PORT EWEN, N.Y. — It’s been more than 30 years since Jeffrey Lewis of Esopus underwent a life-or-death operation in which half his brain was removed. Now, 36 years old, Lewis is doing well, showcasing his photographs of eagles throughout July at the town’s public library in Port Ewen.

Jeffrey lost the right side of his brain in a surgery treating Rasmussen’s encephalitis, a rare disease that eats away brain tissue. As a result, he lost the use of his right arm and suffered significant vision loss.

While Jeffrey is doing well, his mother, Lynda, said it hasn’t been all smiles. “Last March, he had a major, life-threatening crisis,” she said. “He had blood clots in his legs that traveled to both of his lungs.”

“He’s now going to be on blood thinners for the rest of his life,” she added.

During his medical emergency, Jeffrey could not go out on his almost daily walks, which inspired much of his photography. His dad took him out for rides in the car in the meantime.

Despite recent medical struggles, Jeffrey is back outside, taking photos around Esopus. “I bounced back bigger and better than ever,” he said.

Jeffrey spends much of his time in nature around the town, taking photos of everything from clouds to birds, to chipmunks. He said many of his photos come from his walks in the Black Creek Preserve.

While Jeffrey photographs a range of subjects, his work on display at the Town of Esopus Library, 128 Canal St., focuses on eagles. All of the photos of the birds were taken in the town. The series, titled “Eagles in Esopus,” is on display for the entire month of July.

Jeffrey said his favorite part about being in nature is not knowing what he’s going to see. “Every day is different,” he said. “I tell my parents all the time: I take the same walk and a lot of the same pictures, but every season is different.”

Lynda said she was impressed that Jeffrey was able to capture photos of younger eagles, which she said are more skittish. “I swear some of the eagles know him,” she said.

In addition to eagles being on-theme for July, Lynda said this month marks an important milestone in Jeffrey’s journey. “The 21st of July is 32 years since had his radical brain surgery,” she said. “He’s been 32 years with half of a brain and no seizures.”

Jeffrey credits local Esopus photographer Rob Hite with encouraging him to pursue the craft. “We thought it was a fun hobby,” Lynda said. “But Rob really saw his vision; that he was not only taking pictures but because they were just raw, unedited, that he definitely had a little talent going.”

“I was an art major,” she laughed.

Jeffrey said he enjoyed showing the raw, natural beauty of the area, without editing or filters. “Whatever I take is what I take, and I take pride in that,” he said. “I don’t like to add things, I don’t like to take away things.”

According to Lynda, Jeffrey’s work has gained some popularity. He makes calendars every year, showcasing his top 12 photos. “He makes 100 calendars every year, and usually he’s sold out by the second week in December,” she said. “He’s got work hanging in people’s houses.”

While Jeffrey’s work has been on display in the library since the beginning of July, an open reception will be held on Friday, July 12. The reception will be from 6 to 7:30 p.m., with light refreshments, and Jeffrey will be on-site to greet guests and talk about his photos. Jeffrey’s brother is flying in from South Carolina for the occasion, along with his fiancée and daughter.

“We are expecting a large turnout,” Lynda said. “He’s got great community support.”

“He’s had amazing support from the time he was in school, community, church,” she added. “Everybody knows Jeffrey Lewis.”

Thomas Hoepker, the renowned German photographer, has died at the age of 88.

He was known for his pictures of Muhammad Ali, the Berlin Wall, and a controversial image of onlookers in Brooklyn seemingly unbothered by the smoke of the Twin Towers on 9/11 in the distance. His death was confirmed by Magnum Photos, the international photography collective that began publishing his photos in 1964 and which he joined in 1989. No cause of death was given.

A longtime associate of the prestigious group, even serving as president from 2003 to 2006, Hoepker began his career as a photojournalist and developed a reputation as a premier documentary photographer.

His work took him from Europe to Asia, South America and the United States, where he developed a close friendship and collaboration with Ali. But he is perhaps most famous for an image from 11 September 2001, of young New Yorkers seemingly lounging next to the East Village as the Twin Towers burn behind them.

The photograph, which Hoepker did not publish until 2006, became both an iconic and controversial image from the tragedy. The critic and columnist Frank Rich wrote about it in the New York Times, calling it a troubling allegory of America’s failure to learn anything from the tragedy. “The young people in Mr Hoepker’s photo aren’t necessarily callous,” he wrote. “They’re just American.”

