my point and shoot all the time, and it really is fun, for me and others, to have those photos. Oddly no one else, in a world full of photographers, seems to do it. It has allowed me to meet and get to know a lot of great people, whom I wouldn’t have otherwise. I have people who stop and ask me to do the two person self-portrait shot, because they have seen it so many times on Facebook. I have friends who joke that they don’t exist until I have taken their picture. Really it’s just a lot of fun.
A step-by-step description of “Shooting like Tony Gale.” Step 1: Always bring your point and shoot. Step 2: Always make it fun. Step 3: Respect people who don’t want to be in a photo. Step 4: Shoot wide and a little bit from above. Step 5: Always ask people for their approval of the shot (you don’t want them to untag it later). Step 6: Always take a picture of the person you just met, with the person who introduced you. Step 7: If someone asks, take their picture. Step 8: Download as soon as you get home. Step 9: Select, upload and tag as soon as you have downloaded. I like to have pictures up by the time people get up in the morning. Step 10: And again, always make it fun.
10 Top 10 Faces: A list of the top ten people he frequently sees at industry events. 1.Jacqueline Bovaird 2.Peter Berberian 3.Daniella Nilva Cunningham 4.Frank Rocco 5.Stephen Mallon 6.Andrew Hetherington 7.Lindsey Nicholson 8.Audrie Lawrence 9.Kaia Hemming 10.Casey Kelbaugh
A few extra random tips. Always use the flash. Always keep the battery charged. Always have your camera. Never shoot from a low angle. Always use the wrist strap. Always check your settings.
;)
Adhesive, April Take 5ive, April APANY Portfolio Review Win-Initative 10 Best 10 Happy Hour Adhesive, March Parsons MFA Open Studio “The Pleasure Is All Mine” Opening APANY “Define and Market Your Visual Voice” Discussion “The Greatest Party in the World” RETV Launch FPS Fest Adhesive, February ASMPNY Fine Art Portfolio Review Adhesive, January “Moment of Recognition” Opening “Resolve to Connect” APANY and Resource Magazine “Art from the Heart” Vanderbilt Republic Opening SPD Holiday Party Fotocare Holiday Party APANY Holiday Party ASMPNY Holiday Party Adhesive, November Roberto de Luna Opening Eddie Adams Workshops, Happy Hour Broncolor/Resource/Scheimpflug Halloween Party Shoot NYC Party Sony/American Photo Party Industria Studio party Lucies Awards EP, Face Time at The Maritime Hotel IPA/Lucies Awards Party Adhesive, October YPA Benefit ASPP, Three Photographers x Three Projects Eye’em Party APANY Photo Contest Party ASMPNY Photo Contest Party APANY/Apple Store Lecture with Monte Isom Salaam Garage Happy Hour Adhesive, September Take 5ive, September Hipstamatic Opening “Bill Diodato/Ward 81” Opening Adhesive, July “The View From Here” Launch “Sultry II” Opening APANY Contest, Reception Adhesive, June “State of Flux” Opening Le Book Productions Adhesive, May NYPH/Slideluck Potshow
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INTERVIEW:
MICHAEL TOMPERT OF RAYGUN STUDIO By Alex Baker I Images courtesy of Raygun Studio
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rom movies to sporting events to advertising images, 3D is becoming more prominent in many aspects of culture. At the forefront of these developments in the realm of still images is Raygun Studio. Founded by Michael Tompert in 2005, Raygun is a small 3D graphics, CGI and retouching house in Palo Alto, California. With a client list that includes top agencies like BBDO, Y&R and Butler Shine, as well as photographers like Eric Almas and Robert Schlatter, Raygun has since established itself as one of the preeminent producers of advertising, editorial and creative 3D images on the West Coast.
What was your first 3D project? It was for a company that wanted to use a chess game metaphor, with the final image being a 3D chess game. I was promising I could do the image in 3D and it could be photo-real. The rendering times were two or three days just for this one image. The client asked, “Can we change this?” but we ran out of time! That’s when I realized—you can cook up anything you like and with enough hard work you can render anything, but to get it photo-real, the technology just was not there. We did finish the print and I still have that piece and I love it. But it gave me such a respect for [the challenges of working in 3D] that I kind of backed off 3D for quite a few years. When did you go back? I got back into 3D around 2000 or 2001.
When you take on a project, is the idea already very specific or is any of it generated organically? Well, an art director comes in and has an idea that’s pretty specific. But what I find is that you can only imagine in the realm that you are familiar with. So a lot of art directors may imagine a scene or an image in the realm of what their experience is and what they’ve seen. With 3D, [the creative process] is somewhat organic because, during the explorations of our first phase, we may come across things that are even more amazing or even more suitable, or things that nobody could imagine. Are art directors open to that? I’ve been lucky enough that I’ve worked with a number of really amazing art directors who were very open; not only that but [they] kind of pushed me and said, “Yes, don’t be afraid.” An art director called me and said, “You know what, just imagine you were doing this image for yourself. Just make it the way you would want to have it.“ That took such an immense weight off my shoulders. It kind of set me free to just play with it, and when I saw something I liked I would hold it.
What lead you to start Raygun? I started the company because I wanted to make photorealistic images and have that control of illustration or painting. That’s what I want to do. It’s really about creating an image and working with an image.
Was the client happy with the finished product? Yes, very much. It was very different from where it started but everybody was happy.
What influenced you to take 3D to such a photorealistic level? Hajime Sorayama and other airbrush artists or painters, where their work would look so unbelievably photorealistic, you’d be surprised when you found out it’s not a photograph. It had the realism of a photograph but it had the freedom of illustration or painting. I was always attracted to what people could do right where those two things meet.
What are the limitations or challenges to working in 3D? The only limitation is the ability to actually get familiar with the tools. With 3D becoming such a big industry, there’s a lot of pressure to constantly deliver more features, more capabilities, and more tools. The challenge really is to stay on top of the tools and find the time to actually get cozy with them.
Client: ESET Creative Director: Jon Soto, BBDO SF Print Producer: Owen Bly, BBDO SF Photographer: Bryan Davis CGI rats, special effects and finish art: Raygun Studio The campaign visualized the dangers of leaving your computer running without ESET software, which protects computers from bugs, viruses, worms and other virtual pests that stage unauthorized break-ins on your computer late at night.
Raygun Studio: www.raygunstudio.com
How did you get into 3D? 3D is something I got into in the early ‘90s in art school. I picked up a copy of Strata Vision [a 3D program] and was playing around with that.
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3D seems to have moved forward by leaps and bounds. Is the process getting any easier? Yes it is. In 3D you’re coming from something that’s basically like an engineering program. In the interface everything is at your disposal and everything can be controlled, but it’s all with mathematic terms. They’re all laid bare and you can control every single one—but unless you understand how these things interact with each other, you’re batting in the dark. Because 3D is becoming more mainstream, what I see now is that with programs like KeyShot there is more emphasis on improving the user interface to become more human. Where is 3D heading? I read this article saying that Pixar has this master plan of preparing us for a world of machines. I thought that was funny because the only thing that I ever saw Pixar do was, whenever there was a huge breakthrough in technology, they would make a movie around it. I think every time that there is a big breakthrough in what can be modeled and rendered and simulated you’ll see it embraced and shown off; the holy grail is certainly having digital actors. Is animation becoming a bigger part of working in 3D? I’ve consciously stayed away from it.
Why is that? The 3D motion world is such a huge world, and I know people who just disappeared in it. You know them one day and then they’re gone. I’m sure they fell into this manhole and wound up in some warehouse in L.A., and you see them three years later after the movie is done. It’s just such a suck-hole for getting swallowed up. When you get into motion you’re talking about teams and they refer to the work as “rendering pipelines.” These movies are really made like a Ford automobile, where you have a manufacturing and assembly line and you have a lot of people each doing one small thing. That’s the world of 3D motion; I consciously stay away from that because one thing I know for sure is I always want to be involved in the art. How many people work on your projects? It can be just myself or I have some people who model for me or do parts of it. If there’s a photographer involved it could be up to ten people by the time you count in stylists. But for every project, I’m working on the image directly. How many other people work at Raygun? I have a small staff and a network of amazing freelancers. Since I want to make these images, I don’t want to be running an organization that makes the images, so to that end I try and keep it small. I’m not trying to build a big company. What I’m trying to do is do what I love and make a living.
DeveLOPMent:
ATTIC STUDIOS By isaac Lopez i Photos by elise Gannett
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alking into random buildings in industrial neighborhoods always has the potential to yield interesting results. If we’ve learned anything from the
movies (always a goldmine of morals and lessons we could apply to our everyday lives, of course), building exploration can end in scenarios ranging from finding millions of dollars stashed in a sack (good) to being discovered by the building’s unofficial lone “resident” and waking up tied up against a pole (not so good). In Peter Clark’s case, he might not have walked away with a bag of dirty cash when he wandered into an industrial building on 44th Road in Long Island City back in December 2009 (and, I’m glad to report, he is NOT being used as some drifter’s experimental guinea pig), but he did walk away with the determination to make something out of the sprawling 3,200 square foot space he had stumbled upon.
After finalizing their lease in March 2010 (and doing so without any prior business know-how between them), they set on renovating the vast space, giving themselves two months to have everything up and ready for Attic’s opening party. While the space wasn’t completely raw and was relatively well kept, it still needed a bit of work done. The duo initially thought they’d be able to sand and finish the wooden floors in about three to five days. Not so. “It took us two weeks,” said Clark, adding that even with the help of some friends of theirs, they still found themselves doing twenty-hour shifts just to get the floors sanded and finished. But now, all of that hard work is paying off. Since Attic opened last May, they’ve been attracting clients such as
“A lot of times, people come here because it’s private,” said Clark. “It’s different than shooting at the bigger studio complexes where you have, like, ten studios and they have to worry about security and walking people through without creating a big scene.” Attic has also been attracting a lot of younger, up-andcoming talents, and for that, the duo gives credit to their new membership program. For a flat monthly rate, members essentially get first dibs on studio time. So far, according to Clark and Hawkes, those who’ve signed up for the membership program are really serious about what they’re doing. “[Attic] is kind of turning into their home base, it’s kind of like having their own studio,” said Hawkes. “They’re starting to shoot some really good editorials, and some smaller ad stuff… they’ve really been shooting a lot.” Clark and Hawkes, who met while working at a lighting company several years ago, are already thinking of Attic’s future and are mulling over possibly opening up a second space. While nothing is set in stone just yet, they do plan on staying put in Long Island City—because of its proximity to Manhattan, for sure, but more so because of its connection to Brooklyn, both physically and creatively. “There’s that ‘Brooklyn-Queens Creative Corridor’ that mirrors Manhattan—Williamsburg, Greenpoint, Long Island City, even down to Red Hook,” said Clark. “We’re just over the Pulaski Bridge, so it’s like five stop lights to Williamsburg and Greenpoint.” Hawkes added, “Where Manhattan is the ‘creative center,’ where there are all of the ad agencies and marketing companies, this is where the things that they’re dreaming up actually happen. This is where the nuts and bolts are.”
Elise Gannet: www.elisegannett.com
Clark, instantly smitten with his discovery, phoned friend and former co-worker Matt Hawkes, who himself had been trying to open a photo studio for a while. Within the span of a few months, the space—formerly a storage facility for precious art such as Mark Rothko paintings—became Attic Studios.
Details Magazine and hip-hop artists 88-Keys and Mac Miller—the latter recently shot the video for his song “Donald Trump” (which has over 9 million views on YouTube at the time of this writing) entirely at Attic, using both the indoor and roof studios. As for any other big names who came for a shoot or a private event—Attic also doubles as an event space for anything from weddings to film screenings and bar mitzvahs—both Clark and Hawkes were tight-lipped.
Attic Studio: www.atticstudios.net
“I walked up the stairs and came in, and there was this big open room,” said Clark. “When you live for ten years in a studio apartment, and you walk into a space like this, you’re immediately like, ‘I want to come here every day.’”
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DAwn OF tHe inDUStrY:
SKIP COHEN
PArt 1
By Skip Cohen | illustration by Angel Ortiz
I
t’s 1970 and I’m trying to find a job. Time Magazine has a picture of a college grad in cap and gown pumping gas! There are no jobs and I’ve just completed two and a half years of being every parent’s worst nightmare as a college student. I spent more time perfecting my pinball game than opening a book. I’d be on suspension, afraid of getting booted. I’d buckle down, get the grades then start the cycle all over again. I wasn’t stupid; just lazy, unmotivated and unable to figure out what I wanted to be when I grew up—no, I just didn’t want to grow up!
