PDNedu, Vol. 14, No. 1, Spring 2015

VOL. 14 ISSUE 1 // SPRING 2015

THE MAGAZINE FOR EMERGING PHOTOGRAPHERS AND PHOTO EDUCATORS

THE FAMILY ISSUE

KING OF THE CASTLE JAY MAISEL WEIGHS IN ON HOW TO MAKE A PHOTOGRAPHIC LIFE

WORKING THE CROWD DO’s AND DON’TS FOR PRESENTING AT A PORTFOLIO WALK

© Tamara Lackey

+

NIKON PROS OFFER PRACTICAL ADVICE FROM THE FIELD WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW AFTER SCHOOL

BROUGHT TO YOU

BY PDN AND NIKON

WINNERS OF THE 12TH ANNUAL PDNEDU STUDENT PHOTO CONTEST

Nikon and NIKKOR are registered trademarks of Nikon Corporation ©2015 Nikon Inc.

INVEST IN A NEW PERSPECTIVE For 80 years, NIKKOR lenses have set the standard for sharpness and craftsmanship. That’s why there’s nothing like a Nikon camera with a genuine NIKKOR lens.

Explore Nikon’s full line of legendary NIKKOR lenses. nikonusa.com/nikkor START HERE AF-S DX NIKKOR 35mm f/1.8G AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-300mm f/3.5-6.3G ED VR AF-S NIKKOR 24-85mm f/3.5-4.5G ED VR AF-S NIKKOR 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR AF-S Micro-NIKKOR 60mm f/2.8G ED

VOLUME 14 // ISSUE 1

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p.13 News and Views Join the Eddie Adams Workshop Challenge, Flash Forward Boston 2015, Chris Janjic’s photo essays “Arianna” & “Medicinal.” Advocating with inspiration: the empowering wisdom of Mary Virginia Swanson

p.18 Media Report Our picks for plugged-in photo books and a documentary video

p.19 Photo Gigs Adam Dixon, developer of Cage Manager software, Appalachian State technology department, Boone, North Carolina

p.20 Is It Legal?

Nancy Wolff discusses privacy rights when photographing subjects without their consent

p.22 Project X

Grand-prize winners and honorable mentions in the 12th annual PDNedu student photography contest

p.34 Storytellers

50

p.38 One to Watch Beautiful together: Tamara Lackey’s heartfelt journey from family portraiture to philanthropy

BY AMANDA QUINTENZ-FIEDLER

© Sisse Dupont

Not a blank canvas: Joshua Irwandi paints a complex picture of the people and culture of Asmat

BY JULIE GRAHAME

© Joshua Irwandi

p.24 PDNedu Student Photo Contest

© Megan Leong Nyuk Leng

Start local, go global: An international community emerges from the universal theme of family

34 38

p.44 It’s a Living King of the castle: Jay Maisel weighs in on how to make a photographic life

BY HARRISON JACOBS

A family of schools: The “Family. Life.” project engages a global student audience

BY JILL WATERMAN / ALEXANDRA MANIKAS

© Tamara Lackey

Caption t/k

p.50 Special Report

PDNEDU.COM SPRING 2015

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p.58 Business Smarts Working the crowd: Dos and don’ts for presenting at a portfolio walk

BY DAVID H. WELLS

p.62 StepxStep Nikon Pros offer practical advice from the field: what you need to know after school COMPILED BY JILL WATERMAN

p.66 What Does It Cost…?

To study, live and work in New Orleans?

BY AMANDA BALTAZAR

p.70 Product News Photography gear to take your creativity to new heights

BY GREG SCOBLETE

p.06 Editor’s Letter p.08 Contributors p.10 Letters p.78 PDNedu Asks Photographers…

What’s your most useful tool for building trust when photographing a shy or recalcitrant subject?

COMPILED BY JILL WATERMAN

p.80 Out of the Past

Photo © Rush Jagoe <rushjagoe.com>

Dorothea Lange: Seen and unseen

BY ALEXANDRA MANIKAS

ON THE

VOL. 14 ISSUE 1 // SPRING 2015

THE MAGAZINE FOR EMERGING PHOTOGRAPHERS AND PHOTO EDUCATORS

KING OF THE CASTLE JAY MAISEL WEIGHS IN ON HOW TO MAKE A PHOTOGRAPHIC LIFE

WORKING THE CROWD DO’S AND DON’TS FOR PRESENTING AT A PORTFOLIO WALK

SCHOOL

© XXXXXXX

+ NIKON PROS OFFER PRACTICAL ADVICE FROM THE FIELD WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW AFTER

THE FAMILY ISSUE BROUGHT TO YOU

BY PDN AND NIKON

WINNERS OF THE 12TH ANNUAL PDNEDU STUDENT PHOTO

Nikon Ambassador Tamara Lackey captures a candid moment between a father and daughter.

For more on Lackey’s burgeoning family portrait business, turn to our One to Watch feature on page 38.

p.66

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THIS PAGE: Chef Kristin Essig with fresh citrus outside her restaurant, Meauxbar, New Orleans, Louisiana.

Nikon® is a registered trademark of Nikon Corporation. ©2015 Nikon Inc.

NIKON CONGRATULATES

THE PDNedu 2015 PHOTO CONTEST WINNERS

We celebrate your exceptional performance and accomplishment.

Your journey to master the art and science of visual storytelling has proven to be a success.

You have captured remarkable moments like no one else could. And your talent is not going unnoticed.

Nikon applauds your efforts and creativity and can’t wait to see what you do next.

We will continue to support you in your imaging adventures and hope you will take us along for the exciting journey!

Made for Generation Image.

www.nikonusa.com/pdneduspring15

FOLLOW US!

w w w. fa c e b o o k . c o m / n i k o n

h t t p s : // p l u s .g o o g l e .c o m / + n i k o n u s a

EYES ON NATURE Ron Magill Uses Nikon Gear to Preserve the Natural World

w w w. nikonus a .c om/RonMag ill

w w w.Yo u T u b e . c o m / N i k o n U S A

@NikonUSA

ADVERTISEM ENT

All images © Ron Magill, <www.ronmagill.com>

or more than 30 years, naturalist Ron Magill has traveled the world, interacting with wildlife from Africa to the Galapagos Islands and all points in between. This Nikon Ambassador’s ability to translate his passion for wildlife to the general public has earned him another ambassadorship—Magill is also a goodwill ambassador for Zoo Miami, where he serves as communications director.

As a naturalist, Magill knows his wildlife subjects and has a “sense of what they’re going to do and when they’re going to do it.” Regardless of the situation, he depends on his Nikon gear to help him capture stunning images. Peek into Magill’s gear bag and you’ll find the Nikon D750, a couple of D4S DSLRs and a trio of his “go to” lenses: the AF-S NIKKOR 14-24mm f/2.8G ED, AF-S NIKKOR 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR and his AF-S NIKKOR 500mm f/4G ED VR. While the D4S is his workhorse, he found the new D750 particularly useful on a recent trip to the Galapagos.

Magill is a “big proponent of photographing from an animal’s perspective” but, at 6’6”, he’s an imposing figure and can easily be perceived as a threat if he gets too close to wildlife. With the D750’s tiltable LCD—one of Magill’s favorite features— he can easily reach down or out from a prone position with his long arms to get great perspectives of an animal without frightening it. “Being able to put the D750 in Live View mode and extend it out is a huge advantage,” he says.

At 6.5 frames per second continuous shooting, the D750 is sufficiently fast for capturing unscripted moments. Magill advises that continuous shooting—and continuous autofocus (AF)—is critical “when you have animals in action; you just never know what’s going to happen,” he says. In situations like these, he makes good use of the D750’s group AF feature and accurate tracking capabilities to capture movements that are almost too fast for the human eye to see.

A load of heavy lenses can easily negate the benefits of the D750’s highly portable body, especially on a long trek. Magill, who used to be a “real prime lens kind of guy,” explains that NIKKOR zoom lenses “really push the envelope,” allowing him to lighten his gear bag. The trio of lenses he regularly carries cover such a wide range, they’re more than sufficient for any assignment. He was particularly impressed with Nikon’s new AF-S NIKKOR 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR lens, saying, “This lens is so sharp and so fast in AF, it really opened a whole new dimension for me.”

AF-S NIKKOR 14-24mm f/2.8G ED

AF-S NIKKOR 80400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR

He usually shoots in aperture-priority, which allows the fastest possible shutter speeds at sunrise and sunset, when animals are generally most active. This also helps him to control depth-of-field. While the D750 has a native ISO of 100, under most conditions Magill shoots at ISO 800. He also “routinely pushes the ISO up to 3200 and, not infrequently, to ISO 6400,” citing the D750’s excellent control over image noise.

When it comes to motion, Magill—who recently won an Emmy for an animal video he shot with the D4S—is equally impressed with the D750’s video output. The footage he shot of a mother sea lion nursing her pup in the Galapagos was “phenomenal,” he reports. And the D750’s in-camera stereo microphone also delivered excellent sound quality, he adds.

After working with the D750, Magill was blown away by its similarities to the D4S. “You’re getting pro-level capability, but the D750 is exponentially less expensive than the D4S. It’s an amazing value,” he exclaims.

While Magill still loves the D4S, the more portable D750, with its tilt LCD and built-in pop-up flash for filling shadows, has become a permanent resident in his gear bag.

“Photography is an invaluable tool for inspiring people to care about the world we live in,” he says. “Other than seeing the animals in action themselves, there’s no greater way to communicate this important message.”

For more on Magill and his gear, as well as the heartwarming backstory to his favorite image from 2014, visit PDNedu’s digital edition at <digitalmag.pdnedu. com> or view the video at http://bit.ly/1BSpIGD.

AF-S NIKKOR 500mm f/4G ED VR

Nikon D750

For more of Ron Magill’s stunning wildlife pictures, visit www.ronmagill.com.

Follow him on Twitter @RonMagill

At the heart of every image

EDITOR’S LETTER

Our Family theme was inspired by the ambitious undertaking of Mike Davis and the students in Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communication, (Project X, page 22, and Special Report, page 50). Their “Family. Life.” project is an inspiring example of the connections between us that rise to the surface when storytellers explore a universal subject with a deeply personal resonance.

To research our “It’s a Living” feature on quintessential New Yorker Jay Maisel, we paid a visit to his bank building in the Bowery shortly before moving day. We were touched by his candor given our many questions and totally in awe of his storied career.

Flip to page 44 for details.

For our Business Smarts story, “Working the Crowd” (page 58), David H. Wells offers tips for putting your best foot forward during increasingly popular portfolio walks. He researched the story during last year’s SPE conference, so we hope this advice might help you build an audience for your work at this year’s shindig in New Orleans. We’ll be there, so please look us up at the PDN booth (#48) in the exhibits fair!

In Step X Step, we recap last October’s hugely successful PDNedu/Nikon panel held during PhotoPlus (page 62). Nikon Ambassadors Dixie Dixon and Lucas Gilman and Nikon Pro Steve Simon cover all the bases—from fashion trends to rugged adventure to the university of the streets, their advice is not to be missed.

In the coming weeks, we’ll be putting some polish on our social media footprint and offering a Nikon lens as a prize for some thumbs up on Facebook! While you’re online, stop by PDNedu’s digital edition to check out both current and past editions and to watch some great video content. Visit today at <http://bit.ly/XxpmV6> and share with your friends!

We truly value your feedback and suggestions, so please let us know what you’d like to see and read about next. Here’s wishing you a glorious spring and a fruitful summer—until September!

—Jill Waterman

VOL. 14 ISSUE1 // SPRING 2015

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PDNEDU STAFF, FROM TOP LEFT: Jill Waterman (center in picture), Jacqui Palumbo (right in picture), Kelly O’Leary (second from left), Jennifer Prandato (right in picture).

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WANT MORE OF PDNEDU? Access archived issues through our digital edition <www.digitalmag.pdnedu.com/pdnedu> and visit us between issues on our Web site <www.pdnedu.com>.

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CONTRIBUTORS AMANDA BALTAZAR’S home in the soggy Pacific Northwest is a far cry from New Orleans, but after researching the city for PDNedu’s What Does It Cost? story on page 66, she’s hungry to visit the Big Easy—not just for its fine cuisine, but also for its culture and lifestyle. When she’s not writing about locations around the United States for PDNedu, Baltazar (center in picture) writes mostly about food/ beverage, retail and business, and in her free time she explores the great outdoors or settles down with a book. To learn more, visit her Web site at www.chaterink.com.

JULIE GRAHAME (at left in picture) was born in London, England, but moved to New York last century at a tender age to manage an international photo agency. Since then, she has written regularly for PDN’s Emerging Photographer, reviewed hundreds of portfolios, judged dozens of competitions and published a handful of Web sites, including her pride and joy, full-screen magazine and blog aCurator.

Grahame became almost as fascinated by the Asmat as young photographer Joshua Irwandi, the subject of her interview for this issue’s Storytellers piece (page 34). For more on Grahame, check out her Web site at www.juliegrahame.com.

HARRISON JACOBS (far left in picture) is a freelance writer, blogger and photographer based in Brooklyn who now reports for Business Insider. For this issue of PDNedu, he visited with photographic legend Jay Maisel at his illustrious building in the Bowery, who regaled him with stories from advertising’s golden age. Read all about Maisel’s adventures in It’s a Living (page 44), follow Jacobs on Twitter @harrisonxjacobs and learn more about him at www.harrisonjacobs.com.

ALEXANDRA MANIKAS (at right in picture) is a Brooklyn-based fine artist, freelance writer and recent graduate of the Visual and Critical Studies program at the School of Visual Arts. In this issue of PDNedu, she turns her attention to American documentary photographer Dorothea Lange, with a look into Lange’s compassionate photographic mission in Out of the Past (page 80) and in review of the documentary film Grab a Hunk of Lightning in Media Reports (page 18). Follow Alex on Twitter @ alxmniks and on Tumblr at alxmniks.tumblr.com.

AMANDA QUINTENZ-FIEDLER (center in picture) is a freelance writer, photographer and educator living in Carlsbad, California, from where she contributes to publications such as Photographer’s Forum, Rangefinder and Digital Photo Pro, among others, and has written three photo textbooks. For this issue, she interviews Tamara Lackey (page 38), a family portrait photographer whose career has spanned everything from starting her own studio to becoming a multiplatform photo mogul and a Nikon USA Ambassador. Learn more about Quintenz-Fiedler’s work at <www.amandaquintenz.com>.

GREG SCOBLETE (center in picture) is the technology editor at PDN and Rangefinder magazines. In this issue, he covers some cool photo gear for creative photographers (page 70). When he’s not writing about photography, Scoblete contributes to a foreign policy Web site and will often opine about artificial intelligence and consumer electronics. Despite struggling through high school math, he has an unhealthy fascination with physics. His kids get their cuteness from their mother (not pictured but lovely). Follow him @GregScoblete.

AMY TOUCHETTE (at right in picture) is a fine-art photographer and freelance writer based in Brooklyn, New York. In this issue, she writes about the incomparable Mary Virginia Swanson (page 16), whose tireless work as an artist advocate, author and innovator is being honored this year by the Society of Photographic Education. Touchette’s photography is exhibited and published internationally, most recently in Leica Gallery-Warsaw, Poland, and her first monograph, Shoot the Arrow: A Portrait of the World Famous *BOB*, was published by Un-Gyve Press in 2013. She is represented by ClampArt.

DAVID H WELLS (at left in picture) is a publication photographer/video maker and photo educator.

While failing French in high school, he transferred to a photography class and fell in love with the medium. He studied photo history at the Claremont Colleges, where he learned to critically evaluate photographs within specific technological, cultural and political contexts, an approach that influences him to this day. In this issue’s Business Smarts story (page 58), he looks at portfolio walks with the same analytical eye. After college, he spent five years honing his skills through in-depth photo essays exploring political and cultural topics for a variety of newspapers. He now divides his time between teaching workshops and creating, executing and disseminating personal projects.

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STUDENT PHOTO OP

Sarah Collins, Senior, Point Park University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

What I like most about PDNedu is that it offers both professional and practical advice for photographers.

As a photography educator and professional photographer,I think this magazine is beneficial and educators I am always imploring my students to to students capture what they love. because it talks about relevant topics and articles that My goal for them is to enjoy a long and fruitful career, and expeconnect us to the mainstream of image making and how rience has taught thatcurve. shooting what you love is key. to stay ahead me of the I found the Fall 2014 issue on I motion just finished reading and watching video content from and video to be very helpful because it recognized the importance of edition, photographers video andRich the PDNedu’s latest digital and the learning feature on Corey advantages using video in storytelling. really drove this point home. He of isn’t an outsider in the world of adventure sports that he captures butRebecca rather someone who Devereaux can visually share these experiences with his audience. senior, Point Park University, When packaged with the article, Corey’s video “WHY” not Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania only showcases his amazing talent and his immersion in this is sodemonstrates hard to find creative literature that only world, itItalso the power of video as annot esseninspires but also teaches its readers all aspects of the tial visual communication tool. Photo education is no longer photography community. PDNedu is not just a magazine purely about decisive moment; it’sbut rather about learning for the fine the artist or photojournalist rather a tool for all to tell a comprehensive story.

Education publications such as aspiring photographers to better themselves. Each issue professionals and wonderful work they PDNeduhighlights are invaluable resources in the helping to communicate create.

PDNedu then takes to thethe nextnext step, teaching us such real-world examples to it inspire generation of the techniques and business ethics that the professional photographers. professionals are using.

It’s wonderful that I can direct my students to PDNedu and Dominique Hildebrand have them read and experience success stories such as CoPointcontent Park University, rey’s. Thanks again, PDNedu, forsenior, presenting that’s so Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania well aligned with our ever-evolving field.

PDNedu is a great resource for any photographer. I can Joe Lavine find helpful information on almost any topic I may be Full-Time Faculty/Curriculum Coordinator interested in. I personally enjoy the variety of photo essays of the Arts that are usually featured Academy in the magazine.

Last University, semester, I was able to look to this magazine forFrancisco, inspirationCalifornia and ideas San on creating my first documentary project. I had no idea where to start, but after reading an article about portraying a story through photo and video, I was able to take on the Thanks, PDNedu for the set of magazines youconfident. send to task feeling more Midway High School in Waco, Texas. My students and I alHerzer ways find something interesting and relevant Kaylin to our work in junior, Point Park University, class. Specifically, the Spring 2014 edition had a short but Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania fascinating article by Jill Waterman on John G. Zimmerman, which me to his WebRolinson, site—justalways in time for my Ourled professor, Chris hands outstudents’ PDNedu lessonstoon action photography.

And my students weretofasstudents in all his classes. I find the magazine be helpful inspiring.

I love other photographers’ cinated with and Dustin Snipes andseeing his images, story by Hal featured work and learning of the trade.

It’sup-to-date awesome Stucker.

Kudos to your stafftricks for interesting and to see different styles of photography and to learn how information! other photographers do postproduction, where they get their inspiration and so on. There are so many different Jamiehelpful Beavers, aspects to PDNedu that make the magazine for new photographers to learn Midway about the business.

High School Journalism Department Sarah Collins Texas senior, Point ParkWaco, University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

WANT TO SEE YOUR WORK IN PDNEDU? Send in one of your best shots along with a letter to jill.waterman@emeraldexpo.com, WANT TO SEE YOUR WORK IN PDNEDU? Send in one of your and we will consider your work for publication in the next issue. best shots along with a letter to jill.waterman@emeraldexpo.com, and we will consider your work for publication in the next issue.

In fall 2014, our photojournalism class began a unique project called “90 Neighbors” that will continue for several semesters.

