Comments (0)

By Webmaster, May 11, 2011 12:55 pm

Calling Young Photographers!

To celebrate fresh new talent in photography, in the coming weeks, I am starting up my very own online photo magazine to showcase the work of some of the industry’s rising stars.

The magazine is still very much in development (I still have yet to choose a name!), but I plan on showcasing the work of photographers dedicated to producing art, fashion and beauty stills.

By “young photographer”, you can be of any age, but must be just starting out — from no previous experience to about five years working professionally in the industry.

If you’re interested in joining the inaugural issue of my magazine, please submit:

1. Five still shots of your best work. This is meant to be a fashion/art magazine, so we’re looking for photos in that genre.

2. A brief (paragraph) description of yourself. Where you’re from, what your background is, and for how long and in what capacity are you doing photography.

Please send all submissions to ab.photosubmissions@gmail.com.

Also, due to the volume of submissions I plan on receiving, I may not get back to everyone in a timely fashion. But don’t worry — I’m looking at everyone’s work, and will get in contact with potential candidates with next steps.

I look forward to seeing your work!

Andrea

Comments (0)

By Webmaster, June 2, 2010 8:29 pm

Photo Wisdom

Wanted to pass along some advice gathered from industry pros. This is from Jamie Pallot, the Editorial Director of Condé Nast Digital. The question I asked him was how does one become a successful photographer today:

• Find your niche – How am I different?
• Don’t drown in technical options – stick to your vision: What do I want to say?
• Think beyond the picture – How do I present/communicate my work, brand myself, etc .
• Read! Keep up with current developments, read the key blogs and magazines.
• Collectivize – form, or join, a group or collective to pool resources, provide mutual support.

Ever been fearful of taking your shot, starting your own business, making that important phone call? Well, Jim Miotke, the creator of BetterPhoto.com, has come up wth a method to help all fellow photographers get over their fear and fully realize their goal. Let me share with you what Jim shared with me:

• Resistance is the enemy within
• Commit with Certainty
• Clarity causes confidence
• “When your vision is clear, discipline is a non-issue.” – Jim Collins, Author “Good to Great”
• Photo Technique
  • Create “WOW!” images
  • Learn the ingredients of a GREAT photo
  • Get tips for trying “off-the-wall” stuff

• “Be bold and great forces will come to your aid.” - Goethe

Comments (1)

By Webmaster, April 13, 2010 5:20 pm

Fire! Fire!

In January of 2010 I completed a photo essay of New York Fire Fighters. This project was inspired by my presence at the seven-alarm fire that struck the Deutsche Bank in 2007, a fire that severely injured over 100 firefighters in a single night. As an artist I was drawn to their magnanimity and heroism. The limited edition series of photographs embody the vivid tones of their glow-in-the-dark world. The continued cutbacks threatening the New York firefighters make this work unquestionably timely and sure to unite viewers and buyers alike around a common cause. I would love any suggestions or connections you might be willing to share to help me get this work out there.

Comments (0)

By Webmaster, April 12, 2010 9:28 pm

Weekend Review

Moma

To walk the halls of Moma is to breath in the very essence of the New York art scene. But if you don’t plan your visit appropriately, the breadth and depth of the current exhibitions might leave you gasping for air. To avoid overwhelming your senses, I highly suggest absorbing only one artist per visit. The following, however, should not be missed:

William Kentridge

His large scale charcoal drawings and animation offer a delightful and fascinating exploration of human emotions.

Marina Abramovic

I am not sure if I loved or hated this. Her often sadistic and sometimes downright disturbing works left me wondering where the line lies between art and porn. When art is just as vulgar and all-bearing, what differentiates the two?

Henri Cartier-Bresson

Impeccably curated, I couldn’t help but lament the ongoing demise of the photojournalistic field. Bresson’s mastery in capturing a moment and imbuing profound meaning into everyday life is always inspiring.

I relish the fact that Bresson was not a dark room maven. As a 25 year veteran, I am increasingly delegating the retouching of my work. Overseeing post production has granted me the freedom to focus on the moment of making the photograph without getting bogged down by photoshop.

