MOPLA
Tuesday, April 7 - 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Staying Alive
How to Succeed as a Photographer in Good and Bad Times
moderated by Debra Weiss with Jigisha Bouverat, Director of Art Buying at TBWA/Chiat Day Agency and highly acclaimed photographer Glen Wexler.
Achieving success in photography is never easy. This program will offer tips and strategies that will help you navigate the stormy times ahead. This is a rapidly changing, fear driven business and taking a good picture is not enough. Join Debra Weiss, Creative Consultant, Jigisha Bouverat, Director of Art Buying, TBWA/Chiat Day and photographer Glen Wexler for an in depth discussion on what it will take to succeed in this highly competitive and increasingly impersonal business.
About Photographer Glen Wexler - "Wexler has assembled some of the most memorable advertising campaigns and imagery for musicians for the past 20 years." - Photo District News
French PHOTO magazine said..."More than the pioneer of digital photography, you are considered its leader. You have influenced a lot of young photographers, so it seems like you lead a true movement: a true shift in art." www.glenwexler.com
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Tuesday, April 7 - 1:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Gerd Ludwig
National Geographic Photographer
Russia - The Wild, Wild East
Gerd Ludwig, a National Geographic photographer since the early 1990’s, is best known as the magazine’s front man in the Former Soviet Union.
In his presentation, Gerd will share published and unpublished images of Russia’s warp-speed transformation from communism to runaway capitalism -- marked by bold aspirations, poignant suffering, and glittering opportunity.
His powerful and passionate photographs take you on a journey from the brash and glitzy whirl of ballrooms and discothèques to the gray despair of Moscow’s homeless; from conspicuous consumption of fresh minted capitalists to overcrowded churches where an ever younger following is clutching candles, once again openly celebrating faith; from the suffering faces of young radiation victims that display the heart-breaking price of nuclear might to hard-working, mud-spattered oil workers drilling for Siberia’s black gold; from the flood of desperate illegal immigrants swelling the boom towns of Western Russia to the culmination, Gerd’s latest coverage of the over-the-top hedonism of Moscow at Night.
Each image adds a new piece to the eternal puzzle called Russia -- by turns greedy and generous, stoic and exuberant, suspicious and sympathetic -- and it is evident why these stunning, complex, and provocative images have garnered Gerd Ludwig’s distinction as the world’s foremost color photographer documenting this region. www.gerdludwig.com
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Tuesday, April 7 - 3:00 - 5:00 p.m.
Looking at the Past to Build a Better Future
moderated by Debra Weiss with Michael Kochman, Picture Editor for Entertainment Weekly, Steve Levit - Chief Creative Officer at McCann Erickson Agency and Tim Wride, Director of No Strings Foundation.
Throughout history, the world has been influenced, shaped, corrupted and inspired by trends. How and why do they happen? This program will examine the photographic trend and what it can mean to you and your career. Topics to be discussed will include: photographers who have been credited as style innovators; distinguishing the line between inspiration and imitation; how can you utilize trends to your advantage; what is their cultural impact and how do they influence our business. Join Debra Weiss, Creative Consultant, and an esteemed panel from the world of Advertising, Editorial and Fine Art.
Michael Kochman, Deputy Picture Editor of Entertainment Weekly, Steve Levit, Chief Creative Officer of McCann Erickson Advertising Agency and Tim Wride, Director of No Strings Foundation.
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Wednesday, April 8 - 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
The Synergy of Music and Pictures
A conversation moderated by Dr. Anthony Bannon of George Eastman House with photographers B+ and Herman Leonard.
About B+
B+ was born and raised in Limerick, Ireland. In 1990 he came to Los Angeles to study photography at the California Institute of the Arts. While at Cal Arts he began work on a project entitled “Its Not about a Salary: Rap Race and Resistance in Los Angeles, published by Verso Books (1993) was nominated as a Rolling Stone Music Book of the Year and made the NME critics best music book of the year list. B+ has continued to work in the LA hiphop community and photographed over a hundred+ covers for artists including Q-Tip, Ozomatli, Jurrassic 5, and Dilated Peoples.
He was the photo-editor of Larry Flint’s ill fated highly influential Rappages from 1993 – 1997. He has directed several music videos and his latest venture puts old school drummers together with new school DJs entitled Keepintime: Talking Drums and Whispering Vinyl. The Sundance Channel bought the TV rights to the project, released by Mochilla (Cross’s production company with partner Eric Coleman) and Ninja Tune released it in Europe and Australia. The sequel Brasilintime: Batucada com Discos has premiered in Sao Paulo, Brasil and is currently doing the film festival circuit. His most recent effort entitled TIMELESS brought together 30 to 40 piece bands that brought together such legendary musician composers such as Arthur Verocai, Mulatu Astatke and Miguel Atwood Ferguson.
