Elton John and his husband David Furnish have collected over 7,000 pieces of fine art photography over the past thirty years.

John and Furnish are some of the biggest collectors of photography in the world. They both have a passion for photography and the impact that a beautiful image can have. John speaks about how seeing fashion photography as fine art changed everything for him. Being a celebrity himself, John has been photographed countless times and never paid attention to photography until he was with a friend at an art exhibition. As his friend was purchasing photos, John started to look at photography as art. John purchased ten photos that night.

One of the featured series in the video is Nan Golden’s “Thanksgiving,” which depicts the AIDS epidemic, drug addiction, and abuse. John recalls his addictions and how he was drawn to this series. John and Furnish also have an AIDS foundation, so the subject matter is important to both of them.

John and Furnish also have several prints from African American photographers who have been very underrepresented until now. As you may know, photographers like Tyler Mitchell and Wardell Milan are making a big mark in photography and the fine art photography world.

Robert Mapplethorpe is John and Furnish’s most collected artist, with over one hundred prints. One Mapplethorpe image is always hanging in each of their homes.

There are so many great images discussed in this video and so many great photographers. The power of a photograph is undeniable, and the importance of capturing a moment in time is how we will remember the significance of that period. As John says, “Nothing speaks the truth like a photograph.”

WASHINGTON: Newly assigned to cover the Reagan White House, Associated Press photographer Ron Edmonds knew the most important part of the job was to keep watch on the president “at all times.”

He did that for 28 years.

But there was never a day like March 30, 1981. That was when Edmonds, who died Friday night in Virginia at age 77, took a series of images for the ages.

President Ronald Reagan had just spoken to members of the AFL-CIO at a Hilton hotel not far from the White House. As Reagan emerged from the hotel, John Hinckley Jr. used a revolver to fire at the president, his aides and his protective detail.

Edmonds was in place for an exclusive series of pictures taken across the roof of Reagan’s limousine as Reagan was struck and then shoved down and into the vehicle. It sped to the hospital where doctors saved the president’s life.

That coverage and those indelible images won Edmonds the Pulitzer for spot news photography.

“I wish it had been for a picture that had not been of violence, of people being hurt,” he said when the award was announced on April 12, 1982.

Edmonds was summoned to the Oval Office for a chat with the president the next day. Reagan joked, Edmonds said, that photographers always asked him for “just one more” picture. He could replay the shooting scene, the president said, but this time he would use a stuntman.

In a first-person retrospective three decades later, Edmonds said in an AP video that the fateful day was shaping up like one of the thousands of events he had covered during Reagan’s campaign: “Meet and greet, a little speech, shake some hands. I actually thought it was going to be a rather boring event.’’

Outside, however, the photographer heard what sounded like firecrackers.

“Everything happened in such a quick, split-second. If you looked to your right to see what the shot, what the noise was, and looked back, the president was already gone. The president immediately, when the first pop went off, he kind of grimaced in his face and that’s when I pushed the shutter down,’’ Edmonds recalled.

Would it be blurry because Reagan was whisked away so fast? Edmonds had to wait until the film was processed so he could see the negatives and know whether he had anything.

“You did the best you could with the abilities that you’ve got,” he said. Of this, he was sure: “I had the camera on him and I mean I saw everything through the viewfinder.’’

AP’s executive editor, Julie Pace, said that “Ron brought some of the most significant moments in the history of the American presidency to life for people around the world. Working with Ron was also an honor for any journalist who had the opportunity. He was generous with his time and advice, and he had the respect of his colleagues, competitors and those he covered.”

Honored in 2013 by the White House News Photographers Association with its Lifetime Achievement Award, Edmonds traced the arc of his career.

“I decided to take a photography class in 1968 and it literally changed my life,” Edmonds wrote. A newspaper photographer turned college professor encouraged Edmonds to photograph antiwar demonstrations in Sacramento, California.

Edmonds sold one of his images for $25 to United Press International. “I saw it in the newspaper the next day, and I knew what I wanted to do for a living.

He freelanced in California before taking a job at the Honolulu Star-Bulletin. Five years later came a promotion to chief photographer.

Edmonds, who was born June 6, 1946, in California, met his wife, Grace, when she joined the newspaper in 1975 to cover courts. She survives him, as does their daughter Ashley.

“Opting for a bigger pond,” he wrote, Edmonds joined UPI in Sacramento in 1978 as a newspicture bureau manager.

The AP came calling during Reagan’s presidential campaign in 1980 with an opening in the Washington bureau. “It was a dream come true to work at the White House with legends in the craft,” Edmonds wrote.

The Pulitzer, he noted, was earned on only his second day as the AP’s White House photographer covering Reagan.

“The most important element of my job was to watch the president at all times, and I think, on that day, I did everything I was supposed to do,” Edmonds wrote.

“Still, I was convinced I was in trouble with my bosses because I had failed to get a picture of John Hinckley Jr. When I got word to call the president of the AP in New York, I assumed the worst. He told me, ‘You nailed it, kid.’ I got a $50-a-week merit raise. My bureau chief, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Walter Mears, jokingly complained that he had only gotten a $25-a-week raise for his Pulitzer.”

