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the Blog for Photography Professionals
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Posted by Foto Care | Posted in Foto Care Exhibits
Posted on January 17, 2012
Photographer Bill Diodato’s Care of Ward 81 will be opening at Foto Care Rentals on January 26th at 6:30 PM. We snagged a quick interview with him about his career and the Care of Ward 81 project.
Posted by Foto Care | Posted in Foto Coach, Product Reviews
Posted on January 11, 2012
A RAID, or Redundant Array of Independent Disks, has become an industry standard for easily protecting your photos. Most RAIDs are freestanding pieces of hardware that look and function like a large external hard drive. In a RAID, multiple hard drives work in unison to provide a single storage “drive” with a couple of configurable features. RAIDs have many different configurations, but we are going to focus on RAID 1 and RAID 5s.
More on RAID’s after the jump…
Posted by Foto Care | Posted in Foto Care Interviews, Photographers
Posted on January 6, 2012
From Thomas:
I came up with an idea to shoot these close ups of insects with high end accessories awhile back. The only thing keeping me from shooting it was the lack of insects, and the absence of a lens that could do the job. I knew that I wanted these insects to be larger than life so I had to find a lens that was almost like a microscope. After searching online for a short while I ordered some insects, and came across the canon 65mm macro lens. This lens allowed me to get 1x-5x closer to my subject. Perfect, it was truly what the lens was made for. I called up Fred at Fotocare and he came through for me and got the lens so I could rent it. It was quite an exercise lighting these little bugs. The slightest movement of the light and it would throw the whole look off. After a little trouble shooting and setting up a rail system so I could focus my shots, the shooting went relatively smoothly. Being a still life photographer I feel that I tend to look at the normal things in life a little more closely. I try and find what makes them stand out, what makes them special. This was the purpose of this shoot. By making the subject larger than life we get to see what makes these bugs special, they almost start to have a personality when you get so close.
So where did you find all the bugs?
After searching around and doing a small test with dead bugs that had been dried out and taxidermied, I found out that I had to get bugs that were really fresh. Believe it or not, I got all the bugs on eBay. There are actually a lot of people that collect insects and there is a huge market for it on eBay. I ended up getting a collection of 65 insects that came in a solution so they were fresh and not dried out.
Which bug is your favorite?
I have two favorites, the black beetle with the gem on its back and the beetle holding the jewel in its arms. The one with the jewels in its arms seems to be almost talking to the earring.
What first inspired you to combine bugs and fashion accessories?
I wish I could say that I saw a bug on the sidewalk one day and I dreamed that it told me it really wanted to wear earrings and walk around in pumps. The reality is, I was riding my bike home one night and it just sort of popped into my head.
Posted by Foto Care | Posted in Foto Care Exhibits
Posted on January 3, 2012
Last month Foto Care Rentals, along with the generous sponsorship of Hasselblad, Broncolor, and Karin and Raoul, played host to the Beautiful Burn gallery show. Curated by Hassan Kinley, the show featured images from Reka Nyari, Erica Simone, Peter Ruprecht, Ian Brewer and Hassan Kinley from the Burning Man festival in the Black Rock Desert of Nevada.
Opening night drew the largest crowd we have had at a gallery show to date (250+ visitors!) While the show hung we had a steady stream of guests coming in to see the electrifying imagery from Burning Man. The images are all packed up but here is a last look at a Beautiful Burn! More images after the break…
Posted by Foto Care | Posted in Foto Care Interviews
Posted on December 27, 2011
Foto Care is pleased to present an exclusive interview with John Putnam. This interview may be of particular interest to photo enthusiasts that are considering whether or not to switch careers dedicating themselves to a full-time career as a professional / commercial photographer. J.K. Putnam specializes in editorial, travel, and outdoor photography. He has been featured in over a dozen photography and design books including CBGB: Decades of Graffiti, Decay, and Past Objects. His work has also been printed in a number of journalism publications including The New York Daily News and Overflow Magazine. He lives in New York City with his wife and traveling companion, Allison.
Tell us about yourself and how you got into this field?
