Here are some lovely images by our friend Anthony. He's got the road trip vibe thing going, for sure.

Though the client wants digital... bye bye, square.

I own this picture. So there. Amused?

yum.

Anthony is now in Oregon (though I hear Brooklyn is a waaaay cooler place to spend the summer). Contact him!

They're natural sinkholes that connect to subterranean bodies of water. For the Mayans, the cenotes were sources of water and were considered portals to the afterlife. They played an important role in Mayan religion and were often the location of sacrifices and offerings. Today they are frequented by tourists and locals who bathe in the cool water. We drove to several cenotes as each one has a pretty unique character. Some have collapsed ceilings and are totally exposed, others are totally enclosed and lit by artificial lights. The cenote where these photos were made had a single hole in the cave roof. 



After hanging out for a little while, I noticed how people were drawn to the light and how they would interact with it. Some were clearly anxious about swimming in the dark water and looking for the security of the sun. Others seemed to seek out its warmth. Some would stare up into the light. Others would float face down, peering into water.  



I love Misrach's On The Beach. I read Nevil Shute's book when I was about twelve and I remember how much it scared me and made me feel queasy. I feel that same terror and churning in my stomach when I look at Misrach's photos. Whereas his expanses of sea and sand are overwhelming, I find security in the single shaft of light in my cenote. Misrach's photos are more like my nightmares, mine are more like my dreams.

So, I went to Mexico with a camera and my girlfriend and came back with some interesting photographs and a fiancée!

Thanks! I love squares (and short, squat rectangles). Squares keep me in line and don't let me tilt the frame as much when I'm frustrated that the world isn't organized how I want it to be. Shooting square is kind of like catching butterflies in a net, I just swing the camera around at what I see and push the button. It's much more reactionary for me than shooting other formats.


Restaurant, Sumqayit beach.


Black Sea, Sukhumi, Abkhazia

I like how your bio says you just fell into photography. Can you elaborate on that? Were you always an adventurous soul, and the camera became a necessity, or do you seek out story once you had the photo bug (chicken/egg scenario)...

I took a photo class in high school. I still have photos I took with titles like "My Left Foot" and "Hand Shadow". I really liked solarization and reticulation. My grandmother loved the photos.

Years later, after going to culinary school and working as a chef, I found myself at Columbia University as a math and philosophy major. I took a photo class as an elective and fell in love with it. The teacher was incredibly passionate and outspoken. He told me I photographed like a 68 year old dentist from Long Island and I was determined to prove him wrong.


Detroit, February 2009

I began looking at photographs more and more. I looked at Arbus and Winogrand a lot. I began to see that photography was a great tool for making visual Post Its. Philosophy was filling my head with a whole new language to question the world around me and photography gave me a way to record my interactions with the world as I searched for answers. 

One of the first places I ever went to take photographs was Haiti. So yes, I think I have an adventurous soul. But, I spent most of my time in Haiti at the hotel because guns and crowds and loud noises freak me out. So I'm part adventurous soul and part neurotic New Yorker. Everywhere I've gone, however, has made me learn about myself and helped me grow as a photographer and person. 

I choose projects the same way I choose what to have for dinner - whatever sounds good at a given time. For the past few months, I've really been into staying close to home. I've been working on a project in towns that share names with cities of the world. The photos are about the US while keeping it in a global context. This photo is titled Versailles.

I like to think that I have an active relationship or dialogue with photography. Some days it's cerebral and logical, other days it's emotional and passionate and sometimes it's lighthearted and funny. Every day, however, it takes effort and honesty.

No agency at the moment. I am interested in finding representation, but as in any relationship it has to be beneficial for all parties involved. I would rather stay single until I find the right fit. I know a lot of photographers who are all about finding an agency right away, but if you aren't really ready there's not much an agency can do for you. I know I keep talking about relationships, but I just got engaged and have been reading a lot of wedding magazine, so cut me some slack.


A salt farmer at work on the outskirts of Baku.

A man floats in a mineral bath on the beach near the oil fields of Bibiheybat.

Which piece of yours is in the Benrubi show? Give us a sneak peek?!

The show at the Bonni Benrubi Gallery is Titled " Hot Fun in the Summertime". The opening reception is June 18th from 6-8pm. The gallery is located at 41 E 57th on the 13th floor. The show runs until September 5th.

