MANKATO — A bull moose made of wood and wire is no longer in his usual spot near Veterans Memorial Bridge — disappearing at the same time that two live
Damaged moose sculpture removed from walk
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Courier book shows 50-years of award-winning photojournalism
by Peter Weinberger | pweinberger@claremont-courier.com
One could say the Claremont Courier’s first-ever hardcover, coffee table photography book, Timeless Claremont, literally shows the people and places that made Claremont the destination city it has become. But this book is so much more than that!
This photo-driven, 170-page project has over 200 award-winning images produced by Courier photojournalists over the past 50 years. All together, this one-of-a-kind, stunning collection of images will amaze, delight and make you laugh, and maybe even cry.
Given the Courier’s decades-long reputation for strong photography, publishing a book has been discussed before. The hard part was the time and cost it takes to produce and design over 170 pages. Especially including the demands of producing a weekly newspaper and daily website.
This year however, has been different. The staff now includes not one but two strong designers — Skylar Anderson and Grace Felschundneff — plus two seasoned editors — Steven Felschundneff and Mick Rhodes — to help with photo and copy editing. Not to mention yours truly, who has been wanting to publish this book for over a decade.
What also changed is our nonprofit status. This enabled us to connect with a group of people willing to sponsor the production in advance, offsetting enormous upfront costs. Make no mistake, this is a book self-published by the Claremont Courier, printed by a world-class printer.
The first two pages of Timeless Claremont show members of the Claremont Police Department and friends getting drenched for a good cause.
When it all started
Both Martin and Janis Weinberger had a love affair with photography. Both were experienced photographers, and their work filled Courier pages for years. But, the Courier was growing during the 1970s, and by 1974, Martin knew it was time to hire a staff photographer.
That person was George Rose, the first of many accomplished photojournalists whose work graced Courier pages. After the Courier won several nationwide awards from the National Press Photographers Association in 1976 for its use of photography, representatives from large publications like the Chicago Tribune complained that they could not compete with this little community newspaper near Los Angeles. Soon two circulation categories were established for large and small publications to keep everyone happy.
Gaining national recognition also helped the Courier become a vital career stepping stone for photographers and photo interns. We’ve had seven former staffers and interns jump directly to the Los Angeles Times alone, including myself.
Even as the industry has changed and expanded into digital, the Courier’s reputation for fine photojournalism still exists today. This book represents some of our finest work.
We believe this book will become part of Claremont’s long history. Yes, it represents a visual history of the city. But it’s edited to present only our best photography. So it’s not a typical history book. And I guarantee it presents a rare opportunity to own or gift a truly unique treasure. All while supporting the Courier and our local, fact-based journalism.
In honor of Village Venture Saturday, here are two wonderful award-winning images by Steven Felschundneff. There are over 200 images in our book.
How to own a copy
Timeless Claremont will cost $79, including tax. It is currently at the printer going through a long printing process. The book has a cloth hardcover, with the photo indented like a frame. Printed on heavy paper, the book will last a lifetime. It will debut at a party hosted by the Courier and Claremont Graduate University on December 2, to celebrate all the people who made a difference. Mark the date! Everyone is invited!
You can reserve your copy or copies of Timeless Claremont by going to our website’s payment page (QR code is shown below), or by visiting claremont-courier.com/payments-form, by emailing Anna Hoy at anna@claremont-courier.com, or by calling us at (909) 621-4761. All reservations must be paid in advance. Our preferred options are via website or email.
Courier staff will handle all procurement. We will contact you when the book(s) are available for pick up at the Courier office, 114 Olive St., Claremont.
We also hope you will consider making a donation when purchasing your copy (not mandatory). This book represents hundreds of hours of labor, all focused on showing the marvelous ways we live our lives.
Thank you all once again for all your support of the Claremont Courier. We could not have done this without you!
Doubt cast on indigenous roots of Buffy Sainte-Marie
Getty ImagesCanada’s public broadcaster has published a bombshell investigation that calls into doubt the indigenous ancestry of Buffy Sainte-Marie.
The folk singer and activist, who rose to fame in the 1960s, has long claimed indigenous ancestry from Canada.
She has said she was adopted by a white American couple as a baby.
But a CBC investigation claims to have found a birth certificate they say suggests her adoptive parents are her biological parents.
In a response published ahead of the CBC story, Sainte-Marie called the allegations “hurtful”, adding: “I know who I am”.
Sainte-Marie has said previously that she found she may have been adopted from members of the Piapot First Nation in Saskatchewan during the 60s Scoop, which is a term used to describe how thousands of indigenous children in Canada were forcibly removed from their families during the middle of the last century.
She connected with members of the community as a young woman, and they adopted her as a young adult.
Ahead of the CBC investigation, members of the Piapot First Nation issued a statement of support, saying: “Buffy is our family”.
“I don’t know where I’m from or who my birth parents were, and I will never know,” Saint-Marie said in her statement. “Which is why to be questioned in this way today is painful, both for me, and for my two families I love so dearly.”
Sainte-Marie rose to popularity during the hippie movement and has been known for decades of indigenous advocacy. She won an Oscar in 1983 for co-writing “Up Where We Belong” for the film An Officer and a Gentleman and is considered to be the first indigenous Oscar winner.
“I am proud of my Indigenous-American identity, and the deep ties I have to Canada and my Piapot family,” she said in a statement on Thursday.
Her website says she “is believed to have been born in 1941 on the Piapot First Nation reserve in Saskatchewan…taken from her biological parents when she was an infant”.
