‘Context and Impact’

By in Art World News

‘Context and Impact’

Ohio Wesleyan Student Studies Art and Culture in England, France, and Italy

By Cole Hatcher

Name: Clara Wood ’25
Hometown: Kent, Ohio
High School: Revere High School
Majors: Art History and Business Administration (Marketing Concentration)
Minor: History

OWU Connection Experience: European Art and Culture study-away program through AIFS Abroad

Wood studied overseas this spring from May 7-30, spending time in London, England; Paris and Nice, France; and Milan, Venice, Florence, and Rome, Italy.

Clara Wood ’25, posing with gondolas by St. Mark’s Square in Venice, says her study abroad has helped her to focus her career plans on museum management.

Why This Experience?

“As an Art History major, I felt like it was important for me to see the things I am studying in person to fully understand their context and impact. Also, studying abroad was a huge priority for my college experience, but I knew I would not be able to do a full semester based on scheduling conflicts, so this was the best solution and it was definitely worth it.”

My Favorite Moment

“There were so many amazing moments, but something that has stuck with me was seeing Titian’s Assumption of the Virgin in a church in Venice. We were doing a walking tour of the major locations around Venice, and we went into a church that I had never heard of, and I thought nothing of it (we saw a lot of churches on this trip), but we rounded a corner and there was one of the most iconic pieces of Renaissance art right in front of us.

“It was really amazing to see this piece in its original context, which made it easier to understand other religious works that were in museums, out of their original context. I also loved going to Versailles and just Venice as a whole.”

Lessons Learned

“I learned so much about art and being able to actually see objects I had learned about in the classroom really helped me understand their context and how they fit into the canon a lot better.

“I also surprisingly learned a lot about the business of museums, which ended up being a major pillar of the course, and learning more about that helped me solidify that museum business is what I am interested in doing as a career, rather than being an art historian.

“I had also never been out of the country before I went on this trip, and even though I only went to a very small portion of the globe, it definitely changed how I feel about the U.S. and how I view the U.S. in the context of the world.

“I think that those changes in perspective and opportunities to meet people from different parts of the country and world are the true value of experiences outside of the university, above any career and academic benefits.”

Clara Wood ’25 visits the Hall of Mirrors during a trip to the Palace of Versailles in France.

Why I Chose Ohio Wesleyan?

“I chose to attend OWU because of the amount of ways to go beyond the school to gain experiences. The New York Arts Program was a big draw for me to come to OWU, as well as the study abroad opportunities and the emphasis on internships and summer experiences. I really liked how OWU is not a bubble and that everyone is excited to help you figure out what you want to do and how far you want to go (literally and metaphorically).”

My Plans After Graduation

“I plan to go to graduate school for arts management or events management, and then work in museum management. I have gotten so much help getting internships, gaining experiences, and figuring out my goals from everyone at OWU, especially Career Connection, Fine Arts Department, International and Off-Campus Programs Office, and Campus Programming Board!”

Sergiu Ciochină Captures the Dance of Sunlight and Shadows in Textural, Vivid Oil Paintings

By in Art World News

Sergiu Ciochină Captures the Dance of Sunlight and Shadows in Textural, Vivid Oil Paintings

“Feeling of summer” (2023), oil on board, 35 x 50 centimeters. All images © Sergiu Ciochină, shared with permission

“Shadow and light are the most stable and perfect tools of creation: they unite colors, shapes, and dimensions,” says Moldovan artist Sergiu Ciochină, adding that “shadows move us through diversity, enhancing our perception, while light fills us with the joy of discovery.” In saturated hues, he captures dappled sunlight as it filters through the trees and the rich tones of the golden hour as it casts deep bluish-purple shade onto the sides of houses.

Taking cues from the Impressionists, Ciochină focuses on the nuances of light and its ability to reveal outlines and forms. He works in thick, impasto oil paint on board, emphasizing the shapes of windows, doors, and stoops and transforming otherwise ordinary buildings into compositions glowing with the patterns of foliage, architectural angles, and the texture of brushstrokes. “The symbiosis I create between nature and architecture is intended to evoke a love for space,” he says.

