Lecture: Christopher Anderson

In conjunction with the World Press Photo 07 exhibiton in Toronto, World Press Photo 07 winner and Magnum Photo member, Christopher Anderson will be speaking.

Tuesday, October 16
Ryerson University
7:30pm - Free Admission
George Vari Engineering and Computing Centre, Ryerson University Theatre 103, 245 Church St @ Gould St
Presented by Canon Canada
Hosted by Ryerson School of Image Arts

Projection: Agence VU @ IndexG

Denis Darzacq, France, Agence VU

In conjunction with the World Press Photo 07 exhibition in Toronto, IndexG will be showing work from Agence VU, including the winning images by Denis Darzacq.

Admission is Free
Saturday, October 13, 5:30pm (Limited seating so arrive early)
50 Gladstone Ave, just north of Queen St W

October Digital Journalist

Digital Journalist
Robert Capa is acknowledged to be the icon of conflict photography. From the Spanish Civil War in the 1930s, through his famous coverage of D-Day, to his death at age 40 in Indochina in 1954, he was on virtually every front line for over two decades. However, as the expression goes, "behind every great man stands a great woman." For Capa, that woman was his collaborator and lover, Gerda Taro. A strongly influential force in his early career, Taro was with him in Spain, often photographing at his side. Sadly, her life was cut short in Spain when she was crushed by a tank. She was only 26 years old. For the past 70 years, her life and work have remained largely unknown to the public. But thanks to a remarkable exhibition currently at The Center of Photography in New York – on view alongside a show of Capa's work – Gerda Taro has finally been given a chance to emerge from the shadow of her legendary partner. We are proud to present highlights of these exhibits as this month's cover story, along with an appreciation by Ron Steinman.

If you have viewed the World Press Photo 07 exhibit, you will find the DOUBLE BLIND Paolo Pellegrin story of particular interest. Paolo received this year's First Prize Single News.

In the summer of 2006, Paolo Pellegrin and writer Scott Anderson covered the carnage in Lebanon. They both found that this was a different war from any they had ever experienced. The battlefield shifted daily. Waiters who brought them coffee were shooting rockets at Israeli positions a few hours later. Pellegrin and Anderson have recently published a book, DOUBLE BLIND, which testifies to the horrors of a war that Pellegrin claims "is a harbinger of the 'modern' wars to come." Pellegrin, who is a member of Magnum, the agency that Capa co-founded, was awarded the 2007 Robert Capa Gold Medal for his work on this story. View his compelling B&W photo gallery in this issue and you will see why.

Kodak Lecture Oct 19 - Keith Calhoun & Chandra McCormick Calhoun

Documentary photographers Keith Calhoun and Chandra McCormick Calhoun speak October 19 at the Kodak Lecture Series, Ryerson University.
The Calhoun's were featured in Spike Lee's 2006 documentary film When the Levees Broke after having lost their home and their studio in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.

Toronto - The Kodak Lecture Series is pleased to announce that documentary photographers Keith Calhoun and Chandra McCormick-Calhoun will give a lecture about their work on Friday, October 19, at Ryerson University in Toronto.

Born in New Orleans in the 1950's, the Calhoun's have been chronicling the everyday life of the city's Lower Ninth Ward for more than a quarter of a century. From documenting pleasure clubs to bluesman, clockworkers to churchgoers, the Calhoun's have made their career through capturing the vibrancy and culture of the neighbourhood they grew up in.

When Hurricane Katrina swept across the Gulf Coast in August 2005, Keith and Chandra would lose both their home, and their historic storefront photography studio. In the aftermath of the storm, and after salvaging what they could of their life's work, many individuals and organizations are helping the Calhoun's to rebuild. They include Architecture for Humanity, House by House, the Preservation Resource Center of New Orleans and Shelter Architecture.

The Calhoun's have been exhibited at the Aperture gallery in New York City, the Smithsonian and the Brooklyn Museum. They will also be featured in the landmark compilation Reflections in Black: A History of Black Photographers, 1840 to the Present by Deborah Willis. Having been exiled from their home, they are currently living in Texas with their two children.


Friday, October 19
7:30pm - Free Admission

Ryerson University
Vari Engineering and Computing Centre
Lecture Theatre 103
245 Church Street (just north of Dundas St. at Gould St)

Lectures are webcast and archived at www.ryersonlectures.ca

Alexandra Boulet Dies

After suffering an aneurism in June and being in an induced coma, Alexandra Boulet passed away on October 5 in Paris.
A great and sad loss to the international photojournalism community.

Kenji Nagai: Death of a Journalist

The shooting of Japanese videographer Kenji Nagai in Myanmar was captured on video and clearly shows the Nagai was not accidently shot, but was shot at point blank by a soldier.

Read letter from Canadian Journalists for Free Expression sent to the President of the People's Republic of China.

Depth of Field: Modern Photography at the Metropolitan

The innaugral exhibit, in the new photo gallery at the Metropolitan Museum of Art has just launched and will be on display throught to March 23.
New York Times article.

Censorship or Pornography?

A Nan Goldin photograph, owned by Elton John, was removed from a exhibition in the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art in the UK.
CBC Article

This is the image.



View a selection of other Nan Goldin images.

Ruth Kaplan in New York Group Show

Lisette Model and Her Successors
Exhibition on view: September 7–November 1, 2007

The broadest and most enterprising survey of its kind, this group show brings together for the first time a selection of vintage works by Model-one of the last century's most significant photographers-and thirteen of her successors.

