This Week in Photography: Boston #FTW, Nirvana, and the Best Diversity on Instagram
- 10.19.13
- 6:30 AM
Our newest edition of This Week in Photography is all over the place, but in a good way. Viral sports photos, the racial politics of Instagram, 4K ski flicks, and the legacy of Nirvana. Grab your Saturday morning coffee and enjoy.
The "Sports Photo of the Year"
The above photo by Stan Grossfeld of the Boston Globe shows Boston police officer Steve Horgan cheering as Detroit Tigers right fielder Torii Hunter fails to catch a grand slam hit by the Red Sox's David Ortiz. The hit tied the score and set the stage for a Boston win in the second game of the ALCS playoffs. The picture, which is being called the "Sports Photo of the Year," has since gone viral because it's a great photograph but also because it's a big thumbs up to the Boston Police Department after their handling of the Boston Marathon bombing.
Photo: Stan Grossfeld/Boston Globe/Getty Images.
Photojournalism Crowdfunding Platform Emphas.is Collapses
On Monday, the British Journal of Photography broke the backstory about Emphas.is' decision to shutdown.
Emphas.is was a photojournalism crowdfunding platform founded by Karim Ben Khelifa, Tina Ahrens and Fanuel Dewever whose launch in 2010 was met with optimism within the photo industry. At that time, traditional modes of funding for in-depth photojournalism were crumbling, so photographers embraced the prospect of journalism supported by direct consumer contributions.
During its run, Emphas.is helped a small number of photographers successfully raise money for important projects. Laurent reports that growing debt is what did the website in. By the end, it was €328,000, or more than $530,000, in the hole. Laurent says employees worked without salary, the founders spent heaps of their own money trying to keep the website afloat and initial investors lost any ROI.
A handful of photographers also lost out. According to Laurent, Walter Tjantelé, the publishing director, is holding on to the remaining books produced by Emphas.is Publishing.
Chicago Sun-Times Sells Photos of Laid Off Photogs
In May, the Chicago Sun-Times laid off all of its full-time photographers, a move that drew intense criticism. The newspaper recently decided to add insult to injury by putting the fired photogs’ work up for sale and extolling them as “one-of-a-kind.” It's ironic advertising because, as WIRED reported, the work of the Sun-Times' newly minted iPhoneographers does not hold a candle to what the staff photographers used to produce.
The Best of Photography and the Best of Diversity on Instagram
Digital Trends' recent article recommending "7 of the Most Captivating Photojournalists on Instagram Capturing Conflict Zones," raised eyebrows when it was published. David Campbell, a blogger and professor, thought the list was too short for meaningful conclusion and that it unnecessarily focused on photographers Instagramming from conflict zones. Zarina Holmes noted that no women were on the list and John Edwin Mason (WIRED fave) pointed out the glaring omission of non-white photographers. As a response, Mason compiled a list of diverse Instagrammers whose work he recommends.
"This list is by no means definitive," Mason says. "I'd love to call it 'The Best Asian, Black, Latino, and Female Photographers on Instagram,' but it's far too provisional."
Provisional or not, this is the most well-rounded list of Instagrammers we've seen to date.
Mason closes by singling out Ruddy Roye (image above) for particular praise. We've long been admirers of Roye's work because of the way he uses Instagram to create an emotional connection with the people he photographs.
Photo: "While white people are arrested in greater numbers in practically every crime category in America, blacks are being incarcerated at a higher percentage than their white counterparts. There are black men at Rikers Island today solely because they cannot afford bail. They are not convicted of a crime, they are just poor." -- Basir Mchawi, activist. By Ruddy Roye.
New Exhibit: Shomei Tomatsu: Island Life
Japanese photographer Shomei Tomatsu's first solo show in the United States in nearly a decade is currently at the Art Institute of Chicago. Tomatsu, who died in 2012, is often called the most important Japanese photographer of the post World War II-era and his work influenced generations of photographers after him. The show, Shomei Tomastsu: Island Life, focuses on his work from Japan’s southern islands and is a study in contrasts, with photos of American bombers taking off from Okinama for Vietnam as well as beautiful shots of the surrounding sea.
