Shoot The Blog

And Then It Was Over: Shoot! Takes its Final Bow.

2008-09-11T17:01:33Z

Ok, so this picture is a metaphor of-sorts. You see, those are beautiful balloons. And we had a wonderful New Year's. But eventually the balloons floated to the floor. And then the cats ate them.

And it's with this bit of knowledge that I sadly depart as stewardess of Shoot! The Blog. You know what? We had a great flight. I bothered you six hundred and sixty four times with photography missives. Because photography is awesome, and photographers are too.

And because I have loved this journey SO much, I've spent all morning setting up a new blog, that I will write in very much the guise of STB. So come on over! Ignore the ugly design-- we're just getting going.

I don't know what to call it yet, but there are sure to be peanuts. Please drop me a line here with all your newses and pictures. I look forward to it.

All my love to you, my readers.

Your humble stewardess,

Rachel

Fiona Aboud: Sikhs in America

2008-09-10T20:17:44Z

I had a lovely lunch today with the always effervescent Fiona Aboud, who has just put together a book chronicling the lives of Sikhs in America, after two years of shooting. The book is up for the "peoples' choice" vote in the Blurb "Photography Book Now" contest; go take a look, and make a choice!

In any case, the work is truly excellent and interesting. Just on the very off-chance you aren't an expert on Sikhism, here is a primer, culled from our friend Wikipedia:

"Sikh is the title and name given to an adherent of Sikhism. The term has its origin in the Sanskrit 'disciple', 'learner' or 'instruction'. Many male Sikhs can easily be recognized by their turbans, beards, or steel bracelets on their right wrists. Steel bracelets are also worn by Sikh women.

The evolution of Sikhs began with the emergence of Guru Nanak as a religious leader and a social reformer during the fifteenth century in Punjab. Their identity was formalized and wielded into uniform practice by Guru Gobind Singhon March 30, 1699. The Sikhs established a nation under Ranjit Singh in the nineteenth century in which they were preeminent. They were known for their military prowess, administrative capabilities, economic productivity and their adaptability to modern western technology and administration.

The Sikhs comprise about two percent of India's billion-person population. The greater Punjab region is the historic homeland of Sikhism, although significant communities exist around the world.

Sikhs are required not to renounce the world, and to aspire to live a modest life. Seva (service) is an integral part of Sikh worship, very easily observed in the Gurdwara. Visitors of any religious or socio-economic background are welcomed, where Langar (food for all) is always served."

Ok, now you know.

Words and pictures below are Aboud's.

I began my photographic exploration of Sikhs in America as a personal education and exploration. Through out my life I have always strived to understand things that I feel are misunderstood by myself and society at large. After 9/11 when Balbir Singh Sodhi was gunned down in Mesa, Arizona on Sept. 15, 2001-- the nation's first post-9/11 victim of a hate crime -- the press did profiles on Sikhs and Sikhism explaining that they were not Muslim and giving people a sound byte of knowledge. Years later I still had the question: what is a Sikh American? What was their American experience like?

I have traveled across the country to Georgia, Kentucky, Tennessee, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Virginia, Texas, New Mexico, and I have trips planned over the next 6 months to Arizona, California and Montana, to further document this community.

In the face of continued discrimination and hate crimes that largely go unreported by the media, many Sikhs remain strong and steadfast to their beliefs and traditions. The next generation is split between those that have assimilated and those that continue the Sikh traditions, in many ways mirroring the struggle of all immigrant groups that strive to balance tradition with the pressure to assimilate. The youth are redefining what it means to be Sikh in America because America is the place where they feel at home.

Most any Sikh person will undoubtedly know a Sikh in every corner of the US. The Sikh community has a unity that is unlike any other religion in the US. Despite the relatively small size of the community, Sikhs are always going to events in other states and meeting and keeping in touch with Sikhs in other States. In part that is what made this project easier to produce. Once I had met a handful of people in the NY and NJ area it opened me up to the North American community of Sikhs. Another thing that helped me complete my project was the hospitality that I was proffered. Coming from a Jewish background, I would joke that every Sikh person is like my Jewish grandmother-- always offering me food and making sure that I was fed.

I do not pretend to be an expert about Sikhism and its many rich traditions and texts. I am a beginner, an admirer and an observer. Sikhs are living as Americans in America. They share a common religion, but are as diverse in their ways of observance, practice, professional choices, lifestyle and place of origin. They proudly hold onto their Sikh religion and traditions, but believe they are strongly American even if the outside world does not see it.

