hollywood portraits photographers auction

June 16, 2010

well it seems we, you and i, missed an education here but we can still take a look at the catalog of images here.

Auction of the World’s Largest Collection of Original Vintage Glamour Photography

Jean Harlow

JEAN HARLOW

CALABASAS, CA.- George Hurrell’s iconic portrait of Jean Harlow on a white bearskin rug created for Vanity Fair magazine now spearheads the largest auction of Glamour Photography in art history. The original camera negative, as well as a custom print of this incomparable photograph is regarded as Hurrell’s most important portrait and is estimated to sell for well over $20,000. The multi-million dollar Michael H. Epstein and Scott E. Schwimer collection, which contains tens of thousands of the best examples of Hollywood fine art, will be auctioned by Profiles in History March 26-27, 2010. Worldwide bidding begins at 12:00pm (noon) PST both days.

i’ve always loved hollywood portraits and have a few books of them myself. this auction of George Hurrell works and his life always amazes me. how i’d love to be able to produce work like this. to think these images were printed way before photoshop was born.

there were postproduction skills such as photographic printers, guys and gals, though maybe it was an all boys club, who only did printing. the softness of the faces, another lost art of filters, maybe a good lecture to visit next photo expo. but what ever the effect just makes my knees weak.

for more info on this collection see here.

thanks to art knowledgenews.com

new female nudes

June 5, 2010

just fooling around the other day with a new aspiring female model that another photographer had booked for this shoot  inviting me along to share expenses . dave and i have worked together in the past on projects but i had never worked in his studio before. i have a way of taking over a shoot if it’s just left to my devices and dave has no problem letting me do whatever it is that i do.

female headshot

having fun

i try and shoot using one light while dave uses 3 or 4 lights, hey we are all different and there is no one right way of working. but i think for these shots i need to have a backlight for separation. but because of the low ceiling height and the size of dave’s strobes hanging one would not work, so i a though this morning about making a 45 degree reflector for my white lightnings. it should be simple enough, ding! where have i heard that noise before? was i when i bought the xr7 which still isn’t on the road yet?

female nude

pattern

this is where i get bored just popping off photos , how many naked women remain interesting to just look at. i am sure it’s different for everybody but i have a woman at home that i am particular about. so here i used a cloth with large weave to project this pattern.

female nude

standing naked

so as i kept tripping over her boots i asked her to put them on, at least i’d know where they were. then adding a chair always looking for interesting patterns.

boots 1

nude female

boots 2

then i got bored again as dave continued to shoot and dug around for a new location in the studio picked this one as a homage to helmut newton at least i like to think so.

female nude

nude leaning

while this image is far from perfect, way too much spill on the background, i had nothing to control the spill with, oh well lets shoot and see what happens. time is money. i guess when i find another interesting model i’ll revisit this location.

so i really don’t have much time to update my web site nor do i want to because i am not really fond of it. i post my new stuff here.

jene

B&H Insights: a new blog with some useful information

June 5, 2010

B&H Insights Blog

In a perfect world you don’t need a filter. Your lens, even the most basic of kit lenses, comes pre-coated to minimize flare and color aberration. And when not in use, every lens comes with a lens cap that protects the front element of your lens and never ever unknowingly falls off your camera as you stroll down the boulevard. But we don’t live in a perfect world so forget about all of the above. (And by the way, I think you just lost your lens cap)

Unlike film cameras, which are limited to an ever-dwindling choice of Daylight, Tungsten, or B&W film stocks, most all digital cameras can be programmed to a number of (usually) accurate preset color parameters. Custom white balance is a simple, menu-driven chore for most digicams, and there’s no shortage of affordable, easy-to-use white-balancing devices.

And while I’m a big proponent of getting things right the first time, in-camera, it’s still reassuring to know you can tweak your efforts days, weeks, months, or years after the fact in Photoshop, especially if you shoot RAW or better yet, RAW+JPEG. As for color and other ‘creative’ filters, many of these filters can be easily mimicked electronically using any number of digital filter kits we carry at B&H. So the question of the day is, in a digital world, who needs glass filters?The simple answer is … you, me, and everybody else running around with a camera. And the reason we need filters is because most unfiltered images fall short of what they can and should be in terms of clarity, contrast, saturation, and overall detail. But before we get into the details, let’s cover a few of the basics.

more>>

Opportunities RFP for Chashama Windows program at Donnell Library

June 5, 2010
Exhibit Across from the MOMA
chashama–giving artists the space to create
(New York NY)
Since 1995, chashama has championed the movement to repurpose vacant properties in New York City; recycling them into temporary artist studios and gallery spaces, while simultaneously invigorating the surrounding community landscape with an influx of culture, creativity and business.
chashama invites you to submit a proposal to our Windows at the Donnell Library program, for the 2010-2011 season. The Donnell Library is located at 20 West 53rd St. across the street from iconic Museum of Modern Art. We are interested in proposals large enough to fit all seven windows or as small as one windowpane.
Deadline: Rolling.
We will consider applications in the order in which they are received. However we only have 8 openings available.