“She was adopted by a visibly white couple and raised in Maine and Massachusetts,” the site reads. “As a child, Buffy’s adoptive mother self-identified as part Mi’kmaq but knew little about indigenous culture.”
But CBC says to have found her birth certificate, identifying her as Beverly Jean Santamaria, born to Albert and Winifred Santamaria, who declared their race as white on the document.
CBC cites a 2012 biography on Buffy Sainte-Marie by Blair Stonechild, which says the family changed its name from Santamaria to Saint-Marie “because of anti-Italian prejudice that developed during the Second World War”.
The issue of who is indigenous – and who is not – has received much attention in recent years. A number of high-profile artists and scholars have had their indigenous ancestry, including Canadian author Joseph Boyden, called into question. Many indigenous communities view false representation of their identity as deeply problematic.
“It’s theft of opportunities, resources. It’s theft of our stories,” Kim TallBear, a professor of Native Studies at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, told the CBC.
For her part, Sainte-Marie maintains she has never misrepresented herself, but acknowledges that some facts have been hard to prove.
In the statement, Sainte-Marie says that her mother told her she was adopted and that she was indigenous, “but there was no documentation as was common for Indigenous children born in the 1940’s”.
She goes on to say that as a young adult she was adopted into the Piapot family “in accordance with Cree law and customs.”
In a statement of support for “Auntie Buffy”, the Piapot family called the accusations “hurtful, ignorant, colonial – and racist”.
“We grew up knowing that Buffy and our grandparents adopted each other and how deeply committed and loving they were to one another,” they write. “We chose her and she chose us. We claim her as a member of our family and all of our family members are from the Piapot First Nation.”
“For my entire life, I have championed Indigenous and Native American causes when nobody else would or had the platform to do so,” Sainte-Marie’s statement said.
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Passion for Art & Craft: Central Pa Guild of Craftsmen Winter Market
Shoppers, browsers, curiosity-seekers, and onlookers will find all the fa-la-la-la-la they need on December 2 when the Central PA Guild of Craftsmen presents the forty-sixth annual Winter Craft Market at the Nittany Valley Sports Centre in State College.
The local chapter of the Pennsylvania Guild of Craftsmen hopes the sizeable venue will attract more visitors than ever.
“It’s a large, well-lit area, with plenty of room to spread out,” according to event committee member Christine Stangel. Since this year’s event will include more than fifty artisans, both participants and organizers appreciate the spacious venue.
Stangel goes on to explain that the guild had to cancel the Winter Craft Market for 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID pandemic.
“That time period hurt artists in general,” adds Tess Clapper, who also serves on the committee, “and some had to leave the art community.”
But the enthusiasm artists have for this market hasn’t waned, and organizers take pride in the diversity and quality of work shown. Each applicant must present work to a jury, which then selects artists to participate in the market. The use of a jury maintains a high standard of well-made, unique items.
“We also have to limit each media,” Clapper continues, “so you won’t see too many silversmiths or too many fabric artists.” Instead, participants will present varied types of art.
Diane Maurer, internationally renowned paper artist, says she feels “great about participating, knowing that this show is well-juried.” Continuing, the Spring Mills artist says, “You’ll find good, high-quality work here. Good artwork and fine craft.”
Maurer excels in marbling, collage, and surface design, a type of print or design used on a surface such as a wall or book cover. In 2018, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City purchased forty of her papers.
“They’re now preserved and protected in archival sleeves,” she says, “and I consider that the high point of my career so far.”
Her biography also includes an appearance on Martha Stewert Living and a design purchased by Godiva Chocolatiers for worldwide distribution. Additionally, she has authored numerous books detailing her work, her methods, and her sources.
Maurer finds much of her inspiration in the outdoors. “I could see objects—streams or foliage—cut into images and made into a paper collage. Or I could trace an image in a fifteenth-century German work and use that in a paste paper.”
She says she appreciates the way artists at this show take the time to talk to visitors about their art.
“They feel so passionate about their work,” she observes, “and enjoy explaining their techniques and what inspires them.”
New York native Bonnie Hedden designs jewelry, incorporating gold, sterling silver, and a variety of gemstones. The bracelets, earrings, necklaces, and rings she develops draw the viewer’s eye with gleaming metal, flowing compositions, and richly hued stones.
“Some artists will sketch things out,” she explains. “I let the stones speak to me—like putting together puzzle pieces.”
Some of her pieces feature imagery from nature. You’ll see leaves, vines, daisies, and other flowers. Other items seemingly echo, twist, wind, and coil, according to the shape of the opals, pearls, topaz, and other gemstones Hedden uses. Armed with her snips, files, vices, and torches, she approaches her work with a precise mastery.
“Details embellish the focal points,” she says, “and I just keep working until it’s done.”
An avid exhibitor attending eighteen shows annually, Hedden won two prizes at the 2022 Lewiston Art Festival in New York state. She took home First Place for Artistic Craft as well as Best in Show.
“I really never expected it,” she recalls, “and I was just thrilled.”
Hedden has set up her cases and displays at the Winter Craft Market for ten years. And she appreciates the guild’s dedication to staging an event so consistently brimming with high-caliber work.
“The Centre County Chapter of the PA Craft Guild does such a great job,” Hedden says, “and the organizers work hard. And I enjoy seeing such quality work from all the artisans.”
Master artisan Ted Walker fabricates and designs silver jewelry in southcentral Pennsylvania.
