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Your excellent review makes me want to see the film. It reminds me of another horrible event that took place in my hometown of Patchogue, NY. Some teenagers assaulted and killed an immigrant, again, shouting the racial slurs. I don’t know how they became so contaged with hatred, but my heart breaks for all the wasted lives and lost futures–from the desperation of the immigrants, coming to a new place with nothing while searching for a future, to the teens whose lives got off track, who were also poor and confused and who knows what else. I don’t know what the solution to this displaced hatred and rage is, but I do know that for me, “the solution” started in my family growing up. My parents were accepting and respectful of everyone. We never heard racial or ethnic slurs in the home. We were not even allowed to speak cruelly to each other. We didn’t have to like everyone we met–we just had to respect their right to exist and live their lives. I will always be so grateful to my parents for this simple framework of respect and courtesy.
This is fascinating, Stella. Your account seems mercifully unbiased and candid. I look forward to reading the rest of your posts. And it will be very interesting to follow unfolding events in Venezuela after Chavez’s death. A recurring problem with strong-man rule around the world has been the destruction of political institutions that make transitions after the departure of “numero uno” chaotic and unpredictable – just look at Libya, Egypt, Tunisia etc. I wonder if Venezuela will fall victim to the same syndrome.
Good post Stella. I agree about the image you mention at the end. I noted it too. There was an ambiguity to it that was unsettling. Is this person weeping over a loved one, are they comforting them, are they resuscitating them? That ‘uncertainty’ is far more powerful than a shattered leg, a screaming face, because it references the unknown, the ‘what-ifs’ and the sheer bewilderment that such events generate.
Stella, I assure you my outrage is very real, and I’m here and ready to vote, speak, fight, blog etc. Thanks to you, as ever, for being a well needed voice of reason.
Go Stella!
Yep- although not sure if the kind of bosses who took that decision in the first place are the type to take any notice whatsoever. Cut things to the bone, save money, do it on the cheap is their mantra. Who cares if the quality suffers and people stop buying the papers? The advertisers? Sure-they will take their money elsewhere. It then becomes a self fulfilling prophecy that newspapers are dying and eventually more papers will finally shuffle off into the sunset.
I’ve been a staffer and I’ve been a freelance. They both have their good and bad points but thinking reporters with iphones can fill the gap is very naive and shows a complete lack of understanding of how good photographs can help to sell a quality product.
From across the pond, best wishes to the photographers who have been fired. You all deserve better than to be put on the scrapheap by an uncaring and dumb-ass management!
Amen! I couldn’t agree more. I think photographers are so worried about being perceived as negative and loosing future work that they won’t speak up. I know when ever I comment about copyright infringement etc. you can hear the crickets after they hit the Like button. If photographers would only unite against lower rates on Getty and all the other fronts we would have A Voice.
Why would anyone protest this? They made a decision which will ultimately effect their capacity to make work that is unique and captivating. The iphone is just a tool, even in a pros tool kit. What differentiates any artist is the content and how it’s presented. There will always be work for the people who create captivating stories, beautifully and creatively.. An amateur will never be a threat to those who take their work seriously.
I agree with Ryan. It’s about the quality of the content. Yes, you can make good images on the iphone…were you a good photographer to begin with. Trust me when I say that no matter what business ends up sacking it’s photographers, the story will get told and told well by professional photographers somewhere. They will make a mark with another publication or even a blog and the quality images will be seen. I’m not saying it’s a perfect world, but I never fear for my job because someone bought any kind of camera. It’s not the camera that takes the picture. I’ve heard so many times, “What camera took that photo? What lens was that?”. It’s not the camera, it’s not the lens. It’s the eye and operator behind both. Are we in a losing battle? To some extent maybe. Some jobs will be lost. In the end, I believe that those who are producing beautiful imagery will always be in demand, whether it be photojournalism, art, or commercial. Keep pushing the envelope and create stunning images and you may not need an employer. You’ll be a successful business of 1.