Required Application Materials:
*Completed application form (pages *4 through 7 of this document).
*1-2 page project proposal.
*1 page (or less) technical requirements.
*Resume/short bios of key participants.

*Work sample ‘slide list’ or list of cue points with descriptions that provide context for the images.

*Work sample (images of previous work, may be on CD)  note: paper CD/DVD sleeves are preferred to cases.
To apply, visit http://www.chashama.org/downloads/donnell_rfp.pdf and follow the instructions.
Mail Materials to:
chashama
ATTN: Donnell Windows
201 East 42nd Street, 32nd Floor
New York, NY  10017

Website: www.chashama.org

memories of Vermont trip and a birthday party

May 30, 2010

so this memorial day as we prepare for another trip to vermont and i ordered more prints from adoroma i thought i’d share some of them with you my readers. memorial weekend is alway busy around here as it’s also marys birthday and we had a very nice party with family and friends. the weather cooperated and gave us nice overcast day. lots of laughs and a few childhood stories. the kids and i drew a birthday card on the driveway which pleased mary,

driveway birthday card

driveway birthday card

birthday girl

mary

with a smile like that you can see why i keep coming around it’s electric, and  toast to many more years of happiness

toast to life

toast to life

but here are the vermont pictures.

lake champlain ferry

lake champlain ferry

we arrived in burlington mid-afternoon found the gallery then our motel so by the time we got the lay of the town looking for a place to have dinner it got a bit late in the day. over the years burlington has undergone renovation of the lake front from commercial factories to a wonderful human park and walkways.

lake champlain sunset

lake champlain sunset

a very nice cap to a long days drive. we ate in a crepe house over looking this scene. but i am not one to just find these picture perfect moments and be satisfied but i did find this image of this sunset shadows reflections on one of the boats tied along the pier.

sunset shadows

shadows

next day we traveled down to middlebury to look for dead relatives and we found this tree along the road. quite impressive.

storm tree

tree

so this is the inspiration that keeps me thinking i might be able to share some of my awesome experiences with you on this beautiful planet.

jene

Civill Rights exhibit at International Center of Photography

May 25, 2010

NEW YORK, NY.- A new exhibition at the International Center of Photography, IPC,  offers an innovative view of the Civil Rights Movement and the catalytic social role played by changing portrayals of African Americans in the 1950s and ‘60s. Through a rich juxtaposition of visual images—including photographs, television and film clips, magazines, newspapers, books, pamphlets and posters—the exhibition shows how strategic interventions in these mediums of visual culture helped to transform prevailing attitudes toward race in America. The exhibition, organized by guest curator Maurice Berger, is titled For All the World to See: Visual Culture and the Struggle for Civil Rights, and will be on view through September 12, 2010.

http://www.artknowledgenews.com/

jene

Call for Artists – Governors Island Art Fair (Governors Island, Manhattan)

May 23, 2010

The 3rd Annual Governors Island Art Fair is accepting submissions for its annual exhibition in September. The Governors Island Art Fair is dedicated to promoting independent artists. Governors island is only 800 yards (a 5 minute free ferry ride) from Lower Manhattan, and even closer to Brooklyn. It is, perhaps, the very last great expanse of undeveloped space for public use in New York City.

The call for submissions is open to all artists, 2D, 3D, Video, Performance and Installation. Artists must install all artworks themselves or make arrangements for installation. Art handlers are available. Fee $20 for up to 5 jpegs. Deadline June, 30, 2010. For submissions and guidelines please go to www.4heads.org

CITROËN LAUNCHES PRESTIGIOUS DS3 DESIGN COMPETITION

May 21, 2010

CITROËN LAUNCHES PRESTIGIOUS DS3 DESIGN COMPETITION

Calling all designers! Ever wanted to get your work in front of senior figures from GQ or Louis Vuitton?

Citroën has launched a high profile international design competition, inviting creative visionaries to customize the roof and dashboard of DS3. In addition to a cash prize, the winning project will be presented at Citroën’s international showcase on the Champs Elysees, the C_42, in October 2010 to mark the start of the Paris Motor Show. As an ultimate reward, the design will also be put into production, available in 2011 as part of a special DS3 collection.

Designs can be submitted up until the competition’s closing date of July 4th 2010. The entries will be judged by a prestigious panel of experts from the worlds of design, art and media including senior representatives from GQ, the Cartier Foundation and Louis Vuitton. From budding designers to the experienced, the competition is open to anyone wanting to offer their own unique interpretation of DS3’s roof and dashboard.

A series of video ‘briefs’ will be available on the competition’s website – www.citroencreativeawards.com – inviting entrants to bring surprising and refreshing design proposals. ‘Daring’ and ‘professionalism’ are the watchwords of a jury that wants to be astonished by the creativity of candidates.