Lisette Model, Diane Arbus, Bruce Cratsley, Lynn Davis, Elaine Ellman, Larry Fink, Peter Hujar, Raymond Jacobs, Ruth Kaplan, Leon Levinstein, Eva Rubinstein, Gary Schneider, Rosalind Solomon, and Bruce Weber

Aperture Gallery
547 West 27th Street, 4th Floor
Between 10th and 11th Avenues
New York, New York

Hours
Tuesday-Saturday:
10:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m.

Louie Palu: George Eastman House Lecture

Louie Palu

Alway a good place to visit, George Eastman House in Rochester, NY offers a Fall lecture series.
Louie Palu will be speaking on Sunday, November 11 @ 2pm.
Louie's book on the miners of Northern Ontario Cage Call: Life and Death in the Hard Rock Mining Belt will be published October 15.

Photolucida - Critical Mass 2007

Registration for Photolucida's Critical Mass 2007 is now online! Registration will be open for a month.
Critical Mass is an annual juried competition sponsored by Photolucida. It is a valuable addition to Photolucida's popular in-person Portfolio Reviews, and offers an online submission and selection process. Participants receive tremendous artistic exposure at a fraction of the cost of in-person reviews. The aim of Critical Mass is to provide participants with career-building opportunities and to promote the best emerging and mid-career artists working today. 2006 is the fourth year of Critical Mass.

NOOR - A New Photo Agency

A bit late with this post, but a new photo agency launched at Perpignan this year...
Noor.
Noor has been created by 9 photographers who have left agencies where they worked for many years.

Samantha Appleton (U.S.)
Jodi Bieber (South Africa)
Philip Blenkinsop (Australia)
Pep Bonet (Spain)
Jan Grarup (Denmark)
Stanley Greene (U.S.)
Yuri Kozyrev (Russia)
Kadir van Lohuizen (The Netherlands)
Francesco Zizola (Italy)

As when VII was launched in 2001 at Perpignan, it is quite exciting to see what these photographers will do with the freedom and challenges a new, small agency offers.

PDNonline posts this story.

Nuit Blanche

Nuit Blanche, the all night art fest takes place on Saturday, September 29 beginning at 7:30pm and ends at sunrise on Sunday the 30th.
Experience downtown Toronto like never before. Definitley a fun night to go gallery hopping with friends.

Phantom Shanghai Book Launch & Party

The Official Canadian launch of Greg Girard's book & exhibition Phantom Shanghai.

The party takes place on Saturday, September 22, from 7-11pm, at Monte Clark Gallery and Tappo Restaurant & Wine Bar
A limited number of signed First Editions will be available for purchase.

WEEKLY TORONTO PROJECTION: John Vink: The Quest for Land

Saturday, September 8th, 5:30pm

John Vink: The Quest for Land

For details

Index G+ and LeeKaSing Galleries
50 Gladstone Avenue (just north of Queen St W across from Gladstone Hotel)

World Press Photo 07 in Montreal

For the 6th consecutive year, the World Press Photo exhibition will be on display in Montreal. August 31 - September 30.
Along with World Press Photo, 2 other exhibits will be showing.
60th Year Anniversary images of Magnum Photos and RESPECT as series of aerial photos of the Canadian boreal forest.
Admission is $9.

Just for Laughs Museum
2111 Saint-Laurent
514-845-2322

Métro Saint-Laurent

Rita Leistner: Portraitscapes of War: Lebanon 2006

Portraitscapes of War is an on-going body of work, of which Lebanon 2006 is the first installment. These diptychs of portraits and landscapes were made in Lebanon during, and in the aftermath of, the Hezbollah-Israel conflict last summer (July 12 - August 14, 2006). Merging journalism with artistic practice, these portrayals of the impact of war raise questions about the relationship between individuals and the contexts in which they find themselves -- between citizenship and inhabitancy. People are both a part of and apart from the land. Caught in a place where there are aggressors on more than one side, victims of war may be defined by the conflict and denied their self-identities. They become so-called collateral damage. It is all too easy to forget that, like us, they are just ordinary people, but unlike those of us blessed with peace at home, they inhabit extraordinarily unfortunate lands. Here, I wanted to show the scale of destruction, but not take away from our ability to identify with the people. I was in Lebanon during the war, but I could just as well have made these kinds of images in Israel, or Chechnya, or Sri Lanka, or Iraq.

Opening reception at Harbourfront Centre, York Quay, Friday, September 14, 6-9pm
www.ritaleistner.com

Lana Slezic Exhibit, Book Launch & Talk

www.lanaslezic.com

Mary Ellen Mark Exhibition & Lecture

Mary Ellen Mark
Ward 81

September 8 – October 6, 2007

Stephen Bulger Gallery
1026 Queen St W
Toronto
416-504-0575

In conjunction with the exhibition of Mary Ellen Mark’s series Ward 81, there are two special events:

Ryerson Kodak Lecture: Mary Ellen Mark
Thursday, September 27, 2007 at 7pm
Location: Ryerson, L-72. limited seating, first come first served.

Free Saturday afternoon film screenings at CAMERA (located at 1028 Queen Street
West) 1pm and 3pm, every Saturday from September 8 – October 6th.

The gallery is pleased to present the first solo exhibition of work by Mary Ellen Mark in Canada. Since the early 1970’s, Mark has traveled extensively to make pictures that reflect a high degree of humanism. Today, she is recognized as one of our most respected and influential photographers. Her images of our world's diverse cultures have become landmarks in the field of documentary photography. Mark’s portrayals of Mother Teresa, Indian circuses, and brothels in Bombay were the product of many years of work in India. Moreover, Mark’s photo essay on runaway children in Seattle became the basis of the academy award nominated film Streetwise (1985), with her husband, Martin Bell, as director and cinematographer.

