THE RESOURCE FOR PROFESSIONAL IMAGE MAKERS OF TOMORROW

SPRING

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QUAT, CONSENDIGNA FEUM ESTRUD MAGNA

VICTORIA GRANOF ON FOOD STYLING AND SNAILS WHO LIKE BEER ALSO: COULD EDIBLE BE YOUR NEXT MAGAZINE ASSIGNMENT?

e ve It F t !

UT IRIUSCI LLANDRE FEUISI ERAT. UT PRAESE MOD DO LUTPATEM EA ALIQUIPISI.

ABOVE: Tet, si tem iuscidui eugiamc onsequissi. Te molum volum volorper sed mod tat nonullandre tat wisi. Uptat num nissi. Tat wis nosto consed ming euisi. Obor si. Gait luptat lore facipis augait ulputpat. Ratetue vero

THE SECRETS OF CELEBRITY PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHER

ART STREIBER

PHOTO FEED WINNER

SHIFTS TO HIGH GEAR

TODD BURANDT BRIAN SMITH

REVEALS HIS 'ART & SOUL'

ALISSA EVERETTS BEIRUT NIGHTCLUBS STUNNING STILL LIFES

us:

LIGHTROOM MADE EASY WRITE A SMARTER ESTIMATE

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travel with a pro

David McLain / Pro Photographer, Sony Artisan of Imagery + Sony NEX-7 Camera Talk about the ultimate travel camera. It ts in my pocket but still shoots with the quality of my DSLR. sony.com/nex7

 February 2012 Sony Electronics Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. Sony and the Sony make.believe logo are trademarks of Sony. All other trademarks are trademarks of their respective owners.

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VP & PUBLISHER Lauren Wendle DIRECTOR, PDN CUSTOM Jeanine Moutenot MEDIA & EVENTS jmoutenot@pdnonline.com
ALISSA EVERETT

EDITOR Kristina Feliciano CREATIVE DIRECTOR Adana Jimenez PHOTO EDITOR Jacqui Palumbo CONTRIBUTORS Blake Andrews, Tony Gale, Julie

ABOVE: The two women in this image represent two sides of Lebanese culture juxtaposed, says Everett. One is fully engaged in the scene. The other is caught in a contemplative moment, slightly insecure in her gesturea serious side of the Lebanese that is rarely shown.

SEEING PAST THE GLITTER

LAURA TAYLOR

Grahame, Rachel Hulin, Rick Miller, Kris Wilton, Alison Zavos

PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Danny Ryan CIRCULATION Lori Golczewski ONLINE PROJECT MANAGER Reiko Matsuo ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Mark Brown (646) 654-5795 WEST COAST ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Lori Reale (858) 204-8956 ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Mike Gangel (646) 654-5318

PHOTOJOURNALIST ALISSA EVERETT has made a name for herself documenting the refugee experience in Darfur, sexual violence in Congo and life in the Gaza Strip, among other challenging stories, but she also shoots travel photography. On a trip to Beirut last August to do a travel piece on ALISSA EVERETT the citys nightlife, the 40-year-old photographer photographed at four popular clubs. In addition to her Sony Alpha NEX-5, she carried with her the memories of her visit to Beirut years earlier, when a group of young Lebanese gave her a tour of the nightclub scene. I was astounded, Everett recalls of that initial trip. All I had ever heard of Lebanon was of war, and yet here were elegant people in a sophisticated scene that could have been anywhere in Europe. Over the years, she says, nightclubs became an important symbol of the Lebanese culture to me: a lust for life, appreciation of beauty and determination to live despite the war and death that has surrounded them for decades. Everett produced nearly 700 images in four evenings, shooting as much as possible with available light. Clubs are tricky and take some practice, she notes, but the light is much of the experience and is thus what makes the picture. In February, Everett will be in the Democratic Republic of Congo, continuing her project on survivors of sexual violence (images can be see at www.alissaeverett.com). Shell also be nurturing her nonprot, Care Through Action (www.carethroughaction.org), through which she mounts exhibitions and raises funds for the subjects of her photography. In the Congo, we have built several safe houses for survivors and have ongoing skills training and loan programs to help the women get back on their feet, she says. It is my way to give back to those who open their lives to me and need help the most.
KRISTINA FELICIANO

Dennis Tyhacz (646) 654-5786 Jon McLoughlin (646) 654-7255

Emerging Photographer 770 Broadway, 8th Floor New York, NY 10003 Ph: (646) 654-5800

Emerging Photographer is brought to you by two of the most respected names in professional photography: Photo District News and Sony.

ON OUR COVER
A photograph by Stephen Lewis originally shot for Psychology Today magazine, for a story on an adventurous eater. Food stylist Victoria Granof gives us a behind-the-scenes look at this image and two other recent food photos that she styled on page 14. Photo Stephen Lewis/ Art + Commerce/Styling by Victoria Granof

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Emerging Photographer Spring 2012

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Alissa Evere explores Beirut, Tony Gale on assisting, Lightroom tips from Rick Miller, three photographers on how they got amazing shots, strategic estimating with John Harrington, a peek inside photographer Me Ra Kohs case and advice from a food stylist.

Features
Art Streiber takes us behind the scenes of some of his shoots and oers VIP access to his creative process. By Kris Wilton

STAR POWER

Hannah Whitaker has made shooting product still lifes into a vibrant, punchy art form. By Julie Grahame
DRIVEN TO SUCCEED Aspiring automotive photographer (and Emerging Photographer Photo Feed winner) Todd Burandt is in it for the long haul. By Blake Andrews PRODUCT REVIEWS The latest must-have gear from Sony.

POP TILL YOU DROP

Edible magazine oers local photographers a chance to dish out some fresh tearsheets. By Kristina Feliciano

GOOD ENOUGH TO EAT

The story of how music photographer Clay Patrick McBride got his start, and started a whole new career. By Rachel Hulin

LET IT ROCK!

Inside the renowned photographers new coee-table book. By Kristina Feliciano

THE ART & SOUL OF BRIAN SMITH

HANNAH WHITAKER/NEW YORK MAGAZINE

Greg Miller has built a thriving professional career by emphasizing his personal work. By Lyra Kilston

BUT BACK TO ME

PORTFOLIO OF ONE
Could you dene your work with a single image? Cass Bird gives it a try.

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TIPS ON PHOTO ASSISTING

TONY GALE

For many emerging photographers, the rst step to a successful career is becoming a photo assistant. You get paid to learn, you meet all the right people, and you see the ways to produce a successful shoot and what not to do. But there are some important things to know if you want to make the most of your assisting opportunities. By Tony Gale

QUESTIONS TO ASK WHEN YOU GET THE CALL

Is the shoot a hold or conrmed? A hold means they want you to set aside that day, but the shoot may not happen. If someone else calls you for that same time, call the photographer who put you on hold and give them the chance to conrm or release you.

TALI SHMULOVICH

rental studios, the clock starts when the rst person walks in. You dont want the studio time to start early because of you.

someone who will work hard and pay a ention as opposed to someone who knows everything and doesnt care.

FINAL WORDS OF WISIDOM

Every situation and every photographer is dierent. Just because I as a photographer say this is what I want, that does not mean that the photographer you work for tomorrow will want things done the same way. Adapt to every situation, have a good a itude and you will be successful.
Tony Gale is an award-winning New York Citybased photographer who also teaches in the Photo Assistant Basic Training program administered by American Photographic Artists.

If you dont know how to use a

piece of equipment, always ask. and quietly tell the rst assistant or the photographer. something to do.

Dont talk about your own pho-

tography, especially to the client.

If you notice a problem, quickly

AFTER THE JOB

Invoice promptly. Your invoice
should have all your contact info, the job info, the rate and, depending on the photographer, they may also want your Social Security Number for tax purposes. there is anything they would have preferred you do dierently.

Always be busy; always look for Dont break for lunch until told Keep the gear organized
and neat. to and make sure the photographer eats something as well.

How should you dress? Is it a corporate job, where you need to look businesslike, or is it outside in the winter and you need to be bundled up? Is it in a warehouse with oil and dust everywhere? ally, you want to always have a Sharpie, cellphone and multitool. Some assistants bring much more, and if you save the day because you had extra gaers tape or an Allen wrench, you are a hero.

Ask the photographer if

Be alert and on top of it. When

What should you bring? Gener-

I hire an assistant, I much prefer

BELOW: Tony Gale with a group of students at the APA/Sony Photo Assistant Basic Training program.

What is the rate? Dierent jobs

and dierent cities will have pay dierent rates. If you feel like the rate is inappropriate, now is the time to bring it up. Generally, a shoot day is anything up to 10 hours, with overtime a er that.

Is there a budget for overtime? When can you expect to get

paid? At the end of the job? In 15 days? 30 days? When the photographer gets paid?

Arrive a few minutes early, but

dont walk in early. Especially in

PDNEP.COM

KAYLA LINDQUIST

ONCE YOU ARE ON THE JOB

crazy fast
Brian Smith / Pro Photographer, Sony Artisan of Imagery + Sony 77 DSLR Camera At 12 frames per second you catch the shots everyone else is missing. sony.com/a77

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WAYS TO USE LIGHTROOM MORE EFFECTIVELY

BY RICK MILLER
Lightroom 3 helps you bring out the best in your photographs, whether youre perfecting one image, searching for 10, processing hundreds or RICK MILLER organizing thousands. Here are four tips to help you get the most out of it so that you can spend more time doing what you love: being creative.
COURTESY OF RICK MILLER

. USE THE WHITE BALANCE SELECTOR TOOL.

Photograph a spectrally neutral white (or gray) balance card during your photo session. Once in Lightroom, navigate to the Develop Module and select the White Balance Selector tool. With the White Balance Selector active, click on the neutral white balance card (or gray card) to neutralize your photograph. Avoid spectral highlights or areas that are 100 percent white. To synchronize your white balance setting across multiple photographs (photographed with the same lighting conditions): Shift-click to select a range of photos in the Filmstrip to synchronize with the current photo, and then in the Develop module, click the Sync button or choose Settings > Sync Settings. Select the settings to copy and click Synchronize.

THOMAS SUN

ABOVE: Miller develops presets in order to maintain consistency in a batch of images.

ability to combine (in Photoshop) different exposures (or other adjustments) of a photograph. Virtual copies dont exist as actual photos or duplicates of photos. Virtual copies are metadata in the catalog that stores the different sets of adjustments. This is helpful for saving hard-drive space.

deselect everything, and then click to select each of the settings to include in the preset. Type a name in the Preset Name box, specify which folder the preset should appear in, and click Create. The preset is added to the list in the Presets panel in the specied folder.

