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:

www.jkputnamphotography.com

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!!

Posted by Foto Care | Posted in Photo Exhibits in NYC
Posted on December 5, 2011

Here is a compelling exhibit from photographer G.M.B Akash at the Anastasia Photo Gallery –one not to be missed!  Born in 1977 in Dhaka. Bangladesh, Akash is a photojournalist that has already won more than 60 international awards, including the World Press Photo Award.

G.M.B Akash Photo Exhibit at Anastasia Photo Gallery
166 Orchard Street, New York, NY 10002
212.677.9725
http://www.Anastasia-Photo.com
The gallery is open seven days a week, 11:00 – 7:00

“To be able to articulate the experiences of the voiceless and to bring their identities to the forefront gives meaning and purpose to my own life.”

Eleven year old working in a silver cooking pot factory

Akash’s current show, Survivors, spans a 10-year period where he aims his lens at child laborers and sex workers in Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Philippines, Pakistan, and Bhutan. The New York exhibit showcases photographs from Bangladesh. While the images will tug at your heart, Akash successfully documents, even in the most trying circumstances, the resilience of the human spirit.

The owner of a texture factory beating a twelve-your old child laborer. The boy works for 10 hours a day and earns about $1. Dhaka, Bangladesh, 2005

A child working in a textile factory in Dhaka. The average child laborer earns between 400 to 700 taka (1 USD = 70 taka) per month

Children carry bricks on their heads at a brick factory. Dhaka, Bangladesh, 2003

When asked how he is able to get so close to what is going on or to capture an injustice to a child, he explains,   “In the beginning, it feels like forbidden territory, a place you are not supposed to enter surrounded by borders of privacy… You, the photographer, are there at a factory or brothel with your simple black bag hanging from your shoulder…the first days following these intrusions, I never take pictures, they would not be good. I have a friendly conversation….and there is consent. People don’t accuse me, reject me or pose in unnatural ways. Then I click away and it feels like conversation.”

Judith is preparing for her clients as the evening crowd gathers. Bonded sex workers put on make-up several times between the morning and midnight, transforming their faces into white masks which is considered beautiful by their clients.

What’s astonishing about these pictures is seeing close-ups of children working for ten dollars a month in extremely hazardous jobs to support their families. Often times the families do not care of the child’s welfare–they welcome the money to the family. Each of the fifteen photographs in the exhibition has very descriptive captions that add to the sadness/power of the photos. For example, several captions explain how underage sex workers in the brothel are given a drug that makes them appear older since the law says they have to be 18. It also causes them to retain water and appear plump—which some Bangladeshi men like.

Anastasia Photo specializes in Documentary Photography and Photojournalism. The gallery also serves as a center for discussion and portfolio review. To connect these photographic images and the events they depict, Anastasia Photo endows each exhibition with a related, on site, philanthropic organization. For this exhibition, we have chosen Free the Slaves (www.freetheslaves.net), which is a non-profit organization dedicated to ending slavery worldwide.

Anastasia Photo specializes in Documentary Photography and Photojournalism. The gallery also serves as a center for discussion and portfolio review. To connect these photographic images and the events they depict, Anastasia Photo endows each exhibition with a related, on site, philanthropic organization. For more information about the charitable organizations we help fund, click on the links below:

A River Blue
A Leg To Stand On
Focus For Humanity
Free the Slaves
Partners in Health
Reporters Without Borders
Sacre Coeur
Save the Elephants
St. Kizito Orphanage

Posted by Foto Care | Posted in Foto Care Interviews
Posted on November 10, 2011

Foto Care is pleased to share an exclusive interview with Brooklyn based photographer Jason Gardner, an award-winning portrait, music and event photographer, specializing in creating images and telling stories for magazine, corporate, and non-profits. He is currently documenting traditional musicians and culture in Brazil’s Northeast states.

Tell us about yourself and how you got into this field?

While I had always dreamed of being a photographer, it was only after returning from a two-year trip around the world did I dedicate myself to image making as a career. After a while, I realized that I don’t just shoot pictures. I practice visual anthropology, telling image-based stories based on a framework of culture, tradition, and practices usually behind the public’s view. I do this in my work documenting Carnival around the world, a marketing campaign for a business, or when I photograph a musician for their promo kit.

Visual anthropology means learning as much as possible about what to shoot before I shoot it. It means listening to my inner voice, and potentially photographing things that would not normally be captured — a symbol on a wall; a backyard shrine; certain tattoos or markings; maybe a kind of costume or how it is being made; or one aspect of a ceremony.