Chelsea

James Welling at David Zwirner

Welling presents a vibrant and colorful interpretation of one of residential architectures greatest treasures. His playful use of filters, color negatives, and printing techniques give a distinct cross-medium feel to his creations.

Sculptographs at Andrea Rosen

Other galleries I visited this weekend and recommend:

Bruce Silverstein – For his guest curators

Hasted Hunt Kraeutler – for their extensive photography exhibition

Danziger Projects – For the fashion photographer who ventured to africa

Lauren Augistine – For an impressive carousel filled with sound and visual delights

The Art Auctions

Historically I have avoided attending the pre-shows preferring to participate in the actual events. This year was different. Acting as a consultant to a friend, I spent a portion of my weekend browsing through the Christies collection. It was a refreshing way to participate, and a wonderful chance to get up-close to the art.

Loretta Lux, Irving Pen, and surprisingly the Michael Crichton collection stood out. For very different reason.

For the most part, the Photography prices were reasonable.

A Question to The Photography Industry

Every image goes through post-production. In photography’s early days this happened in the darkroom, today it happens on the desk-top. My question is this: do photographers allow retouchers to show before and after of their work? In my opinion, there is a lot that goes into a final print and I feel bearing it all can be detrimental. Would to hear your thoughts.

Comments (0)

By Webmaster, April 5, 2010 7:09 pm

Spring Fever

As spring takes hold of New York city dwellers eagerly emerge from their winter coops. For a few brief weeks the lingering scent of flowering trees dominate before the summer heat turns the air into a vile concoction of city scents. As the streets and parks flood with sun worshipers, the season for people watching hits its peak. Rev up your cameras and get out and enjoy the warm spring air. Here’s a shot I took this past weekend.

Comments (0)

By Webmaster, March 30, 2010 2:19 pm

Faceless

A desire to refresh my make up, the absence of touch-up essentials, and an unconscious utterance of  “I left my face at home.” It was an ordinary day, in front of an average mirror, but the particular kind of mundane experience that inspires me to start a new project.

Women go to great lengths to present their best face to the world. We hide our imperfections behind a mask of make-up. Without it are we faceless? 

Comments (0)

By Webmaster, March 29, 2010 5:45 pm

Art and Projects

Otto Dix – Neue Galerie

This iconic and infamous German artist showcases a varied range of technique and a diverse cast of characters. Setting his focus on the dark, intense, and wild underbelly he masterfully illustrates murderers, rapists, and prostitutes as vivid and vibrant portraits of 20^th century German society. His superb use of color to define the character and personality of the sitter provides a deeper level of connection and dimension to his portrayals.

I am admittedly desensitized by modern life (and the constant stream of imagery that bombards my daily existence) but I still found his depictions of older women utterly disturbing and repulsive.

Otto Dix is fantastic, inspiring, and unique.  It is astounding to me that this is the first ever North American exhibition of Dix. I hope to see a lot more of his work in the future.

Humane Society Auction

I have been asked to contribute the above image to the upcoming Humane Society Photography Auction on March 18^th.  It is a wonderful organization and an amazing cause. I encourage everyone to participate in whatever way possible: http://www.humanesocietyny.org/

Vincere

A disturbing tale of Mussolini wrapped in a visual feast. The opening love scene is incredibly visceral and inclusive, and reminded me why I like Italian men so much.

Comments (0)

By Webmaster, March 22, 2010 7:41 pm

Weekend Review

Red

Ten years after his emergence as a known entity in the New York art world, Rothko had developed a tightly honed artistic vision. He sought to connect with the viewer on a level more powerful and unsettling than an “optical shudder” – to elevate his paintings to enablers of deep meditation. The commission presented by the sexy, new, state-of-the-art Four Seasons promised to be a long-sought-after temple to this desire; offering a hallowed space where his luminous panels could envelope the viewer. In reality, it reveled itself to be nothing more than glorified room decoration. A temple to champaign and foie gras where his art would be most viewed by the backs of diners. After much agony, Rothko opted to return the money and refuse the commission.