. DEVELOP PRESETS.
If you like the adjustments you made to a photograph, then save that combination of adjustments as a develop preset. This is very helpful for applying a consistent look to your photographs. In the Develop module, click the Create New Preset (+) button at the top of the Presets panel or choose Develop > New Preset. Click Check All to select everything or click Check None to

. USE THE ADJUSTMENT BRUSH.

The Adjustment Brush is a very powerful tool that allows you to paint localized effects such as exposure, brightness, contrast, saturation, clarity, sharpness, colorand a lot of localized adjustments that you otherwise would have done in Photoshop. Rick Miller is a senior solutions engineer for education at Adobe Systems.

. MAKE VIRTUAL COPIES.

Virtual copies allow you to have multiple versions of a photograph and apply different adjustment settings to them. This is extremely helpful when experimenting with various looks and feels. Also, virtual copies give you the
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Awards

Adobe presents the Rising Star Award, which celebrates emerging artists creating compelling works through digital imaging. Congratulations to 2012 PDNs 30 member Mark Fisher, who will receive the Adobe Creative Suite Master Collection.
MARK FISHER IS THE FOUNDER OF FISHER CREATIVE and is an internationally recognized, award-winning photographer and director. He has spent signicant time internationally, living in places like the United Arab Emirates, South Korea and Germany, in addition to living throughout the United States. Through these diverse experiences and the inuence of key mentors, Fisher has developed a passion for creating images that capture human emotion in the mountain environment. He is driven by the sports and activities he captures and is an athlete himself. Beyond action-sports and outdoor photography he brings over a decade of studio and commercial photography to any project. Fisher is based in Victor, Idaho and available for assignments worldwide. >> TO LEARN MORE ABOUT HIS WORK VISIT FISHERCREATIVE.COM

MARK FISHER

Pro freeskier Elyse Saugstad takes advantage of an a ernoon clearing a er a storm o of Teton Pass, Wyoming.

MARK FISHER

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HOW I GOT THAT SHOT

THREE PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHERS SHARE THE CREATIVE PROCESS BEHIND ONE OF THEIR RECENT PHOTOS. INTERVIEWS BY ALISON ZAVOS

PDNEP.COM

EVAN KAFKA

Evan Ka a
Based: New York City Specialities: portraits and lifestyle for editorial and advertising Job: Chevy Chase portrait for American Way magazine
Ka a had a li le over an hour to photograph Chevy Chase at Brynwood Golf & Country Club for the cover of American Way, American Airlines in-ight EVAN KAFKA magazine. Chase was half an hour late, ge ing lost on the way to the venue, and seemingly gru by the time he arrived. Ka a had done his homework about Chase, though, and knew how to lighten the mood. He really lit up when I started asking him about the early days. I think Chevy and I have a similar sense of humor, albeit mine is minuscule compared to his, Ka a says. But it was enough to get us through the morning. The brief was to re-create Chases character Ty Webb from the 1980 cult comedy Caddyshack. Both Ka a and the art director had brainstormed ideas and prioritized a few scenariosnone of which, incidentally, included the actor/comedian holding a golf ball in his mouth. That was all Chevy, says Ka a, who shot just two frames to get this image. He just did it. We just put him into situations, and he took it from there.
EVAN KAFKA

LIZ VON HOENE

Liz Von Hoene

Based: Atlanta Specialties: fashion and lifestyle for editorial and advertising Job: Kohler ad campaign
Advertising agency GSD&Ms idea for this ad was to portray a trapeze artist ying through the air to emphasize that the Kohler Flipside showerhead oers four dierent spraying pa erns. Von Hoene, who is known for creating thorough treatments for her clients, brainstormed potential characters for the trapeze artist, pulled some creative inspiration and hired an il-

BELOW: Kafka on set with Chevy Chase.

COURTESY OF EVAN KAFKA

LIZ VON HOENE

lustrator to work out on paper how the shot could be accomplished. Through several rounds of casting, she explains, she found a doe-eyed model to play Madame Verushckaa character from her treatmentand had an entire cyc lled with every color and texture of accoutrements and accessories to add to her costume. Von Hoene and her crew of 13, which included a stunt coordinator and special-eects specialist, had just one build day and one shoot day, so she planned down to the minute how long each shot would take. The day before, she even worked with a stand-in to determine lighting and placement of the handpainted backdrop and showerheads. They had such a strong concept already, notes Von Hoene, but aorded me a lot of freedom to collaborate creatively and bring what was just a pencil illustration to life.
PDNEP.COM

MEGHAN MCNEER

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Pier Nicola DAmico

Based: Philadelphia Specialties: portraits, sports, and lifestyle for editorial and advertising Job: Thom Yorke portrait for Paste magazine
Just before DAmico was due to photograph Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke for Paste, Yorke found out that his solo album had been leaked online. Understandably, he was not PIER NICOLA DAMICO happy, which made DAmicos job a bit more challenging. The main execution on this shoot, which involved a forest of plants and moonlit lighting, was immediately
KLIP COLLECTIVE

rejected by Thom, recalls DAmico. Fortunately, he had three other setups ready to go in the basement of Philadelphias Power Plant studios, chosen for its dierent textures and settings. All setups were pre-lit and independent of each other, so we could move from set to set fast, says DAmico. Ricardo Rivera, DAmicos partner in Klip Collective, a sitespecific video installation company, had cued up different projections in the studio. The minute we walked into the space, DAmico says, Thom was into it. Yorke was scheduled for an hour, but DAmico notes that he stayed for three, looking at files and discussing my postproduction approach. The most memorable moment on the shoot for DAmico was watching Yorkes face light up as they were going through the captures. I knew I had him and he respected what we were trying to do.

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PIER NICOLA DAMICO

Solid.

Your knowledge. Your skills. Your schedule.

GET MORE
P H O T O A S S I S TA N T

WO WORK

BASIC TRAINING

SEATTLE CHICAGO LOS ANGELES ROCHESTER MIAMI

For event dates & details: www.apanational.com Find us on FaceBook at: APA/Sony: Photo Assistant Basic Training and Sony

In good markets and bad, there's always been one sure way to stay in demand: Be the best. How do you do that? Learn from the best. Let Sony Artisans Matthew Jordan Smith and Brian Smith, along with APA member/ photographer Tony Gale, give you a major head start on your career with expert instruction not available anywhere else. With panel discussions and equipment demonstrations from industry insiders along with hands-on training, of course you'll get the critical knowledge and condence to build your own Pro Assistant reputation. More info at www.apanational.com

The single best step you can take in starting your career
MATTHEW JORDAN SMITH
SONY ARTISAN OF IMAGERY

Intense and thrilling

BRIAN SMITH
SONY ARTISAN OF IMAGERY

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PREPARING AN ESTIMATE?

These six tips from professional photographer and author John Harrington will help you think strategicallyand improve your bo om line.
. LIMITING YOUR GEOGRAPHIC REGION CAN BE AN ALTERNATIVE TO LOWERING YOUR PRICE. If you believe your image is worth $10,000 for a client to use for a year in the U.S., or $25,000 for a client to use for a year all over the world, but your prospective client is a small locally owned business, limit the geographic region to just your state, or county, and a gure of $1,000 to $5,000 will mean youre earning what your image is worth while still offering the client a price within their reach. . INQUIRE ABOUT YOUR CLIENTS TRUE NEEDS AND GOALS. One of the questions we ask of every prospective client, whether for an assignment, or a stock license, is, What budget are you trying to work within? Their answer gives us a quick read of their expectations and helps us explain the price accordingly. For perhaps $450, you might do a drive-by of a building needing an architectural exterior
BELOW: Harrington en route to Europe on assignment, working in a dispatch somewhere over the Atlantic Ocean.

CHARLOTTE RICARDSON

shot, where you stop by and photograph it whenever. For $1,800, you might do a scout to determine where the best light is and then come back with a tripod and really study the building. For $5,000, youll come in on a weekend when there are no cars on the street, turn all the lights on at dawn (or dusk) to get that great morning/ evening light and make sure an assistant pulls all the blinds/shades to the same position, for symmetry. . USE PLUS. PLUS is the Picture Licensing Universal System at www.UsePlus.com. It alleviates the hassle of misunderstandings about who can do what with your images. A cross-industry coalition came together to dene every different type of photographic use, and its results are free for you to use. . DONT QUOTE OVER THE PHONE. Give some thought to the assignment/stock sale, and then put the quote in writing, as a PDF with letterhead. Use a program like FotoBiz or BlinkBid to prepare professional-looking estimates. A quote over the phone of $1,000 seems negotiable and ambiguous. A quote of $1,120 in writing, spelling out how you arrived at that fee (with fees and expenses estimated), will come across as less negotiable and better demonstrate your professionalism. John Harrington, a professional photographer for more than 20 years, is the author of the bestselling book Best Business Practices for Photographers.

JOHN HARRINGTON

. FOR ASSIGNMENTS, DONT CHARGE BY THE HOUR. If you do, the more effective and efcient you become, the less youll earn. Estimate your assignments by the number of portraits being produced or the number of items/shots/setups youre doing. There is, however, one exception: time-based photography, where youre covering an event that begins and ends at specic times. . FOR STOCK PHOTOGRAPHY, REALIZE THE VALUE OF YOUR IMAGES. Your images carry great worthsome more than othersand will continue to do so for years to come. Only you can decide what you want to charge so someone else can benet from your creative talents. Dont sell yourself short. Use software like FotoQuote and Hindsights Photo Price Guide for information on properly valuing your images.

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The leading imaging, video and design conference and expo.

OCTOBER
nyc
25-27
JAVITS CONVENTION CENTER

PhotoPlus Expo
SAVE THE

date!

2012

TO EXHIBIT

Call (703) 812-2727 or e-mail melissa.kittson@nielsen.com

SEMINARS

Submit proposals to: photoplusexpo.com/proposals

WWW.PHOTOPLUSEXPO.COM

Jason Walker

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TALES OF A FOOD STYLIST Victoria Granof on three photos

that hit the spot BY ALISON ZAVOS
VICTORIA GRANOF TRAINED AS A PASTRY CHEF AT LE CORDON BLEU, but it was not until she cold-called legendary American photographer Irving Penn and oered her services for free that she began her career as a food stylist. Relying heavily on the basic principles of design, shes been collaborating with photographers such as Mitchell Feinberg, Stephen Lewis, Craig Cutler, Steven Klein and Hans Gissinger on international assignments for the last 17 years. Once the New Yorkbased food stylist gets an assignment, she begins thinking about the photographers lighting, the art direction, sourcing the foods and how far she can go conceptually with the idea. Sometimes the photographer will have an idea, and together we brainstorm and see where we meet conceptually on it, Granof explains. Sometimes Im the one with the idea, and sometimes in the process, the original idea morphs into something neither of us expected. She also thinks about color, texture and movement when shes generating ideas. Inspired by the streets of New York, she does not text or listen to music when walking. Her advice to up-and-coming stylists is to observe your world, look around you. Here, Granof takes us through three of her favorite photos, sharing the story of how each image came together.
BELOW: Snail for Psychology Today magazine.