Each student was assigned two neighborhoods and asked to find a story to tell there. The first day of school, we pulled names out of a hat. I pulled Overbrook, a suburban neighborhood with not much to offer besides used-car dealerships and highway construction.

I went there once, drove around, talked to a few people and left discouraged. I went back a few days later, driving aimlessly until I stumbled on Frank And Shirley’s Diner. I immediately knew I had found my story. For the next month, I spent time with Frank and his employees. I learned that as the owner of a small family business, Frank wasn’t doing well and that he had also recently lost his business partner, Shirley. I learned so much about this man and his diner and was compelled to share his small-business struggles.

This is a small testament to the way “90 Neighbors” has enriched my life, the lives of my classmates and others—all from our small photojournalism class.

Photo © Sarah Collins

LETTERS

PICTURED: Frank, the long-time proprietor of Frank And Shirley’s, a neighborhood eatery that was formerly home to the first location of the famed Pittsburgh diner Eat N Park.

From Christopher Rolinson (associate professor) and Matt Adams (adjunct professor and ‘90 Neighbors’ content manager), Point Park University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: Our goal with “90 Neighbors” was to develop a high-impact learning experience for our students to create content in partnership with the local public radio station, WESA. It was each student’s job to become immersed in his or her neighborhood and to identify a compelling character and story that would ultimately become a multimedia project.

During the first few weeks of class, we ran a multimedia boot camp with technical workshops, and we worked with students to develop individual project ideas and themes. As the students assembled their projects, Matt became the first-line video editor, leading the content creation team to build narrative stories mixing photos, audio and video. The project “90 Neighbors” will be released in March at http://wesa.fm/.

STEP BEHIND THE SCENES Watch the “90 Neighbors” videos in our digital edition at <digitalmag.pdnedu. com> or see them on Vimeo at <vimeo.com/90neighbors>.

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NEWS AND VIEWS TO GET YOU THINKING

SNAPSHOTS HOT EVENTS // STAR TEACHER // SPONSOR NEWS // PHOTO GIGS // IS IT LEGAL? // PROJECT X // AND MORE

When words become unclear, I shall focus with photographs.

When images become inadequate, I shall be content with silent.

—Ansel Adams

© LaToya Ruby Frazier <www.latoyarubyfrazier.com>

PG.18

14

“SELF PORTRAIT MARCH (10:00 A.M.), 2009” Frazier’s photographs evoke a deep concern for family. Her relentless documentation of her Grandma Ruby (b.19252009), her mother (b.1959) and herself (b.1982) enables her to break unspoken intergenerational cycles. Image from Frazier’s Aperture monograph The Notion of Family.

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Of particular interest to students is the exhibit Undergraduate Photography Now, a showcase of New Englandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most talented junior- and senior-year photo students. The Festival kicks off on April 24, with a reception for this exhibition at 530 Harrison Avenue, in the heart of Bostonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Gallery district.

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PICTURED: The Eddie Adams support team celebrates at the evening bonfire on October 12, 2014.

INSIDE SELECTION: Chris Janjic: Arianna / Medicinal

Pictured: (at right) Š Chris Janjic, (top) Š Picasa

Chris Janjic, a 2014 Syracuse University graduate, talks about his photo projects, his college coursework and his job assisting Stephen Wilkes.

PDNedu: Your photo essay â&#x20AC;&#x153;Ariannaâ&#x20AC;? documents a toddler with a rare genetic disorder. What was it like to photograph a family in such a challenging situation?

CHRIS JANJIC: I had never experienced somebody caring for a loved one in that capacity before. Ariannaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mother, Jen, had to be with her 24/7. You could tell all the challenges wore her down. I came to understand that only a familyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s love for one another gives them hope when everything else indicates they should be feeling otherwise.

PDNedu: Your series â&#x20AC;&#x153;Medicinalâ&#x20AC;? was selected for PDNeduâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 2014 student photo contest. How often do you submit to contests?

CJ: This was highly stressed by our professors, so I entered

contests religiously at school.

I was lucky to be surrounded by people who had served as contest judges. They were invaluable resources for editing and entering my work.

PDNedu: What was your favorite course at Syracuse?

CJ: If I had to pick one, it would be photo editing with Mike Davis. I started to approach photography differently during that class. Instead of looking for photos, I started to feel for them, as well as to feel for the subjects I was photographing.

PDNedu: When did you start â&#x20AC;&#x153;Medicinalâ&#x20AC;??

CJ: I started it in Mikeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s class.

It was a unique subject to me that I could work on during

PICTURED: Three-year-old Arianna curls up with her iPad on the floor of the familyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Central New York home as her mother Jen keeps watch.

holiday breaks in Colorado.

PDNedu: Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the most memorable thing youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve learned working with Stephen Wilkes?

CJ: Stephen has a totally different style and approach to photography from what I experienced in school. Heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s taught me to slow down and evaluate each frame on a level of detail I never thought possible. I now find myself picking apart my own frames differently or searching for

details that cause me the same emotional reaction he gets.

PDNedu: Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s next for you?

CJ: Right now, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m working on a documentary film that Stephen is directing on photographer Jay Maisel (page 44 ), and I love it.

Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re both learning as we go, and every day is a reaffirming experience. I know this is what I want to be doing in the future.

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STAR TEACHER

SNAPSHOTS

ADVOCATING WITH INSPIRATION The Empowering Wisdom of Mary Virginia Swanson

Photo © Steven St. John

[ By Amy Touchette ]

Pictured: Swanson discusses an attendee’s portfolio during a September 2013 session at the Santa Fe Workshops. (Inset) Lisa M. Robinson and her work grace the cover of Swanson’s new book, Finding Your Audience: An Introduction to Marketing your Photographs.

Headshot © Jessica Tampas

Few in the photo industry have as strong a reputation for artist advocacy as Mary Virginia Swanson.

Her extensive knowledge of the field and its history, coupled with her vast contact network and best practices for exhibiting and publishing photography, sets her apart as an unrivaled industry expert.

Yet perhaps what most distinguishes Swanson is the sentiment so many of her clients and colleagues speak of: her genuine, heartfelt desire to foster flourishing careers.

Swanson’s unique ability to inspire photographers grew out of a love for the art form itself. At 17, she encountered a Richard Avedon exhibition, featuring black and silver walls, eight-foot prints, sound elements and fabric mural

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prints of the Chicago Seven stapled to the walls “like an unfinished tapestry,” says Swanson. She was hooked.

“Going forward, photography and its presentation in public spaces completely engaged me,” she adds.

During graduate studies at Arizona State University, Swanson availed herself of multiple internships, developing indispensible mentors who worked in varied aspects of the field. What followed is an impressive array of opportunities and achievements. She worked with Ansel Adams at the Friends of Photography in California, led special projects at Magnum Photos in New York and founded the fine art licensing company Swanstock in Tucson. In 2011, she coauthored Publish Your Photography Book with Darius Himes, and in spring 2015, she’ll release Finding Your Audience: An Introduction to Marketing Your Photographs.

Swanson’s experience with multiple markets—from fine art to commercial

to photojournalism—gives her a unique, comprehensive perspective that’s proved extremely beneficial to photographers. “Artists must learn as much as they can about all opportunities for print sales, licensing and commissions rather than assuming they’ll have a publisher and galleries and just make art with a fleet of people managing their professional life,” she says. “Beyond talent and meticulous craft, an artist must have excellent research skills, business savvy and a driving, entrepreneurial spirit to be successful.”

According to Swanson, understanding the varied parameters and syntax used in each market is key. For example, photo editors and researchers are interested in narrative, specific facts and keywords that define content; gallery owners focus more on the works’ physical properties; and curators and collectors are concerned with consistency of methodology and provenance. As a result, it’s crucial that photographers learn how to “speak the language of their audience in order to have the optimum professional relationship.”

The foundation of Swanson’s wisdom comes from her deep desire to empower photographers: to teach them how to fish instead of giving them fish, as the saying goes. “Many artists I meet just want to make their artwork and skip the heavy lifting, which is career building,” Swanson notes. “You learn a tremendous amount about your work, yourself and our industry through broadening awareness and being your own best agent.” EDU

STEP BEHIND THE SCENES In March 2015, Swanson will receive the Society for Photographic Education’s (SPE) Honored Educator award at the 52nd National Conference in New Orleans, complementing the Lifetime Achievement Award she received from the Griffin Museum of Photography in 2013. To watch the biographical profile created for her Griffin Museum award, visit PDNedu’s digital edition at <digitalmag.pdnedu .com> or see it on YouTube at http://bit.ly/1Kel4XP.

EXPLORE THE POWER OF THE IMAGE

© Laís Pontes, GS ’11

CURRENTLY ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS ICP-Bard MFA in Advanced Photographic Studies One-Year Certificate Programs in Photography • • •

Documentary Photography and Photojournalism New Media Narratives General Studies in Photography

www.icp.org/school

MUSEUM Opening at ICP Bowery Fall 2015 | 212.857.0000 SCHOOL 1114 Avenue of the Americas at 43rd Street New York, NY 10036 212.857.0001

MEDIA REPORTS

SNAPSHOTS

Some of PDNedu’s favorite photo-related media

Photo © LaToya Ruby Frazier (right)

THE NOTION OF FAMILY Photographs by LaToya Ruby Frazier Interview by Dawoud Bey Essays by Laura Wexler and Dennis C. Dickerson Aperture Hardcover, 156 pages, $60

For Photography 4.0, A Teaching Guide for the 21st Century, photographer and educator Michelle Bogre interviewed 47 photo educators from across the globe to explore current popular practices in the field of photographic education.

The book’s contributors are generous with their insights and refreshingly honest. For example, when asked whether the cost of a photography education has good value, NYU Tisch School of the Arts associate professor Patrick Hebert says, “I think the real analysis should be about the cost of college as an investment, and that includes the less quantifiable investment in your own growth.” Other topics range from the value of teaching analog photography in a digital world to the greatest challenges facing photography education and much, much more.

Photo © 1939, 2014, Imogen Cunningham Trust (right)

DOROTHEA LANGE: GRAB A HUNK OF LIGHTNING Produced and narrated by Dyanna Taylor PBS American Masters, 2014 DVD in multiple formats, 108 minutes, $24.99

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In her first book, The Notion of Family, photographer and Guggenheim Fellow LaToya Ruby Frazier presents an intimate look at her hometown of Braddock, Pennsylvania, which has experienced economic decline since the steel mills closed in the ‘70s and ‘80s. Much of Frazier’s work is dedicated to portraits of her mother and her grandma Ruby and to self-portraits.

In an accompanying interview with photographer Dawoud Bey, Frazier says, “I choose to make work that expresses how I feel, about the environment and class that surrounds me. These expressions can take the shape of portraits, still lifes, landscapes or abstractions, but, at the end of the day, I am devoted to making pictures about the world in which I come from and live.”

The book’s second chapter includes 70 photography assignments that cover 22 categories and range from beginner to advanced. Most assignments are illustrated by actual student work along with a written response to the assignment.

Bogre aptly points out in the book’s introduction, “Most faculty are the transitional generation of image makers, unlike our students, who are the new image makers.” For this reason alone, readers will relish the informed perspective these thoughtful artists and professors have offered. Photography 4.0 is a welcome addition to the library of any photo educator looking to add balance, candid discussion and creative new assignments to his or her curriculum.

— JM

Frazier’s fluency across genres is highlighted in the book’s sequencing. In one particular spread, we see a woman in a hospital gown with mysterious wires running from her scalp to some unknown machine placed next to an urban landscape of buildings in ruin and a tangle of cables spilling from a mass of concrete, echoing the wires on the adjacent page. From cover to cover, Frazier paints a raw and cohesive picture of the people and places she knows best, while contributed writings leave readers with a deeper understanding of this talented young artist.

— Jeanine Moutenot

Photo © Min Zheng (right)

PHOTOGRAPHY 4.0, A TEACHING GUIDE FOR THE 21ST CENTURY

By Michelle Bogre Focal Press Paperback, 268 pages, $43.95

Grab a Hunk of Lightning begins with the scribbling of this Dorothea Lange quote. “I challenged myself. I would go down there just to see if I could grab a hunk of lightning.” Produced and narrated by Lange’s granddaughter, Dyanna Taylor, this film is a poignant behind-the-scenes look at one of America’s most famous documentary photographers. A penetrating glimpse into the artist’s life, it combines journal entries, interviews, family photographs, reminiscences and footage of the photographer herself to help weave together the woman Lange was. Additionally, Lightning follows the process of cataloging Lange’s entire life’s work in preparation for her show at the Museum of Modern Art in 1966.

Working instinctually and giving herself over to being lost was a big part of Lange’s process, and in the film she says, “When you’re working well, all your instinctive powers are in operation, and you don’t know why you do the things you do. Sometimes you annihilate yourself. That is something that one needs to be able to do.”

The film premiered on PBS in 2014 as part of its series American Masters and can be seen at <http:// to.pbs.org/1uo42ot> or in PDNedu’s digital edition at <digitalmag.pdnedu.com>. A companion monograph, Dorothea Lange: Grab a Hunk of Lightning, was published in 2013 by Chronicle Books.

— Alexandra Manikas

PHOTO GIGS

SNAPSHOTS

Adam Dixon

PDNedu: You double-majored in photography and computer science.

Have your tech background and skills influenced your photography?

ADAM DIXON: Computer science naturally requires an inquisitive nature, and I think that’s bled over into my photography, leading me to be more aware of slight nuances in setting up the perfect shot.

PDNedu: What challenges did you face juggling photography studies with your other major?

AD: One of the biggest was overcoming

the general education requirements of two different colleges in our school. I had to remain focused on which courses to take. Both majors are very time-intensive between labs and photo shoots, so I tended to alternate semesters between them.

PDNedu: What led you to develop the software for managing photo gear in ASU’s equipment cage?

AD: When ASU’s new program

coordinator arrived, we started an equipment cage, allowing students to rent gear they would likely never be able to purchase. I offered to develop software for this, using technology to make the process efficient and to enable equipment reporting.

PDNedu: Had you ever a designed anything like that before?

AD: When I managed the print lab,

I developed software to enable lab technicians to log supply use and track print quantity by automatic e-mails being sent when supplies needed replenishing.

That was my first alpha release.

Pictured: ASU’s equipment cage with Dixon’s Cage Manager software in action. This custom program enables tracking and accountablity of all gear on loan to students, including items requiring prerequisites.

PDNedu: How long did the software take to implement?

AD: Each software iteration reflected six to nine months of development. Each time, I aimed for a more modular nature in which to embed new requirements as they arose.

PDNedu: How was the gear tracked before you had software?

AD: Previously, equipment rentals, penalties and damage were tracked with pen and paper, which was cumbersome and time-intensive for everyone.

PDNedu: Did developing the software teach you anything about ASU’s photo department that you weren’t aware of as a photo student?

AD: I learned about some of the hurdles

departments face when trying to provide services for students, such as legal barriers when renting equipment for a fee, how to bill for damage and so on.

PDNedu: How has developing this software affected your subsequent work and/or career?

AD: It was a proving ground for my abilities and determination. Also, my ongoing development efforts for the past four years show a level of commitment employers seek.

PDNedu: Did your photo background offer any advantages during your job search? Do you use these skills in your current job?

AD: I’m now in a unique role at a small

company, and my technical photography experience was certainly a selling point.

While I focus mainly on IT infrastructure, I often get opportunities to leave the office for projects that need a photographer.

PDNedu: In your opinion, what are the most important attributes to have for success in the technology sector?

AD: An inquisitive nature is important in any sector but especially in technology. It keeps thoughts flowing and sparks new ideas, which is hugely beneficial. I see it as an opportunity to engage and grow as an individual.

PDNedu: Do you have any final tips to share?

AD: Never settle for what’s good enough for the assignment. Instead, create something that’s great enough for you.

NIKON NEWS

More than any before, this generation speaks through images. But with tens of thousands of images created literally in the blink of an eye, it’s never been harder to be heard.

To amplify the voices of individuals who want to stand out in this world of visual noise, Nikon created the “I Am Generation Image” campaign. This campaign celebrates the stories of people’s lives and the important role that imagery plays in telling them while inspiring people to capture more—and capture better with their Nikon DSLR’s. “I Am Generation Image” aims to inspire people to create images and have their stories heard loud and clear.

Using #IAmGenerationImage, Nikon is encouraging people to share their passions and perspectives with the world through their imagery—to convey emotions and passions that rise above the noise.

Now it’s your turn to be heard. Share your images with #IAmGenerationImage today. For more inspiring stories from this generation of visual storytellers, visit IAmGenerationImage.com.

For the latest and greatest content on a regular basis, follow Nikon USA on social media. www.YouTube.com/NikonUSA @NikonUSA https://plus.googlecom/+nikonusa www.facebook.com/nikon

Headshot © David Williams, (top) © Tori Sutton

Q&A with Adam Dixon, developer of Cage Manager software for the Appalachian State University (ASU) technology department, Boone, North Carolina

PDNEDU.COM SPRING 2015 19

IS IT LEGAL?

SNAPSHOTS

PRIVACY RIGHTS WHEN PHOTOGRAPHING SUBJECTS WITHOUT THEIR CONSENT

q:

“I photograph city dwellers from the windows of neighboring apartments. Many of these pictures are published on my Web site and have been exhibited in a photo gallery.

A family pictured in my images saw this show and is threatening to sue me. What legal rights do I have to display and sell these prints?”

Laws for the right of privacy and the right of publicity are governed by individual states, so whether you need a subject’s consent to publish photographs that depict recognizable people for a commercial purpose depends on various state right-of-publicity or right-ofprivacy laws. Some states have statutory

a:

language that governs when permission is required from the subject of an image, others just rely on common law right of privacy, which is created by case law. The state law that applies to the taking and use of the photographs is generally the state where the photograph is taken and where the subject is domiciled. There is no unified federal law.

In the United States, no state may create laws nor may a court interpret an invasion of privacy claim in a way that would restrict a publisher or an artist’s constitutional rights of freedom of the press or freedom of expression guaranteed by the First Amendment. For example, a magazine or newspaper may publish an article about a celebrity and illustrate it with his or her photograph without consent and not violate any state publicity laws. While the sale of fine art prints depicting a recognizable person does not fall under this newsworthy exception, the art prints should be exempt from any privacy or publicity law as expressive works and share the free speech immunity. In New York,1

1 California statute exempts “single and original works of fine art,” but case law exempts multiples that are transformative. The Sixth Circuit found that Ohio common law exempted a painting and reproductions of Tiger Woods as artistic free speech.

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as well as in several other states, case law has made it clear that an artist can sell limited editions of artwork that include a person’s identity. In situations where a person’s right of privacy conflicts with freedom of expression or freedom of the press, the First Amendment will prevail.

The language of the various state statutes differs. For example, New York has no common law right of privacy but by statute requires written consent if a person’s image is used for advertising or trade. Implicit in this statute is that no consent is necessary for any uses of a subject’s identity that fall within the freedoms guaranteed by the First Amendment. Other states have statutes that prohibit the use of someone’s identity for a commercial purpose. Some states specifically exempt those uses that are protected by the First Amendment, and many statutes expressly exempt “original works of fine art.” The fact that a product, such as a fine art print, may be sold does not make it a commercial use, if that product itself

is an exempt work. The marketing and promotion of those protected products are also exempt.

In New York, a court recently upheld the sale of fine art prints of a photographer’s neighbors—made without their knowledge—created using a camera and a telephoto lens. These neighbors were clearly visible, and all were depicted against an outside-facing plate glass window. Most of the subjects’ faces were obscured or partially depicted.