Rich’s view of the photo was disputed; Walter Sipser, one of the men in the photo, later said he and his girlfriend were in fact “in a profound state of shock and disbelief“ and that Hoepker misrepresented their feelings and behavior.

Hoepker himself defended the photo as evidence of ambiguous, confusing horror on that day. “I think the image has touched many people exactly because it remains fuzzy and ambiguous in all its sun-drenched sharpness,” he wrote in Slate in 2006. “On that day five years ago, sheer horror came to New York, bright and colorful like a Hitchcock movie. And the only cloud in that blue sky was the sinister first smoke signal of a new era.”

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Born in Munich, Germany, on 10 June 1936, Hoepker first began taking photographs at the age of 14, after his grandfather gave him a plate camera for his birthday. Hoepker studied art, history and archaeology in Göttengen, partly funded by his photographs, but left before graduation to work as a photojournalist for Münchner Illustrierte magazine in 1960. “I didn’t study photography – I just did it. The academic world was not my world,” he said.

He went on to work for the magazine Kristall and joined Stern in 1964. That same year, Magnum began distributing his archive photographs.

Hoepker and his first wife, Eva Windmöller, lived in East Berlin as Stern’s first accredited correspondents. They moved to New York City in 1976, where Hoepker then spent the bulk of his time. He also served as the director of photography for American Geo from 1978 to 1981, as well as the art director for Stern in Hamburg from 1987 to 1989.

Hoepker continued to reside in New York with his second wife, Christine Kruchen, producing documentary films. The 2022 film Dear Memories: A Journey with Magnum Photographer Thomas Hoepker, chronicled his and Kruchen’s roadtrip across America after his diagnosis with Alzheimer’s disease. He published his final book, The Way It Was, that same year.

“I am not an artist,” he said. “I am an image maker.”

May Pang spent 18 months in the 1970s as former Beatle John Lennon’s lover and confidante — and now she’s bringing iconic photographs from that time to a Fells Point gallery.

“The Lost Weekend — the Photography of May Pang” will be on view at the Winkel Gallery, 1715 Aliceanna Street for one weekend only, Friday, July 26 through Sunday, July 28. The exhibit is free, and the photographs in the show are available for purchase.

Pang was romantically involved with Lennon from late 1973 to 1985 while he was estranged from his wife, Yoko Ono. At the time, she was the couple’s 23-year-old assistant, and a decade younger than Lennon.

He frequently referred to his 18-months with Pang as his “lost weekend” and the song, “Surprise, Surprise (Sweet Bird of Paradox) was written about her, according to an exhibit news release.

Some of the images that will be on view include one of the last known snapshots of Lennon and Paul McCartney together, as well as the only photo of Lennon signing the contract that dissolved the Beatles’ legal partnership.

Pang’s pictures have been touring galleries nationwide, an exhibit intended to coincide with the release of the fall, 2023 documentary “The Lost Weekend: A Love Story.”

She is scheduled to attend every day of the exhibit, according to a news release, and will mingle with visitors to the Winkel gallery.

Who knows?

Maybe Pang will drop an anecdote about her time with Lennon, or about other members of musical royalty she knew: former ex-Beatles McCartney and Ringo Starr, and rock legends David Bowie, Mick Jagger, Harry Nilsson and Keith Moon.

Exhibit hours are 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. Friday, July 26; 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, June 27 and 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, July 28. For details, call 443-575-6520 or visit justinwinkel.com.

Emily Roedl. Submitted.

Waterlines, a photography exhibit by local artist Emily Roedl, will be on display at Drömhus July 13 through Oct. 31. An opening reception will be held July 13, 5-7 pm.

The exhibit celebrates the beauty and mystery of water, with the photographer skillfully capturing its reflected surface in various ways.

Part of the collection is composed of black-and-white photos that explore linear waterscapes. These images feature reeds and horizon lines, composed to highlight the interplay between the soft stillness of the water’s surface and the hard lines intersecting it. 

Some of Roedl’s latest work dives beneath the waterline. Through her lens, viewers get a glimpse of the textures, patterns, and stories submerged beneath the water’s surface.

Drömhus is located at 611 Jefferson St. in Sturgeon Bay. 