Back in 2000 at one of the last national conferences that ASMP held. Then pres Dick Weisgrau presented MPCA/MIRA to the chapter officials that had journeyed to Aspen, CO for this event. MPCA was an attempt to convince photographers to band together and agree on some minimum charges and basic rights. Dick presented this as ASMP’s last hope to try and stem the rapid decline in the industry. MPCA was structured in a way as to not get in to rate setting which is considered ‘restraint of trade’ when done by independent contractors. When the conference was over, we all went home excited and inspired to present the ideas to our chapter membership. To shorten the story, the idea was dead w/in 2 years because no one could or would agree to any numbers..the “big guys” wanted more and the “little guys” refused to take less. If the idea had worked, photographers everywhere would have benefitted. Perhaps not in the way that allows the 1% to dine at fancy NYC restaurants (for the few years that they’re ‘hot’), but in a way that lets 100% feed themselves and their families and live reasonable lives with room to grow their businesses.
Time, Inc. has been spun off and that entire collection of magazines will, in my guess, be gone not long after the company is floated (who is going to invest in a company whose revenue, and industry, is in steep and irreversible decline?). Friends of mine who still work there are re-writing resumes and interviewing even before the company goes public.
And as much as I love my daily newspaper, I can’t reconcile the fact that I reduce, reuse and recycle in all other areas of my life, but end up throwing out great big chunks of once-growing tree material every day. Sometimes without reading it. End of that subscription and I read it online.
Print media brought higher ad revenue but now readers and subscriptions are draining away to online, where the money ain’t.
The decline in the viability of a career in photojournalism is a small microcosm of the decline in the print/news/magazine industry as a whole. But I really believe that the key to individual survival isn’t to fight for an industry which is in swift atrophy. It’s to find a different client. Take your photojournalism to commercial clients. If strong images are always in demand — and they are — you’ll find work on the commercial side.
This is what we try to do with Square Magazine: promote photography and photographers. There is still one problem though, something that’s quite puzzling: although we do ask for artists to send us news about their progress (exhibitions, shows, talks, books…), they pretty rarely do so. It is as if artists do not even expect support, in a way (OK, I know, the comparison between us and FF is not really accurate eh eh)
Great to see this highlighted. I’m just back from Tasmania, their prof convention. They have all the issues we have in the uk, saturation, plummeting standards etc but the vibe between photographers as humans was immense. None of the apathy we have here, all the fences were down and a mutual sense of encouragement resonated. Maybe because we are a small island and feel protective of our own.
Read this with great interest. As photographers, we are the root cause of the problem. I have met some of the most wonderful human beings in this profession, supportive, encouraging, without a trace of ego. By the same token I’ve also met some of the most selfish, self centered, arrogant people ever. Support, from where I’m standing, is always being requested and voiced all the time. Many of us pony up money, sign petitions, send emails, write notes of encouragement and in many instances once these “artists” have gotten what they wanted, dispose of all courtesy, professional or otherwise. Hey, been de-friended on FB by a couple of “darlings” of the industry after sending my meager hard earned money for their crowd funding campaigns.
Not everyone is in NYC or LA or the Bay Area. That doesn’t mean there isn’t a community “at large elsewhere”. In the professional food chain I’m probably just plankton. Take plankton out of the food chain and watch what happens. A lot of these projects wouldn’t even get off the ground. Like you, I’m not claiming perfection or an exemption from part of the guilt. I do try to do my part.
In this era of social media instead of being more connected, we are becoming less so and increasingly more antisocial. The internet is definitely a double edge sword. It’s easier to dispose of others virtually. Connections are at best tenuous, at worst, merely an item on a rolodex. Kindness seems to be in short supply. Sharing is becoming scarce, not sharing FB pix or links, real sharing, sharing in order to create community. What is the answer? I don’t know. But what I do know is that the current status quo is not conducive to a healthy professional environment.
You raise a very valid question, Stella. And for me the answer would be yes, supporting each other is a mutually beneficial thing. I certainly believe in the value of a community and in social awareness. You help and support – and get help and support in return. I don’t think it necessarily has to be reciprocal between two people, but within the community. If someone for instance support my kickstarter project, I don’t necessarily have to support his or her kickstarter project if it’s a project I don’t approve of for instance. But I would certainly support others, and try to find a way to support this person maybe in a different way. I think we ought to think about it as a community interaction. Besides getting directly help or support in return yourself, another benefit is that by supporting the community you actually grown yourself in that process. It’s like when I am teaching workshops where I give of myself to the students, but in that process I learn and gain just as much myself. Great post, Stella.