Our exhibition, Ward 81, will showcase work from one of Mark’s earliest series. In 1975, she was assigned by a magazine to do a story on the making of One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975), which was shot on location at the Oregon State Hospital. While there, she briefly got to know the women of Ward 81.

Ward 81 is the women's security ward of the hospital and is the only locked ward for women in the state. The women on this ward are considered either dangerous to themselves or to others.
In February of 1976, Mark and Karen Folger Jacobs, a writer and social scientist, were given permission to live on the ward in order to photograph and interview the women. They spent thirty-six days on Ward 81. A monograph of this work was published by Simon and Schuster in 1979.

In 2005, Phaidon released Mark’s 15th book, Exposure, which was a compendium of her iconic portraits of America. She has exhibited internationally for over 4 decades and her work is found in the permanent collections of most major institutions. Amongst her many awards and grants, she has been the recipient of: the Cornell Capa Award from the International Center of Photography; the Infinity Award for Journalism; an Erna & Victor Hasselblad Foundation Grant; a John Simon Guggenheim Fellowship; and the Dr. Erich Salomon Award for outstanding merits in the field of journalistic photography.

New on MediaStorm: Finding the Way Home

By now, the initial images are familiar: rows of city blocks flooded past the horizon, crowds outside the Superdome begging for help, hundreds stranded on highways looking for somewhere to go.

Two years after Hurricane Katrina hit Louisiana on August 29, 2005, the story is no longer about leaving. It's about coming home. For many, that process has not been easy. Tens of thousands of houses still remain empty, a majority of them belonging to the poor. In New Orleans alone, most of the 77,000 rental units have not been rebuilt.

As staggering as the numbers are, though, they cannot do justice to the emotional turmoil left in the hurricane's wake. Just what does it take for a family to start over? How does one survive not only the loss of a house, but the very real economic hardships of paltry insurance payments and lack of jobs, housing, and so many basic needs.

Photojournalist Brenda Ann Kenneally, originally on assignment for The New York Times Magazine, documents the seemingly endless struggles some families face as they set about Finding the Way Home: Two Years After Katrina.

MediaStorm

...and the last time I checked the cost of the US involvement in Iraq, it was, $456,106,134,100 making Katrina even more tragic.

New Book: WHERE WAR LIVES

In 1993, Paul Watson was a photojournalist for the Toronto Star working in Somalia. In Mogadishu, he took the photograph of the body of the dead American soldier, Staff Sgt. William David Cleveland, being dragged through the streets. It was a picture that both changed the US and earned Paul the 1994 Pulitzer Prize for Spot News.
This book is Paul Watson's personal and historic journey from Mogadishu through Rwanda to Afghanistan and Iraq.
Read Toronto Star story.

TIFF Announces Line-up

Toronto International Film Festival, Sept 6 - 15, announced their full line-up today.
Details on the TIFF site, but the CBC.ca story gives a good overview.
....and don't forget about Darfur/Darfur nightly projection.

CNN Special GOD'S WARRIORS

For 3 nights, Christiane Amanapour will be reporting on God's Warriors.
The website offers added insight to the shows.
Monday, August 21 - 9pm - Jewish Warriors
Tuesday, August 22 - 9pm - Muslim Warriors
Wednesday, August 23 - 9pm - Christian Warriors

CNN must think quite highly of the series, as it is bumping Larry King Live :)

pdn PHOTOPLUS Expo

Annual event sponsored by PDN. Takes place in New York, but can be well worth the expense.
Registration allows free access to the tradeshow. Workshops and Special Events cost per session. Offers worthwhile networking opportunities.
Details

Multimedia: Crisis in Darfur Expands (E)

Crisis in Darfu Expands by Travis Fox and the Washingtonpost.com
Multimedia working at its best offering accessible, powerful and engaging visual resources for World Issues teachers.
The site offers panoramic images showing a 360 degree perspective of scenes and situations, short videos, resources offering historical and present context, as well as regularly updated information about the region.

Missing AP Photographer in Iraq

The Associated Press says one of its Iraqi journalists, photographer and news contributor Talal Mohammed, has been missing since July 28 and may have been kidnapped.

article on PdnOnline.

Committee to Protect Journalists lists all journalists who have been abducted, jailed, injured or killed in Iraq this year.

TIFF to Show DARFUR/DARFUR Projection

Brian Boyle/ROM

The Toronto International Film Festival will be spilling out of cinemas and into Toronto galleries and exhibition spaces this year.

Nine video installations and multimedia projects will be displayed throughout the city in conjunction with the festival, running Sept. 6 to 15.

As part of the program, images from war-torn Darfur will be projected on the Royal Ontario Museum's new Crystal addition, and the Power Plant will be devoted to an exhibit of the works of Italy's Francesco Vezzoli.