Photo: Untitled (Aka-jima, Okinawa), from the series The Pencil of the Sun, 1973. By Shomei Tomatsu.
New Film: Way of Life
Back in April we first reported on the $750,000, 4K ultra high-definition, gyro-stabilized, helicopter-mounted camera rig that Teton Gravity Research, a production company with several well-known ski and snowboard films under its belt, was using to shoot its newest flick, Way of Life. The film is now on iTunes and it was worth the wait. The cinematography is gorgeous, but we also like the film because in addition to epic skiing segments there are several little vignettes about the skiers the crew met while filming around the world. These mini-profiles give the film personality and set it apart from other ski movies, which tend to drown the audience with action.
Photo: Tim Durtschi, Hochfugen, Austria. By Adam Clark.
New Book: Nirvana
For his new book, Nirvana, Jason Lazarus asked people the question, "Who introduced you to Nirvana?" People responded with handwritten accounts and photos that Lazarus then curated. Some responses are hazy with nostalgia and affection. Others are darker and tainted by loss and frustration. The images show friends, parents, loved ones and old flames each illuminating an individual experience with the band. It's hard to believe it’s been so long since Nirvana was making headlines, but for many their music still strikes an emotional chord.
Nirvana is published by and available from Here Press. Photo courtesy of Jason Lazarus.
New Show: Sudarios (“Shrouds”)
CENTER, a photography non-profit in Santa Fe, New Mexico, hosted an opening Friday for Sudarios, a portrait series by Erika Diettes about people who were forced to stand by and watch their loved ones be tortured during the Columbian armed conflict. The giant black and white photos show the subjects at close range and most capture them with a moving and sometimes hard to look at expression of mourning. The moments are so striking because the photos were taken while the subjects shared their stories with a therapist who accompanied the photographer. For display, the photos are printed on semi-transparent silk as a way to represent the hollowness that the violence left behind.
The show is only up for one week, so please catch it if you can. You can find more information on the CENTER website.
Photo by Erika Diettes.
Our newest edition of This Week in Photography is all over the place, but in a good way. Viral sports photos, the racial politics of Instagram, 4K ski flicks, and the legacy of Nirvana. Grab your Saturday morning coffee and enjoy.
The "Sports Photo of the Year"
The above photo by Stan Grossfeld of the Boston Globe shows Boston police officer Steve Horgan cheering as Detroit Tigers right fielder Torii Hunter fails to catch a grand slam hit by the Red Sox's David Ortiz. The hit tied the score and set the stage for a Boston win in the second game of the ALCS playoffs. The picture, which is being called the "Sports Photo of the Year," has since gone viral because it's a great photograph but also because it's a big thumbs up to the Boston Police Department after their handling of the Boston Marathon bombing.
Photo: Stan Grossfeld/Boston Globe/Getty Images.
Photojournalism Crowdfunding Platform Emphas.is Collapses
On Monday, the British Journal of Photography broke the backstory about Emphas.is' decision to shutdown.
Emphas.is was a photojournalism crowdfunding platform founded by Karim Ben Khelifa, Tina Ahrens and Fanuel Dewever whose launch in 2010 was met with optimism within the photo industry. At that time, traditional modes of funding for in-depth photojournalism were crumbling, so photographers embraced the prospect of journalism supported by direct consumer contributions.
During its run, Emphas.is helped a small number of photographers successfully raise money for important projects. Laurent reports that growing debt is what did the website in. By the end, it was €328,000, or more than $530,000, in the hole. Laurent says employees worked without salary, the founders spent heaps of their own money trying to keep the website afloat and initial investors lost any ROI.
A handful of photographers also lost out. According to Laurent, Walter Tjantelé, the publishing director, is holding on to the remaining books produced by Emphas.is Publishing.