They finally suspended me and I needed to figure out what to do. I had a girlfriend from Boston and decided it was time to leave the nest, say good-bye to Ohio and hello to New England. I found a job at Polaroid for $2.89 an hour washing bottles in their research lab. It was the most I’d ever made and it paid the rent on my basement apartment in Boston’s Back Bay which I shared with a few other tenants—100,000 cockroaches! I remember a quote from an article in the Boston Globe that year: “The cockroaches were in Boston before man and they’ll be here long after man is extinct.” In 1972, having graduated from bottle washer, I was making emulsions in the lab. I had always had an interest in photography—even worked in the hometown newspaper’s darkroom during high school—but where, oh where was the connection to what would later be called imaging? Polaroid hadn’t come out with the SX-70 yet, so it was all peel-apart film, but it was free and it was fun to use. I was twenty-one, married, and actually had some pretty decent images on Polaroid film. But my real camera was a hand-medown Agfa 35mm, later upgraded to a Konica. They were both rangefinders and I shot roll after roll of slides. After all, it was good enough for my Dad when I was growing up, so it would be good enough for my family too
My first SLR came to be when I dropped the Konica in the ocean while on vacation. It was a terrific little Minolta. I bought a 70-200mm Vivitar lens and all of a sudden I thought of myself as being a little closer to looking like a professional. Back at Polaroid, I had gone as far as I could without a degree and was stuck hanging out in Research. The lab coat, pocket protector and slide rule just weren’t my future. For years I had gone on interviews within Polaroid in an effort to get out of R&D. Polaroid had over 20,000 employees back then, so there were lots of jobs on the posting board every day. I’d gone back to school nights at Boston University, working on finishing my education—marriage and a child on the way definitely force you to think more about a career. Maturity had reared its ugly head and I had settled down. I had a purpose—my family— and a company I was growing to love. By the mid-70’s SX-70 technology was introduced and in came the first pivotal turning point in my career. I had actually made it out of Research and taken a job as a staffer in Production… Oops, I missed the signs of a lay-off! There’s not a lot for a staffer to do when people are getting let go. I actually wound up giving myself my own lay-off notice one day. Having once been hourly, I had rights to bump back into the ranks—enter Customer Service.
The SX-70 was in full swing, and 300% defective on those first few thousand units. The result was total chaos in Customer Service and my introduction to some incredibly talented people, all following the lead of Jon Wolbarst, a VP and Polaroid’s consumer advocate. He was an inspiration, totally dedicated to the role of being the corporation’s conscience. Talking to one angry customer after another was an incredible education. The job led to relocating to Chicago as Camera Repair Supervisor in one of Polaroid’s largest repair facilities. My responsibilities were growing. I was getting experience as a supervisor with a crew of twenty or so people to manage. I had my first mortgage on a townhouse condominium, and I got my first gray hairs dealing with absenteeism, budgets, audits, inventory management and plenty of customers needing service. Here’s where my greatest management lesson came into play: “Own your own shit!” (If I’ve offended anybody with my use of profanity, get over it. There is no better expression!) I had a crisis one weekend on the Kentucky Driver’s License program using Polaroid equipment. The mistake was entirely my fault and I could either bury the problem or just man-up and own it. So, I published a memo to the world about the problem, my mistake, and then went into detail on how I would make sure it would never happen
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again. My approach to the problem, in a company where so many managers never took responsibility, got me instant stardom. I had actually stepped up and said, “Hey, I screwed up, but here’s how I fixed it!” It was a new concept in corporate culture.
Angel Ortiz: www.angeore.daportfolio.com
I’m not sure how it all happened, but somewhere traveling down the Polaroid path, I was promoted to Regional Services Manager, which eventually led to a staff position and took me back to New England. That change became the most incredible experience of my career—I was the Customer Service Manager for Polaroid’s subsidiaries. I traveled all over Europe and the Pacific for two and a half years, meeting with all of the Polaroid Customer Service staff. It was an amazing experience, but it couldn’t have been tougher on my family—I was home for three weeks and out for two. Remember, this was before cell phones and the Internet. We were allowed one call home a week—usually kept to three to five minutes. There was nobody to call for help if you got stuck, but the intensity of the travel definitely forced you to grow up and take responsibility for your decisions. The overseas job took me to another pivotal point when one day the VP of the division asked me to join his staff on the Marketing/Sales side of Polaroid’s U.S. domestic market. “I don’t know anything about selling stuff!” I exclaimed. I’ll never
forget his response: “Are you kidding me? You’ve been selling me your screwball ideas for years!” I was with the company for fifteen years at this point, but I didn’t realize this new assignment would be my last job at Polaroid and another critical stepping stone for me. I was the photo-specialty dealer manager with $120 million dollars worth of Polaroid’s business. I had responsibility for all of the U.S. camera stores. At the time, there were only three of us in the entire industry at that level. Ricoh, Kodak, and Polaroid all had channel managers, with somebody assigned to camera stores. Marketing, sales, traveling throughout the U.S., and even a couple of Rose Bowl trips, all became part of this “navy-gets-the-gravy” assignment. Polaroid was back on top and along with the benefits came box seats for entertaining accounts at Boston Garden, Red Sox games, and a national network of sales people looking for great marketing programs to help sell more Polaroid products. *Ding* It’s another of life’s lessons… I got credit for some pretty amazing marketing programs, but not one was honestly that original. All the answers are out there if you just talk to your target audience. I’d walk into a retail store and ask the buyer, “After you tell me I’m out of mind, what would it take for you to double your Polaroid sales next year?” The suggestions would come pouring out
so fast, I’d have a hard time writing them all down. Next, I’d ask the Polaroid sales rep the same kind of question: “If we doubled your sales quota for next year, what would it take for you to not only make quota, but beat it by 25%?” Again, all the answers were there—they needed money they could spend on dealer contests; they needed great POP (Point of Purchase) material; they needed extended dating terms to help the retailers bring in the inventory, and most important of all, they needed local and national advertising to help create pull rather than push. All I did was listen! I absolutely loved Polaroid, but a phone call in 1987 changed my life and elevated my love for photography forever. “Skip, my name is Mark Chappell, with Egon Zehnder, and I’m wondering if you know of anybody who might be interested in being president of a small camera company.” I thought it was my brother-in-law pulling a practical joke. I used a few of my favorite four-letter words, told him I was too busy to screw around and went to hang up as Mark screamed, “No, this isn’t a joke!” The next morning we had breakfast and three months later I took over as President of Hasselblad USA—but that’s another story…
ONE TO ONE
76
The history of
PHASE
ONE
By Anthony rivas i visuals courtesy of Phase One
O
ne morning in May, before the sun had even risen yet, Claus Pedersen and Holger Obenaus made their way to the Bulls Bay Golf Course in South Carolina. Arriving early ensured that they’d be the first golfers on the course and, although they were excited to play a round at such a scenic golf course, the pair was actually meeting for a whole other purpose. Holger, a professional photographer, specializing in shooting golf courses, had invited Claus, the U.S. president of photo equipment company, Phase One, to attend a photo shoot in which he was using one of their latest products, the Phase One IQ180. The golf course meeting had been planned weeks in advance and every detail was noted on a very concise shoot list—covering every shot that would be taken, from silhouettes of Claus, the IQ180, and a golf cart against the rising sun, to a close-up of a ball going into a hole, to shots of the pair simply unloading their car. “Being at the golf course at 5:45 a.m. waiting for the 6.14 a.m. sunrise, setting up, getting ready and experiencing how a friend and professional photographer plans and executes his work, was an experience that was very special to me,” Claus said.
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“The software is the heart of the company”
Claus Pedersen
From its inception in 1993 by entrepreneur Samir Lehaff, the Denmark-based company went from focusing on scanning paintings to creating digital camera backs and RAW file conversion software. Within three years, they put out two digital scan backs; their StudioKit and PhotoPhase came in at 9 and 36 megapixels, respectively—relatively low resolutions by today’s standards but top-of-the-line at the time. However, what really made the company different was their commitment to creating open-system photography equipment. This open system allows Phase One camera backs to be used on many types of cameras, whether they are Contax, Mamiya, Hasselblad or other medium format, or technical cameras as the Alpa or Arca-Swiss. This benefitted photographers who were able to use the same camera back and therefore, the same settings, on any camera they were shooting with. Phase One prides itself on offering this open system. Closed systems, which have been popping up more recently, have left photographers in a “tough spot,” Claus said. “Photographers are creative people, and creative people really don’t want to be limited.”
In 1998, Phase One took baby steps into the software market, releasing their first version of Capture One. Just like the hardware, it was also developed to be an open-system product. “The software is a huge part of our company, and it presents a workflow that is used at most professional studios,” Claus said. Capture One RAW file conversion and workflow software helped photographers streamline their work so that no matter what camera they were using, they didn’t have to change programs, preferences, or even go from one program to another transferring files. As the software was upgraded, it became better at helping photographers capture, adjust and manage even large volumes of images efficiently, always rendering the best possible quality from the image— qualities that arguably aren’t matched by other programs such as Photoshop. For the next few years, Phase One continued to improve their Capture One software as well as their digital camera backs, becoming the leader and reference in the pro market. In 2009, the company began to make some big moves. They bought Leaf Imaging, a competitor in digital camera backs, and purchased a major stake in the Mamiya camera company. Phase One became a well-rounded photo equipment company with these acquisitions. Working with Mamiya, the Phase One 645 DF medium format camera was released—this model is able to support the P+ series of camera backs, as well as their most recent backs called the IQ series. It was an IQ 180 (an 80-megapixel back) that Holger was testing on the golf course. Holger played around with zoom, focus, and other particulars of the system in order to shoot all the different scenarios from his shot list. He had many good things to say about the back, among them was that he would no longer need his laptop when shooting on location, thanks to the screen’s high quality. He also confessed moving away from his DSLR cameras in favor of the IQ180— after all, who would choose a 25-megapixel camera over an 80-megapixel one? The answer is that no one would, or should, and many photographers have realized this. The IQ is one of a kind, in more than one way. Its excellent quality comes at a price though. It’s one of the most expensive pieces of equipment on the market, priced at about $45,000. Phase One understands the challenge that comes with high prices, too. Not many people want to dish out that much cash on a camera back alone, but that’s where Phase One’s personal relations come in—the company goes the extra mile to help familiarize photographers with its products in order to ensure a better user experience. The golf course shoot was not the first time that Claus had met with one of Phase One’s customers. In fact, it is one of the company’s core values to be directly connected with their customers and their employees. Even today, the CEO Henrik Håkonsson knows his employees by first name and his door is always open in case anyone wants to converse. Claus spends weeks and sometimes months traveling around the country connecting with photographers. He collects their input and sends all of it to Denmark where R&D works on the most popular suggestions,
79
such as featuring a line to mark the horizon, which is requested by both landscape and architectural photographers—in this instance, the company went a step further and added roll and yaw guides to their camera backs to ensure alignment. “We have so many people writing back to us saying, ‘Hey, I had this idea for you guys, and now I see it’s been implemented. Thanks so much.’ And that’s what it’s all about,” Claus said. “Let’s face it, it’s a high end camera, and a lot of photographers don’t easily spend $50,000 (for the entire camera). So we have a niche market and we need to know our customers. [The partnership] doesn’t start when you buy the camera, it starts when you start using it. We need your feedback to improve.” In their effort to help people use their products to their full potential, Phase One also offers Capture One certification classes. Anyone can take them; once certified, they can promote themselves as certified Phase One digital techs, almost guaranteeing increased business. “This guy in San Diego got five jobs in only two months because he was the only certified tech there,” Claus said with a snicker. “And he said to me, ‘Please don’t have anymore classes in San Diego.’” Another strong example of Phase One’s connection with their customers are the PODAS (Phase One Digital Artist Series) workshops, which are held worldwide. New, as well as established medium-format shooters are loaned state-of-the-art, full medium format camera kits while on location for a week, shooting side-by-side with people from Phase One R&D and well known instructors (see more at www. PODAS.info).
With a good hold on the market and the ability to constantly work on new things, Phase One is looking pretty good right now. The IQ series came out this year and lenses are being put out frequently—more lenses will be launched within the next six months. New products and new business ventures (partnering with other companies or even acquiring more) are all things that the company may look into in the future. “Even before we launch a product, we’re already working on the next generation,” Claus said. “Phase One is a company that is always on the edge.”
INTERVIEW:
WAREHOUSE AGENCY By Marc Cadiente I Artworks courtesy of Warehouse Agency
W
hen the secret to success means going against everything you’ve ever been told, shown and experienced, naturally you’d do a double take. But for one advertising agency, the secret to success is exactly that, bolstered by a fresh point of view, driven by passion and powered by a team of creatives you wouldn’t likely encounter at other agencies. For Warehouse, the secret to success isn’t scary; it’s exciting—and it shows on the faces of its employees.
In the gut of New York’s Financial District, a tough little cookie of an agency just over three years old is impacting the advertising industry in a way too rarely seen. Warehouse is getting noticed by a world in need of stimulation—a world once dominated by big corporate agencies that dictated how the general public viewed itself. Sitting at an oval table in a darkened conference room is a team of execs—a group of good-looking, laid back, young professionals. Hip and creative, this is the new generation of trendsetters that is slowly but surely opening the eyes of the ‘masses’ and making them crave substance and intelligence once more, provoking discussion and excitement.