New York State has no restriction on the use of telephoto lenses. However, before photographing with such equipment, you should check for any state or local laws that might create liability for intruding into one’s personal affairs or the use of certain camera gear where a person has a reasonable expectation of privacy. For example, California has “anti-paparazzi laws” restricting some use of visualenhancing devices that would allow you to create images that you could not otherwise capture without trespassing.

To a certain extent, privacy is a community norm, and a person’s

expectation of privacy will differ depending on whether he or she lives in a dense urban neighborhood or a more rural area, where you would not expect to be observed so closely. In general, you should be respectful and not reveal any images of neighbors that might be embarrassing or compromising or show nudity. Remember you are responsible to know and not violate any laws, including trespass laws.

Nancy E. Wolff is a partner at Cowan, DeBaets, Abrahams & Sheppard, LLP. Her practice focuses on intellectual property and digital media law <www.cdas.com>.

GOT A LEGAL QUESTION? E-mail jill.waterman@emeraldexpo.com.

PDNEDU.COM SPRING 2015 21

SNAPSHOTS PICTURED : (from left) An image from Exile Voices, Reza’s Visual Academy project in Syrain Refugee camps; the photographer’s cousin in his backyard, Lanjaghbyur, Armenia; One Day; Annette at the beach; (bottom) screengrab from Syracuse student Jake Herrle’s multimedia entry The King of Scrap.

START LOCAL, GO GLOBAL An International Community Emerges from the Universal Theme of Family [ By Theano Nikitas ] A “global collaborative student project about family and its role in daily life,” the initiative “Family. Life.” is the brainchild of Mike Davis, Alexia Tsairis chair for documentary photography at Syracuse University’s Newhouse School of Public Communications. It grew out of a past annual Newhouse workshop focusing on local families.

As Davis explains, “The success of those workshops made me think, Wow, what if you could apply this on a global scale?”

Based on the viral nature of “six degrees of separation,” Davis sent news about the project to friends and colleagues, asking them to share it with their networks. He admits that he was simultaneously “eager and reluctant to have too many schools and programs participating.” But, with a total of 60 respondents from across the United States and around the world (including famed photojournalist Reza, who teaches photography to Syrian refugees), the project’s spread has far exceeded Davis’s hope to have at least 40 schools on the roster.

Drawing on multiple disciplines, submissions include still photography, video, animation, multimedia, writing and fine art. This is one thing that differentiates “Family. Life.” from the 1955 Family of Man photo exhibition and book, which celebrates its 60th anniversary this year. “The connection is more like a cousin than a brother,” says Davis. “We weren’t trying to force that connection by any means but, 22

PDNEDU.COM SPRING 2015

rather, to recognize a seminal time in photographic history and try to loosely connect to it.”

Perhaps equally as impressive—and important—is the involvement of Newhouse students in all facets of the project. The goal was to “try to create a situation that allows students to achieve their potential. In this case, it’s throwing up a ball and seeing how far the students can hit it,” Davis explains.

For example, Newhouse master’s candidate Andrea Wise is the “Family.

Life.” project director. Other students from photography and graphic design are supporting the project by creating and coding the “Family. Life.” Web site, developing book designs and more. “It’s probably approaching 100 students [from all disciplines] touching the project this year,” Davis adds.

With a global initiative, Wise faces a number of challenges. In addition to

STEP BEHIND THE SCENES

Watch this video from the “Family. Life.” project in PDNedu’s digital edition at <digitalmag. pdnedu.com>, or view it online at Vimeo. com/110438606.

Images © (bottom) Jake Herrle, (from left to right) Mohammad Husien, Selesta Baghdasaryan, Sheryl Chua Ai Juan, Katharina Bauer

PROJECT X

occasional language barriers, technical issues such as uploading images sometimes need to be explained, and complications can arise over copyright, since these laws may vary from country to country. “We’re learning a lot,” she says, and “thinking of ways that we might do things a little differently.” Support from partners such as PhotoShelter has made uploading submissions easier. And working with the American Society of Media Photographers from the beginning to “hash out language about copyright” ensures that students know they retain copyright to their images, she adds. They’re also working to address licensing issues when uninformed students use copyrighted music in their multimedia projects.

“We kind of assumed that people producing video pieces would adhere to the same rules as we [do] in not using copyrighted music,” says Wise. “We’ve dealt with ownership of imagery and usage of the images connected to this project, but I think we under-discussed copyright issues in the multimedia realm, given that copyright varies around the world,” Davis adds.

The team at Newhouse has been putting pins on a map for each participating program. “There are a lot of pins,” Davis points out, “but, damn, it’s a big world.

There are parts of the world that are not represented, and that’s frustrating. That will be a goal—to make sure we have an even wider voice if we were to do this again, maybe in two years.” EDU

n w o r ou y n i rk o w . r e u c o a y p l el ys s r e d l l n a ea eg r n a i l h s n o it, d b i e t h a x E dedic

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TIONS CONGRATULA TO THE WINNE

RS OF THE

STUDENT PHOTO CONTEST 2015

Each year, we are proud to present the work of new visionaries who are studying in art and photography programs around the country.

This year, grand-prize winners will receive a Nikon D5300 camera, a B&H gift card, a portfolio review with a PDN editor and a one-year subscription to PDN. All grand-prize winners and honorable mentions will also be featured in an extended online gallery on www.contest.pdnedu.com.

MEET THE JUDGES SPONSORED BY

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JAMES CLARIZIO is the assistant photography editor at Interview. He is a graduate of New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts and began his career at Condé Nast.

MICHELLE BOGRE is the former

chair of the photography department at Parsons The New School for Design and is currently an associate professor. She is also a photographer, a writer and a lawyer specializing in copyright and media law.

JIM CASPER is the editor and publisher of LensCulture, a global photography network and online magazine. Casper also has extensive experience curating exhibitions, writing and lecturing about photography and serving as a contest juror and portfolio reviewer.

PDNEDU STUDENT PHOTO CONTEST 2015

WIN GRAND-PRIZE

NER

TRAVEL/LANDSCAPE CARLI CHOI SAN FRANCISCO ART INSTITUTE “Painting in the Dark” is an ongoing series inspired by Choi’s childhood fondness for painting. Choi finds the night sky resembles a black canvas, and the act of lighting up a landscape through long exposures reminds her of coloring in a scene.

MAREN LEVINSON is the founder of REDEYE, an agency that represents visual artists. Throughout her career Levinsons has been a reviewer for the Review Santa Fe, PhotoLucida, PhotoLucida Critical Mass, Palm Springs Photo Festival, MOPLA and Review LA, among others.

EMILY SHORNICK is the photo editor of New York magazine’s The Cut. She was integral to the brand’s 2012 relaunch and its transition to a multiplatform publication in 2014. Her work has been honored in American Photo 29, American Photo 30 and the 2014 PDN Photo Annual, and she sits on the board of the American Society of Picture Professionals’ New York chapter.

BRUCE STRONG is an Emmynominated multimedia storyteller and an associate professor and chair of the multimedia, photography and design department at Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School. Strong, a former staff photographer at the Orange County Register, has shot in nearly 60 countries and has earned numerous awards and fellowships.

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WIN GRAND-PRIZE

NER

STILL LIFE SOOKYUNG JUNG SCHOOL OF VISUAL ARTS “Consumerism” is a series on everyday objects that people use and consume. Jung plays with scale and repetition and sometimes changes a small detail in her patterns for the viewer to find.

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PDNEDU STUDENT PHOTO CONTEST 2015 STUDENT STUDENT PHOTO PHOTO CONTEST CONTEST 2015 WIN GRAND-PRIZE

NER

PORTRAIT/FASHION SHIRLEY YU RUTGERS UNIVERSITY A fashion story with Hilary of Wilhelmina Models, photographed on Roosevelt Island, New York, published in One magazine.

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WIN GRAND-PRIZE

NER

FINE ART/ PERSONAL ZACHARY MCCAULEY LOUISIANA TECH UNIVERSITY In his series “Sometimes This Can Be Difficult,” Zachary McCauley explores the dichotomy of his youth in the American South, from the notions of family values and regional pride to his experience of poverty and, later, immersion in drug culture. He says, “I hope to find hints of who I am as an individual, as well as within Southern culture through these explorations.”

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WIN GRAND-PRIZE

NER

PRE-COLLEGE HUGO HENTOFF ST. ANDREWS SCHOOL Long-exposure shots of dancers performing The Nutcracker.

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WIN GRAND-PRIZE

NER

DOCUMENTARY CAROLINE LACEY GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY “Lacey’s Landing” explores the new landscape and a new home in Alexander City, Alabama, after Caroline Lacey’s family lake house was destroyed in 2011. Lacey quotes George Eliot to describe the feelings of her loss: “We could never have loved the earth so well if we had had no childhood in it.”

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PDNEDU STUDENT PHOTO CONTEST 2015 STUDENT STUDENT PHOTO PHOTO CONTEST CONTEST 2015

WIN GRAND-PRIZE

NER

MULTIMEDIA/VIDEO CAROLINE LACEY GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY He’s a Fighter is a short documentary film about Antoine “Action” Douglas, who was born to a drug-addicted mother and has spent his youth in the homes of friends, relatives and foster families. His life changed drastically upon his introduction to boxing, graduating top of his class in high school and going on to the Olympic trials.

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HONORABLE M

ENTION

PRE-COLLEGE ALEXI REIBMAN NEWTON NORTH HIGH SCHOOL “Girl and Her Best Friend,” shot by 18-year-old high school senior Alexi Reibman.

HONORABLE M

ENTION

FASHION/PORTRAIT LENA MIRISOLA MASSACHUSETTS COLLEGE OF ART AND DESIGN A collection of black-and-white portraits from Boston-based lifestyle and wedding photographer Lena Mirisola.

HONORABLE M

ENTION

DOCUMENTARY RILEY KALBUS

HONORABLE M

ENTION

MULTIMEDIA/VIDEO HANNAH BYRNE

PARSONS THE NEW SCHOOL FOR DESIGN

PENN STATE UNIVERSITY

“Quiet mind, fast body” was drilled into Riley Kalbus as a young athlete; he named this series after the phrase, showing the challenges that competitive swimmers face in and out of the water.

In “Gaining Speed,” Hannah Byrne follows ten-year-old Deven Jackson, who lost both of his legs below the knee after fighting a battle against bacterial meningitis. He has overcome his disability and is continuing to gain speed.

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HONORABLE M

ENTION

FINE ART/PERSONAL DONGLI HUANG PARSONS THE NEW SCHOOL FOR DESIGN “Beyond the Surface” is a journey that rethinks objects and spaces.

Huang says his work “shows a kind of non-linear narrative story [that] presents the subtle strangeness hidden behind everyday reality.”

HONORABLE M

ENTION

TRAVEL

HONORABLE M

ENTION

STILL LIFE

CHAN HONG YUI CLEMENT

ELIZABETH HARNARINE

SAVANNAH COLLEGE OF ART AND DESIGN HONG KONG

PARSONS THE NEW SCHOOL FOR DESIGN

“Z-Axis” is a study of Hong Kong’s multilevel urban design from a mathematical perspective, The Z-axis refers to the depth of an object in a three-dimensional coordinate system. Looking into Hong Kong’s landscape along the Z-axis, one can gain more understanding of how the topographical factor affects habitation, to what extent the land has been altered in an attempt to adapt to the natural mountainous environment and how the relationship between those two factors can be visualized and understood.

Harnarine’s father spent a year in a nursing home recovering from a stroke, where the care was disappointing and beyond her family’s control. To regain a sense of control, Harnarine removed the medical equipment that was broken or misused and—with her father’s body notably absent—isolated and reanimated the objects in the studio.

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STORYTELLERS

NOT A BLANK Joshua Irwandi Paints a Complex Picture of the People and Culture of Asmat

[ BY JULIE GRAHAME ]

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Photo © Joshua Irwandi

“A MODEST YOUNG MAN WITH SMART EYES.” That’s how Dutch artist Roy Villevoye describes Joshua Irwandi in the catalog essay he wrote for Irwandi’s master’s thesis exhibit.

Born in Jakarta, Indonesia, in 1991, Irwandi spoke English from an early age and followed in the footsteps of an older brother to attend high school in Ontario, Canada. As the only Indonesian among students from 25 countries, Irwandi found that keeping busy helped him adapt. After high school, he enrolled at the University of Exeter in southwestern England, studying for a bachelor’s degree in English literature. Through writing, he learned to analyze and articulate his thoughts, but he was also developing an interest in photography.

Being the determined sort, he spent two years as chief photographer for the college newspaper.

THIS PAGE: A dog surveys the photographer at work from a raised walkway on the outskirts of Asmat’s capital city of Agats. In less than 100 years since the discovery of the Asmat tribe, the Indonesian government’s transmigration program has allowed foreigners to take control of village centers and businesses, while the Asmat people are marginalized.

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After graduating from Exeter in 2013, Irwandi headed home to Jakarta for summer photography internships at a couple of Indonesian newspapers, which he landed through family connections.

One of the papers, Kompas, was invited by a Catholic charity to send a photographer to Asmat, in West Papua, one of the most remote regions in the world. Irwandi knew of Asmat—the people and area had come to prominence in the 1960s when Michael C. Rockefeller disappeared there under mysterious circumstances while on an expedition. Irwandi made his way to Asmat in September 2013 and stayed for three weeks.

70,000 PEOPLE, HUNDREDS OF VILLAGES The term Asmat is used to refer to both the people and the region, an area roughly the size of the state of Vermont, with approximately 70,000 inhabitants spread across hundreds of small villages. Despite the Dutch (who also staked claim to the western region of Papua, New Guinea, until handing

PROTECTING CAMERA GEAR IN INHOSPITABLE CLIMATES At 97 percent humidity, Asmat is one of the most humid places on earth.

Silica gel turns pink straight away and functions only as a lucky charm. Here are some tips from Irwandi to help protect your gear from hostile elements: • Leave camera gear in the open air and blow it with a lens blower after use.

• Familiarize yourself with the area’s electricity schedule, and charge batteries accordingly. Bring an adaptor with multiple sockets so you don’t hog electrical sockets in limited supply.

• Bring plenty of memory cards and set up a central hard drive in the nearest established town. After a shoot, copy files to your laptop, but keep them on the memory card until the files are added to your central storage. If the boat you’re in capsizes, it’s game over.

• Carefully plan your exertion level throughout the day. Working with a lot of cameras and lenses in the heat and humidity can drain your energy very quickly.

• Treat your gear with kid gloves and avoid exposing it to rain when you can.

While it’s hard to work in these conditions and keep things completely dry, don’t push the boundaries too far.

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ABOVE: Catholic youth choir, Atsj. BELOW: Saraa Jineas and Tekla Onep, Atsj

it to Indonesia in 1969) making first serious contact in the late 1800s, the people and culture were left relatively alone before Catholic missionaries arrived in the 1950s. Since then, the modern world has impinged on the native lifestyle, “as with most tribes,” Irwandi says with a sigh. Yet the Asmat have retained many of their traditions, the most widely recognized being elaborate wood carving work, which is highly prized worldwide.

Irwandi arrived in Asmat with lofty, Salgado-inspired visions. He spent two weeks traveling, made some friends and met up with them in his third week at the annual Asmat Culture Festival. He photographed village life and made some portraits— “pin-ups” he now calls them—and left with a bunch of unsatisfactory images. In hindsight, he quotes Magnum’s David Hurn, saying, “Exploitation, not exploration.”

But he had made good contacts, including Asmat Paskalis Osakat, a very senior wowipits, or wood-carver. During his trip, Irwandi also became involved with the Asmat Museum of Culture and Progress (AMCP), in the region’s capital, Agats, which is run by workers from the nearby Catholic diocese.

Despite his misgivings about his early photos, Irwandi sent contact sheets to photographic explorer George Steinmetz, but the feedback was as expected: The work was incomplete. Irwandi was duly challenged. “Steinmetz said, ‘If it was easy, everybody would be doing it,’” explains Irwandi, to which he replied, “It is very hard, and that’s why I’m doing it.”

In 2014, Irwandi enrolled in a master’s program at the London College of Communications and decided to make the tribe the subject of his thesis. His

All photos © Joshua Irwandi

• When not using, don’t leave lenses in a pouch—dark spaces can lead to mold.

If you see streaks of mildew, clean them immediately and expose the lens to the open air and as much sun as possible, which kills mold.

ABOVE: Albertus Kasei, Yasiuw

research included a visit to Dutch artist Roy Villevoye, who spends several months with the Asmat each year. Villevoye was impressed with Irwandi’s determination and the connections he had already made.

Last July, Irwandi returned to Asmat for two months, more confident and knowledgeable. The local diocese gave him room and board, and he took to volunteering at the AMCP, researching the Asmat through their wood carvings. “There was not actually much going on, staying with the priests,” he says. “I had to make something work for myself. I reconnected with Paskalis Osakat, and we got on well. He took me to the jungle. ” The two grew close, and Irwandi now refers to Osakat as his “Asmat Dad.”

WHAT WILL THE FUTURE HOLD? Irwandi is highly sensitive about the ethics involved in his work. Since beginning his project in 2013, he has been extremely focused on immersing himself in the Asmat community and gaining a thorough knowledge of their history, their traditions and the challenges they face through modernization and the impingement of mainland Indonesia.

Based on his studies, Irwandi feels the majority of images from tribal areas made by other photographers and explorers have tended to depict “tribesmen with regalia and garlands.

Visual referencing, backed by research on Asmat sociocultural circumstances and Asmat art, really makes you think about how and why you make pictures and how to best represent your subjects.”

Last year was a great one for Irwandi. In addition to his time in Asmat, images from his 2013 trip got him into the New York Times portfolio review in April and the Eddie Adams Workshop in October, when he connected with James Nachtwey. He was selected for master classes with both Magnum and VII, where he benefited from working with

Jim Goldberg, Antonin Kratochvil and Christopher Morris.

He was invited to show in an exhibition at the American Museum of Asmat Art in St. Paul, Minnesota, and he traveled to Amsterdam and Berlin.

In 2015, Irwandi will spend most of the year at the AMCP in Agats, both photographing and working with others on the documentation of Asmat feasts, which are changing and declining. By exposing the Asmat to this material, he hopes to stimulate their interest in their own culture. His plans also include finding a local Asmat man to work at the museum and expanding on the museum’s presence abroad.

“I aim to photograph what is distinct and how Asmat society is changing with outside influences,” says Irwandi about what he hopes to achieve with his images. He cites Susan Meiselas as an inspiration for her ability to contextualize her photographs. “I don’t know what the future will hold, for me or for Asmat, but if I do it well, at the very least I will have tried to give something back to Asmat, and I’ll know that a slice of history has been well documented.” EDU

TECH BOX CAMERAS: Nikon D4 LENSES: AF-S NIKKOR 14-24mm f/2.8G ED, AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8G ED, AF-S NIKKOR 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II, NIKKOR 50mm f/1.2 COMPUTER: Macbook Pro SOFTWARE: Adobe InDesign, Lightroom, Photoshop ADDITIONAL GEAR: Manfrotto tripod

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ONE TO WATCH

BEAUTIFUL

TOGETHER NIKON AMBASSADOR TAMARA LACKEY’S HEARTFELT

JOURNEY FROM FAMILY PORTRAITURE TO PHILANTHROPY [ BY AMANDA QUINTENZ-FIEDLER ]

amara Lackey produces some of the most beautiful family portraits in the industry. You can clearly see her connection with her subjects in her images— no matter the age, the family configuration, the number of participants or the setting. And perhaps even more revealing is the visible connection between family members. Lackey has found a way to pull herself and her camera out of the picture, to let families interact in such an honest way that the resulting images can only be described as genuine.