Great article and part of the reason I started my site/blog: pacificnwphotography.com, so that I could at least try and create an online community of sorts for photographers/photography fans in the Pacific NW. And also to promote and engage with the larger world-wide photography community.
i am a huge supporter and find it a pleasure. period. i can’t imagine making art or living any other way. i am far from a pushover, but i find that community makes life possible.
I am so with you on this Stella. In fact, when it comes to you specifically, I can say that your efforts are appreciated by me personally. You have supported my work in the past, and I would never ever forget that, and (you know this) will thank you until the end of time for it. I have been a big supporter of giving back, most especially when it comes to other artists of any kind. It also goes beyond that, and I find that supporting non-profits and educational institutions is key to surviving and thriving into the future.
Why anyone would not help out and support others that have helped them? Maybe I wear rose colored glasses, but how could you NOT?
This goes without saying, but you present us with a great article and a reminder to all that we are in this together. Thank you for this and everything else you’ve done in the past, and will clearly be doing in the future.
Stella, I love seeing all this beautiful work out there and am particularly touched by Rustbelt Almanac. It was because of one of your posts that I learned about the project, The Last Roll” by Jeff Jacobson. I supported the project and when I received the book the beauty of the work was humbling and inspiring. It is one of my favorite books ever, and my son Gregory was also taken with it and sits with it frequently just to admire the images and discuss the elements that make them all stand out.
The beauty about helping the photographic community is that it isn’t even altruistic.
This year I coordinated 15 photographers who were featured as part of Sydney’s Headon Photo Festival. I did this as I was one of the featured photographs the previous year and wanted to give something back.
But I ended up receiving far more than I gave. I came across an amazing curator, Hasib Zakaria, I went to a free talk by an extraordinary photographer, Shahidal Alam, I met James Nachtwey, Ben Lowy, Eli Reed..the list goes on…and I found there was a terrific community of dedicated public-spirited photographers in Sydney.
So give as much as you can because you will get so much more in return.
Thank you so much for featuring my story… What a fabulous recap and display of my journey and one I hope continues to inspire and motivate those living win chronic disease.
This is wonderful. Dara, God Bless and protect you. Terry Wahls is a friend of mine. Have you seen her TedX talk? PLEASE watch this. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLjgBLwH3Wc
Thank you for posting this especially after the brouhaha. I am very pleased to see there are still a folks like Dara who are brave enough in the face of adversity to think of how it can benefit others and that photographers like Ed still exist and want to use their work to help shape a better world. Good work Stella, my hat is off to you for this piece.
Wonderful to see a few folks who want to do more than “What in it for me” work.
these photos are stunning. As one of the three people on the planet who still doesn’t have an iphone (I have a 6 year old verizon casio exilim flip phone with a cracked screen) I can’t take isntagram photos. This project is worth it. Wow.
First, I’m pretty sure that Instagram now works on Android phones (I’m sorry but I don’t recognise the model listed).
Second, I’m based in the UK, will it still be possible to buy a copy if the book from over here? I bought one of the prints from 10×10 last year and love it. It would be good to continue that.
I’m a french photojournalist and I would ask you if you could do this package within a Skype/internet review ? I know it is not as good as a real person meeting but we have the ocean between us.
Otherwise, I’m moving for the first time in the US ‘3 weeks trip) in September, in Chicago mainly. Do you do your review only in NYC or somewhere else ?
Stella, I just wanted to pop in again and say thank you for featuring this story. I realized I should have said this before, long ago, on here. And heartfelt thanks to all those who came in to look, read, and comment, especially Dara herself who is so bravely sharing her story.
My experience tells me at least 10 years. That doesnt mean a photographer cant have great photos in the first 10 years. I just think it takes time to mature and develop into a fully evolved, or at least close to it, photographer. Of course there are always exceptions.
I visited the Magnum show at the HRC in Austin last week and was struck by the bios of the members. Most were not accepted until they were in their 40’s.