Chicago Sun-Times Sells Photos of Laid Off Photogs
In May, the Chicago Sun-Times laid off all of its full-time photographers, a move that drew intense criticism. The newspaper recently decided to add insult to injury by putting the fired photogs’ work up for sale and extolling them as “one-of-a-kind.” It's ironic advertising because, as WIRED reported, the work of the Sun-Times' newly minted iPhoneographers does not hold a candle to what the staff photographers used to produce.
The Best of Photography and the Best of Diversity on Instagram
Digital Trends' recent article recommending "7 of the Most Captivating Photojournalists on Instagram Capturing Conflict Zones," raised eyebrows when it was published. David Campbell, a blogger and professor, thought the list was too short for meaningful conclusion and that it unnecessarily focused on photographers Instagramming from conflict zones. Zarina Holmes noted that no women were on the list and John Edwin Mason (WIRED fave) pointed out the glaring omission of non-white photographers. As a response, Mason compiled a list of diverse Instagrammers whose work he recommends.
"This list is by no means definitive," Mason says. "I'd love to call it 'The Best Asian, Black, Latino, and Female Photographers on Instagram,' but it's far too provisional."
Provisional or not, this is the most well-rounded list of Instagrammers we've seen to date.
Mason closes by singling out Ruddy Roye (image above) for particular praise. We've long been admirers of Roye's work because of the way he uses Instagram to create an emotional connection with the people he photographs.
Photo: "While white people are arrested in greater numbers in practically every crime category in America, blacks are being incarcerated at a higher percentage than their white counterparts. There are black men at Rikers Island today solely because they cannot afford bail. They are not convicted of a crime, they are just poor." -- Basir Mchawi, activist. By Ruddy Roye.
New Exhibit: Shomei Tomatsu: Island Life
Japanese photographer Shomei Tomatsu's first solo show in the United States in nearly a decade is currently at the Art Institute of Chicago. Tomatsu, who died in 2012, is often called the most important Japanese photographer of the post World War II-era and his work influenced generations of photographers after him. The show, Shomei Tomastsu: Island Life, focuses on his work from Japan’s southern islands and is a study in contrasts, with photos of American bombers taking off from Okinama for Vietnam as well as beautiful shots of the surrounding sea.
Photo: Untitled (Aka-jima, Okinawa), from the series The Pencil of the Sun, 1973. By Shomei Tomatsu.
New Film: Way of Life
Back in April we first reported on the $750,000, 4K ultra high-definition, gyro-stabilized, helicopter-mounted camera rig that Teton Gravity Research, a production company with several well-known ski and snowboard films under its belt, was using to shoot its newest flick, Way of Life. The film is now on iTunes and it was worth the wait. The cinematography is gorgeous, but we also like the film because in addition to epic skiing segments there are several little vignettes about the skiers the crew met while filming around the world. These mini-profiles give the film personality and set it apart from other ski movies, which tend to drown the audience with action.
Photo: Tim Durtschi, Hochfugen, Austria. By Adam Clark.
New Book: Nirvana
For his new book, Nirvana, Jason Lazarus asked people the question, "Who introduced you to Nirvana?" People responded with handwritten accounts and photos that Lazarus then curated. Some responses are hazy with nostalgia and affection. Others are darker and tainted by loss and frustration. The images show friends, parents, loved ones and old flames each illuminating an individual experience with the band. It's hard to believe it’s been so long since Nirvana was making headlines, but for many their music still strikes an emotional chord.
Nirvana is published by and available from Here Press.
Photo courtesy of Jason Lazarus.
New Show: Sudarios (“Shrouds”)
CENTER, a photography non-profit in Santa Fe, New Mexico, hosted an opening Friday for Sudarios, a portrait series by Erika Diettes about people who were forced to stand by and watch their loved ones be tortured during the Columbian armed conflict. The giant black and white photos show the subjects at close range and most capture them with a moving and sometimes hard to look at expression of mourning. The moments are so striking because the photos were taken while the subjects shared their stories with a therapist who accompanied the photographer. For display, the photos are printed on semi-transparent silk as a way to represent the hollowness that the violence left behind.
The show is only up for one week, so please catch it if you can. You can find more information on the CENTER website.
Photo by Erika Diettes.
