Gallery photographer Sanjay Suchak reviews the new Sony a9 III for concerts as Dave Matthews Band’s Photographer

Via PetaPixel

Gallery photographer Sanjay Suchak reviews the new Sony a9 III for concerts as Dave Matthews Band’s Photographer

Like most photographers, I’ve never reviewed a piece of gear before. Also like most photographers, I tend to voraciously read reviews each time I consider upgrading. Many of these reviews parse through micro-level analysis of pixel detail, noise levels, and test charts but to me fail to answer the simple question: “will this help me get the shot?”  click for full article

Sanjay Suchak is an independent commercial and editorial photographer based in Virginia and Los Angeles. He serves as the photographer for the Dave Matthews Band and regularly works with a roster of national bands as well as music festivals around the country. 

When not on the road, he works with commercial and higher education clients to help tell their stories. He is also currently serving as a Fellow in Democracy at the Karsh Institute of Democracy at the University of Virginia, where he is working on a long term documentary project and helping to educate students on photojournalism and the importance of media and the free press. He’s mostly interested though in finding the best place in each city to get tacos.

This Spring, AIPAD’s Photography Show Returns in Full Force

 Via Surface Magazine

Dec. 1, 2023

It goes without saying that one of the pandemic’s effects has been a lingering disruption of the art world: over the past few years, galleries, artists, and even the industry’s flagship fairs have grappled with the challenges posed by the black swan event of the century. But slowly, the industry is righting itself, and for some, the quest is no longer just to make it through another year—or day—but to recommit to serving artists and collectors in impactful, future-facing ways. The Association for International Photography and Art Dealers’ (AIPAD) Photography Show is one such organization, led by executive director Lydia Melamed Johnson, cautiously emerged from the pandemic years with its 2022 edition.

Before returning to the ornate, Gothic Revival halls of its previous home at the Park Avenue Armory, the fair staged more intimate editions at Midtown’s Center 415. “We ensured the demand and supply was still present,” she told Surface of the decision to let the fair find its footing before returning uptown. “Following a fantastic edition in 2023, we knew the organization was ready to once again grow and inhabit such a distinct space.” From April 25-28, 2024, the fair will stage its first edition back in the Armory’s halls.

In the following interview, Melamed Johnson tells Surface about key themes shaping photography today, including championing women behind the lens, and the Black experience in America. She also shares how the Park Avenue Armory will impact the experiences of collectors and exhibiting galleries, and how fellow leaders at ADAA, the Winter Show, and Paris Photo have shaped the Photography Show’s renewed vision.

Tell us about the significance of the return of the show to the Park Avenue Armory. What drove the decision to return?

In Herzog & de Meuron’s book about the ongoing restoration project at the Park Avenue Armory, a quote by Jaques Herzog spoke to why this building has such an enduring legacy and why we are excited to juxtapose cutting-edge, contemporary photography within this Gothic Revival venue. “The foremost families of New York society celebrated themselves there. In the period rooms, you walk into sacred territory. The rooms are the creations of the best designers that were to be had in those days.”

AIPAD’s board of directors and I feel that it is in this space, with its renovations by some of the best designers of our age, like Herzog, that we can truly exhibit the power of photography through the ages and place our chosen art form alongside great design and scale.

How does the Armory better serve fair-goers and exhibitors?

Its location in the heart of New York City with close proximity to some of the world’s most important art institutions makes the Armory an ideal location for an art fair that celebrates the full and encyclopedic arc of photography. The scale is also great, as it’s not an overwhelming, unending space but an intimate, grand building that allows the viewer time to see everything inside without being swallowed by outsized rooms.

The Photography Show seems to see itself as being on the cusp of a new era. Tell us about some key exhibitors who encapsulate that.

AIPAD could not embark on a new era without the tremendous support and encouragement from our member galleries, many of which have been with us for decades. A great example is Edwynn Houk Gallery, who will be showing a self-portrait by Ilse Bing. Female portraiture and the evolution of women’s presence—both behind and in front of the camera—has been a big theme in photography recently, and we’re excited to have Houk further exploring this relationship in classic photography.

A direct correlation with our new management is the Associate Membership program that launched at the beginning of 2023. Next year’s edition will showcase four of our Associate Members, including The Hulett Collection of Tulsa and Assembly of Houston. We always welcome a few, select non-member galleries to the main sector, and are looking forward to seeing new presentations by galleries like RocioSantaCruz of Spain and Ellephant of Canada.