As his business name, Reflections in Silver, suggests, each silver pendant, ring, earring, and necklace shimmers as light rebounds from it.
He describes his work as “flowing and calming.” Walker says the designs themselves simply come to him. “Sometimes I’ll see a shape in a dream or a daydream,” he says, “and I’ll start working with the silver and just see what happens.”
Spirals, coils, curls, and waves, all in silver, make up many of Walker’s pieces. He frequently adds accent points like a lapis bead tucked into the crest of a wave, or a green onyx nestled against a long loop, or a moonstone perching on the round of an earring.
“I feel flattered when someone spends hard-earned money on something I’ve made,” Walker says, “and a part of you goes away with that buyer. It makes me happy and honored when a person feels strongly enough to buy from me.”
His interest in silversmithing evolved from his mother’s talent for jewelry-making and his “rock-hound” grandfather, who ran a small shop in Lancaster.
“From a sort of family tradition, I found myself designing and making jewelry,” he recalls.
Walker, like other artists, felt the sting of loss during the years COVID shut down the Winter Craft Market. “I’m glad we’re back again,” he says. “Events like this need continuity. It’s always good to see familiar faces when you’ve developed a stream of good customers. And this is a really nice venue.”
The Sports Centre offers a size that appeals to vendors and organizers alike. Stangel adds, “We have plenty of free parking. We do ask a $5 admission fee that helps cover promotional activities.”
The Boy Scouts of America will hand out wristbands to those attending. The bands will allow patrons to leave the Sports Centre, check out some of the other events in the county, and return later.
The Clef Hangers, a vocal group from Mount Nittany Middle School, will serenade shoppers and enhance a festive atmosphere.
“This is a team effort from start to finish,” Clapper says, “and we like to say, ‘Shop local and buy handmade this season.’” T&G
Anne Dyer Walker is a Bellefonte freelance writer.
Take a shot: Australia’s photography in retrospect
It is a fluke that the oldest photograph in Australia even survived, and the subject identified.
Of convict turned surgeon Dr William Bland in 1845, the daguerreotype was a one-off, a bit like the Polaroids that would come a century later.
Now the public has a rare opportunity to see it as part of the inaugural exhibition of the State Library of NSW’s new permanent photographic gallery. It’s called Shot, and opens Sunday, with 400 photographs selected by curator Geoff Barker from the library’s collection of two million images.
A photograph by Sam Hood of a polo match where the reporter sleeps through the match.Credit: Sam Hood
Eight of these, like the portrait of Bland, are so rare, light sensitive and valuable that they are unlikely to be shown again in some of our lifetimes.
Curator Geoff Barker with the inaugural exhibition Shot in the State Library of NSW’s new permanent photography gallery.Credit: Janie Barrett
Barker said copies online made the Bland portrait seem huge.
But the real thing – in its carrying case – has the same dimensions as modern credit card. “It is tiny, a 1/9th daguerrotype,” he said.
An early colour photo from about 1920 is included in Shot, the inaugural exhibiton in the State Library of NSW’s new gallery.Credit: Unknown
To protect these treasures from the light that can destroy them, each is illuminated for a few seconds at a time. An early colour photo, a still life by an unknown photographer, emerges from the dark to reveal radishes, speckled eggs, oranges and a shiny earthenware pot.
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The group of eight includes Max Dupain’s 1938 to 1940 Spectre of the Rose, and Ted Roberts’ 1935 to 1937 Home in Wilcannia with First Nations’ people.
Barker was surprised the Bland portrait by George Barron Goodman, the only person in Australia to hold the patent, survived.
Each daguerreotype was unique and couldn’t be copied. “Once you put it in the camera, exposed it, you gave it to the person sitting in front of the camera, and then they had to look after it,” said Barker. The photo was enclosed in a travelling case.
The images were handed down by generations of families, or not. In this case, it was donated to the library a few decades ago.
The 400 images represent nearly every year and type of photographic technique since 1845, many collected by the state library’s former curator of photography Alan Davies.
It was Davies, who identified Bland as the man in the oldest known surviving photo by reading early copies of The Sydney Morning Herald. He told the Herald before he retired that photographer George Goodman had “a cash register for a brain”
The exhibition includes ambrotypes and autochromes, collotypes and cyanotypes, lantern slides and Dufaycolor, tintypes, platinotypes and Woodburytype. Shot’s brochure includes a three page glossary of these and more.
Work by 200 photographers includes Harold Cazneux, David Moore, Sam Hood, Olive Cotton, Mervyn Bishop, Matthew Abbott, Damien Parer, Charles Chauvel, Gerrit Fokkema, Tracy Moffatt, Anne Zahalka and Tony Mott.
Many images are recognisable, like Max Dupain’s The Sunbaker, which is shown with his instructions on how to print it.
The exhibition also includes 25 large glass-plate negatives, taken in 1875, which form a nine-metre panorama of Sydney.
Each photo comes with a story, said Barker.
A rare shot captures the Beatles performing in Sydney without Ringo, who was sick for four days.
A street fashion photo from 1945 marked the end of an era when street photographers were suspected of spying for the Nazis. It followed the departure from Australia of the owner of a street photography firm who had been head of the Nazis in Australia.
When Barker started reviewing the collection he realised many images had been acquired before the library even began collecting images.
Most arrived as part of official documents, others in shoeboxes, many from mantelpieces and junk drawers in family homes, or newspapers and magazines.
Some snuck in as stealthily as the techniques used by Australia’s first undercover copy, Frank Fahy, whose album is also on show.