B+ still lives in LA, answers his own phone, photo edits for Wax Poetics Magazine, still digs like crazy and DJs from time to time and is currently working on a book of photographs.
www.mochilla.com
About Herman Leonard
Born and raised in Allentown, PA in 1923, at age 9, HERMAN LEONARD witnessed an image being developed in his brother’s darkroom and became enthralled with the magic of photography. When it came time for college, Herman chose Ohio University, the only university at the time to offer a degree in Photography. His college studies were interrupted from 1943-1945 as Herman served with the United States Army in Burma with the 13th Mountain Medical Battalion as an anesthetist. Herman returned to college and graduated in 1947 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree.
In 1949, Herman’s passion for jazz brought him to New York City’s Greenwich Village, where he established a studio at 220 Sullivan Street and captured the swinging clubs of Broadway, 52nd Street and Harlem. With the camera as his free ticket, he photographed and developed friendships with some of the greats of jazz history including Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Billie Holiday, Duke Ellington and many more. In 1956 Leonard was chosen to be Marlon Brando’s personal photographer for an extensive research trip to the Far East.
In 1980, Herman moved from Paris to the island of Ibiza, where he remained until 1988. During that time Herman rediscovered his jazz negatives and in 1985 released his first book, The Eye of Jazz, published by Hachette/Filipachi Publications. In 1988, the first exhibition of Herman’s jazz photographs was held at the Special Photographers Company in London. Herman’s first US show premiered in 1989 and toured nationally.
Herman’s jazz photographs, now collector’s items, are a unique record of the jazz scene of the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s. The Smithsonian claims 130 original Herman Leonard photographic prints in its permanent collection, where they are considered as essential to American music history as Benny Goodman’s clarinet or Louis Armstrong’s horn. Herman’s work is also represented in numerous public collections including Jazz at Lincoln Center, NY, Ogden Museum of Southern Art, LA, and the George Eastman House, NY, as well as the private collections of Sir Elton John, Bruce Bernard and His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand.
The Herman Leonard Jazz Archive was established in 2007 and in 2008 was awarded a Grammy Foundation Grant for Archiving and Preservation. Herman’s goal through the archive is to bring his entire jazz collection, comprising a visual documentation of America’s original art form, back to life and preserve it for future generations. www.hermanleonard.com
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Wednesday, April 8 - 3:00 - 5:00 p.m.
The Singular Vision
presented by photographer Andrew Southam
At a time when our culture is literally overwhelmed with imagery, the importance of personal viewpoint has never been greater. Almost everyone has access to a means of recording imagery. But how many of us are saying anything with it? Clients, Editors, Art Buyers, Gallerists and Dealers all want to know; what makes that picture your own? In this two-hour presentation, photographer Andrew Southam will present a selection of images and a discussion of select master photographers with absolutely personal points of view. What makes them their own? How can we strive to make our work more personal? How do you develop and refine a point of view?
About Andrew Southam:
Andrew Southam is an Australian photographer who has lived in Sydney, Milan, New York, and now Los Angeles. He began his career photographing the Sydney Theatre Company and the Australian Ballet. His early work has given him a particular affinity for performers and artists of all kinds. He is considered to have taken some of the definitive photographs of Liv Tyler, Gwyneth Paltrow, Natalie Portman, Kevin Spacey, and of the singer Jewel. He has studied screenwriting at UCLA and film at Art Center College of Design. His work has been honoured by the Society of Publication Designers and a Dove award. His portraits have been exhibited in the Australian National Portrait Gallery.
Of his own work Andrew has said “I'm moved by the human face. When we see each other, make eye contact, worlds come together. And sometimes in a portrait, if it's successful, there's something of that. We might recognize ourselves or someone we love. Something we aspire to or a dream we have."
Mary Kay Schilling, Executive Editor of Entertainment Weekly said of Andrew’s photographs ”I love the positive energy they have. They are always beautifully lit, while still capturing his subjects individuality and spirit. That's a balancing act of psychology and talent that few could pull off." www.andrewsoutham.com
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Thursday, April 9 - 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
The Big Picture - Editorial Photography Behind the Scenes
with photographer Art Streiber
About Art Streiber:
Since 1994 Art Streiber has been a Los Angeles-based freelance photographer specializing in reportage, travel, portrait and entertainment photography.
Editorial clients include Vanity Fair, Esquire, Conde Nast Portfolio, Entertainment Weekly, Wired, Time, Newsweek, O, Radar, Cookie, More and Outside.
Entertainment clients include ABC, CBS, NBC, HBO, CNN, Fox, TBS, TNT, A&E, The CW, MTV, Showtime, Lifetime, Universal Studios, Columbia-TriStar, Dreamworks, Paramount, Sony Pictures and Warner Brothers Studios.