My interest in photography was casual when I was young. It wasn’t until high school when my father gave me his old Nikkormat that I began to explore the creative side of photography, but even then I didn’t shoot much. The camera’s light meter was broken which made it hard to successfully expose entire rolls of film. I would typically use a whole roll to take one picture, experimenting with the settings and different types of film. I learned a lot about exposure, but for a kid it was an expensive process so I didn’t do a lot of it. I got into film making in college and learned about lighting and how to tell a story visually, but it wasn’t until Digital SLR’s began to take over that my interest returned to still photography.
What was your break out job that helped launch your career?
I can’t say that my career as a photographer has necessarily been launched yet. A portion of my income comes from photography but not a significant amount. When I moved to New York City a friend that worked for a publishing company gave me my first assignment, I’ve been working with them ever since, about six years now. I feel lucky to have that connection, there are a lot of photographers that make more money than me, but few of them could say that they have over a dozen books published.
What has been your favorite assignment(s) to date?
I worked on my most recent book, Past Objects, for almost two years. The author and subject of the book is a man named Scott Jordan who has been digging in construction sites and backyards in and around New York City for decades. He is an amateur archeologist of sorts, he digs up artifacts from old New York, things like bottles, shoes, toys, and pottery. All of it is hundreds of years old. His apartment is a museum of this stuff. For the book I photographed thousands of these artifacts, also Scott on digs, his apartment, everything. Scott and I became friends over the two years we were working together, I think the friendship had a lot to do with my attachment to the project, that and I like old stuff.
Where do you draw your inspiration from?
Other photographers. Before I leave for a trip or start a new project I always study the work of the photographers I admire. But once I’m out in the field it’s my subjects. The land, the light, the people, the animals, all dictate what the picture is. When I was younger, I remember seeing an exhibit of Frans Lanting’s photographs at the George Eastman House in Rochester, NY. It really opened my eyes to the possibilities of wildlife and nature photography as an art. He photographs nature in an often abstract way and his pictures erase any idea of the presence of humans thereby creating a prehistoric look. I didn’t know it then but Lanting would become one of my biggest influences. When I accomplish what he has I’ll retire.
What do you do to market you services?
Not much. I have a full time job that I am dedicated to and this takes up a lot of my time. I still take photography work when it comes to me but between the assignments from the publishing company and my own projects it is hard to find time for much else. Photography is something I always want to love, even if it were to become a full time job I would only want to do work that interests me on a personal level.
Do you use Social Media as part of your marketing mix? Do you think it is effective?
It is effective for what I want to do, which is share my pictures. Making a buck off of my photography is always a great thing, but the bottom line is that I want people to be able to view and appreciate what I am doing and social media sites are great for this. I also use them to keep the people that know my work updated as to what I am doing. As my business grows social media will become more and more essential just like with any other business these days. People want to find out what is going on through social media, if you can’t provide information in this way people will lose interest.
You mentioned you have a full time job — what field is this in? At what point, if ever, would you consider the transition from a full time 9-5 job to dedicating yourself to a career in photography? Is this a goal of yours?
I’m general manager at Eastern Effects Inc. in Brooklyn, NY, a grip and lighting rental house for film and television production. When would I transition to photography full time? When National Geographic calls…but really, I’ve thought about this a lot. I enjoy the stability that my job provides, and the people I work for understand how important photography is to me and give me the time to take on big projects. In all honesty I wouldn’t be able to do what I do without that job, it provides me with the resources I need. I think a full time career in photography is inevitable, but it’s a long ways off, I’m happy with where I am.
How has your work changed in the last few years?
It has just plain improved. It gets better and better year after year. This is important for me now because in the grand scheme of things I haven’t been shooting seriously for very long. Challenge drives it, whether that be the environment I’m in or the subject I’m faced with. My biggest fear is my work becoming stagnant, and I think that as long as I continue to challenge myself it will continue to improve.
Where is your work heading next? Where do you see yourself in the future?
