HALEY MORRIS-CAFIERO: Wait Watchers

Flanders / Marilyn:  Palm Springs, CA

© Haley Morris-Cafiero

 

 Titan: New York, NY

 © Haley Morris-Cafiero

Gelato

 © Haley Morris-Cafiero

Cops: New York, NY  

© Haley Morris-Cafiero

Vitoria:  Barcelona, Spain 
© Haley Morris-Cafiero

I met Haley Morris-Cafiero and viewed her series "Wait Watchers" less than a year ago at Chicago's 2013 FilterPhoto Festival. Since that time, her work has exploded onto the photography scene. It was chosen by curator Kyohei Abe (Director and Chief Curator at the Detroit Center for Contemporary Photography) for his exhibition "Juxtapose" at the Darkroom Gallery; chosen by curator Susan Burnstine for her show "The Visual Narrative" at the Minneapolis Photo Center; chosen for the Houston Center for Photography's 32nd Annual Exhibition juried by Malcolm Daniel; and soon to be seen on The Photoville FENCE in both New York and Atlanta.

Haley is based in Memphis. She received her MFA in Art from the University of Arizona and her BFA in Ceramics and BA in Photography from University of North Florida. She is currently an Associate Professor and Head of the Photography Department at Memphis College of Art. She uses film and digital rangefinders to capture her images. The unaltered images are printed using digital process.

The Series: WAIT WATCHERS

"I have always had a hard time controlling my weight. My....exterior has determined my place in society and I have often felt left out and awkward. I photograph myself in socially engaged spaces to examine how my body fits into society."

"For my series, Wait Watchers, I set up a camera in a heavy-traffic, public area and take hundreds of photographs as I perform mundane, everyday tasks as people pass by me. I then examine the images to see if any of the passersby had a critical or questioning element in their face or in their body language. I consider my photographs a social experiment and I travel the world in an attempt to photograph the reactions of a diverse pool of passersby."

 

"I seek out places that are beautifully lit, allow for an interesting composition and, if possible, set up a scene that references ideal feminine beauty and societal expectations. I put the camera on a tripod, bench or with an assistant, in full view of the by-passing gazer, set the focus and exposure and take hundreds of photographs."

"The images capture the gazer in a Cartier-Bresson, microsecond moment where the shutter, the scene, my actions and their body language align and are presented to the viewer. While I do not know what they are thinking, the gazer appears to be visually troubled that I am in front of them."

HALEY MORRIS-CAFIERO

JACK REZNICKI: Explorer of Light

Tanzania © Jack Reznicki

 Tanzania © Jack Reznicki

Tanzania © Jack Reznicki

"Tanzania was a fantastic place for images and for the experience. While the animals were amazing to photograph, it’s always the people and how they live that fascinates me the most." –Jack Reznicki

China © Jack Reznicki

China © Jack Reznicki

China © Jack Reznicki

"The rich and deep history of China is something that has always interested me. I’ve enjoyed making contemporary images I take there look more like the past than the present." –Jack Reznicki

Jack Reznicki is one of the original “Canon Explorers of Light” comprised of some of the most influential photographers and cinematographers in the world, each a master of their creative specialty.

Based in New York City, Jack is a well-known and respected commercial photographer, as well as author of several books including “Photographer’s Survival Guide”, which deals with copyright and legal issues for photographers; “Studio and Commercial Photography - A Kodak Pro Workshop” and other books. Jack teaches "The Business of Photography" and a Canon Speedlite Workshop at the School of Visual Arts in the Masters of Professional Studies in Digital Photography program.

Born in Israel, the son of concentration camp survivors, Jack moved to the US when he was four years old and grew up in Rochester, NY. With a BFA cum laude degree in photography from the Rochester Institute of Technology, and after assisting some of the top photographers in New York, Jack opened his studio in 1980. In the early days of the Internet, he founded the Photo News Network (PNN) along with Life photographer Gary Gladstone. It was one of the very first online communities for professional photographers to share and discuss various issues pertaining to photography. He currently writes a column in Photoshop User Magazine called “The Copyright Zone” with lawyer Ed Greenberg.

Along with many other awards, Jack twice received the IPC (International Photographic Council) Leadership medal for “Excellence in Studio Photography” at the United Nations. He was appointed a guest professor at Shandong University of Art and Design in Jinan, China and named a Mo-Tse Grand Master Photographer in China. He is also honored to be named an Honorary Fellow of the New Zealand Institute of Professional Photography.

One of the original “Canon Explorers of Light”,  Jack is also a Photoshop World “Dream Team” instructor, an X-Rite “Coloratti”, and a Sandisk “Photo Master”. Jack also does Beta testing and consulting with Canon, Mamiya, Microsoft, X-Rite, Leaf digital backs, onOne Software, and Adobe.

http://www.reznicki.com

ALINE SMITHSON: The Interview

Arrangement in Green and Black #2

Portrait of the Photographer’s Mother © Aline Smithson 

Arrangement in Green and Black #17

Portrait of the Photographer’s Mother  © Aline Smithson  

Arrangement in Green and Black #1

Portrait of the Photographer’s Mother © Aline Smithson  

Elizabeth Avedon: What sparked the idea for your series, Arrangement in Green and Black?