I agree that it takes a lot longer than most newbies expect it to. Consider what you were showing in your portfolio after just a couple of years. How many of those images remain after ten? Of course that’s a question that’s lost on ones who lack said number of years. So ask some veteran peers.
It’s now 2021 and after 11 years working as a commercial photographer and 4 as a visual artist I must agree! It’s taken me a good decade to finally find my path, build a solid portfolio and flex my intellectual muscles! – Paul
I’m only learning about Saul Leiter now. I admire he adhered to his own vision and photographed what pleased him, no worrying so much about how the work stood against contemporaries or what garnered popularity. That purpose in photography is often what attracts users to the medium but quickly gets forgotten in the rush for notoriety or the necessity to make a living.
I’m late in responding to your inquiry…but you mentioned nonetheless. The idea of mobile photography helping to solve crime (http://seetheidea.biz/2013/04/19/bombing-case-made-for-iphone-photo/) and the idea of mobile photography itself being in same conversation as camera photography. The sheer ubiquitous nature of camera phones and their apps (Instagram) is something I can’t decide which side of the positive/negative equation I’d rate it!! Great points you raised – can’t wait for the positives!!
Five years might get you a website and a business model, but ten to fifteen years might – with a great deal of work – see you on your way to creating a significant body of artistic work like David’s.
Fabulous post (pun pun) and I couldn’t agree more. I still love when the New Yorker falls out of the mailbox each week. And this year in particular I received a lot of personalized holiday cards from here and abroad. Yay for mail!
Friend and brilliant photographer Giovanni Savino pointed me to your post. Thanks for your articulate insights. I had feared that the Museum would not reflect the tragedy in ways beyond morbid theatrics.
Perhaps you too were moved by one of the original design competitors that included gardens on some of the top floors of the proposed toweres. Gardens and the vista seemed so moving, heartbreaking AND life-affirming that it seemed too perfect to be approved. Then we saw the David Childs proposal – which looked like a napkin sketch compared to the others lavish models and virtual walk-throughs– and like so many of us, i assumed the ‘competition’ was over…)
As someone who lost so many colleagues and friends from the AIDS pandemic, which still has no memorial in NYC, i can’t help but hope that people still grieving from 9-11 have found their own places (public and private) to honor loved ones.
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Wow, Stella – this is quite the inspiring compilation and review of the year in photography! THANK YOU for putting this all together and for mustering the strength to write about all that you thought was GOOD, especially during this time of year, which can be so very hard. I, too, mourn the loss of so many brilliant and talented individuals. We must be grateful they were in our lives for the short time that we had with them.
Thank.You. I am blessed to know so many women photographers. We mostly support, critique and help each other. Sadly some of the more successful do not. Perhaps the price of succeeding in a man’s world.
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Your excellent review makes me want to see the film. It reminds me of another horrible event that took place in my hometown of Patchogue, NY. Some teenagers assaulted and killed an immigrant, again, shouting the racial slurs. I don’t know how they became so contaged with hatred, but my heart breaks for all the wasted lives and lost futures–from the desperation of the immigrants, coming to a new place with nothing while searching for a future, to the teens whose lives got off track, who were also poor and confused and who knows what else. I don’t know what the solution to this displaced hatred and rage is, but I do know that for me, “the solution” started in my family growing up. My parents were accepting and respectful of everyone. We never heard racial or ethnic slurs in the home. We were not even allowed to speak cruelly to each other. We didn’t have to like everyone we met–we just had to respect their right to exist and live their lives. I will always be so grateful to my parents for this simple framework of respect and courtesy.
thanks for this, Stella
So beautiful. Love. Just love.
Thanks, Stella, for all your help and thoughts this year. Truly appreciated! –MS
Thanks Stella! Always great to see you!
I lift my glass to your toast! 2013 already feels amazing!
Thank you Stella, for the best in 2013! Glad we met in 2012
Fadi
Thank you Stella. It’s a pleasure to work with you.
Amazing show, amazing lecture, amazing man.
It’s these type of lectures that make FOTOfusion a World Class event.