Edmonds retired in 2009, when he was the AP’s senior White House photographer. He had covered presidents and the world, Super Bowls and the Olympics.

“Ron was a very dedicated photojournalist who helped me a lot when I first started in Washington by teaching me how to cover the White House beat for the AP,” said Pablo Martínez Monsiváis, assistant chief of bureau for photography in Washington. “I am very fortunate to have had him as a coworker and friend for all these years.”

Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor

(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed – Associated Press)

Sam Wilson is back in action this week as Captain America: Brave New World commences a round of additional photography in Atlanta, featuring a new cast member. Giancarlo Esposito, who had been hinting at his involvement in a Marvel Studios project for weeks, is now confirmed to be part of the cast. Esposito is slated to play a villainous role, although specific details remain under wraps.

New Action Sequences and Production Schedule

The additional photography, directed by Julius Onah, will run for 22 days and include new action sequences. Despite reports of multiple reshoots, insiders indicate this is the only one and it will not be as extensive or costly as reshoots for other Marvel films like Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and The Marvels.

Overcoming Delays

Brave New World wrapped principal photography in spring 2023 but faced delays in postproduction due to the writers’ and actors’ strikes. With the actors’ strike ending in November, Marvel pushed the release date from July 26, 2024, to February 14, 2025. This extension allowed executives to refine the film based on test screening feedback. Matthew Orton, known for his work on Marvel’s Moon Knight, was brought in to write new pages over the winter.

A Grounded Action Thriller

The film, described as a political action thriller similar in tone to Captain America: The Winter Soldier, stars Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson, who takes up the mantle of Captain America. At CinemaCon, Marvel head Kevin Feige highlighted the film’s grounded nature, emphasizing “no aliens, no alien invasions, no time travel.”

A Diverse and Star-Studded Cast

The cast includes Harrison Ford, Liv Tyler, Tim Blake Nelson, Danny Ramirez, and Rosa Salazar. The film, spinning out of Disney+’s 2021 series The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, has high expectations, especially with its focus on a Black hero donning the iconic Captain America costume. This move holds significant cultural relevance, potentially paralleling the impact of Black Panther.

Posted: 1st June, 2024 by The Editor

In an interview with the podcast, “The Downbeat”, Brian Garris, lead singer of Knocked Loose, told the story of the band’s 3rd LP title, You Won’t Go Before You’re Supposed To. Brian says that a woman sitting next to him on a plane was talking to him during a turbulent flight and casually uttered the words, “You won’t go before you’re supposed to.” Those 7 words are exactly what this album is about. Since it’s release, I have listened to it at least once a day, everyday. It won’t leave my ears before it’s supposed to. The entire album is a fiery hell-scape of sound.

The first track, “The Thirst” hits you like a ton of bricks. With the first couple of seconds of the track just being a ringing of bells, the safety net of just a singular sound gets broken by Brian Garris’ scream and a wall of instrumentals. The first words “Powered by the thirst” break the wall of sound and continue into a powerful first track about the strong desire for comfort and change. The final lyrics end with “I want to start again. I can almost taste it.” which sets the tone for the rest of the LP. Brian’s scream and the whole band’s fury of sound at the beginning of “The Thirst” don’t stop throughout the entire LP. “Piece by Piece”, “Suffocate”, and “Don’t Reach For Me” all beautifully compliment each other as they transition from track to track. However, a major stand-out was Poppy’s feature on “Suffocate”. The track’s lyrical themes are about a controlling relationship and trying to escape. I really enjoyed the dynamic Brian and Poppy have together on this track. Their screams play off of each other in this painful duality that really ties the lyrical themes together. And of course, we cannot forget the reggaton breakdown from Kevin Kaine in the middle of the track. Truly unexpected, but a really fun nod to the genre.

Another standout track for me was “Take Me Home”, a (in my opinion) sleeper hit of the LP. The track is a cry for help to take them out of the darkness. I think that this track is truly underrated in the scope of the LP. The creepy intro of the guitars followed by the deep bass riff and drum parts create this horror-movie-esque atmosphere. The guitar picking is eerie and contagious, creating a looming effect like something is always there itching away at you. The lyrics in the middle of the track, “I’m not as strong as I thought I was” followed by a repeated “Take me home now” is a heart-wrenching cry of defeat and for help. Which at this point on the LP feels appropriate. We’ve had 5 non-stop gut-punching tracks with all different themes around escape and pain, so to have “Take Me Home” placed almost in the center of the LP feels exactly right. We do want to be taken home, we do feel defeated by the amount of pain and suffering that is happening thematically and lyrically throughout this record. This track grounds the LP and almost allows for us to take a little cry-break before heading into the second leg of the LP.