Aline Smithson: The idea was sparked when I came across a small print of Arrangement in Gray and Black: Portrait of the Painter's Mother by James McNeil Whistler at a garage sale.  Whistler has always been one of my favorite painters. Revisiting the composition again made me ponder the possibilities of using it in a photographic series. Within an hour, at two other garage sales, I happened upon a leopard coat and hat,a leopard fabric, a cat painting and a chair that was similar to the one in the painting...and I knew it was a sign to proceed.

My patient 85 year-old mother posed in over 20 ensembles, but unfortunately passed away before seeing the finished series. I am grateful for her sense of humor and the time this series allowed us to be together. 

 EA: Which of the 21 was the first?

AS: The first was the leopard coat and hat and the cat painting. I immediately loved the result and it set my imagination on fire.  I would lie awake at night thinking of combinations and scenarios. I was also working on a couple of other series at the same time. It was a period of immense creativity. 
 

Read more L'Oeil de la Photographie here
 

Fur © Aline Smithson  

Lucy with Mountains from Revisiting Beauty © Aline Smithson

As seen in the 2014 PDN Photo Annual 

I first met ALINE SMITHSON several years ago while I was a reviewer for CENTER's annual Review Santa Fe. I was impressed with all of her work using various subjects and styles. I fell in love with her mysterious black and white series, Inside/Out, and Daughter, a photographic journey from childhood to adolescent to adulthood of her daughter Charlotte; and many of her photographs incorporating her family on their yearly vacations on a lake. 

After a career as a New York Fashion Editor, working along side the greats of fashion photography, including Horst, Mario Testino, Patrick Demarchelier, Arthur Elgort, and Bert Stern, ALINE SMITHSON discovered the family Rolleiflex and never looked back. She has exhibited widely including solo shows at the Griffin Museum of Photography, the Center of Fine Art Photography, the Fort Collins Museum of Contemporary Art, the Lishui Festival in China, the Tagomago Gallery in Barcelona and Paris, and the Wallspace Gallery in Seattle and Santa Barbara. And her latest exhibition, Arrangement in Gray and Black: Portrait of the Photographer's Mother, opened at the Davis Orton Gallery in Hudson New York last week.

Aline radiates her own personal power - she is known as a superstar among her peers. While working full-time on her own photography career, she generously promotes and supports the work of mid-career and emerging photographers daily on her award winning journal, LENSCRATCH; as well as giving workshops at the Los Angeles Center of Photography (LACP) and jurying exhibitions and portfolio reviews around the country. 

I spoke with Aline recently about her ongoing work projects, her upcoming exhibition and her collaboration with her mother. Read our full Interview on L'Oeil de la Photography here.

EXHIBITION
Photographs by Aline Smithson
Arrangement in Gray and Black: Portrait of the Photographer's Mother
May 16 - June 22, 2014
Davis Orton Gallery
114 Warren Street Hudson, NY 12534 USA
 

Also showing:
Photographs by Meg Birnbaum, Sisters of the Commonwealth
 

MEG BIRNBAUM: Sisters of the Commonwealth

Frieda B Fabulous 2013 © Meg Birnbaum

Amanda Tyan-Whip 2012 © Meg Birnbaum

Eunice X and KrisTall Mighty 2012 © Meg Birnbaum

"I discovered the Boston Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence in a local magazine. I had never seen anything quite like them before but I knew I wanted to meet and photograph them. I was already fascinated by costuming -the empowerment and permission it gives you to explore other sides of yourself. The Sisters have shown me new ways to think about social activism and giving and I am honored to put their images out into the world. The reception at the Davis/Orton gallery was lively, giving me the opportunity too meet new people and start new conversations." –Meg Birnbaum

"There are 3,000-plus Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence worldwide, with 18 sisters, novices, postulates, and aspirants in the Boston area. For three years, I have walked in gay pride parades with them, screamed encouragements alongside them at Boston’s annual AIDS Walk, accompanied them to fancy fundraising dinners at city hotels, brought friends to their monthly Drag Bingo charity events, and sailed with them while they've sold raffle tickets on Boston harbor cruises....Read and View Meg Birnbaum's Photo Portfolio on L'Oeil de la Photographie

EXHIBITION

Photographs by Meg Birnbaum
Sisters of the Commonwealth
May 16 - June 22, 2014
Davis Orton Gallery
114 Warren Street, Hudson, NY 12534

Also showing: Photographs by Aline Smithson

ALAN KLEINBERG: Out All Night

 Caroline Kennedy, 1978

Photograph © Alan Kleinberg

 

Original mock- up of portraits book for Kleinberg made by Marvin Israel

Photographs by Alan Kleinberg

Outlet Gallery's John Silvis with Alan Kleinberg and Susan Forristal,

Hanging the show, May 7, 2014

Carolina Herrera, Studio 54 owner Steve Rubell and Rod Stewart at Studio 54

Photograph 1979 © Alan Kleinberg

I’ve known Alan Kleinberg since I was a teenager in art school in the late sixties. At that time he was one of New York’s most sought-after hairdressers from the prestigious Kenneth salon, working with top fashion photographers and models for Vogue, Glamour and other magazine shoots.