This is fascinating, Stella. Your account seems mercifully unbiased and candid. I look forward to reading the rest of your posts. And it will be very interesting to follow unfolding events in Venezuela after Chavez’s death. A recurring problem with strong-man rule around the world has been the destruction of political institutions that make transitions after the departure of “numero uno” chaotic and unpredictable – just look at Libya, Egypt, Tunisia etc. I wonder if Venezuela will fall victim to the same syndrome.
Good post Stella. I agree about the image you mention at the end. I noted it too. There was an ambiguity to it that was unsettling. Is this person weeping over a loved one, are they comforting them, are they resuscitating them? That ‘uncertainty’ is far more powerful than a shattered leg, a screaming face, because it references the unknown, the ‘what-ifs’ and the sheer bewilderment that such events generate.
Thanks Stella.
Good article. Hours after a photo being declared iconic and lots of discussion about the pictures rather then the event.
Sorry I am not going to applaud the photographers but the authorities who quickly got the situation under control.
Thanks Stella. For the text, for the delicate way to see it, for the questions, for thinking out of the usual.
Really nice post.
Stella, I assure you my outrage is very real, and I’m here and ready to vote, speak, fight, blog etc. Thanks to you, as ever, for being a well needed voice of reason.
Go Stella!
Yep- although not sure if the kind of bosses who took that decision in the first place are the type to take any notice whatsoever. Cut things to the bone, save money, do it on the cheap is their mantra. Who cares if the quality suffers and people stop buying the papers? The advertisers? Sure-they will take their money elsewhere. It then becomes a self fulfilling prophecy that newspapers are dying and eventually more papers will finally shuffle off into the sunset.
I’ve been a staffer and I’ve been a freelance. They both have their good and bad points but thinking reporters with iphones can fill the gap is very naive and shows a complete lack of understanding of how good photographs can help to sell a quality product.
From across the pond, best wishes to the photographers who have been fired. You all deserve better than to be put on the scrapheap by an uncaring and dumb-ass management!
Amen! I couldn’t agree more. I think photographers are so worried about being perceived as negative and loosing future work that they won’t speak up. I know when ever I comment about copyright infringement etc. you can hear the crickets after they hit the Like button. If photographers would only unite against lower rates on Getty and all the other fronts we would have A Voice.
Why would anyone protest this? They made a decision which will ultimately effect their capacity to make work that is unique and captivating. The iphone is just a tool, even in a pros tool kit. What differentiates any artist is the content and how it’s presented. There will always be work for the people who create captivating stories, beautifully and creatively.. An amateur will never be a threat to those who take their work seriously.
The only loser here is the newspaper.
But that’s the point, amateurs are a threat. That’s why the pros were laid-off. So they lost their livelihood. The real losers are the audience.
I agree with Ryan. It’s about the quality of the content. Yes, you can make good images on the iphone…were you a good photographer to begin with. Trust me when I say that no matter what business ends up sacking it’s photographers, the story will get told and told well by professional photographers somewhere. They will make a mark with another publication or even a blog and the quality images will be seen. I’m not saying it’s a perfect world, but I never fear for my job because someone bought any kind of camera. It’s not the camera that takes the picture. I’ve heard so many times, “What camera took that photo? What lens was that?”. It’s not the camera, it’s not the lens. It’s the eye and operator behind both. Are we in a losing battle? To some extent maybe. Some jobs will be lost. In the end, I believe that those who are producing beautiful imagery will always be in demand, whether it be photojournalism, art, or commercial. Keep pushing the envelope and create stunning images and you may not need an employer. You’ll be a successful business of 1.
Back in 2000 at one of the last national conferences that ASMP held. Then pres Dick Weisgrau presented MPCA/MIRA to the chapter officials that had journeyed to Aspen, CO for this event. MPCA was an attempt to convince photographers to band together and agree on some minimum charges and basic rights. Dick presented this as ASMP’s last hope to try and stem the rapid decline in the industry. MPCA was structured in a way as to not get in to rate setting which is considered ‘restraint of trade’ when done by independent contractors. When the conference was over, we all went home excited and inspired to present the ideas to our chapter membership. To shorten the story, the idea was dead w/in 2 years because no one could or would agree to any numbers..the “big guys” wanted more and the “little guys” refused to take less. If the idea had worked, photographers everywhere would have benefitted. Perhaps not in the way that allows the 1% to dine at fancy NYC restaurants (for the few years that they’re ‘hot’), but in a way that lets 100% feed themselves and their families and live reasonable lives with room to grow their businesses.
