Recommended Photo Learning Site: Typical Shutterbug Podcast

From time to time I like to recommend outstanding blogs, podcasts, etc., and this is one of them: The Typical Shutterbug Podcast. I just listened to three recent podcasts on my iPod Touch and I highly recommend them for photographers of any level.

Victor Cajiao is someone whom I’ve known for years, and we’ve met on a few occasions at trade shows. His smiling face on the home page of his other Podcast, Typical Mac User (also highly recommended), depicts his very friendly, easy-going manner. I really like how he interviews people from many areas of the photo and video world. The product picks and suggestions from Victor and his guests, from inexpensive accessories to plug-ins and hardware at the end of most shows are particularly interesting. You will also find screencasts and slideshows on the site. A few years ago, I was also a guest on the show, which you listen to here. I also contributed a short photo tip for this show.

On the site, which you can find at www.typicalshutterbug.com, you can explore by either clicking on the play buttons inside each blog post to listen right away on your computer, or you can subscribe via iTunes (see the link in the sidebar) . Enjoy!

and I also contributed to this show.

https://typicalshutterbug.com/wordpress/2009/03/07/tsb02-interview-with-author-michael-freeman-the-photographers-eye/

This link will take you to the home page, where you can explore by either clicking on the play buttons to listen in the browser, or you can subscribe via iTunes from this link. Enjoy!

https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=302731874

Quick Overview of Artexpo New York 2011

I returned home late last night after a very enjoyable visit to International Artexpo New York 2011, held at Pier 94 in New York City. For many years, I visited the show when it was held at the Jacob Javits Center about 20 blocks south of Pier 94. Pier 94 is located at 55th Street and 12th Ave, and this year’s event has over 400 exhibitors from more than 20 countries. According to the show catalog, “This year, Artexpo New York celebrates 33 years of collaboration with the fine art community and art enthusiasts from around the globe.”

What I like most about Artexpo is the huge diversity of art throughout the show, including sculpture, painting, photography, mixed media and more. As in the past, original oil paintings as well as reproductions (usually described as “giclée on canvas”) dominate the walls of the show. Artist originals are one-of-a-kind works, so the reproductions offered by many artists and/or galleries make it possible for a larger audience to own art that they like. The multiple print concept is not new (for example, photographers who sell prints almost always sell multiple prints of a specific image), and in booths where both original paintings and reproductions were located, I found it interesting trying to guess which prints were originals and which were reproductions before reading the placards that described the prints. In many cases, it was very difficult to tell.

Below are just a few of the exhibitors whose work caught my eye. In this overview, I focus mainly on photography-related artists and exhibitors, but I also included the work of some painters and mixed media artists. If you are planning to attend Artexpo in the future, I’d give yourself at least six hours to properly take in the whole show (with a few much needed breaks for your eyes and feet in between). The many educational workshops (free with your show admission fee) offered during the show should also be considered by anyone who is in the business of creating or selling art.

Artist: Blaise Arnold
Lili-Ubel Gallery, Paris – Booth 752
Website: www.lili-ubelgallery.com
Comments: This gallery is exhibiting a group large-scale photographs (about four feet tall) featuring exquisite night scenes in Paris. They are super-glossy (I believe they are face mounted to acrylic).  You can view the images online here.

Artist: Kwan-Woo Lee
Able Fine Art, New York – Booth 929
Website: www.ablefineartny.com
Comments: This gallery is exhibiting a number of artists, including an artist whose work stopped me in my tracks – Kwan-Woo Lee. Lee’s works are large-scale assemblies of rubber stamps, arranged in ways that create a larger overall image (similar to photo mosaics). In most cases, the stamps contain Chinese characters, but I’ve also seen some pieces containing stamps of animals and various objects.  You can find more work (including some close-ups that show amazing details) by Kwan-Woo Lee here.