WHAT FRESH SHELL IS THIS?

A li le ingenuity and quick thinking went a long way on this shoot for Psychology Today magazine, when Granof teamed up with photographer Stephen Lewis to illustrate an adventurous eater using a snail. But the snail you see here was no ordinary mollusk: It came in a box accompanied by a handler from upstate New York, and it was a li letemperamental. The handler tried unsuccessfully for 30 minutes to coax the creature, which was perched on a spoon, out of its shell using pieces of lettuce as bait, and it was looking unlikely that Lewis would get the shot he needed. But when he stepped away for a moment, Granof put a li le beer into the spoon, and the snail came right out to drink it. Thats when we got the shot, she recalls. The handler never knew, and I hope the snail survived!

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STEPHEN LEWIS / ART + COMMERCE

Granof had the idea to create Lucite jewelry molded into Jell-o for this shoot with Mitchell Feinberg for New York magazine. She collected molds from Paris, London, Moscow and beyond, but on the day of the shoot, every mold but one stuck (the studio did not have a sink or kitchen), and she could not get any of the Jell-o to un-mold properly. The following day was Thanksgiving, and Granof had a plane to catch. Between tears, I told the photographer that he would just have to nd beauty in what was there, because the question of starting from scratch was not possible. He did.

YOU HAD ME AT JELL O.

MITCH FEINBERG

ABOVE: Jell-o and jewelry for New York magazine.

BEAUTY AND THE FEAST.

This photo is from Granofs collaboration with Hans Gissinger, who was doing a personal project referencing a scene in La Grande Boue, a 1973 movie where men gather for a decadent weekend and try to gorge themselves to death on gourmet food. The shoot was a huge production, including models, wardrobe and a 60-pound pig that took days to organize and set up. Gissinger took this photo a er the shoot was technically over and the crew was upstairs playing pool. It was a stolen moment that took only a second to capture, notes Granof.

HANS GISSINGER

ABOVE: Child sleeping with food, from a personal project.

PDNEP.COM

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INSIDE WEDDING AND PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHER ME RA KOHS BAG.

Sony a900 DSLR camera body with a Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar 24-70mm F2.8 Zoom Lens.
The a900 DSLR is my favorite camera body for shooting portraiture and weddings, says Koh, who is one of Sonys Artisans of Imagery. The precision and speed, along with the amazing color resultswhat I see is what I get straight out of the camerais incredible. The 24-70mm lens is my rst workhorse lens because its so versatile. I can get in close for beautiful, bu ery background portraits with the F2.8 aperture, but I can also shoot wide-angle group shots.

shoot real low in my f-stops, accentuating the emotion of the story that much more with the intense degree of blur in the foreground and background.

a wedding eventwhich can span a couple daysIll use the 32g size cards for eciency in the eld.

if the camera is hiding my face. The Live View on the a55 is the perfect solution.

BRIAN TAUSEND

3) Carl Zeiss 85mm F1.4 Telephoto Lens.

6) External hard drive.

My second workhorse lens that Ive shot whole weddings with is the 85mm on the a900 DSLR. Its simply beautiful to work with!

My team o en starts to back up my images on location. Compact hard drives, like this one, make the job easy and portable.

8) Carl Zeiss 16-35mm F2.8 Zoom Lens.

ME RA KOH

CAMERA BAG

4) Sony 70-200mm F2.8 Telephoto Zoom Lens.

7) Sony a55 DSLR camera body.

Most of my work is captured with the 24-70mm lens and xed lenses, but I love to throw in a wide-angle perspective to add more depth to the overall story.

9) Sony HVL-F58AM ash.

For weddings I bring two external ashes. I use Sonys HVL-F58AM because it gives me the most versatility for bouncing ash. When I use external ash I want the results to look like natural lighting and I get those beautiful results with the HVL-F58AM.w To see more work by Sony Artisan of Imagery Me Ra Koh, please visit: www.merakoh.com.

I bring the 50mm F2.8 Macro lens, 70-400 F4-5.6 Zoom Lens, an HVL-F58M ash, the NEX 5, a second external hard drive, multiple card readers, extra ba eries, lens clothes and cant forget lip gloss. 16
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I love being able to stand back from the activity and let the scene unfold, and this lens gives me that dynamic exibility.

5) Memory cards.

2) Carl Zeiss Sonnar T 135mm F1.8 Fixed Lens.

When Im working with a full-frame sensor, like the a900 DSLR, my favorite lenses are the xed lenses. I love to

My memory cards range from 4g to 32g in size, depending on what type of shoot Im doing. If Im doing a portrait shoot I use the smaller sized cards as a mental exercise in not overshooting. If Im shooting

When doing TV appearances on The Nate Berkus Show I always shoot with the Sony a55 camera body. Not only is this camera fast, with its Translucent Mirror Technology, but the camera body also reads the wireless Eye-Fi card, which automatically transmits the image I take on set to the screen for millions of viewers to see. I also bring the a55 DSLR to portrait shoots. Some kids need me to keep eye contact and feel disconnected

VIC KULIHIN

I A M I N N O VAT I V E . I RUN A BUSINESS. I NEVER STOP LEARNING. I AM A PROFESSIONAL. I A M A S M P.

Become a member of our community of forward-thinking professionals with access to all the tools, information and support needed to succeed. Join now. asmp.org

AMERICAN SOCIETY OF MEDIA PHOTOGRAPHERS

ASMP is the premier trade association for the worlds most respected imaging professionals.

Photography Shawn G. Henry

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Sa

ART STREIBER/ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY

Renowned celebrity and entertainment photographer Art Streiber takes us behind the scenes of some of his shoots and offers VIP access to his creative process. By Kris Wilton

PDNEP.COM

19

OPENER: A photo from Streiber's Princess Bride reunion shoot for Entertainment Weekly. ABOVE: Actors Antonio Banderas and Salma Hayek in Cannes. BELOW: Justin Bieber for Vanity Fair. Streiber says high-production shoots such as this one take as much logistical preparation as creative inspiration.

s photographers go, it doesnt get much more glamorous than Art Streiber. Here he is working with New York magazine, Entertainment Weekly, Vanity Fair; shooting Salma Hayek, Martin ART STREIBER Scorsese, the cast of Mad Men; at Cannes, on the beach, backstage at the Oscars in a tux, his silvering hair debonairly swept back. Behind the scenes, however, Its like ve minutes of glamor for 12 hours of work, the 49-year-old photographer says. You can see that picture of Antonio Banderas and Salma Hayek in Cannes and think, Oh, its so glamorous, theyre in Cannes. But are you crazy? That was insanity, trying to light that shot so it doesnt look lit on a crowded beachfront, and we had ve minutes with those guys, and directing them so they dont look like theyre being directed. All that stuff, to get to that one frame. Talking with Emerging Photographer, the former photojournalist proved decidedly undivalike, generously sharing his ideas on everything from working with celebrities to taking yourself to the next level to creating a happy family life, returning often to the theme of balance: his goals versus those of his clients, ambition versus humility, artice and reality, work and family, big productions versus one-on-one connections.
JOHNNY TERGO

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ABOVE: ART STREIBER BELOW: ART STREIBER/VANITY FAIR

"It's the picture that's going to raw you into I've gotta grab the reader's attention."

he stor

ART STREIBER/NEW YORK MAGAZINE

When hes not behind the camera, Streiber emphasizes, hes as much manager as artist. Maintaining his highprole businessand it is a business takes a team: a studio manager, a rst assistant, a digital tech, a business manager. His shootsespecially the highproduction ensemble ones for which hes well known, like the recent Princess Bride reunion for Entertainment Weekly or the Justin Bieber portrait for Vanity Fair that employed a gaggle of squealing adolescent girlstake as much logistical preparation as creative inspiration. I have to approach a new assignment from both a left-brain and a right-brain point of view, Streiber says, and gure out how the whole thing is going to come together with equipment, gear, travel, budget. Then, given those constraints or parameters, how are we going to accomplish what the magazine wants us to accomplish, or what I want to accomplish? Its the picture, whether on the cover or inside that magazine, thats going to draw you into the story, he continues. I take that very seriously. Ive gotta grab the readers attention, either as theyre walking through the supermarket, the airport, past the newsstand, or when theyre thumbing through the magazine. Some photographers try to grab viewers with effects or crazy sets, and Streibers certainly done his share of more extravagant work. But lately, some of his most memorable portraits employ just a simple gesture. Im always looking for some iconic tell, some little tiny thing, he says. See George Clooney with a jacket pocket full of pencils, Neil Patrick Harris putting on lipstick, Martin Scorsese wearing 3D glasses. The images dont shout, they whisper. They dont shock, they resonate. Asked to describe his work, Streiber says, I like to say that my portraiture is simple, elegant, graphic, iconic, and that its got a secondary or tertiary read. Streibers current interest in simple portraiture is relatively new. He explains that his background as a photojournalist, where his portraits were driven by his subjects environment, meant he
LEFT: A simple portrait featuring actor Neil Patrick Harris. Streiber has recently been focusing on reducing his portraits to small gestures that will resonate with the viewer, inspired by the likes of photography greats such as Penn and Avedon.
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"I would encourage each emerging photographer to become an amateur syc ologist and socio ogist."

was naturally inclined to photograph people in their home, ofce or other setting that told their story. It was only in the last couple of years that I got comfortable being in a studio or on a very simple backdrop and just reducing and reducing and reducing and really appreciating the studio portraiture of Penn and Avedon and Arnold Newman and Patrick Demarchelier, the studio portraiture where its just you and that person. Thats a really interesting, difcult place to be, he continues. Even though the kinds of people, especially actors and actresses, we photograph are charismatic and dynamic on screen, they may not necessarily be, and chances are, they probably arent, that comfortable in front of a still camera. I would encourage every emerging photographer to become an amateur psychologist and sociologist. Even small gestures might push a subjector their publicistbeyond their comfort zone. While discussing the concept for the Neil Patrick Harris New York story, about how Harris has succeeded as a male lead despite being openly gay, Streiber commented that it was like Harris was walking a tightrope. The photo editor remembered that Harris in fact is an aerialist, and a setup was brought in to the studio to capture him actually walking a tightrope. But as extreme as that may sound, what Streiber and the magazine really wanted, but were afraid to ask for, was the image of Harris applying lipstick. They decided to wait until the end of the shoot. Harris was happy to do it, and the image became not only the magazines cover but one of the years most attention-grabbingand memorableportraits. Similarly, when shooting Scorsese for a story about his 3D movie, Hugo, for Fast Company, Streiber hoped to capture the director with 3D glasses in place of his iconic thick-rimmed ones. Unsure how his publicist would respond to the request, Streiber waited until the end of the shoot, after theyd done a few other setups, and the director was game. To see Martin Scorsese in 3D glasses is outrageous, Streiber says, sounding almost giddy. That he would do that is such a gift. When that happens, I get a little bit wazzedthis is actually happening in front of my camera right now!

