Popular photography exhibit extended

By in Photography

Popular photography exhibit extended

The Columbia Pacific Heritage Museum in Ilwaco will extend its special exhibit “Chinuk Ntsayka! We are Chinook: Photographs by Amiran White.” The well-received exhibit was set to end on Nov. 11, but will continue until Dec. 16 due to its popularity.

The exhibit features photographs by Amiran White, who has documented the Chinook Indian Nation and their decades-long fight for federal recognition for the past eight years.

White, who grew up in United Kingdom, began her photojournalism career as a stringer for the Associated Press in Portland. She spent 10 years as a staff photographer on various daily newspapers in Oregon, Pennsylvania, and New Mexico before becoming a freelancer.

A recipient of a 2022 Oregon Arts Commission Individual Artists Fellowship, White has worked closely with tribal families. Her work portrays daily moments of tribal members’ lives, as well as tribal celebrations and customs, like the First Salmon Ceremony and Canoe Journey. With images of family life and community, White attempts to tell the story of today’s Chinook Indian Nation and their fight for justice.

“Chinuk Ntsayka! We are Chinook: Photographs by Amiran White” at the Columbia Pacific Heritage Museum. Wed-Sat, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Admission is free.

Funniest Wildlife Photos: 15 Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards Winners

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Funniest Wildlife Photos: 15 Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards Winners
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The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards, “the funniest and most popular photography competition in the world,” according to the award organizers, “has reached its conclusion and is proud to announce the overall and category winners” for this year.

Chosen from 5,300 entries from 85 countries, the image below by photographer Jason Moore of a female Western Grey Kangaroo practicing its air guitar was voted the funniest photo of the 2023 Comedy Wildlife Awards.

The overall winning image, entitled ‘Air Guitar Roo’, shows the little roo intent on practicing her musical technique in a field abundant with wildflowers in the outer suburbs of Perth, Australia.

“Not many people know that kangaroo are normally fairly docile and even a bit boring most of the time, if I’m honest,” Moore explained. “However, when I saw this roo striking the air guitar pose, it immediately brought a smile to my face and I knew that I had captured something special.”

The shot also won the Creatures of the Land category.

Moore wins a safari in the Masai Mara, Kenya, with AlexWalker’s Serian and a handmade trophy from the Wonder Workshop in Tanzania.

The Comedy Wildlife popular competition, which also organizes the Comedy Pet Photography Awards, was founded in 2015 by Paul Joynson-Hicks and Tom Sullam, both professional photographers and passionate conservationists intent on creating “a refreshing, fun and free-to-enter photography competition unlike any other, showcasing seriously funny images of the earth’s most amazing wildlife.”

Celebrating the hilarity of our natural world and highlighting what we need to do to protect it, the contest is open to novices, amateur and professional photographers.

This year, the award is championing the work of the Whitley Fund for Nature, a British charity that supports conservation leaders working in their home countries across the global south.

For more than 30 years, the fund has channelled £20 million to more than 200 conservationists in 80 countries.

The announcement includes the winners and highly commended images in six categories.

The winning image “encapsulates a proper ‘happy vibe and feel-good factor’ – the very essence of what Comedy Wildlife is all about,” the judges said.

Creatures of the air

Vittorio Ricci won the Creatures of the Air Award for ‘Unexpected Plunge’. her photo of a striated heron ironically falling out of the sky and into the water.

An unusual and almost miserable end of a perfect moment, previously prepared, for a successful fishing plunge.

A puffin does an inverted snoopy impression while watching jelly fish.

This is a white grouse – not a snowball – in a very cold winter.

A white-winged dove appears to fly head-on into a cholla cactus skeleton.

As one had just returned to the nest, the Northern Gannets greeted each other with normal beak rubbing. Then, they stopped and looked over and at that moment this image was captured. They seem very proud of their progeny.

With this image of two greenfinches called ‘Dispute’, young photographer Jacek Stankiewicz won not only the JuniorAward but also the Affinity Photo People’s Choice Award – the first time that the award has been won by a junior entry.

“I caught this scene while watching birds in the Bialowieza Forest. The young greenfinch was still fed by parents. However, from time to time the birds looked like they were having an argument.

Either the young naughty kid is arguing with a parent or one kid is reporting to the parent that its brother did something wrong, like: “Look, he broke a window!”

Creatures of the land

These image a charming Ballerina Otter taken in Singapore topped the Underwater category.