It’s more of where am I heading next, that’s the real question. Traveling has become a love of mine and I never do it without a camera. I am becoming more and more interested in leaving my comfort zone, going farther into the wilderness or visiting places where I don’t speak the language. I just got back from a trip to Japan, I shot a lot at night and with the idea of converting the images to black and white. All of this was new to me and I believe I was successful in creating the look I wanted. I want to continue to adapt my style to the places I visit and hopefully turn traveling with a camera into a career. What I don’t want to do is manipulate my photographs in a dishonest way. I like things to play out naturally in front of my lens, I think I’m attracted to both nature and street photography for that reason. With both of these subjects things are out of the photographer’s control, it’s chaotic, I like that.
What equipment are you currently using to produce your work?
Canon DSLR’s and Canon lenses. I have nothing against any of the other brands, Canon is just what I started with.
What equipment would you most like to own but don’t yet have?
Anything that weighs less than what I currently use, when I go backpacking I typically carry one camera and three lenses, along with a bunch of other camera junk I don’t need to survive in the wilderness. Needless to say I carry a heavy load.
Do you work with Video? Have you stepped into the Hybrid Video market at all?
I own a 5D and 7D, I bought these because they are fantastic still cameras and I could rent them out as video cameras and make a little money back. I don’t have much of an interest in shooting video myself, but I believe the future of advertising photography is the moving image. So… I don’t know, maybe I should start, but I don’t want to, I like stills.
To Learn More about JK Putnam Photography:
facebook: www.facebook.com/jkputnamphotography
Book: Past Objects by Scott Jordan, with photography by J.K. Putnam: http://markbattypublisher.com/books/past-objects/
Posted by Foto Care | Posted in Photo Exhibits in NYC
Posted on December 22, 2011
The Janet Borden Gallery in NYC presents Merry Christmas from Lee Friedlander, a new exhibition of photographs by Lee Friedlander. Now….if you are familiar with the work of Lee Friedlander you know “merry” is not typically found in his visual vocabulary. Eerie black and white images (reminiscent of The Twilight Zone) are beautifully framed to showcase the “holiday spirit” in cities across the country as seen by the extraordinary Lee Friedlander as he traverses the US landscape with camera in hand.
Merry Christmas From Lee Friedlander is on view at Janet Borden, Inc New York through Dec. 31.
Posted by Foto Care | Posted in Gift Ideas
Posted on December 19, 2011
Photography books are wonderful gift ideas for photo enthusiasts and professionals alike; and there are many to choose from including collectable limited edition books to gorgeous coffee table art books. Here is something a little different and unexpected–a celebration of photo snap shops taken by families around the world typically found in home-made photo albums, antique stores and flea markets. if your photo enthusiast loves to rummage through bins of old photos, hunting for special finds at flea markets and book fairs, here are a few books that will inspire as they celebrate the art (and spontaneity) of the snapshot.
Baby with cigarette from The Art of the American Snapshot
Unknown photographer, September 1969, chromogenic print. National Gallery of Art, Washington.
Anonymous: Enigmatic Images from Unknown Photographers – $21.86
“Haunting, cryptic photographs…fire the imagination. The images come with no explanation, only speculation, so we are free to let our minds roam wild.” —Miami Herald
The wonderfully diverse images reproduced here include many of transcendent beauty and psychological insight, all with the magical, mysterious charge that comes from speculating on the circumstances in which they were taken. Novelist William Boyd, whose introduction identifies thirteen ways in which to look at photographs, explains: “The anonymous photograph…makes us ask, with new concentration, what it is about a photograph that elevates it above the casual and the banal…why some images move and enthrall and remain in our memories.”
The number of collectors of anonymous photographs is growing exponentially. Robert Flynn Johnson has spent more than a decade on a personal journey of discovery through what were previously uncharted waters to find the works reproduced here. Reflecting themes that govern our lives—birth, death, love, war, travel, celebrity—these photographs are pleasurable and poignant, giving insight into the human secrets with which we can all identify. Over 220 illustrations.