What was your break out job that helped launch your career?

One break out job was photographing the band Antibalas. They have many musicians in their collective, so the opportunity to have them together was limited. In a short time, we shot some outdoor, conceptual work, some studio work, and I added a serendipitous shot to the range of images. While moving to another planned location, the band was walking in a V formation and I captured that. It was a long and hectic day but the band members still tell me they’ve never had group shots quite like the ones from that day. This was a breakout because they are a major band and the shoot was for the cover of a national music magazine and the band licensed them for promotion. The label distributed my photos widely. Even now, years later, they’re still using a few of those images.

What has been your favorite assignment to date?

My favorite project has been my multiple visits to Pernambuco, the state in the northeast of Brazil, because it has been the most significant toward forming my point of view of being a visual anthropologist. I started by documenting one traditional music group by taking photos of their preparation for and performance during Carnaval. As I gained their trust, they started to invite me to their sacred spaces to photograph the private rituals and shrines that were intertwined with their identity and their involvement in the culture. Then I continued with other traditional music groups and movements in the area.

I strive to place my photos of culture, music, dance, and ritual in a larger framework. Carnaval is more than just the popular conception of a wild party, especially in Pernambuco, where it’s widely recognized as an authentic, folkloric blend of color and tradition, as well as having a democratic and populist nature, being largely free and in the streets.

This work has resulted in photos published in Rolling Stone Brazil, articles in the world music magazine Global Rhythm, an assignment with the Associated Press, a photo license contract with Putumayo Records, publication in Revista Magazine of Harvard University, and exhibits sponsored by the Brazilian Consulate in New York in 2007 and San Francisco in 2010.

What do you do to marketing you services?

I publish a monthly newsletter informing my database of updated projects and images. I do a lot of networking in the creative and general business community. I also co-produce a networking event for people in the creative industry, called Toasted Almonds. Last event had over 150 attendees!  Since I do not have a traditional formal education in photography, I’ve had to rely on the power of word of mouth and marketing to drive my business. I always recommend to other photographers to visit events outside of their normal circle of contacts. Pick an alumni association, church group, or any kind of gathering where there is a shared affiliation to tell your story in a group setting.

Do you use Social Media as part of your marketing mix? Do you think it is effective?

Yes, I use social media, and I’ve seen results from it. I used Facebook, Twitter and Linked In to promote an exhibition I had in San Francisco last year. I only knew a few people in the city before I installed the show, yet by tweeting every day to promote the exhibition, and promoting a FB event invitation, more than 200 people came to the opening. It was amazing! One FB friend invited 1500 of his friends. I sold books and prints that night

Where is your work heading next? Where do you see yourself in the future?

I’m aiming my work toward multimedia and video space, especially as I work on documenting more culture, music, and events that require audio and visual components. I see myself doing longer, larger projects, perhaps working with cultural foundations and universities to not only document culture but also to travel and teach, showing the importance of culture as a dynamic force in our modern lives.

Do you work with Video? Have you stepped into the Hybrid Video market at all?

I’m experimenting with video, and learning about the technical and creative aspects of storyboarding, shooting, and editing, using all assets available to me to tell a story — video, audio, still and archival footage.

I’m finishing a video I shot in New Orleans earlier this year, interviewing a Big Chief of the Mardi Gras Indian tribes, and interweaving that with live footage and still photos. I’m showing another side to New Orleans Mardi Gras — the societal influences. Hopefully my work will allow viewers to develop a richer understanding of the world around them. For me, culture reveals the universal ways humans communicate their most profound thoughts and beliefs.

When did you first hear about Foto Care?

I’ve known about Fotocare since the beginning of my career. In the beginning, when I assisted photographers, and when I was doing tests, their rental department was phenomenal, patiently explaining the ins and outs of certain equipment setups. They’ve been always supportive of emerging photographers. Their service is among the best, and photographers know that and keep returning.

To learn more about Jason Gardner check out his website: Jason Gardner Photography

Based in Brooklyn, NY, his photography has been published by The New York Times, Rolling Stone, Photo District News, Time Out New York, New York Magazine, The Washington Post, The New York Daily News, SPIN Magazine, Harvard University’s Revista Magazine, Relix Magazine, and Global Rhythm Magazine.

He has completed assignments for Stern Magazine, Gourmet Magazine, Epitaph Records, Putumayo Records, AFS International, Adelphi University, and various corporations, nonprofits, and design companies. Jason was the official photographer for Celebrate Brooklyn’s 2008 season, shooting over 25 performances in one summer.