Tell me about some of the prevailing themes of this year’s fair, and the works, photographers, and exhibiting galleries that embody them.

The big themes in photography now are the female perspectives behind the camera and the interaction with both technology and the viewer. This is exemplified by the Domestic Demise and Anonymous Women series by Patty Carroll, the recent winner of the BBA Photography Prize. The series will be on view at Catherine Couturier’s booth, where the artist’s subjects melt into domestic spaces with an absurdity that calls out what’s expected of the feminine.

The Black experience in America continues to be a major arc in current scholarship and collecting. This will be exemplified with a presentation in Arnika Dawkins’ booth of works by Oye Diran, Ervin A. Johnson, Delphine Fawundu, Barbara DuMetz,, and Builder Levy that highlight Black beauty and its stark and moving evolution.

Socioeconomic and activist causes have also come to the fore. Marshall Gallery of Santa Monica, a first time AIPAD exhibitor, will feature Alex Turner’s Blind River series, looking at the U.S./Mexico border in Arizona and dissecting how contested spaces can influence the surrounding environment. This will be showcased alongside Cody Cobb, who utilizes artificial lighting and cutting-edge textured UV printing to create 3D topographic works of other-worldly and nocturnal landscapes.

It’s a really exciting time to see women leaders in photography, and, more broadly, art fairs right now. Were there any fellow leaders from across the industry whose feedback and advice has shaped your renewed vision for the Photography Show?

Absolutely! I’m privileged to have worked with and been able to turn to many industry-leading women for collaboration and advice, each of whom is a constant inspiration and motivation to continue improving our flagship fair and this organization. From Florence Bourgeois of Paris Photo to Maureen Bray at ADAA, who has been kind enough to share her counsel on sustainability at the venue and within her organization, and Helen Allen from The Winter Show, who has been a mentor and was instrumental in our move back. Within AIPAD itself, much of the propulsion for the evolution of the organization and the fair have been our deep well of female founders and gallerists, such as Yancey Richardson, Caroline Wall of Robert Mann, Arnika Dawkins, Andra Russek, Augusta Edwards, and Marina Pellegrini of Galeria Vasari

The Photography Show’s 2024 Exhibitors include:

°CLAIRbyKahn | Zurich, CH

19th Century Rare Book & Photograph Shop | New York, NY

Arnika Dawkins Gallery | Atlanta, GA

Assembly | Houston, TX

Augusta Edwards Fine Art | London, UK

Baudoin Lebon | Paris, FR

BILDHALLE | Zurich, CH | Amsterdam, NL

Bruce Silverstein Gallery | New York, NY

Candela Gallery | Richmond, VA

Catherine Couturier Gallery | Houston, TX

Cavalier Gallery | New York, NY | Greenwich, CT | Nantucket, MA | Palm Beach, FL 12. Charles Isaacs Photographs, Inc. | New York, NY

