TEANECK, N.J., Jan. 10, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Leica Camera North America and Master Leica Photographer Todd Hido are thrilled to announce, “Critical Decisions: Perspectives on the Creative Process,” a unique exhibition and workshop series in select Leica Galleries and stores. Participants will delve into Hido’s artistic influences, principles, and techniques that have sculpted his distinguished photography career. Attendees will engage in an intensive portfolio review process for acceptance, ensuring a personalized and immersive experience. With limited spaces available per location, this series promises an intimate and in-depth journey into the art of visual storytelling, guided by a renowned master of the craft.

The series features exhibitions of Hido’s evocative works—captured through the Leica lens—alongside an intimate selection of his rare archival images. The exhibition will travel to every Leica Gallery in North America, with opening events in Los Angeles (April 11th), San Francisco (April 18), Boston (April 25th), New York (September 5th), and Mexico City.

Each exhibition will commence with an exclusive Artist Reception with Hido in attendance, providing a platform for artistic exchange. This will be followed by a complimentary Artist Talk and a book signing event, offering deeper insights into Hido’s creative process and journey.

“Todd Hido’s work captures the eye, engages the mind, and stirs the heart. His photographs evoke stories and emotions, inviting viewers to explore and draw inspiration from our everyday experiences. Hido’s ability to intentionally craft art that resonates with the complexities of the human experience invites us to pause and explore the layers of meaning in our immediate surroundings,” says Kiran Karnani, Vice President of Marketing for Leica Camera North America. “Leica is committed to creating experiences and programs serving to inspire the creative community, and we’re honored to collaborate with Todd Hido, whose shared passion for authenticity, innovation, and artistic expression aligns perfectly with our values. We’re excited to offer this extraordinary opportunity to the photography community, fostering an environment where artistry and craftsmanship thrive.”

To further enhance the experience, Leica and Hido will host a series of 2-day Leica Akademie Workshops, touring through Los Angeles (April 11-13), San Francisco (April 18-20), Boston (April 25-27), New York (September 6-7), and Mexico City. Under Hido’s guidance, these workshops will delve into the experiences and strategies that have shaped his remarkable career. Participants will gain exclusive access to Hido’s inspirations and influences and will delve into the critical decisions that shape a distinctive career in the business of photography.

Attendees will also benefit from personalized portfolio reviews, receiving constructive feedback and tailored improvement suggestions. The workshops are priced at $799.99 with registration and additional details available at LeicaCameraUSA.com/Leica-Akademie.

About the Artist

Todd Hido (born in Kent, Ohio, 1968) wanders endlessly, taking lengthy road trips in search of imagery that connects with his own memories. Through his unique landscape process and signature color palette, Hido alludes to the quiet and mysterious side of suburban America—where uniform communities provide for a stable façade—implying the instability that often lies behind the walls. His photographs are in many private and public collections, including at the Getty, Whitney Museum of American Art, and San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. Hido has published more than a dozen books, including the award-winning monographs House Hunting (2001) and Excerpts from Silver Meadows (2013), as well as innovative B-Sides Box Sets, which function as companion pieces to his books. His Aperture titles include Todd Hido on Landscapes, Interiors, and the Nude (2014) and Intimate Distance: Twenty-Five Years of Photographs (2016). His latest book is Bright Black World (2018). His upcoming publication, which was titled before the pandemic, The End Sends Advance Warning, will be released in early 2024. Hido is also a collector, and over the last twenty-five years has created one of the most notable photobook collections, which was featured in Bibliostyle: How We Live at Home with Books (2019).

Leica Camera – A Partner for Photography

Leica Camera AG is an international, premium manufacturer of cameras and sports optics. The legendary reputation of the Leica brand is based on a long tradition of excellent quality, German craftsmanship and German industrial design, combined with innovative technologies. An integral part of the brand’s culture is the diversity of activities the company undertakes for the advancement of photography. In addition to the Leica Galleries and Leica Akademies spread around the world, there are the Leica Hall of Fame Award and, in particular, the Leica Oskar Barnack Award (LOBA), which is considered one of the most innovative sponsorship awards existing today. Furthermore, Leica Camera AG, with its headquarters in Wetzlar, Hesse, and a second production site in Vila Nova de Famalicão, Portugal, has a worldwide network of its own national organizations and Leica Retail Stores.

Please find further information at:
Nike Communications Inc.
Phone: 201-995-0051
Email: [email protected]
Internet: www.leica-camera.com

SOURCE Leica Camera USA

The transition from imitating to innovating is a critical step in a photographer’s journey towards capturing stronger, more meaningful photographs. This progression is not just about mastering the technical aspects of photography, but also about developing a unique creative voice.

