Newslines
News items from many sources that will keep you up to date and informed.
Posted July 2006
ASMP Architecture SG issues call for entries to ‘Celebrate Architecture’
November is “Celebrate Architecture” month for the American Institute of Architects (AIA). To help celebrate, ASMP’s South Florida chapter, the AIA Miami Chapter and the Miami Center for the Photographic Arts (MCPA) are organizing a juried photo exhibit called “Celebrate Architecture.” The exhibition will take place all during November at MCPA’s gallery at Borders in Miami, FL.
The event is open to ASMP general, associate and emerging associate members who specialize in architectural photography. (“Specialize” means the ASMP member’s income is primarily derived from architectural photography.) Up to three images may be submitted. The image content must relate to architecture, and the organizers’ desire is for work tending to artistic and personal expression rather than strictly commercial or illustrative appeal.
The deadline for filing your entry form is August 25. There is no entry fee, but a $20 handling fee (payable to Borders) must accompany your entry. The images that are selected for the exhibition will be framed by Borders (at your expense, ranging from $30 to $50)
During November, the prints will be for sale at a price set by the artist. MCPA will act as sales agent, taking 30% as its commission. The artist will get 60%, and the final 10% will go to ASMP’s Legal Action Fund.
If you shoot architecture and are not a member of the Architectural Photography Specialty Group, consider joining. It is one of the benefits of your ASMP membership, and the SG listserv is an important source of information for this contest. For questions about the “Celebrate Architecture” exhibition, contact Liz Ordoñez-Dawes at liz@lizphotos.com
Panasonic says ‘Don’t stand still’ while shooting
Hyping the launch of its latest Lumix cameras, Panasonic will encourage attendees at selected sporting events to borrow one of its cameras and take a few shots of the game. It’s free, and participants will get prints of their images and the files on a complimentary memory card. Among the venues: the Dew Action Sports Tour and Major League Soccer.
Another gimmick this summer will put participants in a carnival-like vibration chair, where they shoot a scene first with the Lumix’s image-stabilization feature turned off and then with it on. Panasonic says that today’s digital cameras suffer from shaky hands more than film cameras, mainly because they are so much lighter. Fortunately, digital technology is now making motion compensation affordable.
And Panasonic has one of the few web sites we’ve seen where Flash movies are used to good effect. Called “Break the Rules,” it suggests that using a Panasonic camera will let you get great pictures even if you violate the traditional rules of picture-taking. The animation loads fast, isn’t overdone and does speak to the point of the site, namely the camera’s features.
Maryanne Russell at the London Eye
ASMP member Maryanne Russell recently wrote us to say,
“I’m delighted to let you know that my photo, Castle in the Sand, which was honored by the Travel Photographer of the Year Awards, is included in their exhibition at the London Eye throughout July and August.
If you’re vacationing in London this summer, do stop by and take a look!
Pip, Pip and Cheerio,
Maryanne
Photographers donate to American Photo Mission Series
An article in the July/August issue of American Photo magazine illuminates the work of 16 charities, captured through the lenses of six of the top photographers in the world: Art Wolfe, Vincent Versace, Matthew Jordan Smith, Steve McCurry, Frank Jacobs and Phil Borges. (Wolfe, McCurry and Borges are ASMP members.) The photographers donated their shooting time to the American Photo Mission Series project, which illuminates work of charities that feed and house the poor, find missing children, protect natural resources, support the physically and mentally challenged, and bring education to hard-put ethnic groups.
The funding for the project came from Microsoft. The project is documented on a companion web site, which has useful information in addition to the many plugs for Microsoft products.
APA elects new slate of officers
Advertising Photographers of America announced that Orange County, CA photographer Don Dormeyer has been elected President of the organization. Also elected were: Martin Trailer, Senior VP, (San Diego); Matthew Klein, VP, (New York); Jon Silla, VP, (Charlotte); Paul Nurnberg, Secretary, (Savannah); and George Simian, Treasurer, (Los Angeles).
Having launched his career in a humble portrait studio in Poughkeepsie, NY, Dormeyer for many years has photographed for national clients in the automotive and food industries from his studio in California. He and his wife of thirty five years, Mary, have two adult children. Dormeyer moves up from National Vice President and will serve a two-year term. He takes the reigns from George Fulton, who served as APA National President for the past three years.
Contest seeks bird photos
Bird Watching magazine, a U.K. publication, is running a competition for new images of wild, free-flying birds. Photos of captive birds are not eligible, and you need to submit copies of the relevant permits for pix of protected species. Images may be entered in any of 10 categories, each of which has different prizes; in addition, there will be a £1,500 (nearly $2,500) grand prize.
Deadline for entries is August 30, and winners will be announced in December. The basic entry fee is £10 for up to three categories, with further fees for more categories. The entry form and full rules are posted at the International Wildbird Photographer site.
Frame effects plug-ins from pro photographers
OnOne Software has released two new Photoshop plug-ins: PhotoFrame Pro 3 for Photoshop Elements and the Rick Sammon Digital Frame Collection. PhotoFrame Pro 3 for Photoshop Elements works exclusively with Adobe Photoshop Elements 3 and 4 and includes hundreds of professionally designed frames, mattes and edges. Priced at $70 (Mac or Windows), its features are similar to its “big brother” version for Photoshop.