STARTING OUT Although her images have an effortless feel to them, Lackey didn’t happen upon this overnight. In fact, she didn’t even happen upon photography right away. “I got my bachelor’s degree in art history and mass communications, with no thought whatsoever about one day becoming a photographer,” she admits with a laugh. After getting her degree from Ohio’s Miami University, she pursued a pragmatic occupation based on her education. “I went into management consulting, and worked with organizational design and development,” she explains. She worked for a company called Accenture, and her main client was AT&T, consulting for them primarily in Seattle, Pittsburgh and New Jersey. “I went from that into executive recruiting in the Bay Area,” says Lackey. “That was 100 percent sales and relationships, which has translated directly into everything I do now. That was actually

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quite a boost in terms of being able to get a leg up in this industry,” she adds.

While working in the corporate world, Lackey and her husband decided to start a family. “After my daughter was born, I decided I wanted to do photography better,” she explains, “so I ended up taking literally hundreds of books out of the library or buying them. I used to say that I was self-taught, but that was a complete lie because I learned from all the people whose books I read.” But she didn’t just read. She photographed all the time, whenever she could, learning about her subjects, her lighting, her technique and her camera. “With my first camera, I would take the manual and go page-by-page and try out every little thing,” she explains.

Lackey mastered photography’s technical aspects, and she was improving her interactions with subjects, but she was eager to continue learning. She began to explore the world of professional

Photo © Tamara Lackey, tamaralackey.com

THIS PAGE: Lackey photographed these cute siblings in Cary, North Carolina. Because of the striking—but potentially overpowering—background light and color, it was important to eliminate additional distractions through attention to styling and framing. Lackey used a very shallow depth of field to separate the subjects from the background.

Shot with a Nikon D4s and an AF NIKKOR 85F/1.4D IF lens at 1/800 second, f/2.8; ISO 1000.

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“YOU’VE GOT TO GET EVERYBODY, ON ALL THEIR DIFFERENT TIMETABLES, TO THE POINT WHERE THEY’RE NOT SEEING A LENS IN THEIR FACE WHEN YOU PICK UP THAT CAMERA, THEY’RE JUST PLAINLY INTERACTING WITH YOU,” LACKEY SAYS. TO ACHIEVE THIS, SHE PARSES OUT THE SESSION TO WORK WITH INDIVIDUALS AND GIVE BREAKS WHEN NEEDED, TO HELP EVERYONE BECOME ACCUSTOMED TO HER AND THE CAMERA. photography, which is where her mass communications degree and early working career paid off. Lackey applied her communication skills to networking with other photographers she admired at conventions like WPPI and PhotoPlus Expo, where she had the courage and charisma to approach people and start conversations. “I always suggest people go to those places and make the effort to go up and talk to a speaker if they really liked what they had to say or learned something,” Lackey encourages. “The first time I went to WPPI, I went up and met some of the people who seemed so out of reach in terms of people I would get to know. They’ve since become mentors and dear friends and people I’ve 40

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partnered with on projects, all because of those initial conversations.”

EMERGING A MEDIA MOGUL Those conversations helped to launch Lackey’s career, and being a generous spirit, she returns the favor whenever possible. In January of 2003, she started an associate-based studio in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, where she mentors other burgeoning photographers who share her outlook on the importance of portraiture and visual communication.

Lackey brings potential associates on as interns if they have little experience or as joint production management and apprentice photographers if they are more skilled. In this capacity, she

can work with each photographer to learn his or her style as well as to offer a strong base in how the business—and her studio specifically—works, so each photographer can see how all the pieces fit together. Lackey’s studio has been so successful at this—several of her associates have gone on to launch their own studios—that she is sought out as a mentor. “We receive a healthy amount of inquiries throughout the year, so I don’t really have to recruit,” she explains. “I’ve also hired photographers who went through my workshops. If I meet a great candidate and don’t need an associate photographer, I’ll still consider him or her for an intern role and reevaluate in a few months.”

Lackey’s entrepreneurial drive didn’t stop with her business enterprise.

Learning so much from the books she relied on when first refining her skills has led her to author five books of her own about how to take better children and family portraits. In addition, Lackey started a Web series called the reDefine Show in 2011, which is about “exploring where creativity comes from and how top-tier artists make a creative profession work,” she explains. In the series, Lackey

All Photos this spread © Tamara Lackey, tamaralackey.com

ABOVE: When shooting against the sun, the photographer often has to decide whether to include sun flare or eliminate it from the frame through careful positioning and proper use of a lens hood. Lackey shot two versions and liked the feel with the flare in the shot best. Shot with a Nikon D800 and an AF-S NIKKOR 24-70MM F/2.8G ED lens at 1/400 second, f/4.5; ISO 100.

speaks with working professionals and ferrets out their technical processes as well as drawing out their personalities. She creates an atmosphere in which her guests relax and reveal excellent tips about their styles and careers. “One of the biggest tips I can give is to be genuinely interested in what the guests have to say,” Lackey says about being in the interviewer’s chair for the show. “It sounds like that might not be much of a tip, but I often hear people so focused on what they want to ask that they aren’t really listening to what their guest is saying or following up on information that viewers would like to hear more about,” she explains. “Firing off questions doesn’t really open the door to an interactive conversation, where more interesting tidbits emerge. People do know when they’re really being listened to, and they tend to naturally open up more.”

Branching out from Web interviews, Lackey also created her own edutainment DVD, book and app collection titled Capturing Life Through Better Photography, in which she gives tips and tricks for the everyday photographer to create his or her own images. Also, in an effort to help working photographers create the types of professional albums Lackey herself offers to clients, she recently partnered with Fundy Software and Finao Albums to create Lush Albums, which just launched in February. These fine art albums are 100 percent ecofriendly and animal-friendly and can be created online in a matter of minutes, without hours of software training or design classes. In contrast with other software programs of this type, which can typically cost a few hundred dollars, Lush Albums software is free to download. Users can upload images to auto-design a full layout or design individual spreads from a series of 15 templates. There is also a choice of cover options as well as a coordinating custom bag. The service takes about a week from design to delivery, and the cost for a finished album runs about $200.

Even with her knowledge so broadly available on the Internet, Lackey also finds a passion in the physical classroom, both as a lecturer and as a student, attending workshops by other photo industry professionals. In addition to offering a wide range of workshops, presentations and seminars at a variety of locations—from private classes to convention work to the Google stage—in March 2014 she was named a Nikon USA Ambassador, which has allowed Lackey to grow her speaking engagements and lecture opportunities on behalf of Nikon. This role has also afforded her

ABOVE: These two brothers had different personality types and each responded to different approaches, so Lackey photographed—and interacted with—them individually, before bringing them together for this image. Shot with a Nikon D800 and an AF-S VR MICRO-NIKKOR 105MM F/2.8G IF-ED lens at 1/250 second, f/4.0; ISO 400.

the opportunity to do some photography for Nikon. “I do some very cool shooting assignments for Nikon in the retail space, to market their cameras and lenses to consumers,” she says.

In all Lackey does and in every interaction she has, it’s evident that she approaches life with a belief that we should share and connect with those around us.

MAKING CONNECTIONS In spite of her hectic schedule, Lackey still loves picking up the camera and working with her clients—although family portraiture wasn’t always her favorite subject. “When I first got into photography, I was very into photographing children, and I would

reluctantly photograph the families who came with them,” she admits. “But over time I started realizing what family meant, especially as we grew our family.

Two of my three children are adopted, and they both lived in orphanages until they finally came home with us. It really gives you a sense of what it means to belong. That really changed my whole mind about family photography. I started to love it. I think it’s the most challenging type of photography I do.”

Lackey explains the complications of photographing families and getting everyone on the same page at the same time. “You’ve got to get everybody, on all their different timetables, to the point where they’re not seeing a lens in their face when you pick up that camera; PDNEDU.COM SPRING 2015 41

they’re just plainly interacting with you,” she says. To achieve this, she parses out the session to work with individuals and give breaks when needed, to help everyone become accustomed to her and the camera. She often spends as much as three hours with one group. It’s a process she’s been developing for her entire career. “I start with everyone together. I try my very best,” she says. “Then we break it up a little bit and we end with everybody back together. Usually those end shots are the ones where you’ve got everybody comfortable with you. They stop seeing the camera, and they’re just interacting.”

Lackey captures these interactions beautifully, but this is only a small part of her all-encompassing vision and passion for her work. The concept of giving back isn’t lip service for her.

It’s part of living a human existence.

GIVING BACK

family. They started the adoption process, which is arduous due to how increasingly bureaucratic the process has become in many countries.

“It’s just gotten our minds racing about the fact that we feel we have a lot of connections in philanthropy. We have a lot of fund-raising opportunities between our two businesses—my husband puts on running and triathlon events—so we’ve started a foundation called Beautiful Together, which is focused on better connecting children who do not have families with families struggling to connect to available children or with those who are overwhelmed with the fees involved with adoption.”

As of this writing, Beautiful Together has not yet formally launched, but it’s in the final stages of a six-month organizational process. The bank accounts have been set up.

The Web site is being created. The documents are being filed.

It’s a labor of love focused on bringing children and families together, and it’s based around photography.

“The efforts are around not only the idea of how you can use photography in so many ways to bring people together but also the fund-raising opportunities there are around that,” Lackey

All Photos this spread © Tamara Lackey, tamaralackey.com

As her career has taken off, Lackey has been able to give back, not only with her books, teaching and mentoring but also with philanthropy. She donates the proceeds of her first book, The Art of Children’s Portrait Photography, to Save the Children and the Worldwide Orphans Foundation, and both she and her husband send monthly donations to other charitable organizations from their respective businesses.

Lackey’s sense of family seems to grow with every portrait she takes, even as her own family continues to grow. In addition to their daughter, Lackey and her husband adopted a three-and-a-half-year-old daughter from Ecuador and a ninemonth-old son from Ethiopia, both countries they regularly visit. During a trip to Africa this past summer, they met a fourth child, a five-year-old boy they want to include in their

“BEAUTIFUL TOGETHER IS THE CULMINATION OF EVERYTHING THAT LACKEY REPRESENTS AND EMPHASIZES. SHE EARNESTLY WANTS TO HELP PEOPLE—WHETHER IT’S TO BE A BETTER PHOTOGRAPHER OR TO CREATE A FAMILY.”

ABOVE: These subjects were moving rather rapidly and the image was shot in diminishing light, so Lackey boosted her ISO to maintain a higher shutter speed. Shot with a Nikon D810 and an AF NIKKOR 85F/1.4D IF lens at 1/1000 second, f/2.8; ISO 1600.

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says. Beautiful Together will be funded in part through income from Lush Albums, by monthly contributions from both the Lackey companies, by planned books and gallery shows picturing families that have already connected through adoption or fostering and eventually by contributions made directly to the foundation. “All the profits go 100 percent toward endeavors to connect children to families,” says Lackey.

Lackey and her family have worked through adoption procedures twice already and are currently completing this onerous process again, with bureaucracy and obstacles at every turn. It’s a procedure she wants to help make easier so that people who have their hearts in the right place, who want to help make families for children in need, can have guidance and some financial assistance to help get them through the process.

Beautiful Together is the culmination of everything that Lackey represents and emphasizes. She earnestly wants to help people—whether it’s to be a better photographer or to create a family.

But perhaps Lackey says it best:“I don’t know why we waste so much time with anger and cruelty. I really don’t. I would love nothing more than if my efforts helped to make people understand that the way we treat each other is really what it’s all about. I think kindness is so underrated.” EDU

TECH BOX CAMERA: Nikon D4S, Nikon D810, Nikon D750 LENSES: AF-S NIKKOR 35MM F/1.4G AF NIKKOR 85MM F/1.4D IF AF-S VR MICRO-NIKKOR 105MM F/2.8G IF-ED AF-S NIKKOR 14-24MM F/2.8G ED AF-S NIKKOR 24-70MM F/2.8G ED AF-S NIKKOR 70-200MM F/2.8G ED VR II LIGHTING: Profoto Strobes, Westcott Spiderlites, both with a variety of modifiers, Nikon SB-910 AF Speedlights and remote triggers COMPUTERS: 15” MacBook Pro with retina display EDITING SOFTWARE: Adobe Creative Cloud (Photoshop, Lightroom), On One Plug-In’s ADDITIONAL GEAR: Sirui T-2205X 5-Section Carbon Fiber Tripod with a Sirui K-20X 38mm Ballhead, Ice Light & Torch Light continuous lights, Westcott, Glow and Adorama reflectors

ABOVE: For this studio portrait, Lackey set up the lighting and used wind to create a look with the hair. The model’s posing and expression changed as they went. Shot with a Nikon D4 and an AF-S NIKKOR 70-200MM F/2.8G ED VR II lens at 1/400 second, f/2.8; ISO 200. BELOW: Colorful markings in a London streetscape add a whimsical touch to the exuberant expression of the subject. Shot with a Nikon D800 and an AF AF-S NIKKOR 14-24MM F/2.8G ED lens at 1/320 second, f/3.5; ISO 250.

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THIS PAGE: A mother and child waiting on a New York City street. “I have been shooting New York for over 60 years now. And although I have achieved age, I can safely say I have never made my way to maturity, so I have never been jaded or bored,” writes Maisel in his book on 1950s New York. “I think all this is due to the grittiness and hectic quality of the city: you never capture it, it captures you.”

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All images © Jay Maisel, <www.jaymaisel.com>

IT’S A LIVING

KING OF THE CASTLE Jay Maisel Weighs In on How to Make a Photographic Life

BY HARRISON JACOBS

FOR MORE THAN 60 YEARS, the inimitable Jay Maisel has made a life and career out of a remarkably simple approach to photography. He wanders the streets of New York as well as the world at large, looking for the juxtaposition of light, gesture and color that makes great photographs. So acute is his vision that, for decades, he was the most sought-after man in commercial photography, shooting advertisements, executive portraits and annual reports for countless multinational corporations.

A Nikon shooter throughout his career, Maisel has also been known as a dance photographer, a jazz photographer, a street photographer and a nature photographer, among many other genres. But in an industry that pushes artists toward specialization, Maisel rejects all classifications applied to him. To him, it’s always been just photography. “People used to say to me, ‘You should specialize.’ I would tell them I do specialize. I specialize in taking good pictures,” he says.

ABOVE: An early view of the subway from the 2014 book Jay Maisel: New York in the ‘50s. “These are not my pictures. They were taken by a much younger man,” Maisel writes in the book’s foreword. “I recently started ‘seeing’ these images for the first time in 50 years. They were like great-grandchildren coming to visit.”

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ABOVE: Maisel’s favorite places to shoot are where crowds congregate, such as Times Square on New Year’s Eve, a theme that appears throughout his 1950s book.

Maisel is the quintessential New Yorker, with a no-nonsense New York attitude, razor-sharp New York wit and the trademark New York hustle.

Born in Brooklyn in 1931, Maisel grew up an only child and spent eight years studying in a yeshiva. For high school, Maisel petitioned to attend Abraham Lincoln High in Brighton Beach. His reasoning was simple: Lincoln allowed students to take Hebrew as a foreign language. Because he had already studied Hebrew, Maisel figured he could coast. Just by chance, Lincoln also turned out to have a phenomenal art teacher—Leon Friend.

Maisel began taking classes with Friend, eventually becoming part of an exclusive community of art students Friend branded the Art Squad.

In the dedication to Maisel’s new book Light, Gesture, Color, he wrote of Friend, “He changed my life more than anyone I’ve known. He opened my eyes … He made me understand that work could be joy.”

Maisel began as a painter, a pursuit he stuck with through college. Because of the Art Squad, he earned a scholarship to study with social realist painter Josef Hirsch and was accepted to Cooper 46

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Union, one of the most prestigious schools for art.

He took his first photograph at 18. “It was really nothing …” Maisel says. But after being asked to shoot for the Cooper Union yearbook and seeing his image in print, he got hooked.

At the time, the renowned abstract painter Josef Albers was recruiting students for an art program at Yale University that offered a dual degree.

Maisel took advantage.

The experience was formative not just because Albers was a fantastic teacher.

Maisel began shooting photographs in his spare time. He read Andreas Feininger’s seminal Introduction to Photography and taught himself the basics. Before long, he was sneaking out to photograph every chance he got. “That continued until I got my degree in painting,” says Maisel.

“I decided, I don’t want to be a painter, I want to take pictures …”

Like any young artist in New York, Maisel worked a series of tough jobs while trying to make it as a photographer. He worked at a baking factory in New Haven, at a rubber plant making gloves, among a variety of other jobs. At the same time, he was taking photos often, sneaking into college darkrooms to print his work and showing his portfolio to anyone who would look.

“I realized pretty quickly that the process was going to be very slow,” says Maisel of his first years.

But he soon came up with a solution by convincing his father to fund him until his career got off the ground. His father agreed to $50 a week —“a lot of money back then,” offers Maisel. He rented a Manhattan apartment for $53 a month and found that he had more than enough time to shoot, print and pitch his work.

THE FIRST BREAK Instead of learning how to perfect studio lighting, Maisel focused on finding “decisive moments,” utilizing the gorgeous light that he saw in the natural world. He produced a portfolio that was distinct from that of many of his contemporaries, an effort that paid off when he picked up his first client, the pharmaceutical company Ciba, in 1954.

The company needed help marketing their newest drug, Ritalin, so they tasked him with creating a campaign showing troubled subjects in a setting resembling a mental institution.

Because it was illegal to shoot in such locations, Maisel had to create his own as well as handle the casting. He took these challenges in stride, shooting in New York public schools on weekends and hiring actors instead of models to

All images © Jay Maisel, <www.jaymaisel.com>

A NEW YORKER THROUGH AND THROUGH

“SOME PHOTOGRAPHERS LIKE TO RESEARCH A CITY AND WALK AROUND IT WITHOUT A CAMERA BEFORE THEY START. THAT IS NOT ME,” MAISEL SAYS. “I WANT THAT WHOLE KALEIDOSCOPIC QUALITY OF NEWNESS WHEN I SHOOT.”

ABOVE: Maisel photographed his newborn daughter for a birth announcement and he hasn’t stopped since. “As I told her,” Maisel explains, “she used to be interesting. Now that she’s a grown up, she’s half as interesting—but I still love photographing her.”

play the troubled people.

From the beginning of his career, Maisel had a no-nonsense approach to business. During negotiations with Ciba, the art director told Maisel that they would pay him a certain fee for a batch of photos. After a while, the art director commended his work, explaining that they wanted to stretch the images into two batches but he’d still get paid for only one. Maisel wasn’t having it.

“You’ll pay me for two,” Maisel told the art director. “Why should I penalize myself if I do a good job? Then I won’t get paid for the next one.” Maisel may have been green, but he knew how to not get hustled. The art director relented.

“That kept me alive for a while,” he says.

Maisel’s career got into full swing just as advertising was entering its golden age. Art directors and advertising

executives were open-minded and hands-off, offering general instructions and leaving Maisel room to improvise.

“People would say, ‘Go out and investigate this thing,’” he explains.

The approach was well suited to Maisel’s shooting style, which amounted to trusting his artistic instincts, unique vision and spontaneity to come away with the goods. “Some photographers like to research a city and walk around it without a camera before they start. That is not me,” he says. “I want that whole kaleidoscopic quality of newness when I shoot.”

WHAT MAKES A GOOD BUSINESSMAN IN A DIFFICULT BUSINESS From the very beginnings of his career, Maisel gleaned important business advice from the world around him. By

explanation, Maisel tells how, in his early years, he brought his paintings to be photographed. When he returned for the work, the photographer gave him the paintings and a set of prints but no negatives. Maisel requested the negatives, but the photographer refused. “What do you mean, no? They’re my paintings.