I'm really excited to be in the show. Bonni is amazing and understandably, well respected. I don't have an extensive history of exhibiting so I'm really grateful that she's included my work.

I think some of the Agua Sagrada photos and a few of my photos from Azerbaijan will be included. If you hate my work, you should still come as there are some really amazing photographers included.

--

Thanks, James. See more Pomerantzes, here.

ps. James' bride-to-be is the very brilliant photo editor Katherine Harris. I smell a photo power couple.

I know nothing about Finnish photography, I'm sad to say, but I do know that these images of Jorma Puranen's are sweet and breathtakingly beautiful. Gauzy, floaty, pretty things are really doing it for me lately, and these are certainly that.

Here's a little ditty about Puranen from his gallery site:


"Jorma Puranen (b. 1951) is the grand and-not-so-old man of contemporary Finnish photography. His magnificent series of works "Imaginary Homecoming, "Language is a Foreign Country" and Shadows, reflections and that sort of thing have aroused attention and admiration all over the world, and he is featured in many important public and private collections, including the Victoria and Albert Museum in London and the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam. Jorma Puranen has received both the Fotofinlandia and the State Art Prize of Finland . He has been Professor of Photography at the University of Art and Design Helsinki and has contributed to the meteoric rise of Finnish photography in various international forums.

In his most recent series of works entitled "Icy Prospects", Jorma Puranen continues in a sense the painting theme of his previous series. This time, however, he has not photographed fragments of paintings. Instead, he painted a piece of wooden board himself with black, glossy alkyd paint, took it outdoors in winter and photographed the fragmentary reflection of nature on the surface of the board. The result was a series of extremely painterly, painting-like, works, in which the brushstrokes and the uneven features of the board are mixed with the reflected subject. These "photograph paintings" are breathtakingly beautiful, continuing the best traditions of romanticism. They are extremely fresh and they breathe, avoiding sentimentality and the pathetic.

Ilona Anhava "

I love that last line, Ilona. Here are some images from the series Sixteen Steps to Paradise:

Here are some Icy Prospects, and some quotes from Puranen about the work:

"On the other hand, the points of departure of Icy Prospects are highly personal. I have worked in the North for thirty years on projects connected in different ways to the relationship between history and the Arctic landscape. In addition, I remember from my childhood my father's stories about the Arctic Ocean when he worked on fishing boats in Petsamo until the outbreak of the Second World War. The trawlers would go as far as Bear Island, situated between Spitzbergen and the Finnmark coast. The North, that highly elusive dimension, is perhaps more than a spiritual home. It has shaped me to become what I am."

Have an icy day in paradise, friends!

So awesome, right? It reminded me of two images.

ONE:



Jeff Wall, A Sudden Gust of Wind (after Hokusai) 1993*
*this is one of my favorite images of all time.


TWO:



William Lamson, No. 15*

*A dealer once told me he wouldn't represent me because my work is too much like William Lamson's, which, while wildly flattering, is totally inaccurate.

Ok, so moving on from folks in a storm. I told you above that I was perusing PDN's 2009 winners. While doing so, I came upon this mess:

You have something on your head, kid. This shot is by Nicole Hill Gerulat.

This was interesting to me, because I remembered the work of Meg Wachter. It looks like this:



It makes you think: which came first, the slime or the goop?

OK, moving on.

Here is a picture of the wild wild west, drawn by an art director:

PPS ok finally this post is almost over. Watch this video, from A Photo Editor. It shall cause laughter.




Hulin out.

I started framing while in high school. When I moved to NYC 20 years ago to pursue being a painter after graduating from art school, it was what I fell back on to pay the rent. As it turned out, the more I learned, the more I liked it, and it was definitely more suited to me than the business of selling my own art.  It draws on a lot of my interests: the understanding of various materials, preservation, art & antiques, woodworking, creativity and innovation, and involvement  with creative ideas and people. I started White Mule Picture Frames in 2004, and it opened up even more creative possibilities and avenues for exploration at just the right time in my career.

 

workshoppy shot

I have developed a good reputation among photographers as a framer who understands the difference not only between photographs and other works on paper, but also the difference between photographers and artists of other disciplines.  No one notices minute detail like photographers!  Because I am very detail-oriented myself, I am somewhat naturally adapted to their particular demands.


