The Riedisheim International Photo Salon is calling for applications to participate in its 37th edition, which will take place from March 2^nd to 10^th, 2024.

The show was created in 1987 by the Riedisheim Photo Club and that one of the Cultural and Sports Association Peugeot-Citroën Mulhouse, with the aim of organizing an important photographic event in the East of France.

Over the years the Riedisheim Photo Salon has become an internationally recognized event which combines a contest known in around fifty countries, exhibitions by international photographers, workshops and more events about photography.

That international cultural event takes place over two weekends, and it aims to promote photography to as many people as possible.

The main theme of the salon, “Humanist and engaged photography”, can be interpreted in many ways in order to offer original and varied exhibitions.

Authors who wish to exhibit their works can submit their application until June 30^th, 2023. All useful information can be found on the site https://www.spr-photo.fr .

The selected regional photographers will be rewarded with a fee of €250, the national and international photographers with a fee of €500.

Their presence at the show is expected on at least one of the two weekends.

It’s an excellent time to be a photographer and watch enthusiast. Less than a week after Leica announced a pair of new watches inspired by the new Leica M11 Monochrom camera, Swiss watchmaker Horage has announced the Lensman 2 Exposure, a timepiece that is a “mechanical cheat sheet to manual photography.”

“For new enthusiasts and photographic veterans alike, understanding the settings required to arrive at a well-exposed image is paramount,” explains Horage. Its Lensman 2 Exposure watch promises to “break down barriers” and “simplify the process of calculating a scene’s exposure.”

The timepiece puts exposure information front and center on its face and rotating bezel. White balance icons, shutter speeds, apertures, and ISO speeds accompany the standard time-telling information, which features a 24-hour clock arrangement.

These innovative new features take the Lensman 2 much further into the photography sphere than the original Horage Lensman 1, which offered a more photography-inspired style rather than practical tools for the active photographer.

Horage developed its new watch alongside accomplished British photographer and educator Brian Griffin. Users rotate the watch’s bezels according to artistic desire or current lighting conditions, and the watch’s components align, revealing appropriate shutter speed, aperture, or ISO settings.

“The bidirectional rotating bezel works as an exposure calculator, ranging from ISO (film speed) of 25 to 12,800 and an aperture (f-stop) of f/1.4 to f/22. Both of these figures are highly visible for quick reference, while the lighting conditions (represented by icons) and shutter speed are engraved on an inner dial ring. The optimal shutter speeds and f-stops are revealed when the ISO markings of the bezel are rotated to align with your current lighting conditions, thus helping you to calculate the optimal shutter speed and aperture for your camera’s exposure,” explains Horage.

The watch not only offers function to photographers, but it also delivers a camera-inspired form as well. Vintage medium-format cameras inform the aesthetic of the Lensman 2 Exposure’s distinct face. The watch’s dual-material case uses titanium and anodized matte black aluminum. The watch’s diameter is on the smaller side at 39mm, but it should wear a bit larger than that given its unusual shape.

The Swiss-made watch utilizes an “incredibly efficient and chronometer-certified” K2 micro-rotor movement that has been reworked for the watch’s 24-hour GMT function. The watch uses white X1 Super-LumiNova to glow in the dark.

“Step back and the dial looks like it belongs on the top plate of a pro-SLR camera, but look closer and you have a multi-functional watch that’s a modern nomad’s dream,” says Horage.

Like many premium watches, the underside delivers a window to the watch’s inner workings. The case back is built using sapphire glass, surrounded by textured matte black aluminum. The movement is “beautifully decorated in a galvanic finish with Horage’s signature grid pattern and Côtes de Genève.”

The limited edition Brian Griffin model watch includes a PT950 platinum rotor and is engraved with a quote from Griffin, “Believe in your light.” All watch editions include Griffin’s slogan, “You don’t take a photograph, you make it.”

The standard edition of the watch is an “open edition” and is available in two dial colors that are yellow or black. The “very special” Brian Griffin 100-piece limited edition sports a stylish black and silver colorway. The limited edition watch also comes with a selected photo box that includes four signed and numbered prints from Griffin’s archive. Customers can choose between music, film, portrait, and artist selection box offerings.