The DARFUF/DARFUR exhibit features photos by former U.S. marine Brian Steidle and photojournalists Lynsey Addario, Mark Brecke, Helene Caux and Michal Safdie. Media Release

article on CBC.ca

A Vanity Fair story, including projection pictures of DARFUR/DARFUR

INDEXG Saturday Night Projection

Saturday, August 11
6:30pm - Free Admission
The Quest For Land
Photographs of John Vink
Curated by Robert Black

Cambodia is essentially a rural society with 80% of its citizens making a living from farming. The possession of land is essential for survival for a vast majority of them. The constant migrations of hundreds of thousands of people within and outside the country during the years of turmoil from the last 50 years, the destruction of land registry during the Khmer Rouge regime, and the spectacular economic growth since stability has returned to the country have triggered a general and ruthless scramble for land....
Complete details

50 Gladstone
Toronto
... just north of Queen St W...basically across the street on Gladstone from the Gladstone Hotel

The Digital Journalist

The August issue of the online Digital Journalist is now posted.
This month's image gallery includes the 'Best From Visa Pour L'Image' and a video interview with the heart and soul of Visa, festival director Jean Francois Leroy.

Visa Pour L'Image

The Visa Pour L'Image in Perpignan, France is the preeminent festival of photojournalism.
View dozens of exhibitions of photo stories you are unlikely to see elsewhere. View amazing 3 story high outdoor projections. Have the opportunity to meet, one on one, with editors and agency representatives who assign and publish work. All in the south of France, where the weather is wonderful and the cafes are even better.
A festival every photojournalist should experience at least once.

Noorderlicht Photography Festival

The 14th annual Noorderlicht International Photography Festival takes place in Groningen, The Netherlands
September 16 through October 28
The theme of this year's festival is 'Act of Faith'.

PDN Photojournalism Editorial Issue

August is the Photojournalism / Editorial issue of PDN.
Check out the featured articles in the issue.

Distorted Picture (E)

The American Journal Review has published this article. A useful resource for the classroom, and a fascinating read.

Distorted Picture
Thanks to Photoshop, it’s awfully easy to manipulate photographs, as a number of recent scandals make painfully clear. Misuse of the technology poses a serious threat to photojournalism’s credibility...

Recommended reading and has some wonderful links including this site showcasing many of the classic examples of clandestine manipulation - showing both the original and the tampered image.

One of the classics...

iReports on CNN

Watching CNN last night, their coverage of the bridge collapse in Minneapolis offered mostly images shot by non professionals submitted via iReport.
Have a look at the non pro and pro shots.
CNN - iReport
Washington Post Camera Works
Time
Newsweek - MSNBC

...and here is an interesting article on PDNonline about Newsweek buying some of the first images of the bridge collapse from a student who was quickly on the scene with his camera. Today, Newsweek gave him an assignment.

I had to smile when I read the response he gave to the last question...

PDN: Did you think you were shooting these for any particular publication, or did you know they'd be of some value?
Worrall: No. I just did it because I figured someone would want to see them and at the very least I would post it on Facebook or something, share it with friends anyway. I was just purely shooting to document the event.

Yes, today there is always Facebook.

INDEXG Saturday Night Projection

Saturday, August 04, 2007 6:30 pm, free admission
Photography by Oculi (Australia)
Curated by Robert Black
Tamara Voninski, Dean Sewell, Tamara Dean, Nick Cubbin, Nick Moir

In 2001, nine award-winning photojournalists, united by their commitment to documentary-storytelling, formed Oculi.com.au. This unique photo agency reveals real lives and real stories that are overlooked by the mainstream media.
Complete Details

50 Gladstone
Toronto
... just north of Queen St W...basically across the street on Gladstone from the Gladstone Hotel

Interview with Spencer Platt (E)

Spencer Platt, USA, Getty Images

Getty Images CEO and Co-Founder Jonathan Klein recently sat down with Getty Images photographer Spencer Platt to discuss what it is like living a life behind the lens. This year Spencer received first place honors at the prestigious 2007 World Press Photo Award in Amsterdam for his image of a group of young Lebanese driving through a South Beirut neighborhood devastated by Israeli bombings. In his career at Getty Images, he has covered subjects such as 9/11, the Southeast Asia tsunami and the war in Iraq. His work has appeared in publications such as Time, Newsweek, Stern and the LA Times.

...and if you would like to read more concerning the controversy about this World Press Photo of the Year, click on PDN and Speigel Online.

Inside the Surge: Video by Photographer Sean Smith (E)

Sean Smith / Guardian

The Guardian's award-winning photographer and filmmaker Sean Smith (2006 Britsh Press Photographer of the Year) spent two months embedded with US troops in Baghdad and Anbar province. His harrowing documentary exposes the exhaustion and disillusionment of the soldiers.
Click to View

I saw this piece on the CBC National news the other night. It is so difficult to watch and not feel anger to the core and ask for what.

In the World Press Photo exhibit this year, there is also a series of stills taken by Peter van Agtmael as he follows American soliders as they raid homes searching for insurgents.

New Photo Gallery for the MET

New Gallery for Modern and Contemporary Photography to be Inaugurated at Metropolitan Museum in September
Inaugural Installation: Depth of Field: Modern Photography at the Metropolitan
Opening: September 25, 2007

The Metropolitan Museum will inaugurate the Joyce and Robert Menschel Hall for Modern Photography on September 25, 2007, establishing for the first time a gallery dedicated exclusively to photography created since 1960. With high ceilings, clean detailing, and approximately 2,000 square feet of exhibition space, the Menschel Hall is designed specifically to accommodate the large-scale photographs that are an increasingly important part of contemporary art and the Museum's permanent collection. Photographers represented in the collection include such modern masters as Thomas Struth, Andreas Gursky, Thomas Ruff, Jeff Wall, Richard Prince, Cindy Sherman, Doug Aitken, and Sigmar Polke......