While the photographer was working deep in the Virginian woods, a family of grey foxes took up residence under the deck of the abandoned cottage next door. “One day while practicing their hunting skills on bits of moss and branches, one of the kits lunged at a small chunk of wood and started rolling around with his prize,” Vaccaro recalled. “Tired after his hunt, the kit lounged on his belly — still holding the wood, which gave the strong resemblance of a cigar.”

The image was taken at Westerfolds Park, a beautiful and surprisingly wild pocket of land in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne, famous for its kangaroo population. The mom was enjoying some morning sunshine when this joey decided to get silly and try his hand at boxing.

This picture was taken in the monkey forest in Ubud, Bali, a place where monkeys are king. Sometimes they give a show; sometimes they climb on visitorrs to look for fleas or steal a piece of biscuit. This one poses like a dandy for the photo.

These two photos are part of a series that won the Portfolio category.

The ground squirrel jumped as if he could fly.

Unfortunately, he lacks wings. To his surprise he fell back to the ground.

The swamp turtle is surprised and smiles when a dragonfly lands on its nose.

Terry Richardson Accused of Sexual Assault in New Lawsuit

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Terry Richardson Accused of Sexual Assault in New Lawsuit
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The once-famous fashion photographer, long accused of misconduct with models, faces legal action.

A model filed a lawsuit Tuesday against the photographer Terry Richardson, accusing him of sexually assaulting her during a photo shoot. According to the lawsuit, he then exhibited, published and sold photos from the incident without her consent.

The model, Minerva Portillo, lives and works in Spain today, but brought the lawsuit under New York’s Adult Survivors Act, which has provided victims a one-year window to file civil lawsuits even if the statutes of limitations in their cases had run out. That window opened last November and closes this week.

Mr. Richardson, once a top fashion photographer who shot for Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar and GQ, was known for his style of shooting models against a white background with a direct flash. His work was often sexually charged, from his explicit art books to his portraits of half-dressed celebrities for glossy magazines. His association with those magazines, the brands he shot campaigns for and the fame of his subjects — including President Obama in 2007 — helped legitimize him.

But starting in 2014, a number of institutions he had worked for began distancing themselves from Mr. Richardson, including T: The New York Times Style Magazine. The shift followed a wave of accusations of inappropriate behavior and coercion of models. During the #MeToo movement in 2017, more companies followed, and Mr. Richardson largely retreated from the public eye.

Now, for the first time since allegations began circulating in 2010, the photographer may have to fight an accuser in federal court.

Mr. Richardson did not respond to a request for comment for this article.

Ms. Portillo, who first told her story in November 2017 to Spanish Vogue, had been modeling in Europe since she was 14, but moved to New York for work in 2004, at age 22. “She was really on her way, in the late ’90s and early 2000s, to becoming a top supermodel,” said Ms. Portillo’s lawyer, Carolin Guentert of Sanford Heisler Sharp.

According to Ms. Portillo, the first time she met Mr. Richardson, for an introductory meeting (or “go see,” in industry speak), the photographer was dressed only in a robe. This disturbed Ms. Portillo, but she was told by her agency, Trump Model Management, “that given Mr. Richardson’s prominence and influence in the industry, Ms. Portillo should overlook his behavior,” according to her civil complaint. (Trump Model Management, the agency founded by former President Donald J. Trump as T Models in 1999 and closed in 2017, was also named as a defendant in Ms. Portillo’s lawsuit.)

The model Minerva Portillo brought a lawsuit against Mr. Richardson under New York’s Adult Survivors Act.Atilano Garcia/Sopa Images, via Sipa Usa, via Reuters,

In May 2004, she was booked for a shoot with Mr. Richardson at his studio, where Ms. Portillo was given a beverage upon arrival on set that she believed to be spiked with “an intoxicating or narcotic substance,” her lawsuit said, making her feel “dizzy, disoriented, and not fully in control of her body.”

While Mr. Richardson was photographing Ms. Portillo topless, the model contends that the photographer began posing with her, touching her breasts and pressing his exposed penis up against her body; eventually Mr. Richardson “forcibly inserted his penis into her mouth, and ordered her to perform oral sex on him,” while she repeatedly said “no.” According to Ms. Portillo, the alleged assault was photographed by Mr. Richardson’s employees.

Ms. Portillo returned the next day; while she was “deeply upset about the assault,” according to the lawsuit, she was also “fearful that she would lose her job with Trump Model Management, professional opportunities, or even the agency’s support of her visa if she rejected the job.” On the second day, according to the lawsuit, Mr. Richardson once again “commanded her to perform oral sex on him,” while his employees took photographs, this time while they rode together in a van.

The experience traumatized her, according to the lawsuit, and Ms. Portillo returned to Spain about a week later.