Posted by Foto Care | Posted in Business and Marketing Tips
Posted on October 9, 2011

I just saw this interesting article in City Pages, the definitive source of information for news, music, movies, restaurants, reviews, and events in Minneapolis, written by Andrea Swensson, titled:  Foo Fighters photo waiver one of the severest in the industry: Here’s why we didn’t sign. Very interesting so we thought we’d share the post: Please share your thoughts on this….

From our perspective, there are two parts of this contract that are problematic. The first requires “approval of the photos,” a phrase we’ve seen crop up on more and more photo contracts recently. Basically, the management company is creating a situation where they can legally control which photos we are allowed to publish. This kind of phrasing sets a dangerous precedent for publications. If we’re allowing Dave Grohl’s management to pick and choose which photos they’d like to see of him in the press, what’s to stop them from thinking that, in the future, they could ask for control over the concert review itself?

Janet Jackson tried it recently, so it isn’t as crazy as it may sound. Luckily for journalists everywhere, Ms. Jackson’s contract was met with such opposition by outlets nationwide that she eventually abandoned it all together, but not before stirring up a new wave of debate over this ongoing issue.

The second sketchy part of the contract is becoming more and more common, and is more harmful to freelance entertainment photography as a profession: The management company wants to own all photos taken of their client from the moment the photographer’s shutter clicks. This goes far beyond the pale of what is usually asked in these contracts and strips the photographer of any ownership or rights in regards to their work. The contract even goes so far as to say that, if requested, the photographer must march down to the U.S. Copyright Offices and transfer ownership of the work over to the band. All for the ability to spend 10 minutes crammed into a photo pit in front of Dave Grohl.

While we have taken a stand against contracts like this — when we’ve encountered harsh ones, like at this summer’s Britney Spears show, we’ve flat-out refused to shoot the show — many publications are still either blissfully unaware of these problems or choosing to sign the contracts and look the other way. For the Foo Fighters show, a few of the publications pushed back and were allowed to sign less oppressive contracts instead. Unfortunately, after much negotiating we were told that we had to sign it as-is to receive a photo pass, so we declined.

All of which indicates that the tour management knows they are asking too much with these contracts. This kind of abusive contract language seems specifically aimed at photographers who make their living as freelancers or those still amateur enough that they will sign away all their rights for a chance take pictures of a famous musician.

But for those of us trying to get awesome shots of Dave Grohl and uphold our publication’s editorial integrity, it puts us in an awkward spot.

To get a better sense for this trend of abusive photo contracts in the music industry, we conducted an informal poll of some of our colleagues and peers. Click over to page 2 to read their thoughts and see the contract that led us to decline shooting last night’s Foo Fighters tour kick-off show.

“The only way to make these contracts stop is if everyone says no to them,” says Nate “Igor” Smith, a freelance photographer in NYC who contributes to the Village Voice. “More and more artists are going to come up with bullshit like this unless photographers and media sources stick together and say no.”

On the other side of the coin, a seasoned photographer in L.A. says that the issue isn’t quite so black and white. “I understand both sides of the conversation as I’ve had conversations with publicists regarding this topic, including Foo Fighters’ publicist,” says Timothy Norris, who contributes to L.A. Weekly. “My take on it has changed over the years and although it’s still frustrating to read a contract that claims ownership of any image that comes of the shoot I have to keep in mind that at bottom the photos are about news. Nowadays there are just too many ‘photographers’ doing the same thing as me in the same time frame (first three songs) to think I’ll make a quick buck on reselling an image to another outlet.”

Norris also had an anecdote about a situation involving the Foo Fighters that indicates that their management may not be as vicious as the terms of their contract suggest. “I have a friend that once photographed Foo Fighters (contract signed) for a blog and management saw the photos and liked them. They ended up compensating him very well to use an image for marketing purposes involved with Gibson Guitars,” he says.

A member of the Foo Fighters’ publicity team also reiterated that the band’s intent isn’t quite what it seems on paper. “The language might be severe but that really isn’t the intent. Its just to protect the Foo Fighters from having their image sold and licensed without their knowledge or control.”

If that’s the case, why make the contract so ferocious? And why be willing to negotiate the terms with one publication but not another? There are no easy answers here, and the conversation is ongoing.