CLAMP | New York, NY

Contemporary Works/Vintage Works | Chalfont, PA

Daniel / Oliver Gallery | Brooklyn, NY

Danziger Gallery | New York, NY

Deborah Bell Photographs | New York, NY

Edwynn Houk Gallery | New York, NY

ELLEPHANT | Montreal, CAN

Etherton Gallery | Tucson, AZ

Fisheye Gallery | Paris, FR | Arles, FR

Foto Relevance | Houston, TX

Galerie Clémentine de la Féronnière | Paris, FR

Galerie Esther Woerdehoff | Paris, FR

Galerie Johannes Faber | Vienna, AT

Galerie Olivier Waltman | Paris, FR

Galerie SIT DOWN | Paris, FR

Galerie XII | Santa Monica, CA

Gallery 270 | Bergen, NJ

Gitterman Gallery | New York, NY

Grob Gallery | Geneva, CH

HackelBury Fine Art | London, UK

Hans P. Kraus, Jr. Inc. | New York, NY

Higher Pictures | Brooklyn, NY

Holden Luntz Gallery | Palm Beach, FL

Howard Greenberg Gallery | New York, NY

IBASHO | Antwerp, BE

Ilaria Quadrani Fine Arts | New York, NY

Ippodo Gallery | New York, NY

Jackson Fine Art | Atlanta, GA

jdc Fine Art | San Diego, CA42. Joseph Bellows Gallery | Santa Monica, CA

Keith de Lellis Gallery | New York, NY

La Galerie de l’Instant | Paris, FR

Laurence Miller Gallery | New York, NY

Les Douches la Galerie | Paris, FR

Magnum Photos Gallery | Paris, FR | London, UK

Marshall Gallery | Los Angeles, CA

Michael Hoppen Gallery | London, UK

Michael Shapiro Photographs | Westport, CT

MIYAKO YOSHINAGA | New York, NY

MOMENTUM | Miami, FL

Monroe Gallery of Photography | Santa Fe, NM

Nailya Alexander Gallery | New York, NY

Obscura Gallery | Santa Fe, NM

PACI contemporary | Brescia, IT

Paul M. Hertzmann, Inc. | San Francisco, CA

Peter Fetterman Gallery | Los Angeles, CA

Photo Discovery | Paris, FR

RocíoSantaCruz | Barcelona, ES

Robert Klein Gallery | Boston, MA

Robert Koch Gallery | San Francisco, CA

Robert Mann Gallery | New York, NY

Scheinbaum & Russek LTD | Santa Fe, NM

Scott Nichols Gallery | Sonoma, CA

Staley-Wise Gallery | New York, NY

Stephen Bulger Gallery | Toronto, CA

Stephen Daiter Gallery | Chicago, IL

The Hulett Collection | Tulsa, OK

The Third Gallery Aya | Osaka, JPN

Throckmorton Fine Art | New York, NY

Todd Webb Archive | Portland, ME

Toluca Fine Art | Paris, FR

Vasari | Buenos Aires, ARG

Von Lintel Gallery | Santa Monica, CA

Weinstein Hammons Gallery | Minneapolis, MN

Yancey Richardson Gallery | New York, NY

Monroe Gallery of Photography at the 2023 AIPAD Photography Show

Resilience: Stories of Women Inspiring Change Photo Exhibition & 16 Days of Activism at UWI

 Via Express Vibes

November 24, 2023

Title: Finding Freedom in the Water

© Anna Boyiazis

Kijini Primary School students learn to float, swim and perform rescues on Tuesday, October 25, 2016 in the Indian Ocean off of Mnyuni, Zanzibar.

The captivating ‘Resilience – Stories of Women Inspiring Change’ exhibition, presented by The World Press Photo Foundation and the Kingdom of the Netherlands is currently on display at The University of the West Indies (The UWI) St. Augustine Campus.

Echoing a global call for gender equality and justice, the exhibition unveils the successes and struggles of women, girls, and communities worldwide. Amidst persistent inequalities and the widespread prevalence of violence against women, these narratives captured by 17 photographers from 13 nations shed light on sexism, gender-based violence, reproductive rights, and the pursuit of equal opportunities. Each curated story signifies the evolving landscape of gender issues in the 21st century, underlining the deep impact of photojournalism.

Lecturer and Head of the Institute for Gender and Development Studies at The UWI, Dr. Sue Ann Barratt shared her thoughts on the significance of the exhibition, “Images carry multiple complex messages in a moment. It catches our eyes, minds, and hearts as we pass by. These images of RESILIENCE tell multiple stories about women’s lived experiences. And goes beyond the limit of time, space and place. These images, curated by the World Press Association and brought to us through the collaborative efforts of the IGDS, The Alma Jordan Library and our external partner, The Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, bring to our attention how women live their lives as resilient, moving resilience from the realm of the abstract to the real of the real in context.”

Aligned with the festival, the ‘Resilience’ exhibition stands as an essential part of the 16 Days of Activism, intertwining with IGDS’ IGNITE ChalkBack UWI event. This event marks the culmination of the semester’s Cat Calls of UWI Project, illuminating street harassment and gender-based violence. Further, a panel discussion – Narratives of Resilience: Women Speak their Truth will also be hosted on Friday 24 November.

To register please visit https://uwi.zoom.us/…/tJIqceGoqT8iHdbTAQHoT8nLhKGY68Z-G9VM

Amidst these events, the Alma Jordan Library will proudly exhibit 36 posters and 5 stories highlighting resilient women across diverse industries throughout the Research Festival.

This collective effort signifies a steadfast commitment to global gender equality, justice, and human rights, in solidarity with the 16 Days of Activism from November 20 to December 10, culminating on Human Rights Day.