“Les Paul Thru the Lens”, an exclusive traveling gallery showcasing the life and career of Les Paul—musician, inventor, and icon—will open at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland, Ohio, from July 15 to September 15, 2024. Visitors will experience a unique collection of rare photographs that chronicle the life of Les Paul. For the first time, the exhibit will also feature three original portraits by expressionist artist Leroy Neiman, never before displayed in a museum.

A Glimpse into Les Paul’s Life

The exhibit comprises 24 gallery-framed black-and-white photographs, spanning Les Paul’s life from childhood to his later career. It includes rare family photos, behind-the-scenes moments, and images of Les with his famous friends. Guests can follow along with web-initiated storylines detailing Les’ inventions, his Hollywood garage studio, and his appearances with Mary Ford. The exhibit offers fans a chance to see Les Paul in a way they never have before.

Photos Courtesy of Les Paul Foundation

Exhibition Details

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, located at 1100 East 9th Street, Cleveland, Ohio, 44114, will host the exhibit in its Roots Gallery. July and August hours are Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and Thursdays to Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. The exhibit is included with regular museum admission.

Celebrating Les Paul’s Legacy

“1988 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Inductee Les Paul’s creativity and innovation cannot be overstated and are foundational to rock and roll as we know it today,” said Rock & Roll Hall of Fame President and CEO, Greg Harris. “This carefully curated collection of photographs documents his incredible journey as a pioneer, mentor, and friend to other artists. We are grateful to the Les Paul Foundation for bringing this exhibit to Cleveland for fans to enjoy, and we are thrilled it will join our other featured exhibits celebrating the contributions of various artists.”

Michael Braunstein, Executive Director of the Les Paul Foundation, added, “Les was an icon whose inventions paved the way for musicians worldwide. His curiosity gave us the most important inventions in the music industry, which are still used today. We are thrilled to have this opportunity where guests of the Rock Hall will be able to experience Les’ life from early childhood to his career at all stages when they visit the exhibit. The rare photographs depict many important people and moments in Les’ life. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame will also be the first venue to exhibit three extraordinary original art pieces created by expressionist artist Leroy Neiman. Les would be so happy to be back at the Rock Hall for this special engagement. We hope everyone who passes through the Hall’s doors gets to know and love Les Paul like we do.”

For more information and to purchase tickets for Les Paul Thru the Lens, visit RockHall.com.

About the Les Paul Foundation

The Les Paul Foundation honors and shares the life, spirit, and legacy of Les Paul by supporting music education, engineering, innovation, and medical research. As an IRC 501(c)3 organization, it awards grants to initiatives that uphold Les Paul’s legacy through music and sound programs serving youth. It also supports public exhibits, events, and music releases that celebrate Les Paul’s achievements. For more information, visit les-paul.com.

Follow Les Paul on social media:
Facebook: @OfficialLesPaul |Instagram: @lespaulofficial | Twitter: @lespaulofficial

About the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum

The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame celebrates the history and impact of rock music through exhibits, memorabilia, instruments, costumes, and personal items from music’s greatest stars. Founded in 1985, the museum also hosts inductee ceremonies and offers interactive experiences, short films, and educational programs. Visit the Rock Hall in Cleveland or online at rockhall.com, and follow on social media:

Facebook: @rockandrollhalloffame | Instagram: @rockhall | Twitter: @rockhall |

TikTok: @RockHallFame | YouTube: @rockhall

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About the Author

Dr. Jerry Doby Editor-in-Chief of The Hype Magazine, Media and SEO Consultant, Journalist, Ph.D. and retired combat vet. 2023 recipient of The President’s Lifetime Achievement Award. Partner at THM Media Group. Member of the U.S. Department of Arts and Culture, the United States Press Agency and ForbesBLK.

The countdown to the Olympic Games is on, and the world shifts focus to the multi-sport event which takes place in Paris this summer. From athletics to equestrian to diving, we explore the best and most versatile lenses for sports photography and crown the best camera body and lens combination for the job.

The Olympic Games have a long history, going back to 776 BC in ancient Greece. Normally held every four years on a leap year, this major multi-sport event sees the best athletes in the world represent their respective countries, eventually leading to gold medal-winning performances that leave us mere mortals in awe of the talent, strength, and hard work that go hand in hand with their success. When it comes to coverage of the Olympic Games, the best of the best equipment is used by photographers shooting the event to capture every key moment of action and celebration. From the split-second finish of a 100-meter sprint to the precise landing of a gymnast, having the right lens can make the difference between a good shot and a once-in-a-lifetime capture that tells the story of the Games in a single frame.