Time, Inc. has been spun off and that entire collection of magazines will, in my guess, be gone not long after the company is floated (who is going to invest in a company whose revenue, and industry, is in steep and irreversible decline?). Friends of mine who still work there are re-writing resumes and interviewing even before the company goes public.
And as much as I love my daily newspaper, I can’t reconcile the fact that I reduce, reuse and recycle in all other areas of my life, but end up throwing out great big chunks of once-growing tree material every day. Sometimes without reading it. End of that subscription and I read it online.
Print media brought higher ad revenue but now readers and subscriptions are draining away to online, where the money ain’t.
The decline in the viability of a career in photojournalism is a small microcosm of the decline in the print/news/magazine industry as a whole. But I really believe that the key to individual survival isn’t to fight for an industry which is in swift atrophy. It’s to find a different client. Take your photojournalism to commercial clients. If strong images are always in demand — and they are — you’ll find work on the commercial side.
Great article, I like his photos. Thanks
On the money Stella, as usual.
This is what we try to do with Square Magazine: promote photography and photographers. There is still one problem though, something that’s quite puzzling: although we do ask for artists to send us news about their progress (exhibitions, shows, talks, books…), they pretty rarely do so. It is as if artists do not even expect support, in a way (OK, I know, the comparison between us and FF is not really accurate eh eh)
I did not know that Chris and I have been in and read your magazine. I will make more of an effort to let you know.
Great to see this highlighted. I’m just back from Tasmania, their prof convention. They have all the issues we have in the uk, saturation, plummeting standards etc but the vibe between photographers as humans was immense. None of the apathy we have here, all the fences were down and a mutual sense of encouragement resonated. Maybe because we are a small island and feel protective of our own.
Right on
we must shift
and work towards a win win game…
Read this with great interest. As photographers, we are the root cause of the problem. I have met some of the most wonderful human beings in this profession, supportive, encouraging, without a trace of ego. By the same token I’ve also met some of the most selfish, self centered, arrogant people ever. Support, from where I’m standing, is always being requested and voiced all the time. Many of us pony up money, sign petitions, send emails, write notes of encouragement and in many instances once these “artists” have gotten what they wanted, dispose of all courtesy, professional or otherwise. Hey, been de-friended on FB by a couple of “darlings” of the industry after sending my meager hard earned money for their crowd funding campaigns.
Not everyone is in NYC or LA or the Bay Area. That doesn’t mean there isn’t a community “at large elsewhere”. In the professional food chain I’m probably just plankton. Take plankton out of the food chain and watch what happens. A lot of these projects wouldn’t even get off the ground. Like you, I’m not claiming perfection or an exemption from part of the guilt. I do try to do my part.
In this era of social media instead of being more connected, we are becoming less so and increasingly more antisocial. The internet is definitely a double edge sword. It’s easier to dispose of others virtually. Connections are at best tenuous, at worst, merely an item on a rolodex. Kindness seems to be in short supply. Sharing is becoming scarce, not sharing FB pix or links, real sharing, sharing in order to create community. What is the answer? I don’t know. But what I do know is that the current status quo is not conducive to a healthy professional environment.
You raise a very valid question, Stella. And for me the answer would be yes, supporting each other is a mutually beneficial thing. I certainly believe in the value of a community and in social awareness. You help and support – and get help and support in return. I don’t think it necessarily has to be reciprocal between two people, but within the community. If someone for instance support my kickstarter project, I don’t necessarily have to support his or her kickstarter project if it’s a project I don’t approve of for instance. But I would certainly support others, and try to find a way to support this person maybe in a different way. I think we ought to think about it as a community interaction. Besides getting directly help or support in return yourself, another benefit is that by supporting the community you actually grown yourself in that process. It’s like when I am teaching workshops where I give of myself to the students, but in that process I learn and gain just as much myself. Great post, Stella.