What if I want to make more prints?”

Maisel quipped. The photographer responded, “Ah-ha. That’s why I’m keeping the negatives.”

From that moment, Maisel says he realized that photography was a great business. Because he never gave up the rights to his photographs, Maisel was able to make a hefty income licensing his growing image collection for one-time use throughout his career.

Additionally, Maisel made a significant investment early on that has ensured him a spacious base of operations for his business, a comfortable home for his family and what has become a brilliant real estate venture. In 1966, he purchased the Germania Bank building in Manhattan’s Bowery District for $102,000, at a time when no one would touch the area.

“It was a continuation of my drive to be classified as a maniac,” Maisel admits.

“Not one person said, ‘That’s a good idea,’ or, ‘That’s a real investment in the future.’

None of us thought it was an investment, because the area was such a bad place.”

At the time he bought it, the six-floor gilded age behemoth was a mess. Maisel spent a year bringing it up to livable standards before moving in, and he has spent the past 49 years renovating it.

At this point, the building is a bohemian masterpiece, with not a single room wasted. Each is dedicated to a different project that he, his wife or his daughter is pursuing. In a recent Big Picture documentary on Maisel, photographer Gregory Heisler described the building as Maisel’s “brain exploded into 72 identifiable, discrete apartments.”

Despite how attached he is to “the Bank,” Maisel is currently in the process of selling the property, which now has an estimated worth of $50 million or more.

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Maisel maintains that he never had “direction” during his career.

Instead, as with his shooting, he responded “reactively” rather than “proactively,” choosing assignments that excited him and sticking with companies he considered good clients.

Maisel has shot for hundreds of clients over the years; however, a few strong relationships carried him for decades.

One of his best was with United Technologies, a multinational company for which he shot advertisements for ten years.

According to Maisel, three things made it a great client: Executives at the company were easy to talk to, projects were open for discussion and the team wasn’t “namby-pamby” about changing direction if a shoot wasn’t working.

“If I called them in the middle of a job and said, ‘This isn’t working out,’ they wouldn’t tell me, ‘Sorry, this is what we told you to do.’ They would ask me what I thought we should do instead.” The open communication made the work better and kept both parties happy.

Another big annual-report client was Chesebrough-Ponds, a company he worked with for 17 years. Clients like these paid well, allowed him to travel and provided considerable freedom, ideals that are all in line with Maisel’s general philosophy about commercial work. “Whether I was shooting commercial work or not, my attitude was I wanted to shoot jobs that I would shoot for myself even if I wasn’t getting paid,” he says.

While Maisel maintains that he loved all his early assignments, his favorite was a 1980s campaign for a fertilizer company that was planning to build plants in Africa. His brief

was to travel to six African countries and shoot as he wished.

The assignment was so open-ended, it led him to worry for weeks about how to complete it. After fretting about what would happen if the client didn’t like the results, Maisel came to a conclusion. “They didn’t know what they wanted. I had to know what they wanted for them,” he says.

Maisel and one assistant spent three or four days in each country, including Madagascar, Liberia, Sudan and Somalia, doing what he always does — wandering around without preconceived notions, photographing whatever came his way. As usual, the client loved the results.

Over the years, Maisel gained a reputation as being “tough” with art directors, but according to him very few actually gave him a hard time.

As Maisel sees it, a good art director’s job is to pick the right photographer for the shoot and leave him or her alone. He remembers a few times when an art director intervened in a shoot, killing the spirit of the cast and crew, or was irresponsible on the job. In those cases, Maisel approached things in his usual no-nonsense way.

“I had situations where I had to tell an art director, ‘You’re messing up the shoot. I’m not going to let you, because when we come back, everybody’s going to say it was my fault,’” he explains.

By the late 1990s, the photo industry was changing from the open-ended structure that Maisel enjoyed working in to one dominated by corporate bureaucracy, strict design layouts and an emphasis on “illustration”—shooting what the client asked for

ABOVE: Maisel is a master of moments. He says of this image, “I saw this woman rearranging her clothing. I couldn’t see specificially what she was doing. I did know that the man, patiently waiting for her to finish whatever she was doing, by the gesture of his body and the look on his face, had been waiting for her like this for 35 years.”

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All images © Jay Maisel, <www.jaymaisel.com>

GOOD CLIENTS AND BAD CLIENTS

ABOVE: Maisel has published two books in 2014, (left) Light Gesture and Color from New Riders and (right) Jay Maisel: New York in the ‘50s from Nazraeli Press.

in the way it requested it.

Maisel’s many profitable business decisions and relentless drive for work for more than 40 years had put him in a privileged position. “When I heard, ‘No, I don’t want it better than the layout. I want the layout,’ I got out of the business,” he explains. “It wasn’t just the loss of control that turned me off. It was the loss of purpose.”

ONCE A PHOTOGRAPHER, ALWAYS A PHOTOGRAPHER While Maisel is no longer shooting commercially, he’s done anything but slow down. He photographs everywhere and often, in his home, on the street, in between errands, hanging from helicopters and looking out over rooftops. Most often, Maisel heads to

the densest places in New York—Times Square, 42nd Street, among others—and spends hours shooting. “You can mess up, and you’ve got a million other people who come by who don’t know how badly you screwed up the shot before,” he says of his reasoning.

Despite his views about changes in the industry, Maisel has thoroughly embraced changes in technology. After he was handed a digital camera in 2000, he never looked back. According to Maisel, the ability to shoot in bad light and to leave endless cartons of film in the dust convinced him of digital’s superiority.

In addition, Maisel has embraced a second career in teaching. Although he has been teaching on and off since 1966, in 2007 he began running weeklong “boot camps” out of the

ABOVE: An inimate instant spied in a Vermont restaurant. “The light lasted about ten seconds,” says Maisel.

Germania Bank building. As he describes it, the workshops consist of five days of “shooting, discussing, eating and breathing photography” from early morning to late at night.

There’s only one major aspect that he doesn’t cover—business. “The paradigm of business has changed so much,” Maisel admits. “I used to teach it in my classes, and I never do it anymore, because if you take my method of doing business in today’s economy, you’ll never get a job.”

Even so, the workshops routinely get testimonials that verge on the hyperbolic.

Past attendees have called the workshop “amazing,” “inspiring,” “a life-changing experience,” and as “completely changing the way I view the world.”

Maisel’s success lies in how he has been able to boil down photography to three essentials: light, gesture and color. As he tells his students, a good photograph comes from these elements. He teaches students to approach the world as he does: with an open mind, looking for light that engages the eye, colors that interact with each other and objects and people that have gesture, which he defines cryptically as “the essence of each thing we look at.” Perhaps, after decades of wandering, Maisel has found the method to his madness.

When asked if he could ever stop shooting, Maisel laughs. “Some people are into music. Some are into visuals.

Some are into family life. Whatever it is, if you have it, you do it and you love it,” he explains. “If you don’t enjoy it, you stop doing it. I’ve never stopped enjoying it.” EDU PDNEDU.COM SPRING 2015 49

SPECIAL REPORT

A FAMILY OF SCHOOLS The “Family. Life.” Project Engages a Global Student Audience [ by Jill Waterman and Alexandra Manikas ]

Photo © Mike Davis

During 2014, Mike Davis, Alexia Tsairis chair of documentary photography at Syracuse University, conceived and launched the groundbreaking “Family. Life.” project, with a mission to encourage an international student dialog on this theme. “Family is the core of every aspect of life on the planet. It’s a universal theme but also one with great variability,” says Davis.

“Through the prism of family, you can see what distinguishes us and what unifies us.”

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More than 60 programs responded to Davis’s call, ranging from Armenia’s Tumo Center for Creative Technologies to workshop students in a Syrian refugee camp. Other programs dot the map from Bangladesh to New Zealand, Russia to Singapore, South Korea to Turkey, plus many, many more. Here, we take a look behind the scenes at the Syracuse incubator for this ambitious project and two of the international participants.

BELOW: Multimedia, photography and design students review samples during a design workshop held as part of the “Family. Life.” project within Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communication.

SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY, S.I. NEWHOUSE SCHOOL OF PUBLIC COMMUNICATION Syracuse, New York Taking the Lead in Visual Communication on a Global Scale In addition to these two key players, Davis estimates that every visual student at Syracuse has played a part in the project since school began in September. This past fall, “Family. Life.” became the focus for the annual photo workshop as well as for a three-day design workshop, when 28 design students and eight professional coaches created visual designs to celebrate the imagery. “As representatives of “Family. Life.” Mike and I were the ‘client’ during the workshop, and all the design students worked together on various components of that project,” Wise explains.

According to Davis, scheduling the initial design work before the final imagery arrived helped to shatter preconceptions about how things work. One of those preconceptions is that you produce imagery, and then designers do what they do,” he explains. “I think that’s a bad way to look at things. By getting the design rolling first, the design and that voice could influence things as well.”

“I’m learning a lot about balancing how much you can do before you’ve received the work, to try to create a conducive environment for the work to be made,” says Wise.

With an eye to the big picture, she notes, “I think “Family. Life.” is going to encourage students around the world to think outside the box and really consider, ‘What’s the story that I’m trying to tell, and what might be the best way to tell it?’ as opposed to, ‘How can I make this story into a photography essay or into one particular format.’

Also, there’s something special about knowing that while you’re working on doing your own thing, you’re also working on something that’s bigger than yourself.”

LEFT: Overhead

Photo courtesy of Syracuse University’s “Family. Life.” project

Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications has an esteemed reputation among the university’s 13 colleges. Established in 1934 as one of the nation’s first journalism schools, Newhouse has evolved to be a leader in educating students in fields of communications, media and journalism.

According to Bruce Strong, department chair for multimedia, photography and design, students span all genres from advertising and commercial photography to documentary and photojournalism. “We try to cross-train most students to be able to move across the entire spectrum,” he says. “We’re much broader than strictly a journalism school.”

The undergraduate program totals about 100 students in photography and graphic design, with the balance varying a bit from year to year. Strong notes, “It’s small enough so that we can really get to know the students yet large enough within Newhouse to have tremendous resources for creating projects.”

An annual fall workshop has been an essential feature in the program since 1999. During this four-day intensive, students work with still photography, audio, video, motion graphics, design and words under the guidance of faculty plus 25 professional coaches.

“Many students cite this as one of the most important parts of their education,” Strong points out.

While the early workshops lacked a cohesive theme, Mike Davis, Alexia Tsairis chair of documentary photography explains, “A few years ago, Bruce and I started talking about a more focused approach and concluded that focusing on families for a few years would be interesting,” he says. “We started that about two years ago. Its success made me realize, What if you could apply this on a global scale?”

Davis’s role as Alexia chair and head of the Alexia Foundation grant competition carries with it an expectation for new initiatives.

He decided to expand the family idea through Alexia Foundation sponsorship, with the goal to engage with a wide-ranging community of students and professors.

“Family. Life.” was initiated in spring 2014 with a call for participation, which Davis and colleagues e-mailed to friends, friends of friends, colleagues and which spread widely through social media.

“The challenge was to present the idea in a very general way so that each location would interpret the idea unique to that place,” he says.

One key aspect of the project is to serve as a resource for student engagement. “The goal as a teacher is to try to create situations that allow students to achieve his or her potential,” Davis says.

Master’s candidate Andrea Wise is a prime example of such a student, being tapped by Davis for the role of “Family. Life.” project director last summer. Wise has taken the lead on communications with the 60-plus contributing schools and setting up and managing the submission process. Another student with an enormously significant role is undergraduate design major Abby Legge, who is project art director and the central point person for all things design.

During spring semester, Legge will work closely with design and Web development students to guide a cohesive vision. “As we get closer to a final edit for the book, she’ll lead a small group of design students to refine layouts, typography and so on,” says Wise.

view of students at work during a design workshop held as part of the “Family.

Life.” project within Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communication.

Web site: http://newhouse.syr.edu Degrees offered: Bachelor of science and master of science degrees in photography, doctoral degree in mass communications Length of Program: Undergraduate, four years; graduate, 18 months plus master’s project Total Student Population: (Fall 2013) 21,267 undergraduates; 4,820 graduate/law school students Size of Department: Approximately 1,900 undergraduates, 250 master’s students and 13 doctoral students.

Tuition/Fees: Undergraduate, $40,380 annually; graduate $44,253.

Other expenses: Housing/utilities, $9,600 annually; books/supplies, $1,800; program fee, $1,155; health fee, $700; activity fee, $80.

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DANISH SCHOOL OF MEDIA AND JOURNALISM Aarhus and Copenhagen, Denmark

Video framegrab © Nikita Greydin and Fabian Fiechter

International Photojournalism Studies in a Small-Group Setting

Headquartered on the eastern coast of the Jutland peninsula, the Danish School of Media and Journalism (DMJX) has offered a four-year bachelor’s degree in photojournalism since 1992. According to program leader Soren Pagter, this course of study evolved out of the traditional vocational training offered to photographers by the Danish newspaper industry. “The newspaper industry, the ministry of education and our trade union decided to create a new education with a more journalistic approach, offering more knowledge about photography, society and how to write,” he says. Because of these origins, the program works very closely with Danish newspapers to this day.

While the bachelor’s program is geared toward Danish students, a hallmark of the school is two half-year photojournalism programs for international students, scheduled from mid-January to mid-June and mid-August to mid-December. Both basic and advanced programs are taught in English and attract students from across the globe.

All classes are held on a very intimate scale. “My idea for this program is that we don’t want to be big, but we want to be important,” explains Pagter. “I’ve heard so many stories, and I’ve also tried it myself, being in groups where they try to teach photojournalism to 20, 50, 60 people at a time—it’s impossible. The students don’t get anything out of it, and the teachers don’t get anything out of it either.”

The basic international photojournalism sequence consists of four workshops, beginning with four to five weeks spent on smaller reportage assignments, aimed at familiarizing students with each other and with living and working in Denmark. “We also teach them how to give feedback because we have a very special way of doing this in our school,” says Pagter. “We learn from each other, and we learn best all together in a group.”

For the second workshop, each student travels for one or two weeks to shoot a story somewhere in Denmark or elsewhere in Europe. After returning to Aarhus, the students incorporate these stories into a collaborative magazine project, which teaches them about writing and basic layouts. During the third workshop, entitled “Web documentary,” students combine images with text, audio and video. The term ends with a longer-format photo-story workshop in the student’s choice of print media or Web documentary, which also encompasses a written report.

In the advanced program, students produce longer projects during two major workshops, offering a greater opportunity for artistic visual storytelling. During this term, international students are combined with the Danish students, “who are also taught in English for those six months,” says Pagter. “So our Danish students also benefit from having international students at the school. It becomes an international semester, even though it’s taught in Denmark.”

This past fall, the first-year “Web documentary” workshops were dedicated to the “Family. Life.” theme. Pagter enlisted two guest lecturers from the award-winning storytelling agency the Bombay Flying Club <bombayfc.com> to work with both Danish and international student groups.

Students are paired up for multimedia projects, a match that’s decided by the faculty. “Most of the time, this works very well, and they

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STEP BEHIND THE SCENES

ABOVE: Watch Nikita Greydin and Fabian Fiechter’s video “Loosing Lucas” from the “Family. Life.” project in PDNedu’s digital edition at <digitalmag.pdnedu.com>, or view it online at http://bit.ly/1DyoHrK. com/110438606.

learn so much from each other,” says Pagter, noting that this past fall, an Italian student was matched with an Egyptian and an Iranian student with a German. “It creates so many discussions and cultural debates.”

He adds, “We pair them up and give them a theme, but we’re not the ones who decide the stories or point out the subjects. We believe that if we want the students to spend a lot of time, and if we want them to do good, it must be a story that comes from within themselves.”

At the beginning of the term, Pagter met with all the students to explain the “Family. Life.” project, and he encouraged everyone to work with this theme. “We ended up with so many stories—it’s amazing,” he says. In addition to nine pieces from the “Web documentary” workshops, nine additional still-picture stories were submitted.

“That’s something that comes from within the students, because we were a part of the project,” Pagter says. “We normally don’t have 18 students working on the same topic for this long a time period. But when you have this many students and this much energy and young creativity, it’s very interesting just to give them a topic and then gather everything and see where it goes. As long as you have an overall topic, you can put almost everything into the box.”

Web site(s): http://www.dmjx.dk/international Degree offered: English-language courses/programs in photojournalism for international students, plus Danish-language bachelor’s program in communication fields Length of Program: International programs in basic and advanced photojournalism, approximately six months each; Danishlanguage bachelor’s program, four years, with one term in English Total Student Population: Approximately 1,200 students between two campuses in Aarhus and Copenhagen.

Size of Department: 82 students in photojournalism (64 Danish, 18 international) Tuition/Fees: Approximately $5,000 if not an exchange or scholarship student Other expenses: Housing, approximately $2,300 for six-month semester, plus refundable housing deposit; living costs, approximately $600 monthly; study trips, approximately $450; books and teaching materials, approximately $80.

GRIFFITH UNIVERSITY Brisbane/Gold Coast, Australia Photography and Digital Media Studies Through the Queensland College of Art

STEP BEHIND THE SCENES

ABOVE: Watch Monique Jennison’s video “Unconditionally” from the “Family. Life.” project in PDNedu’s digital edition at <digitalmag.pdnedu.com>.

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late July until the end of October. The course of study is also different, with a three-year bachelor’s degree and an optional fourth-year honors degree, modeled on the British system.

First-year students begin with a foundation semester and decide on a major in the second semester. In the second year, students follow courses within their major but can also select a second major or take elective courses from across the university. Faulkner notes that within the digital-media degree, students have a lot of latitude for pursuing interdisciplinary studies. “Students can take some graphic design, 3D design or digital design, or they can do studio art or journalism or international relations,” she notes. “We really encourage them to mix it up, so students are doing a lot more collaborative projects, and we’re seeing a lot of hybrid work.”

Both photography and digital media programs have their own publications—the photography major publishes the annual journal Australian Photojournalist, while digital media publishes the Argus, “which is all student-created content sourced from local and international contributors,” says Faulkner. This multiplatform offering includes a blog, a semiannual themed ‘zine, published through the platform Issuu, and a biannual monograph in book form. “We’re just launching our first app,” Faulkner adds. “Our content is multimedia, so it’s traditional still storytelling, video and different types of experimental narratives.”

Faulkner learned about the “Family. Life.” project in early 2014, through a connection from Syracuse. “Because of the way our schedule works, I had a lot of warning, so I was able to write the theme into the course profile, and the students were all cued on it,” she explains. “We had a Skype meeting with Andrea Wise at Syracuse, and the students knew we’d be very selective about the projects we chose to send. At the end of the semester, we picked the top four students, and I worked with them individually for another few weeks,” Faulkner adds. “These students were finishing their second year, so it was a big ask, but they did some really nice work.

While there were a few typical, “This is my brother and I love him” stories, “what we were really looking for were character-

driven stories with elements of conflict and resolution,” Faulkner says. “I really wanted them to think outside the box about what family is to them.”

One unique interpretation of the theme was focused on a local radio station that was potentially under the gun. The council was thinking of shutting it down, and the employees were fighting to save it. A multimedia piece by Monique Jennison delved deep into her family’s past to uncover a hidden tale about rape, a subsequent pregnancy, adoption and the resulting feelings of abandonment. “This story is about Monique’s mother. It’s intimate and personal. She’s really done a remarkable job,” Faulkner says.

“I think the biggest challenge for us is getting the kids out of the Facebook, Flickr and Instagram mentality and getting them to take the work seriously, to consider it critically and to be able to contextualize it.