Ciochină’s is preparing to move his studio to France and exhibit in Italy for the first time later this year. His landscapes comprise part of a broader painting practice, which you can explore more of on his Instagram and website.

 

A colorful oil painting of a tree's shadow on a house.

“Home is where your heart is #3” (2023), oil on board, 35 x 50 centimeters

A colorful oil painting of tees and a house.

“Nostalgia” (2023), oil on board, 35 x 50 centimeters

A colorful oil painting of a tree's shadow on a house.

“Green building” (2023), oil on board, 35 x 50 centimeters 

A colorful oil painting of a tree's shadow on two houses.

“Sunset #10” (2023), oil on board, 35 x 50 centimeters

A colorful oil painting of a tree's shadow on a house.

”Blue shadows #20″ (2023), oil on board, 35 x 50 centimeters

A colorful oil painting of a tree's shadow on a house.

“Sunday #4” (2023), oil on board, 35 x 50 centimeters

A colorful oil painting of a tree's shadow on a house.

“Childhood home #51” (2023), oil on board, 35 x 50 centimeters

A colorful oil painting of a building and canal in Venice.

“Peaceful atmosphere in Venice #9” (2023), oil on board, 35 x 50 centimeters

Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $5 per month. The article Sergiu Ciochină Captures the Dance of Sunlight and Shadows in Textural, Vivid Oil Paintings appeared first on Colossal.

Capturing the Essence of Artomobilia With Photography

By in Photography

Capturing the Essence of Artomobilia With Photography
5/5 – (1 vote)

May/June 2023

In the central core of Carmel, 20,000+ car enthusiasts congregate throughout the Carmel Arts & Design District every summer for Artomobilia. This annual first-class automotive event combines art and automobiles. This year, Artomobilia will take place on Saturday, September 9, 2023.

Capturing the Essence ArtomobiliaCapturing the Essence Artomobilia

A LOOK BEHIND THE LENS

Photography plays a crucial role in documenting the Artomobilia event. Photographers capture images of the showcased cars, the venue, the crowd, and other elements that highlight the atmosphere and essence of the event. These photos serve as a visual record of the event, preserving the memories and allowing people who couldn’t attend to experience it vicariously.

Photographing Artomobilia allows attendees to capture personal memories of the event. People often take their own photos of the cars, the venue, and their experiences during Artomobilia. These images are shared on social media, fostering engagement and creating a sense of community among participants.

Overall, photography at Artomobilia serves to capture and promote the beauty, creativity, and passion associated with automotive art. The photographs play a vital role in documenting the event, attracting attendees, promoting artists’ work, and sharing the experience with a broader audience.

Artomobilia Event Director John Leonard shared his thoughts on the impact that photography has, especially post-event.

“My sense is, for instance, that the Indianapolis 500 race is inextricably connected to the track, but the track is there all year round, and it kind of gets celebrated all the time,” Leonard said. “But the Artomobilia events are a moment in time, and then it goes back to its regular thing. So, my view is that without these guys taking photos, a lot of the action is lost or simply left to everybody’s recollections. The thing that I love about having these photographers, as well as everybody else that contributes photos, is that it keeps the event alive long after it happens, and the images really help rekindle those memories about what happened, and without those, it’s difficult to describe.”

Meet the Photographers Behind Some Iconic Shots

SEAN GROVE

Capturing the Essence ArtomobiliaCapturing the Essence Artomobilia

A lifelong car enthusiast, Sean is an Indianapolis-based automotive artist with interests in both photography and industrial design.

“I met John [Leonard] at the second Artomobilia Show, and I was in middle school at the time,” Grove shared. I was very fresh into photography, and I’ve been officially involved with [Artomobilia] for about ten years now.