Barker found images collected by Fahy in a scrapbook detailing potential suspects that was donated to the collection by his daughter.
Known as the shadow, Fahy, had converted a motorbike with a side carriage into a mobile surveillance machine. A dome had been fitted over the sidecar, claiming to promote lawn mowing services. “When he stopped, he’d climb under the dome where he had drilled holes to spy. He also had a telescope.”
Other highlights include one of the original glass plates that Frank Hurley saved from Shackleton’s sinking ship Endurance in Antarctica in 1915.
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Nasher Sculpture Center, DMA acquire more than 50 objects by Roy Lichtenstein
The Dallas Museum of Art and the Nasher Sculpture Center announced Friday a joint acquisition of more than 50 objects by Roy Lichtenstein, whose worldwide…
Eiteljorg Contemporary Art Fellowship exhibition redefines contemporary Native art
INDIANAPOLIS – Visitors will experience unique works of contemporary Native art in the new exhibition UNSETTLE/Converge, open at the Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art from Nov. 11 to Feb. 25.
Five groundbreaking Native artists from the U.S. and Canada were chosen for the prestigious 2023 Eiteljorg Contemporary Art Fellowship. As part of the Fellowship initiative, UNSETTLE/Converge features examples of the fellows’ art, including innovative beadwork, assemblage, works on paper, photography and sculpture. During the exhibition’s opening weekend, there will be opportunities for the public to meet the artists. A special exhibition opening and artist celebration will kick off the fellowship on Friday, Nov. 10.
As one of the leading institutions internationally presenting and supporting contemporary Native art, the Eiteljorg Museum has awarded a combined quarter of a million dollars to this year’s five Fellows. It also has purchased more than $100,000 of their artworks to add to its permanent collections.
The 2023 Fellows are an impressive group, and each has made an impact on the contemporary art world:
The well-established career of invited artist Ruth Cuthand (Plains Cree) of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, includes works in printmaking, painting, drawing, photography and beadwork. Confronting the settler-colonial roots of Canada, her art pays homage to the resiliency of Indigenous communities. Cuthand’s recent body of work includes beaded depictions of various mental health conditions — as shown by brain scans — that embody the intergenerational trauma experienced by many First Nations communities
Natalie Ball (Klamath Tribes [Klamath / Modoc]) of Chiloquin, Oregon, is an elected official: a member of the Klamath Tribal Council. Her artistic practice draws upon her Native and African American heritage to create mixed-media assemblages that include quilt patterns, unconventional objects and natural materials to investigate definitions of Native identity.
Sean Chandler (Aaniiih [Gros Ventre]) of Harlem, Montana, creates personal narrative mixed-media works on unstretched canvas about the subjects of U.S. settler colonialism and his experiences of growing up in eastern Montana. His career as an artist coincides with his academic roles as an educator and community college administrator: Chandler serves as president of Aaniiih Nakoda College on the Fort Belknap Agency in Montana.
Mercedes Dorame (Gabrielino Tongva) of Altadena, California, uses installation and photography to examine and revitalize her family’s connection to their ancestral land, Los Angeles. Utilizing natural materials, including fibers, shells or flora, her work in that region explores the roles of Gabrielino culture and ceremony, past and present.
Raven Halfmoon (Caddo Nation / Choctaw / Delaware) of Norman, Oklahoma, continues her tribe’s rich history with ceramics by creating large-scale stoneware sculptures that focus on Caddo culture and history, as well as her experience as a 21st century Native woman.
Selected last year for the 2023 Fellowship, these five artists join a prestigious community of Eiteljorg Fellows from 11 previous rounds. Cumulatively, the works by past fellows in the museum’s collections now comprise one of the best collections of contemporary Native art anywhere.
“Native art is having a moment; before many others, the Eiteljorg has recognized and celebrated contemporary Native art since 1999. While the rest of the world has had to play catch-up, the Eiteljorg Contemporary Art Fellowship continues to lead in presentation and admiration for contemporary Native art,” said Curator of Native Art Dorene Red Cloud (Oglala Lakota), who is curating the fellowship.
In addition to the experiencing the exhibition, Eiteljorg Museum guests can learn more about the current and past Fellows on the website, contemporaryartfellowship.eiteljorg.org, and from the exhibit catalog featuring scholarly essays about each artist. The full-colorUNSETTLE/Converge catalog is available for $30 from the Frank and Katrina Basile Museum Store.
For the opening weekend of UNSETTLE/Converge, a series of special public events is planned:
Thursday Nov. 9
3 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. at Basile Auditorium, IUPUI campus, Indianapolis: Public talk by 2023 Invited Fellow Ruth Cuthand. This event is free. A reception will follow.
Friday Nov. 10
6 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.: The community is invited to an Exhibition Opening and Artist Celebration at the Eiteljorg Museum, featuring an awards ceremony, signature drink, hors d’oeuvres, and DJ Toyacoyah (Numunuu [Comanche]). Reservations: $25, and $15 for students. Visit eiteljorg.org/events, or purchase tickets at the door.
Saturday Nov. 11
9 a.m.: Members’ Coffee and Conversation at the museum with the 2023 Fellows; register by contacting jhiatt@eiteljorg.com.
10 a.m.: Public tour of the exhibition with the Fellows, followed by a Q-and-A session with the Fellows facilitated by Heather Ahtone, Ph.D. (Chickasaw Nation / Choctaw), director of curatorial affairs at the First Americans Museum in Oklahoma City. Included with regular admission, the tour and talk are free for museum members.