With high anticipation, we are gifted with “Slaughterhouse 2”, a follow-up track to the first track “Slaughterhouse” by Motionless in White, featuring Brian Garris. Now, it’s Knocked Loose’s turn, and they brought Chris Motionless to absolutely throw down on the track. Same themes as the first track, but now tinged with Knocked Loose’s approach, the track delivered, and we will certainly not be surviving the slaughterhouse. The entire second leg of the record is again blaring with sound. It’s a non-stop feast for the ears. The following track “The Calm That Keeps You Awake” takes on a lot of creativity with the drums section, and grooves it’s way all throughout the track. Next up, “Blinding Faith”, which was previously released as a single, just demolished my eardrums when I first listened to it. The 3-way call-out, “Bend the knee, son of god” closed by Brian’s gutteral scream, is perfection. For a track that is all about denying the church and Christianity, it rips it to shreds. Closed out by “Sit & Mourn”, again, an eerie and haunting track, the LP takes it’s final rest with a dramatic breakdown at the end of the track.

Overall, this LP is 27 minutes and 33 seconds of pure sonic explosion. It’s not a palatable experience for all, but for those who are a fan of this genre, and especially Knocked Loose, you will not be disappointed. I was lucky enough to catch the band on their latest tour with Speed, Loathe, and Show Me The Body on night 2 of their NYC shows. Although I didn’t catch all of Speed’s set, what they showcased was hardcore at it’s finest. Traditional riffs and anger imported from Australia, they’re ones to watch. Next was Loathe, a Liverpool-based band, who’s sound borrows from hardcore with it’s own flair of beats in a nuanced way. Finally, Show Me The Body, a unconventional, yet conventional, trio from Brooklyn, who’s music continue to grow and develop with time.

Knocked Loose played an insane set. Opening with just an L.E.D. cross that lit up behind a giant beige sheet that fell to the ground at the beginning of “Blinding Faith”, I knew that this show was going to be bonkers. The crowd was a sea of crowd-surfers and pit-pushers alike. Playing from their entire discography, the band elevated their performance since I last saw them in 2019. The stage was set like a church, with a giant cross in the back, trees, and screens mimicking stain-glass windows. The atmosphere of the stage and the band’s presence was a spectacle. From the “arf arf” call-out in “Counting Worms” to “Knocked Loose motherf*ker” in “Deep in the Willow” every single person was screaming and head-banging to nearly every single song. It was an incredible performance and amazing experience.

Photos and Words by Sarah Knoll

Disappointing / Average / Good / Great / Phenomenal

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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle married in 2018 amid all the pomp and pageantry surrounding traditional royal nuptials. However, one photographer called the wedding “miserable” and the “worst royal event” he has ever attended.

Royal photographer says Prince Harry Meghan Markle’s wedding was the ‘worst royal event’

In an interview with The Sun, Royal photographer Arthur Edwards shared his thoughts about Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s wedding. He admits, “I hated the day.”

Edwards claims, “It was a miserable day. I can tell you now, it was the worst royal engagement I ever did.”

He continued of the drama, “Harry was determined to keep the newspapers away as much as possible. Everything [the photography] was done on long lenses. It was hopeless.”

“It wasn’t just me; it was the whole British press. They were, in many ways, badly treated. Harry was angry at us for some of the things that were said about Meghan. Quite rightly, some of the things that were said about Meghan that were said during the engagement were pretty harsh and pretty unfair as well.”

“He was angry. I felt we were punished for that,” Edwards concluded.

Issues with the press continued after the couple’s son Prince Archie was born

Royal photographer Arthur Edwards told The Sun he has photographed many royal weddings in his long career. He claims that they were “lovely” compared to the experience he had snapping the nuptials of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.

“I’ve done some really lovely royal weddings. Both of King Charles’ weddings, William’s wedding, Andrew, Sophie and Edward. They were lovely occasions, but I just couldn’t get out of Windsor fast enough,” Edwards said of the location which hosted the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s ceremony.

He then shared some recollections of the couple’s announcement of Prince Archie’s birth. He called that event “another disaster.”

Edwards said, “When Archie was born, that was another disaster. Because I knew we weren’t going to get a picture of it.”

The photographer continued, “Obviously, when William was born, Harry was born, George, Charlotte, and Louis, we got great pictures outside the hospital. William and Catherine especially made such an effort to show the whole world their new baby.”

However, he claims that Harry and Meghan handled their situation much differently. “We were led to believe she had gone into labor, when the baby had been born many hours earlier. We were led to believe it was going to be a home birth, but it was at a hospital. The whole thing was stage-managed to suit them.”

Despite all his professional mishaps in shooting the couple, Edwards once firmly believed that Meghan’s arrival into the House of Windsor would be an asset. “I have to say, that first year of working with Meghan on the road, I thought she was a great asset to the royal family.”

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle left their roles as senior royals in 2020

After two years of marriage, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle left their roles as senior royals. The couple announced the news on January 8, 2020, via Instagram.

Their message began, “After many months of reflection and internal discussions, we have chosen to transition this year in starting to carve out a progressive new role within this institution. We intend to step back as ‘senior’ members of the royal family and work to become financially independent while continuing to fully support Her Majesty The Queen.”

However, Queen Elizabeth was reportedly not in favor of part-time work. On January 18, 2020, she wrote that she hoped Harry and Meghan’s decision to step back from full-time duties to the crown “allows them to start building a happy and peaceful new life.”

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle subsequently settled in California. The couple has two children, Prince Archie, and Princess Lilibet.