Coming to you from The Photographic Eye, this great video delves into the transformative process of finding your original creative voice. Narrator Alex Kilbee shares his own experience, starting from the basics of learning how to use a camera to exploring the works of influential photographers like George Hurrell and Ed Weston. This journey of imitation, as described, involves replicating the works of these masters to understand the intricacies of lighting, composition, and technique. For photographers, this process is essential; it lays the foundation for technical proficiency and opens the door to creative exploration. It’s not just about copying what has been done but understanding the why behind it, which propels one’s photography forward.

Kilbee also emphasizes the importance of analyzing and recreating the works of various photographers. This practice not only hones technical skills but also nurtures a deeper appreciation and understanding of different styles and approaches in photography. By doing so, photographers can gradually develop their unique style, moving from mere replication to genuine innovation. The video highlights how influential photographers like Vincent Peters have imitated the styles of predecessors like Hurrell, only to innovate and create something distinctly their own. It’s an excellent route to finding your unique voice. Check out the video above for the full rundown from Kilbee. 

Close-up Photographer of the Year is an annual competition that aims to reveal the hidden wonder of the world through close-up, macro and micro photography.

This year’s overall winner is titled ‘The Bird of the Forest’. The incredible shot of a soaring Eurasian nuthatch was taken by Csaba Daroczi from inside a hollowed-out tree stump.

Close-up Photographer of the Year – meet the winners

The Bird of the Forest | Csaba Daroczi – OVERALL WINNER

“In the winter of 2023, I took a lot of photographs in a forest close to my home in Hungary. I found something new to photograph almost every week, and I spent several days exploring ideas and perfecting techniques. Staying curious and open-minded led me to this hollowed out tree stump, which measured around half a metre in diameter. I carefully positioned my GoPro 11 camera inside the trunk and took a few shots. I was amazed by the results. After a few days, however, I decided the composition might be improved if I included an animal in the frame. So, I returned to the spot and placed a sunflower near the hole, which the mice and birds soon found.” Csaba Daroczi.

Beach Grass | Gerhard Vlcek

“This image shows a 30μm cross-section of beach grass (Ammophila arenaria) stained with Auramin O and Safranin and viewed under fluorescence blue excitation. The grass came from a friend’s garden in Vienna. For the best results I had to slice the sample as thinly as possible. First, I fixed some stems in warm liquid polyethylene glycol. As it cools down, it turns solid, and the embedded stems were placed in a microtome and sliced with a sharp blade. Staining and preparing the sample was very tricky. I had to use the tiniest brush to manipulate the less than 1mm parts in different staining and chemical solutions before positioning the stems on the slide. After that, taking the photograph was the easy part!” Gerhard Vlcek.

Dreamtime | Simon Theuma

“Like an intricate tapestry of the marine ecosystem, this image captures the relationship between a commensal shrimp and a mosaic sea star. Dreamtime Aboriginal art reminds us of the delicate balance that exists in the grand tapestry of our natural world – this ancient wisdom serves as an important reminder to preserve what we have. To capture this image, I needed to use a snooted strobe, which was set at an acute angle to the subject. This set-up accentuated the depth and beautiful texture of the two organisms. Additionally, I enhanced magnification by using a 15 wet lens dioptre.” Simon Theuma.

Undertow | Csaba Daroczi

“In the first days of May, I always return to a small canal near Izsak, Hungary, where the water violet (Hottonia palustris) blooms in huge numbers. Unfortunately, flowering was delayed this year and only the leaves were still underwater. I was about to go home when I saw a tree had fallen over the canal and under its reflection the plants were clearly visible. I found it a very exciting subject and played with it for a while.” Csaba Daroczi.

The Wedding Guest | Csaba Daroczi

“I was photographing a wedding in a forest clearing in the beautiful surroundings of Uzsa, Hungary. The hall lights attracted a lot of insects to rest on the windows. At one point, I saw some guests taking pictures with their phones next to one of the red lights. As I moved closer, I noticed an oak peacock moth (Antheraea yamamai) had taken up residence on the window. I waited until everyone had finished their pictures, and then it was my turn.” Csaba Daroczi.

Asymmetrical Threads | Elizabeth Kazda

“I enjoy pushing the limits of my camera’s capabilities and experimenting with new techniques to capture ordinary objects. My collection of art supplies includes numerous spools of coloured thread from previous projects. I wanted to photograph this thread in a unique way and came up with the idea of wrapping coloured strands around an open picture frame. I placed the frame on a motorised rotating platform and set my camera to multiple-exposure mode. I captured 64 photos of the thread at 64 equidistant positions as I rotated the platform. Since I didn’t complete a 360° rotation, the design is asymmetrical. This is a meticulous process that requires patience. For this image, I used an in-camera multiple exposure of 64 frames to output a single Raw file.” Elizabeth Kazda.