See more of Fiona's work here, see the blog for the book project here, and vote for the book, here.

Shoot! The Day Winners Announced

2008-09-10T19:56:57Z

Remember when you were young and you'd stare off into the distance, hoping against hope for a future of excellent stock photography?

Me too.

Well, your dreams have been answered, thanks to Shoot! The Day's amazing winners. Our July event was a great success, and now you can relax and just concentrate on being the best ballerina (or drunken swimmer) that you can be.

Here's the list of winners, by category (our cowboy above was a winner, the other images are truly excellent runners-up):

Business:

1st: Chris Carroll
2nd: Patrick King
3rd: Stephanie Keith
Honorable Mention: Karen Evans

Youth Culture:

1st: John Fedele
2nd: Grant Harder
3rd: Shannon Faulk
Honorable Mention: Stephan Malik

Family:

1st: (Grand Prize winner) Kinzie Riehm
2nd: Gary Gardiner
3rd: Amanda Recker
Honorable Mention: Don Smith

Still Life:

1st: Eskay Lim
2nd: Mr. Beagle
3rd: Jose Luis Stephens
Honorable Mention: Bernard Jaubert

Seniors:

1st: Norman Pogson
2nd: Leah Fasten
3rd: Charles Williamson

See all the imagery, here. And be sure to check out Mr. Beagle. He shot a mouse.

Photobooth Phantasm? Call Photobooth.net

2008-09-10T16:24:45Z

Boy do I like a photobooth. More than most things. And I've been thinking about making a photobooth post for some time now, with a map of where you can find them, but it seemed so out of reach-- I mean, where would one get such info?

Well, today this photobooth phantasm turned out to be no mere apparition, my friends. A little google searchitude, and I found photobooth.net.

This site has locators for booth across the world, as well as info, image samples, galleries, discussions, projects, blogs.... it's AMAZING.

Anyway, go there to get all the good stuff, but I did do a little work my own self, and made a google map of NYC photobooths. So I'm not a total waste of space*. Get your 3 bucks and GO!

View Larger Map

*If you live in another city, do not despair. Find your nearest photobooth here.

In Case You Haven't Seen it: Digital Esquire

2008-09-10T15:19:14Z

Look folks-- it moves!

From Design42day:

"Celebrating its 75th anniversary, american men's magazine Esquire comes with a very special cover. A limited number of copies (100,000 of the total 720,000 print run) will feature an experimental cover that was built using electronic ink. The price, although undisclosed, is prohibitive, and Ford has been brought in as a 'sponsor': A moving car ad appears on the inside cover. Esquire even had to design a battery (a 'six-figure investment') that was small enough to fit into a magazine and keep things running until the mags are sold. The batteries will last for 90 days."

I hate to hate in the face of jaw-dropping technology, but I wish they'd chosen a more interesting graphic. Something with a pretty lady, maybe.

Like you know, Blade Runner:

Oh Los Angeles, 2019. I can hardly wait for you.

Good thing you shall actually be a reality.

Eric A. Hegg Photographs the Gold Rush

2008-09-10T13:30:30Z

Eric A. Hegg

A bit more gold, and then we'll move on. These images are from the amazing archive of Eric Hegg photographs at the University of Washington which document the Klondike and Alaska gold rushes from 1897 - 1901. Images include depictions of frontier life in Dawson City, the Yukon Territory, and Skagway and Nome, Alaska.

Some more info...

In the fall of 1897, after hearing of the gold strikes in the Yukon Territories, Hegg joined the thousands of gold seekers heading north. Accompanied by a group of men from Bellingham Bay , he traveled by steamboat up the Inside Passage through British Columbia to his destination in Alaska. Finding his passage further north closed due to the freezeup on the Yukon River, he settled temporarily in Dyea, Alaska which was the jumping off point for the Chilkoot Trail to Dawson. Here he opened a small photography studio. Later, during the winter of 1897-1898, he established a second, more substantial, studio in Skagway.

The photographer Per Edward (Ed) Larss who had arrived in Skagway in March of 1898, was employed by Hegg to assist in documenting the huge migration to the Yukon known as "the Stampede". For a short time, he and Larss made frequent trips to the Chilkoot Pass following the footsteps of the thousands of Klondikers who wound their way up the Dyea River to the Golden Staircase and over over into British Columbia. They also documented scenes along the White Pass Trail. Along the trails they recorded the sail driven sleds, temporary tent towns, piles of snow covered food caches and the many hardships endured by the Klondikers as they neared their goal.