Although set in the late 1950s, the question of artistic integrity and seriousness of the art and artist is incredibly timely and appropriate.  We live in an era where the lines between commercial and artistic endeavors are entirely blurred. A time where artists sell as brands and brands vie for an increasing mindshare of cultural arts. Is promotion seen as selling out?

Hackel Bury and the Starn Twins

Despite strong discouragement from their gallerist, when The World of Interiors came calling the Starn Twins agreed to the interview. The article caught the attention of the MET whom in-turn approached the twins about a multi-year commission of a lifetime. Once again I can’t help but feel that even when people have our best career interests at heart, it is the individual artist who has the greatest control over their success.

Ryan McGinley at Team

To say that McGinley received a rockstar welcome would be an understatement. It was astounding to witness the receptivity and admiration towards the young artist. Unlike Avedon who had no interest in photographing young people, I happen to be attracted to the naivety of youth. I found McGinley’s work refreshing – the compilation filled with strong shots and interesting angles. But it was overkill. He showed too much. For me, the abundance diminished the impact of the body of work.

Delighted by John

This weekend I attended the birthday party of John Demsey in his stunning east side townhouse. Demsey, among many other things is a great lover of photography and an ardent collector. I am honored to say that John has chosen to include the photograph I made of Andy Warhol for Vogue in his collection. Thank you for a wonderful time John, and for being a continued support of my work.

Comments (1)

By Webmaster, March 15, 2010 5:33 pm

The Great Debate

This weekend I had the pleasure of spending an evening with husband and wife photographers Nigal Perry and Melanie Dunea. Both accomplished and skilled artists.

Our conversation meandered through various ins-and-outs of the photographic industry,  landing on one important debate: is the internet and the pervasiveness of camera phones lowering the standards and will this new breed of photo-makers erode or degrade the professional sphere?

You can’t walk the street of any major city without being overrun by trigger-happy snap-shooters. Their captions flood every corner of the internet and often emerge as stock. Newswires and editors lured in by nominal fees push their sup-par photographs before the eyes of the consuming public.

Is it eating away at professional assignments? Is it filling a gap in which professionals never really wanted to play? Or, worst of all, is it damaging the publics ability to distinguish good photographs from bad?

Throughout this debate I can’t hep but return to one important truth: like many industries, photography is fed by advertising. Advertising is aspirational. Period. Aspirational photography requires a level of skill and thought that will never be supplied by the snap-shooter. They may get lucky now and again, but in my opinion there will always be a market for someone with an exceptional mastery of their craft.

I would love to hear your thoughts on the state of the industry…

In that same evening I gave my dear friend Georgette Farkas a gift of a photograph I had recently made. Her rave review inspired me to share it with you here.

Comments (0)

By Webmaster, February 16, 2010 5:27 pm

Naked I Stand – A Reveling Day with Andres Serrano

Andres Serrano is a legend: immensely talented and infinitely provocative. His oversize prints are designed to emulate the grandeur of museum-scale sculptures and paintings. He shoots a vast array of subject matter, masterfully examining the balance between vulgar and beautiful. Andres cares solely about the image, never allowing himself to get lost amongst the particulars of printing and post-production. When Andres asks you to sit for him, you do not say no. Even if by fulfilling this request it means that you must pose nude.

My trepidation was high as the day of the shoot approached. Could I feel comfortable and confident bearing it all? As a young woman I was quite the exhibitionist. Over the years, I found this part of my personality fading. Not by any purposeful intent, rather, I suppose, as a byproduct of aging. This past Saturday, I forced my past and present into one.

The shoot was scheduled to take place at Andres home – a fittingly church like atmosphere given the religious undertones of his work. An unexpectedly gracious and handsome man greeted me at the door and took me in to meet the artist. Andres’ soft-spoken ways and kind nature instantly put me at ease. My hesitations melted, and for the hour-long shoot, time and place suspended as I strutted my stuff in front of the camera. I left feeling transformed. Invigorated. Reborn.

Keep an eye out for the upcoming series by Andres.