Between Artomobilia and the associated events that John and his team put together, these are the main channels that I’ve used to generate a wide variety of images. From my perspective, it’s all about the art and personality of the cars, and getting to see the cars displayed as art is really nice, especially in a region where that’s not typically what you see with car shows. John and his team have really created something very special within the Midwest region, where they place an emphasis on the art of the cars. As a photographer, the [fund- raising events] are even more fun because the venues, like Lucas Estate, have allowed better access to the cars — not having to fight the crowds—and having a beautiful environment to shoot makes it a different opportunity to be even more artistic and to take a more elegant approach to it.”

View more of Grove’s work at seangrove.myportfolio.com.

ANTHONY ROSS TYLER PHOTOGRAPHY

Capturing the Essence ArtomobiliaCapturing the Essence Artomobilia

Anthony Ross Tyler is a commercial and fine art automotive photographer/graphic designer based out of Nashville, Tennessee.

An incredible and historic opportunity to capture the iconic image of three generations of the Ford GT in both road and road trim. With the assistance of the Ford Chip Ganassi Racing Team, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum, members of the Artomobilia Alumni, and renowned photographer Anthony Ross Tyler, these images were captured, representing more than 60 years of Ford Performance. This extraordinary image was featured on the cover of Carmel Monthly as part of the publication’s
coverage of Artomobilia that year.

“It was definitely one of those shots in my portfolio that even if I hadn’t shot it, I would still like to look at it,” Tyler expressed. “It was a really cool experience. This was a ‘John Leonard’ project where he cooked it up with the Artomobilia team and landed on that theme.”

The issue was getting all five cars in one controlled spot for the iconic photo shoot.

“What we were trying to accomplish was every single car being lit like it was the hero in the shot,” Tyler recalled. “We needed a controlled location and a place where I could have a camera 20 or so odd feet off the ground because we weren’t going to show all five cars from ground level in a way where they would all translate as being epic and important.”

With the assistance of his young son and five Hot Wheels cars, Tyler arranged all five Ford GT models in different layouts to take back to Leonard and his team for approval.

“I took a macro lens on my camera, and basically using armchair math, I figured out how high the camera needed to be and arranged the Hot Wheels [models] into different layouts that I thought would work. We landed on the one with the new Ford GT [that year] in the middle with all of the other generations pointing towards it, providing an excellent view of all five vehicles in the shot.”

View more of Tyler’s work at photo.arosstyler.com.

JASON LAVENGOOD PHOTOGRAPHY

Capturing the Essence ArtomobiliaCapturing the Essence Artomobilia

Jason Lavengood is an internationally recognized fine art and commercial photographer based in Indianapolis, Indiana. Lavengood’s epic shots of the 2022 Ferrari SF90 are a sampling of his exceptional collection of works.

“For me, it’s very much about art,” Lavengood shared. “I’ve been a photographer since I started developing film at [age 13]. Artomobilia is a day-long festival in Carmel that’s just cool, and it’s done so top-notch. It’s much more than just cars with the people, food, and music. It’s an amazing event. It was pretty cool rolling up to a brand new SF90. It was the first time I had seen it in person. John presented the shots to everyone at Artomobilia, and they really liked the head on shot, so that’s the one we ended up using on the cover. I was so proud about that. It was really cool.”

Lavengood shared that intricate shots like these are not as easy as just pointing and shooting. There are many factors that determine the outcome of a shoot, in particular outdoor shoots in an urban environment.

“It had been an early morning shoot, and I had scouted the location the day before, but I had not anticipated the shadows of the building and the way that the sun was reflecting off of some of the windows that created some shadows,” Lavengood explained. “We had to wait for the sun to move before we could shoot. So, lighting, especially natural lighting, and waiting on the sun, the clouds, or whatever, are huge factors in any shoot like this. And then there’s being able to put a large object in a place where there aren’t’ too many distractions. Whether that’s street signs, people, or traffic; you want the focus to be on the car, and you have to have or create an environment that allows that.”