ART STREIBER/CARGO MAGAZINE

LEFT: Bill Hader, Andy Samberg and Jason Sudeikis of Saturday Night Live for a fashion spread in Cargo Magazine.

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The
THE SEARCH FOR OUTSTANDING AND UNDISCOVERED FINE ART PHOTOGRAPHY
Visit PDNCuratorAwards.com and enter today!

JUDGES SASHA WOLF Sasha Wolf Gallery MICHAEL FOLEY FOLEY Gallery KRIS GRAVES +Kris Graves Projects BRIAN PAUL CLAMP CLAMPART

CATEGORIES

Portraits/Nudes u Installation/Still Life Abstract/Mixed Media u Nature/Street Photography u Photo Essay/Reportage u Student Work
DEADLINE: 3/26/12

AWARDS AND EXPOSURE

The selected artists will be part of The Curator group show in New York City, summer 2012. The opening reception, which is open to the gallery-going public, will be attended by top industry creatives and personalities, all coming together for music, cocktails, and to celebrate your work! In addition, each chosen photographer will receive a two-page spread in PDNs July issue. PDN has expanded our distribution of 25,000 to include over 5,000 creatives! Winning work will be seen by industry photo editors, art directors and art buyers! An extended gallery will be archived on PDNOnline.com. Winners will also receive a $200 gift card from B&H, a $250 gift card from Moab, a DSLR camera, a PhotoServe portfolio, a PDN PhotoPlus Gold Expo Pass and a one-year subscription to PDN.

ENTRY FEES $35 per image // $50 per series

Photo soPhia wallace

SPONSORED BY:

A visual database of the worlds best photographers

Presented by

FILTER

On CONSENDIGNA QUAT,our companion Web site youll nd informative features, digital editions of Emerging FEUM ESTRUD MAGNA Photographer and our Photo Feed contest.

LOG ON TO WWW.PDNEP .COM!

UT IRIUSCI LLANDRE FEUISI ERAT. UT PRAESE MOD DO LUTPATEM EA ALIQUIPISI.

UPTATUMM ODIGNA ametuero od molorpe rcipit alit velessed tis adiamconum zzrit vel ulputpat. Minisl euiscil dunt am iuscil ute dolessi. Ip eui er ipsumsan verilis ad dio odolorpero del ullute doluptat. Pero corpero commodiam vel doluptat, sed dolutatinibh exer iurem duiscilit dip ero eum iuscidunt landre ex ea aut lummy nulla adiam, si eliquat wisim dolorer ostrud ercil deliquissisl dolorper in ullum quisl ute mod ming exero odolobo rperat la consequisl irillum sandre eugiat. Erostrud eu facincipit alit ute min ute mod dionsed magniam consectet alis dunt wiscipit dolore dolortie magna ad ex essenibh endreraessis nosto odipit, cor adignisl ea consenis nissisci exerit ad magnissi tie faccumsandre faccummolore ero consequam, sed modiam, sectem
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ALL PHOTOS ALEXANDRA BARAN/CONDE NAST

ABOVE: Tet, si tem iuscidui eugiamc onsequissi. Te molum volum volorper sed mod tat nonullandre tat the BELOW: Images by Photo Feed winner Alexandra Baran. The photographers portrait of a young woman with red lipstick, fur and diamonds was submitted towisi. competition Uptat num nissi. Tat wis nosto and caught the judges attention. The fall 2012 issue of Emerging Photographer will include a feature on Baran and she will receive a consed ming euisi. Sony prize package. Obor si. Gait luptat lore facipis augait ulputpat. Ratetue vero

illumsandre dip ea feugue deliquis aliquisim doluptatet in eriliqui tat er adiat alit lum ex ex et lutpat lore diatio od min eniscipit nos am ipisl ute tionsequatem vel illan et ullaore facilluptat. El iliquisl eum vel in volut nit alit ip eugiamc onsectem atueros dui tie duisi tem erat euis dio odoloreet dolorpe raesse etuero consequiscip eu facidunt utat. Gue dipit ulputpat. Ut wis aliquisl irilluptatem veliquam, conulputat. Na feui esequam ex esequam coreetummy nos eugiat aliquam voloree tummod enit nostrud ting ex er sim vulla faccum iurerostio od exeriurem el ut acillaorero eliscipsum quisl ulpute vent nullaortie consequ atummod oloborp erostin utatum ipit la facing ex er sustrud tat. Ut alit praesequate consent lorperos er at laorem ing erostincin ute modolore te tie veros nos nullums andipit nos nonse-

quamet, commy niam do elit at autem volorero dolorer adit vendrer aliquissi blaorer ciduisim quat am zzriusc iliquat. Tat augue minci euguerosto odolutat wis autpat accummy nullut volor iustrud mod doloreet wis erat in ut wis adigna aute facing ex ex ent praesto conullamet, consequam, veriureros nit laortisl ullut adipissi. Dipsum nit numsand ionsequi eugue consequatis nulla facipit ad dolorper sequis am ilis accum vel ea cortincin ulla ametumsan ut nos nim verilla ad tet velit lamet verci tat. Dui tatie dignis dolum ipit iure tet ulla feugue facipsumsan ullametum zzril delit a Uptatumm odigna ametuero od molorpe rcipit alit velessed tis adiamconum zzrit vel ulputpat. Minisl euiscil dunt am iuscil ute dolessi. Ip eui er ipsumsan verilis ad dio odolorpero del ullute

doluptat. Pero corpero commodiam vel doluptat, sed dolutatinibh exer iurem duiscilit dip ero eum iuscidunt landre ex ea aut lummy nulla adiam, si eliquat wisim dolorer ostrud ercil deliquissisl dolorper in ullum quisl ute mod ming exero odolobo rperat la consequisl irillum sandre eugiat. Erostrud eu facincipit alit ute min ute mod dionsed magniam consectet alis dunt wiscipit dolore dolortie magna ad ex essenibh endreraessis nosto odipit, cor adignisl ea consenis nissisci exerit ad magnissi tie faccumsandre faccummolore ero consequam, sed modiam, sectem illumsandre dip ea feugue deliquis aliquisim doluptatet in eriliqui tat er adiat alit lum ex ex et lutpat lore diatio od min eniscipit nos am ipisl ute tionsequatem vel illan et ullaore f\atueros du

What is the Photo Feed?

Peoples Choice

There are two parts to this free, unique portal: Peoples Choice and Editors Choice. Log on to www.pdnep.com and click the blue bar that says Upload Your Best Shots. This will take you to a portal where you can enter your work in both categories.

Uploading your images will automatically enter you for the Peoples Choice section. Invite your friends to vote on your images! Use your win to promote your work and network with friends.

Editors Choice

The editors at Emerging Photographer select a winning image from the Photo Feed submissions each week. The Photo Feed culminates at the end of the semester, when one image is awarded Grand Prize. The Grand Prize winner will receive a prize package from Sony and a prole in the next issue of Emerging Photographer!

Log on today.

Alexandra Baran, 16, is a junior at MMI Preparatory School and lives in Sugarloaf, Pennsylvania. Says Baran, Since Ive started taking photos, my view on life has changed drastically. Everything I look at becomes beautiful in my mind, like Im Alexandra Baran constantly looking at life through a viewnder. I feel happiest when I am giving life to my ideas. Her inuences include Sally Mann and Cindy Sherman, photographers she says, inspire me and fuel my imagination.
Look for our prole of Baran in the fall 2012 issue of Emerging Photographer!

Congratulations to Photo Feed winner Alexandra Baran!

Its FREE

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POP TILL YOU DROP

IN HER QUEST TO MAKE ORDINARY ITEMS LOOK EXTRAORDINARY, HANNAH WHITAKER HAS MADE SHOOTING PRODUCT STILL LIFES INTO A VIBRANT, PUNCHY ART FORM.
BY JULIE GRAHAME
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HANNAH WHITAKER/CONDE NAST

till-life photographs have served as illustrations in magazines for decades, often depicting the latest this or the coolest that. But standing out in this genre is no easy feat, especially when HANNAH WHITAKER youre often working with rather ordinary items like a T-shirt or boot. Hannah Whitaker has shot hundreds of still lifes for New York magazine and W, and she keeps her work fresh by looking hard at the shape of things and always thinking beyond the white seamless. Whitaker graduated from ICP/Bard, New York, in 2006 with an MFA. Having worked as a studio assistant for the artist Vik Muniz during school, she continued to do so part-time after she graduated. Her working relationship with Muniz led to her getting a short stint as a photo editor at The New York Times in early 2008. It was here that Whitaker, who is now 31, met Kathy Ryan, director of photography of The New York Times Magazine, who would prove to be an essential connection. Also that year, Whitaker was chosen for the cover and
LEFT TO RIGHT: HANNAH WHITAKER/NEW YORK MAGAZINE; HANNAH WHITAKER/CONDE NAST; HANNAH WHITAKER/NEW YORK MAGAZINE

OPPOSITE PAGE: This image appeared on the cover of the 2010 W magazine holiday gift guide. ABOVE LEFT: Whitaker calls this image, shot for a New York story about the best breakfast sandwich in New York City, the conceptual egg sandwich. MIDDLE: A still life to illustrate a trend piece on metallic bangles in W. RIGHT: An image illustrating a story on what to wear under your dress, for a New York magazine wedding guide. Photography director Jody Quons inspiration was the hanging of underwear along ski-lift routes, a not-uncommon phenomenon.