James Baldi, CEO and founder of Warehouse, sits at the head of the table—a powerhouse of a man in a compact package, exuberant and animated. He explains that Warehouse was created from his own belief that advertising and branding could be approached and expressed differently from the traditional corporate view. He knows that view well—James had a successful run as Creative Director with Deutsch Inc. prior to starting Warehouse. Following the World Trade Center tragedy, the country was in a funk, and the advertising world followed suit. Business was bad and the agencies that survived created messages that were safe. James wanted to create a message that
would awaken the public. His vision for a new agency incorporated passion and creativity, simplicity and authenticity. The agency would make all the employees—the collective—equally important. What they have to offer is not rejected. What they say is heard; what they see is viewed by all. Warehouse was born and James’s philosophy was put to the test. So far, so good.
Warehouse is getting noticed by a world in need of stimulation—a world once dominated by big corporate agencies that dictated how the general public viewed itself.
EVERYTHING’S COMING UP SPACIOUS
WHERE I LIVE AWA K E N S M Y S P I R I T WHERE I LIVE RESTORES MY BODY
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v i t a l i t y. I l i v e a t t h e o n l y t r u e w e l l n e s s s p a .
v i t a l i t y. I l i v e a t t h e o n l y t r u e w e l l n e s s s p a .
NEVER ON THE FIRST DATE
WE’RE CUT FROM A DIFFERENT CLOTH
BUT THEN I SAW HIS APARTMENT ...
WE DON’T KNOW WHAT IT’S CALLED, JUST THAT IT WINS MORE THAN ANY OTHER KIND OF CLOTH.
Bored with handbags, Catherine noted her extravagant 13’ ceilings and began a chandelier collection.
ONE OF A KIND
LUXURY CONDOMINIUMS
Warehouse Agency: www.warehouseagencynyc.com
COME HOME TO THE LUXURY OF WELLNESS A home with incomparable health and fitness amenities. A lifestyle built on relaxation and
WE'VE SET THE BAR HIGHER Our very own Suede Bar is the perfect place to lift your glass after a day on the slopes. Its eclectic menu of signature cocktails and inventive tapas bar raise the standard apres ski drink to dizzying heights.
A H I G H E R S TAT E O F C O N S C I O U S N E S S Capella lets you rest above it all. In ultimate comfort. And should you awaken in the middle of the night with a sweet tooth, our concierge never sleeps. Sweet dreams.
RESORT AND SPA HOTEL AND RESIDENCE CONDOMINIUMS OPENING WINTER 2008-2009 SALES CENTER LOCATED AT THE INN AT LOST CREEK 1-970-728-8768 CAPELLATELLURIDE.COM
RESORT AND SPA HOTEL AND RESIDENCE CONDOMINIUMS OPENING WINTER 2008-2009 SALES CENTER LOCATED AT THE INN AT LOST CREEK 1-970-728-8768 CAPELLATELLURIDE.COM
Being such a young agency, Warehouse was considered the underdog, but business came easily. Since the agency opened shop, it hasn’t struggled to bring in a client. No, really. James insists that clients came as easily as a phone call. Word travels fast by mouth and the agency is thriving. James has found the secret to running a successful agency. Perhaps it’s because he truly understands what it takes on the inside of a company to perform for those outside the walls. The agency involves its clients in the entire process of the campaign and makes them feel that they are collaborating and contributing, while at the same time leading them in the direction they feel would best benefit that client.
olive-skinned man with a strong jawline appears against a white background. Each ad leading up to the opening date of the resort shows him enjoying a single amenity, all the while never revealing his eyes. In the last series, the man’s face is finally uncovered, but his eyes remain closed. A turn of the page, and his eyes are open with a simple headline “OPENING 2009.” This is where branding meshes with advertising. The agency was not only selling the resort but a life, the essence of the product.
“Advertising is still advertising,” muses Claudette Martin. She is sitting next to James at the table. Young and wellspoken, Claudette started as an intern at the agency and in a short amount of time, has worked her way up to Associate Creative Director. “The purpose of advertising is to attract people, and sometimes that is not an easy task.” But Claudette’s passion for this stuff is evident. Working closely with the agency’s artists and having a deep understanding of the business, she brings her own style of direction to the collective.
Claudette clicks on another campaign, this time for One Brooklyn, a luxury condominium complex. For this, the agency again opted out of showing the actual building and focused on the lifestyle of living there. The print ads and the client website are comprised mainly of computer-rendered cartoon images. The team created imaginary characters who took on a bit of a Sex and the City vibe. Each persona is reflective of a diverse New York resident, and each is accompanied by a single witty remark about that character. The ads are straight to the point, somewhat sassy and always clever—exactly what would be expected of a New Yorker—and visually unexpected and playful.
Claudette quickly types onto her keyboard and the agency’s internal website pops up on the projection screen. A couple of clicks and the campaign for a ski resort in Colorado is displayed. How to attract people to the hotel? Unlike conventional ads, no smiling family members—let alone skis—appear. Warehouse decided to go in a different direction and looked to fashion for inspiration. In the series of print ads, an
Warehouse explores what is relevant in our society today and uses that information to make its clients more attractive. What usually works is something simple, smart and bold.
James leaves the conference momentarily, and the remaining members continue to talk about their work enthusiastically. They are a part of the same collective of artists, writers and designers that makes Warehouse so unique and exciting. Among them is Creative
For the Capella campaign, branding meshes with advertising. The agency is not only selling the resort but a life, the essence of the product. Director Lou Stellato, a mild-mannered, thoughtful speaker. With professional experience as a writer and a MTV exec (but none in advertising), he may not be exactly who you’d expect at an ad agency, but that’s exactly what James was looking for—someone who would provide a fresh view on things, someone who could think outside of the preconceived advertising formulas. Across from Lou is Jake Steele. Charming and informed, he’s the youngest looking Account Director I’ve met. And finally there’s Nick Elliott, a transplant from California whose experience includes being a freelance writer who never really had to walk into an office. What business do these people have working at an ad agency? They all share what James recognizes as passion. Like the rest of the collective, each of them brings something new to the table. Their energy is free flowing, exciting, and contagious. This energy can be felt at the very core of the office. The agency exudes success. Everyone is working and everyone is smiling—everyone. The atmosphere, it seems, is the ideal setting for any company. Employees are regarded equally. What they do matters. People want to work here. Even I asked (twice) if they were hiring. Like James says, “Everyone wants to be smarter, sexier, cooler, better.”
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By Justin Muschong I Visuals courtesy of We Transfer
At the gym recently, I found nothing to watch but a terrible sitcom. It was better than the alternate option—silence—which would have left me alone with my empty, vacuous thoughts. So I ran and watched, gritting my teeth at the hack jokes, and felt almost relieved when the commercials came on. These brief, thirty-second bits of information were beautifully shot and smartly edited. Some of them were even funny. All my life I’ve hated commercials, but there, in that gym, I realized some ads have become more artful than the programs that are actually supposed to entertain us. What happened?
I’m generalizing, of course. But I think you know what I’m talking about. Today, the in-the-know consumer wants advertising to be a two-way street. “OK,” they say. “I’ll listen to your pitch. I’ll tolerate your plea. But I have to be getting something in ret-urn. Entertain me. Make me laugh. Dazzle my eyes. Provide me with a freebie. And then, maybe, if I really do need your product, I’ll buy it. But no promises.” Even then, the pitch is barely tolerated. No one ever sat through a commercial on Hulu and thought, “Oh boy, an ad! Yes, Home Depot is highly relevant to me and my life!” WeTransfer may change that. Go to their site and you may actually think, “Hey, cool ad! Can I make it my wallpaper?” It will probably be a new sensation for you, but one you’ll eagerly seek out because it comes with a service that will impress you even more.
Based in the U.S.and the Netherlands, WeTransfer is a handy dandy file sharing service. Need to send a bunch of thick, tiresome, PDF contracts to a client in another country? WeTransfer. Have to share photographs with an editor across town? WeTransfer. Want to show your friends high resolution screenshots of all your hilarious tweets? WeTransfer. There are several unique aspects to it that place it ahead of competitors, but perhaps the most notable is that it allows users to transfer up to two gigabytes (or “GB,” as it is known in the nerd biz) for absolutely free. How? It incorporates advertising. (Confession: Resource Magazine is one of the advertisers. You caught us red-handed.) “So what?” you’re thinking. “A lot of free sites are supported by advertising.” Ah yes, but WeTransfer knows you hate looking at those ads, so they maintain strict visual standards. No cluttered web banners or annoying pop up windows here. Its team of designers ensures that each ad is compelling to the eye, so much so that you might not even realize it’s an ad. It works like this: Go to the website (wetransfer.com, a-duhh) to find a simple iPod-looking box with four sections. In the first section, it asks the user to upload files. The second two are for the e-mail addresses of the sender and receiver. The last section is for an optional message. Fill in the blanks and then click “Transfer.” Boom. Done. Free.
Justin Muschong: www.justinmuschong.com
The culture changed. Advertising became ubiquitous, invading every aspect of our lives. Consumers became more knowledgeable. They learned all the tricks, and got tired of constant pleas to buy crap they didn’t need. They got tired of ads aiming for their baser instincts. They got tired of the condescension inherent in most sales pitches. They began putting up mental blocks. To get past those blocks, advertisers had to evolve. They had to move beyond the direct pitch. They had to start getting… arty.
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Behind the iPod thingie is a shuffling array of advertisements, a new one every forty-five seconds. Each one is designed to look like posters, paintings and artworks a user might want to dwell on. Logos and words are kept to a minimum; sometimes the only indication of the advertiser is a tiny sentence in the corner that says “This advertisement is brought to you by ____.” In between ads for major brands—your Heinzes, your Apples, your Ladies Gaga—are pieces created by artists, photographers, and designers, which keeps the rotation beautiful and striking. A user can click on the ad and be taken to the advertiser’s site, or they can download it on WeTransfer’s Facebook page (after “Liking” them, of course) and make it their own wallpaper background. The site lives up to WeTransfer’s motto: “We believe in simplicity.” WeTransfer began as a tool. Founder and CEO Bas Beerens was heading an agency, OY Communications, when he realized they needed to reduce courier costs and come up with an easier way to send big files. Bas and his team created OY Transfer, which proved so useful that one of OY’s clients, Nike, soon preferred it to their own internal system. Bas then met Nalden—who goes by “Nalden” alone—whose blog was a popular “online desktop” that brands were eager to appear on. Nalden and Bas joined forces with Rinke Visser, whose background was in advertising, and together they developed and launched WeTransfer. Word spread fast. Their six-month goals were met in one month. They kept tweaking the site, improving the service for both users and advertisers. They discovered that the cleaner an ad, the better the click rate. The design team began adapting the submissions from paid advertisers so they fit the aesthetics of the site. Today, advertisers enjoy a 4% click-through rate, a phenomenal number in this business. “We never expected this so fast,” Bas says. “You never know what’s going to work—although we had a good feeling about it.” What makes that success even more noteworthy is the way it has spread. WeTransfer doesn’t advertise itself on other websites or in magazines. It relies on good publicity and word of mouth. Helping
that is the site’s own functionality and ease of use. According to Bas, “What works for us is the viral aspect. One out of three receivers from a WeTransfer download becomes a sender. It grows automatically.” Of course, as a Web 2.0 company (or are we into 3.0 yet?), WeTransfer encourages that viral aspect through social media, asking users to visit its Facebook page. Averse to spamming, WeTransfer relies on social media to interact with users and collect their feedback and recommendations. Even a small suggestion about changing the color of a wallpaper will be considered and possibly implemented. And like any good web company, WeTransfer offers customization options for those willing to spend some cash. For $120 per year, a user can set up a branded channel of their very own as a sort of personalized FTP service. They get a WeTransfer URL, personalized e-mail, four-week file storage, and the ability to upload their own wallpapers and customize them so sender and receiver see different images. So far, photographers and global companies are some of the most enthusiastic users of this service. Additional options will be coming out in the next few months. As for security (a hot Internet topic thanks to the PlayStation Network’s crash and burn), WeTransfer stores a sender’s files on its servers for only two weeks (as previously noted, subscription channels get four weeks). Once that time period is over, a user won’t need to stress about the whereabouts of their files. But what about during those two weeks? Though there have been no incidents thus far, WeTransfer has built-in security to its servers, whilst simultaneously encrypting the files it hosts. It is also currently in talks with a major Interwebz company to take over its hosting duties. We can’t tell you which one it is yet, but you know who they are. Let’s get to the meat and potatoes, the thing you, a struggling artist craving attention, media spotlight, and gold bullion, want to know: What’s a guy/gal have to do to get their work featured on WeTransfer and placed in front of the eyes of thousands of people around the world? The easiest way would probably be to “Like” them on Facebook and send them your materials. If they think your
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work is a fit, they’ll respond. They also find a lot of artists through networking with friends and colleagues, and will sort out deals with them—reduced rates, the possibility of exchanging work for a spot on the rotation, etc... The important thing to remember is that they want to feature great artists because that keeps the general quality of the advertisements high. “It is nice for the eye, but it also forces advertisers to come up with something they can compete with,” Bas reports. So if you got something to offer, they’ll take a look at it.