The Horage Lensman 2 Exposure will be available for preorder beginning May 9, 2023, to Horage VIP customers. The initial preorder period ends on May 12. The premium Swiss watch won’t come cheap. The standard edition will open for preorder at 4,900 Swiss Franc, or around $5,480. The limited-edition Brian Griffin model starts at CHF 5,900 ($6,600).

A second preorder window will open on June 6 and includes higher prices. General orders will open in November at even higher prices, with the standard watch retailing for around $6,600 and the Brian Griffin edition, if it remains available, selling at just over $7,700 based on current exchange rates.

Horage expects the Lensman 2 Exposure to begin shipping in the fourth quarter of 2023.

Detailed specifications and preorder information are available on Horage’s website.

Image credits: Horage

As a creative who wears many hats, it’s the visual arts that are Gijs’ main passion as he explains where he invests his efforts, “My camera is more expensive than my car.” Having grown up in the small town of Vierlingsbeek in the North Brabant province of the Netherlands, being a ‘creative’ wasn’t something he believed could be a career. Deciding on communications as a degree, it was only after getting to university that he realised the arts were for him. Sticking it out and earning his bachelor’s, when he finished, it was advertising that presented an opportunity – and he went with it.

Gijs speaks to LBB’s Nisna Mahtani about how he believes creativity should be embedded in all aspects of a business to ensure there’s an element of future-proofing and how his son inspires him to challenge the status quo.

LBB> Where did your career begin? Did you study for the role, fall into it or was it something entirely different?

Gijs> It was a real pain to finish my degree because I found out about art school when I was in my second year of university. But I didn’t want to switch to another university, as it was very expensive. I learned graphic design and photography in my free time and my goal was to finish my bachelor’s degree and make some money to be able to afford to go to the Royal Academy of Art in the Hague. 

When I finished my bachelor’s degree in communications, a classmate (Niek Eijsbouts) wanted to work in advertising and asked me to team up. The deal was he would be able to work on his writing portfolio and I could work on my visual portfolio. 

Two months later, while I was finally applying at the Royal Academy, we won our first award, got sent to Cannes and then landed a job at an advertising agency. It took me quite a few years to accept that I would be better off proceeding with this path instead of going back to school. My friend and I ended up working together for about ten years and we made some of our best works together. 

LBB> Do you remember some of the formative campaigns you worked on and what it was like to create them?

Gijs> One of the most important projects I worked on was a campaign to raise awareness for organ donation. In the Netherlands, the system was made the way that you actively had to say ‘yes’ in order to become a donor. We spent four years trying to find every possible way to motivate people to become a donor. It became one of the most efficient campaigns I ever worked on: it was awarded an Effie and a Guinness World Record (for raising the most organ donor registrations within 24 hours). But most of all, it was fun to work on such an impactful project with a very small team. Besides being the art director on the project, I started to direct TV commercials myself and took photographs for the campaigns. The project gave me a lot of confidence to use all the DIY things I learned in a professional environment. 

LBB> What does creativity mean to you?

Gijs> To me, it’s probably just as important as oxygen. If I don’t create I get depressed. My life is built around creativity. I have one rule when buying new things: If I can create something with it, it will justify the price. My camera is more expensive than my car. 

LBB> Can you tell us a little about the creative scene in Amsterdam? How has it changed over the years?

Gijs> When I joined KesselsKramer in 2009, we were a bit of an odd agency in the creative scene. We worked on art projects, made products, films and did a lot of international work. The majority of the Amsterdam-based agencies simply didn’t work for international clients and found it hard to label us as an agency with all that we did. But I’ve seen this change quite rapidly with international talent moving to Amsterdam. And with the acceptance that creativity can be a driving force in all phases of business development. 

LBB> What about some of the current trends that you’re seeing in the market?