Artist: Sean Flynn
Coral Canyon Publishing, Los Angeles – Booth 911
Website: www.facebook.com/seanmflynnphotography?v=info
Comments: Photographer Sean Flynn is showing about 20 images-most of them framed and about 16×20 inches in size, and some about 30×40 inches in size. Sean Flynn utilizes HDR (High Dynamic Range) photography, and I found many of his images to be quite stunning. You can view the photos from the show, as well as many more of his photos on his Flickr page here.

Artist: Malteste
Malteste Expressionist Photography – Booth 1006
Website: www.malteste.com
Comments: This photographer is exhibiting about twenty large-scale photographs featuring outstanding nature and wildlife imagery. Like the work of Arnold Blaise, they are super-glossy, with no frame (Maltese calls the finishing technique “Plexi-arts”). His website contains over 70 of his images, but as with most artwork, seeing them in person is the best way to experience them.

One of the areas at Artexpo is called the SOLO pavilion. It’s not unlike other areas of the show, but the booths are generally a bit smaller, and reserved for independent artists to show their work. I was very impressed by the work I saw there, including the paintings of Vanessa Sheldon, who showed just a handful of pieces that were both beautiful and quite “calming,” thanks to their muted colors and nautical themes. For more information, or to see more of her work, visit her website below:

Artist: Vanessa Sheldon
Vanessa Sheldon, Nicholville, NY
Website: www.vanessasheldon.com

Below is a link to the Artexpo SOLO photo gallery over the years on Flickr.com. It really gives a sense of what it’s like at the show (you can view it full-screen by clicking on the button in the bottom right corner of the gallery below):

And to see more Flickr galleries from the show, visit this page.

I often announce events like this on my Facebook page, which you can see here. And for more info about this year’s show, or future Artexpos, visit www.artexpos.com.

Peter Read Miller Leads 7th Annual Sports Photo Workshop 4/4-10, 2011

Peter Read Miller is one of the most acclaimed sports photographers in the world, and this workshop looks like a great opportunity for anyone who wants to learn more about how to shoot sports-related assignments. Four additional instructors and speakers are joining Peter Read Miller during the workshop, which will undoubtably add to the value of the workshop (see below for more details). The workshop, being held in Denver, CO, is limited to 25 participants, and the press release for the event, containing additional details, is copied below:

Los Angeles, CA – March 8, 2011 — World Class Sports Illustrated Photographer Peter Read Miller has announced he will conduct his annual Sports Photography Workshop in Denver, Colorado on April 4-10, 2011. The workshop, now in its 7th year and limited to only 25 attendees, will provide a personal and hands-on approach to teaching a variety of shooting and lighting techniques that have helped Miller’s photos grace more than 100 Sport Illustrated covers. Workshop participants will have an opportunity to apply their new skills to live sporting events throughout the weeklong workshop. Photographers interested in learning more about the workshop or registering to attend can visit Peter Read Miller Sports Photography Workshop.

In addition to receiving expert tutelage from Miller, attendees will also receive additional instruction from other industry notables including Steve Fine, Director of Photography at Sports Illustrated, Grant Leighton, advertising / portrait photographer and instructor at U. of Colorado (Denver), photographer / videographer Max Morse, and Shawn Cullen, lighting technician at Sports Illustrated.

Learning to take better “action” photographs is only one aspect of the workshop. Attendees will also learn how to properly light subjects using strobes — in the studio and on location — arena lighting and how to set up and use remote cameras.

“It’s very rewarding for me to see the quality of work students are producing toward the end of the workshop and their enthusiasm and passion for photography makes the entire experience both educational and a lot of fun,” explains Peter Read Miller. “Everyone leaves the workshop a better sports photographer and some have gone on to find work with professional sports teams, Getty Images and other newswires.”

Tuition for the workshop is $1,495 and includes all instruction, one-on-one portfolio review with Peter Read Miller, and all model/location fees. Workshop attendees are responsible for their own travel arrangements including air and hotel. Special hotel rates have been made with the Marriott in Denver.

For more information or to register for this workshop, visit this page.