“What works for us is the viral aspect. One out of three receivers from a WeTransfer download becomes a sender. It grows automatically.” As cutting-edge and trendy as advertising tries to be, most of it still sucks. Like any other art form (yes, I called it “art,” think of that what you will), there are far more misses than hits, and odds are good that any random commercial is going to be tedious instead of innovative. WeTransfer is there to collect the innovative ads and use them to support a great tool. Think of them as a gallery for the advertising world, one that offers really kick-ass parking validation.
GEAR TO DIE FOR RESOURCE MAGAZINE PRODUCT GUIDE 2011 Your primal instincts kick into overdrive. The rush of the hunt fills your blood with adrenaline. You can taste it now. The shot. The kill. There’s an animalistic satisfaction in having a shotgun in hand, bullets in your pocket and mud on your boots. The prize gets mounted to your wall as your guests “ohh and aww” at your sportsmanship. With a whiff of gunpowder, you’re off for the next kill. So maybe you’re not a hunter. Maybe you’re a vegan. But there are undoubtedly parallels between a hunter and a photographer. A frame for a bullet, a camera for a gun, and an art for a sport. Your hunt is getting your next great shot. Don’t venture into the forest without the right tools by your side. So polish up your DSLR, load up your flash cards, and pack up your tripods… A hunting we will go!
DANG GRIZZLIES
DSLRs AND MEDIUM FORMAT DIGITAL
Sigma SD1 — This 46-megapixel DSLR comes in a splash-proof, easy-to-handle build that is similar to that of a classic 35mm camera. The SD1’s exclusive Foveon 23.5x15.7mm APC-C X3 direct image sensor will help you capture exceptionally rich and detailed images. Shown with a 17-50mm 2.8 zoom (sold separately). www.sigmaphoto.com $6,899 w/o lens
Phase One IQ — The brand new IQ series digital backs from Phase One offers 40, 60.5 or 80 megapixels resolutions. The new touch screen allows you to zoom, pan and browse through your images fast and easy. www.phaseone.com Starts at $21,990
Hasselblad H4D-200MS — The H4D-200MS utilizes Hasselblad’s patented piezo frame module, which now captures 6 shots and combines them into a 200 megapixel file. Designed for studio photographers whose work requires the ultimate in resolution, extremely fine details and exact color information, the H4D-200MS is ideal for capturing images of stationary items such as cars, jewelry and other high end products. The H4D-200MS offers standard multishot and single-shot modes as well. www.hasselblad.com/H4D-200MS Approx. $45,779
DIGITAL GEAR YOU CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT
TECHNOLOGY KILLED THE DEER
SanDisk Extreme Pro CF Card — The world’s fastest high-capacity CF card with 100MB/s write speed. Designed for cameras with full HD video recording capabilities, the Extreme Pro offers up to 50Mbps bit rate and 4:2:2 color sampling, as well as full hi-resolution continuous shooting speeds. www.sandisk.com $1,499.99
Lexar 128GB SDXC — With a maximum data transfer speed of 20MB/s, the Lexar SDXC is perfect for the full HD video recording and continuous shooting speeds of the latest SDXC compatible cameras. Soon to come: a 64GB version of the same card. www.lexar.com 128GB 699.99 / 64GB $399.99
Eye-Fi Mobile X2 Wireless SD Card — Allows users to wirelessly connect cameras to their smartphones and tablets. The card’s Direct Mode technology enables instant uploads via Android and Apple mobile devices running the necessary software. www.eye.fi $79.99
ALM Film Maker Pro Pack w/ Owle Bubo for iPhone 4 — Bundles together your choice of Bubo with the Rode VideoPro Mic and an ALM Microphone Adapter w/ Audio Output. Its high quality audio capturing matched with its lightweight and compact design makes this mic the perfect choice for the mobile film maker. www.almlive.com $409.95
Lexar USB 3.0 Dual CF/SD Card Reader — Capable of transferring data at up to 500MB/sec. Also allows fullspeed copying from one card to another, even if your computer is communicating with the device at its full speed. The pop-up design protects the card slots when in your bag.
The Glif iPhone support – Small, simple, and elegant. That’s what we were going for when we created the Glif. But out of this simple design emerges countless uses. Mount your iPhone 4 to a tripod for taking great pictures or making movies. Prop your iPhone up for hands-free FaceTiming or to watch videos. www.theglif.com $20.00
www.lexar.com $49.99
LaCie Little Big Disk w/ Thunderbolt Technology — Available this summer, the drive will come in 240GB and 500GB SSD formats as well as in a 1TB 7200rpm version. Thunderbolt technology supports two 10Gb/s bi-directional channels from a single port, the fastest data connection available on a personal computer (a full-length HD movie can be transferred in less than 30 seconds). www.lacie.com Price: TBD
Canon EOS Rebel T3i/600D — Canon’s latest entry for its Rebel line carries an 18MP CMOS sensor and an articulated LCD screen in a body very similar to its predecessor the T2i and the higher-end EOS 60D. In addition to the usual complement of manual and auto exposure modes for still photography, the T3i also features 1080p video recording up to 30fps and an external microphone socket.
HDSLR
12 PT BUCK
www.usa.canon.com $899 kit w/ 18-55mm
Nikon D5100 — An upper-entry-level HDSLR and the big brother of the D3100, the Nikon D5100 includes a 16.2 MP CMOS sensor similar to the one found in the D7000. With 1080p movie capability and a side-articulated 3.0” tilt/swivel LCD, the D5100 is also the first Nikon DSLR to be able to apply special processing filters to stills and video. Alongside the D5100, Nikon has introduced the ME-1 external microphone ($179.99). www.nikonusa.com $899.95 kit w/ 1855mm VR lens
Sony SLT-A35 — The SLT A35 is Sony’s latest addition to its line of fixed-mirror DSLRs. The A35 features a new 16.2MP EXMOR APS-C CMOS sensor. The chip has been redesigned to improve power consumption, promising improved battery and thermal performance. The A35 can shoot 1080i video at 60fps video and shoots 7 frames per second at 8.4MP. The A35 also offer ‘Picture Effects’ processing filters that run the gamut of Retro Photo, High-key, Toy Camera and Posterization. www.sonystyle.com $699.99 kit w/ 18-55mm
Pentax WG-1 GPS — A GPS-enabled Optio rugged compact, this tough camera is designed to be crushproof, dust-proof, waterproof (up to 10m), cold-proof and shock-resistant! (up to 1.5M)The WG-1 has a 14MP sensor and incorporates a 28140mm equivalent zoom lens, 2.7” LCD and 720p HD recording capability. www.pentaximaging.com $399.95
Sony NEX-C3 — The NEX-C3 is Sony new mirror-less interchangeable lens camera. A compact-camera-like experience for users looking to upgrade to a large-sensor camera, the C3 features the same 16.2MP as the SLT A35. It also features the ‘Picture Effects’ processing filters. www.sonystyle.com $649 kit w/ 18-55mm E-mount lens / $599 w/ 16mm 2.8
Fujifilm Finepix X100 — The retro-looking, large sensor, fixed lens compact Fujifilm X100 is fit with an APS-C CMOS sensor and a fast 23mm F2 lens. With its classic 35mm styling and equivalent medium wide angle lens, the x100 is a rangefinderstyled camera with traditional control dials plus an innovative ‘hybrid’ viewfinder that combines a large, bright optical finder with a high-res electronic display. www.finepix-x100.com/en/ $1,1995.99
FOR A QUICK KILL POINT AND SHOOT
Olympus LS-20M — The Flip cam is dead, long live the Olympus LS-20M! Record a live music performance, create home movies and upload amazing linear PCM (better than CD) audio and high-definition video. Combined with four different optional Magic Movie special effects features, the LS-20M enables users to create home movies that look and sound like professional productions in a device that’s so compact it fits in your pocket. www.olympusamerica.com $299.99
BULLETS AND ARROWS BAGS, LIGHTING, GRIP AND TRIPODS
Lowepro Photo Sport AW Series — Adventure/sport photographers will enjoy the freedom and comfort of these bags. Their designs offer ample space for personal and camera gears. Ultra-light, resilient and highperformance tech fabrics with ultra-tear-strength coating provide extra durability. www.lowepro.com 100 AW $129.99 / 200 AW $199.99
Metz 58AF-2 — The Mecablitz 58 AF-2 works with Canon, Nikon, Sony, Pentax and 4/3 cameras. The latest model features metal mounts with enhanced locking systems for faster mounting and wider angle diffusers for focal lengths from 12 mm equivalent. The 58 AF-2 features a slave/servo sensor integrated to the front of the unit to increase transmission of wireless flashes. www.metz.de/en/ $399.99 Manfrotto “Snake Arm” — Lightweight and easily portable, the Broncolor Senso A2 and A4 — Designed to offer “studio performance for the price of a compact system,” both models have 3 lamp outlets, a 6.5 stop power range (in 1/10 stop increments) and a choice of symmetric or asymmetric output distribution. The recycle time from full power is 2.8s on the A4 and 1.5s on the A2 with t0.1 flash durations of 1/90 s and 1/180 s respectively. Available in kit format with the Broncolor “Litos” flash heads. www.bronimaging.com 1200ws 2 head kit $4,390 / 2400ws 2 head kit $5,861
Snake Arm is equipped with 4 curved tube sections which aide in maximizing its mounting capabilities. Made from aluminum, it comes with 2 spigots (3/8 threading, 5/8 attachments) on one end, while the other end features one 5/8 attachment. Also available with the Super Clamp, making it the ideal tool for all accessories. www.manfrotto.us $130
Kata Pro-V-610 — A versatile backpack designed to fit a wide range of equipment. The V610 has full front access to the main compartment and the inside pouches feature a color zipper identification system and conform to the shape and size of the gear within. Flexibility to set up the interior as per your specific gear needs. The large pocket in the rear fits a 17” laptop. www.kata-bags.com $449.99
Induro AKB2 Adventure Series Tripod/Ballhead Kit — Among Tenba Transport Air Case for Apple Mac Pro
the most popular tripods on the market today, the kit features
Induro CT214 Carbon 8X Tripo — A
Tower “Double Door” — The bag’s design al-
quick lock legs and a precision,
wide stance cross-braced magne-
lows the computer to stay secured inside the
matched single-action ball-head
sium alloy spider, ultra-light 8X layer
case—with access to all ports and drive bays
with quick release plate that al-
Carbon Fiber legs, oversized center
front and back—while working on location.
lows one-handed adjustments.
column lock and enhanced leg angle
www.tenba.com $729.95
www.indurogear.com $181
locks all contribute to a tripod with up to 35% greater stability, rigidity and
Manfrotto 509HD Pro Video Head & Sys-
higher load capacity.
tems — An exclusive Manfrotto patent,
www.indurogear.com $400
Bridging Technology, allows for greater load capacity and revolutionary perfor-
Profoto Pro Daylight 800 Air — An HMI unit designed for heavy-duty use, flicker-free electronic ballast with control of ballast frequency enables user to use ProDaylight in low to high frame per second video shoots. Built-in radio remote capability with Profoto’s “Air” system and compatible with most of the Profoto Light Shaping Tools. www.profoto.com/us/ $6,435 kit w/ ballast
mance levels. The “bridge” design also assists the PAN friction control to be easier to set while protecting against any knocks that may occur while recording. The 509HD’s FDS (Fluid Drag System) is variable and directly controls action and resistance on both axes; the controls ergonomics have been improved to make use of the FDS even easier. www.manfrotto. com $ $899.98 (head only) / $1,499.99 w/ 545GB Tripod Legs and Ground Spreader
Redrock Universal Studio Bundle — With Redrock Universal Bundles you can go beyond the standard rigs and build your own unique rigs to exactly meet your the DSLR Slider and Cinema bundles. www.redrockmicro.com $2,528.50
Zacuto Z-Finder EVF Pro — This viewfinder includes the EVF Flip model, which snaps onto the frame on the monitor and can flip up 180 degrees. The optical viewfinder contains high quality 2.5x optics with anti-fog shields, a diopter and extender frames, which allows you to further adjust the focal point
of the
Z-Finder by semi-permanently stacking the frames via a snap fit on to the skirt of the Z-Finder until the LCD screen is in focus for you. To use it on your camera LCD screen, you need to purchase the gorilla plate and frame (not included here). www.zacuto.com $1,000
SONY PMWF3L — The newest member of Sony’s CineAlta lineup, the PMW-F3 is equipped with the newly developed Exmor Super 35 CMOS image sensor, PL lens mount, and SxS card for 1920x1080 full-HD recording. It features future expandability, including RGB 4:4:4 baseband output with S-LOG gamma for
PRO VIDEO
GET’EM ON THE MOVE
needs and shooting style. The studio bundle includes
external recording (which means it can be used in an HDCAM-SR workflow). It also offers a 3D-LINK option, which allows 2 camcorders to be controlled simultaneously for 3D stereoscopic shooting. www.pro.sony.com/bbsc/ssr/product-PMWF3L/ $16,800 (body only)
Cinevate Atlas FLT HDSLR
Slider — At 26” long
and weighing in at under
10 lbs, the Atlas FLT is
Cinevate’s most compact and light-
weight DSLR camera
slider. It allows for the creation of
horizontal, vertical
and even angled camera movements
that are simple, effec-
tive and stable in every take. www.cinevate.com $579
Genus Hurricane Rig - The award winning Hurricane Rig was designed by Alister Chapman from the outset to be a cost effective, entry level 3D Mirror rig. Mirror Rigs are the most versatile type of stereoscopic 3D camera rigs currently available. The Hurricane Rig, through clever design and large-scale production, will make high quality of 3D accessible to video enthusiasts, owner operators and others that would have previously found the cost of a Mirror Rig prohibitive. www.genustech.tv $8, 500.00 Genus G-VCSMK Shoulder Mount — This video shoulder mount is a modular and adaptable support system designed with large sensor video cameras in mind (like the Sony F3, FS100 and Panasonic AF 100). The design of the different components allows you to quickly build up or strip down your rig to suit. It uses industry standard 15 mm to ensure compatibility with other accessories like matte boxes, follow focuses and monitoring solutions. www.genustech.tv $995.99
SONY NEX-FS100UK — An interchangeable lens camcorder featuring a Super 35mm sensor equivalent in size to Super35mm film like that used in the PMW-F3. Capable of producing footage with shallow depth of field similar to that of a film camera and capture with high image fidelity. Records 1080p Full HD videos at various frame rates and includes features like a 3.5” LCD, built-in GPS, SDXC compatibility slo-mo video recording and industryPanasonic AG-AF100 — Providing all the professional features that videographers expect in an interchangeable-lens camcorder (manual video and audio
control, variable frame rates, HD-SDI and HDMI output, XLR inputs, timecode), the AG-AF100 plays its trump card with a large, 4/3-type image sensor. www.pro-av.panasonic. net/en/af100/ $4,795
standard XLR audio connectors. www.pro.sony.com/bbsc/ssr/product-NEXF S100UK/ $5,599 kit w/ 18-200mm E-Mount lens
ELLIOTT ERWITT,
American Dreamer
Words and Portrait by Jonas CuĂŠnin I Translated from French by Mischa Benoit-Lavelle I Photos courtesy of the artist
WRITING ABOUT ELLIOTT ERWITT IS A LESSON IN HUMOR AND HUMILITY. IT SENDS YOU BACK TO A TIME WHEN PHOTOGRAPHY WAS A LITTLE BIT LESS OBSESSED WITH ITSELF,TO THE LOST GOLDEN AGE OF LIFE, PARIS MATCH AND SO MANY OTHER CLASSIC PHOTO-REPORTAGE MAGAZINES. ERWITT HIMSELF, A LOVABLE JOKESTER, IS A PHOTOGRAPHER WHO HAS ALWAYS BEEN OBSESSED BY HIS PASSION: PEOPLE AND THE LITTLE, YET REMARKABLE, THINGS IN LIFE.