MATTHEW PORTER

a spread in esteemed semiannual art journal Blind Spot, and this too was a pivotal turn of events. Jody Quon, then photo director of New York, was looking to hire the magazines rst ever staff photographer, and Ryan recommended Whitaker. Quon hired her based on the spread in Blind Spot, even though Whitaker had previously shot very little editorial. Working for New York from 2008 to 2010, Whitaker produced images predominantly for the full page in the Strategist section in New York, which is often about something new and which she describes enthusiastically as the best real estate I had. Shooting for Strategist required her to conceptualize a big photo moment where the graphic power of the image is fundamental. She would produce as many as 10 shots a day out of a very small studio at the magazines ofce with minimal assistance, doing her own styling, which she was really into. She says the concepts were sometimes highly collaborative; although occasionally Quon would have a very rm idea, she trusted the photographers input and they shared a similar sensibility, says Whitaker. At times, Whitaker enjoyed complete freedom, as when she photographed almost a whole wedding issue for New York (except the fashion), making patterns with acces-

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IN CONCEPTUALIZING A STILL LIFE, WHITAKER CONSIDERS THE RICHNESS OF

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HANNAH WHITAKER/CONDE NAST

A PRODUCTS COLORS AND ITS PHYSICAL NATURE.

sories and coming up with creative twists on hors doeuvre. When Quon left New York for W in 2010, she took Whitaker along. Challenges were different at W: As a monthly, the magazine naturally moved with less haste, and more people were involved in approving a photo. At New York, she would work with Quon to art direct, and the photo editor would help produce the shoot. At W, there might also be a prop stylist, a fashion editor, an art director and a design director. Although one is mostly fashion and the other more news and lifestyle, at both magazines the subject matter Whitaker was in charge of shooting would regularly be simple products. Clearly, she isnt enthused by a traditional product shot; instead, she considers the richness of the products colors and its physical nature. For example, shooting on black velvet helps the background disappear, no shadows or tones, allowing a truly graphic image, she says, adding that shes inspired by Irving Penn. A look over her Web site (www. hwhitaker.com) and Tumblr (www.hwhitaker.tumblr.com) demonstrates that Whitaker is productive in her personal work, as well. She says she sees parallels between her personal and editorial images, and it is worth noting that she discusses all her images with sheer enthusiasm. Whitaker recently started to work with an agent, Farimah Milani, (www.farimahmilani.com), so shes putting together new portfolios geared toward commercial work. And now that she is no longer a magazine staff photographer, shes easing into freelance life. Due to the nature of her relationships with W and New York, she couldnt shoot for other editorial clients while she was on staff, so this is really the rst time shes had to market herself and generate assignments. She says that nding her own voice after her intense years at those magazines is a little scary but also liberating. Shes exploring shooting peopleand even beauty. Or sort of beauty, Whitaker claries. Shooting within the genre of beauty but more experimentallysomething you cant really do during an editorial assignment!

ALL PHOTOS THIS PAGE: HANNAH WHITAKER/NEW YORK MAGAZINE

OPPOSITE PAGE: An example of rock & rollinspired jewelry for W. TOP: Photography for New York magazine. The Softest T-Shirt Ever. How do you photograph soft? Whitaker sandwiched the product between Plexiglas and shot it on a lightbox. MIDDLE RIGHT: An image for a story about a trend in hot pink. RIGHT: Whitaker came up with this concept for a piece on a fur boot trend. ABOVE: Hors doeuvre jump o the page when photographed on a black velvet background.
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TODD BURANDT

DRIVEN TO SUCCEED
ITS NOT EASY TO ESTABLISH YOURSELF WHEN YOU LIVE IN A COMPETITIVE PHOTO MARKET LIKE ATLANTA, BUT ASPIRING AUTOMOTIVE PHOTOGRAPHER TODD BURANDT IS IN IT FOR THE LONG HAUL.
BY BLAKE ANDREWS

odd Burandt remembers the rst time he ever held a camera. As a 6-year-old, he attended a company picnic with his parents. At each table was a disposable camera. Burandt picked one up and began ring. Pretty soon, hed gone through the entire roll. He picked up another camera and did the same. And another Fast forward 22 years to the present, and things havent changed much for Burandt. Now 28, the soft-spoken Atlanta native is an active commercial photographer with work appearing recently in Photographers Forum magazine, Nikon Emerging Photographers Hall of Fame and the Emerging Photographer Photo Feed, where his photograph of a quarry won grand prize. Burandt shot the quarry photo near his home on the outskirts of Atlanta. He wanted to capture the avor of the citys unusual geography, in which wide-open quarries coexist sometimes uneasily with urban and suburban development, so he rented a helicopter for the aerial perspective. The resulting image is quite abstract, yet still gives a conTODD BURANDT crete sense of place.
LEFT: Burandt loves incorporating cars in a variety of di erent kinds of photography, such as this image inuenced by fashion photographer Guy Bourdin.
KAREN NICKEL

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A collection of images from Burandts online portfolio. ABOVE: Smileyface Acura. OPPOSITE PAGE, TOP TO BOTTOM: High Vantage Point, Jason Thimblerig and Flat #2.

BURANDT HAS PHOTOGRAPHED A VARIETY OF SUBJECTS DURING HIS COURSE OF STUDY, BUT HIS FAVORITE HAS ALWAYS BEEN AUTOMOBILES.
Most people viewing the photo dont realize that it was shot just a few miles from the citys bustling downtown core. Ive always been a visual person, notes Burandt. But the path from 6-yearold shutterbug to prize-winning shooter has had a few zigzags. After graduating high school, Burandt began training as a veterinarian at Colorado State. He soon realized his heart wasnt in the coursework and left the program to try other avenues. He considered a legal career. It was around this time roughly six years ago that his wife bought him a digital camera as a gift. He began to play with it and soon rediscovered his love of photography. Burandt enrolled at the Art Institute of Atlanta, and this year hell receive his degree in commercial photography. Burandt has photographed a variety of subjects during his course of study, but his favorite has always been automobiles. Cars often feature prominently in his work, whether its his personal projects, such as the 20 x 20 Lensbaby emulsion transfers of car grills mounted to woodblock, or more magazine-friendly imagery, such as the clean car photographs featured on his Web site. Its no accident that theres an automobile in one of his most popular images, a photograph of a womans legs poking out the rear window of a truck. The photos unusual perspective and coloring are eye-catching. The legs belong to Burandts favorite model: his wife, Creah. After trying many poses in several locations, the couple was about to give up for the day when Creah put her legs through the cab window. Burandt knew immediately that he had the shot. The photo was inuenced by French fashion photographer Guy Bourdin, whom Burandt was studying at the time. After receiving his degree, Burandt plans to further develop his automotive photography portfolio. Hes considering living in Germany for six months or a

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ABOVE RIGHT: Burandt rented a helicopter to take this award-winning aerial shot of a quarry just outside of Atlanta. BELOW: Burandts portrait Smoking Cowboy.

year to study under Jan Steinhilber, one of the top automotive photographers in Europe, in the hope that he can leverage that experience into an eventual career in automotive advertising photography. Meanwhile, hes busy sending his portfolio to prospective clients. He says Atlanta is a very competitive photography market with a lot of talent and not easy for a young photographer to break into. Burandt has been assisting for other professionals, establishing his name. He recognizes that hes got a long road ahead of him, but hes driven to make it.

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PRODUCT REVIEWS

From superior optics to video capture and the camera of the year (the NEX-7, as declared by Popular Photography magazine), Sony has a product for all your creative imaging needs. Here is a look at some of the best.

SONY NEX COMPACT INTERCHANGEABLE LENS DIGITAL CAMERA With the Sony NEX-7, available in the NEX-7/B and NEX-7K/B models, its like having DSLR quality in your pocket. The NEX-7 has the same APS-C sensor size as a DSLR, with higher resolution than most DSLRs and the interchangeable lenses that make DSLRs so attractive. Yet the camera is about half the size and weight of a typical DSLR camera. With its 24.3-megapixel sensor, you can get incredible detail and gorgeous enlargements. Plus, the NEX-7 offers the highest resolution among pocket cameras. Sensor size is the key to picture quality, and the NEX-7 features an APS C-class sensor that provides gorgeous imaging with 58 percent more area than Micro Four-Thirds sensors and an amazing 13 times the area of a point-and-shoot image sensor. Another advantage
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is that you can use the camera with a universe of lenses, including Canon, Nikon, Leica and Olympus. The success of Sonys NEX series, combined with the ultra-short 18mm ange-back distance, has inspired third-party manufacturers to provide lens adapters. In addition, Sony has disclosed the E Mount specication to Carl Zeiss, Cosina, Sigma and Tamron. Additional features include Tri-Navi manual control via three direct-access dials; built-in ash (GN6); hot shoe for Alpha system ashes; a tiltable 3.0 Touch LCD , 921K dots, TruBlack screen; Sweep Panorama Mode (including in 3D); and six-image layering, which leverages the fast BIONZ processor to capture six images in a fraction of a second and then combine the data into an incredible single image. In short, the NEX-7 offers performance that would make most DSLR cameras envious.

Product Reviews

SONY ALPHA HVL LEI MOUNT Sonys Alpha HVL-LEI mount features an LED light that supports advanced image creationthe LED color balance can be tuned at 5500K daylight color temperature of sunlight and at 3200K indoor color temperaturemaking it ideal for creative lighting whether youre shooting indoors or out. Plus, it includes a colorconversion lter. The mount is battery operated and offers you a great deal of exibility, as its compatible with four types of batteries and a wide range of camera models. Its two types of shoe adaptors make it highly versatile: You can use the Alpha HVL-LEI

with Sonys NEX-VG and series or use its cold shoe adaptor (an *ISO518 compliant shoe) for other camera brands. An optional bracket (VCT-55LH) makes it possible to use the mount with cameras lacking an Accessory Shoe and Autolock Accessory Shoe. The Alpha HVL-LEI boasts professional-style barn doors and a brightness-control dial that can be adjusted from 100 percent to 10 percent. It also offers angle adjustment with a swivel-able shoe adaptor that enables you to adjust it approximately 180 degrees left or right and approximately 90 degrees forward or backward.