Bar at the grand opening of the Opera House, Dawson, Yukon Territory, July 4, 1899.

Captain Jack Crawford and group of people at social event, Dawson, Yukon Territory, ca. 1899.

Four men using rocker to mine for gold on Nome beach, Alaska, ca. 1900.

Aftermath of a fire in Dawson, Yukon Territory, October 14, 1898.

Captain Jack Crawford and group of people at social event, Dawson, Yukon Territory, ca. 1899.

Exhausted Klondiker resting on the trail, probably Alaska, 1898.

Gold nugget from Pioneer Mining Co.'s claim on Anvil Creek near Nome, Sepember 29, 1901.

See the full archive here. And steer clear of Captain Jack!

The PhotoShelter Collection: A Gilded Edit

2008-09-09T18:17:22Z

Ooh, I'm panning for gold all over the place today, and I figured I'd try my own backyard. Here are some golden moments from the PSC.

The very strangest is after the jump.

All that Glitters: The Asahi Pentax LX Gold

2008-09-09T16:29:39Z

Another golden goose chase, this one in the form of a Pentax. Here's the timeline, as gleaned from some online sources:

1981: Pentax had sold its ten-millionth LX SLR camera. To celebrate this fete, they created a limited "LX Gold" edition which was 18 carat gold plated and wrapped in brown leather lizard skin. It came in a wooden box with red lining and silk gloves for handling. Only 300 pieces were made with 200 going to Japan and 100 for the international market. But not all were sold, as some were given away for photo contests and other PR stunts making it a super rare find.

UNTIL

2006: The LX Gold reappears! This time it's recreated as the the "world's first" completely dust-proof and water-proof SLR case design, and marks Pentax's 60th anniversary. Box again included. Gloves too.

Reader scavenger hunt:

Can anyone find one of these for sale?

Hiroji Kubota and the Golden Rock

2008-09-09T15:56:12Z

Hiroji Kubota, Golden Rock, Kyaikto, Myanmar, 1992

I think we need some magic in here today, and I think Hiroji Kubota's Golden Rock is just the thing. I found this image on photo-eye, and searched and searched to find out its story. And here it is, couched in a New York Times review from 1997 of the Magnum photographer's show:

"Born in 1939 in Tokyo, Mr. Kubota saw his share of death and suffering while growing up in a war-ravaged country. He has said that he is a photographer, not a photojournalist, and that he leaves the coverage of war and mayhem, corruption and repression to others. ''Out of the East,'' therefore, is a vision of Pacific Rim Asia that is both timeless, with its images of gorgeous landscapes and the pervasive influence of Buddhism, and ever-changing, showing the influence of Western architecture and popular culture and Western-style economic development.

The show's most arresting image is not of stunning economic change but of a huge rock, revered by Buddhists and covered in gold leaf, that perches on the edge of a high mountain in Myanmar. Mr. Kubota shows the sheer magic and power of the rock by cropping off its top. This golden precarious wonder sits dead center against a deep blue sky, its imposing size contrasted with six (small by comparison) crimson-robed priests kneeling to one side of it and the low dark hills below."

Everyone needs a golden idol to worship. Me, I have a pig.

Come to think of it, I also worship a very special gold sponge.

You know what's next: send in your golden idols, folks!

Mr. Pitt in Photos: Low Brow, High Brow

2008-09-09T13:51:19Z

1. Low Brow: Money Celebrities!

2. High(er) Brow: Daryl Lang of PDN interviews Brent Stirton, of People Magazine cover shoot fame, at Perpignan:

Also, Stirton shot some amazing imagery in the Congo for Newsweek, but you know, this is about Brad.

Thirty Years Later, Ten Years Ago: Mark Tucker for Newsweek

2008-09-08T18:45:11Z

Eric Etheridge's Breach of Peace post got a lot of deserving praise last week, and I received many related emails. One was from Mark Tucker, who told me about an assignment he was given for Newsweek ten years ago, to mark the 30th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination.

Tucker worked with picture editor Debbie Edelstein at the magazine, and traveled around the country to photograph the men who had been closest with King at the time of his death. He was given tremendous freedom in how to create the images:

"Debbie was the ultimate picture editor for this project -- she just said, 'Go do what you do'. Who could not love that? We traveled across the country, finding these men in their current occupations, and I think we shot the whole project on 665 Polaroid, and cleared the negatives at night in the hotel room. Looking back now, it seems pretty crazy to have done the whole project on 665 neg, but it felt right at the time. I can't remember now whether David Halberstam's book, The Children, had come out yet when we did this assignment, but it gives further intimate details about the climate of that period."