Working with notable photographers such as Richard Avedon, Irving Penn, and Saul Leiter, Kleinberg learned how to handle a camera and develop his own film. He credits Leiter in particular, along with Louis Faurer, with influencing his approach to photography and his interest in human subjects.

He later went on to wear many hats. He was Producer on Jim Jarmusch’s independent art house film, Down by Law; also as Producer, he was a nominee for a Grammy Award with David Byrne, directing the one hour Talking Heads compilation music video “Story Telling Giant” and an MTV Award for “Close to the Edit”. His company, Big Z, was formed with the Academy Award winning film director, Zbigniew Rybczynski, created many innovative music video’s.

I’ve never seen Alan without a camera, usually a Leica. He shoot’s in black and white and everything he shoots is great. His extensive archive is a treasure-trove of the coolest history of New York from the 1970’s through today. 

Alan Kleinberg’s debut exhibition opened at the OUTLET Gallery in Bushwick with 29 black and white images from his vast archive of New York City’s downtown scene during the 1970’s....Read more here on L'Oeil de la Photographie

OUT ALL NIGHT

Photographs by Alan Kleinberg
May 9 - June 1, 2014
Outlet Fine Art Gallery
253 Wilson Avenue Brooklyn NY

ANDERSON+LOW: Black Sand Surfers in Taiwan

Black Sand: Surfers In Taiwan

Published by Lucky Panda Press (March 2014)

Rinaldo Lee

Eddie Chen

 Anderson + Low  

Black Sand: Surfers in Taiwan

"Black Sand is a continuation of Anderson + Low's ongoing studies of sport and of sport as a reflection of both individual and cultural diversity and aspiration; it is an exploration of the new Taiwanese surfing culture."

"The volcanic black sand beaches, the grey sky of the typhoon season and a lead-colored sea provide a natural monochrome backdrop for this new series.The only color in the photographs is found in the surfer's skin and the vibrant design of their surfboards and surfing attire. the resulting images are the antithesis of the archetypal surfing image." –Publisher

ABOUT ANDERSON + LOW

EA: Where did you two meet?

Jonathan Anderson: We met in a photographic facility in London 25 years ago October the 12th this year. We’ve been working as the team 'Anderson + Low' for over twenty years.   

Edwin Low: We submitted some work for the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition. It was quite unique because it was the first time they accepted Photography as an art form in the Royal Academy. The rest is history.  

Jonathan Anderson: We thought we’d better take ourselves seriously and carry on, so that's where it all started.

ELIZABETH AVEDON: On TIME Magazines 140 Best Twitter Feeds of 2014 List

  

TIME Magazines 'Best Twitter Feeds of 2014' list

And thanks for the pretty fine compliments from TIME's Mia Tramz!  

 

"Choosing TIME’s Annual List of the 140 Most Influential Twitter Feeds is never easy, with tens of thousands of contenders, but it’s especially difficult as a greater volume of people, organizations and even bots find innovative ways to stand out. This list contains a wide range of personalities, all chosen by TIME editors from diverse subjects like politics, sports, culture and technology."(TIME.com)

THE  COMPLETE  TIME  LIST

Follow Me on Twitter: @elizabethavedon

Follow Me on Instagram: instagram.com/elizabethavedon

LAUREN HENKIN: The Park at Foley Gallery

 

The Park 31 © Lauren Henkin

"One photograph stuck with me the most (This Park #31). There was something about the way the branches coexists with the building’s reflection.  There was a harmony between the built and the natural that I hadn’t expected to see in New York. I became very aware, and very sensitized to the architecture that lives on the periphery of the park.  And scale—the extreme differences between the buildings and us...." read more here

The Park 4 © Lauren Henkin

"For me, it’s as much about seeing the light on the softball field as it is about the softball. It’s as much about the deep grooves in the rocks as it is about the rock-climbing.  It’s as much about the sun on your back as it is about sunbathing. My work is not so much about subject.  It’s about developing an intimate relationship with a viewer so that there can be some kind of emotional response to the photographs...." read more here

Read my Interview with Lauren Henkin

on L'Oeil de la Photographie here

Lauren Henkin: The Park   

April 30-June 8, 2014

Foley Gallery

 97 Allen Street, NYC

The Park 35 © Lauren Henkin