SEL M MACRO LENS FOR E MOUNT The SEL30M35 Macro Lens for E-mount is exceptionally portable and versatile for everyday use. It boasts a 1:1 magnication ratio, so that subjects can be captured at full size on the cameras image sensor. This makes it easy to shoot quality macro closeups of owers, insects and small objects. And it performs equally well when youre shooting video, thanks to an internal stepping motor and rear-focusing design. It provides the smooth, quiet operation essential for high-quality movie capture. Additionally, the lter mount does not rotate during focusing for hassle-free polarized lter use. An easy-grip focus ring on the lens barrel gives you a solid hands-on feel in manual focusing. And its Direct Manual Focus (DMF) feature allows you to focus manually after AF lock-on without the need for any switching. This can be extremely useful in situations where AF cant lock onto the subject accurately, or when AF locks onto a point that does not match your intention. Electronic manual focus technology was originally developed for professional Sony camcorders to ensure smooth, precise focus control. The SEL30M35 offers excellent image quality throughout the entire image area, with high contrast and minimal chromatic aberration from innity to 1:1 magnication at all aperture settings. ED glass is used for the G4 element, minimizing chromatic aberration and color bleeding as well as multicoating throughout for exceptionally clean, clear rendering.
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PRODUCT REVIEWS

SONY LA EA TRANSLUCENT MIRROR TECHNOLOGY E MOUNT ADAPTER The LA-EA2 is the rst adapter in the world to include Sonys exclusive Translucent Mirror Technology and Phase Detect AF sensor. Its Phase Detect AF for video and stills allows your E-mount camera to enjoy highspeed, accurate phase detection autofocus for both still and video capture. The LA-EA2 adapter allows you to attach the full range of Sony A mount lenses. And an aperture-drive mechanism enables AE with all Amount lenses, except Teleconverters.

TWO NEW BLOGGIE HD CAMERAS Sony has taken its MP4 camera line to new heights with the introduction of two new Bloggie HD camera modelsincluding the worlds rst full HD camera capable of live video streaming with built-in Wi-Fi capability and a sport model with waterproof/dustproof/shockproof features. Bloggie Live (MHS-TS55) can capture full HD video and 12.8 megapixel stills, and it has a stereo microphone and an LED light. It also now offers live streaming via built-in Wi-Fi capability for the rst time in a full HD camera. For those who want to share right away, Bloggie Live can stream your moments in real time in collaboration with Qik, a mobile video-sharing service. Once live streaming begins, friends and family can view the video instantly on a computer, smartphone or tablet no matter how far away they are.

For easy sharing, this camera works with any Wi-Fi hotspot, including mobile hotspot services from leading wireless carriers. The device can directly upload content to sites like Facebook, YouTube and PlayMemories Online, a network service by Sony that allows users to view their content from various devices such as a smartphone, tablet, PC or TV at any time. It simply uploads new content to this cloud by selecting Save to PlayMemories Online on the menu. If Wi-Fi connection isnt available, theres a Share option for easy upload the next time youre online. Bloggie Live is also designed to complement smartphones and tablets. The PlayMemories Mobile application, a free download from Android market and App store, allows users to wirelessly transfer les from the camera to a phone or tablet. Meanwhile, Bloggie Sport (MHS-TS22) is a worry-free, portable camera perfect for

everyday use, no matter what the environment, indoors or out. Not only can this rugged device keep up with any active lifestyle, it is waterproof in up to 16 feet of water (for an hour), realizing high-quality video and photos while submerged. The 2.7-inch touch-screen LCD even works underwater for easy operation when recording cant miss moments in full high denition (1920x1080) MP4 video and 5-megapixel still photos. The Bloggie Sport also has an Underwater Mode that adjusts the white balance for underwater conditions to make colors appear natural. Not only is the device ready for wet conditions, the compact shockproof camera is durable enough to withstand an accidental drop from up to approximately ve feet. The Bloggie Sport camera also has a built-in LED light and comes in three fun colors: blue, black and red.

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PRODUCT REVIEWS

HANDYCAM NEX VG CAMCORDER The new Handycam NEX-VG20 camcorder from Sony allows videographers to explore the artistic potential of the growing range of E-mount lenses for shooting cinematic full-HD video and high-resolution still photos. The new camcorder offers several enhancements over Sonys acclaimed NEX-VG10the worlds rst consumer HD camcorder with interchangeable lensesincluding comprehensive manual controls, improved imaging quality and upgraded sound. Signicantly rened ergonomics include enhanced grips for balance and low-angle shooting plus a second record button. With a resolution of 16.1 effective megapixels, the NEX-VG20s Exmor APS HD CMOS sensor ensures outstanding video image quality, with extremely low noise in low light. It also captures pristine 16-megapixel still photos, with RAW format support for all the post-processing exibility thats familiar to DSLR users. The sensor also allows the creation of background defocus (bokeh) effects with a users E-mount lenses. Full-HD video shooting in the AVCHD format is now complemented by a choice of 24p and 60p (progressive) frame-rate options. Footage shot at 24p can be enhanced with Cinema Tone Gamma and Cinema Tone Color for an even richer, more cinematic look. Dialogue and other sounds are captured by the precision Quad Capsule Spatial Array Microphone that now supports stereo and 5.1-channel surround. The camcorder also offers a new audio level control. Shooters can frame and review footage on the three-inch (7.5cm) Xtra Fine LCD display that features TruBlack technology for clear, high-contrast images. The screen can rotate up to a 270-degree range for easy framing in any position, even with the camera held low. A touch panel simplies ngertip operation of shooting functions. This versatile new camcorder is compatible with Sonys Memory Stick PRO-HG Duo HX series, as well as Sonys full line of SD memory cards.

Visit www.store.sony.com for more information on these products.

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ALL PHOTOS THIS STORY LATOYA RUBY FRAZIER

GRID: EDIBLE MAGAZINE/PHOTOS BY MICHAEL HARLAN TURKELL, CHRISTOPHER TESTANI, E. CONOR HAGEN AND CAROLYN FONG

EDIBLE MAGAZINE BRINGS READERS UP CLOSE WITH THE FOOD MOVEMENT IN THEIR OWN TOWNAND OFFERS LOCAL PHOTOGRAPHERS A CHANCE TO DISH OUT SOME FRESH TEARSHEETS. BY KRISTINA FELICIANO
If youre an emerging photographer specializing in food and lifestyle, and youre apprehensive about competing in major markets like New York, L.A. or Chicago, Edible magazine is worth a look. Brimming with food and lifestyle photography, interviews and articles, Edible is not just a food publicationits a community comprising more than 60 editions nationwide, including ones in cities as diverse as Austin, Louisville, Omaha and Vancouver. Chances are, theres an edition in or near your city. Edible Communities Inc. was founded in 2002 by journalist/marketer/graphic designer Tracey Ryder and photographer Carole Topalian to educate people on the origins of food and indigenous foodways and the contemporaries who have championed them, explains Michael Harlan Turkell, who served as photo editor of Edible Manhattan and Edible Brooklyn from 2006 until the end of 2011, when he left to pursue his
OPPOSITE PAGE: Various covers and featured images from Edible magazine.

GOOD ENOUGH TO EAT

own photography full-time (his Web site is harlanturk.com). Rather than reviewing restaurants and discussing whats trendy, he says, Edible magazines explore the people in the industry who speak to the human side of cuisine and food culture. Here, Turkell offers valuable insight into how Edible sources and uses photographyboth commissioned images and stockas well as shares some of his favorite shoots from his tenure at the magazine. What is the overriding mission for the photography published in the Edible magazines? True to life is keya more behind-the-scenes look. Edible is not your typical food magazine. Its not about studio shooters but rather a more reportage/lifestyle blend. I preferred showing the frenetic and kinetic nature of the story rather than stage a drawn-out still-life shoot that might lose the realism of real time.

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Does a photographer have to have food photos in their portfolio to be considered for an assignment? How a photographer approaches image-making is more important to me than whether he or shes shot food before. Most shoots can be broken down to their forms and functions. Id rather describe a photographer with adjectives as opposed to nouns. In other words, I might remember what theyd shot, but Id hire them for how they shot it. For example, I hired Carolyn Fong for her thoughtful environmental portraits, which led her to a consistent gig with Imbibe magazine. I look for photographers who are not only passionate in their craft but also truly interested in their subjects. I hope that assignments grow into relationships in which the photographers can further their knowledge and help to support the greater good, as opposed to just thinking of the assignment as an autonomous entity. Many of our photographers volunteer in the eld, have cooked, still cook or are looking to gain new culinary skills. How would you describe the ideal Edible stock photo?
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I prefer stock photos rather than traditional stock houses. I turned to photographers who had contacted me about shooting for Edible Brooklyn or Edible Manhattan to ll such needs. After reviewing their portfolios, I often asked if theyd like to be put on our stock request list. This list, in the same vein as the magazines mission statement, draws from a local, sustainable pool of artists who work within the community already. How did Edibles photography change in the ve years you were there? I began setting up more character portraitures, found more stylized photographers and looked for more established talent to shoot certain features for our magazines. I wanted to show that we werent just a little local food magazinewe had important issues that demand exemplary photography. If a photographer wants to submit work or be considered for an assignment, what should he or she do? Put together a portfolio that shows your best work, not just your food work. Its better to photograph the way you want

rather than the way you think a magazine wants you to because eventually, the assignment becomes part of your portfolio. I know most magazines have a protocol for submitting work, but Ive found that creative approaches sometimes are the most memorable. Ive had people send me photo-story postcards they shot in the style of Edible. Others have made full-on slideshow presentations with voice and text overlay. Send something that sets you apart, but also stay current. Sending the same old portfolio over and over again makes you stagnant. Though its always best to ask rst what the actual guidelines are for submissions. Can you give us a few examples of your favorite Edible photo stories and tell us why you think they worked? The true nose-to-tail affairs: a visit to a pig farm for a long weekend in the woods, in which a pig was harvested, slaughtered, cooked and consumeda story shot by Christopher Testani who has since shot
ABOVE: A portrait by Carolyn Fong of St. John Frizell, owner of the caf Fort Deance in Red Hook, Brooklyn. OPPOSITE PAGE: Turkells Back of the House series includes images of Craft, a restaurant by chef Tom Colicchio (pictured at bottom) in Manhattan.

CAROLYN FONG

IF YOU WANT TO SHOOT FOR EDIBLE, PUT TOGETHER A PORTFOLIO OF YOUR BEST WORK, NOT JUST YOUR FOOD WORK.
for Bon Appetit and Martha Stewart Living. And a pig roast in an urban castle, which proved to be a congregation of the builders of Brooklyns new food scene. We even sailed with Williamsburg-based chocolate makers the Mast Brothers to the Dominican Republic to pick up their latest crop of cacao beans. We werent scared to get up close and personal, as well as get our hands dirty. Our photographers participate in what theyre photographing; I feel it sometimes instills the tactility lost in the movement from analog lm to digital. Shoots that show involvement can end up being some of the most successful work. You can be an objective observer and conscientious contributor at the same time. What are you working on now? Im continuing my Back of the House project, which Ive been working on for the past 10 years, including shooting it for the Brooklyn and Manhattan editions of Edible while I was there. When I started Back of the House, I was a college student with aspirations to be a chef. But I found that as a photographer, I was able to harness a restaurants energy by showing the transformation of a raw product to a nal plated dish and all the smoke breaks in between, thus creating a day-in-the-life photo montage of places like Craft, Tom Colicchios agship restaurant in New York City. Im hoping to turn Back of the House into a cookbook series. I also host a radio show called The Food Seen on HeritageRadioNetwork.com, where I get to interview artists/artisans including some exceptional photographers like Ditte Isager, Marcus Nilsson, Andrew Scrivani, Francesco Tonelli and Carl Warnerwho amalgamate food and art. Im back in the eld, freelancing full-time, focusing on cookbooks, but also mixing in travel stories, so while on the road, I can try and nd the best food around the world. Always staying hungry.