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BORN IN 1928
in Neuilly sur Seine, a suburb of Paris, Elio Romano Ervitz grew up in Milan. His parents were Russians who had fled Stalin’s authoritarian regime; he spoke Italian in the schoolyard and Russian at home. When Benito Mussolini revealed himself to be as bad as Stalin, his father, of Jewish extraction, decided to leave Europe and bring his family across the Atlantic. At the age of ten, little Elio found himself in an American elementary school without knowing a word of English. The pronunciation of his name posed a problem for Anglophones, so his parents decided to change it. It will be Elliott. He was a solitary child, subdued and timid. His way of observing the world around him, of scrutinizing every minute detail, will later inspire his passion for photography. In the faces of men he saw sadness and joy; in their behavior, a source of amusement. After the separation of his parents, his father, who would later become a Buddhist monk in Japan—a country that would also draw the attention of the young son—brought him to Los Angeles. Elliott Erwitt was then fourteen and went to Hollywood High School, where he took pictures of the annual balls while working at a commercial photo lab where he developed “signed” prints for fans of the great movie stars. At fifteen, thanks to these jobs, he no longer needed the help of his family to meet his needs. Photography started for Erwitt as a way to earn a living. His first real camera, his “photographer’s notepad,” was a Rolleiflex. What characterizes both the man and his photography is above all a sense of humor: a clear talent and a mischievous eye. His photos made use of mockery better than any others. The world amused him; he played down what would shock, chased the comical, and photographed the street as if it was a cartoon.
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Elliott Erwitt
New York, 1974
© Elliott Erwitt/Magnum Photos
Next Page: North Carolina, 1950
© Elliott Erwitt/Magnum Photos
HE WAS A SOLITARY CHILD, SUBDUED AND TIMID.
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“I DON’T WAKE UP IN THE MORNING THINKING: TODAY, I’M GOING TO BE FUNNY,” SAYS ERWITT.
Elliott Erwitt
Marilyn Monroe, New York City, 1956
© Elliott Erwitt/Magnum Photos
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MAGNUM AND FRIENDS HUMOR At this point, his vocation was clearly decided. He nurtured a passion for a few other artists— notably Atget and Modigliani—but claimed to not have real influences. He had a taste for liberty and the pleasure of making his own priorities, and thus took on the status of freelancer. “This always allowed me to choose how I use my time and the location of where I work,” he explains. “I started this way of working after my military service. That time in the army, however, was not freelance. It was obligatory, but not entirely disagreeable: I took lots of pictures.” He served his time in the U.S. military in France, near Châteauroux. It was during the Korean War, though he never ended up seeing action. To pass the time, he took photos of his fellow soldiers. While he was in the army, Life magazine held a contest and he won first prize: it was his first taste of fame. Freshly discharged from his patriotic duty, the photographer returned to New York to look for work. There, he met Edward Steichen, Robert Capa, and Roy Stryker, who appreciated his work and took him under their wings, becoming important mentors to the young photographer. Sponsored by Capa, he became a member of the prestigious Magnum Photos agency at the age of twenty-five. At that time, the agency was not the giant company it is today, but rather a family of true enthusiasts, comrades under the same banner. At Magnum, Erwitt plunged himself into the agency’s affairs and would later lead it for three years. There he met his great allies: Josef Koudelka, Marc Riboud, and above all Henri Cartier-Bresson. The “master of the decisive moment” later admitted that he had “lots of pals at Magnum, but few friends.” Erwitt, who looked at the world with mischievousness, delicateness, and humanity, limits himself today to saying, politely, that he “always respected [his] colleagues.” Though he had no fear of bullets, he never covered a war, quite simply “because that didn’t interest [him].” More importantly, he started a family that he couldn’t abandon if misfortune arrived.
Elliott Erwitt is an eccentric, a bit of a child, but above all, a man in love with the act of looking. Observing is his favorite occupation. Carried by a small wrist strap, a Leica camera always dangles from his arm. Well... almost always. “When I go to the bathroom, I don’t take my camera. My mind devotes itself to other things,” he likes to joke. At his house, a sign directs the conditions of use of that other apparatus: “Please aim directly.” Erwitt has always been a lover of jokes and preposterous responses. Jimmy Fox, editorin-chief at Magnum during the 60s, could spend hours recounting the escapades of his then-employee. Beginning perhaps with the agency’s urbane Christmas Eve parties where the photographer would dress up as Santa Claus, or maybe with the strategies he used to break tension: “Once, during a meeting where people were particularly on edge, Elliott brought out a klaxon and gave it a honk to amuse everyone and loosen them up.” “I don’t wake up in the morning thinking: today, I’m going to be funny,” says Erwitt. A provocateur without being mean-spirited, Elliott Erwitt is an intellectual of humor of sorts, a title he will always deny with a reference to his “poor education.” He uses his intellect nevertheless to call attention to things, to show what astonishes and moves him—and what amuses him as well. His glance flits between joy, astonishment, and sadness. He sensitizes the spectator to serious matters, poses questions about the world, and refuses indifference. Ferdinando Scianna, another alumnus of Magnum as well as a great photographer in his own right, knows his friend to a T. “One can’t be ironic and not be intelligent. Elliott’s photos should be put in survival kits. When you’re desperate, they can save your life.”
MEN, WOMEN, & DOGS
Like Peter Pan, Elliott Erwitt has his imaginary land. Though a dreamer, he never forgets about reality completely, observing the “human comedy” almost as a sociologist would. Scianna
puts it well: “Elliott is a preeminently political photographer. He shows the differences between men, always using mockery to not appear too serious.” His photo of segregated sinks belongs to this category. The composition of the shot, at first glance comic, highlights the stupidity of racism. The photo pokes fun at this idiocy and became an icon. In the same vein, says Scianna, “When a black soldier sticks his tongue out at the lens, it’s Elliott Erwitt who is making a face at the military.” With Erwitt, photography is also a matter of poetry and glamour. Scianna, who knows something about these subjects himself, says, “Elliott always knew how to get an extraordinarily sensual gaze from all the women he photographed.” Pia, Erwitt’s current wife, considers him laconic and, like many artists, difficult to pin down. In an interview for The Guardian a little over a decade ago, she said, “Now that I know him, I understand why people who don’t know what he’s about feel intimidated. It’s like talking to an actor who one thinks is funny, but who isn’t so much so in real life.” Among the women he’s married—four in total—one of them hid the negatives of his best pictures under her bed after the announcement of their separation. Thought to be missing, they were found years later. This photographer is a collector of images; like fine wine, he frequently lets them age to maturity before publishing them in a book. Among these photos, those he took of dogs hold an important place. He immortalized those dogs with his humane attitude, a way of putting man on the same level as beast. His passion for the canine race became apparent only with the passage of time, when he noticed that dogs appeared so frequently in his negatives. Today, Sammy, a Scottish terrier born in Hamburg, ambles about Erwitt’s apartment. He is a multilingual refugee, a bit old, mild and quiet, just like his master. Before Sammy there were other dogs, bigger ones such as the German Mastiff. Ask Jimmy Fox—he knows them well, having had to take care of them when Erwitt left them at Magnum before leaving on assignment.
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On this subject, Erwitt is not particularly talkative, as he isn’t with most subjects. He speaks with silence. Modesty is perhaps one of the other secrets that led him to turn his lens on so many celebrated figures—among them Marilyn Monroe, Che Guevara, and Clark Gable. Even if, out of humility, he doesn’t like to talk about his accomplishments, one could recall the week he spent with Fidel Castro, his lifelong privileged access to JFK, or the quarrel between Nixon and Kruschev he was able to capture. In Moscow to take pictures of refrigerators in Soviet marketplaces, Erwitt knew that Nixon was in the city on a political trip. During a meeting with Kruschev, he heard the chief of the Communist Party insult the then-Vice President in Russian. The photo ended up being chosen for Nixon’s presidential campaign, a candidate whom Erwitt secretly detested.
Elliott Erwitt possesses a panoply of cameras. One of them, an old Graflex hidden in a big metal box, is the one that immortalized the beautiful Marilyn Monroe surrounded by cowboys during the shooting of The Misfits. It was the 60s. At the time, there were no personal computers, no iPhone, and no digital photography. “I’m too stupid to work in digital,” Erwitt laughingly avows. “I’m not good enough at computers. I’ll use digital nonetheless if the client asks for it and I have an assistant, but I prefer to work with black and white silver film. I’m more familiar with it.” Despite the apparent evolution of photography, which he admits to finding a bit more inwardlooking today than before, the photographer doesn’t really see any differences in technique from his beginnings, “except maybe more of an inclination toward cleanness.” A more significant evolution, in his opinion, has come to photography as a profession. “The commercial use of photography is much more widespread today than a half-century ago.” While Erwitt treated his job as a hobby, it allowed him to live, to raise six children, and to earn a lot of money. The commercial assignment branch of Magnum has constituted a large part of those earnings, the publishing revenues not being sufficient on their own. The campaign he created for the French office of tourism from which the “snapshot” of a man and his son—which Erwitt asked to reshoot a good dozen times—remains famous. He can afford a residence next to Central Park and a second one in the Hamptons, but he remains a humanist, close to the “common man” and has always turned a sharp eye on the rich and
powerful. “One could say that I’m a leftist,” he says reluctantly. What place does the human have in photography? Erwitt answers, “The human is neither a flower, nor a building, nor an animal.” Up to the end, one of the last dinosaurs of modern photography will remain a child, a bit capricious but incredibly talented. “Elliott’s photos belong to him, and one recognizes them as his from the beginning,” says Scianna. “This is something very difficult in photography. Normally you get there through escalation of form. With him, his form looks like great simplicity.” During our interview, he told me that the book Sequentially Yours, comprised of photos taken from the very beginning of his career up until this year, will be published in September. Before that, there will be his major retrospective, “Personal Best”, at the International Center of Photography, which is taking place in conjunction with his being awarded the Life time Achievement award from ICP. But, out of pity, don’t tell him that his career is finished. Jokes Erwitt, “No, the prize only means that my life is finished.”
“Personal Best” exhibit - May 20-August 28, 2011 A hundred favorite photos from Elliott Erwitt, shot during the last sixty years. ICP 1133 Avenue of the Americas New York, NY 10036 212-857-0000 www.icp.org
ELLIOTT’S PHOTOS BELONG TO HIM, AND ONE RECOGNIZES THEM AS HIS FROM THE BEGINNING.