Gijs> Forward-thinking businesses no longer consult creatives just for their advertising and communication challenges. Creativity has become accepted on many layers of the business. The pandemic was a painful realisation that without sincere emotional engagement, your audience just doesn’t care much about you as a brand. Creatives can help brands show they really care about their audience and the world we live in. And if done well, this will come back. Karma.

LBB> How about some recent pieces of work that are particularly significant? 

Gijs> KesselsKramer recently made a campaign for Monopoly that I think shows that honesty can lead to surprisingly effective campaigns. Always question the status quo.

A theatre troupe from Amsterdam approached us with a plan to change their name and identity. By changing their name from De Warme Winkel to Toneelgroep Amsterdam (which recently left the name when they rebranded to ITA), this project had a lot of impact and PR attention. Due to legal forces, they had to change back their name, but the campaign was a massive success. 

Also, this one isn’t a campaign, but a program for the industry that I’m excited about called ‘PlusPlusOne’. Check it out here.

LBB> Creatives tend to be inspired by a lot of different things, art, music, travel, and others around them. Where do you find your personal creative inspiration?

Gijs> I like to look for inspiration outside of the mainstream. I have listened (and still listen) to a lot of punk rock music. I work in advertising, which sometimes can be seen as opportunistic, but I am very aware of the problems we are facing in the world. People like Chris Hannah (frontman of Propagandhi) and Tom Rheault (vocalist of No Trigger) remind me to use my creativity for good. Also, the daily questions I get asked by my five-year-old son about the world we live in make me question the status quo a lot.

LBB> What is the biggest lesson you’ve learnt through your years in the industry? Can you pass some advice on to people who might just be starting out?

Gijs> If you ask yourself: ‘Who is going to make this work amazing? Who is going to win this pitch? Who will elevate this idea to something larger than life?’ It’s always you. Meaning that, even if you work in a team, you should look to the other person. It is your energy that is going to be the driving force of a project. If all team members think like that, the accumulation of energy will help to make the best work you’ve ever made.

LBB> Balance is always important, so what do you spend your time away from your desk doing? Are there any hobbies or interests which take up your time?

Gijs> My life is about creating things. When I’m not in the office, I’m working on my art projects. I do a lot of photography where I like to play with reality, and always have a thing going. Also, I play in a ‘90s skate punk band and compose music. While I have quite a full agenda, I like to spend as much time as possible with my son, he is an amazing human being that helps me with seeing things from a different perspective.

Very abstract drawing by my son: 

Few figures could unite the likes of Hilton Als, Naomi Campbell, Elton John, Spike Lee, Sally Mann, Polly Mellen, Kate Moss, Chloë Sevigny, Taryn Simon, Christy Turlington, and Jonas Wood in shared admiration. 

But Richard Avedon has, albeit posthumously, in a new exhibition at Gagosian, New York. ‘Avedon 100’ invited almost 150 acclaimed cultural movers and shakers to select an Avedon photograph and share a personal story of their connection to the image and the artist on the centenary of his birth. 

The enormity of Avedon’s influence can be seen across photography today; how he put personality front and centre, how he distilled his subjects, while always understanding ‘All photographs are accurate. None of them is the truth…I’m not interested in the truth.’ 

This openness to complexity is evident in the evolution of his aesthetic approach throughout his career, from his contrast-heavy portraits, the In the American West series, his records of the social justice movement, as well as his boundary-breaking fashion photography; all of which have inspired new generations of artists to be open, connect with their subjects, and most importantly to take risks. 

Avedon’s stories demonstrate his ability to peel back the polished veneer of world leaders, collaborate with models to create theatre within a moment and tell stories about injustices. But the common thread throughout these eclectic themes and approaches is how working with Avedon became an education for those lucky enough to have met him – his was a power to draw out our own creative desires. 

Together, these inspiring, entertaining and thoughtful reflections on Avedon’s life and work form a visual and anecdotal chorus demonstrating his power to form wide-ranging cultural touchpoints that go far beyond their originator. 

‘Avedon 100’ is on view at Gagosian 522 West 21st Street, New York, until 24 June 2023. gagosian.com (opens in new tab)