Month: February 2006

Alabama civil rights movement photos discovered

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"Hundreds of photos from that era were lost, sold, stolen or stored in archives. Some of those pictures appear today for the first time in the newspaper, in an eight-page special section titled ‘Unseen. Unforgotten.’

"The section is the result of research by Alexander Cohn, a 30-year-old former photo intern at The News. In November 2004, Cohn went through an equipment closet at the newspaper in search of a lens and saw a cardboard box full of negatives marked, ‘Keep. Do Not Sell.’…"

Read the whole story and view the photos from the Birmingham News at al.com/unseen. There’s a more coherent PDF of the story as it was published with complete captions next to the photos.

This is a really amazing find. Check it out.

Via Boing Boing via The Divine Goat

Hasselblad announce 503CWD DSLR

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Hasselblad will launch a new 12 megapixel 503CWD DSLR, which is essentially a 503CW with a the CFV digital back, which replaces the V96C. Wanky limited edition of 500 pieces.

Consider the following facts:

  • The list price of for the back alone is US $9,995.
  • You can buy a CanoScan LiDE 60 for about $80.
  • Add in $60 in other materials.

This means that you can make 71.3929 scanner cams for the price of the back. I’ll admit that I own and operate two Hasselblad film cameras, but does a Hassy back produce results 71.3929 better than a hacked-up scanner back? Completely different tools for completely different jobs, of course—and I wouldn’t kick one out of bed if it landed in my lap (or would I, and buy an SWC with the proceeds? yeah, probably…)—but still fun to think about.

Pinhole/zone plate workshop with Scott McMahon

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The Controlled Light Leak: Beyond the Oatmeal Container with Scott McMahon

August 4-8 (5 day)

Learn new methods of pinhole imaging, camera design and concept. Participants will investigate the different principles of pinhole and construct and then photograph with their own camera creations. We will experiment with and even make our own zone plates (a distant relative of pinhole), retrofit existing cameras, 35mm, medium and large format, Holga, even digital pinhole apertures. We will also explore slit imaging and multiple pinholes in this 5-day lens-free extravaganza.
Beginner to advanced.

Scott McMahon received his MFA from Massachusetts College of Art in Boston and BFA from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia where he is currently teaching Non-Silver Printmaking. Scott also teaches photography at the University of Pennsylvania and is former Department Head of Photography at Peters Valley. His work has been published in Pinhole Photography, Rediscovering a Historic Technique by Eric Renner, The Book of Alternative Photographic Process by Christopher James as well as Pinhole Journal Vol. 11#1, Vol. 12 #1, and Vol. 15 #2. Scott has exhibited throughout the United States in many group and solo exhibitions.

Tuition: $425
Lab Fee: $50

Please contact Andy Schmitt – aschmitt AT aandy DOT org
or
Peters Valley Craft Center
19 Kuhn Rd
Layton, NJ 07851
US

This years Photography concept is "From Dag’s to Digital"

Please check it out at petersvalley.org

Via the f295 Pinhole Forum

Lightleaks magazine issue #2 available for pre-order

Nicolai Grossman 1 Comment

Issue 2 of Lightleaks, a magazine for toy camera users published by toycamera.com, is available for pre-order for the reduced price of US $12.99. Shipping is US $2.50 to North America and US $5.00 to the rest of the world. If you want it—I do, issue 1 was a very promising start—order soon, as it will go up to the cover price of $14.99 shortly.

They’ve gone with a private printer rather than Lulu for this issue, so hopefully the print quality will go up and shipping times will go down over #1. The cover price has also been reduced from $16.99.

Overview of issue 2

  • Introduction by Steph Parke
  • Out of my imagination – An exclusive interview with the inventor of the Holga
  • World Toy Camera Day 2005 – Winning photos and a report on the event
  • Theme – Nobody: where has everyone gone?
  • Featured Artist – Leon Taylor
  • The Toy Box – The Pouva Start!
  • From The Archives
  • The Plastic Guide
  • Event Calendar

You can order issues 1 and 2 from this page on lightleaks.org.

Timothy Prus’ innovative Photo Swap exhibition/event

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From Paul Kuhn Gallery‘s event page:

"Photo Swap, conceived by Timothy Prus of London, England, is a unique exhibition where anyone can be an exhibiting artist and collector at the same time. At minimum 1,000 photographs will be on display and everyone is invited to come in with their own photograph and exchange it for one of the works on the walls. The changing and evolving appearance of the walls will be recorded throughout the month long duration of the exhibition. At the conclusion of the event the traveling PHOTO SWAP will move on to a different venue in a different city with a fresh set of photographs looking for a new home. Other venues planned over the next two years include Prague, China, Photo London, Paris, Ulan Bator, Mexico City and the AGO in Toronto."

What a cool and exciting idea! I find the egalitarian, participatory, and chaotic aspects of this very appealing. Way to go, Mr. Prus! Gets the gears turning about what would be possible online… what would be lost in tactile immediacy and face-to-face interaction could possibly be made up for in broader diversity of participants. Any ideas? Let’s discuss!

The show is currently at Paul Kuhn Gallery, 724 11th Avenue S.W., Calgary, Alberta, CA until 18 March, 2006. Watch this page on the official project site, timothyprus.com, for future dates and venues.

Via EV Comp‘s photos of the show and Weblog Wannabe

New York City Flickerite podcast launches

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Some members of the NYC Social group on Flickr have started a "a photocentric, photolicious podcast featuring interviews with New York City Photoheads".

While the Web site, newyorkflickr.com, is still a little rough around the edges, don’t let that stop you from listening to the engaging first eposide, which features a photo and history stroll around Greenpoint, Brooklyn with Moufle.

You can subscribe to the podcast directly or through iTunes or podfeed.net.

Susannah Shepherd and Jeffrey Shay photo exhibit at KMOCA

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KMOCA exhibit opening postcard

Come check out the opening of an exhibition of photography by Susannah Shepherd and Jeffrey Shay, Saturday, March 4, 2006, at KMOCA (Kingston Museum of Contemporary Art) from 5-7pm. I’ve been following both of them for several years, first on Fotolog and then on Flickr, and I think you can expect more good work from them at this show!

KMOCA is located at 105 Abeel Street in Kingston, NY, US. (click for map). The space itself is noteworthy: recently opened by Aimee Gardner and Adam Snyder, it "…will be more than just an art space. Snyder and Gardner will draw upon their connections to young musicians and filmmakers, both locally and in New York City and Nashville. They hope to create a welcoming community space for films, readings and even a coffee klatsch." Sounds good—and worthy of support—to me!

f295 adds DIY photography forum

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Tom Persinger’s f295, home of the excellent International Pinhole Photography Discussion Forum, have added the DIY (Do It Yourself) Photography Discussion Forum, "dedicated to the exploration and discussion of self-made photographic equipment and materials".

The quality of conversation, experimentation, knowledge, and helpfulness on the pinhole forum is exceptionally high, and I expect this to be no different. Camera builders, lens hackers, homemade kit traders, come check it out!

(Note that this about a day old, so it may take some time to get up to speed.)