Jonas Cuénin: www.jonascueninphoto.com
There’s no secret to a good photo. For Erwitt, all would seem simple. “In photography, thinking doesn’t have much purpose. Most of all, you need to see.” Though nothing in particular guides him, Erwitt has had mentors, starting with Capa. Cartier-Bresson, who instilled in the young Elliott the practice of always being armed with a camera, once said, “To take a photograph is to align the eye, the head, and the heart.” From the “gold standard,” as Erwitt called Cartier-Bresson, Erwitt learned the foundation on which to base his own style: always being on the lookout for the perfect moment, of course, while meting out the right doses of eye, heart and head. His (open) secret: never ask for permission to take a photo. As with all the greats, none of his subjects knew that he was capturing their moment. No animal has ever bitten him, and likewise, no man.
PHOTOGRAPHY AND EVOLUTION
Elliott Erwitt: www.elliotterwitt.com
THE MOMENT
Elliott Erwitt Pasadena, California, 1963 Š Elliott Erwitt/Magnum Photos
Elliott Erwitt
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 1950 Š Elliott Erwitt/Magnum Photos
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wHere tO tAKe YOUr CLient OUt:
CHINATOWN TOUR By Bao Ong i Photos by Ben Kaufman
I
t can be difficult to determine what’s real and what’s not in Manhattan’s Chinatown. The throngs of tourists crawling down Canal Street can find their knockoff Louis Vuittons as easily as one of the crispy-skinned ducks hanging in a window.
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9 Pell Street, #1 New York, NY 10013 2 12 . 2 3 3 . 8 8 8 8 www.joeshanghairestaurants.com
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Many times taking an out-of-town client out—whether foreign or not—involves a request to experience the “real” New York. Chinatown is a good answer. When it comes to taking your client out in Chinatown, however, the options are nearly endless. The number of Chinese dialects spoken can be as mind boggling as tracking down the best char siu bao (the popular barbecue pork bun). The last thing you want is for your client to think that you are a lame New Yorker, so know your Chinese food (and the best spots to find it).
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At Joe’s Shanghai, you’ll find a mix of tourists and ethnic Chinese diners gathered around the round tables, adorned with large lazy Susans, fighting over the last dumpling. But the green menus—which match the fluorescent lights—have other items you’ll want to consider. There are at least 156 items listed on the menu. A couple of dishes to order are the crispy jumbo prawns, which are perfectly deep-fried to a golden hue and topped with a meat sauce, or the crispy pork chop sprinkled with generous amounts of salt and pepper. The Shanghai fried fl at noodles are also worth tasting if you want a more ‘traditional’ dish (at least by Chinese-American standards).
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One place that’s worth stopping at during a whirlwind tour of Chinatown is Joe’s Shanghai. If you mention this restaurant, any New Yorker will say one thing: soup dumplings—the most popular items on the menu are by far the Shanghai-style dumplings. These little dome-shape dumplings are filled with meat (order the pork and crab combo) and hot broth. But bite carefully. There’s even a blown-up article on the restaurant’s window on how to eat these juicy morsels. You carefully plop the dumpling into a soup spoon, bite a corner, slowly sip the broth and finally eat the dumpling with a soy-vinegar dipping sauce with slivers of ginger.
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DRINKS Apotheke 9 Doyers Street, #1 New York, NY 10038 212.406.0400 http://apothekebar.com/
Price $$$ Drinks *** Ambiance ***
Copious amounts of eating calls for a drink or two. Apotheke, located on the little hidden stretch known as Doyers Street, is easy to miss. There’s no sign at the door of this apothecary-themed cocktail bar, which shares some similarities with European-style apothecaries. The lighting is dim and the seating is cozy on the velvet couches and ottomans. The drinks are on the high end, and many are worth it. The menu is divided up into various categories like ”Stress Reliever” and ”Health and Beauty.” Your mixologist wears a lab coat and can make everything from a saffron Sazerac to a Kentucky Julep. On a recent visit, the Irritable Scotsman and Sparkling Star were stand out drinks. Nothing too cloyingly sweet or too strong (or weak).
Mo
In many ways, at Apotheke, your client is getting a glimpse of a new Chinatown emerging. It’s one that is no doubt becoming more gentrified, but the history of Chinatown remains in the local residents, shops and eateries.
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BRUNCH Dim sum is also an easy way to please everyone. Some like to refer to this style of dining as Chinese brunch, although people eat like this daily throughout many parts of Asia. The good thing? It’s communal eating, interactive and fun.
Jing Fong
As a mix of Elvis and polka tunes (not meant to be ironic) plays in the background, you have your work cut for you. Ordering from a massive dim sum selection takes knowledge and an appetite—most of us just resort to pointing and nodding our head.
20 Elizabeth Street (between Bayard and Canal Streets) New York, NY 10013 2 12 .96 4 . 5 2 5 6 www.jingfongny.com
If you want to be safe, order the various shrimp dumplings. More adventurous diners should look into the number of specials, including clams doused in black bean sauce, wine-braised pork belly, and sliced eggplants topped with minced shrimp. While there is a separate menu, stick with the dim sum offerings.
Price $ Food ** Ambiance **
Ben Kaufman: www.dripbook.com/halcyondream.
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For many years now, Jing Fong has been the go to place for dim sum fans. While not every dish is a knockout, Jing Fong’s food tends to be consistent and rarely disappoints. Newcomers and veterans of dim sum get the experience they crave: you get on a creeping escalator to descend to a massive dining hall full of red and gold tones. A dragon and phoenix anchor the room on one end. On weekends, the restaurant is packed and strangers sometimes end up sharing tables. The waitresses, in pink scarves, push carts stacked with hot bamboo steamers.
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DESSERT Chinatown Ice Cream Factory 65 Bayard Street, #B (between Mott and Elizabeth Streets) New York, NY 10013 2 12 . 6 0 8 . 417 0 www.chinatownicecreamfactory.com Price $ Food *** Ambiance *
By the end of your dim sum experience, you and your client may be craving something sweet. Chinese cuisine isn’t renowned for desserts, but if you head down the street to the popular Chinatown Ice Cream Factory, it’s easy to find something to enjoy. Lychee, ginger, green tea, almond cookie, pistachio and even durian (the notoriously stinky fruit banned in some hotels in Asia) are only a fraction of the rotating choices the store features. This family-owned business started specializing in unique and artisanal fl avors long before it became popular everywhere else. There’s no seating in this narrow space so you’ll want to order and wander further in Chinatown. Go on, explore!
Restaurants- Based on threecourse dinner, one alcoholic bev, and a 15% tip
Bars/Lounges- Based on one alcoholic beverage
$ = $25 and under $$ = $25-$50 $$$ = $50-$75 $$$$ = $75 and over
$ = $6 and under $$ = $6-12 $$$ = $12 and over
Food/Drinks
Ambiance
0 * ** *** ****
0 * ** *** ****
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BOOK REVIEWS:
DAGUERROTYPE By Stella Kramer I Photos by Adam Sherwin
W
hen I was a little girl, my parents took me to an auction where they bought a box full of daguerreotypes—those 19th century photos on copper plate, secured in an embossed two-sided frame box with a tiny latch. I was fascinated by these little jewels, and marveled at the serious faces looking out at me. I loved the gold frames around the images and the velvet flanking each photo. But I knew nothing about how they were created.
Now after many years in the photo business I still find the daguerreotype fascinating. “The Daguerreotype” by Dominique de Font-Reaulx is a look at the Musée d’Orsay collection of French daguerreotypes. The book size is a nod to the small size of the daguerreotype. It offers a short history of the technique (based on polishing a copper plate, which is then coated with silver and bathed in iodine, as silver iodide is sensitive to sunlight) and its inventor, Louis-Jacques-Mande Daguerre.
The short existence of this technique makes it just one step toward what we know today as analog photography, but an interesting one at that. This is a show catalog, not an intellectual text, but a good gift for someone interested in the history of photography, or those who are obsessed with the daguerreotype (and there is an organization in the U.S. for just such people). “The Origins of Photography” by Helmut Gernsheim, is, however, that intellectual look at the daguerreotype. It is a basic, chronological look at the process from heliography through stereoscopic daguerreotypes, covering France, America, Great Britain, Germany and Italy. I have to say that I found it difficult to get into all of the text (and there is a lot), as I am neither a historian nor a photographer. However, I did enjoy the large plates, and found myself transfixed by the people, objects, landscapes and buildings displayed in the book. The book is published by Thames & Hudson, and you can see the care given to the printing of the images. As is said at the beginning of the book, by the publisher: “The daguerreotypes have been reproduced in such a manner as to restore to them their basic characteristic of mirror-like silver plating.” This attention to detail really shows, and makes the book that much more special. While the first book is a stocking stuffer, this one is a textbook with size and heft. If you’re a student of photographic history it’s probably worth having, although I don’t see it as something to be referred to again and again. To me, it’s the kind of book you look through once, marvel at the technique and the amazing invention and presentation of daguerreotypes, and then move on.
Stella Kramer: www.stellakramer.com / http://blog.stellakramer.com Adam Sherwin: www.adamsherwin.com
It was in 1839 that the daguerreotype was introduced to the public. And while they cost 10 to 50 francs in the early 1840s, portraits could be had for 3 or 4 francs by 1848. Most of us probably think about these small captured moments as remnants of the Civil War. But it was France that offered “the secret of the invention to mankind.”
FILMS FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS:
SIDNEY LUMET By Alec Kerr I Illustration by Emil Rivera
“I’M AS MAD AS HELL, AND I’M NOT GOING TO TAKE THIS ANYMORE!” — Network irector Sidney Lumet passed away on April 9, leaving behind a filmography peppered with the sort of gems most filmmakers strive to make. There were lows in his career to be sure, but his highs are of a rare breed, ranging from war films like The Hill (1965), political thrillers like Fail Safe (1964), courtroom dramas like The Verdict (1982), taut family stories like Running on Empty (1988), and his brilliant directorial debut Twelve Angry Men (1957).
It is difficult to narrow such a prolific career to just a few films, but with three films in the 1970s Lumet was able to capture the uncertain, cynical essence of the era. With 1973’s Serpico, 1975’s Dog Day Afternoon and 1976’s Network, Lumet became a clear voice of the time. A line Faye Dunaway’s character spoke in Network applies nicely to the director: “The American people want someone to articulate their rage for them.” Now, Lumet may not have articulated America’s rage, but he did articulate the disillusioned feeling that permeated throughout the decade.
Serpico is based on the true story of the idealistic title cop (Al Pacino), who refuses to participate in the corruption running rampant throughout New York City’s police department. He’s crushed to find out his fellow cops aren’t as noble as he had hoped. Released in 1973, the year after the Watergate scandal brought into question how trustworthy our leaders truly were, the film parallels the loss of innocence America was going through. Dog Day Afternoon, from another true story, continued that theme of distrust toward the establishment when a bank robbery led by Pacino goes wrong. Pacino’s character manages to get the public on his side by accusing the police of potentially repeating the brutality that occurred at the Attica prison. The motivation of the robbery—Pacino getting money for a sex change operation for his male wife—tapped into another social issue bubbling at the time. When the homosexuality of his character is revealed late in the film, it changes the attitude of people around him and gives a new subtext to the police’s call to “come out” and talk to them. Network was not a true story, but a scathing and prophetic satire on TV and the lengths executives will go to for ratings. Peter Finch’s character, news anchor Howard Beale, is fired due to poor ratings. In his final weeks on air he begins saying what he truly feels. His ramblings become a rating sensation and the network exploits this even as it becomes clear the man is going insane. Beale’s proclamation, “I’m mad as hell, and I’m not going to take this anymore,” captures the frustration of the decade, but how it is coldly and cynically twisted into a way to make money says much more not just about 1970s, but corporate greed in general.
Lumet was an unobtrusive director who rarely brought attention to the form. To call his approach workman-like would be to dismiss the assuredness of his hand as a director. Just look at the entirety of Dog Day Afternoon. The film is over two hours long, but engrossing from frame one. Lumet puts his focus clearly on the unfolding drama and lets scenes play out for as long as they need to, without them getting static. His camera often tracks through a shot following a character with compositions that take full advantage of the widescreen format. There are a few striking examples of his use of wide shots in Network. One shot has a television in the foreground on the left side of the screen with Robert Duvall’s network executive on the far right in the background and out of focus. Here Lumet takes advantage of how our eyes are trained to read from the left to the right. By placing the TV on the left, he is giving prominence to what is being said on it. Another shot that recalls the dining room scene from Citizen Kane has two figures at opposite ends of a long boardroom table. Lumet had other signature moves seen throughout Serpico, Dog Day Afternoon and Network. Lumet will often slowly push into scenes focusing on a particular character. His fondness of sustained close ups of a character during emotional moments brings an intimacy to the films. He does this with Pacino in Serpico and Dog Day Afternoon. In both films it causes the actor to give some of his most raw and emotionally exposed performances. Today’s directors often use quick montage editing, even during dramatic scenes, or needlessly shake the camera, but Lumet moved the camera without the audience noticing and used edits that were invisible, natural extensions of the action. He wasn’t a flashy filmmaker and his name isn’t as recognizably iconic as such filmmaking giants as Martin Scorsese, Stanley Kubrick or Steven Spielberg, but he was every bit their equal.