View more of Lavengood’s work at lavengoodphotography.com.

Stay tuned for more Artomobilia coverage over the next few months! Carmel Monthly is proud to be a longtime media sponsor! For more information, visit artomobilia.org.

Writer:

Janelle Morrison

Photography:

Jason Lavengood, Sean Grove, Anthony Ross Tyler and Artomobilia

How photography brings refugee and Turkish children together

By in Photography

How photography brings refugee and Turkish children together

Amid a culture of antagonism toward Syrian refugees in Turkey, a photography project has fostered friendships between refugees and Turkish children. Sirkhane Darkroom’s workshops have allowed children to express their emotions in new, creative ways.

In Istasyon, an impoverished neighbourhood on the outskirts of the ancient Turkish city of Mardin, children play under a mulberry tree, occasionally reaching up to pick the ripe berries hanging from the branches.

They each have a small analogue camera which they have been using to take photos of their friends as they run around in the spring sunshine.

The group of nine children, aged between nine and twelve, are a mix of Turks and Syrians who live in the local area and have just returned from school.

Mardin is in the southeast of Turkey, about 20 miles from the Syrian border, and is home to over 85,000 registered Syrian refugees, many of whom live in abandoned tower blocks which were previously owned by the government.

“The photographs the children produce beautifully capture their everyday moments, from playing outside with friends to private moments at home with their family, exploring their local area, and taking selfies. Despite the tough conditions they are living through, their images are brimming with joy”

Turkish, Kurdish, and Syrian children attend free photography workshops held by the Sirkhane Darkroom, a non-profit darkroom and photo lab.

The workshops are led by Serbest Salih, a photographer from Kobani, Syria who fled to Turkey after the Islamic State group attacked his home town in 2014.

The 28-year-old, who speaks Turkish, Kurdish, Arabic, and English, describes photography as his “fifth language” which helps him to express himself and heal from the trauma he’s been through.

Now, he’s passing that on to the children, using photography as a tool to build the children’s self-confidence, bridge divides, and bring children together.

Istasyon, a neighbourhood in Mardin where a lot of Syrian refugees live [photo credit: Jessie Williams]

The photographs the children produce beautifully capture their everyday moments, from playing outside with friends to private moments at home with their family, exploring their local area, and taking selfies.

Despite the tough conditions they are living through, their images are brimming with joy.

Serbest begins each workshop with games before he hands out donated cameras and teaches them how to shoot their own photos. He talks to them about composition and light, different perspectives, and how to develop the negatives and print them in the darkroom.

Before the workshops, he says, the children living here rarely mixed. Now they laugh and play together.

Rojbin takes a photo during a workshop outside [photo credit: Jessie Williams]

At the beginning of each programme – which is flexible, but often lasts around 8 weeks – there is some judgement between the Turkish and Syrian children, but by the second or third week, “local people start respecting the Syrians; they start saying their names and not just calling them ‘Syrians,’” he says.

Aysenyr, an 11-year-old Turkish girl from Mardin, says she’s made new friends while on the programme. “A lot of them are Syrian – Maria, Bashra, Suha, Huda. After we came to the workshop we are still friends, especially the girls. We are always playing together,” she says, while taking a photo of her friend Rojbin, 10.

These friendships seem especially important right now, with the rise of anti-Syrian racism in the lead-up to the recent elections, coupled with the threats of deportation back to Syria from politicians.

In a nearby school in Midyat, two Syrian sisters, Delal, 9, and Gufran, 12, take photos during a workshop. The family fled their home in Aleppo, Syria, eight years ago, settling in Gaziantep, south-central Turkey. Then the twin earthquakes struck in February, destroying their home and displacing them a second time. They arrived in Midyat shortly after.

Both of the girls wear matching strawberry earrings, their dark hair tied back in ponytails. They are shy at first but gradually come out of their shell as the workshop progresses, with Serbest gently encouraging them during games and when taking photos. The girls are yet to find a school in Midyat, so these workshops are their only way of socialising with other children.