New York Photo 2010 Festival, impressions

May 21, 2010

once again i volunteered for the new york photo festival which allows me free access to the exhibits, well free if you don’t count my time doing not much but standing around looking or checking peoples day passes.

every year it’s different but held in the same dumbo area of brooklyn just different spaces. i’ve always liked the photographers presentations in st. ann’s theater but i didn’t see many of them this year and the couple i did see i wasn’t that impressed with. but hey that’s me i am from new york and a tough audience.

there is a nice article in pdn about apeture foundation’s two part seminar on strategies for emerging photographers here. another article in pdn is a quick preview of the festival.

as curator erik kessel wrote in his galley at smack mellon catalog ‘what is photography?’ as his selections were artist not using photography in the conventional way but using it as a tool to create something totally different than one would think.

a lager portion of the festival was european influenced. one can see some interviews with curators and artist here but i am quite disappointed that not all the winners work is displayed on new york photo festival web site. see winners & honorable mentions for names but no links to work. the question arises in my mind is this a photographic festival or what?

last year everyone who entered images to the festival had their 15 seconds of fame via a slide show in powerhouse book store but the only projected images were from the leica camera photo contest. while last years slide show wasn’t perfect, not even a sign announcing what these images were at least they were photographs.

daniel power does have selections of interim awards videos with comments as does frank evers interm #2 and doug rickard  shows interm #3. i thought it strange that most of the power winners examples had the subject centered, what happened to the ‘thirds rule’? am i being too academic here? i know rules are to be broken but this ‘center subject’ seemed a consistent in powers picks. oh well

there is a nice interview & video of Marc Granger who received a lifetime achievement award.

the link to coverage nyph 10 in 3D directed by martin lenclos showing interviews to exhibitors and visitors got me dizzy watching it. seems they need to have movement just because they could with the cameras view point constantly changing with mouse movement, oh 3D i forgot maybe i am too old but where is the photography? isn’t this a photography festival?

but on to the photography award ceremony that was delayed an 1 1/2 hour for technical difficulties. wonder how many audience members they lost? when they finally decided to go ahead with the presentations they went on without pictures of winning images. i would suggest the festival hire someone with more expertise next time or hey what about a tech rehearsal before hand like they do in other shows.

with all  the technical savvy people here in new york wouldn’t you think someone would have planned this better? why do something half baked? is that better than doing nothing?

winning pictures still aren’t up on the web site.what i found really strange were the winners at least in the student category had to buy tickets to the awards ceremony. ten buck is ten bucks ,especially for students. the question arise did marc have to buy a ticket?

the coolest thing at the festival was leica gave out the M9 cameras to use for the day ands ran a daily photo contest. great marketing  idea, who hasn’t always wanted to carry around a leica. woohoo. great feel to the camera, it really feels like a camera. but for me to see the focus rectangle in the view finder i’d need a cornia replacement. i’ll stick with my canon better or worst.

brooklyn bridge

graffiti

someone not too interested, guess who

no contest winner for me as the theme was nature. but to cap off the day mary and i walked across the crowded brooklyn  bridge to manhattan which we’ve never done before.

but i did meet some interesting people and the hope is to expand who i know and what work i see because it’s all good.

just my opinion

jene

Caravaggio’s bones

May 21, 2010

ROME (AP).- Italian researchers said Friday that they may be close to identifying the remains of Caravaggio, the great Italian painter whose death 400 years ago is shrouded in mystery. The researchers have dug up and studied bones found in a Tuscan town where Caravaggio died in 1610. According to results of carbon dating and other analyses released Friday, one set of bones is compatible with Caravaggio’s remains. The bones belonged to a man who died in the same period as the artist at an age between 37 and 45. Michelangelo Merisi — known as Caravaggio after his hometown — died at 39.

Team leader Silvano Vinceti said the bones also have high levels of lead and other metals associated with painting.

“We are closing in,” Vinceti said in an interview with Associated Press Television News. “Have we or have we not found the great Caravaggio?”

The results, while promising, are not conclusive.

That’s why the group is conducting DNA testing, with results expected in about two weeks. The DNA extracted from the bones will be compared with samples from possible male kin in Caravaggio, in northern Italy.

Even though Caravaggio had no known children, Vinceti said the group has studied the town’s death registry and found some 20 possible male relatives.

Caravaggio died in Porto Ercole, a beach town on the Tuscan coast. His death after a dissolute life of street brawls, affairs with prostitutes and even murder, remains an enigma. To this day, his remains are officially missing.

The researchers say he was buried in the town’s San Sebastiano cemetery. His bones were dug up when the graveyard was moved in the 1950s to make space for a public park. According to the researchers, the remains were at that point moved to another cemetery nearby.

The cause of Caravaggio’s death has also not been established. Possibilities raised by scholars range from malaria to syphilis to murder at the hands of one of the many enemies Caravaggio made during his tumultuous existence. Vinceti’s team includes historians, anthropologists and other scientists. His project has drawn interest as Italy marks the anniversary of Caravaggio’s death, but also some skepticism because so much time has passed.

Copyright 2010 The Associated Press.  / By: Alessandra Rizzo, Associated Press Writer

Art Knowledge news

http://www.artknowledgenews.com/2010-17-05-21-23-28-italian-researchers-say-they-may-have-found-caravaggio-bones.html