Emil Rivera : www.lariverola.com
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Serpico Release date: December 5, 1973 Director: Sidney Lumet Writers: Peter Mass (book), Waldo Salt (screenplay), Norman Wexler (screenplay) Starring: Al Pacino, John Randolph, Jack Kehoe Producers: Martin Bregman, Dino De Laurentiis, Roger M. Rothstein Cinematography: Arthur J. Ornitz
Network Release date: November 14, 1976 Director: Sidney Lumet Writer: Paddy Chayefsky Starring: Faye Dunaway, William Holden, Peter Finch Producers: Fred Caruso, Howard Gottfried Cinematography: Owen Roizman
Dog Day Afternoon Release date: September 21, 1975 Director: Sidney Lumet Writers: P.F. Kluge (article), Thomas Moore (article), Frank Pierson (screenplay), Leslie Waller (book) Starring: Al Pacino, John Cazale, Charles Durning Producers: Martin Bregman, Martin Elfand, Robert Greenhut Cinematography: Victor J. Kemper
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YOUR KEY TO AWESOME FLASH DRIVES In need of a flash drive? Yeah, sure, you could just go to Staples and blow 15-20 bucks on a regular ol’ flash drive that looks like every other flash drive out there, but really, what fun is that? Your friends won’t be impressed by the fact you got a blue flash drive to hang off your keychain rather than a black one (and if they are, we suggest finding new friends). These awesomely designed flash drives, on the other hand, should be a welcome, creative addition to your keychain arsenal and should give you little difficulty impressing your friends (and if they’re not, we suggest finding new friends).
LEGE N D
Funny A. Humping Dog: www.amazon.com - $5 to $9 / 1 to 4GB
B. Headless Teddy Bear: www.usbgeek.com - $17 2GB / $32 8GB
C. Gun: www.meritline.com - $38.99 / 16GB D. Lighter: www.thinkgeek.com $49.99 / 8GB
E. Sushi: www.bonanza.com/listings/10xSushi-Flash-USB-2GB-Set/30804087 approx. $110 set of 10 / 2GB each
F. Grenade: www.thinkgeek.com $39.99 / 8GB
G. Mix Tape: www.makeamixa.com $32 / 1GB
H. Voltron: www.thinkgeek.com $36.99 / 2GB
I. Camera: www.photojojo.com - $20.00 / 4GB J. Spy Watch: www.thinkgeek.com $49.99 / 8GB
M. Credit Card: www.meritline.com $34.29 / 16GB
N. Bullet: www.amazon.com - $22.99 / 8GB O. Golden Robot: www.thinkgeek.com $24.99 / 4GB
P. Bottle Opener: www.thinkgeek.com $19.99 / 2GB
Q. Colorful Clip-ons: www.verbatim.com $18.62 / 4GB
R. Wooden Animal: www.gizmine.com $99 / 1GB
S. Swiss Army Knife: www.swissarmy.com $175 / 16GB
T. Lacie Christofle: www.lacie.com $130.00 / 4GB
$99.99 / 32GB
`1. SanDisk ULTRA - www.sandisk.com $47.99 to $82.99 / 8 to 16GB
2. SanDisk Ultra Back-Up: www.sandisk.com $201.99 / 64GB
3. Kingston DataTraveler 310: www.kingston.com - approx. $800 / 256GB
4. Kingston DataTraveler Ultimate 410: www.kingston.com approx. $20 to $90 / 4 to 32GB
U. Ironkey Military Strength:
6. Super Talent RAIDDrive USB 3.0:
www.ironkey.com or www.thinkgeek.com $69.99 to $139.99 / 1 to 4GB
K. Gary Baseman - Mimobot:
W.Lacie Fast Key SSD: www.lacie.com
$19.95 to $59.95 / 2 to 16GB
Z. Lexar Echo ZX: www.lexar.com
5. Verbatim Mac OSX:
Designer L. Tokidoki - Mimobot: www.mimoco.com
www.verbatim.com - $19.40 / 4GB
Pro: V. Lacie Moskeyto: www.lacie.com
www.mimoco.com $19.95 to $59.95 / 2 to 16GB
Y. Verbatim Store ‘n’ Stay USB Drive:
$49.99 / 4GB
$499.99 / 120GB
X. LaCie XtremKey – www.lacie.com $229.99 / 64GB
www.verbatim.com- $56/ 8GB
www.supertalent.com approx. $599.00 128GB
7. Kingston Date Traveler R500 www.kingston.com approx. $347.00 128GB
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EAST COAST BOSTON, MA STUDIO RENTAL Quixote Studios Boston 184 Everett St. Boston, MA 02134 617.903.3373 JasonN@quixote.com www.quixote.com
CHICAGO, IL EVENT PLANNING Ivan Carlson* 2224 W. Fulton Chicago, IL 60612 312.829.4616 scott@ivancarlson.com www.ivancarlson.com PHOTO EQUIPMENT Calumet Photographic* 1111 N. Cherry Ave. Chicago, IL 60642 312.440.4920 800.453.2550 www.calumetphoto.com Dodd Camera* 2840 W. Armitage Ave. Chicago, IL 60647 773.227.3633 chicagorentals@doddpro.com www.doddcamera.com Helix Rental* 1205 W. Jackson Blvd. Chicago, IL 60607 312.421.6000 rental@helixcamera.com www.helixphoto.com
ProGear Rental* 1740 W. Carroll Ave. Chicago, IL 60612 312.376.3770 info@progearrental.com www.progearrental.com PROPS RENTAL Zap Antiques & Props* 3611 S. Loomis Pl. Chicago, IL 60609 773.376.2278 zapprop@sbcglobal.net www.zapprops.com STUDIO RENTAL Morgan Street Studios* 456 N. Morgan St. Chicago, IL 60642 312.226.0009 rental@morganstreetstudios.com www.morganstreetstudios.com Northlight Studio* 2023 W. Carroll Ave. #C304 Chicago, IL 60612 773.466.1556 info@northlightchicago.com www.northlightchicago.com Skylight Studio Rental* 1956 W. Grand Ave. Chicago, IL 60622 312.666.4345 jackperno@aol.com www.skylightstudiorental.com Space Stage Studios* 2155 W. Hubbard Chicago, IL 60612 312.733.8017 info@spacestagestudios.com www.spacestagestudios.com
MIAMI, FL EDUCATION (workshops, seminars) AD013 Studio* 329 NE 59th Terrace Miami, FL 33137 305.640.8758 gesi@ad013studio.com www.ad013studio.com DIGITAL SERVICES Industrial Color* 650 West Ave. - #1211 Miami, FL 33139 305.695.0001 info@industrialcolor.com www.industrialcolor.com PHOTO EQUIPMENT Aperture Studios Miami* 385 NE 59th St. Miami, FL 33137 305.759.4327 info@aperturepro.com www.aperturepro.com World Wide Foto* 5040 Biscayne Blvd Miami, FL 33137 305.756.1744 info@worldwidefoto.com www.worldwidefoto.com PROP RENTALS Ace Props* 297 NE 59th Terrace Miami, FL 33137 305.756.0888 aceprops@bellsouth.net www.propshopmiami.com STUDIO RENTALS Aperture Studios Miami* 385 NE 59th St. Miami, FL 33137 305.759.4327 info@aperturepro.com www.aperturepro.com
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Bathouse Miami* 541 Jefferson Ave. Miami Beach, FL 33139 305.538.7767 manager@bathhousemiami.com www.bathhousemiami.com
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Little River Studios* 300 NE 71st St. Miami, FL 33138 305.632.1581 info@littleriverstudios.com www.littleriverstudios.com
Big Time Productions* 550 Washington Ave. Miami Beach, FL 33139 305.672.5117 www.big-time.com
GlassHaus Studios* 8000 Biscayne Blvd - 2nd Fl. Miami, FL 33138 305.759.9904 studiomanager@glasshausstudios.com www.glasshausstudios.com
MAPS Studio* 212 Collins Ave. Miami Beach, FL 33139 305.532.7880 info@mapsproduction.com www.mapsproduction.com
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One Source Studios* 6440 NE 4th Court Miami, FL 33138 305.751.2556 andrew@onesourcestudios.com www.onesourcestudios.com Photopia Studios* 360 NE 62nd St. Miami, FL 33138 305.534.0290 photopia@bellsouth.net www.photopiamiami.com Splashlight Studios* 167 NE 26th St. Miami, FL 33137 305.572.0094 infomiami@splashlight.com www.splashlight.com Trendy Studio* 196 NW 24th St. Miami, FL 33127 395.438.4244 studio@trendystudio.net www.trendystudio.net
NEW YORK, NY ARTIFICIAL FOLIAGE American Foliage & Design Group* 122 W 22nd St. New York, NY 10011 212.741.5555 afdesigngr@aol.com www.americanfoliagedesign.com CATERING Green Catering 61 Hester St. New York, NY 10002 212.254.9825 www.greenbrownorange.com
DIGITAL CAPTURE SERVICES Exposure Capture* 77 Franklin St. New York, NY 10013 212.393.1307 contact@exposurecapture.com www.exposurecapture.com PHOTO EQUIPMENT ARC* 42 W 18th St. - 6th Fl. New York, NY 10011 212.627.8487 rental@adorama.com www.adoramarentals.com Calumet* 22 W 22nd St. New York, NY 10010 212.989.8500 800.453.2550 www.calumetphoto.com CSI Rentals* 133 W 19th St. New York, NY 10011 212.243.7368 www.csirentals.com Foto Care* 43 W 22nd St. New York, NY 10010 212.741.2991 rental@fotocare.com www.fotocare.com K&M Camera* 385 Broadway New York, NY 10013 212.523.0954 rental@kmcamera.com www.kmcamera.com
RGH Lighting* 236 W 30th St. New York, NY 10001 212.647.1114 info@rghlighting.com www.rghlighting.com Scheimpflug* 236 W 30th St. New York, NY 10001 212.244.8300 Info@scheimpflug.net www.scheimpflug.net TREC RENTAL* -Manhattan: 435 W 18th St. New York, NY 10011 212.727.1941 / 800.622.1941 order@trecrental.com www.trecrental.com -Brooklyn: 131 N 14th St. Brooklyn, NY 11211 718.349.2740 equipment@trecbrooklyn.com www.trecbrooklyn.com PHOTO LABS Duggal Visual Solutions* 29 W 23rd St. New York, NY 10010 212.242.7000 info@duggal.com www.duggal.com Manhattan Color Lab* 4 W 20th St. New York, NY 10011 212.807.7373 Pochron Studios* 96 Van Dyke St. Brooklyn, NY 11231 718.237.1332 studiomgr@pochronstudios.com www.pochronstudios.com
Primary Photographic* 195 Chrystie St. - North Store New York, NY 10002 212.529.5609 www.primaryphotographic.com
PROP STYLIST www.thepropstylist.com stylist@thepropstylist.com
PRODUCTION COMPANY ajproductionsny, inc. 212.979.7585 aurelie@ajproductionsny.com www.ajproductionsny.com
RENTAL STUDIOS 2 Stops Brighter* 231 W 29th St. New York, NY 10001 212.868.5555 info@2stopsbrighter.com www.2stopsbrighter.com
PROP RENTALS Arenson Prop Center* 396 10th Ave. New York, NY 10001 212.564.8383 www.aof.com
20x24 Studio* 75 Murray St. - 3rd Fl. New York, NY 10007 212.925.1403 info@20x24studio.com www.20x24studio.com
Eclectic Encore Props* 620 W 26th St. - 4th Fl. New York, NY 10001 212.645.8880 www.eclecticprops.com
3rd Ward* 195 Morgan Ave. Brooklyn, NY 11237 718.715.4961 info@3rdward.com www.3rdward.com
Good Light Props* 450 W 31st St. - #9B New York, NY 10001 212.629.8773 Goodlightprops@gmail.com www.goodlightprops.com Props For Today* 330 W 34th St. - 12th Fl. New York, NY 10001 212.244.9600 info@propsfortoday.com www.propsfortoday.com The Prop Company* 111 W 19th St. - 8th Fl. New York, NY 10011 212.691.7767 propcompany@aol.com
320 Studios* 320 W 37th St. - 14th Fl. New York, NY 10018 212.967.9909 info@320studiosnyc.com www.320studiosnyc.com 723 Washington* 723 Washington St. New York, NY 10014 booking@bennetmediastudio.com www.723washington.com Above Studio* 23 E 31st St. New York, NY 10016 212.545.0550 x3 info@abovestudiorental.com www.abovestudiorental.com
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Attic Studios* 1105 44th Rd - 3rd Fl. Long Island City, NY 11101 718.360.1978 matt@atticstudios.net www.atticstudios.net
Divine Studio* 21 E 4th St. - #605 New York, NY 10003 212.387.9655 alex@divinestudio.com www.divinestudio.com
Greenpoint Studios* 190 West St. - #10 Brooklyn, NY 11222 212.741.6864 info@greenpointstudios.com www.greenpointstudios.com
Bathhouse Studios New York* 540 E 11th St. New York, NY 10009 212.388.1111 manager@bathhousestudios.com www.bathhousestudios.com
Eagles Nest Studio* 259 W 30th St. New York, NY 10001 212.736.6221 eaglesnestnyc@yahoo.com www.eaglesnestnyc.com
Home Studios* 873 Broadway - #301 New York, NY 10003 212.475.4663 info@homestudiosinc.com www.homestudiosinc.com