“This workshop has made me feel comfortable here in Midyat,” says Gufran. “Before I didn’t know how to use the camera and now I know how to take photos. I love this workshop, I learnt a lot of new things here.”

Delal adds, “I’ve made lots of friends from Turkey, I play with them a lot and see them outside of the workshop. It’s helped me to feel more at home. I learnt how to empathise with other people. I want to carry on with photography – I want to capture everything I see.”

Delal (L) and her friend play rock, paper, scissors during a workshop in Midyat [photo credit: Jessie Williams]

Not only is Serbest helping children in Mardin province who have been displaced by the devastating earthquakes, but he has also started travelling to earthquake-affected areas to deliver workshops to children there, such as Adiyaman and Kahramanmaras — two cities that saw some of the worst destruction.

“It was a disaster in Adiyaman — people are still in denial, they are still living in containers. Most of the children don’t go to school, their mental health is bad,” he says. “But, at the end of the workshop the children were smiling, they were more relaxed and started talking more about their emotions.”

“When they see the photos show up after being in the chemicals they are so surprised – for them, it’s like magic, they’re like ‘oh my god, is it magic? How did you do this?’”

The workshops are helping them to express themselves – and enabling them to capture memories, albeit painful ones. Hasan, 12, one of the children living in Kahramanmaras took a photo of his collapsed home, which is now a pile of rubble. He told Serbest: “I captured this photo because my grandfather was inside the house and he passed away.”

Serbest plans to go back there once he can raise enough money to buy materials through a new fundraiser. He travels there in a second-hand caravan, which he uses as a mobile darkroom and photo lab.

Normally he takes the caravan to reach remote rural villages around Mardin, after realising that some families weren’t sending their children to the workshops – particularly girls – because of the cost of transportation into Mardin.

His goal is to train the children to become teachers so they can pass on their knowledge to their own communities and expand the workshops across Turkey and the Middle East.

Serbest Salih teaches children during a workshop held by Sirkhane Darkroom [photo credit: Jessie Williams]

The Sirkhane Darkroom has already had several exhibitions of their work and will have one in Ithaque, an exhibition space in Paris, in October. They have also produced a photo book — I Saw The Air Fly, and are now selling children’s prints online at the Photobook Café.

At the end of the programme, Serbest takes the children to the darkroom and shows them how to develop and print their photos.

Their inquisitive faces are illuminated by light as they gaze at their negatives and become awestruck when they see their photos start to appear on paper. “When they see the photos show up after being in the chemicals they are so surprised – for them, it’s like magic, they’re like ‘oh my god, is it magic? How did you do this?’” he says, laughing.

Serbest, whose name means freedom in Kurdish, is giving these vulnerable children the freedom to explore their curiosity, be creative and have fun in a place where sometimes children are forced to grow up quickly — child labour and child marriage are common here, he says. The workshops are a chance for them to just enjoy being children.

“I’m trying to tell them, in photography, there are no bad photos, there are no rules, just be yourself. I’m trying to let them feel confident and have a safe space to believe in themselves.”

Jessie Williams is a freelance journalist, editor, and writer based in London. Her interest lies in global current affairs, humanitarian issues, women’s rights, migration, culture, and politics – with the aim of exploring the human stories behind the headlines.

Follow her on Twitter: @JessieWill5

Yayoi Kusama’s Current Exhibition Offers a New Infinity

By in Design

Yayoi Kusama’s Current Exhibition Offers a New Infinity

In 2013, I had the privilege to visit (and feature here) a dazzling Infinity Room by one of the most famous and influential artists alive: Yayoi Kusama. Ten years later, the 94-year-old Kusama presents a brand new (and much bigger) Infinity Room, included within a dazzling four-room exhibition that includes polka-dotted pumpkin walls, towering flowers, and new abstract paintings. On view at David Zwirner Gallery in New York, I Spend Each Day Embracing Flowers is well worth a visit, whether you wait in line or not.