The Rick Sammon Digital Frame Collection includes 20 signature frames and edge effects designed by professional photographer Rick Sammon, author of Rick Sammon’s Complete Guide to Digital Photography and host of Photography Workshop and Digital Photography Workshop on the Do It Yourself Network. Its price is $40, and it works with either the Photoshop or the Elements version of PhotoFrame Pro 3. The Rick Sammon Digital Frame Collection is the first in an ongoing series of collections from professional photographers which will encompass custom edge effects in each collection.
Illustrators celebrate at awards exhibit
Members of the Society of Illustrators will celebrate their work at the 17th Annual “Members Open” exhibition. Congratulations to Joe Ciardiello, the 2006 recipient of the Steven Dohanos Award and congratulations to David Devries and Ted Lewin, the recipients of the Merit Awards. Over 150 original works, including work from these artists, will be exhibited. The Members Open is taking place all month (June 28 - July 29) at the Society’s office, 128 East 63rd Street (between Park and Lexington Avenues) New York, NY.
Founded in 1901, the Museum of American Illustration at the Society of Illustrators is a nonprofit educational organization dedicated to “the promotion of the art of illustration - past, present and future.” It has over 1,000 members worldwide and is headquartered in an 1875 vintage carriage house in New York’s Upper East Side. For more information, please visit www.societyillustrators.org.
Art Exchange site gets a facelift
The SellArtSmart newsletter is launching an updated and revised web site this month at www.art-exchange.com. You are invited to stop by, look it over and consider whether its traffic of roughly 16,000 visitors per month can help you in your business promotions.
Digital art competition seeks online entries
Swarm Studios has opened a digital art competition for all styles of 2D artwork and photography where digital processes of any kind were integral to the creation of the images. The selected winners receive prints up to 44x60 inches on museum-quality paper to be shown in a group exhibition. The show will be widely promoted and will include a reception for the artist(s). There may be other prizes, too.
The entry fee is $30 (plus $1.25 fee for Acteva’s ecommerce service) per submission. Submissions must be made online. Images must be under one megabyte (1MB) in size and not to exceed 1200x1600 pixels in dimension. Winners will be asked to provide high-resolution images for final output. All artwork will be offered for sale, with the gallery taking a 50% commission, but the artists retain all rights.
Online gallery stresses art ‘over the sofa’
Will It Look Good Over The Sofa is a new fine art online photo gallery that sells photos to the home and decorator market. WILGOTS was founded by ASMP member Andrea Sperling, a NY-based photographer who divides her time doing fine art and commercial photography.
The gallery is currently looking to add a few additional photographers who have fine art images of animals, the human body (please remember, it needs to look good over the sofa!), abstract images and anything with a global feel. All work selected must be of the highest quality, preferably medium and large format or high-res digital. All selected work will need to be received as drum scans.
If you are interested, please send a link to your website to info@willitlookgoodoverthesofa.com.
SAA publishes 'A Metadata Manifesto'
At the Microsoft Pro Photo Summit (held in Seattle on June 29), the SAA Imaging Technology Standards committee (Rivaldo Does, Betsy Reid and David Riecks) released A Metadata Manifesto. The PDF document is "a proposal from the Stock Artists Alliance for the adoption of guiding principles, standards and technology support to promote metadata use." It is freely available at http://metadatamanifesto.blogspot.com. Readers are encouraged to tell others about the link and to post comments to the blog.
Gladstone mentors Troy photographers
We received a heartening report from Lawrence White about a visit to the Art Center in Troy, NY, by longtime ASMP stalwart Gary Gladstone.
“In spite of the floods we were experiencing, the turnout was good and the level of excitement was high. Mr. Gladstone was absolutely magnificent in the lecture. He kept everyone on the edge of their seats with his presentation and his insight.
“After the lecture Mr. Gladstone visited one of the classrooms and went over student work giving hints, ideas and inspiration to all he touched.
“We wish to thank you for referring him to us, and to thank the ASMP for being a wonderful resource for photographers. We appreciate it so very much.”
Discount for early registration to Photoshop World
The seventh annual Photoshop World Conference & Expo (which claims to be the largest Photoshop educational event in the world) will be held Sept. 7-9 at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino, Las Vegas. If you intend to go, register this month to get a $100 discount. Registration is open on the web site or by calling 800-738-8513, Monday-Friday, 8:30 AM - 7:00 PM EST.
New summer exhibition at HMCP
The summer exhibition at the Hallmark Museum of Contemporary Photography, “Bridging People/Bridging Cultures,” features photographs by Kevin Bubriski. The museum is located in Turners Falls, MA, and the exhibit will be open July 6 through September 24, 2006. An artist’s reception with live music and hors d’oeuvres will be held on Saturday, July 8, from 1:00 to 5:00 pm.
Bubriski’s documentary photographic projects have taken him to numerous remote and historic locations worldwide: Nepal, Peru, Syria, Turkey, India, Mali, China, Ireland and Italy. Closer to home, he’s also completed significant bodies of work in small-town Vermont and on the streets of New York City.
Bill Brandt retrospective in Florida
Bill Brandt (1904-1983) was a British photographer and photojournalist whose high-contrast images ranged from documentary comment on British society to portraits, landscapes and nudes. (Wikipedia has a biography.) During July and August, the Boca Raton Museum of Art will exhibit a retrospective comprising more than 150 vintage gelatin silver prints from the Bill Brandt Archive.
Museum admission is $8 for adults and $4 for students; children under 12 are free. The museum is closed on Mondays and holidays, and it stays open late on Wednesdays.