That fall, some of the photographs of Ms. Portillo were included in an exhibition titled “Terry Richardson: Terryworld,” and in 2006 were published in a book, “Kibosh,” despite a 2005 cease-and-desist letter from Ms. Portillo, who claimed she was dropped by a Spanish modeling agency because of the explicit images.

Ms. Portillo said she did not consent to the distribution or sale of Mr. Richardson’s photos. She had signed an undated release at his studio after the first photo shoot, but given her state of mind and that English wasn’t her first language, “did not know what she was signing,” according to the lawsuit. (Modeling agencies typically handle such paperwork.)

“Enduring sexual assault is one of the worst things that could have possibly happened to her, but then to have images of it captured forever and circulated on the internet and sold for profit — it just really altered the trajectory of her career and her life,” said her lawyer, Ms. Guentert.

In 2005, two lawsuits were filed against Mr. Richardson in California with similar allegations regarding image permissions; in both complaints, the models said they had not signed standard releases and were surprised to see their seminude photographs published by Mr. Richardson — both lawsuits were settled. In a 2014 profile of Mr. Richardson, New York magazine reported that “as many as nine people” shown in “Terryworld” had also threatened lawsuits.

Ms. Portillo’s story also echoes 2017 allegations from at least two other women — both former models who said they were forced to perform oral sex on Mr. Richardson in the 2000s — and who later told The Daily News that after coming forward, they were contacted for interviews by New York Police Department detectives.

Still, no criminal charges were filed then against Mr. Richardson, who in 2014 called the allegations rumors and lies — part of an “emotionally-charged witch hunt.”

Two years prior, in 2012, a model named Sara Ziff founded an advocacy organization called Model Alliance, inspired in part by models’ experiences with Mr. Richardson. The group supported New York’s Adult Survivors Act and aims to pass further reform legislation directed at the fashion industry next year.

“When Richardson’s behavior first made headlines, some people focused on his porn aesthetic,” Ms. Ziff said. “But I believe the problem is not his imagery, it’s how he and his enablers treated young women and girls to create those images.”

Meet 3 people whose designs are finalists for the new Minnesota flag

By in Native

Meet 3 people whose designs are finalists for the new Minnesota flag

Minnesota’s most intensely debated art contest in memory is down to six designs for the next state flag and just a handful for the official seal, a tiny fraction of the more than 2,500 in total submissions.

For Brandon Hundt, that two of his submissions — one for the flag and another for the seal — remain in contention is an achievement in itself.

“This whole last 24 hours have just been surreal,” said Hundt, a Twin Cities based product designer and writer. Hundt spoke to MPR News on Wednesday after the State Emblems and Redesign Commission selected his concepts to move to final consideration.

Sarah Agaton Howes, an Ojibwe artist and small business owner, also had a design make the cut.

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“I was just so excited and just thrilled to be able to even be a part of this process,” she said on Minnesota Now. “But to be able to have a flag that represents all of Minnesota is really exciting.”

Todd Pitman of St. Paul, another flag designer, created F944, which he calls “Mirror of the Sky.” The flag was a family effort: he designed it with input from his parents. 

“I just truly love my home state, and I really feel like it deserves a flag as unique and dynamic as the people who make it such a wonderful place to live,” he said.  

Designer says abstract loon was unintentional

The half-dozen finalists chosen from among the stack of serious and comical entries haven’t escaped criticism online, and the commission making the selection could refine the designs before a final vote. 

The commission hasn’t released the names of all of the designers with entries in the mix, saying it wants to contact them first. But some have been vocal about their work, even posting about their concepts while the panel deliberated on Tuesday.

Each designer said they reviewed and stuck closely to the parameters laid out by the citizen panel formed by the Legislature to pick a new flag and state seal.

Sarah Agaton Howes, 44, stands behind her home on the Fond du Lac Reservation. Agaton Howes is the artist and founder of Heart Berry, an online store featuring her original artwork.

Jaida Grey Eagle for MPR News

The current flag and seal have similar features that depict a white farmer tilling the land as an Indigenous man rides off on a horse.

For Agaton Howes, the fact the state is replacing the emblems is important in its own right.

“The flag that we currently have is really harmful and really based on Native nations disappearing,” she said. “And so I’m really excited to just represent who we are as Minnesotans, and also, as a Native person.” 

Agaton Howes entered F1435, a flag with a prominent yellow star and green nods to nature on a blue background; the sides have yellow stripes to represent tribal nations and white ones for each of Minnesota’s 87 counties.

A flag with flower and star

Minnesota State Flag design F1435.