Complete Media Release

My Toronto Video Contest

Do you think you can make a commercial for Toronto that’s better than those ad agency campaigns? Toronto has always been a hard place to sum up -- slick marketing campaigns are often criticized for not getting to the heart of what makes this city great and why people should visit. Now you have the chance to make your own commercial for Spacing’s My Toronto video contest.

Over the summer, put together your own 30-second commercial for Toronto. Use your camcorder, camera phone, or even a still camera. Edit it, animate it, set it to music, or give it a voice-over. Be creative. When you’re done, upload it to our YouTube group. Famous places like the CN Tower are fine, but in making your commercial, you should think about the subtle stuff in your neighbourhood -- from Malvern to Kensington to Long Branch -- that makes Toronto unique. The commercials will be judged both by jury and by popular vote, and the best will be shown at a public event.

If you know of a budding filmmaker that loves Toronto but might not reading Spacing, please let them know. Help us spread the word to all corners of the city.

My Toronto Video Contest
DEADLINE: Friday, September 7th with an exhibition to follow.

Saturday Night Photo Projections

For those in Toronto, many will be aware of the innovative work Holly and Ka-Sing Lee are doing with IndexG - galleries, Gzine, Gnews, Gbay auction and GoodEdition, to name some of their initiatives. Info may be found on the site IndexG site.

The galleries are located on 50 Gladstone, just north of Queen St W...basically across the street on Gladstone from the Gladstone Hotel.



But now, they are offering photography and art lovers something new....free Saturday evening projections and discussion. The first screening was held last night and showed work from the European photo collective 'Smoke'. Bob Black, who is curating the projections, will introduce viewers to international photographers we might not otherwise see in Toronto....including photojournalism and documentary work.

The projection was only about 30 minutes, but the hope is discussion within the group of attendees will emanate from the work shown. If this event catches on, the possibilities are quite exciting. So, if you are looking for something informal yet stimulating to do on a Saturday evening, come out to these free projections and help support a new photo initiative in the city.

POWERHOUSE ARENA: New York

POWERHOUSE ARENA - A laboratory for creative thought. Home to world-renowned art book publisher POWERHOUSE BOOKS, the Arena is a gallery, boutique, book store, performance, and events space located at 37 Main Street, in New York City’s scenic DUMBO neighborhood. With soaring 24-foot ceilings on the 5,000 square foot ground floor (with over 175 linear-feet of glass frontage and arena-style seating), the POWERHOUSE ARENA showcases a series of landmark exhibitions, performances, and controlled mayhem fusing the worlds of art, photography, design, fashion, pop culture, advertising, music, dance, film, and television into a glorious whirlwind of captivating spectacle.


Photo: Martha Cooper

Summer At The Skylounge
July 19 - August 26, 2007
Work from the powerHouse Collection, features a dynamic selection of emerging and established artists.

ALSO: See June 22 posting 'NEW PHOTO FESTIVAL SLATED FOR 2008' - a partnership between powerHouse and VII Photo Agency

Conservatives Increase Canada Council Funding

CBC.ca reports....Heritage Minister Bev Oda has announced a permanent $30-million increase in annual funding for the Canada Council for the Arts.

The May 2006 federal budget raised the Canada Council's funding by $20 million in 2006-7 and $30 million the following year, but the increase was not guaranteed in future.

Oda, appearing in Toronto on Friday, announced the funding increase would be rolled into the Canada Council's budget, raising its annual total to $180 million a year...
Complete Article

'Sicko' Night in America

If you are still thinking about seeing Michael Moore's 'Sicko', this might be the weekend to go.

...And, to show my thanks to all of you who'll go see "Sicko" this weekend, I'm going to send one of you and a guest on a free weekend to the universal health care country of your choice! That's right. You'll get to pick one of the three industrialized countries featured in the movie where, if you get sick, you get help for free, no matter who you are. All you have to do is send us your ticket stub (make sure it says "Sicko" on it and has the name of the theater and this weekend's date on it -- Friday, Saturday or Sunday - July 20th, 21st, 22nd). Attach the stub to a piece of paper with your name, address, phone number and email and send it to: 'Sicko' Night in America, 888c 8th Avenue, Suite 443, New York, NY 10019. (Yes, you have to use that old 18th century device called the U.S. Postal Service, and it has to be postmarked on or by Tuesday, July 24th). First prize is a weekend in the city of your choice: Paris, London or Toronto. This includes airfare, hotel, meals and, most exciting, a representative from their fine universal health care system who will give you a personal tour so you can see how they treat their fellow citizens. You'll meet people who pay nothing for college and citizens who are in the fourth week of their six-week paid vacation. Oh, and you'll have time to see the Eiffel Tower, Big Ben or whatever they have in Toronto that is old and tall. (funny guy that Michael, he obviously has not seen the new lighting on the CN Tower!!!)

Canadians who are reading this -- you're probably thinking, "Hey, what about us? Where do we get to go?" Quit complaining! You're already there! But just to make it up to you -- and to prove we don't hold it against you for smugly walking out of a hospital with the same amount of money in your wallet that you went in with -- we'll let you participate in the drawing, too....
Complete Details

Group Exhibit: Jaret Belliveau, Marco Bohr, Scott Conarroe

AT LEISURE
A Group Exhibition: Jaret Belliveau, Marco Bohr, Scott Conarroe
July 26 - September 1, 2007
Opening Thursday, July 26 from 5 - 8pm

Stephen Bulger Gallery
1026 Queen St W
Toronto

Photographer Lauren Greenfield Nominated for Emmy (E)

Photographer Lauren Greenfield has been nominated for a 2007 Emmy Award in the category Outstanding Directing for Nonfiction Programming for her powerful and important HBO documentary Thin.