Installation view, Yayoi Kusama: I Spend Each Day Embracing Flowers, David Zwirner, New York, May 11—July 21, 2023,  © YAYOI KUSAMA, Courtesy of David Zwirner

Installation view, Yayoi Kusama: I Spend Each Day Embracing Flowers, David Zwirner, New York, May 11—July 21, 2023,  © YAYOI KUSAMA, Courtesy of David Zwirner

The center of the exhibition holds Kusama’s newest Infinity Mirror Room – a 13-foot white cube titled Dreaming of Earth’s Sphericity I Would Offer My Love. The wait can be over a couple hours to access this 1-on-1 personal moment within infinity (ask the first person in line on the sidewalk how long they’ve been waiting). The cube is entered via a quarter-circle yellow window in the corner, sealing you inside without any visible door. These windows offer a new experience for those familiar with Kusama’s previous Infinity Rooms. Rather than electric lights that flicker inside, these windows allow flashes of movement from the “real world” outside the cube to occasionally spark, split, butterfly, and kaleidoscope into your infinity. The experience therefore skips between two realities – a fantastical infinite dreamscape and the real physical world outside, as if you have a foot in two different parallel universes.

Installation view, Yayoi Kusama: I Spend Each Day Embracing Flowers, David Zwirner, New York, May 11—July 21, 2023, © YAYOI KUSAMA, Courtesy of David Zwirner

Installation view, Yayoi Kusama: I Spend Each Day Embracing Flowers, David Zwirner, New York, May 11—July 21, 2023, © YAYOI KUSAMA, Courtesy of David Zwirner

But you do not need to wait in line to experience the other three rooms of the exhibition – well worth the trip even if you decide to forgo the Infinity Room. The first work you’ll encounter is an open garage holding three massive painted stainless-steel flowers. Each is titled I Spend Each Day Embracing Flowers and the room is best experienced as you walk around the three without stopping. Because each flower takes a different anthropomorphic pose, you can imagine them in motion, scuttling along the gallery floor to the city outside. There is a feeling in all Kusama’s work that is analogous to a carnivorous plant: beautiful, magnetic, hypnotic, and joyful, and yet we must trust that the work won’t fully consume us, whether that’s getting lost in infinity forever, or being literally consumed by an oversized plant. It’s a complexity that gives all her work an intriguing depth.

Yayoi Kusama, I Spend Each Day Embracing Flowers, 2023 (detail)
© YAYOI KUSAMA. Courtesy the artist, David Zwirner, Ota Fine Arts, and Victoria Miro

Yayoi Kusama, I Spend Each Day Embracing Flowers, 2023 (detail)
© YAYOI KUSAMA. Courtesy the artist, David Zwirner, Ota Fine Arts, and Victoria Miro

Kusama has produced an exciting range of work over her 70+ year career. For me personally, the infinity net paintings which she began in the 1950s are my #1 favorite. The metronome-like process of paint application is inspiring in its commitment and confidence while resulting in an eternally sustained visual buzz.

Installation view, Yayoi Kusama: I Spend Each Day Embracing Flowers, David Zwirner, New York, May 11—July 21, 2023, © YAYOI KUSAMA, Courtesy of David Zwirner

And here, 36 of her newest paintings are on view – most of them from her recent series Every Day I Pray for Love (2021-present). Some hold that familiar “net” language while others buzz with contrasting dots of color or joyful amoeba forms. The exhibition page features some great full images of individual paintings (scroll near bottom of that link).

Installation view, Yayoi Kusama: I Spend Each Day Embracing Flowers, David Zwirner, New York, May 11—July 21, 2023, © YAYOI KUSAMA, Courtesy of David Zwirner

The final room will drop your jaw with three painted bronze sculptures of morphed yellow pumpkin walls. Each is titled Aspiring to Pumpkin’s Love, the Love in My Heart (2023) with perfect black polka dots that exaggerate the yellow undulations. Like the flowers, they are best activated when you are in motion, as the air itself seems to bend in this fully white room.