Great article and part of the reason I started my site/blog: pacificnwphotography.com, so that I could at least try and create an online community of sorts for photographers/photography fans in the Pacific NW. And also to promote and engage with the larger world-wide photography community.
i am a huge supporter and find it a pleasure. period. i can’t imagine making art or living any other way. i am far from a pushover, but i find that community makes life possible.
I am so with you on this Stella. In fact, when it comes to you specifically, I can say that your efforts are appreciated by me personally. You have supported my work in the past, and I would never ever forget that, and (you know this) will thank you until the end of time for it. I have been a big supporter of giving back, most especially when it comes to other artists of any kind. It also goes beyond that, and I find that supporting non-profits and educational institutions is key to surviving and thriving into the future.
Why anyone would not help out and support others that have helped them? Maybe I wear rose colored glasses, but how could you NOT?
This goes without saying, but you present us with a great article and a reminder to all that we are in this together. Thank you for this and everything else you’ve done in the past, and will clearly be doing in the future.
All my best Stella.
You are so sweet to say these things, Michael. We all need a reminder sometimes that we’re in this together.
Stella, I love seeing all this beautiful work out there and am particularly touched by Rustbelt Almanac. It was because of one of your posts that I learned about the project, The Last Roll” by Jeff Jacobson. I supported the project and when I received the book the beauty of the work was humbling and inspiring. It is one of my favorite books ever, and my son Gregory was also taken with it and sits with it frequently just to admire the images and discuss the elements that make them all stand out.
The beauty about helping the photographic community is that it isn’t even altruistic.
This year I coordinated 15 photographers who were featured as part of Sydney’s Headon Photo Festival. I did this as I was one of the featured photographs the previous year and wanted to give something back.
But I ended up receiving far more than I gave. I came across an amazing curator, Hasib Zakaria, I went to a free talk by an extraordinary photographer, Shahidal Alam, I met James Nachtwey, Ben Lowy, Eli Reed..the list goes on…and I found there was a terrific community of dedicated public-spirited photographers in Sydney.
So give as much as you can because you will get so much more in return.
The work is beautiful. I’m especially struck by how wounded the transvestites look–as if brutality of all kinds had shaped them.
Thank you so much for featuring my story… What a fabulous recap and display of my journey and one I hope continues to inspire and motivate those living win chronic disease.
This is wonderful. Dara, God Bless and protect you. Terry Wahls is a friend of mine. Have you seen her TedX talk? PLEASE watch this.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLjgBLwH3Wc
thank you so much! I will check this out! many thanks for your prayers and support.
Thanks for sharing this Stella. Heartwarming and heartbreaking at the same time
Thank you for posting this especially after the brouhaha. I am very pleased to see there are still a folks like Dara who are brave enough in the face of adversity to think of how it can benefit others and that photographers like Ed still exist and want to use their work to help shape a better world. Good work Stella, my hat is off to you for this piece.
Wonderful to see a few folks who want to do more than “What in it for me” work.
these photos are stunning. As one of the three people on the planet who still doesn’t have an iphone (I have a 6 year old verizon casio exilim flip phone with a cracked screen) I can’t take isntagram photos. This project is worth it. Wow.
You and me both, Frances.
First, I’m pretty sure that Instagram now works on Android phones (I’m sorry but I don’t recognise the model listed).
Second, I’m based in the UK, will it still be possible to buy a copy if the book from over here? I bought one of the prints from 10×10 last year and love it. It would be good to continue that.
I’m sure they’ll ship to the UK if you donate. It may cost more for shipping.
Dear Stella,
I’m a french photojournalist and I would ask you if you could do this package within a Skype/internet review ? I know it is not as good as a real person meeting but we have the ocean between us.
Otherwise, I’m moving for the first time in the US ‘3 weeks trip) in September, in Chicago mainly. Do you do your review only in NYC or somewhere else ?
Best regards,
Merci
I can definitely do this offer with Skype. Email me at info@stellakramer.com so we can talk further.
Great series, I got inked this year too here is a link to my process if you are interested.
http://phrenz.tumblr.com/post/56563047392
Where the tat?
It’s on my right arm, you don’t see it there?
Thanks for sharing Dana. May you continue to enjoy good health and know your triggers. Be well, and live happy!