EDIBLE MAGAZINE/PHOTO BY MICHAEL HARLAN TURKELL

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GO INDIE

PHOTO CONTEST

2012
WINNERS
The GO INDIE photo contest
is inspired by PDNs GO INDIE stock photography collection, which celebrates photographs that are quirky and unique but also created with upmost craftsmanship. We asked, What does GO INDIE mean to you? and you answered by sending us exceptional photographs. Congratulations to the winners 2012 winners! Grand Prize winner Christopher Auger-Dominguez will receive a Sony NEX-5N digital camera. All winners will receive a Crumpler photo bag, a one-year subscription to PDN and a $25 Zazzle gift card. To view the winners gallery online and for information on the next GO INDIE photo contest please visit www.goindiecontest.com

PORTRAITURE Grand Prize

Sponsored by:

Christopher Auger-Dominguez
Shot for a personal series on child actors, this is a portrait of twin actors Josie and Lucy Gallina having fun at the Coney Island boardwalk. They play Emily Schroeder on HBOs Boardwalk Empire.
For information on the next GO INDIE photo contest, visit

www.goindiecontest.com.

First Place Category Winners

1. EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN
1.

Kay Erickson

A Wing And A Prayer. Shot with a Holga lens on a Nikon D60.

2. LIFESTYLE

Ashley Kauschinger
The State Line is an investigation of everyday life that reects on commonplace emotions and moments that overlap and connect with the lives of others.

3. STILL LIFE

Woods Wheatcroft
Arborvitae. The nearly round work of an unknown Scissorhands Baker City, Oregon.

4. TRAVEL

Nicol Sertorio
Lago Trasimeno, Italy. This image was taken the day of my wedding, as I escaped the crowds to a small remote bar to nalize my vows.
2.

3.
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AFTER NEARLY A DECADE AS A SUCCESSFUL MUSIC PHOTOGRAPHER, CLAY PATRICK MCBRIDE TRANSFORMED HIMSELF INTO A COMMERCIAL SHOOTER. HERES THE STORY OF HOW HE GOT HIS START, AND STARTED A WHOLE NEW CAREER. BY RACHEL HULIN
hen Clay Patrick McBride graduated from they were at the bottom of the totem pole. SVA in 1996, the music industry in New York I would get an appointment with some junior art City was bigger than ever, and he wanted to director at the record company who couldnt have hired me, McBride recalls. I still wanted to meet be a part of it. He knew his dark, scratchy, photo illustrations would work well as that guy. While I was in his ofce, I would often get a record covers and that creating them couple lucky breaks where somebody else would satisfy his need to make artwork he walked in and was like, Hey, what are you cared about. He also hoped to work with looking at? McBride knew it was important to get as artists to help create a visual tone for their brand. At the time, hustling for photo many eyeballs on his portfolio as possible jobs was less about emailing promos than and that the little chance meetings would snowball if his work was any good. And he nding face-to-face time with anyone who would listen. McBride would send out color was right. He started with good relationXeroxes of his collages and promo cards ships with a few art directors, and he still and would follow up with phone calls gets assignments from them today. Hes until he got an appointment. And he no longer making collages, however. After would meet with anyone he could, even if CLAY PATRICK MCBRIDE working for several years in a dark, illustra JASON GOODRICH CLAY PATRICK MCBRIDE

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Musician and actress Juliette Lewis photographed for YRB magazine.

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ABOVE: McBrides photo of Kid Rock for Atlantic Records was inspired by a classic image of Jimi Hendrix with blonde twins.

BOTH PHOTOS CLAY PATRICK MCBRIDE

tive style for magazines and record companies, McBride starting shooting rock and hip-hop. And that led to sports photography, an interest he pursued after trying his hand making portraits of basketball players, as well as general entertainment photography. McBride has photographed actors and comedians such as Vin Diesel, Denis Leary and Tracy Morgan. Besides maintaining strong relationships with art directors, McBride also nurtures his bonds with his subjects. Hes worked with Kid Rock, for example, for 12 years, thanks to a successful rst photo session with the singer. When I shot him the rst time, he was amazed at how quickly I worked and how little of

his time I wasted, explains McBride, who says one of his favorite shots of Kid Rock was inspired by a classic image of Jimi Hendrix with two blondes. This is sometimes what can separate you from other photographers: knowing that these famous people have hectic schedules and being mindful of their time. About eight years ago, McBride set his sights on the ad world, a logical next step for many editorial photographers who have reached a certain level of success. He signed with a commercial agent Anderson Hopkins in New York Cityand they started to promote him to ad agencies. But rst, they had to repackage him for this new target audience. We took away a

TOP LEFT: Jay-Z and the Roc-A-Fella roster, taken in 2005 after Jay-Z became president of Def Jam records. The series was inspired by images of JFK from Time and Life. LEFT: The Parlor Mob for Road Runner Records in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, 2011.

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CLAY PATRICK MCBRIDE

I N S P I R AT I O N E D U C AT I O N T E C H N O LO G Y

CONNECT 2012

(c) JEFF DUNAS 2012

PALM SPRINGS PHOTO FESTIVAL

WORKSHOPS INCLUDE:

APRIL 1 -APRIL 6
WORKSHOPS - PORTFOLIO REVIEWS S E M I N A R S - S Y M P O S I U M S N E T W O R K I N G E V E N T S E V E N I N G P R E S E N T A T I O N S S L I D E S H O W C O M P E T I T I O N
N I G EL PAR RY: T H E ED I TO R IAL PO R T R AI T SH ELBY LEE ADA MS : EN V I R O N M EN TAL P O RT R AI T U R E G E R D L U D W I G : D O C U M E N TA R Y P H O T O G R A P H Y R O B ERT M A X WELL : CO N T EM P O R ARY FI N E ART N U D E R O N H AV I V : P H O T O J O U R N A L I S M M A S T E R C L A S S L I S E S A R FAT I : N A R R AT I V E F I C T I O N & R E A L I T Y FR A N K O CK E N FE L S I I I : T H E S I G N AT U R E P O R T R A I T KEITH C ARTER : FINDING YOUR VISUAL VOICE VINCENT LAFORET: BEYOND THE SOFTBOX - LIGHT FOR MOTION LISA KERESZI : CONCEIVING FINE ART PROJEC T S TIM GRIFFITH : ARCHITEC TURAL PHOTOGRAPHY N EL S I SR A EL S O N : T H E D R A M AT I C P O R T R A I T DAVID MUENCH :THE DESERT LIGHT K A R L W E AT H E R LY : S P O R T S A C T I O N P H OT O G R A P H Y T I M C A LV E R : P H O T O G R A P H I N G U N D E R WAT E R INTRODUCTION TO DSLR VIDEO PRODUCTION T H E B U S I N E S S O F P H O T O G R A P H Y
SEMINARS INCLUDE:
M A S T E R I N G T H E E S S E N T I A L P H OTO S H O P TO O L S ; S O C I A L M E D I A M A R K E T I N G I S I T N E C E S S A R Y T O S H O O T M O T I O N ? ; D I G I TA L A S S E T M A N A G E M E N T THE COMPLETE APERTURE PRIMER; ARCHIVE IT NOW! PRESERVING YOUR LEGACY T H E A S M P CO P Y R I G H T P R O G R A M ; G E T T I N G YO U R P H OTO B O O K P U B L I S H E D UNDERSTANDING COLOR SPACES, CALIBRATING & PROFILING; WORKING WITH FINAL CUT PRO SILVER EFFEX PRO: BLACK AND WHITE PHOTOGRAPHY; FINDING YOUR AUDIENCE LIGHTROOM 3: DEVELOP MODULES: TOP TO BOT TOM & ADOBE RAW PROCESSING

WILL YOU BE THERE?

1 - 8 0 0 9 2 8 - 8 314
palm springs photo festival is presented by

THIS IS WHAT CAN SOMETIMES SET YOU APART FROM OTHERS: KNOWING THAT FAMOUS PEOPLE HAVE HECTIC SCHEDULES AND BEING MINDFUL OF THEIR TIME.
lot of the smoke and mirrors and all the stylized stuff, McBride says. We made it more about just portraits. Just classic stuff, sometimes funny, sometimes energetic. In taking away a lot of the work that said Gen-X, that said music photographer, we opened the doors up. Though they avoided marketing him strictly under the label of music photographer, McBrides experience shooting famous musicians aided his transition into advertising because at the time, there was a trend toward using recording artists in car campaigns. McBride photographed rapper 50 Cent, for instance, standing in a hoodie beside a Pontiac fac CLAY PATRICK MCBRIDE

ABOVE: Pontiac developed this sedan with rapper 50 Cent and commissioned McBride to shoot this ad. McBride wanted to show 50 as a street hustler and business mogul facing o , with a touch of cinematic tension.

ing another version of himself, wearing a suit. They wanted to choose a photographer who had street cred and could keep the images true to the artists integrity and demographic, says McBride. These days, McBride continues to shoot advertisingfor clients like Nike and Volkswagenand also reserves time for passing his knowledge along to the

next generation as a teacher at SVA. But McBride isnt quite done nding his own path. Hes planning on becoming a student again, this time in one of SVAs MPS (Master of Professional Studies) programs. Hes looking to return to his artistic roots in hopes of answering the eternal question: Why do we take photos?

BELOW: LeBron James for Nike. Shot for the basketball market in China, the ads promoted the idea that the NBA star developed his game on the streets of Akron, Ohio. McBride photographed the projects where James grew up, as well as the courts he played on as a kid.