Installation view, Yayoi Kusama: I Spend Each Day Embracing Flowers, David Zwirner, New York, May 11—July 21, 2023,  © YAYOI KUSAMA, Courtesy of David Zwirner

Installation view, Yayoi Kusama: I Spend Each Day Embracing Flowers, David Zwirner, New York, May 11—July 21, 2023,  © YAYOI KUSAMA, Courtesy of David Zwirner

Yayoi Kusama, Aspiring to Pumpkin’s Love, the Love in My Heart, 2023 (detail)
© YAYOI KUSAMA. Courtesy the artist, David Zwirner, Ota Fine Arts, and Victoria Miro

Yayoi Kusama I Spend Each Day Embracing Flowers is free and open to the public at David Zwirner Gallery. The Infinity Mirror Room is first-come-first-entry and often has a very significant line. The rest of the exhibition is easily entered without a wait, and is highly recommended even if you skip the Infinity Room. The gallery is only open Tuesday-Friday from 10am-6pm (closed on weekends). The gallery is also closed July 4th. See gallery’s FAQ page for all details.

Yayoi Kusama, 2020 Photo: Yusuke Miyazaki, © YAYOI KUSAMA. Courtesy the artist, David Zwirner, Ota Fine Arts, and Victoria Miro

What: Yayoi Kusama: I Spend Each Day Embracing Flowers
Where: David Zwirner Gallery, 519, 525 & 533 West 19th Street
When: May 11 – July 21, 2023 (Tuesday-Friday 10-6pm starting June 19th)

David Behringer visits over 200 galleries every month to uncover and share the most exciting contemporary art in New York today. Subscribe to his exclusive weekly newsletter at www.thetwopercent.com and learn about his private gallery tours. And be sure to check out his YouTube.

Sharjah’s Xposure Photography Festival open for 2024 season entries

By in Photography

Sharjah’s Xposure Photography Festival open for 2024 season entries

Sharjah’s Xposure International Photography Festival is now accepting entries for its next International Photography and Film Awards.

The annual competition is returning for its eighth event next year. The festival and its awards component received more than 17,000 submissions from 180 countries this year. Organisers say they recorded an 80 per cent increase in submissions compared with previous years.

Amateur and professional photographers are invited to submit work to the competition before October 30. Photographers can submit up to 10 images or films in one of the categories.

These include Architectural Photography, Drone Photography, Nature and Landscape, Photojournalism, Portraiture, Street Photography, Short Film and Moving Image. Two categories have also been created in collaboration with Samsung, including Night Photography and Mobile Photography.

One person will also be named overall winner of the competition, receiving a $6,000 prize. Category winners will receive $3,000, whereas runners-up will be awarded $1,500. The top five entries in each category will also be displayed in an exhibition during the festival.

A category is also dedicated to UAE residents. The Junior category is open to amateurs who dabble in stills, whether captured on phone, DSLR or mirrorless cameras. The entries must have been photographed in the past three years. The highest-rated seven works will be exhibited at Xposure 2024. Equipment prizes will be awarded to first and second-place winners.

“Xposure is a globally recognised platform for celebrating photography, film and other visual mediums,” says Tariq Saeed Allay, director general of Sharjah Government Media Bureau.

“The annual celebration has created prolific new opportunities for up-and-coming photographers and visual artists to showcase themselves and highlight their careers.”

The seventh Xposure International Photography Festival was held in February 2023 at Expo Centre Sharjah. All photos: Antonie Robertson / The National

Updated: June 20, 2023, 1:43 PM

Missing Titanic Submarine Regularly Used for Filmmaking and Photography

By in Photography

Missing Titanic Submarine Regularly Used for Filmmaking and Photography

Missing Titan Submarine

A submarine missing in the North Atlantic is regularly used for filmmaking and photography missions that explore the wreck of the Titanic.