The Art of the American Snapshot - $36.66
Book Description: The impact of the humble American snapshot has been anything but humble. Any American who takes a snapshot contributes to a compelling and influential genre. Since 1888, when George Eastman introduced the Kodak camera and roll film, the snapshot has not only changed everyday American life and memory; it has also changed the history of fine art photography.
Cowboy
Unknown photographer, “Taken Dec. 20 at home 1959. Bud and Jeff, “gelatin silver print, printed January 1960. National Gallery of Art, Washington.
The distinctive subject matter and visual vocabulary of the American snapshot–its poses, facial expressions, viewpoints, framing, and themes–influenced modernist photographers as they explored spontaneity, objectivity, and new topics and perspectives. The book shows that among the countless snapshots taken by American amateurs, some works, through intention or accident, continue to resonate long after their intimate context and original meaning have been lost.
Child in Bag
Unknown photographer, January 1965, chromogenic print. Collection of Robert E. Jackson.
Reviews:
“The prints in The Art of the American Snapshot are reproduced at their actual modest size, with lots of blazingly white space, and have taken their riddles into oblivion with their anonymous creators…The camera, that highly evolved mechanism, put into Everyman’s untrained hands the chance to become, if half by accident, a death-defying artist. The collector Robert Jackson deserves the last shot; his afterword to the catalogue manages to cast a pall of reasonableness over his curious passion.”–John Updike, The New Yorker
“Professionals who leaf through The Art of the American Snapshot 1888-1978 may despair as they realize that offhand efforts with a camera frequently produce more visual excitement than their studied exercises…Sarah Greenough…and her colleagues help to give meaning to the ordinary by probing, in their essays, how deeply the artless has shaped what we now consider art.”–Richard B. Woodward, Wall Street Journal
Posted by Foto Care | Posted in Gift Ideas
Posted on December 15, 2011
If you are looking for some creative holiday gift ideas for your photography lovin’ friend, family or loved one, here are a few stocking stuffers for photo geeks that are sure to please:
Blurb.com Personal Photography Book or a Blurb.com Gift Card (so they can make their own)
If you really want to surprise your camera toting loved one, and you have the time to create and access their images (high res of course) you will most certainly bring a burst of joy to the recipient of this gift. Imagine their surprise as you present him or her with a printed photography book only to discover its their own work beautifully printed as a coffee table art book. With Blurb, you’ll find all the tools you need to make your own photo book and you can count on bookstore-quality printing and binding with a range of choices from Hardcover photo books to Softcover paperbacks in an array of trim sizes.
If gaining access to their work is not possible – fret not; Blurb gift cards are a great way to give the gift of bookmaking to your favorite people. You can give a Blurb gift card to anyone, whether they’ve used Blurb or not, and let them take part in the fun of making their own book. The process is easy. Simply select a gift card in dollars, pounds, or euros at any of the increments and you’ll receive a unique code to pass on to the lucky recipient. You can either print out your gift card as a note to share, or you can send it in an email.
The F-Stop Watch- $35
You’re a little fuzzy around 2, start feeling fine around 8, but at 11 you’re sharp, focused, and ready to party. The f-stop watch gets you. Aperture numbers mark off the hours on this understated timepiece. The zinc-alloy frame encircles a glass-encased dial, and a 9.25″ band sits comfortably on your wrist.
A quartz movement ensures accurate time-keeping, and a bright-red second hand is ready to help you time your manual exposures. Truly, ’tis a timely accessory for photo-making that any photographer would love.
Nikon or Canon Camera Lens Mugs - $24 – $30
The ultimate head-turner. Drink out of a lens! Clever Canon or Nikon Lens Mugs that look JUST LIKE your favorite lens. Be careful, they are so realistic you might have to use post-its just to remind yourself which is for coffee and which is for taking photos. The 24-105mm black lens has a realistic lens-cap lid with rubber-grip focus zoom rings. It even has an auto-focus switch that actually switches. The 70-200mm white lens has a liquid tight travel lid and a rubber-grip bottom to keep it from sliding on your dash. Both mug models are equipped with an easy to clean, heat preserving, stainless steel lining.
Happy Holidays!!