Top 10 accessories that are a must-have for any product photography setup
Highlighting the best parts of unique product designs requires exceptional product photography prowess, and that’s difficult to achieve if you don’t have the right equipment and the right environment to snap photos in. Most living environments aren’t exactly as clean as they appear in picture-perfect lifestyle photos, and in order to capture detailed product shots, you’re going to want a pristine and brightly-lit background — showing off every detail, right down to the pixel. If you’re interested in learning product photography for yourself, you’ll want to make sure you have a nice DSLR camera with a wide aperture, which can capture photos in RAW (this allows dynamic range for color correction and other tweaks in post-production).
That said, it’s one thing to vaguely send you off looking for a DSLR camera with no further advice, and it’s another to tell you exactly what you’ll need — right down to the lighting. That’s the purpose of this list, which should point you in the right direction as you shop for your in-home product photography setup. By the way, the best “DSLR camera” you can buy and begin snapping product shots today (if you aren’t already a skilled photographer with an investment in a proper $2,000 DSLR, lenses, and other fancy camera accessories) isn’t actually a DSLR at all; it’s a brand new smartphone, like a Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra or an iPhone 15 Pro Max.
Without further ado, here are my top 10 recommendations for the best tools and accessories you can buy for any home product photography area in 2023.
1. iPhone 15 Pro Max – best smartphone camera for color accuracy
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As I mentioned earlier, the best DSLR camera alternative you can buy for product photography is a beefy new smartphone. If it’s time to upgrade anyway, you can’t beat the iPhone 15 Pro Max’s robust integrated software and swanky new camera features — like its 5x telephoto camera. Both the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra and the iPhone 15 Pro Max grapple for the title of “best smartphone camera of 2023”. The former has a 200 megapixel sensor with 10x optical zoom, which is phenomenal for capturing wide-angle photos and taking shots of faraway points of interest thanks to its vibrant color tone.
The iPhone 15 Pro Max camera, on the other hand, lacks the same raw horsepower — and for what it’s worth, a few users also had some issues with overheating, which was meant to be resolved in iOS 17.1 — but it takes the cake for capturing the most visually crisp close-up shots that simultaneously deliver the most true-to-life color accuracy. In product photography, you want to be able to reproduce the most realistic color tone, and that’s where the iPhone 15 Pro Max succeeds; meaning it’s the one I personally recommend over the two.
2. Foldio360 Smart Dome – best product turntable
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The Foldio360 Smart Dome (which Yanko Design covered while it was still in Kickstarter!) is a compact, dome-shaped structure, filled to the brim with LEDs that fill its non-reflective all-white interior with light — completely obliterating soft shadows. Its killer feature is the built-in turntable that uses light to indicate where your product is supposed to sit on top of the turntable surface, and once it’s all set up, it continuously rotates in a 360-degree radius. You can mount your phone onto the front opening with the included mounting kit for stable shooting, and then you can use the foldio360 app to remotely adjust color temperature and turntable speed as needed. This is a really convenient way to get your shots done in a snap, especially when you’re low on time and don’t have a ton of shooting space.
The Smart Dome can hold up to 6 lbs of weight, but if that’s not enough leeway, you can instead buy the sturdier Foldio360 Smart Turntable, which is optimal if the product you’d like to rotate weighs between 6 and 11 lbs. Just make sure you have other light sources and a white or green backdrop on hand.
3. eucos 62″ Phone Tripod – best smartphone tripod
There are many smartphone-compatible tripods on the web, but the eucos 62-inch phone tripod has a nice balance of form and function that make it an easy buy at its listing price of $29.99. First of all, its body (which is made of durable nylon) comes in two distinct color schemes that both look stylish: Inferno Mix Carbon Black, and Mineral White.
You can adjust the tripod’s height up to 62 inches, as the name suggests, but reviewers generally report the eucos 62-inch phone tripod remains stable even at such heights thanks to its aluminum locking mechanisms and grippy rubberized feet. It’s compatible with smartphones between 2 and 3.6 inches in width, which means you can use it with basically any modern smartphone. There’s also a cold-shoe expansion port to equip additional fill lighting, and you can use the nifty included Bluetooth remote trigger to capture photos while keeping your phone camera stable.
4. Neewer Photography Acrylic Display Boards – best portable display surface
Solid-color acrylic display boards can sit on any surface, immediately turning your desk into an optimal product photography surface without needing to go out and set up an all-white table or all-white desk specifically for shooting product photos with. These 12 x 12 and 24 x 24 acrylic boards come in packs of two — one white board, and one black board. You can switch between the matte or glossy side based on your needs, and reviewers seem to agree that it’s a sturdy and well-designed product overall, albeit with some issues related to scratching on the surface. That seems to be a common problem with acrylic boards in general, so it’s best to take extra care when handling these.
5. Glendan Portable Photo Studio Light Box – best photo tent
This Glendan portable light box is a less expensive alternative to the Foldio360 I mentioned earlier. It surrounds the product with dimmable light from 112 LED light beads and provides an all-white background that’s perfect for taking product photos. It also does away with the strobe other light boxes use, and combined with its built-in light diffuser and internal light reflector, it highlights plenty of detail in soft light. Its portability and ease of setup make it a convenient way to show off a product without investing a ton into a clean or immaculately-designed shooting environment, and can be especially useful if your shooting space is on the smaller side.