Art has lectured at the International Center of Photography, The Santa Fe Workshops, The Julia Dean Photographic Workshops, Art Center College of Design, APA Atlanta, PDN On The Road in San Francisco and at The Stanford Publishing Course.
Art’s images have been selected for the PDN Photo Annual in 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008; American Photography in 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008; the APA National Photo Competition in 2006; the American Photo Magazine Images of the Year in 2006 and 2007 and the Communication Arts Photography Annual in 2005 and 2008.
In 2005 Art was named to American Photo Magazine’s list of “The 100 Most Important People in Photography,” and in April, 2008 Art was presented the Pacific Design Center’s “Star of Design” Award for Photography. www.artstreiber.com
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Thursday, April 9 - 1:00 - 2:30 p.m.
The Balance Between Personal and Professional Work
with photographer Kwaku Alston.
A spirited artist with a charismatic personality, Kwaku Alston has been working steadily with a diverse roster of commercial clients for the past fifteen years.
Kwaku has a passion for social documentary photography and is inspired capture truth and honor, whether in his portraits, landscapes, or still life images.
Kwaku’s world travels inform his work and remind him that encouragement and sincerity communicate beyond words in any language. His current direction and vision is to document human interaction and our role in the natural world landscape.
After several years in New York shooting for The New York Times Magazine, Sony Music, Rolling Stone, and Miramax, Kwaku moved west to Venice, California and opened his own studio. Recently, he has taken portraits of Barack Obama, Jenny McCarthy, Halle Berry, and Tiger Woods as well as shot advertising campaigns for Coca Cola, Blackberry, Target, and Verizon. Career highlights include photographing Nelson Mandela and Oprah Winfrey’s Legends. Creating historical images of accomplished and inspiring individuals is an opportunity that Kwaku takes seriously and hopes to continue throughout his career.
Kwaku has donated his time and energy to the following charitable organizations: The DesignACure Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign, The Black Aids Institute, The Ralph Lauren Cancer Center, and the Venice Family Clinic. With his personal fine art projects, Kwaku stretches the boundaries of what we know easily about life and human nature. His images encourage the viewer to consider the less obvious truths hidden from view in our normal day-today existence. Ongoing projects are titled the Venice Series, the On White Series, and the Mix Project. Kwaku looks forward to publishing his work and to further exhibiting his photographs in galleries and museums around the world. www.kwakualston.com
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Thursday, April 9 - 3:30 - 5:00 p.m.
No Place Like Daydreams
with legendary photographer Melvin Sokolsky
Melvin Sokolsky was born and raised in Manhattan's Lower East Side during the lean years of the pre-war era. Here he witnessed the entire spectrum of the human condition played out across a tough and tight-knit community. This experience was countered by a universe of visual riches found in the museums and books he regularly devoured. Melvin spent his days framing and logging precise mental and emotional images long before he had a camera to capture them. At age ten he began taking pictures using a box camera, though he was frustrated by his inability to create prints that had the "nice pearly finish" of his father’s old photos. "It was then that I realized the importance of the emulsion of the day," he recalls. Never satisfied, always questioning, and fiercely creative, young Melvin Sokolsky began to live from one private epiphany to the next.
With no formal training, his photographic education came purely from instinct, desire, and careful observation. Upon learning that photographers could make $4000 for "shooting a box of Jell-O," Sokolsky was seized by visions of a previously unimaginable career path. "The idea of escaping from my tenement dwelling and living by my creative inspirations became a powerful motivator," he notes. He took up an all-consuming regimen of photographic experimentation with a singular focus and determination that have since become his trademark process.
At twenty-one these efforts paid off when he was invited to join the photo staff of Harper's Bazaar by Henry Wolf, the magazine's visionary art director. Though he was learning on his feet, Sokolsky was rebellious by nature and would couple his street smarts with his deeply vivid imagination to challenge the aesthetic conventions of the advertising and editorial worlds. He was friendly but equally competitive with fellow star-photographers of his day, Art Kane and Richard Avedon. This tension contributed greatly to what is now considered the golden age of the American magazine.
In the 1970s Sokolsky expanded his visual repertoire to film and, fittingly, he moved to Los Angeles. He became a prolific shooter of striking television commercials that bore all the innovation and grammar of his photographic work. He has continued to shoot fashion photography and other editorial assignments, and his work has moved towards an increasingly cinematic style.
Melvin Sokolsky is one of the great pioneers in the creation of visual imagery. Admired, awarded, and relentlessly copied, he remains steadfastly ahead of the curve and thoroughly ignited in his seventies. His legacy cemented, Sokolsky is left with a seemingly limitless well of creative energy. www.sokolsky.com