At a major event such as this, speed and quality are vital considerations. Only the best will do. Upgrading your equipment can be a costly exercise, but it is vital to have the right tools for the job when it comes to sports photography to ensure that you can get in close enough to the action and succeed in freezing the moment. Fast telephoto lenses do not come cheap; however, there is a way to help keep the cost to a minimum. It is no secret that many photographers now buy gently used products rather than new in order to maximize their kit within budget, and MPB offers a convenient service for buying and selling used photography equipment.

In the spirit of the Olympics, take this article as some healthy competition between camera brands, and lens types, each battling it out to see who comes out on top. I had a browse through MPB‘s website and gathered some equipment for your consideration in sports photography.

The Starting Line-Up of Sports Lenses

The Workhorse: Nikon Nikkor Z 70-180mm f/2.8

Suitable for many events, amongst many others, the Nikon Z 70-180mm is a fantastic choice when it comes to sports. With its fast autofocus and excellent sharpness—even up close—this midrange telephoto lens comes straight out of the gate as a winning contender.

Pair this with the Nikon Z9, and you have a winning combination that can handle pretty much anything in view with world-class performance and solid reliability.

In Pole Position: Fujinon XF 200mm f/2 OIS WR with XF 1.4x WR Teleconverter

This lens is hailed as the ultimate lens for sport, action, and wildlife photographers. When you combine the FUJINON XF 200mm f/2 R LM OIS WR with the XF 1.4X TC WR teleconverter, you can reach action even further away, adding versatility to this amazing lens. This lens is incredibly sharp, even wide open at f/2, so you can be sure to capture the action from dawn to dusk.

Attach this lens to the Fujifilm X-H2 for a perfect pairing that combines quality, accuracy, and sharpness.

The Underdog: Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM Sport 

When you are dealing with an event that has action across a wide geographical space, such as a football game, you need a telephoto zoom lens, and this Sigma offering is a perfect fit. With a focal length range from 150mm to 600mm, you can be sure to capture every moment from track to field. 

Pair this Nikon fit lens with the Nikon D850 for a solid performance duo.

The Sure Bet: Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS III USM

Canon’s EF 600mm f/4L IS III USM is still an amazing choice for sports photography. If you still shoot with your trusty DSLR body, such as the amazing Canon 5D Mark IV, then you can’t go wrong with this lens for bringing the action close to you. It’s sharp, it’s fast, it’s sturdy and reliable, which makes it a solid option for sports. It is on the pricey side; however, this lens is compatible with every EOS camera ever produced, when used with the appropriate lens adapter, so this option will survive regular gear upgrades.

The Camera Body and Lens Worthy of the Gods of Olympus

In honor of Zeus, the king of Olympus, I have chosen what I consider the king combination of camera body and lens for sports photography. If you want to shoot full-resolution raw and JPEG images with AF/AE tracking at a lightning-fast 120 frames per second, with pin sharp focus, the Sony a9 III body and Sony FE 100-400mm G Master OSS super telephoto lens is the combination for you.

The AF system on the Sony a9 III has 759 on-sensor phase detection points which cover around 95% of the imaging area and can focus down to -5 EV. It is capable of recognizing human subjects through posing as well as eye and face detection. This means that even if the person’s head is turned away, it will still detect the subject as human. This has been made possible through AI deep learning. Did I mention that the a9 III is also capable of focusing on helmets rather than heads? With all of that in mind, the Sony a9 III comes out on top specifically for sports photography.

The lens of choice to pair with the Sony a9 III has to be Sony’s FE f/4.5-5.6 100-400mm GM OSS super-telephoto zoom lens. This premium G Master series super telephoto zoom lens provides fast, precise autofocus; it lets you capture distant action with outstanding quality and immediacy. Such high-quality professional optics ensure consistency across the frame at any focusing distance throughout the zoom range. For its size, this lens is relatively lightweight at only 1,395g, which allows photographers to move with the action as needed.