An international search is underway for the Titan submersible which lost contact with its main vessel the Polar Prince on Sunday morning shortly after setting off to explore the Titanic wreck.

There are five people onboard and the submarine only has a 96-hour oxygen supply meaning rescuers have two days to find them.

It is unclear what has happened, both the U.S. and Canadian authorities are searching the ocean’s surface as well as attempting to search a depth of almost 4,000 meters. If the worst has happened and the sub has gone down to the seabed and can’t get back up with its own power there are “limited options” to what rescuers can do.

Titan submersible descending
The Titan commencing a descent to 4,000 meters.
Inside the Titan sub
Titan has capacity for five people.

What is the Titan Submarine Used For?

Last year, PetaPixel reported on filmmakers onboard Titan capturing the first and only 8K footage of the Titanic wreckage.

“Capturing this 8K footage will allow us to zoom in and still have 4K quality which is key for large screen and immersive video projects. Even more remarkable are the phenomenal colors in this footage,” Stockton Rush, President of OceanGate Expeditions said at the time. Rush is reported to be one of the five crew members currently missing on Titan.

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Filmmakers and photographers point their cameras through Titan’s viewport which Oceangate says is the largest such viewing window of any deep diving sub.

Titan's viewport
Looking through Titan’s viewport out into the ocean.

Apart from capturing footage of the famous Titanic shipwreck which has fascinated humans for over 100 years, Titan also offers researchers and scientists to witness things “no-one has ever seen before.”

“I think my favorite part overall is just being in a submersible underwater. You’re able to see things at a depth that you never would be able to with our human bodies,” says mission specialist Chelsea Kellogg.

Titan's viewport
Titan has the largest viewport of any deep diving submersible 21 inches (53 centimeters) in diameter.

Titan's viewport

Titan is made from carbon fiber and titanium. It is designed to dive to a depth of approximately 13,123 feet (4,000 meters) and is operated via a Playstation 3 controller.

“If you know how to play a video game you can drive one of our subs,” adds Kenny Hauge, a Titan pilot.

Image credits: All photos courtesy of OceanGate

Arkansas photographer puts spin on sports photography

By in Photography

Arkansas photographer puts spin on sports photography

Jaison Sterling at Rock Town Media has been reimaging sports photography— and these breathtaking images are leaving people speechless!

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — They say a picture is worth a thousand words— and one Arkansas photographer has an eye for something different. 

Jaison Sterling originally started Rock Town Media when the North Little Rock Times paper shut down.

His time freelancing for the paper and covering sports played a part in him becoming the photographer he is today.

“I love what I do. It’s honestly not like a job. I really enjoy getting to work with kids work with different schools and just getting to like create really cool images that the parents and kids enjoy sharing and enjoy looking at,” Sterling said. “I love getting reactions out of kids when they see the pictures I take.”

Sterling started his business with his wife in 2010 while they were still in college on the yearbook staff.

Now, 13 years later, the business has grown from freelancing to making ideas become reality.

“It’s all over the top now, especially with social media, everybody wants the best like picture that they can get,” Sterling described. “The whole industry is changing. Just in the past couple of years since I’ve started like posting my work and stuff on Tik Tok, Instagram, and all that kind of stuff… I’ve noticed a huge shift all over the country.”

He said that no idea is too challenging— if you think it up, he can capture it and add even more to the imagination.

Carmin Tolliver is a rising senior at Sylvan Hills Highs School. It is her second year working with Sterling for her team’s volleyball pictures and she said that she enjoys being able to be as creative as she would like. 

“I picked the one where the balls are thrown behind you and also did like a stationary picture with my team,” Tolliver said. “It’s still a classic, for me, it shows like how you can do simple pictures and they still look good.”

While the season is coming to an end for these athletes, Sterling said he’s happy to be able to capture the moment.

To learn more about Rock Town Media and Sterling’s work, click here. 

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