Where can I send you mine? 🙂
thanks, but i’m not taking any more.
Stella, I just wanted to pop in again and say thank you for featuring this story. I realized I should have said this before, long ago, on here. And heartfelt thanks to all those who came in to look, read, and comment, especially Dara herself who is so bravely sharing her story.
David Carol: you are so rude and offensive. I think you could get your point across without that language.
10- 15yrs? try 5,
My experience tells me at least 10 years. That doesnt mean a photographer cant have great photos in the first 10 years. I just think it takes time to mature and develop into a fully evolved, or at least close to it, photographer. Of course there are always exceptions.
I visited the Magnum show at the HRC in Austin last week and was struck by the bios of the members. Most were not accepted until they were in their 40’s.
I agree that it takes a lot longer than most newbies expect it to. Consider what you were showing in your portfolio after just a couple of years. How many of those images remain after ten? Of course that’s a question that’s lost on ones who lack said number of years. So ask some veteran peers.
It’s now 2021 and after 11 years working as a commercial photographer and 4 as a visual artist I must agree! It’s taken me a good decade to finally find my path, build a solid portfolio and flex my intellectual muscles! – Paul
I’m only learning about Saul Leiter now. I admire he adhered to his own vision and photographed what pleased him, no worrying so much about how the work stood against contemporaries or what garnered popularity. That purpose in photography is often what attracts users to the medium but quickly gets forgotten in the rush for notoriety or the necessity to make a living.
Winogrand is misspelled
thanks for catching that.
Looking forward to what’s left on your Good list.
Spot on and keep it coming.
Best wishes for the new year, avoid vice (pool halls, juke joints, dice games, etc).
Great wrap-up. Your no BS style is so wonderful. Keep it coming in 2014.
I love hearing what’s on the Stella-brain. This is no exception. Can’t wait for the next installment!
I’m late in responding to your inquiry…but you mentioned nonetheless. The idea of mobile photography helping to solve crime (http://seetheidea.biz/2013/04/19/bombing-case-made-for-iphone-photo/) and the idea of mobile photography itself being in same conversation as camera photography. The sheer ubiquitous nature of camera phones and their apps (Instagram) is something I can’t decide which side of the positive/negative equation I’d rate it!! Great points you raised – can’t wait for the positives!!
Thanks to you for a great year as well. “Kardashian fatigue.” I love it. Bah!
Five years might get you a website and a business model, but ten to fifteen years might – with a great deal of work – see you on your way to creating a significant body of artistic work like David’s.
Fabulous post (pun pun) and I couldn’t agree more. I still love when the New Yorker falls out of the mailbox each week. And this year in particular I received a lot of personalized holiday cards from here and abroad. Yay for mail!
Trying to contact John. I was a first responder . I am trying to find any pics of my dogs and I from 9/11. 570-231-0302. Thank you.
Stella,
Friend and brilliant photographer Giovanni Savino pointed me to your post. Thanks for your articulate insights. I had feared that the Museum would not reflect the tragedy in ways beyond morbid theatrics.
Perhaps you too were moved by one of the original design competitors that included gardens on some of the top floors of the proposed toweres. Gardens and the vista seemed so moving, heartbreaking AND life-affirming that it seemed too perfect to be approved. Then we saw the David Childs proposal – which looked like a napkin sketch compared to the others lavish models and virtual walk-throughs– and like so many of us, i assumed the ‘competition’ was over…)
As someone who lost so many colleagues and friends from the AIDS pandemic, which still has no memorial in NYC, i can’t help but hope that people still grieving from 9-11 have found their own places (public and private) to honor loved ones.
Thanks again for your observations.
I completely agree with you, gardens would have been a much more palatable memorial to the happenings of 911.
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Wow, Stella – this is quite the inspiring compilation and review of the year in photography! THANK YOU for putting this all together and for mustering the strength to write about all that you thought was GOOD, especially during this time of year, which can be so very hard. I, too, mourn the loss of so many brilliant and talented individuals. We must be grateful they were in our lives for the short time that we had with them.
Thank.You. I am blessed to know so many women photographers. We mostly support, critique and help each other. Sadly some of the more successful do not. Perhaps the price of succeeding in a man’s world.
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