Honorable Mention

Brand new on the market, this article wouldn’t be complete without mentioning a close contender for the prosumer market, the newly released Nikon Z6 III. Boasting significant upgrades over the Z6 II, this lightweight full frame camera has borrowed some of its features from the high-end Nikon Z8 and introduced a new 24.5MP partially stacked CMOS sensor. It offers up to 60 fps JPEG in full resolution and 120 fps with an APS-C crop, further solidifying its appeal for capturing fast-paced moments, making it an excellent choice for sports and action photography.

Pair this camera with the fantastic Nikon Nikkor Z 70-200mm f/2.8 VR S, and you have an extremely versatile sports setup, whether you are shooting at the Olympic Games or your child’s school sports event.

At the time of writing, there were no Nikon Z6 III camera bodies available as yet on MPB as they are so new. However, stock changes quickly, and there will be many photographers who buy to try, then trade in on MPB as they move on to their next camera body.

That’s the beauty of buying and selling secondhand camera equipment: you can upgrade and switch systems for a much lower cost than buying new, allowing you to explore your photographic pursuits at a much faster pace. After all, the needs of a photographer can change regularly, sometimes from job to job, contract to contract. Included with each purchase is complete peace of mind with a generous six-month warranty, making MPB a natural choice for trading and upgrading your photography equipment. Why work with what you’ve got when you can work with what you need?

I have tried to include something for everyone, with different budgets and needs. But is your winning combination missing from this article? What are your go-to lenses for sports photography, and what sports do you cover?

The longest video, at around 19 minutes, features a handful of slow, panning shots, tracking a spiral of white string as it floats on the surface of a shallow creek. The camera cuts only when the string is on the verge of unraveling from its spiral form, which, spoiler alert, it does at the very end, stretching out across the water in a wavering line. This cycle of expansion and contraction, negotiating the limits of human control over the natural environment, is reminiscent of meditative breathing. The final shot is an exhalation, a relinquishing of control to Lee’s natural collaborator.

Another video is a static shot of a large, flat stone, over which Lee continually spins a forked stick like a dowsing rod or divination tool, its spinning shadow echoing the spiral motif. Her hand remains out of frame, occasionally flickering into view. Here again, the tension between human intervention and natural course is evident.

Lee’s practice hovers somewhere between a conservative brand of land art and performance documentation, in company with Andy Goldsworthy’s dust drawings, Ana Mendieta’s impressions in grass and Robert Smithson’s photographs of overturned rocks — all artworks that were eventually overtaken by nature.

A series of three photographs, Untitled Rock Drawing III, dot the gallery walls. Each shows a spiral drawn in water on the surface of a flat rock, the drawing fading more and more in the direct sunlight, leaving only the photographs behind. These pictures read almost like stills from a video in their own right, inviting the viewer to pace their own experience as they move through the gallery, activating Lee’s magic trick of manipulating time.

Lee recently participated in two projects connecting artists with the outdoors, which informed the work in Currents. The first was a Land Arts of the American West residency, which involved a two-month camping trip across the Southwest to famous land art locations — from Michael Heizer’s Double Negative to Robert Smithson’s Spiral Jetty — and a nuclear test site. She was also an “artist researcher” in Unseen California’s inaugural cohort, an initiative through the University of California Santa Cruz that “engages the public land of California as an outdoor artist studio and classroom laboratory.”

Lee says she’s still processing these experiences in her work. “I spent two months living outdoors and now I’m home and I’m drawing spirals on rocks,” she says, laughing.

And it’s this process of exploration and examination that the image of the spiral evokes, the circular logic of endless questioning turning in on itself.

“It’s not about finding anything,” Lee says. “It’s just about the act of searching or looking.”

But the lack of a clear destination doesn’t necessarily make a search purposeless.

One mystical parallel to this kind of artistic practice would be apophatic theology, also known as negative theology. The practice, common in Christian mysticism, attempts to define God by everything that they are not, the idea being that what remains in relief of the infinite “not” is the closest we can come to defining the divine.

Lee’s work evokes the sublime tradition in landscape art, an embodied conceptual experience “prioritizing another level of experience and understanding and knowledge,” she says. Here, it is cosmic and geological at once, containing both light years and deep time, expanding the definition of landscape photography to metaphysical considerations. The topographies in Currents are the contours of a divine experience that borders the limits of human comprehension.

‘Currents’ is on view at Cushion Works (3320 18th St., San Francisco) through Aug. 10, 2024.