State Emblems Redesign Commission

Hundt’s flag entry, F29, has a deep blue background with two stars overlaid, one reminiscent of a snowflake.

Hundt has been fine-tuning his flag design since 2015 when he first posted online about his distaste for a Minnesota flag he said was hardly very symbolic or distinctive and had way too much on it.

A flag with the north star and a snowflake on top

Minnesota State Flag design F29.

State Emblems Redesign Commission

“Flags should be simple because they’re up on a flagpole, often very high,” Hundt said. “And I think that’s the thing that often gets overlooked. We need to think about how these flags are going to look on a flagpole.”

Pitman is a graphic designer, but this is outside his usual realm of web design. He committed to the task at hand, becoming a member of the North American Vexillological Association and studying up on flag design.  

He said his flag design started with a squiggle shape inspired by the aurora, mirrored on the top and bottom half. Along the way, he and his father noticed that the shape looked a little like another commonly-submitted flag feature: a loon.  

“To quote Bob Ross, let’s call it a happy accident,” he said.  

A flag with a star and blue and white lines

Minnesota State Flag design F944.

State Emblems Redesign Commission

Revision process could result in changes to design

Each have girded themselves for public criticism, much of which popped up quickly online as the stack of entries was whittled to six. Hundt said he won’t have a problem if the State Emblems Redesign Commission members play around with the features or colors before picking the ultimate flag.

Hundt also has a finalist in the state seal category.

“I’m really glad there’s a revision period with the commission. That is something that is missing from a lot of other flag processes that I’ve seen when I’ve looked into them,” he said. “Because I think it’s very important to actually test how the flag would work, how the seal would work before you throw it out there fully in use.”

Agaton Howes sees it similarly.

“That’s a really important part of working in community is being willing to have that back and forth. And I do that all the time. And all my design work, whether that’s designing a wool blanket or designing an art installation, that’s just a big part of the process,” she said. “And I’m here for it. I’m ready for it.”

‘Flags are really powerful’

The final selections will be made by the end of the year. The Legislature can vote to block them but if that doesn’t happen the emblems will take hold on May 11 — Statehood Day.

If their design is chosen in whole or in part, the artists will get some public recognition. But there won’t be prize money or any other direct compensation. 

Pitman said he is excited to see a new state flag. 

“I know that the decision is in good hands, no matter the outcome,” he said.

Agaton Howes said her reward will be a sense of pride. 

“I think that flags are really powerful. And I think that their way to claim it space, and I really want to have an image that I can my kids can feel proud of, that our communities can feel proud of,” she said. “And I’m absolutely willing to do that.”

Pitman said all six are “very strong contenders.”

“I’m obviously very biased, but I think that no matter what … all Minnesotans will be able to be proud to look up at the flagpole on May 11th and say, ‘That’s my flag, that’s my state.’”    

Do you know who designed the other flag finalists? Let us know by emailing tell@mpr.org.

The Indispensable Role of Photography in the Age of Climate Change |

By in Photography

The Indispensable Role of Photography in the Age of Climate Change |

In the realm of photography, images possess a transcendent power. They freeze moments, tell stories, and most importantly, drive change. For environmental activism, this power is not just artistic; it’s transformative and essential. 

The Power of the Image

The essence of photography in environmental activism lies in its ability to make the intangible tangible. Consider the image of a lone polar bear on a shrinking ice floe — it transcends scientific data, striking a chord in the viewer’s heart. Such images act as visceral catalysts, translating complex environmental issues into a universally comprehensible language, thereby driving public awareness and action. Climate science and the subsequent impact on the environment and its inhabitants is a tremendously complex and data-laden thing, and it can be hard to make a powerful point with a graph. In this case, a picture is worth 1,000 data points.

Historical Context, Iconic Moments, and the Ethical Dimension

Tracing back to the conservation movements sparked by the likes of Ansel Adams, environmental photography has long been a cornerstone in raising awareness. Iconic images, such as those capturing the aftermath of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, serve as stark reminders of humanity’s impact on nature. These photographs don’t just document events; they shape public opinion and influence policy.

The power wielded by environmental photographers is laden with responsibility. The ethical challenge is profound: How do you honestly depict environmental degradation without sensationalism? 

The Role of Technology

Technological advancements, from drones to high-resolution satellite imagery, have redefined environmental photography. They provide unprecedented perspectives, revealing the scale of environmental issues like never before and showing how truly global the effects of climate change are — not some far-off phenomenon, but an immediate and close threat. 

However, these technologies also pose a risk of disconnecting viewers from the natural essence of the subject, challenging photographers to maintain authenticity amidst technological allure. This is where the feet-on-the-ground photographer can never be beat, capturing individual moments that show the effect on lives and generate empathy. 

