David Butow's Photograph From Ukraine Leads NY Time Editorial Board Ukrainian Refugee Opinion Column

Via The New York Times

April 1, 2022

 

David Butow

"The mass flight of refugees from Ukraine has created a humanitarian crisis that dwarfs anything Europe has seen since World War II. More than four million people have poured into neighboring countries, and as long as Russia’s savage war continues, millions more will flee. Already, the flow of refugees from Ukraine is far greater than the number from Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq who fled to Europe in 2015, upending European politics. (more)

David Butow: From Ukraine

 Via Design Arts Daily

March 31, 2022

"March 15, 2022. Two of the millions of refugees fleeing the war in Ukraine, this woman and her son leave for Poland and a completely unpredictable future. Lviv is one of the funnel points for people trying to get out of the country. I just finished several days photographing these refugees, tracing their steps to the border and beyond.

The escape from Ukraine has become increasingly desperate. More than 2.6 million people have fled the country as Russian troops move closer to major metro areas, shelling civilian infrastructure at random and forcing people to find last-minute transportation to take them to safety.

Train stations are constantly crowded. Aid groups are meeting civilians with food, water and donated clothes. Polish families are taking in Ukrainian refugees, offering up their homes as temporary shelters. The U.S. so far has donated over $100M to help Ukrainians by providing safe drinking water, sanitation and hygiene supplies as well as surgical kit"s. --David Butow

Photographer David Butow, a longtime subscriber and contributor to DART, arrived in Ukraine the second week of March to cover the effects of war on ordinary people who were caught in the indiscriminate shelling of cities like Lviv and Chernevo. He covered the growing humanitarian crisis amid the escalating attacks, with people seeking shelter in makeshift camps in Poland, Moldova and Romania. David departed earlier this week through Poland; following are some of his photos and reportage for @politico (click for full article)

Joe McNally's Photograph of Joe Biden Commuting Featured for AMTRAK's 50th Anniversary

 

Joe McNally's photograph of Joe Biden commuting on Amtrak in 1988 was featured on the POTUS Twitter feed today.

ERIC SMITH'S PHOTOGRAPHS OF DETROIT'S HAUNTING DEPOT IN PRESERVATION MAGAZINE

Detroit's Haunting Depot


No one knows whether the historic Michigan Central Station has reached the end of the line

By James H. Schwartz

© Preservation magazine
July/August 2010
 
How can a building so glorious face such an uncertain future?


That question drew photographer Eric Smith to Detroit's Michigan Central Station, a 1913 Beaux-Arts landmark that closed in 1988 and now stands in a state of ruin. "A few years ago, I heard that artists were finding ways to secretly get into the station—a treacherous proposition, but one I couldn't resist," he says. "And the experience, once I got inside, was incredible. That main waiting room is enormous and, despite its current condition, still wonderful. I photographed the destruction caused by water and neglect—and vandals—and tried to capture the sheer drama of the interior."

Smith employs a photographic technique called High Dynamic Range Imaging, or HDRI. "By shooting a series of exposures that are later processed with a computer program, I can reveal all the color, shadows, highlights, and depth that standard photography misses."

In the months since Smith captured these striking images, the graffiti-filled station has been secured and fenced to prevent trespassing. Phil Frame, director of communications for CenTra Inc., a diversified holding company that owns the station, says, "The site is dangerous, and we don't want anyone hurt. We're trying to keep it structurally very sound, and would prefer to save it if we can."

Proposals under consideration include adapting space for law enforcement or judicial offices, Frame says. "We also think it would make a great site for the Michigan State Police Crime Lab. We're studying feasibility, but no project has been lined up at this time."

Designed by Warren & Wetmore and Reed & Stem (the firms responsible for Grand Central Terminal in New York City), the depot complex includes an 18-story office tower and a three-story station.The cavernous 54-foot-high waiting room was inspired by the Roman baths of Caracalla.

"If it wasn't so beautiful it might have disappeared long ago," Frame says. "But it survived. It's absolutely unforgettable."

Photographs courtesy the Detroit Historical Society and Eric Smith. see more of Smith's photographs here.