I want a roll of bubble wrap like that in my house

There are so many different processes and papers used in photography, and each has its own set of needs in terms of handling, storage, and framing. The important thing in choosing a good framer should be the level of confidence you have in their ability to handle your photograph appropriately.You should be able to ask questions and get clear answers. As a general rule, the old adage applies as aptly here as it does everywhere: you get what you pay for. If you want your frame to last and you want your photograph to outlive you, you're going to have to invest a little more. That said, any creative framer should be able to work with you to maintain a reasonable budget.

 

me! gold sponge!


the reveal

What have some of your biggest framing challenges been? (The biggest piece you've done, the most surprising outcome?)

The largest piece has been about 6'x5': large pieces are the most challenging by far.  They always seem to defy the best preparations and leave you sore for days. The biggest but most rewarding challenges, however, are the projects that I've learned from - where I am doing something for the first time and have to research and think the project through, or develop an approach entirely new to me.

 

Yes, there are many artists who I have been working with for about two decades now. As with any specialized service, once you find someone who you can communicate with, and whose understanding of you is comfortably intuitive and sympathetic to your needs, you tend to return to them. I keep records of everything I've done for every client so that there is as much continuity as possible, and so we don't have to start from square one. 


co-curator meagan ziegler-haynes checking out willy's picture

 

This is tricky - a good framer (and, in fact, a conscientious artist) has a responsibility to the collector to balance archival considerations with aesthetic desires. In the strictest sense, mounting is not archival because it is generally not reversible (or can be, but at great expense). For this reason, matting is always a better choice as it is more or less acting as an envelope.  The current trend of framing a photograph with no mat often necessitates mounting because RC-type paper has no body and never looks as smooth and flat as most photographers like when hinged; larger matted pieces require mounting to keep them flat.

As far as the various substrates go, there are valid reasons for all the choices. Aluminum is the best and most stable but is also the heaviest; plexi is stable though not as stable as aluminum, but it weighs far less and allows signatures/edition info on the back of the photo to be revealed.  Matboard is the least favorable option unless you are revealing it in the frame. I have seen photographs seperate from the matboard due to the different rates of expansion and contraction between the photo paper and the matboard.  Foamcore and Gatorboard are suitable for replacable posters but never for fine art.

Another trend, face mounting, where the plexi is laminated to the face of the photo, is also risky.  If the plexi is damaged, the photograph has in effect become damaged as well.   However, the look is very distinct and minimal and that same look is not really possible with traditional framing.  

It's worth mentioning here that not all mounters are equal in terms of capability, and there are many things that can go wrong during the mounting process (dimpling, creasing, damage to the surface of print). Given the risks, it is wise to choose a mounter that has a good reputation.  

 What's the best way to ensure a framed image stays archival?

It should be protected from direct sunlight, UV light and chemical damage, as well as extreme humidity and dryness, and old framing should be inspected for damage. Choosing a responsible, committed framer who is using the best possible materials and methods inside the frame makes a big difference; budget framers often use the fastest and least costly methods of framing, which can damage artwork. Archival framing requires that the piece can be returned to its original state when it is taken out of the frame with little to no restoration.

anne enjoys framed animals as well (so do i!)
 

How do you see White Mule evolving as a business?

I would like to see artists and collectors better understand the importance and role of framing. To this end, I am working on developing workshops specifically for artists of various disciplines, as well as for collectors. 

Note to NYPH-ers: Our buddy Ingrid, of Adoramapix, will be in our exhibition space today to chat about bookmaking from 12-2.

Come on by, she's nice!

Charles Atherton

John Clang

Justin Hollar


Arthur Ou


Kate Steciw


Marla Caplan


Willy Somma


Troy Williams

Victoria Sambunaris


Jeff Whetstone

Rachel Hulin

Hannah Whitaker


Lest you think all these images appear by themselves perfectly on a wall, here's a record of our toil:



Curatorial geniuses Meagan Ziegler-Haynes and Willy Somma map out the show.

These are the guys we're going to blame if there's an art heist.



Here is Willy with our sign. It fell down before this.

Here is John, who owns Pedro's, which is rocking our after party with THREE kinds of beer. It's that kind of party, folks.

See you tonight!

Click here for the: Supernatural show map!

And here are our catalogs, all tucked in for the ride to DUMBO. Thanks Adorama! You are the best sponsor a show could ask for.