They need to think about photography as a profession,” Faulkner notes. “They’ve got to be able to eat, and Facebook likes aren’t going to feed you. I think this experience has shown our students how to approach things more professionally, as well as demonstrate what potential they have—because they’ve all got incredible potential.” EDU

Web site(s): http://www.griffith.edu.au Degrees offered: Bachelor of photography degree (Brisbane South Bank campus), bachelor of digital media degree (Gold Coast Southport campus), plus master of visual arts and doctoral degrees Length of Program: Three-year bachelor’s program with an optional honors year Total Student Population: 43,000 students across all five campuses Size of Department: Bachelor of digital media, 450 students; bachelor of photography, 300 students Tuition: Australian, $14,000 annually; international, $18,600 per year for threeyear bachelor’s, plus honors year Funding: HECS and Study Assist loans for Australian nationals; international scholarships, visit: http://bit.ly/1BSpIGD Other expenses: Lodging and living costs, $925 to $1,250 per month depending on whether on or off campus; paper and printing costs $75 to $400 per semester.

Video framegrab © Monique Jennison

In Australia’s sunshine state, Griffith University offers programs in photography and digital media through the Queensland College of Art. The bachelor of photography program at Brisbane’s Southbank campus focuses on still-image making with majors in commercial photography, fine art photography and traditional photojournalism, while the Southport campus on the Gold Coast offers a bachelor of digital media/photo media major specializing in multimedia and digital documentary storytelling.

With a distance of less than 40 miles between them, the two campuses often collaborate. “We share courses, and students jump from campus to campus if they want,” says Heather Faulkner, digital media program chair.

Griffith has an extensive study-abroad program and an extremely varied student demographic. “We have a lot of Chinese students from Shandong University on the Gold Coast, and we share an equal amount of Norwegians because they absolutely love our program,” says Faulkner. A big extracurricular advantage of studying at the Gold Coast is the surfing and sea life.

“We also cater to underwater and surf photography, which is really fun,” she adds.

In the Southern Hemisphere, midsummer falls in December, so the academic calendar is the exact opposite from that of the United States. The school year starts in late February or early March. First semester ends in early June, and the second semester runs from

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BUSINESS SMARTS

WORKING THE CROWD

[BY DAVID H. WELLS]

Photo © Kristina Varaksina

DOs AND DON’Ts FOR PRESENTING AT A PORTFOLIO WALK

PICTURED: Participants in SPE’s 2013 portfolio walk in Chicago discuss the large prints displayed on one of more than 200 tables supplied for the event.

“You get only one chance to make a first impression.” This adage rang through my head as I walked through a sea of photographers with work on view at the 2014 Society for Photographic Education (SPE) portfolio walk.

These increasingly popular events are often held over a two- to three-hour window during a photography festival or conference. They tend to be casual and are usually open to the general public for free, in contrast with the more structured (and fee-based) portfolio review. As an informal event, a portfolio walk is more in line with introductory networking opportunities than as a venue for print sales.

SPE has held a portfolio walk at its national conferences since 2008. This is a particular high point for the ten students who receive SPE scholarships. In addition to a conference fee waiver and cash award, scholarship students get an individual table in a prime location and early access to set up their work.

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During SPE’s 2014 portfolio walk in Baltimore, the strengths and weaknesses of certain presenters’ approaches rose to the surface as I circulated through the packed space. While these events are supposed to be causal, the photographers who took greatest advantage were those who took the opportunity most seriously. There

were hundreds of portfolio cases, laptop screens and stacks of prints to look at, yet considering the limits on both time and attention span, it’s essential to use one’s time wisely.

Here are a few lessons I noted last year, as well as helpful tips from eight of the SPE student scholarship recipients we corresponded with to research this story.

HONE YOUR LISTENING SKILLS According to SPE’s executive director, Virginia Morrison, “The portfolio walk has become a favorite piece of our conference programming, with interest and attendance growing every year. We seek the largest space we can find in our conference

Photo © Erin Redemacher

Photo © Harris Fogel

Photo © Clinton Sander

PICTURED: The hallways of SPE’s conference hotel are transformed into a sea of tables to accommodate the many students and educators anxious to show their work.

venues that will support as many tables as possible, with room for the crowd to navigate between all the tables. We’ll have 252 tables to accommodate 504 portfolio sharers at the 2015 event in New Orleans” Morrison adds. “We plan to admit folks in stages, like boarding a plane, to hopefully manage the opening rush.”

In the best of cases, portfolio walks give a wide range of photographers an opportunity to get his or her work seen and to receive essential feedback from an informed and interested audience.

As Chadric Devin, a 2014 scholarship student and University of Nebraska-Lincoln master’s candidate explains, “These walkthroughs present an opportunity to have individuals with amazing minds and perspectives, with whom I would not normally interact, see my work and discuss it with me. The most important thing I’ve learned is to be a good listener. If someone is taking time out of his or her night to talk with me about my work, I should appreciate this by acknowledging any advice, constructive critique or compliment given by always saying thank you.”

PICK YOUR SPOT Ideally, scout the venue in advance to determine what the traffic pattern might be like. Arrive and set up as early as possible, and try to get a table. Presenting your work in the middle of the floor can look unprofessional and make it harder to view. Most important, when approached by visitors during the event, do not make excuses about either the surroundings or your work.

Hannah Cooper, a 2014 scholarship student and master’s candidate from Louisiana Tech University notes, “In the past, I’ve lined up an hour before the doors opened, along with many other students. Once they opened, we’d all rush to claim a table to share with a partner. There wasn’t much time to choose a space, but I tried to find a table that was visible, not in a corner and easy to get to.”

These types of events can be a great place to discover what your peers are doing, to see what technical, aesthetic and intellectual approaches others are working with. Sandrine Arons, a master’s candidate at Savannah College of Art and Design notes, “My biggest regret was not seeing what other work was being presented, because I had to stay at my table the entire time. Next time, I’d have a friend who knows my work well come and represent me for a little while so that I could walk around the room.”

Following this suggestion, toward the end of the event (or when you’re not participating), walk around with your analytical hat on and try to experience what it’s like to be on the other side of

the table. Listen to how your peers pitch themselves and their projects. All this research should improve your presentation the next time you talk about your work.

Also, if you hear about a portfolio walk happening but aren’t participating yourself, consider going as a spectator for some valuable lessons on what other people are doing and how to refine your approach. When doing this kind of research, you’ll likely note examples of people violating the adage “Don’t show work too early in your career, before it’s ready.”

“THE MOST IMPORTANT THING I’VE LEARNED IS TO

BE A GOOD LISTENER. IF SOMEONE IS TAKING TIME OUT OF HIS OR HER NIGHT TO TALK WITH ME ABOUT MY WORK, I SHOULD APPRECIATE THIS BY ACKNOWLEDGING ANY ADVICE, CONSTRUCTIVE CRITIQUE, OR COMPLIMENT GIVEN BY ALWAYS

SAYING THANK YOU.” BE PREPARED After about half an hour of surveying the scene, I noticed how I gave each photographer’s work a second or two to catch my eye. When I interacted with photographers whose work did catch my attention, I noted how quickly I devolved into a system of giving each person about five seconds to hook me with his or her pitch before moving on.

With this in mind, it’s important to understand that presenting a heaping stack of images as singles or from a variety of projects looks like a mash-up and suggests that you’re indecisive. Don’t show too many pictures! A tight edit of 15 to 20 images from two distinct bodies of work should be more than sufficient and will best show what you’re good at and what you care about and will suggest that you’re decisive and your work is focused. (Pun intended.) Remember, it’s far better to have reviewers ask if you have more work they can see later than to have them walk away while you’re still shuffling through prints.

According to Phoenix-based photo-based artist Claire A. Warden, “Portfolio walk-throughs can help distill the language you use when discussing your work as well as help define your audience. The portfolio needs to be portable for spur-of-the-moment meetings but large enough to be representative of the exhibition size. For me, 16-by-20-inch prints were a perfect portfolio size. I also created some prints specifically for my portfolio box size that I could unfold to reveal a larger print.”

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Photo © Virginia Morrison

my work to present it in a succinct yet complete way. However, a really valuable way to use the occasion was to take cues from viewers’ reactions and their immediate questions to refine the talk in action. This ultimately allowed me to better understand the direction of my work. The inspiration I got from random people who commented or asked me about my work helped me see it in a different light,” she adds. “That gave me many new ideas on its further development.”

Acacia Johnson, a recent graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design, builds on Ivanova’s advice, saying, “I think it’s important to let your enthusiasm shine, to engage with people and, most important, to narrow down your pitch to one sentence. There are hundreds of photographers in the room, and you want to be able to explain your work in the time it takes people to breeze past you.” Another helpful tip from Johnson is to come prepared with something to drink. “The one thing I wished I’d had but didn’t was some water to drink in between pitches.”

PICTURED: Discussion about imagemaking concepts and processes is in full swing.

BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS MEDIA CONSIDERATIONS If you’re showing electronic media rather than prints, do your homework and have the movies or images stored on your laptop or tablet to show at a moment’s notice. Practice your show in advance, whether it’s a slide show, PDF portfolio or a movie. You must have the content set up properly on your electronic device in Preview, Keynote, Lightroom or Bridge. Do not be that person I finally walked away from as they were praying for the Wi-Fi to work.

Anna Garner, a master’s degree graduate from the University of Arizona, explains, “I’m a video artist, so I set up a laptop and an iPad to continually play multiple videos instead of having prints spread out on the table. I felt that having a slightly different setup drew people in to look, and having the work on loop engaged them to stay and watch. I also set out postcards with a video still and information about my work so people could take it with them.”

As Garner points out, handouts—ideally a promo card with images and links and a business card with full contact information—are essential to give to people you meet so they’ll remember you and your work. It’s well worth looking at the marketing materials that others use (and collecting those you’re drawn to) for future reference. Given the speed with which contacts now change, it’s advisable to include multiple points of contact—email, phone, physical address, links to social media—to make it easy for contacts you meet to stay in touch.

PRACTICE YOUR PITCH Portfolio walks are about more than just showing your work—of equal importance is what you say to passersby to quickly draw their attention. Yet in the live theater of a big, crowded space, there is little time for art-speak or a lengthy project statement. You need to boil things down into a one-sentence elevator pitch. If you don’t already have one, study the introductory pitches used by your peers, then create your own and practice it constantly. You have only an instant to make the right impression, so you must have a clear, succinct pitch, and it must be well practiced. In the heat of the event, by all means don’t project your personal anxieties or other background issues onto your audience.

University of North Texas master’s candidate Ellie Ivanova notes, “I prepared a one-minute (as well as a three-minute) talk about

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Accept the reality of the photography market’s highly competitive nature and understand that the fine art world is in fact a market in which self-promotion, relationship building, professional paperwork and the like are all part of the business. While being randomly discovered sounds nice, most successful photographers build their careers on hard work, networking and business skills.

No matter how chaotic things might get, avoid the temptation to stand around jabbering with your peers, with your back turned to your audience. I was stunned by the number of photographers who stood there blocking my view of their work and ignoring potential contacts/opportunities. As I walked, I was open to making eye contact, and I was surprised at how many people missed the opportunity to at least try to connect with me.

While novice reviewees might expect some magical instant when they and their work are discovered on the spot, it doesn’t often happen that way. The connections you make at a portfolio walk are just the start of potentially long-term relationships with curators, gallery owners, editors and other photo-industry professionals.

The first test of that relationship is whether you even follow up on contacts made. As most seasoned reviewers will attest, more than half the people they meet and interact with at these type of events will never even follow up on the initial encounter, let alone work to build the kind of long-term relationship that can lead to real career success.

“I met several people that night who offered to either help me show my work or just help me in making more work,” notes University of Georgia master’s candidate Anna Gay about the 2014 portfolio walk. “But next time, I’m bringing a better takeaway. I’d encourage people to bring something a little larger than a business card—a small brochure type takeaway with a few images and a brief artist statement would look amazing and really help you stand out.”

And, as Acacia Johnson sums up, “You never know when you’ll encounter someone whose feedback is worth its weight in gold. Not every reviewer will bestow you with some profound new insight, but the more portfolio walks and reviews you attend, the more you’ll increase your chances of that happening.”

So remember to do your homework, practice your pitch, refine your work, keep your expectations realistic and follow up on every contact you make. After all, every encounter at a portfolio walk offers an opportunity to learn something. EDU

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E C I V D A L A C I PRACT D F RO M T H E F I E L

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW AFTER SCHOOL Compiled

by Panel Moderator Jill Waterman

Last fall, an exclusive panel discussion with Nikon Ambassadors Dixie Dixon and Lucas Gilman and Nikon photographer Steve Simon had New York’s Jacob Javits Center abuzz with creative inspiration and business advice. These three diverse photographers shared candid opinions and expert guidance on what students need to know to jump-start their photo-industry career. After this free, Nikon-sponsored event, attendees gathered at the stage for one-on-one discussions with the speakers and networked over a catered reception while viewing a curated slideshow of the panelists’ favorite images. Those in attendance walked away fired up to put the combined advice into practice in their own growing careers.

“The presentation was a wealth of information,” says photo instructor Phyllis Montuori from Wilson Tech in Dix Hills, New York. “My high school students were inspired not only by the presenters but by all the other students from Appalachian

DIXIE DIXON Dixie Dixon was still a student when she started her photography business. “I worked tons of different photo jobs on the weekends during college to learn the craft, and I assisted a lot of photographers to get my feet wet in the industry,” she explains.

Instead of majoring in photography, Dixon got a degree in business entrepreneurship.

She points out, “I knew that if I wanted to make a living in photography, I’d need to know the business side of things. It definitely helped a lot.”

From her earliest shoots with local modeling agencies, Dixon grew her business to working with designers and brands, which quickly expanded into her current roster of ad agency shoots and worldwide commercial assignments.

During Dixon’s studies, her business teacher recommended that she join a trade

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ABOVE: Students network with Nikon pros after the panel discussion.

State University in the audience. In my student’s eyes, Dixie Dixon was particularly relatable.”

On the following pages, you’ll find our recap of what was discussed so everyone can benefit from each panelist’s career tips. And here’s an insider bonus—we’ll be holding our third annual PDNedu/ Nikon panel during PhotoPlus Expo 2015, October 21 to 24. Watch for full details in our fall issue, and make sure to RSVP early to secure your seat!

COMMERCIAL FASHION AND ADVERTISING organization in an industry she was interested in pursuing. “I Googled ‘photography trade organization,’ and like six of them came up, so I joined the student versions of each one,” she says. “I started going to all these trade shows, and I learned so much, just from listening to other photographers. It really takes your learning curve up so much faster.”

Being a fashion shooter, Dixon knows a lot about style. She counsels budding shooters not to force things but rather to just shoot a lot. “Everyone feels like they have to find his or her style early on,” she notes. “But it’s not something you have to force—it already exists within you. Let it evolve organically.”

She continues, “If you can figure out what you really love—like the subjects that speak to you—go out and create a body of work around that, and you’re going to start seeing similarities in your work come up all the time.”

At the other end of spectrum, Dixon notes the value in identifying the subjects or genres of photography you’re not so good at, so you can cross them off the list. “I assisted a wedding photographer for a while and realized I’m not a good wedding shooter,” she says. “I just wasn’t good at getting those shots so quickly.”

When asked about the one assignment that made her feel like she had really made it, Dixon responds, “I’m of the mind where I don’t think I’m ever going to feel like I’ve made it. I just feel like there’s always a next level, learning wise. And in every shoot, I try to do something different at the end, just to try something new,” she adds.

“But, every job I get is like a little victory. You do a lot of hard work and a lot of grit work and you get that job and it all makes it worth it, you get those beautiful images.”

Photos Š (Event photo) Kristine Bosworth, (this page) Dixie Dixon, <www.dixiedixon.com>

THIS PAGE: For this beauty image, Dixon sought a high fashion, pop-art effect. She asked the stylist to pull accessories to complement the bright turquoise background, so the red lips and sunglasses really stand out. Shooting with a Nikon D3x and AF-S VR Micro-Nikkor 105mm f/2.8G IF-ED lens, Dixon opted for simple contrasty light, with a light on the background and a Profoto beauty dish off to the side. Once on set, the modelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s attitude really made the shot.

PDNEDU.COM SPRING 2015 63

LUCAS GILMAN

Lucas Gilman got his start photographing the things he knows best: skiing and outdoor sports. When he was growing up in Colorado, his father often took him fly-fishing in bad weather, believing this encouraged the fish to bite. Over time, Gilman has translated this humbling regimen into very practical photography advice.

“Continue to shoot even when the conditions aren’t good, because if you know you can shoot in those bad conditions, your pictures will be even better when the conditions are perfect,” he explains.

Technology has played a huge part in Gilman’s growth as a photographer and the expansion of his business into filmmaking.

“The film and video production side of my business has really grown a lot; 40 percent of my business has shifted to motion within the past two years,” he says. “There’s really a niche market specifically for DSLR film shooters.”

He does a lot of research to keep up with the latest trends and figure out what’s

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working. “I reach out to a lot of people in the industry and ask them because, honestly, I don’t need to go out and learn everything from the beginning,” he says. “There are people doing exactly what I want to do who have become friends over the years. Go out and give yourself a head-start, and keep abreast of what’s going on.”

Gilman also offers a word of advice for building a portfolio. “We all have this idea that we want to show all these things, because we can do all these things. But be very, very specific about what you show because people will inevitably remember you by the weakest image in your portfolio,” he points out.

“Even if you have only three pictures that are absolutely stellar, just show those three. Be very candid with yourself, and always push to improve,” he advises, referring to this strategy as “adopting a third-party perspective.”

Social media plays a big role in Gilman’s life. He uses it as a sifting agent for interesting tidbits, with Twitter basically serving as his news feed. He recommends seeking out

inspirational people both within and beyond the realm of photography. “I try to surround myself with people who are successful, not necessarily photographers or filmmakers but people from other walks of life, to learn from those successes,” he says.

“To be a photographer today, you also have to have a sense for business and a sense for how the world works,” adds Gilman.

“Unfortunately, it’s not as easy as just taking amazing images or video anymore. There’s a second level or third level of running a business and surrounding yourself with successful people.”

Most important, Gilman stresses the need to treat people as you want to be treated. “This is a small industry, and you don’t want to burn bridges, because eventually you could be an island,” he says. “ And it’s not just about what you can get from others. Always look at your relationships as a win/win by offering something in return. Offer to help by doing some project research or something. You never know where that might go down the road.”

Photo © Lucas Gilman, <www.lucasgilman.com>

THIS PAGE: Scaling lava rock in Oahu, Hawaii

SPORTS AND ADVENTURE PHOTOGRAPHER/FILMMAKER

Photo © Steve Simon, <www.stevesimonphoto.com>

STEVE SIMON Canadian-born Steve Simon cut his teeth on newspaper photography. “It was a great training ground because you don’t have a lot of time and you’ve got a variety of different situations to photograph, and it really upped my technical game,” he explains.

But what started as Simon’s dream job began to loose its luster after ten years of repetitive daily work. The realization that newspaper work was no longer Simon’s dream came to a head during a workshop with one of his mentors—Eugene Richards. “I realized that I wanted to go deeper with my stories, but the newspaper wouldn’t allow me that,” he says.

Soon after this workshop, Simon started working on a personal photo project. “That changed everything for me,” he says. “I ended up leaving the paper and ultimately moving from Canada to New York.”

Simon is a big believer in the power of the

DOCUMENTARY AND STREET SHOOTER

personal project. “If you can find a project that you’re passionate about, it means you’re going to work hard at it,” he advises.

“You’re going to be shooting all the time, so your work is going to get better, and that’s what will really separate your vision from everybody else’s.”