As far as this paper is concerned, we will continue to support our photographers who decline to shoot major acts with terms this harsh, not only because we want to advocate for entertainment photography as a viable profession — like any field, the more a photographer is able to support themselves with their creative work, the more time they can devote to their craft, which makes for better photos — but also to attempt a defense against this industry-wide assault on editorial integrity. We’re just one small outlet in the grand scheme of things, but you have to start somewhere.

Many musicians have a tumultuous relationship with photographers and the media.  Most photographers are given 10-15 minutes or the first 3 songs at a show to make the photographs they need.  Some musicians, however, have a reputation of playing to photographers and controlling their image by giving them a few great images.  One of the more famous examples of showmanship would be the Rolling Stones who, for the first 10-15 minutes of a show, are seemingly playing for the photographers, creating great moments and helping their public image.  Check out the Foo Fighters photo waiver below.  If you have a story from a concert to share you can tweet to us @fotocare or leave a comment here.

FOO FIGHTERS PHOTO WAIVER

Update:  Bob Dylan, famous for his dealings with the media and for shutting out photographers from his shows, has been busted for painting copies of famous photographs.  The New York Times has the story, along with comparisons of his paintings and the original photographs.

Posted by Foto Care | Posted in Photo Exhibits in NYC, Photography Books
Posted on September 30, 2011

Photographer Iain McKell offers an extraordinary and breathtakingly beautiful glimpse into the lives of a real and raw group of present-day nomads whose culture is built around ideals of freedom, nature, and simplicity. Historically despised, the new Gypsies are there by choice, not heritage. Unrelated to the Roma (an ethnic group with origins in India who live primarily in Central and Eastern Europe), the movement began in 1986 when a group of Post-Punk Anti-Thatcher protesters headed out of London into the English countryside. (Source: Amazon). Catch the New York Exhibition while you can!

The New Gypsies Exhibition
Clic Gallery, NYC
24 Broome Street New York, NY 10013
August 29 – October 2, 2011

From Clic’s press release we learn: Fashion and social documentary photographer, Iain McKell tracked and befriended a ‘small tribe’ of New Gypsies for over ten years. But it is 25 years since he took his first series of photographs of the travelers from which they evolved.

The Summer Solstice in 1985 witnessed the new phenomenon of New Age Travelers in the ‘Peace Convoy’, double-decker buses ‘with Dickensian characters sporting battered top-hats and Victorian frock-coats’ – ‘gangs of urban subcultures let loose in a rural setting’. Margaret Thatcher sent police to ‘de-commission’ their convoys.

From those beginnings have evolved the New Gypsies. Now ‘horse-drawn’, the New Gypsies sport elaborately decorated caravans and share a desire for freedom and the open road, self-reliance and a disdain for the trappings of contemporary life. However, these new nomads are also driven by their desire for sustainability in today’s world; they embrace technology, a grapevine watered by the latest gadgets and solar power. Their roaming existence is probably greener than any other element in society.

Iain McKell’s photographs of this new group of itinerants reveal his deep-seated attraction to both the people and the lifestyle, and betray mixed perceptions of a romantic life coupled with a hard one. The women exude a ragged glamour; the male subjects have a harder edge. But every photo is permeated with a wistfulness and sense of being a proud outsider.

The journeys of the New Gypsies are built around a yearly map of festivals and celebrations and much of their time is spent poring over Ordnance Survey maps. McKell’s photographs map the seasons of the horse-drawn travelers’ lives – from primeval celebrations of summer to the interiorized life of wintertime. His portraits often seem like a character from some ancient mystery play, symbolic of a careless purity and oneness with their natural surroundings. (Source: Clic Gallery Press Release)

With sensitivity and honesty he captures a way of life that seems at once romantic, strange, beautiful and simple. The result is a deeply insightful portrayal of a culture that eschews the traditional creature comforts of urban life in favor of the simplicity and freedom of the natural world.

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About the Artist / Author
Iain McKell is an international photographer whose work has appeared in numerous advertisements and major publications.  Born in Dorset England, School Clifton Collage, Studied graphic design at Exeter Collage of Art 1974-79 before moving to London in 1980.

Iain has contributed to Tha Face, i-D, Italian Lei, The Observer, Sunday Times, Inderpendent, WSJ, Telegraph, English Vogue, French Vogue, Italian Vogue, luomo Vogue, Cassa vogue, Zoo, Tank, Flair and V magazine. He has shot for Levis, Wranglers, JigSaw, Max&co, Red Stripe, Vladivar, Tia Maria, Mercedes Benz and at present agency favourite shooting for Diesel international campaign.

All Photos © Iain McKell