	(super)natural Curated by LUCI Satellite Show @ The Tobacco Warehouse Viewing Hours: May 14th-16th, 10 am to 7 pm Join us for our artist reception: Thursday May 14, from 5:30- 7 pm Directions: The Tobacco Warehouse is on the corner of Water + Dock streets in Dumbo, F train to Jay st
	from l-r: Matthew Porter, Chris LaMarca, Victoria Sambunaris, Troy Williams (super)natural - An exhibition curated by LUCI for the New York Photo Festival Location: Tobacco Warehouse Directions: On the corner of Water + Dock streets in Dumbo, F train to Jay st Viewing Hours: May 14th-16th, 10 am to 7 pm *no festival passes needed to visit the Tobacco Warehouse shows* (super)natural is a group show featuring work that engages with and re-imagines the idea of nature and natural phenomena. From large format landscape photography to site-specific installation, the work on view makes visible the awesome and terrifying aspect of the sublime in nature. LUCI, a curatorial collective based in NYC, presents a diverse group of artists and photographers including Charles Atherton, Christoph Bangert, Marla Leigh Caplan, John Clang, Theresa Ganz, Justin Hollar, Rachel Hulin, Christopher LaMarca, Arthur Ou, Sarah Palmer, Matthew Porter, Victoria Sambunaris, Willamain Somma, Kate Steciw, Hannah Whitaker, Troy Williams and Jeff Whetstone. Exhibition Sponsored by: Adoramapix + Splashlight studios. (be sure to check out our exhibition catalogue, on view at the show, printed by Adoramapix Photo Books) more info: http://www.mzhphoto.com/luci/ + http://www.nyphotofestival.com/

They were taken by Doc with his Rapatropic camera in 1952. At an atomic test site in Nevada.

Wikipedia tells us more:

The rapatronic camera is a high-speed camera capable of recording a still image with an exposure time as brief as 10 nanoseconds (billionths of a second).

The camera was developed by Harold Edgerton in the 1940s and was first used to photograph the rapidly-changing matter in nuclear explosions within milliseconds of ignition. To overcome the speed limitation of a conventional camera's mechanical shutter, the rapatronic camera uses two polarizing filters and a Kerr cell. The two filters are mounted with their polarization angles at 90° to each other, to block all incoming light. The Kerr cell between the filters, which changes the polarization of light passing through it when energized, acts as shutter when it is energized at the right time for a very short amount of time, allowing the film to be properly exposed.

For a film-like sequence of high-speed photographs, as used in the photography of nuclear and thermonuclear tests, arrays of up to 12 cameras were deployed, with each camera carefully timed to record a different time frame.

--

HOLY KERPLOSION, batman.

Serge Giachetti sent me some of his images from his documentation of the Blackfeet Indian tribe in Montana a few days back, and asked for my support for his grant proposal.

It's this grant, that promises 50 grand for the best dream assignment. You know the one.

Well, this first image up top knocked my socks off, so I looked at the others. I think there's some real promise here. Here's more about the project as Serge sees it going forward:

"Native American youth, like most adolescents, have it rough. But, whereas many kids face problems like how to gain popularity, pass chemistry class, and make the football team, Native American teens face an additional and more weighty proposition: how do they hold onto the rich culture of their elders and steer clear of the many social ills plaguing reservations? Many of the tribal elders view these as one and the same question--to live according to the old ways of the tribe is to avoid the many pitfalls of life on the reservation. To them, hope for the future lies in honoring the past.

I would like to explore and document these themes on my dream photo assignment by putting the youth of the tribe in a sort of visual dialogue with their elders. Culminating with both a book and multimedia project, I plan to document the daily lives of Native American youth: their adolescent struggle and striving for individuality, as well as their symbolic participation in old tribal ways. I will juxtapose these documentary style photographs with portraits of tribal elders. In book form, the elders will appear on opposing pages from the youth as if they are watching over them. In multimedia form, a combination of video and stills will be backed by audio interviews from both the youth and the elders discussing their hopes for the future of their tribe."

I love all the roaming horses.


Check out Serge's project and proposal here, and lend him your vote if you like what you see.

photo by Suzanne Mejean


Girrrrrrls, you know you love these dudes, but these dudes cannot apply for the grant and show opportunities I am listing here.  So get off facebook for a sec and send in your applications; you owe it to your mammaries.