Eating disorders affect five million people in the U.S., and more than 10% of those diagnosed with anorexia nervosa will die from the disease. Seeking to put a human face on these sobering statistics, acclaimed photographer Lauren Greenfield went inside a Florida treatment center to tell the stories of four women who are literally dying to be thin. The devastating HBO documentary THIN reveals what she found there - and explores the issues underlying their illness.

Thin is available in dvd and book formats on Amazon.ca.
Book
DVD
Other Lauren Greenfield books on Amazon.ca

Montreal Photographer Wins $64K Infringement Suit

PDNonline reports...

A US federal judge recently awarded Robert Burch a $63,866 judgment against a New York City travel agency, finding that the site used four of Burch's photographs on its Web site without permission.

Burch, who is based in Montreal, Quebec, specializes in travel photography from African countries, particularly Ghana. He posts his images on his own Web site and licenses them to a number of companies, including other Web sites.

But Burch claims he's counted 474 Web sites that have infringed on his work since 1997. Most are in Ghana, but some include American businesses and schools. He says he has filed 29 lawsuits in Ghana, which has tough copyright laws because of its music industry. But Burch has had little luck with the legal system there, having been awarded a total of $1,200 and collecting none of it so far.
Complete Article

Exhibition: Morden Yolles in Conversation with Ed Burtynsky

Morden Yolles: A structural engineer and photographer. The Yolles Partnership projects included: The Benvenuto Apartments, Toronto; Champlain College, Bata Library and The Reginald Faryon Bridge at Trent University; the Indo-Malayan and African Pavilions at the Metro Toronto Zoo; the World Financial Centre, Battery Park, New York; and Canary Wharf, London, England. Morden Yolles was appointed a Member of the Order in 2003

Toronto Image Works
Ed Burtynsky

Exhibition: *a Light unto the Nations

Gilad Benari - coEXISTence

*a Light unto the Nations* showcases eight photographers -- four Muslims and four Jews who have submitted images, mostly from the Middle East arranged around the theme of tolerance and the consequences of intolerance. Hezbollah, Neo Nazi Parades, ethnic, social and religious imagery with the underlying theme “we can teach our children to love, or we can teach our children to hate”

Tamara Abdul Hadi
Aasil Ahmad
Anthony Asael
Gilad Benari
Kitra Cahana
Lamya Gargash
Steve Simon
Sawsan Yassine

Jacobs Lounge Visual Arts Space – Miles Nadal Centre
750 Spadina Avenue (at Bloor)
Toronto

July 18 - August 31

Opening Reception
Thursday, July 26th
4:00 pm - 8:00 pm

Gallery Hours
Monday - Sunday
10:00 am - 10:00 pm
416-924-6211

Lana Slezic to Speak About Her Afghan Women Photographs at Congressional Briefing in Washington

As a documentary photographer, it may seem lonely with your topic, shooting and feeling like you are in a vacuum, wondering if anyone will be interested enough to showcase or even buy the work. But as much as the goal is to make some kind of return on the time and funds outlayed, it is the dedication to the need to tell the story that seems to be the main drive for many the documentary photographer.

Well, here is a motivating story to help keep the drive going...

This September, Lana Slezic will see her first book published. Forsaken: Afghan Women A book presented with committed passion to the women of Afghanistan. For two years Lana lived in Kabul and documented the women she met.



...but more on the book in upcoming posts. This post is about what is happening on July 24.

In this issue, July/August, of Mother Jones, Lana's photographs are featured in the story, The Hidden Half. How Afghan women have fared since the Taliban's fall.



On July 24, Lana will be a speaker at the Mother Jones sponsored Congressional Briefing in Washington - The Hidden Half - Women in Afghanistan, a Story in Pictures.

"The morning discussion will feature the difficult yet honest photographs of Lana Slezic as a means of understanding the harsh and repressive reality that persists for most women in Afghanistan. Though the Taliban may be gone from the halls of power, its cultural legacy of oppression continues. The burka is more common than before, a majority of women experience domestic violence, and honor killings are on the rise. Some statistics consdiered in 'The Hidden Half' include:

- Afghanistan suffers the 2nd-highest maternal mortalitly rate in the world: 1 mother every 28 minutes

- Female students attend schools at half the rate of male students.

- An estimated 2 million women are widows and many must turn to prostituion to survive.

In addition to Lana Slezic, speakers at the event include Co-Editor of Mother Jones Clara Jeffrey, and award-winning journalist and CNN Terror Analyst Peter Bergen. They will provide commentary on the importance and power of photography, media and politics in addressing the plights of women in Afghanistan."

If you would like to learn more about the situation of women in Afghanistan - RAWA

Panel Discussion: Future of Photojournalism in a Digital World

A panel discussion on what's next for photographers, photo editors, and designers
Photojournalism is changing quickly. Ever-improving image technology, multi-platform photo presentation, and radical business models all guarantee that the future of professional photography will look very different than the present. What do photographers need to know? How should photo editors and designers prepare? This panel will address the latest thinking on issues including high-definition video, online slideshows, ethics, and marketing.

How much of what news photographers produce will eventually go to video, and what does this mean for large news organizations and freelancers?

How does the popularity of online slideshows change how photographers approach assignments and how organizations deal with payment? What are the emerging standards for presenting slideshows?

Digital photography presents new and sometimes troubling ethical implications for photographers and editors. Where do you draw the line between photo and photo illustration? When does 'color correction' become 'color enhancement?' How should altered photos be captioned? Is it ever OK to change a photo to respect community standards?