One attribute that Simon feels is essential for success is persistence, both in a dedication to one’s work and in the even more challenging arena of making professional contacts. “I talk about the idea of walking the line between persistence and a restraining order,” jokes Simon. “But the fact is if you’re persistent, people will recognize that.”

He counsels young photographers to build such relationships with an eye to the long term. “If it’s your hero, maybe it could take a year or more to connect,” he says. “You finally meet them, and they say, ‘Oh, you’re the one who keeps e-mailing me.’”

According to Simon, building relationships

with clients requires as much, if not more, time and discipline. “As a freelancer, it often feels like you’re starting from scratch,” he explains. “But if you want regular clients, you need to massage those relationships. In your busy life, sometimes it’ll be tough to find the time, but you should. I highly recommend that you schedule contact and promotional time, especially with the top ten clients you work with and want to keep, plus those you hope to work for.”

When it comes to jobs, Simon offers some equally pragmatic advice on not shying away from a new challenge. “I’ve had some opportunities to take jobs that kind of scared me, and it would have been easy to say, ‘Well, I’m not really ready for that,’ but I think you should take it. If it scares you a little bit, that’s a good thing. My biggest learning curve is when I’ve been a little uncomfortable. You’re surely going to learn the most when you take chances like that.” EDU

THIS PAGE: Demonstrators march

and a fire erupts outside the 2004 Republican national convention in New York.

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WHAT DOES IT COST?

By Amanda Baltazar

THIS PAGE: The shadow of a Christ statue, erected in the back yard of St. Louis Cathedral, appears larger than life on the cathedral’s rear exterior wall. French Quarter, New Orleans, Louisiana.

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Photo © Marc Pagani, <marcpagani.com>

What Does It Cost …To Study, Live and Work in New Orleans?

Established by French colonists in the early 1700s, New Orleans, Louisiana (NOLA), is still strongly influenced by European culture. This major port city is well known for its diverse and multilingual heritage. As the birthplace of jazz, NOLA is famous for its lively music, rich cuisine and many celebrations and festivals, all of which make it a great place to let the good times roll.

The film industry in the Big Easy has also been on a roll lately, due to tax incentives being offered for film and television production, earning the city the nickname of Hollywood South. Also of note is NOLA’s classic architecture, with charming French and Spanish Creole influences that give it the reputation as the most distinctive city in the United States.

Central to the city’s photography calendar is PhotoNOLA (photonola. org), a photography festival held every December, coordinated by the New Orleans Photo Alliance in partnership with galleries, museums and photographers citywide. With these perks in mind, PDNedu delves further into what it costs to study, live and work in the Crescent City.

TO STUDY

www.uno.edu The University of New Orleans offers a bachelor of arts with concentrations in photography, digital media, printmaking, sculpture and painting. The photography segment features traditional darkroom training, different printing techniques, alternative processes such as photogravure and tintype as well as color classes.

For non-art majors, there’s also an introduction to photography course, which includes a survey of the history of photography, an introduction to photography and advanced studio practice in photography.

TUITION AND FEES: $7,392 per year (residents); $21,002 for non-residents.

HOUSING: According to the University of Louisiana System, all full-time undergraduate students must live in campus housing unless they are 21 before the first day of school.

Annual housing costs at UNO range from $6,350, for a four-bedroom unit (90 square feet per room), to $9,870 for a one-bedroom unit. Students must also purchase a meal plan, which ranges from $1,354 to $1,692 per semester.

Photo courtesy of Tulane University

UNIVERSITY OF NEW ORLEANS

TUITION: $44,425 per year, but all admitted students receive a financial aid package that consists of a tuition waiver and an assistantship stipend of $15,360 annually.

HOUSING: On-campus rates range from $6,938 for a triple share to $8,578 for a two-person suite.

LOYOLA UNIVERSITY NEW ORLEANS www.loyno.edu Students can complete a BFA at Loyola University New Orleans. They must take at least six advanced elective courses in a combination of disciplines such as digital arts, photography, painting, drawing, sculpture, printmaking and art history. The program is intended to help develop both technical expertise and enhance creative judgment.

TUITION: $35,504 plus university fees of $1,416 (for those in university housing) or $1,356 (off-campus students).

HOUSING: Rates for residence halls range from $3,685 (double occupancy) to $4,793 (single occupancy) per semester.

Photo courtesy of University of New Orleans

www.tulane.edu Tulane University offers bachelor of arts, bachelor of fine arts and master of fine arts degrees in studio art with a concentration in photography.

Undergraduates work in traditional and digital media as well as alternative non-silver processes, informed by the study of fine art photography and related media.

Classes emphasize hands-on experimentation with lensbased media, with attention to issues of visualization, communication and the development of individual artistic practice. Photographic history and theory are also included.

MFA students have access to a large studio space and a private darkroom equipped with a 4x5 enlarger, developing and printing materials and black-and-white chemistry.

Master’s students can also apply for a summer scholarship of up to $5,000 for travel, equipment or research.

Photo courtesy of Tulane University

TULANE UNIVERSITY

PICTURED: (top) Afternoon light streams through the branches of a Live Oak on Tulane’s campus, (middle) a Tulane photo instructor discusses matting prints with his students, (bottom) the exterior of the fine arts gallery at the University of New Orleans.

PDNEDU.COM SPRING 2015

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Photo © Rush Jagoe, <rushjagoe.com>

TO LIVE

HOUSING

Photo © Kathy Anderson, <www.kathyandersonphotography.com>

New Orleans is a neighborhood city, and residents’ identities are very tied to their turf, says Karon Reese, associate broker at Gardner Realtors. Areas that attract creative types are the Bywater, Marigny and Lower Garden Districts. In the latter, mansions are often broken up into condo units.

Two new areas—the New Marigny and New Bywater—are being gentrified and cost significantly less than the districts noted above, adds Reese. “But these areas are still in transition, so it’s hard to talk solid stats yet.”

In these communities, a single-family home of about 1,500 square feet, costs around $375,000 to buy and $2,500 a month to rent. A one-bedroom condo of about 900 square feet costs $225,000 and leases for around $1,200. A 450-squarefoot studio costs $112,500 and rents for about $900 monthly.

THE BOTTOM LINE: TO BUY: $112,500 and up.

TO RENT: $900 per month and up.

TRANSPORTATION New Orleans is compact and only takes about 15 minutes to traverse, says Loc Pham, a photographer and the creative director of Cathedral Creative Studios.

It’s also very bikeable, yet Pham walks a lot, too, and spends about $150 a month on gas for his SUV. There are city-wide buses and streetcars in certain parts, costing $1.25 a ride, but most photographers drive because “public transport is not very consistent,” says Pham. Editorial/ corporate shooter Craig Mulcahy agrees: “It’s not reliable at all, even taxis.”

Instead, he and his wife share a car and spend about $90 on gas monthly.

Editorial/lifestyle photographer Rush Jagoe uses rental cars when covered by clients but also spends about $200 a month on diesel for his Jetta SportWagen.

Commercial and wedding shooter Kathy Anderson spends about $100 on gas for her car, while Sethasek Boonchai, a still life, architecture and collections photographer, spends about $160 on fuel for his microvan.

Wedding, travel and portrait shooter Marc Pagani spends about $40 a month on gas but doesn’t drive much, he says.

THE BOTTOM LINE: $120 a month.

FOOD New Orleans has a variety of great restaurants. “There’s a good range of 68

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PICTURED: (top) Rush Jagoe’s tabletop food shot for the Besh Restaurant Groups features a Whole fish taco, (bottom) Kathy Anderson captured four young women in festive attire at a Mardi Gras ball.

foods,” says Pagani. “The West Bank is known for Asian, especially Vietnamese, and we have great Southern food, Cajun and Creole. Mexican and Italian have just started coming, including higher-end Mexican places.” Costs run the gamut— from $10 or so at a food truck to $150 or more at a high-end place.

Anderson eats out with her husband and two kids or on date nights, spending $200 to $300 monthly; Pagani spends closer to $1,200 dining out with friends or dates; while Mulcahy and his wife spend about $280 a month, with most meals costing $20 or so.

Options for groceries are plentiful, too, from Whole Foods to farmers’ markets. Anderson spends $750 to $900 a month for her family of four, buying mostly fresh produce and seafood. Boonchai’s and Jagoe’s costs are similar—around $700 a month— for

their families, while Pagani, Pham and Mulcahy spend closer to $400, $300 and $350, respectively, on groceries.

THE BOTTOM LINE: GROCERIES: $500 per month.

EATING OUT: $300 per month.

UTILITIES There are few months in the New Orleans calendar when residents need neither heat nor air conditioning.

Boonchai pays about $200 a month, and Pagani pays up to $250 for gas and electric, while Anderson’s costs are closer to $350. “Gas for heat is more expensive than the electricity for AC, so it costs more to heat my house in the winter than to cool it in the summer,” Pagani says. Landline/cable/internet costs run $225 per month for the Anderson family, $230 for Boonchai and just under $200 for Pagani.

STUDIO New Orleans has fewer studio spaces since Hurricane Katrina, says Boonchai.

He rents an 800-square-foot studio with three friends, for $150 each monthly.

For rentals, Cathedral Creative Studios is the only commercial studio downtown, in the warehouse district. The main studio, about 35 by 40 feet, can be divided into two or three bays, and rental rates start at $400 for three hours. “We try to help out smaller shooters, so it’s best they call for a quote,” says Pham.

In Central City, NOLA Spaces has four multipurpose studios, ranging from 700to 1,700-square feet and costing $30 to $50 an hour.

EQUIPMENT Equipment shopping in NOLA is generally geared to amateurs, so pros often buy online from vendors such as B&H. According to B&H marketing rep Gabriel Biderman, their bestselling camera is the Nikon D750, costing $2,300. Most shooters buy two lenses, he says. An AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8 ED costs $1,900, and an AF-S NIKKOR 70200mm f2.8G ED VR II runs $2,400.

As for lighting, Nikon’s SB-910 flash costs $546. Soft boxes run about $150 (for the Rapid Box from Westcott) or $119 to $149 for the Quikbox from Impact.

“But the hot lighting tool right now is Profoto’s B1 500,” which costs $1,995 says Biderman.

THE BOTTOM LINE:

$4,000 for camera body, lens and lighting.

MARKETING Anderson spends about $200 monthly on marketing, including association memberships, Web hosting, business cards and print material. Pagani spends about $575 a month, which is less than in the past. He now markets a lot through Facebook and Google, representing $450 of his monthly spend, with the balance going to Web hosting and professional association costs.

Mulcahy’s primary marketing is through his subscription to Agency Access, which runs $1,300 annually. Jagoe currently pays about $8,000 a year, which is low for him. This goes toward upgrading his portfolio, advertising in Le Book and traveling to do face-to-face marketing—by far his biggest cost.

THE BOTTOM LINE:

$1,300 to $8,000 annually

Photo © Loc Pham, <cathedralnola.com>

TO WORK

PICTURED: A shoot in progress at Cathedral Creative Studios on Julia Street. “We often consider individual circumstances when pricing,” says Pham about rental costs. “Is the photographer local and just starting out or is it a major corporate shoot?”

INSURANCE Insurance is costly, especially in NOLA. Anderson pays $1,600 a year for camera and liability insurance through Hill & Usher; Pham uses them, too, and pays closer to $2,000; while Boonchai and Mulcahy each spend $500 a year on camera insurance. Pagani pays $1,500 for his gear plus an additional $1,000 for business insurance. Jagoe pays only $500 for personal liability, since his gear is covered through his rep for jobs.

Health insurance for the Anderson family (four people) and the Boonchais (five people) costs $14,400 a year, while Jagoe’s family of three pays $9,600. Pagani pays $5,400 for himself. Mulcahy’s health insurance is attached to his wife’s work, and they pay an additional $3,600 per year to include him.

Auto insurance is $1,050 a year for Pagani and $1,300 for the Boonchais.

Jagoe pays $3,940 for two cars, while the Andersons pay $5,000 annually. “New Orleans has among the most expensive auto rates in the country,” Anderson says. “Combine that with insuring two teenage drivers, and you get an astronomically high number.”

Home insurance remains high nine years after Katrina. Anderson pays $4,700 annually, and Pagani pays just less at $4,500, while Jagoe pays $4,000.

Mulcahy’s homeowners policy runs $3,000. “Insurance companies have a nasty grip on people here,” he says.

THE BOTTOM LINE: HEALTH INSURANCE: $8,250 a year.

EQUIPMENT INSURANCE: $1,220 a year.

HOME INSURANCE: $4,050 a year.

CAR INSURANCE: $2,800 a year.

FAMILY Child care is an added cost for photographers with families. Boonchai pays $600 a month for each of his twins.

The average rate is between $500 and $800,

depending on location, day-care type and age, he says. The service Kidutopia charges between $10 an hour to $250 for a 40-hour week. Rayne Methodist Church’s Early Childhood program runs from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and costs $800 a month for infants and $760 for older kids. According to Jagoe, private school costs in NOLA are astronomical, yet his daughter attends a good charter school, which is free, in the city.

THE BOTTOM LINE: CHILD CARE: $10 hourly, $250 weekly,

$500 to $800 monthly. EDU

NEW ORLEANS DEMOGRAPHICS Total population: 378,715 Median age (years): 35 Age distribution: Under 5 years – 6.4% 5 to 17 years – 21.3% 18 to 64 years – 61.4% 65 years and over – 10.9% Per capita income: $26,500 Median household income: $34,146 Median family income: $46,512 Owner-occupied housing: 47.3% Renter-occupied housing: 52.7% Median monthly housing costs, with a mortgage: $1,585 Median monthly housing costs, without a mortgage: $467 Leading g occupations: Management, g business, science and arts occupations p (40.2%); service occupations p (23.1%); sales and office occupations (20.6%); natural resources, construction and maintenance occupations (7.5%); production, transportation p p and material moving occupations (8.6%) Mean travel time to work: 23 minutes SOURCE: U.S. Census Bureau, 2019 – 2013 American Community Survey – 5-year estimates PDNEDU.COM SPRING 2015

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PRODUCT NEWS

PHOTOGRAPHY GEAR TO TAKE YOUR CREATIVITY TO NEW HEIGHTS [ By Greg Scoblete ]

NIKON D750 What do Formula One race cars and Nikon’s D750 have in common? If you answered “speed,” you’d be half right. They also share a design approach, dubbed “monocoque,” that creates a tough-butlight, high-performance body capable of handling just about whatever nature throws at it.

Situated between the D610 and D810 in Nikon’s full-frame DSLR lineup, the D750 sports a new 24.3-megapixel CMOS sensor, Wi-Fi capability and a 3.2-inch variable-angle LCD. Low-light shooters will find plenty to like in this camera, with a native ISO range of 100 to 12,800 that can be extended as high as 51,200 or to a low of 50. It uses the D810’s EXPEED 4 processing engine as well as its 91,000-pixel 3D Color Matrix III metering sensor. There’s also a highlight-weighted metering option for shooting spotlit details function

against black backgrounds, ideal for shooting

gives shooters the ability

onstage performers. A first for any Nikon DSLR,

to seamlessly and steplessly

the D750 can also lock focus on subjects in as little

open and close the aperture

as -3 EV illumination.

while recording, another goodie derived

The autofocus system features 51 points, including 15 cross-type sensors, 11 of which are compatible with

from the D810. There’s also a flat picture control

teleconverter lenses shooting at f/8 or faster. The D750’s

setting, which lets you record a scene with maximum dynamic

Advanced Multi-Cam 3500-FX II AF system can track objects

range for post-process color grading.

in continuous shooting mode at the camera’s maximum burst

Video is recorded to the D750’s two SD card slots and

speed of 6.5fps in either RAW or JPEG. It features a maximum

can also be simultaneously output to external recorders and

shutter speed of 1/4000.

monitors via HDMI. On the audio front, there’s a built-in stereo

When it comes to video, the D750 delivers an identical suite

mic, an external mic input and a headphone jack for

of features as the higher-end D810. It offers 1920 by 1080

audio monitoring.

HD video recording with a choice of 60, 30 or 24 fps and full

PRICE: $2,999.95 (body)

manual control over exposure settings. The Power Aperture

70

PDNEDU.COM SPRING 2015

www.nikonusa.com

NIKON D5500 If toting around a full-frame DSLR gets a bit cumbersome, grab the D5500, which uses the same monocoque design approach as the D750 to bring this DX-format camera down to truly diminutive (for a DSLR) dimensions. The camera sports a 24.2-megapixel APS-C-sized sensor with no optical lowpass filter, to soak up as much resolution as possible from the sensor. Its native ISO range of 100 to 25,600 makes it a solid low-light performer, while continuous shooting of up to 5fps in RAW + JPEG and a 39-point autofocus help you keep pace with moving subjects. When you’re ready to slow things down, you can take unlimited JPEG images when shooting at shutter speeds of between four and 30 seconds—perfect for startrail photography. While it doesn’t carry the D750’s price tag, the D5500 borrows heavily from its video features, including full HD/60 fps recording, a flat-picture control setting, stereo microphone and audio inputs. You’ll find a 3.2-inch variableangle touch-screen display, built-in Wi-Fi and a battery that’s

PRICE: $899 (body) www.nikonusa.com

CIPA-rated for up to 800 shots.

AF-S DX NIKKOR 55-200MM F/4-5.6G ED VR II If you’re in the market for a versatile telephoto lens that won’t break the bank—or your back— check out Nikon’s AF-S DX NIKKOR 55-200mm f/45.6G ED VR II. This lens is for use on the company’s DX-format cameras (those with APS-C-sized sensors such percent smaller and much lighter than its predecessor. You’ll

MOAB JUNIPER BARYTA RAG 305

enjoy a full four stops of image stabilization thanks to the lens’

Want that darkroom print feel without the dizzying

vibration reduction technology, while an ED lens element helps

vapors and a lungful of chemicals? Of course you do.

keep optical distortions like chromatic aberration at bay. The

Moab’s Juniper Baryta Rag 305 is a high-end, 100

lens’ seven-blade aperture gives you that pleasing blurred

percent cotton fiber-based inkjet photo paper that

background when shooting with a shallow depth of field. A silent

uses a baryta (barium sulfate) coating to produce deep

wave motor is also on hand to keep autofocus noise to

blacks on a slightly textured glossy surface. It produces

a minimum.

naturally white highlights while retaining details in the

as the D5500). Its retractable-barrel design makes it 20

shadows. You can buy it in cut sheets of up to 100 per PRICE: $349

pack or in rolls in sizes of up to 44 by 50 feet.

www.nikonusa.com PRICE: Starting at $17 www.moabpaper.com

PDNEDU.COM SPRING 2015 71

PRODUCT NEWS

FOTODIOX FLAPJACKS Fotodiox’s Flapjacks offer an array of LEDs aligned along the outer edge of the light’s frame that direct the output toward a central diffuser for a softer lighting effect. While not advisable as breakfast food, these Flapjacks can be stored in a camera or messenger bag, measuring in at just 0.5 inches at their thinnest. They’re light enough to be mounted anywhere, including on tripods, an accessory shoe or any surface using just Velcro or tape. The lights are dimmable in intervals from between 10 and 100 percent power with a consistent color temperature of 5,600K, and they have an output range of 245 to 300 Lux/M. You’ll have the option to power them via AC or from an NP-F style rechargeable battery (included), so you can use them on or off camera as a set light without tripping over wires. A backlit LCD on the rear of the unit displays remaining battery life and light output levels. There are four flapjack lights in all to choose from: two circular models with 7- and 10-inch diameters and two rectangular lights measuring 8 by 5 and 11 by 4.25 inches. All lights ship in a custom-fitted hard case.