1!

WIPNYC - Lightside Individual Project Grant

Women in Photography, co-founded by Amy Elkins and Cara Phillips in June 2008 to showcase the works of female fine art photographers, is pleased to announce their first project grant, funded by Lightside Photographic Services/ and co-sponsored by LTI. The $3,000 grant award will provide funding to one female photographer to support project
costs.

GRANT: $3000.00. One grant will be awarded

APPLICATION PROCESS OPENS: Wednesday April 1, 2009 12am
Link to online application will be made available on wipnyc.org.

DEADLINE: FRIDAY, MAY 1, 2009, 12AM

GRANT ANNOUNCEMENT: JUNE 10, 2009
Grant announcement will be made at evening event at the National Arts Club, Grand Gallery. There will be a reception for the grant winner and a slideshow presentation of their work.  The Grant winner's work will be featured in a wipnyc.org online solo showcase opening on
6/16/09.

APPLICANT ELIGIBILITY
Applications will be only be accepted from photographers who are at least 18 years old, and who are NOT currently enrolled in any full-time or part-time degree program.

PROJECT ELIGIBILITY
Projects submitted for consideration can be new or ongoing. Applicants should submit no more than one proposal in support for one project.

REVIEW PROCESS
WIP's curatorial staff, Amy Elkins & Cara Phillips will review projects for visual & conceptual strength, rigor of purpose, and clarity of stated project goals.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
WIPNY will only accept online submissions.
Submission Fee: $20.00
Applicants must submit exactly five images. Each image must be:

JPEG format
72dpi
sRGB
650 pixels wide

Contact Info
BIO (Under 200 words)
CV

**Please direct all grant submission questions to the email address
which will be made available as APRIL 1, 2009**

PROJECT DESCRIPTION:
Describe the project in 300 words or less (IN PLACE OF ARTISTS STATEMENT)
Please include: Project start date, or in progress staus. Estimated finish date?
Please provide a detailed list of expenses. Itemize each expense and provide a dollar amount.
Please list any estimated income or other funding sources.

--
Women In Photography
co-curated by Amy Elkins and Cara Phillips
WIPNYC is a Humble Arts Foundation project.


2!

CALL FOR ENTRIES Nymphoto Presents @ Sasha Wolf Group Show IV
DEADLINE: APRIL 3, 2009

Sasha Wolf Gallery
May 23 - June 6, 2009

Artists Reception
Thursday, May 28, 2009, 6 - 8PM
The Nymphoto Collective is pleased to announce its fourth group show and first call for
entries to be exhibited at Sasha Wolf Gallery. Nymphoto is looking for the best in female contemporary and emerging photography. Work will be curated by the core members of the collective, in conjunction with highly respected curator and gallery owner, Sasha Wolf. Works selected will be included in "Nymphoto Presents at Sasha Wolf Gallery" and be on view from May 23 to June 6, 2009.

Nymphoto is a collective of women in photography that provides a supportive
community for (its) artists and strives to send a positive message to the creative world.
We firmly believe in the power of community. The collective is a fusion of disciplines: the
scholastic, the representative and the museum. The call for entries exhibit serves to
expand on this idea and our growing community, and aims to encourage connections
and discourse among female photographers. The efforts of the collective hope to correct
the gender imbalance that continues to prevail in today's (art) world.

Eligibility
Any woman working in photography.

Call for entries deadlines
Entrants may enter their image selections online via www.nymphoto.com anytime
between March 27 through midnight (EST) on April 3, 2009.

Submissions are accepted via an online form on www.nymphoto.com. A
submission fee of $19 for up to 2 images, and $26 for up to 5 images, must be paid
through PayPal upon submission of your work. Accepted artists will be notified via
email by April 8, 2009. There will be an additional hanging fee of $25 for accepted
artists. Framed works, ready for hanging, must be shipped/delivered to the gallery by May 15,
2009. Details will be provided to participating artists upon acceptance.

You will need the following information available to complete your submission.
* Your contact information
* Link to your website, if available
* Brief bio & artist statement (optional)
* 2 - 5 images ready for upload - JPEG format, 700 pixels wide, 72
dpi, no more than
500 KB each

* Caption information for each image - title, dimensions, medium, year. If you have any problems with uploading your submission or other inquiries, please email questions to contact@nymphoto.com.



GO TEAM, GO!