Brick Space* 385-387 Broadway - #3F New York, NY 10013 646.580.5185 andrea@brickspacenyc.com www.brickspacenyc.com
Factory Studios* 79 Lorimer St. Brooklyn, NY 11206 718.690.3980 info@factorybrooklyn.com www.factorybrooklyn.com
Industria Superstudio* 775 Washington St. New York, NY 10014 212.366.1114 info@industrianyc.com www.industrianyc.com
Brooklyn Studios* 211 Meserole Ave. - 2nd Fl. Brooklyn, NY 11222 718.392.1007 brooklynstudios@verizon.net www.brooklynstudios.net
Fast Ashleys Brooklyn* 95 N 10th St. Brooklyn, NY 11211 718.782.9300 michael@fastashleysstudios.com www.fastashleysstudios.com
Jack Studios* 601 W 26th St. New York, NY 10001 212.367.7590 ron@jackstudios.com www.jackstudios.com
Camart Studio Rentals* 6 W 20th St. - 4th Fl. New York, NY 10011 212.691.8840 rentals@camart.com www.camart.com
Gary’s Manhattan Penthouse Loft* 28 W 36th St. - PH New York, NY 10018 917.837.2420 gary@garysloft.com www.garysloft.com
Location 05* 205 Hudson St. New York, NY 10013 212.219.2144 info@location05.com www.location05.com
Capsule Studio* 873 Broadway - #204 New York, NY 10003 212.777.8027 info@capsulestudio.com www.capsulestudio.com
Gary’s Loft* 470 Flushing Ave. Brooklyn, NY 11205 917.837.2420 gary@garysloft.com www.garysloft.com
Metrodaylight Studio* 450 W 31st St. - 8 & 9th Fl. New York, NY 10001 212.967.2000 info@metromotion.com www.metromotion.com
Cinema World Studios* 220 Dupont St. Greenpoint, NY 11222 718.389.9800 cinemaworldfd@verizon.net www.cinemaworldstudios.com
Go Studios* 245 W 29th St. New York, NY 10001 212.564.4084 info@go-studios.com www.go-studios.com
Milk/Formula* 450 W. 15th St. New York, NY 10011 212.645.2797 bevan@milkstudios.com www.milkstudios.com
Dakota Studio* 78 Fifth Ave. - 8th Fl. New York, NY 10011 212.691.2197 matt@dakotastudio.com www.dakotastudio.com
Good Light Studio* 450 W 31st St. - #9C New York, NY 10001 212.629.3764 manager@goodlightstudio.com www.goodlightstudio.com
Neo Studios* 628 Broadway - #302 New York, NY 10012 212.533.4195 mail@neostudiosnyc.com www.neostudiosnyc.com
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NoHo Productions* 636 Broadway - 8th Fl. New York, NY 10012 212.228.4068 info@nohoproductions.com www.nohoproductions.com
Primus Studio* 64 Wooster St. - #3E New York, NY 10012 212.966.3803 info@primusnyc.com www.primusnyc.com
Root [Drive-In]* 443 W 18th St. New York, NY 10011 212.645.2244 info@driveinstudios.com www.driveinstudios.com
Picture Ray Studio* 245 W 18th St. New York, NY 10011 212.929.6370 bookings@pictureraystudio.com www.pictureraystudio.com
Pure Space* 601 W 26th St. - #1225A New York, NY 10001 212.937.6041 rida@purespacenyc.com www.purespacenyc.com
Shoot Digital* 23 E 4th St. New York, NY 10003 212.353.3330 info@shootdigital.com www.shootdigital.com
Pier 59 Studios* Pier #59 - 2nd Fl. New York, NY 10011 212.691.5959 booking@pier59studios.com www.pier59studios.com
Root [Brooklyn]* 131 N 14th St. Brooklyn, NY 11211 718.349.2740 info@rootbrooklyn.com www.rootbrooklyn.com
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Shooting Kitchen* 13-17 Laight St. #12 New York, NY 10013 917.262.0816 jackie@shootingkitchen.com www.shootingkitchen.com
Suite 201* 526 W 26th St. - #201 New York, NY 10001 212.741.0155 info@suite201.com www.suite201.com
Silver Cup Studios* 42-22 22nd St. Long Island City, NY 11101 718.906.3000 silvercup@silvercupstudios.com www.silvercupstudios.com
Sun Studios* 628 Broadway - 6th Fl. New York, NY 10012 212.387.7777 sunstudios@sunnyc.com www.sunstudios.com
Some Studio* 150 W 28th St. - #1602 New York, NY 10001 212.691.7663 somebody@somestudio.com www.somestudio.com
Sun West Studios* 450 W 31st St. - 10th Fl. New York, NY 10001 212.330.9900 bookings@sunwestnyc.com www.sunwestnyc.com
Splashlight* 75 Varick St. - 3rd Fl. New York, NY 10013 212.268.7247 info@splashlight.com www.splashlight.com
Talent Plus Art* 162 W 21st St. New York, NY 10011 800.319.7990 requests@talentplusart.com www.talentplusart.com
Steiner Studios* 15 Washington Ave. Brooklyn, NY 11205 718.858.1600 jeddey@steinerstudios.com www.steinerstudios.com
The Space* 425 W 15th St. - 6th Fl. New York, NY 10011 212.929.2442 info@thespaceinc.com www.thespaceinc.com
Studio 225 Chelsea* 225 W 28th St. - #2 New York, NY 10001 917.882.3724 james@jamesweberstudio.com www.studio225chelsea.com
Tribeca Skyline Studios* 205 Hudson St. - PH New York, NY 10013 212.344.1999 claudia@tribecaskyline.com www.tribecaskyline.com
Studio 385* 77 Franklin St. New York, NY 10013 212.393.1307 contact@exposurecapture.com www2.exposurecapture.com/studio.html
Zoom Studios* 20 Vandam St. - 4th Fl. New York, NY 10013 212.243.9663 zoomstudios@yahoo.com www.zoomstudios.net
Studio 450* 450 W 31st St. - 12th Fl. New York, NY 10001 212.871.0940 Info@lofteleven.com www.loft11.com
SURFACE RENTALS Surface Studio* 242 W 30th St. - #1202 New York, NY 10001 212.244.6107 www.surfacestudio.com
WARDROBE RENTALS RRRentals* 245 W 29th St. - #11 New York, NY 10001 212.242.6120 info@rrrentalsny.com www.rrrentalsny.com WARDROBE SUPPLY Manhattan Wardrobe Supply* 245 W 29th St. - 8th Fl. New York, NY 10001 212.268.9993 info@wardrobesupplies.com www.wardrobesupplies.com
SOUTH WEST DALLAS, TX STUDIO RENTAL Bolt Productions 1346 Chemical St. Dallas, TX 75207 214.234.8423 www.boltproductions.com
WEST COAST LOS ANGELES, CA PROP RENTALS House of Props* 1117 N Gower St. Hollywood, CA 90038 323.463.3166 info@houseofpropsinc.com www.houseofpropsinc.com PHOTO LABS A&I Photographic & Digital Services* 933 N Highland Ave Hollywood, CA 90038 323.856.5280 mail@ aandi.com www.aandi.com
The Icon* 5450 Wilshire Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90036 323.933.1666 icon@iconla.com www.iconla.com PHOTO EQUIPMENT Calumet* 1135 N Highland Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90038 323.466.1238 www.calumetphoto.com
REVEAL YOURSELF
Castex Rentals* 1044 Cole Ave. Hollywood, CA 90038 323.462.1468 service@castexrentals.com www.castexrentals.com Pix Inc.* 211 South La Brea Los Angeles, CA 90036 323.936.8488 rentals@pixcamera.com sales@pixcamera.com www.pixcamera.com RENTAL STUDIOS 5th & Sunset* 12322 Exposition Blvd West Los Angeles, CA 90064 310.979.0212 jblakely@mac.com www.5thandsunsetla.com Lightbox Studio* 7122 Beverly Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90036 323.933.2080 info@lightboxstudio.com www.lightboxstudio.com Milk LA* 855 N. Cahuenga Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90038 323.469.8900 info-la@milkstudios.com www.milkstudios.com Quixote Griffith Park 4585 Electronics Place Los Angeles, CA 90039 323.851.5030 abelg@quixote.com www.quixote.com
THE RESOURCE NETWORKS.
JOIN THE FUN:
FACEBOOK-TWITTER
LINKED IN-PHOTOCREW DRIPBOOK-WORKBOOK
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www.resourcemagonline.com
Pier 59 Studios West* 2415 Michigan Ave. Santa Monica, CA 90404 310.829.5959 booking@pier59studios.com www.pier59studios.com
Pro Camera Rental & Supply* 1405 Minnesota St. San Francisco, CA 94107 415.282.7368 www.procamerarental.com
Siren Studios* 6063 W Sunset Blvd Hollywood, CA 90019 323.467.3559 gambino@sirenstudios.com www.sirenstudios.com
PHOTO LAB Dickerman Prints* 3180 17th St. San Francisco, CA 94110 415.252.1300 info@dickermanprints.com www.DickermanPrints.com
Smashbox Studios Culver City* 8549 Higuera St. Culver City, CA 90323 310.558.1460 DonatoS@smashboxstudios.com www.smashboxstudios.com
Light Waves Imaging* 130 Russ St. San Francisco, CA 94103 415.431.9651 orders-sf@lightwavesimaging.com www.lightwavesimaging.com
Smashbox Studios West Hollywood* 1011 N Fuller Ave. Hollywood, CA 90046 323.851.5030 RebeccaC@smashboxstudios.com www.smashboxstudios.com The LA Lofts* 6442 Santa Monica Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90038 323.462.5880 thelalofts@hotmail.com www.thelalofts.com The Studio* 6442 Santa Monica Blvd - #202 Los Angeles, CA 90038 323.791.7757 info@thestudiola.com www.thestudiola.com STYLISTS AGENCY Cloutier Remix* 2632 La Cienega Ave. Los Angeles CA 90034 310.839.8722 info@cloutierremix.com www.cloutierremix.com
PRODUCTION SUPPLIES JCX Expendables* 3050 23rd St. San Francisco, CA 94110 415.824.1371 jcxex@pacbell.net www.jcxex.com PROP RENTALS The Prop Co-op* 80 Industrial Way Brisbane, CA 94005 415.468.7767 info@propcoop.com www.propcoop.com STUDIO RENTAL Dogpatch Studios* 991 Tennessee St. San Francisco, CA 94107 415.641.3017 info@dogpatchstudios.com www.dogpatchstudios.com
SAN FRANCISCO, CA
Left Space* 2055 Bryant St. San Francisco, CA 94110 415.285.5338 studio@leftspace.com www.leftspace.com
PHOTO EQUIPMENT Calumet* 2001 Bryant St. San Francisco, CA 94110 415.643.9275 www.calumetphoto.com
LUX-SF* 2325 3rd St. - #347 San Francisco, CA 94107 415.310.2263 studio@lux-sf.com www.lux-sf.com
Purebred Studio* 436 N. Canal St. #7 South San Francisco, CA 94080 650.952.6200 info@purebredpro.com www.purebredstudio.com Sintak Studio* 2779 16th St. San Francisco, CA 94103 415.255.7734 studio@sintak.net www.sintak.net
NATIONAL ORGANIZATION APA (Advertsing Photographers of America) PO Box 725146 Atlanta, GA 31139 800.272.6264 www.apanational.com PhotoCrew www.photocrew.com Production Paradise www.productionparadise.com FILE SHARING WEBSITE We Transfer www.wetransfer.com VIDEO SHARING WEBSITE Vimeo www.vimeo.com info@vimeo.com
*Distribution sites.
FOR LISTING OR ADVERTISING INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT: info@resourcemagonline.com
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Meet Meet the the IQ IQ series series
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Unlimited creativity at your fingertips Unlimited creativity at your fingertips
Up to 80 megapixels. The new touch screen interface allows for Up to 80 megapixels. The new screen interface a revolutionary experience withtouch your camera. Must be allows seen tofor a berevolutionary appreciated.experience with your camera. Must be seen to be appreciated. Call us today at +1 631 547 8900 Call us www.phaseone.com/demo today at +1 631 547 8900 to sign up for a demo. or visit or visit www.phaseone.com/demo to sign up for a demo.
Six fully equipped digital still life studios. Each with lighting, grip, digital workstation, tools & supplies to provide a smooth workflow for a still life shoot.
Introducing The Kitchen Cupboard. One room filled with culinary equipment, tools and supplies for use by the home economists and food stylists that work in our studios.
A simpler way to shoot food in a rental studio...
All-inclusive flat rate packages. One price covers it all. Use everything in your studio and enjoy full access to the Noho equipment room. It’s all included in the flat rate, like an all-you-can-eat buffet.
NOHO PRODUCTIONS
www.nohoproductions.com