6. Elgato Collapsible Green Screen – best backdrop
If you want to design a shooting environment with a specific style, it can be easier to set up your space with a green screen. This lets you digitally inject an environment into the background, making for a simple and easy approach to composing your shots. Elgato’s collapsible green screen backdrop is widely rated as the best-designed compact photography green screen thanks to its durable green fabric and its ability to deploy anywhere via a unique pneumatic collapsing mechanism. It only weighs 20.5 lbs when concealed, which makes it a low-profile item to carry around with you, despite its rather large impact on your shooting environment once fully deployed.
7. Neewer 43-inch Light Reflector Discs – best bounce lighting reflectors
Getting your environmental light perfect can be challenging, which is why light reflector diffuser discs are an important tool — both for blocking certain light wavelengths, and enhancing others. Neewer’s 43-inch light reflector and diffuser discs are widely rated as the best you can buy for the price, and they come in white, black, gold, silver, and translucent coloring. They’re collapsible as well, making them easy to carry around.
8. Fovitec 3-Light Fluorescent Studio Lighting Kit – best fluorescent studio lighting kit
Fluorescent spot lighting is the quickest way to pour light into an underlit scene, and when capturing product photos in larger environments, these are extremely important to have around. Fovitec’s 3-light fluorescent studio lighting kit takes care of a lot of shopping — adjustable stands, boom arms, and a carrying case come included —and the lightboxes themselves, which can push up to 5500K color temps, are rated as some of the best you can buy for the price.
9. Neewer Heavy Duty Light Stand with Casters – best all-purpose light stand
If you need to expand your lighting with additional stands, the Neewer heavy duty light stand has a wide range of potential uses. It’s an adjustable stainless steel tripod which can rise up to 10 ft in height. But you can throw pretty much any lighting equipment you want on top; whether you need to add extra lightboxes, ring lights, or even want to hang your light reflectors or diffusers up high. Reviewers love the build quality, calling it the “best industrial heavy duty tripod C stand” and saying they “should have bought this along (sic) time ago”.
10. Lume Cube Video Conference Lighting Kit LITE Edition – best budget surface lighting
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If you’re shooting product photos on a desk surface and you want an extra light source in a pinch, the $49.99 Lume Cube LITE Edition laptop-friendly ring light is a quick and easy way to add such light to your shooting environment. It plugs into a power source via USB, and can be fully powered through any regular laptop, meaning you can also use it for other purposes — like conference calls. Reviewers love the amount of extra brightness it can add to any space, and it sounds like the build quality make it a winner. It’s dimmable as well, if you only need a certain amount of light in your environment.
Interact With Indigenous Culture in Dutchess County
Date Published: January 1, 1970
Dutchess County’s history and culture has been shaped by the Indigenous, First Nations and Native Americans that call the Hudson Valley home. Immerse yourself in vibrant Indigenous art from contemporary creators, discover natural destinations and historic sites important to the community and examine history through enriching events.
Arts and Events for Indigenous Heritage Month
Indian Theater: Native Performance, Art, and Self-Determination Since 1969
Now through November 26, Hessel Museum of Art at Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson
Discover more than 100 works by artists from a vast range of perspectives and cultures at Bard College’s Hessel Museum of Art. These contemporary Indigenous creatives create art in a variety of media including sculptures, paintings, choreography, performance art, beadwork, video, drawings and other forms. The first large-scale exhibition of its kind, “Indian Theater: Native Performance, Art, and Self-Determination Since 1969” also showcases archival material chronicling the New Native Theater movement in Sante Fe in the late 1960s. Native American, Alaska Native, Inuit, Métis and First Nations artists inspire discourse and contemplation with pieces that tackle cultural criticism with humor and inventiveness. The title “Indian Theater” refers to a 1969 document, Indian Theatre: An Artistic Experiment in Process, published by the Institute for American Indian Arts (IAIA) in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The Hessel Museum is free to the public, and making a reservation via free timed ticket is strongly encouraged. For more information on this exhibit (including oral histories with artists you can listen to online), click here.
On November 18, several performances will be held at this groundbreaking exhibition. First, experience the installation “White Carver” by Nicholas Galanin, a Tlingit and Unangax̂ multidisciplinary artist. A commentary on the appropriation and fetishization of Native art and artists by non-Indigenous peoples, “White Carver” has an unnamed white man attempting to recreate Galanin’s work while separated from it by a velvet rope. This performance begins at 12 p.m.
Next at 2 p.m., Maria Hupfield (Anishinaabek, Wasauksing First Nation [Canada]) presents “Total Synchronization”, where works transcend their medium. Hupfield’s creative choreography has sculptures become performers and the art gallery becomes a performance space. Four of her pieces are on display at the Hessel Museum, but this unique performance of shared experience and collective creation is one not to miss. The performance incorporates score, vocalizations and sounds as art.
At 8 p.m., “Listener” by Kite concludes the day of live encounters with art. Suzanne Kite of Oglála Lakĥóta heritage breaks new ground by using machine learning (a form of AI) in art practices. Demonstrating the intersection of historical tradition and modern innovation, Kite meshes elements of Lakota Visual Language with futuristic technologies. The performer wears an electronic interface that plays synthesizers and poetry woven into their hair, which is sacred to the Lakota people.
Discussion on the Lenape People of the Hudson Valley
Saturday, Nov. 4, 1 p.m. at Mount Gulian Historic Site, Beacon
The Lenape People were among the first inhabitants of the Hudson Valley region. Visit Beacon’s Mount Gulian Historic Site for a discussion of Lenape history, culture and current resurgence. In 1685, Gulian Verplanck and Francis Rombout purchased the land Mount Gulian stands on from the Native Amerians who lived there. The 85,000-acre parcel was exchanged for about $1,200 worth of goods. Prior to this purchase, the Lenape used this property as a seasonal encampment along the Hudson River. Scholar Harv Hilowitz from the Maritime Museum in Kingston presents this discussion and examines the Lenape diaspora.