NIKE/PHOTO BY CLAY PATRICK MCBRIDE

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AndersonRanch arts center

DAVID HILLIARD

ALEX WEBB

GREG MILLER

2012 SUMMER FACULTY PHOTOGRAPHY & DIGITAL MEDIA

Sanford Biggers Elinor Carucci Joshua Davis David Hilliard David Julian Ed Kashi Stuart Klipper Greg Miller Arno Minkkinen Casey Reas Jonathan Singer Jamey Stillings Jim Stone Carlan Tapp Mariana Vieira Andrea Wallace Alex Webb Rebecca Norris Webb

35 Workshops and Field Expeditions Register Online Now

Summer Workshops Internships Scholarships Residencies 970/923-3181 info@andersonranch.org Post Office Box 5598, Snowmass Village, CO 81615

andersonranch.org

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THE ART & SOUL OF

Last fall, Filipacchi Publishing and Sony teamed up to publish Art & Soul, a coee-table book of celebrity portraits by renowned photographer Brian Smith. The monograph was a labor of love for Smith and his collaborator, the Creative Coalition, whose aim was to pay tribute to the arts. (A portion of the proceeds will benet the coalition.) The cause was, naturally, also signicant to the hundred-plus stars who posed for Smith, all of whom contributed commentaryin the form of handwri en notes, charts, poems and essayson what the arts have meant to them.
bulk of the celebrities for the project, but as we continued to shoot, we got a number of walk-ins like Samuel L. Jackson, who heard about the project through his friends Kerry Washington and Alfre Woodard.
BRIAN SMITH

wonderful hour from lovely Anne Hathaway. She didnt want to leave, and I sure wasnt going to kick her out... EP: What was your overall concept or approach in shooting these people? And how did you prepare? BS: I knew from the start that wed have to keep it uniform so that all the photos could work together, and I didnt want the background to compete for attention, which basically simplies the choice to white, gray or black. We tested all of them, and black just seemed more intimate. EP: Why was doing this book important to you? BS: Sony is really committed to the arts, so when they dropped this project in my lap, it was too good to be true. It was great not only to work with so many fabulous artists but to work on a project showcasing the importance of arts education, which was dear to all our hearts.
KRISTINA FELICIANO

BRIAN SMITH

Here, Smith talks about how this massive project came together and what it took to make it happen, including bringing out the best in each and every one of his subjects. Portrait photography often boils down to a weird blend of speed dating and psychoanalysis, he explains. Whether theyre extroverted or introverted, youve gotta gure out how to draw out your subjects personality. Most of the buttons you push arent on the camera. EMERGING PHOTOGRAPHER: There are 123 portraits in this book. Who wrangled the celebs? BRIAN SMITH: My partner on the project, the Creative Coalition, brought in the

EP: Where were the shoots, and how many days/hours did it take? BS: Most of the shoots took place during industry award weeks, like Oscar Week and Emmy Week, as well as the Sundance Film Festival. But we also set up shoots whenever we had studio space in New York. I also tried to grab a few people, like MoNique, while I was on shoots for other clients. EP: In an interview about the book, actress/writer Nia Vardalos estimated that her shoot took 15 minutes. How do you approach a 15-minute session, especially when so much is riding on it? BS: We had anywhere from 5 to 15 minutes with most people. The key is to not overthink things and just roll with it and get them out of there before they get bored with it all. Though we did get a

Read more about Art & Soul at Smiths blog, www.briansmith.com/blog.

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BUT BACK
Greg Miller has built a thriving professional career by emphasizing his personal work and interests.
BY LYRA KILSTON

County Fair, Schnecksville, 2005.

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ALL PHOTOS GREG MILLER LATOYA RUBY FRAZIER ALL PHOTOS THIS STORY

TO ME
Greg Miller is a successful commercial photographer based in New York City who has worked for clients ranging from Time, Esquire and People to Hewlett-Packard. But Millera 2008 GuggenGREG MILLER heim fellowship recipientis also a successful ne-art photographer whose work is exhibited regularly in galleries and museums and is widely collected. If I stopped making personal work, I would cease to exist, insists Miller, who has had to gure out not just how to balance both sides of his career but how to make them strengthen each other. Having studied ne-art photography at the School of Visual Arts in the 1980s, Miller at rst felt apologetic about his early commercial assignments. I was afraid I would be seen as a hack and kept it to myself, he said. However, over the past two decades, as he learned that he could consistently devote time and energy to his personal projects, Miller found that the two sides of his photography didnt have to be at odds. I used to feel like my personal work took away from my commercial work and vice versa, he says, but now I feel like they fuel each other. To wit, his commercial portfolio consists mostly of personal projects. You often hear photographers be TINA CHIAPPETTA

ing cautioned against this approachthe conventional wisdom is that clients want to see commissioned workbut it has proved successful for Miller. I want what I am hired for to be on the front edge of what Im interested in shooting, he explains. Because my commercial work has an element of collaboration in it, I see showing tearsheets and commercial work to get work similar to making a tape of a tape. I want my commercial work to come from the original. Occasionally, his clients are so impressed with his personal work that they want to use it, which forces Miller to nimbly blur both ways of working. It feels counterintuitive to forget about the client in the midst of a shoot they are paying for, but the more I can really respond to what is in front of meand forget about everything else the better the pictures will be, says Miller. Then he adds, In other words, I am serving my client most by serving myself rst, since it is my work they came to me for. Likewise, his commercial assignments often evolve into personal projects. His compelling County Fair seriessurprisingly forlorn portraits devoid of the typical cotton-candy and roller-coaster shotsoriginated from a Life magazine assignment to shoot county fairs across the country.
BOTTOM LEFT: From Millers Waiting For series, documenting people at a drive-in theater in Connecticut. BOTTOM RIGHT: From his Band Camp series, shot in Nashville i n 2004.

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From the series Spumoni Gardens, hot in Brooklyn.

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ALL PHOTOS GREG MILLER

Part of what makes Millers photographs work in both a commercial and ne-art context is his aptitude for portraiture and narrative. I believe my work is appealing to clients because they are looking for emotional value and connection between people, he notes. A few years ago, when shooting his Nashville seriesfor which he returned to document his hometown and people who reminded him of the Nashville he once knewhe discovered what he calls a thread of humanism that ran through his work, and which he now consciously aims to emphasize. From his series Band Camp, which plunges into the brooding awkwardness of adolescence, to Spumoni

Gardens, a study of the quirky patrons at a Brooklyn pizzeria, Miller has the ability to nd moments of affecting human connection or detachment, even in the most everyday scenarios. In his recent series Waiting For, which centers on drive-in theaters, he shot his subjects near dusk, sitting in their cars in a eld, lost in moments of quiet resignation. Here, the normal rituals of waiting for a movie to start are rendered mysterious and unresolved, even existential. The results are haunting. He knows that drive-ins are not a new theme in photography, but as he explains, My practice in ring the committee enables me to push ahead with a project even if there is a voice in my head

that says it might have been done before. If I personally have never done it before, I believe it doesnt exist, Miller continues. Listening to inhibiting voices prevents me from shooting and growing. This allegiance to his own vision and instincts has beneted Miller very well, on both sides of his practice. His advice to young photographers trying to strike the same balance between personal and commercial projects is one he has obviously followed: Serve the part of you that is uniquely you.
BELOW: From the series Nashville. After receiving a Guggenheim Fellowship in 2008, Miller decided to investigate his childhood by returning to his hometown of Nashville after 20 years of living in New York.

THOUGHTS ON MODEL RELEASES

When it comes to model releases, its best to think in terms of both the rule of lawyou need to have a persons permission, in writing, to use their image for commercial purposesand the Golden Rule. If someone took your photo and said they were going to use it in an art project, and then they turned around and sold it to an ad agency for a campaign, youd probably feel betrayed. Do unto your subjects as you would have a photographer do unto you, in other words. I get model consent forms from everyone I photograph and have done so since 1997, when I really began photographing people on the street. Its a huge part of my operation. I have a ling cabinet full of releases, notes Greg Miller. By obtaining a model consent form you are being up front about your intentions to sell your photographs. Thats a good thing. Not sure how to get your hands on a model release form? Well, theres an app for that. Try the Easy Release model release app ($9.99) available through the App Store.

WANT TO MEET GREG MILLER IN PERSON? HERE ARE SOME OF HIS UPCOMING WORKSHOPS:
COLOR PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOP Anderson Ranch, Aspen, CO, June 2430 www.andersonranch.org LARGE FORMAT PORTRAITURE Maine Media Workshops, Rockport, ME, July 814, www.mainemedia.edu PORTRAITURE: THE INVISIBLE RELATIONSHIP Project Basho, Philadelphia, Date TBA www.projectbasho.org

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PORTFOLIO OF ONE
COULD YOU DEFINE YOUR WORK WITH A SINGLE IMAGE?
BROOKLYN BASED FINE ART AND COMMERCIAL PHOTOGRAPHER CASS BIRD GIVES IT A TRY.
In 2005, Cass Bird was selected for the Art + Commerce Festival of Emerging Photographers, an event in New York spotlighting new talent. CASS BIRD She was one of only 25 photographers picked from more than 1,100 entries, and it is an understatement to say that the jurorswho included top photo editors, art buyers and book editors chose wisely. Birds career has been on a steady upward trajectory ever since, in both the ne-art and commercial worlds. Bird, who is based in Brooklyn, explores issues of identity, gender and gender roles, and she does so with a kind of edgy earthiness. Maybe its the trucker caps, the tattoos, the rogueish haircuts and wild energy, but her work is often like documentary photography with a dash of authentic hipster style. That aesthetic has made her very popular with advertising and editorial clients: Wrangler tapped Bird, who is now represented by Art + Commerce, to shoot their 2011 spring/summer Stunt campaign, and The New York Times Magazine commissioned her to shoot a cover story on actor Viggo Mortensen, to name two recent examples. Working in ne art and the commercial realm can be a strain on a photographer, but Bird has managed to stay true to her creative vision. In my personal work, my subject matter is very specic, Bird explained in an e-mail. There is a lot of identication and reverence in the subjects that I choose, but my approach to shooting has stayed very much the same. I have the same fundamental curiosities. Its still me trying to get close through my pictures. Obviously, I have more freedom to take risks in regards to sexuality in my personal work, but I believe there is still an element of this expression in the commercial assignments. For her Portfolio of One image, she chose Julie in Braids, which is also the cover of Rewilding, a new book of her work being published this spring by Damiani. Why this photo, out of all the many she could have submitted? Her answer articulates the duality of much of her work, and its appeal: I feel this image is both tender and stoic. KRISTINA FELICIANO
DIANE RUSSO

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make movie magic

David McLain / Pro Photographer, Sony Artisan of Imagery + Sony NEX-VG20 Handycam Camcorder If youre just getting serious about cinematography, the VG20 is a great place to start. I love the form factor and array of interchangeable lenses. sony.com/vg20

immerse yourself
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