Panelists will include:
- James Estrin, photographer, The New York Times
- Travis Fox, The Washington Post
- Spencer Platt, photographer, Getty Images (World Press Photo winner)
- Jonathan Wells, bureau chief, SIPA Press
- John Smock, moderator

WHEN Tuesday, August 7, 7-9 pm. Reception to follow.
WHERE Cooper Union, 51 Astor Place, New York, NY
PRICE $25 (additional $5 fee when paying at the door)
CLICK FOR REGISTRATION

Format:
- 90 minutes of fast-paced panel discussion
- 30 minutes of audience questions submitted in writing
- Reception to follow

Update: Photojournalist Alexandra Boulat

PDNonline reports that VII photographer, Alexandra Boulat has been transported to the neurosurgery department at Lariboisière Hospital in Paris.

She is breathing on her own and in stable condition. Her prognosis remains unclear, though doctors were to monitor her condition and make an assessment this week.

Boulat, who is one of the founding members of VII suffered a ruptured brain aneurysm while stationed in Israel and underwent surgery at a Jerusalem hospital on June 21.
Complete Article

Doc Soup Tickets

July 20 is the last day to purchase discount for Hot Docs, Doc Soup series tickets.

2007-08 DOC SOUP SUBSCRIPTION
$125.00 + GST (After July 20 - $140.00 + GST)

SUBSCRIPTION INFO:
* one ticket to each Doc Soup selection (early or late screening)
* ten screening tickets for the 2008 Festival

DOC SOUP DATES: October 3, November 7, December 5, January 9, February 6, March 5 and April 2. All dates feature two screenings, 6:30 pm and 9:15 pm.

DOC SOUP VENUE: Bloor Cinema, 506 Bloor Street West.
Single tickets for a Doc Soup screening are $12.

One Step Forward | One Back

As a women, some days I just wonder how far we have progressed. This weekend, I saw two articles referencing the departure of Chatelaine magazine Editor In Chief, Sara Angel.
Apparently it was a sudden departure, so assume why the media interest.

Below are the two article headlines, links to read the full articles, and quotes from the articles in reference to this post.

As you read the articles, consider this question...if Sara Angel were a John Angel, would the fact he was a new father with 2 children be mentioned in the context of the story, when reasons for the departure are not known? I think not. Yes, personal matters may play a part in anyone's decision, but at this point it is all surmise. I feel that children and parenting references would not have been mentioned in early stories about a man in a similar situation.


GLOBE AND MAIL Article:
Headline: Chatelaine Editor Abruptly Resigns by James Adams

In a brief interview yesterday from her home in Toronto, Ms. Angel, 37, said she resigned Thursday "for personal reasons . . . that I can't get into now. But I do want to stress that I do have very positive feelings toward the magazine."
Ms. Angel, who gave birth to her second child last fall, said she has no new job. "At this stage, I'm looking forward to taking a hiatus in my career and some time off."

CBC.CA Article
Headline: Chatelaine Editor In Chief Steps Down
(byline - CBC Arts, but seems to be reworked from Globe story)

The 37-year-old mother of two told the newspaper that she left her job Thursday "for personal reasons" but declined to divulge details. Angel gave birth to her second child last fall.

So why One Step Forward | One Back....well, it seems women in the workforce are not allowed to escape from their reality of being a mother. I just feel that a man's reality of being a father is seldom positioned in public, in fact or conjecture.

Rita Leistner: Portraitscapes of War: Lebanon 2006

Rita Leistner: Portraitscapes of War: Lebanon 2006
C-Print, 45 x 98 inches
open July 14 -- close August 12

This detail from Rita Leistner's photograph of Bilal Haider is from her series Portraitscapes of War: Lebanon 2006. The Portraitscapes are juxtapositions of portraits and landscapes she made during the Hezbollah-Israel conflict last summer. Journalism and artistic practice merge in Rita's efforts to show the human side of war.

Rita Leistner's Portraitscapes of War: Lebanon 2006 is opening at Harbourfront Centre in Toronto on September 14 and running through November 4.

Titus Nemeth's award-winning Nassim typeface is shown for the first time in Canada at convenience in collaboration with Portraitscapes of War. Rita and Titus met while studying Arabic at the University of Damascus.

Nassim is a typeface family which supports typesetting in the Arabic and the Latin script. A harmonious appearance and equal prominence in bi-script setting were among the main considerations during the design process. Both scripts were developed as independent and authentic, yet matching, designs that achieve harmony while preserving their respective characteristics. For more info

convenience
24/7 window gallery
58 Lansdowne Avenue, Toronto ON M6K 2V9
(at Seaforth Avenue, one block North of Queen)
www.conveniencegallery.com

Contact: Rita Leistner
rita@ritaleistner.com
www.ritaleistner.com

Support of the Toronto Society of Architects is gratefully acknowledged.

Anne Frank Photo Contest for Youth (E)

Sources of Inspiration: How Do You See the World

Freedom, goodness, giving, courage, happiness, humanity, usefulness… Anne Frank wrote about these things in her diary. But how do you see them?

Visualize one of the themes with a photo and explain why you took the photo. What inspired you? Looking for original and personal photos that tell a good story.

Contest is open to youth around the world ages 10 - 18.

Deadline: October 1, 2007.

For complete details visit the Ann Frank website.