Photojournalist Ed Kashi Discusses "City of the Dead" in Cairo

 Via Sada Elbalad English

November 22, 2023

Ed Kashi

Prominent American photojournalist Ed Kashi celebrated the 30th anniversary of his "City of the Dead" project in Cairo. He opened an exhibition in Cairo to celebrate the project, in addition to having a talk about the visual storyteller's journey.

During a round table with Egyptian journalists hosted by the US Embassy in Photobia, Kashi discussed various topics related to his "City of the Dead" project, upcoming projects, especially those linked to current sociopolitical challenges, and the current trends of journalism. (click for full article).

"Great photographs do not need words but this is photojournalism. The whole, structure, the point of it is to uses images and words to communicate, especially when it comes to journalism. In the time moment we're living in; it is so critically important that I contextualize my work so that when you look at this picture as best as I've humanly been able to do you can rely on the facts. You know that this is where it happened this is what's going on the name of that person is correct their age is correct all of the things you know the circumstances around their situation are presented in an accurate way because I still believe in facts can I say it in another order." -- Ed Kashi

Ed Kashi's photographs are included in the current exhibition This Fragile Earth.

New Exhibition: This Fragile Earth Opens Friday, Nov. 24

 

Our Fragile Earth simmered into worrisome new territory this year. Two new companion exhibits feature a wide range of photographs documenting the grandeur of nature and majestic landscapes alongside images illustrating devastation caused by environmental neglect and the effects of a changing climate across our Fragile Earth. Just as photographs illustrating the transformative experiences of nature have been instrumental in promoting the cause of environmental conservation, photographs from recent climate events can raise awareness about global warming, channeling it into hope and into collective action. This exhibit informs in the hope the images motivate awareness and change. 

Opening Reception: Friday, November 24, 2023 from 5-7 pm. Several photographers will be in attendance.



Special Companion Virtual Exhibition Stephen Wilkes: This Fragile Earth Day To Night

Over the last decade, Stephen Wilkes has observed endangered species and habitats around the world, using a photographic technique that captures the passage of time, from day to night, all within a single image.

Zoom talk with Stephen Wilkes, Thursday, November 30 4:30 PM MST. Contact the Gallery for Zoom registration. View Stephen Wilkes This Fragile Earth here.

New Project "The Missiles On Our Land" investigates the human and environmental risks of a new Air Force Nuclear Missile program

 

Nina Berman: 

"This is a project I’ve been working on the last year with colleagues at Princeton and Columbia about the US nuclear arsenal and our plans to spend nearly 2$ trillion building more weapons. It will be published as a package (video, podcast, print pieces) on Scientific American and on our website missilesonourland.org on Nov 14. Like most things that concern the US military, there has been almost no public engagement around these policies and so I hope you find it informative."

View the full project here

$700,000 Settlement With LAist Reporter Includes Re-Training Of LA Sheriff’s Deputies On Press Rights

 Via LAist

November 8, 2023

The L.A. County Board of Supervisors Tuesday approved a $700,000 settlement with LAist correspondent Josie Huang, who was arrested and injured by sheriff’s deputies while covering a 2020 protest in Lynwood. The settlement includes a requirement that the L.A. County Sheriff's Department re-train deputies on the rights of journalists.

In a legal claim against the county, Huang alleged deputies detained her without legal justification and used unjustified force because she was gathering news in a public place, according to the settlement.

Huang’s arrest drew widespread criticism from elected leaders and journalism organizations at the time. Deputies had claimed she interfered with their arrest of a protester. The district attorney’s office refused to file charges and a judge later found her factually innocent.

“This settlement upholds the rights of journalists and helps ensure that what happened to me won’t happen to other reporters,” Huang said in a statement. “My arrest was traumatic, but I hope that some good can still come of this experience.”  

Click to full article

"Huang, an award-winning journalist, was leaving a news conference by then-Sheriff Alex Villanueva when she started using her phone to film a group of deputies arresting a protester. A deputy ordered her to back away.

“Without giving her time to comply, deputies aggressively tackled Huang to the ground, causing her injury,” according to a statement from the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press. Huang suffered multiple injuries, including scrapes and bruises to her knees, ankle and face, as well as emotional distress.

In a draft complaint, her lawyers wrote that “the force used was wildly out of proportion to that needed to effectuate the arrest of Ms. Huang, who, at 5’5 and 122 lbs., was far smaller than the multiple deputies who tackled her, posed no physical threat, and had not committed any crime.”

Huang’s phone fell to the ground. Two deputies stepped on it. The phone survived and was recovered by a fellow journalist. It documented much of what happened.