Here are the results:

Jesse Jackson, Chicago

Representative John Lewis, on the Edmund Pettus bridge, Selma, Alabama

Ambassador Andrew Young, Atlanta

Hosea Williams (now deceased), Atlanta

Dexter King, Atlanta

Dr. Joseph Lowery, Atlanta

Julian Bond, Charlottesville

Marion Barry, Washington DC

C.T. Vivian, Atlanta

Walter Fauntroy, Washington DC

Lexus' Wee Planets and Microlamp's Creature of the Abyss

2008-09-08T16:46:43Z

Ooh, an eventful trip to Ads of the World this morning; looks like Lexus picked up on a little photographic trend, and Microlamp found a Creature in the Abyss. Not to be smug, guys, but we found these first: 1. wee planets; 2: into the deep.

I AM glad that advertising is using interesting imagery. Gone are the days of apoplectic dudes holding up oak board signage on car lots, promising re-financing beyond your wildest dreams.

right?

LEXUS
Advertising Agency: Saatchi & Saatchi, Sydney, Australia
Creative Director: Steve Back
Art Director: Myles Allpress
Retoucher: Innes Robins / Electric Art
Photographer: Alan McFetridge
Copywriter: Todd Sheldrick

photo by Alexandre Duret-Lutz

MICROLAMP
Advertising Agency: Damman Pearce, Atlanta, USA
Creative Director: Bobby Pearce
Art Director: Dave Damman
Designer: Charlie North
Copywriter: William Bloomfield

photo by Claire Nuvian

Jane Hammond: Can You Draw This?

2008-09-08T16:06:58Z

Jane Hammond
Can You Draw This?, 2008
Selenium-toned silver gelatin print
11 x 14 inches

I love, LOVE this image. See more from Hammond's recent show, here.

Kevin Cooley Shoots the Night

2008-09-08T14:49:49Z

As you may recall, there were a proliferation of openings last Thursday, and it was quite a challenge to A. nudge yourself into the galleries and B. actually see the work. I managed to do this somewhat successfully, though, and when I awoke the next day, two artists were still lodged in my head: Jane Hammond from Gallerie Lelong, and Kevin Cooley from Massimo Audiello.

Cooley reminds me of a morph of Todd Hido and Sarah Pickering.... beautiful nightscapes with perfectly placed interventions. I ran into Ofer Wolberger at Cooley's show, and he was delighted with the press release for the show, entitled At Light's Edge. I thought it was rather nice, too. So here are some of Cooley's images, paired with the text.

Badlands 2, Lyman, Wyoming

Return to Nature has always been a distress signal of mankind, signifying the need to take care of ourselves and to get back to basics. Be it the classical or neoclassical Arcadia, Jean Jacques Rousseau's return to our primitive being, William Wordsworth or Samuel Coleridge's search for solitude, or Caspar David Friedrich's discovery of landscape as the representation of God, Nature has always been our mother and one of our ultimate refuges.

Wind River Canyon, Thermopolis, Wyoming

Kevin Cooley's new photographs plunge directly into this Romantic tradition of landscape, and he enriches it with contemporary concerns.

Grand Tetons, Driggs, ID

Nature is the muse, and man is the explorer. Breathtaking night views of American landscapes are illuminated by eerie distress signals, possibly messages coming from above or vice-versa. Light shooting through the sky highlights an endangered beauty and at the same time represents a divine or extraterrestrial phenomenon.

Taking photographs, for Cooley, is a lonely job, infused with silence and meditation. This contemplative mood, along with a sense of wonder and fear, permeates the entire new body of work.

Horno Fire, Camp Pendleton, California

Planes Landing LAX runway 24L

Takeoffs JFK Runway 13R

Landing Pattern LGA

Planes Landing MSP

See Cooley's site, here. There are even daytime pictures.

A Florio, A Kuceris, a Barhamand... and 95 More!

2008-09-05T18:55:12Z

joel barhamand

This weekend, I would like to lie down in a bed of flowers.

julie kuceris

No, a bed of toys.

jason florio

No, some clouds.

Check out the collection of 98 curated Photoshelter prints available for a limited time, here.

And have pleasant weekend dreams among the toy Rexes.