Tuesday, December 2, 2008


Copyright Sam Abell

Longtime (1967) National Geographic shooter, Sam Abell will be speaking at A&I Thursday from 7:30 - 9pm. The event is put on by Julia Dean Workshops and will be followed by a booksigning.

PDF here.


Also, an interesting interview with PDN over having one of his photographs stolen appropriated by Richard Prince here.

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Vincent Laforet plus happy hour = don't miss


© Vincent Laforet

I'd advise buying your ticket soon. I'm very curious to hear him speak after following his Olympics coverage on the Time blog.

If you are curious about what the new 5D MKII's HD video capabilities are, you should watch his short film.

APA/LA Holiday Happy Hour with Guest Speaker Vincent Laforet
Tuesday December 9, 2008
5:00pm - 7:00pm Happy Hour
7:00pm - 9:00pm Speaker
Helms DayLight Studio
3221 Hutchison Ave., Los Angeles 90034
*Parking is Located on the North Side of Venice Ave and Helms

Friday, November 21, 2008

Sat. - Opening recpeption, William Hundley @ Kinsey/DesForges


Opening reception for total weirdo (in the best possible sense; witness his flickr stream...) William Hundley's show entitled DRACO at Kinsey/DesForges in Culver City, which showcases his floating fabric forms.

I bet Rachel Hullin will wish she could be here for this one.

Saturday, 6pm

On view through Dec 20

Thursday, November 20, 2008

Reminder - Matthew Barney this eve at LACMA

Friendly reminder of my earlier post on the Cremaster 3 screening this evening at LACMA. I'd recommend getting there a bit early in case. Not one to miss.

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Christmas Gift Idea








A coworker just sent these to me. Seems like the perfect photograhy Christmas gift (if you can't afford to get someone the 5D MKII, that is).

You can get them here.
Excellent marketing with the polaroid frames...

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

The Fashion Photography Blog



I came across L.A.-based photographer, Melissa Rodwell's fashion photography blog this evening. She doesn't have a ton of posts under her belt but those she has written make me think this one will be very promising and a great resource for anyone interested in photography in general and especially those looking to really get a grasp on how the fashion photography industry operates in Los Angeles and elsewhere.

It's great to see someone giving back in this way and who is unafraid to share knowledge.

The Searchers, Sasha Bezzubov & Jessica Sucher @ Taylor de Cordoba






From the press release:

The Searchers is a series of large-scale photographs examining Western spiritual tourism in India.

(How very L.A.)

With The Searchers, the artists build on themes explored in their previous bodies of work, specifically Expats and Natives (Bezzubov and Sucher) and The Gringo Project (Bezzubov). These previous projects center around young Western travelers exploring developing countries and how the relationship to one’s host country relates to larger issues of race, class, and identity.

As a former expat myself, I'm curious. I'm also curious to see how two photographers make one photo. Does one focus and the other press the shutter?

November 1 – December 20, 2008

OPENING RECEPTION : Saturday November 1, 2008, 6pm - 8pm @ Taylor de Cordoba
PS. This is a perfect example of a gallery being careless and publishing too big of an image online. That second one would make for a nice wallpaper. I'm just saying...

Matthew Barney viewing at LACMA Thursday!!!


Alright so I am excited about this one, as I've been waiting since 2003, when I saw Cremaster 4 in NYC for another of his works to be shown in a city I'm in and this is the first time that has occurred. Don't miss this chance to catch these visually stunning pieces on Thursday (for free!).

View the trailer.
From LACMA:

Film Screening: Two Videos by Matthew Barney Thursday, November 20 7:30 pm

Cremaster 4 (1994) and Drawing Restraint 10 (2005) both demonstrate Matthew Barney's career-long interest in incorporating the materials and imagery of sports into his practice as an artist. This film screening is presented in conjunction with the exhibition Contemporary Projects 11: Hard Targets -Masculinity and Sport on view through January 18, 2009.Bing Theater Free, no reservations

Friday, October 31, 2008

Feature - Amanda Friedman

L.A. based photographer Amanda Friedman shoots beautiful night landscapes and has managed to turn her crative eye into editorial success also. I'll be interviewing her in the coming weeks to see what insight she has for us all.





Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Talk - A Picture You Already Know at LACMA.

Tomorrow (Thursday):

This debate explores the often unspoken issue of repetition (of visual forms and subject matter) in contemporary photography. Charlotte Cotton, curator and head of the Department of Photography, will discuss with Amy Adler, Alex Slade and Penelope Umbrico the conscious and unconscious ways in which individual photographers deal with repetition.

Free; tickets required. Brown Auditorium. 7 p.m.

I'll be there to try to challenge my view that repitition is often a cheap trick the art world loves to fall for. Damn those Bechers.

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Smashbox Face Off - Thursday. RSVP now!

Thursday is the opening night for the Smashbox Studios annual Face Off show from, 8pm to midnight. You must rsvp today in order to attend. I'll be there and would be happy to meet any one else who is going.

rsvp@smashboxstudios.com

Congrats to Ryan Schude, who will be in the show with this beast of an image:

Monday, October 27, 2008

Vanity Fair Portraits at LACMA

Vanity Fair Portraits: Photographs 1913-2008 opened yesterday at LACMA. This exhibition showcases decades of celebrity portraiture. Most of the prints are quite small and Liebowitz is represented up the wazoo but this is one to see, especially considering the museum is free after 5pm. I do wish, however, that the placards spoke a bit more about the photographers instead of their focus on the celebrities, but this is celebrity obsessed LA after all and I guess the curators knew this would be a big draw. My favorite image of the show is this one of Julianne Moore, which is printed big and lucious.

Friday, October 24, 2008

Spooky Show at DRKRM gallery

In the spirit of Halloween, DRKRM Gallery is showing Seeing Things: Ghost Polaroids.

Opening reception Saturday October 25, 7pm -midnight


Two residents of an old house in the hills of Los Angeles began receiving ghostly messages in Polaroid photographs. The pair started taking photos inside the house in the hope of obtaining a picture of the entity they believed haunted the house.

After first capturing a ghostly image on film, the men discovered that if they asked questions about the entity and why it was inhabiting their house, words and messages appeared in response on their film. So far, more than 1000 photos have captured messages – photos taken not only by the residents but by paranormal researchers and other outsiders. A photographic expert at Polaroid has no explanation for the messages. An expert at California’s Brooks Institute of Photography can suggest an explanation, but it requires a lengthy set up process and hours of lab work.The ghost or spirit calls himself “WRIGHT”. He shows signs of erudition and intelligence, writing many of his messages in Latin.

The ghost first appeared on film in March 1992 after one of the residents kept hearing unexplained noises throughout the house. After a door opened mysteriously, he took a series of photos, several of which revealed a classic ghost-like shape, including dark shadows at the eyes and mouth. The messages began to appear on film in June 1992. The first was in response to a friend’s question about the ghost, “Is he here now?” The photo revealed a barely discernible “yes” in cloudy white shapes. After that, the writing became far more legible.

Thursday, October 23, 2008

Calls for Entry


The Center for Fine Art Photography is currently holding two calls for entry, one jurored by Paula Tognarelli, Executive Director and Curator of the Griffin Museum of Photography and the other by Susan A. Zadeh, editor in chief and artistic director of EYEMAZING.

Friday, October 17, 2008

Carleton Watkins at the Getty

Dialog Among Giants, Carleton Watkins and the Rise of Photography in California is on view at the Getty through March 1, with 151 works by this pioneer of western landscape photography. Ansel Adams and Edward Weston learned much from Watkins. You can too.

A very nice write up by the Times can be found here.