Related: Top 10 Events in November
Historic Sites and Natural Destinations
Mesier Homestead, Village of Wappingers Falls
Tour Mesier Homestead in the charming Village of Wappingers Falls, and learn about the Wappinger (Wappani) tribe’s culture through a collection of artifacts. The name Wappinger is derived from “Wapinkw”, meaning opossum and Eastern People. The Dutch added “er” to the name. The Wappinger peoples were related to the Algonquins, and inhabited the lands east of the Hudson River stretching from New York City north to the capital region. More than 2,000 objects belong to the collection at Mesier Homestead, some of which date back nearly 8,500 years ago. Tools like scrapers, hatchets, knives and projectiles like spear points and arrowheads provide insight into the approach and lifestyle of the Wappinger people. Professor and archaeologist Thomas Lake examined and cataloged the collection in 2012, helping to tell the story of hunting, farming, trading and celebrations of the Wappinger. See these items on a guided tour, offered on weekdays by reservation and on select Sundays. To make your reservation, click here.
Appalachian Trail, Dover, Wingdale and Pawling
Participate in an iconic tradition by walking stretches of the Appalachian Trail through Dutchess County. The Harlem Valley Appalachian Trail Conservancy strives to celebrate and conserve the cultures of the diverse peoples that have called these lands home. Schaghticoke ancestral homelands cover the Hudson Valley and Harlem Valley regions of New York, and extend through neighboring portions of modern-day Massachusetts and Connecticut. In fact, historical documentation of the Schaghticoke peoples in this region dates to the 1670s. Schaghticoke means “the mingling of waters”, and carries the special significance of referring to where local watersheds join as well as the merged union of related Algonquin speaking tribes. For more resources from Schaghticoke First Nations, click here.
Today, Appalachian Trail through-hikers can climb to the top of Schaghticoke Mountain via Dutchess County trailheads. On these trails, visitors can see the beloved Dover Oak, the oldest known tree on the AT which has a 22-feet circumference and is estimated to be over 300 years old. Be sure to keep the tranquil trails and beautiful landscapes of Eastern Dutchess as you found it by “carrying in-carrying out”. For more hidden-gem hikes, get our Zen Finder outdoor experience passport.
Dover Stone Church, Dover Plains
Looking for a truly unique natural wonder? Visit the cathedral-shaped cave of Dover Stone Church. This metamorphic rock cavern stands a short distance away from the Appalachian Trailheads mentioned above. Approaching the cave’s entrance, naturally resembling a church’s cathedral window, is a memorable experience for even the most seasoned hikers. (Don’t worry, this short half-mile out-and-back trail is manageable for even novice hikers). A waterfall runs through the cave’s interior, providing nature photographers with dazzling reflections via a natural “skylight”. The Stone Church Brook, a tributary of the Ten Mile River, flows through and out the cavern entrance. The first reference to Dover Stone Church is from a legend from the mid-1600s when Pequot Sachem Sassacus and his warriors hid in the cave to escape from the British Army. The four-year Pequot War began in 1634 and is possibly the first war associated with the history of the country. The Pequot resided just across the border in Connecticut, and were traveling to Albany to seek assistance from the Mohawk tribe. It is assumed by Dover historians that Sachem Sassacus knew of the Dover Stone Church beforehand, and intentionally planned to stop there with his people as a hidden place of refuge. Sassacus’ great-grandson Sachem Gideon Mauwee oversaw a settlement in Dover Plains. The Pequot also became a part of the Schaghticoke tribe.
Bannerman Castle, Pollepel Island, Beacon
There is little historical evidence that the Native American tribes living along the Hudson River—The Wappinger, The Algonquin and the Lenni-Lenape, among others—also inhabited Pollepel Island. However, they were aware of the island and there is documentation supporting references to it. One group referred to the island as “Manahtis”, meaning “small island”. Another designated it the “divider of the waters”. Though few artifacts have been uncovered on the island, major excavations uncovered well-developed Indigenous encampments on the eastern shore of the Hudson River facing Pollepel Island directly. These researchers discovered and identified oyster shell mounds and other tools. In fact, Francis Bannerman VI found a centuries-old arrowhead on the island, so Indigenous activities on the island may be revealed in the future through ongoing research. According to local legend, the island was considered haunted by a few of the tribes, and the Dutch sailors in the area often told fanciful tales of what happened to them on and around the island.
Today, from May-October, Bannerman Castle on Pollepel Island can be toured via ferry ride from Beacon. Just steps away from the MTA Beacon Train Station, board the Estuary Steward and explore the island, discovering the ruins of a medieval-style castle as well as live performances, screenings and living history events.
Dining and Community
The Hog, Village of Wappingers Falls
Chickasaw Business
Hungry for farm-fresh foods? The Hog in the Village of Wappingers Falls serves every palette, from those seeking light and nutritious salads and bowls to hungry diners looking to indulge in outrageous fried chicken sandwiches and other decadent breakfast creations. Husband-and-wife duo Adam and Corrinne Sternberg run this community staple hangout, and while Chef Adam prepares the dishes, you’re most likely to interact with Corrinne when you visit. As a member of the Chickasaw community, Corrinne and The Hog were recently recognized with the official Chickasaw Business Certification, connecting them with other Chickasaw-owned businesses through a registry.