“Law enforcement tried to destroy evidence rather than preserve it,” said Michael Dore of Gibson, Dunn and Crutcher. “And then the former sheriff made false claims about Ms. Huang’s reporting work that the evidence refuted.”

"We are deeply concerned by this violation of the First Amendment rights of these journalists"

 Via Associated Press: Newspaper publisher and reporter arrested and accused of revealing grand jury information

"In over 40 years of handling media law matters, Bailey said he had “never seen a reporter arrested for publishing truthful information about the existence of a grand jury subpoena.”

Committe To Protect Journalists: Alabama publisher, reporter arrested, charged with disclosing leaked information

“CPJ is outraged by the arrest of Atmore News publisher Sherry Digmon and reporter Don Fletcher and calls on local authorities to immediately drop all charges against them. They should not be prosecuted for simply doing their jobs and covering a matter of local interest, such as the allocation of school board funds,” said Katherine Jacobsen, CPJ’s U.S. and Canada program coordinator. “Journalists play a crucial role in their local communities. Arresting them creates a chilling effect and is a gross misuse of taxpayer funds.”

National Press Club: Press Club leaders condemn arrests of Alabama newspaper reporter and publisher

"Arresting journalists in response to the publication of a news article is contrary to democratic values. It should not happen anywhere in the world, and is especially concerning in the United States, where we have strong and well-established legal protections guaranteeing the freedom of the press."

Join Curator Niki Stewart on Nov. 9 for an in-depth look at the Tony Vaccaro photography exhibition American Icons: Wright & O’Keeffe

 

Via Taliesin West

American Icons: Wright & O’Keeffe

Taliesin West is the winter home and desert laboratory of Frank Lloyd Wright. The site in Scottsdale, Arizona, welcomes visitors year round through tours and programs for all ages. Since 2021, Taliesin West has offered changing exhibitions to explore during tours. From October 20, 2023 – June 3, 2024, American Icons: Wright & O’Keeffe is on display, featuring  photographs by Michael A. “Tony” Vaccaro.

In this course, exhibition curator Niki Stewart will take you on an in-depth journey into the similarities between Frank Lloyd Wright and Georgia O’Keeffe. Both legendary figures, they are typically seen in isolation. Through this exhibition, we compare and contrast the photographs, homes, and lives of these influential figures.

In these photographs — many of which have never been seen before — we see an intimate view of Wright and O’Keeffe in their homes and studios. Taken at Wright’s Wisconsin home, Taliesin, and O’Keeffe’s homes in New Mexico, Vaccaro casts an intimate lens on these well-known figures. By viewing the pictures in pairs, we begin to see all the ways Wright and O’Keeffe were similar, beyond the photographs themselves.

Thursday, November 9, 2023

10-11 am MST

Register here.

The exhibition is organized and presented at Taliesin West by the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation. All photographs courtesy of the Tony Vaccaro Studio and Monroe Gallery of Photography.

About the Curator Niki Stewart:

Educator, Artist, and Museum Leader

Niki Stewart is passionate advocate for arts and education.  She serves as the Vice President and Chief Learning & Engagement Officer at The Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation. Based at Taliesin West, Wright’s winter home and desert laboratory, she oversees all public engagement programs, tours, and exhibitions at this UNESCO World Heritage site.  Her museum experience also includes leadership roles at the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University (Philadelphia, PA), Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art (Bentonville, AR), and the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art (Sarasota, FL).  Niki has also worked as an Art Educator in the public schools, as program administrator of Art Bridges, and with the Walt Disney Company. She’s a founding faculty member of the National Art Education Association’s School for Art Leaders, and a graduate of the Getty Museum Leadership Institute. She holds a BFA in Illustration from Ringling College of Art and Design in Sarasota, FL.

The Prix Bayeux Calvados-Normandie celebrates its 30th edition, honoring the contributions of photojournalists across the globe.

 Via Blind Magazine

October 27, 2023

This year holds special significance as it anticipates the 80th anniversary of the Normandy landings—witnessed by war correspondents who risked their lives to document it. (click for full article)

"The late Tony Vaccaro (1922 - 2022), one of the earliest photographers to be featured at the Baueux exhbitions, spoke with brutal honesty about his experience: "We felt like we were going someplace to die and never return. People have no idea what war is like, so I risked my life to capture the horror of it" 

Tony Vaccaro: Normandy, June, 1944