PRICE: Starting at $180 www.fotodioxpro.com

non-destructive edits to images in Mylio, and those changes

MYLIO

will propagate instantly across your entire collection on every device. Given this bird’s-eye view of your photo collection, Mylio

Mylio is a subscription-based mobile and desktop software

can also identify the photos that are unprotected according

application aimed at addressing a signature problem plaguing

to its 3:2 principle (an image is protected when there are

digital photography: images spread across multiple computers,

three copies made in two separate locations). Armed with this

phones, tablets and external hard drives, often disorganized

knowledge, you can quickly cherry-pick the photos that need a

and frequently unprotected. Once your device is loaded with

little extra security.

Mylio, your entire image library is accessible, even if you’re offline. Using the software, Mylio says you can compress a RAW

Price: Plans start at $50/year for 50,000 JPEG photos and

file as large as 100MB down to just a 1MB editable image for

three devices. www.mylio.com

viewing and accessing on mobile devices. Your original RAW files will remain unchanged on your hard drive. You can make

72

PDNEDU.COM SPRING 2015

www.pdncuratorawards.com

deadline: March 26

presents

THE SEARCH FOR OUTSTANDING AND UNDISCOVERED FINE-ART PHOTOGRAPHY

SIX Winning photographers will gain exposure beyond measure through a group fine-art photography exhibition and opening reception in New York City sponsored by PDN.

ONE GRAND-PRIZE

WINNER

Photo © Patricia Voulgaris

will receive: A $3,500 Cash Prize

The six selected artists will also have their work published in a winners’ gallery in the July Issue of PDN, in addition to an extended gallery on PDNonline.

WINNERS WILL RECEIVE:

CATEGORIES

$200 gift card from B&H

Portraits Still Lifes Abstract/Mixed Media Landscapes Urban Scenes Student Work

VIP Expo Pass to PDN PhotoPlus Expo Oct 22–24, 2015 $250 gift card from MoabPaper.com A PHOTO+ Premium Portfolio Membership

Sponsored by:

EPSON SURECOLOR P600 Achieving a truly deep black on the printed page is one of the technological windmills that printer companies continually joust with. Epson appears to have tilted quite successfully with its newest photo printer, the SureColor P600. The printer offers black densities with an L* (standing for lightness) value of two—the lower the value, the deeper the black— thanks to newly formulated UltraChrome HD inks. There are nine individual 26ml ink cartridges in all, with auto-switching available between photo and matte black. A three-level black-

printer has a roll-feed mechanism for panoramic prints as wide as 129 inches. It’s easy to operate by toggling through the menu settings using the 2.7-inch LCD or via Wi-Fi.

ink system uses screening algorithms to determine drop density and ensures a wide tonal range for your monochrome print.

You can make full-bleed prints of up to 13 inches wide, and the

PRICE: $800 www.epson.com

MANFROTTO 055 TRIPOD If you’re lugging heavy glass, the 055 series is for you. The carbon fiber version of this tripod can support up to 19.8 pounds of gear and offers four independent leg angles for striking a creative pose. It’s versatile too. An Easy Link attachment lets you connect lights, light shapers and other accessories to the tripod on an extra arm for a mobile studio-togo. The legs lock in place using Manfrotto’s Quick Power Lock system, which has been updated for this series to offer a 50 percent increase in rigidity. The aluminum version of the 055 offers

SENNHEISER HD6 MIX STUDIO HEADPHONES

the same design

A great pair of headphones is vital for monitoring the audio

its carbon fiber

of your DSLR video productions (and, yes, also for tuning out

cousin, with a

a noisy set, bystanders and the world at large). The HD6 Mix

maximum load

headphones are designed to be used with mixing equipment

of 17.7 pounds.

and include a single-sided coiled cable that can be attached

Both carbon fiber

to either ear cup. There’s a straight cable in the box, too, and

and aluminum

both measure nine feet, so you’ll have some room to roam.

models are sold in

With a total harmonic distortion of less than 0.1 percent, the

three-and-four-leg-

HD6 will let you rest assured that your ears will be soaking

section varieties,

up every audio detail in high fidelity.

so opt for four if

but can carry just a bit less than

you need a bit more height.

Price: $280 www.en-us.sennheiser.com

PRICE: Starting at $240 www.manfrotto.us

74

PDNEDU.COM SPRING 2015

www.photoplusexpo.com

SAVE THE DATE CONFERENCE: OCTOBER 21–24, 2015

EXPO: OCTOBER 22–24, 2015

JAVITS CONVENTION CENTER, NEW YORK CITY

FOLLOW US @photoplusexpo

/PhotoPlusExpo

@photoplusexpo

G-TECHNOLOGY G-RAID STUDIO REVIEW A BLITZKRIEG FOR YOUR BIG FILES With apologies to Ben Franklin, the only

one drive fails. Finally, JBOD mode (derived

won’t need to stand to replace drives, but

sure things in life are death, taxes and the

from “just a bunch of disks”) will treat the

if it’s on your desk and you’re not an NBA

inevitable increase in file sizes. You don’t

G-RAID as either a pair of individual hard

center, you’ll have to get up to view the LED

have to look far to see the mushrooming

drives or a single, continuous drive so you

status indicator lights adjacent to each

megabytes. Nikon’s full-frame heavyweight,

can stretch out your storage capacity.

drive. The illuminated “G” on the drive’s

the D810, generates 77MB RAW files.

And video? With 4K footage increasingly in demand, the strain on your computer’s hard drive is enormous.

Enter G-Technology’s G-RAID Studio, a storage system leveraging the newer, faster Thunderbolt 2 connection and a pair of enterprise-class hard drives to deliver the speed and capacities demanded by filmmakers and professional photographers alike. It’s a drive that’s roomy enough to store your library of files for long-term archiving but fast enough to edit from.

The 12TB Studio promises 360MB/s of sustained read/write data transfer from a pair of Thunderbolt 2 ports that allow for daisy-chaining up to six Thunderbolt devices (sorry, there’s no USB port).

Inside the G-RAID Studio, you’ll find a pair of hot-swappable 7200rpm disk drives with three RAID options. For maximum performance, select RAID 0—in which data is saved across both disks but not redundantly. RAID 1 will mirror the contents of one drive on the other and is useful for archiving your files securely in the event that

TEST DRIVE We put a 12TB G-RAID Studio to the test, throwing the digital version of the kitchen sink at it. It held up wonderfully.

First we transferred a mix of stills and videos in a 33GB folder over a Thunderbolt 1 connection. It took a brisk six minutes and 52 seconds in RAID 1 mode and was only slightly faster (6:24) when we switched to

exterior will turn red if there’s a problem, but more specific warnings are provided only by those LEDs buried under the lid.

In the quiet of our office, the G-Technology would audibly click as we transferred large files on occasion, but otherwise its low whirr faded into the background. In the hum of Patiño’s studio, the drive’s noises were nearly imperceptible.

RAID 0. Editing both RAW and JPEG files in

SOFT-WHERE?

Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop CC proved

There’s not much to be said for the G-RAID’s

effortless—large images loaded instantly

software, a very limited utility that lets you

off the G-RAID and saved with nary a lag.

select RAID configurations. In fact, you’ll

Next we packed up the drive and headed

have to leave the software and use your

over to the studio of photographer, director

Mac’s disk utility to reformat your disks

and frequent co-tester David Patiño

before your RAID selection is complete. It’s

<davidpatino.com> to put it through its

an inconvenience, albeit a minor one.

video-editing paces. We worked on 4K

The G-RAID Studio is available in

Red RAW video files as well as 1080/24p

capacities ranging from 6TB to 12TB,

Cinema DNG and ProRes 422 files from a

with prices ranging from $700 to $1,300.

Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera. Files

Replacement drives range in capacity

were transferred to the G-Drive and then

from 2TB to 6TB, with prices from $250

opened and edited in Adobe Premiere,

to $700. The main Studio units are pricey

Lightroom and Redcine-X Pro on a 2010

compared with some of its competition. For

MacBook Pro. We flipped back and forth

$300 less than the 12TB G-RAID, LaCie’s

between programs and files, and Patiño’s

similarly equipped 12TB 2big drive throws

reaction was succinct: “This is really fast.”

in data backup and encryption software plus

DESIGN: NOT QUITE A BLACK BOX

a USB 3.0 port.

The Studio bears an uncanny resemblance

BOTTOM LINE

to a certain cylindrical black tower from

The G-RAID Studio could use a sturdier

Cupertino. If you love the look of the

lid latch, and we wish there were more

redesigned Mac Pro, you’ll love the look of

functionality in the software utility, but

the G-RAID Studio. (For the record,

overall we came away very impressed. It’s a

we’re ambivalent.)

blazingly fast external drive that will satisfy

Beyond aesthetics, the design of the drive

the needs of filmmakers who are shooting

does have a few practical considerations.

in 4K now or are eying it for the future. Even

You access the hard drives by pressing

if your workload is primarily HD video and

down on a flip-out plastic lid that’s held in

RAW stills, you’ll benefit from the G-RAID

place by an unconvincing latch mechanism.

Studio’s speed and storage capacity.

“I can see this breaking,” Patiño said shortly after popping open the lid.

Unlike G-Technology’s G-DOCK, the G-RAID has a top-loading enclosure. You 76

PDNEDU.COM SPRING 2015

PRICE: Starting at $799 (6TB) www.g-technology.com

PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY CONTEST

CATEGORIES Animal Portraits Babies/Children Personal Work Celebrities (professional only) Commercial/Editorial/Assignment (professional only) ENTRY FEES (SINGLE OR SERIES) Professionals: $45 Amateurs: $25 Members*: $31.50/ $17.50 *30% discount with a PHOTO+ membership

DEADLINE May 27, 2015

PRIZES ONE PROFESSIONAL AND ONE AMATEUR GRAND-PRIZE WINNER WILL RECEIVE:

$2,500 cash (professional) $1,500 cash (amateur) // A one-page profile in PDN // A $500 Adorama gift card FIRST-PLACE WINNERS WILL RECEIVE: // A $100 Adorama gift card // A one-year PHOTO+ Basic Membership Winning images will be featured in PDN’s September issue, which has an additional print circulation to 5,000 photography industry creatives, and in an extended online gallery. All winners will receive the official Faces winners’ seal.

Sponsored By:

© JEFF WACK

WWW.FACESPHOTOCONTEST.COM

PDNEDU ASKS PHOTOGRAPHERS

L

et’s face it—coaxing a stellar look from a timid, insecure or unhappy subject can be a daunting task.

Family dynamics can add even more pressure to the situation at hand. Our eight experts know just the right touch for all types of challenging scenarios, from introverted wallflowers to uncooperative wild-

life to obstreperous tots. Consider adding these suggestions to your bag of tricks to help put your subjects at ease, allowing each individual to see him or herself in a new light.

When working with a shy or reserved subject, I often use a combination of tactics. First and foremost, I try to mirror the energy they’re displaying. If they are quiet and reserved, I respond in kind. That, alone, can often help set them at ease. I’ve definitely learned that one approach does not fit all—in photography or in life. In addition, I switch to a longer lens and step back, to give them more space to feel comfortable. A little distance can go a long way. Lastly, I give the shoot time. It’s hard to rush a shoot where the subjects simply need more time to open up or come around. Even if they never warm up entirely, I often fare much better with a longer, unhurried session. nikon ambassador tamara lackey tamaralackey.com

Listening. Giving a good elevator pitch might open the door initially, but people can tell pretty quickly whether or not you care to listen enough to tell their story. I need to be transparent about why I’m interested in one person’s story or another, otherwise, I risk having my motives coming across as self-fulfilling. That often means that I need to understand this interest myself, which might take some thorough introspection beforehand. If I can’t communicate my feelings about a story or subject internally, then I know there’s more in it for me than there might be for him or her. If I understand my compassion for another human being’s situation, I can’t fake my way through listening to their story—I know that I genuinely want to. chris janjic www.chrisjanjic.com

Working with wildlife presents extremes when it comes to shy and recalcitrant subjects! The first hurdle is the “shyness,” as most wildlife will avoid you whenever possible. More than anything else, getting close enough to produce intimate images requires patience! You must truly study the behaviors of the animals you wish to photograph before going into the field. This will prepare you to better read an animal’s body language and anticipate an action, which will hopefully have you ready to capture a special moment. Once you’ve met the challenge of being in the right position, all you can do is observe and be ready to press that shutter when the time is right! Unlike with people, you cannot position a wild animal and ask it to look one way or another.

However, when action begins, have your camera on continuous shutter mode and use the maximum frames per second to capture every portion of that action. You’ll be surprised what the camera will see that you never did in that split second! There is an old saying in wildlife photography—“If you saw it, you missed it!” Last, but certainly not least, you need a lot of luck! nikon ambassador ron magill www.ronmagill.com I find that humor is often the best way to make someone feel relaxed and comfortable in front of the camera. To get my subjects on board, I like to make time for a nice, relaxing conversation before the shoot, outlining the shoot goals and explaining what to expect.

When the photographer is relaxed and easy-going, this also translates to the subjects. The best shoots are when you can get your subjects to collaborate. This helps to put everyone at ease and makes for the stronger, more spontaneous images I strive to get. steve simon www.stevesimonphoto.com

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PDNEDU.COM SPRING 2015

Headshots: (Lackey) Sarah Coppola, (Janjic) Sarah Kinslow, (Magill) Alexis Magill, (Simon) Tanja Rohweder

[ Compiled by Jill Waterman ]

Headshots: © (Layton) E. Shakti Chen, (Menuez) Claire Yaffa, (Dixon) Benny Migs, (Vitale) Sarah Issacs

Q : PHOTOGRAPHING FAMILY MEMBERS IS NOT ALWAYS FUN AND GAMES. WHAT’S YOUR MOST USEFUL TOOL FOR BUILDING TRUST WHEN PHOTOGRAPHING A SHY OR RECALCITRANT SUBJECT?

Photographing shy or recalcitrant family members can be extremely challenging. The first thing I do when arriving at the shoot location is to put my cameras down and chat with the family members. If I’m at their home, I ask them for a tour. It’s a chance to get to know them a little bit and scout out the light and environment and where I’d like to shoot. I also share with them that I don’t feel comfortable having my photo taken either. I tell them that when I’m taking their photo, I’m not just staring at them through my camera. I explain that I have so many things to worry about: light, making sure their clothes and hair are in place, composition and so on. This always makes them feel a little at ease. After the first couple of shots, I show them a few pictures on the LCD, and this seems to make them relax. They become more relaxed and start to really get into it, feeling more and more confident. I’m fortunate enough to hear quite often that my photos are the favorites that my subjects’ have ever had taken. That to me is a huge compliment. nikon ambassador robin layton www.robinlayton.com

If the shy or recalcitrant subject is a child, sometimes you can gently separate him or her from the group and, without judgment or showing frustration, suggest the child play or wait nearby, then focus attention on the rest of the family. Pretending to shoot the family without the problem kid usually does the trick. Naturally, the child will zoom back into the center.

Obviously, this also depends on the child’s age and whether the parents are open to go along with the ploy. Often the parents start tweaking over the problem kid, which makes it all worse. So getting the parents to chill is key. But generally, patience—a whole lot of patience—has its rewards. doug menuez www.dougmenuez.com

Photography is all about relationships!

I’ve found a few different techniques to be very useful in building trust in the shyest of subjects. My first tip is to try really hard to get to know your subject(s) before the shoot.

I research each portrait client’s Facebook, Google and Instagram pages and so on, to check out what he or she is into, from music tastes to hobbies. This allows me to make conversation when the client shows up to shoot and creates a common ground so you can talk about similarities. The second tip is to always try to have the client’s favorite music playing when he or she arrives, because this instantly puts him or her at ease and creates a mood to make great images.

The third is to always have some sort of food or snacks around during the shoot. People can get very grumpy when they’re hungry—I know I do! And lastly, always give positive feedback during the shoot. Being photographed is one of the most intimidating processes, and your subject is being vulnerable by letting you photograph his or her soul. As a photographer, you have to be respectful of that. Complimenting and giving positive feedback as you shoot is so important. I love to build my subjects’ confidence as I shoot so that by the end of the session, they feel like a rock star! nikon ambassador dixie dixon www.dixiedixon.com If someone is shy or reticent about being photographed, I try to find ways to empathize and engage with them. First I’ll spend time making them feel comfortable. Perhaps it’s by jumping in and helping them with whatever they may be doing, or sometimes I’ll teach them a little photography, give them my camera and show them how to use it. I’ll let them take photos of me so they don’t feel like I’m only observing them. They become the observer too. Taking the attention away from them helps and makes it more fun. nikon ambassador ami vitale www.amivitale.com

PDNEDU.COM SPRING 2015 79

OUT OF THE PAST

[ 1895-1965 ]

DOROTHEA LANGE SEEN AND UNSEEN

DOROTHEA LANGE almost didn’t

make her most iconic photograph, Migrant Mother. She drove past the camp where Florence Owens Thompson and other families of pea pickers had settled, until finally giving in to the nagging voice in her head and turning back to the camp.

Listening to her instincts would prove to be a common thread in Lange’s life. Embarking from her birthplace of Hoboken, New Jersey, for a cross-country road trip with a childhood friend, Lange landed in the San Francisco Bay area. There she began a successful studio photography business at the age of 24.

Yet by the time the stock market crashed, Lange had discovered that her real passion lay not in photographing her wealthy studio patrons but rather in shining light on the poor and unseen strangers in the streets of San Francisco. This development in her work led to her employment as a photographer for the Resettlement Administration (later called the Farm Security Administration).

Lange’s task was to document what couldn’t be described in words. She photographed migrant workers, sharecroppers, displaced farmers and families and how the economy had affected their lives. She gave faces to the otherwise forgotten; she created images of what was and also of what was not and might never be again. She photographed a covered wagon that was not a home, a stovepipe that was not a hearth, a mother who no longer had the domesticity with which to surround her family.

Because Lange’s images were widely distributed via newspapers across the country, they quickly became icons.

Migrant Mother eventually came to represent the entirety of the Great Depression and was appropriated so many times that, of it, Lange said, “It doesn’t belong to me anymore; it belongs to the world.”

In 1934, Lange was recruited to work with agricultural economist Paul Schuster Taylor. They each soon divorced a first spouse to marry, embarking on a living and working partnership that continued until Lange’s death in 1965.

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Photo © Dorothea Lange, 1936

Photo © Paul S. Taylor, 1936

[ By Alexandra Manikas ]

PDNEDU.COM SPRING 2015

ABOVE: Lange’s renowned 1936 photograph Migrant Mother became an emblem of the hardships endured during the Great Depression and it was also featured in the Museum of Modern Art’s landmark exhibition The Family of Man in 1955.

Together they produced An American Exodus, a chronicle of their work for the FSA—Lange’s photographs and quotes from interviews with her subjects are accompanied by Taylor’s reports on the people and places they visited.

Lange and Taylor’s collaboration is a legacy that continues to this day, through the annual Dorothea LangePaul Taylor Prize from the Center for Documentary Studies at Duke University.

In 2014, the biographical film Dorothea Lange: Grab a Hunk of Lightning premiered on PBS as part of its series American Masters. Directed and narrated by Lange’s granddaughter Dyanna Taylor, the film combines family memories and journals with never-before-seen photos and film footage, as well as newly discovered interviews (for more, see our film review on page tk). A companion monograph of the same name was published in 2013 by Chronicle Books. EDU

STEP BEHIND THE SCENES Watch Grab a Hunk of Lightning in PDNedu’s digital edition at <digitalmag.pdnedu.com> or view it online at http://to.pbs.org/1uo42ot.

Photo © 1937, 2014 Rondal Partridge Archives

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