“Having The Hog registered as a certified Chickasaw business makes me feel a connection to the tribe beyond recognition of my bloodline. It means my contributions to the community are valued as a contribution to the tribe’s community as well, which is an honor. Above all else, it’s a means to showcase my pride for the tribe on a public level,” Sternberg says.
“Because of this, I was able to connect with a Chickasaw follower who actually worked on the reservation and we look forward to connecting more. I hope this certification paves the way for more of these connections, because I know there are more of us here in the Hudson Valley!”
To see the ever-changing menu at The Hog, click here.
Amateur Dallas photographer Rajiv Roy spreads joy, one beautiful bird image at a time
As a child, Rajiv Roy was out duck hunting with his father in West Bengal, India, when his dad swung his 12-gauge shotgun toward a flock — and Rajiv — and fired. “I ducked, and he was smart enough that he didn’t shoot me, but I did see the shot go by,” Roy recalls. “I remember at that point saying to myself that when I grow up, I won’t go hunting with a gun, but I will go hunting with my camera.”
Roy forgot that promise during his successful career in the U.S. semiconductor industry, but his interest was sparked anew after he spent time photographing the extraordinarily diverse wildlife in the Galápagos Islands in 2014. “I had a camera with a 60x optical zoom, like a point-and-shoot with a bigger lens,” he says. “When you zoomed in, you were totally amazed at what the camera picked up — the beauty and glorious colors that you see in close-ups.”
Back home in his Old Lake Highlands neighborhood bordering White Rock Lake, Roy sought out local bird photographers to learn from them. He kept using his Nikon Coolpix, but after about 18 months, he accepted that he needed better tools and invested in a Sony Alpha camera with 200- and 600-millimeter telephoto lenses.
Now, he regularly shares eye-catching images of birds on Nextdoor and other social media channels, identifying the location and species. Sometimes he includes videos of them singing or preening. The whole idea is to snap a great photo without disturbing the bird. “The greater Dallas area is truly remarkable for birding and bird photography,” Roy says, pointing out that Dallas is on the spring and fall migration paths taken by such colorful birds as Baltimore orioles and painted buntings.
“I thought our neighborhood on Nextdoor needed to know what an incredible gift we have,” he continues. “People who have lived here for years will say, ‘I didn’t know we had scissor-tailed flycatchers in our neighborhood.’ It’s a bright spot in their day, and I’m glad if it brings a little joy.”
It takes a great deal of patience and time to capture images like his bald eagle silhouetted against the moon or a great horned owl preparing to fly, its wings fully stretched. “It wouldn’t be something you take a 3-year-old to [do],” Roy says with a chuckle. “You have to be very still, because birds detect motion … . If you stand still, they ignore you. If you move, they’re off.”
Roy, 64, got the bald eagle shot by first envisioning it. He was jogging around White Rock Lake when he noticed a full moon, so he ran home, grabbed his camera and stood near the eagle’s nest for about an hour, waiting for the moon to move into the ideal place.
Then, he lay prone on the shoulder of Buckner Boulevard for about 20 minutes — he acknowledges that was “probably dumb and dangerous” — waiting for an eagle to land on a tree with the moon behind it. “The bald eagle is my favorite shot, but a purist [bird photographer] wouldn’t love that it’s mainly black and white,” he says. “To me, it tells a story. It looks very majestic.” Like his eagle portrait, Roy shares, the best shots are typically made by people who are listening and looking for specific species.
Roy hasn’t linked up with a formal birding group in Dallas, but he feels connected to bird photographers throughout the world via social media and birding applications. “There is a global community of like-minded people who want nothing more than to take great pictures and in the process bring awareness to nature and conservation efforts, and be appreciative of the gift nature has given us and be good stewards of it,” he says.
Roy enjoys the whole process, noting that being out in the fresh air improves his mood and outlook and certainly beats sitting at home. “I go out there in the greenery, intent on listening for birds, and it’s an absolutely wonderful feeling,” he says. “When you start spotting the birds, it’s just miraculous. You take pictures and look at close-ups, and you are in awe of nature.”
As for the childhood hunting episode, Roy says it came back to him when he was telling friends his theory that bird photography is just like hunting, except the trophies are shared on social media instead of on a wall, and there’s no violence.
“All of a sudden, I realized deep down I had told myself that I was going to do bird photography,” he says, “and sure enough, I must have programmed myself.”
The benefits of birdsong
It’s well-documented that being in nature positively impacts mental health and reduces stress, and that includes seeing and hearing birds, according to research published last year in Scientific Reports.
Hearing birdsong elevated feelings of well-being not only in the moment but also hours later, according to a British study. It benefited healthy participants as well as those with depression, and it alleviated feelings of anxiety and paranoia. In North Texas, it’s often possible to hear birds simply by walking outside.
If you want to go deeper, Merlin Bird ID by Cornell Lab (merlin.allaboutbirds.org) can tell you what birds you are hearing, while eBird by Cornell Lab (ebird.org) is a global online database that records what species have been spotted in specific places worldwide. Both applications are free and are downloadable for Android and iOS.
“The eBird app is truly remarkable because bird-watchers will obsessively log what birds they have seen,” says Dallas bird photographer Rajiv Roy. “It’s a useful tool pretty much anywhere in the world. Last summer, we were in Alaska and we looked up hot spots on eBird, and sure enough, those birds were there.”