The Ice Crown | Barry Webb

“This 1mm tall slime mould (Didymium squamulosum) was found in leaf litter on a Buckinghamshire woodland floor in January. Attracted by the way the frost had formed a crown shape on top of the fruiting body, I had to be very careful not to breathe on it. During a previous attempt with another slime mould, my breath had melted the ice when I inadvertently got too close.” Barry Webb.

Small Wanders | Carlos Perez Naval

“In the wall of some houses in Calamocha – the village in Spain where I live – it’s possible to find pyrolusites. These magnesium minerals create stunning formations, which look just like petrified trees, but they are so small that they’re tricky to spot. One day, I was lucky enough to find a Moorish gecko (Tarentola mauritanica) very close to the pyrolusite’s wall, so I tried to make the most of the encounter. I wanted to capture a gecko in the ‘petrified forest’ for a long time, but they only recently appeared in my village (probably carried in fruit baskets from hotter areas). Due to climate change they can now survive here.” Carlos Perez Nava.

Wood Ants Firing Acid Secretion | Rene Krekels Wood

“I had been studying the lifestyle of wood ants in the Netherlands for work when I noticed the defending ants of a very large ant’s nest seemed eager to scare me off by spraying acid towards me. Luckily it wasn’t that destructive, and it provided me with a great opportunity to photograph them defending the nest.’’ Rene Krekels.

Close-up Photographer of the Year (CUPOTY) was founded in 2018 by Tracy and Dan Calder. CUPOTY is an annual competition celebrating close-up, macro and micro photography through an annual competition, themed challenge and newsletter.

View more incredible images from the natural world:

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STAUNTON — With a baby on her hip and and a camera by his side, the husband and wife team behind Millpond Photography is on a mission to visual capturing the stories of Shenandoah Valley farm and family lifestyles and grow their network to include as many folks as possible.

Jonathan and Samantha Shover’s lives together started at Millpond Stock Farm in Augusta County. It’s where she learned how to ride a four-wheeler and pet cows, it’s where proposed, it’s where he proposed, it’s where the two exchanged vows on their wedding day and now it’s the namesake for a photography business and self-published magazine that reflects on big moments and important milestones in the lives of others.

“It’s not about the pretty picture,” Jonathan Shover said, “it’s the story that’s behind it.”

In 2017, the Shover’s kickstarted their small business after being commissioned to shoot a real estate listing for a family member and starting photographing full-time two years later.

While both of them are primarily self-taught in the arts of photography and videography, Jonathan Shover is no stranger to the agricultural pursuits of the Shenandoah Valley. His grandfather was a veterinarian and beef cattle farmer in the Staunton area, so Jonathan Shover thought he was destined to become a veterinarian too. When he couldn’t quite make the cut to get into vet school, he picked up the camera and starting taking pictures of livestock instead.

“In the Valley,” Samantha Shover related, “word of mouth really is how you meet [the right] people.”

In addition to shooting homes, seniors, engagements, weddings, births and more for their wide array of clients, Millpond Photography has been publishing their own magazine highlighting local businesses, farmers and artists through words and photos. Top articles have included farm-to-table experiences in and around Staunton and a Christmas tree farm which stands as a testament to time-honored tradition.

And there’s no telling what unique headlines will be included in Millpond Collective’s next issue — its 10th published edition.

“We’ve gone so many places and met so many great people just because we had a camera in our hand,” Jonathan Shover remarked.

Samantha Shover added that, “we are there for people in all different seasons of their story — which is really fun.”

Having watched their business grow so much in just a few short years, the Shover’s hope to continue that momentum as they wait for the opportunity to buy Millpond Farm — which is still being farmed by Jonathan Shover’s now 84-year-old grandfather — and raise their family there.

Both Jonathan and Samantha Shover also agree that the importance of agriculture in the Shenandoah Valley is in preserving it for future generations and in by capturing farmers in their element and sharing their connection with the community, Millpond is in some small way helping to do just that.

“One thing we really love about our magazine is how it’s allowed us to focus on these stories,” Jonathan Shover said. “We photograph a lot of farms, but it’s the magazine that has enabled us to tell the stories that nobody knows. When you go to the store or the farmer’s market you don’t see how hard a family worked to produce that crop or that animal. If [the consumer] gets an idea of what they’re doing, how they’re doing it, and why they’re doing it, I feel like that’s the best thing we can do. The Shenandoah Valley is just such an amazing place for diverse agriculture.”

To connect with Jonathan and Samantha Shover about their work both indoors and on the farm, find Millpond Photography online at millpondphotography.com.

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