Chief of CBC News Leaves With Final Blog

Today was the final day of Tony Burman's helm as Editor and Chief of CBC News. Burman had been with CBC for 35 years and parts with a worthwhile read on the CBC Inside Media Blog.

Ian Parry Awards - Canadians Honoured

The annual Ian Parry Scholarship and Award definitely had a Canadian connection for the past few years, but this year Canadians receive 2 of the 5 awards.

University of Wales, Newport student Ivor Prickett received this year's Ian Parry Scholarship for his work on war-displaced Serbian Croats returning to Croatia.

Runners up were Liz Rubincam (highly commended), Gareth Phillips (commended), Liz Hingley (commended) and Dominic Nahr (honorable mention).

Both Liz and Dominac are Ryerson Image Arts grads. Liz has spent the last year in New York studying at ICP.

The Ian Parry site lists the photographer links and will shortly showcase their winning stories.

The annual Ian Parry Scholarship awards £2,500 (about $5,080) to support the winner's project, plus £500 worth of vouchers to the winner and £250 (about $508) to runners up. Sponsors are The Sunday Times, Getty Images and Canon Europe.

The scholarship recognizes photographers who are under age 24 or attending a full-time photo program. It is named in honor of Ian Parry, photojournalist who died at age 24 while covering the 1989 Romanian revolution for The Sunday Times.

In 2006, Kitra Cahana (Montreal) received the "Highly Commended" award.
The 2005 Ian Parry Scholarship winner was Arantxa Cedillo, who is presently living and freelancing in Toronto.

VII Agency Looking for New Members

Following info is taken from the VII site...

VII Membership
July 11, 2007
VII PHOTO IS SEEKING NEW MEMBERS
VII is welcoming applications for membership during its forthcoming semi-annual meeting in California in November 2007.

Anyone may apply for membership, but membership will be offered to a small number of motivated photographers who we believe will enhance and strengthen the body of work that we currently produce; to photographers whom we believe we can work with in the management of VII; and to photographers whom we believe have high standards of integrity.

As VII is solely owned by its members, it comes with shareholder responsibility. New members will spend at least one year with VII before full membership is offered. All members will be obliged to purchase shares, attend shareholders meetings and contribute dynamically and responsibly to the business of the agency.

Candidates are considered by the existing members only during the VII annual (or semi-annual) meetings and should submit work on DVD or CD in Jpeg Format compressed at level 8 and at a size no greater than 100 dpi x 16 x 12 inches. No more than 40 images should be submitted and each image should have caption and contextual information embedded in it.
Each photographer should submit a brief biography, and tell us what their future intentions are professionally and what motivates them to want to join VII.

The submissions should be delivered to one of our bureaus in either
New York, or Paris by September 30th, and clearly marked "SUBMISSION FOR VII MEMBERSHIP"

For more information, please visit our website at www.viiphoto.com

Magnum Photos Membership Update

Following their recent annual meeting, Magnum Photos announced news regarding new member status and new nominees.

Member status was voted for: Trent Parke, Mark Power
Associate status was confirmed for: Christopher Anderson and Christina Garcia Rodero

New Nominees:
Allessandra Anguinette - 38 years old, Argentinian
Jacob Aue Sobol - 31 years old, Danish
Mikhael Subotzky - 25 years old, South African

Larry Towell is now Vice-President New York.

Inge Morath Award Winner

This $5,000 annual award is given to a female documentary photographer under the age of 30, in memory of the late Magnum Photos photographer Inge Morath.

This year's winner is: Olivia Arthur (London, UK), in support of her project “The Middle Distance,” documenting the lives of women along the border between Asia an Europe. Information and images on www.ingemorath.org. Runners up : Rena Effendi (Azerbaijan) and Newsha Tavakolian (Iran).

Inge Morath Foundation to learn more.

Reuters Photographer and Driver Killed in Iraq

An Iraqi photographer and driver working for Reuters in Iraq were killed in Baghdad on Thursday, the international news and information company said.

Photographer Namir Noor-Eldeen, 22, and driver Saeed Chmagh, 40, were killed in eastern Baghdad at a time when clashes had been taking place between U.S. forces and militants in the area.

The cause of their deaths was unclear, although witnesses spoke of an explosion in the area. Iraqi police said either a U.S. air strike or a mortar attack had occurred.

The deaths take to six the number of Reuters employees killed in Iraq since U.S.-led forces invaded the country in 2003 to topple Saddam Hussein.
Full Article

Committee to Protect Journalist site lists the number and information about the deaths of journalists killed, worldwide in 2007.

Book Prices to Fall

A hopeful heading on CBC.ca - Book Prices to Drop This Fall as Loonie Strengthens, but after reading the article still feel Canadians are getting the bum deal when buying books. Our loonie continues to rise, yet the price difference between US & Canadian shown on the book cover is still significant.

As the Canadian dollar picks up against its U.S. counterpart, retailers and readers are noticing there is still quite a difference between the Canadian and American list prices on books.

Publishers set the prices and print them on new books, often months or more than a year before books hit the shelves.

But Steve Budnarchuk, past president of the Canadian Booksellers Association, said Wednesday that ongoing negotiations between publishers and booksellers over the past year are starting to result in lower prices on new books.

Books coming into Canadian stores last fall and winter were about 25 per cent above the U.S. list price, Budnarchuk said, which was acceptable, given the exchange rate at the time. With a strengthening dollar, he said, he's expecting to see lower prices this fall.

"We'd like to see a price point of no more than 20 per cent above U.S. list, in order to be fair, and to have the consumer be able to accept the pricing," Budnarchuk said.

Full Article.