In the digital era, social media platforms are potent conduits for environmental imagery, offering unprecedented reach and immediacy. The virality of a photograph can catapult an environmental issue into the global consciousness. Yet, this virality is a double-edged sword. The pursuit of likes and shares can sometimes overshadow the underlying environmental message, posing challenges to the integrity of environmental narratives. Users see more images every day than ever before in history, and it is harder for any single photo to break through and capture attention. 

The proliferation of high-quality smartphone cameras has significantly democratized environmental photography. These accessible devices empower a broader swath of society to document environmental issues, transforming ordinary citizens into potential photojournalists and advocates. Smartphone cameras enable real-time, widespread documentation of environmental phenomena, from local pollution incidents to the effects of extreme weather events. This democratization, however, also introduces new challenges. The sheer volume of images can lead to desensitization, and the variable quality of these photographs may impact the perceived credibility of the issues they depict. Nonetheless, the ubiquity of smartphone cameras has undeniably broadened the scope and immediacy of environmental activism, making it possible for more voices and perspectives to contribute to the global environmental narrative. This aspect of environmental photography, ripe with both opportunities and challenges, represents a significant shift in how environmental issues are documented and shared in the digital age.

The Narrative of Hope Versus Despair 

Environmental photography often grapples with the dichotomy of hope and despair. While repeated images of devastation can induce apathy, an exclusive focus on positive narratives may breed complacency, a sort of bystander effect — “someone else is taking care of it.” Striking a balance where the grim realities are presented alongside stories of resilience and proactive efforts is crucial. Many environmental photographers embrace the role of an activist and put great care into presenting this dichotomy. 

Environmental issues are often complex and unfold over extended periods. Long-term photography projects that document these gradual changes can provide compelling narratives about environmental degradation and recovery. They offer a nuanced, in-depth look at issues like deforestation, urbanization, and the impacts of climate change. The challenge is getting impatient audiences to fully engage with them. Environmental photography is not just about capturing the visible; it’s also about shedding light on the unseen. This includes microscopic environmental processes, underwater ecosystems, and even the impacts of pollution at a molecular level. It takes photographers and techniques of all kinds to tell the complete story.

Global Perspectives and Cultural Sensitivity

As environmental issues are global, photography must transcend cultural and geographic boundaries. Photographers must approach their subjects with cultural sensitivity and awareness, avoiding the pitfalls of stereotyping or misrepresenting communities and their environmental challenges.

Beyond activism, environmental photography plays a pivotal role in education. It can be a powerful tool in classrooms and educational programs, fostering environmental consciousness among younger generations. By integrating photography into environmental education, a deeper understanding and connection to nature can be cultivated and more responsible citizens created. 

The future of environmental photography likely lies in collaborative, multidisciplinary approaches. Collaborations between photographers, scientists, environmentalists, and local communities can create a more holistic and impactful narrative and show that it is truly a global phenomenon.

Photography’s role in addressing climate change is particularly challenging. Capturing the slow, often invisible processes of climate change requires creativity and foresight. Photographers are tasked with finding compelling ways to visualize these gradual changes in a manner that resonates with the public, and it takes no less than an army of them to do so.

The Impact

Environmental photography doesn’t just inspire public opinion; it can directly influence environmental policy and legislation. Documenting the impacts of industrial activities, endangered species, or changes in landscapes has often swayed the decisions of policymakers. Photographers, therefore, bear a responsibility to ensure their work is grounded in factual accuracy, as these images can be instrumental in legal and political debates surrounding environmental protection.

Another critical aspect of environmental photography is holding corporations accountable for their environmental impact. Photographers have the unique ability to document environmental abuses and malpractices by industries, providing undeniable evidence that can lead to public outcry and force corporate change. Oil spills and deforestation are two of the most obvious places where photographic documentation has led to change, but photography’s impact has been felt in countless examples. 

Speaking of impact, photographers have a responsibility to nurture new talent — those who will carry the torch of environmental advocacy forward. This can be achieved through workshops, collaborative projects, and educational programs. By sharing their knowledge and experience, established photographers can help mold a new generation of environmentally conscious photographers, equipped not only with technical skills but also with a deep understanding of the ethical and social responsibilities of their craft.

Conclusion

Environmental photography is more than just a subset of the photographic arts; it’s a vital tool in the fight to preserve our planet. For photographers, the responsibility is profound. Photographers not only capture the beauty and tragedy of our world, but also contribute significantly to shaping its future.

Lead image by Wikipedia user Eddiem360, used under Creative Commons.

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