The Broomfield Photo Club will meet at 6:45 p.m. Feb. 27 in the Crawford Room at the Broomfield Community Center, 280 Spader Way. This month’s meeting will feature a talk from club member Ann Huffman, whose presentation will entail “Capturing Experiences: A Blogger’s Approach to Photography.” The club meets on the fourth Tuesday of every month, with its next meeting scheduled for March 28. Meetings are also held via Zoom. To learn more about the club, visit its Facebook page at facebook.com/photoclubbroomfield or by contacting Carl Muehlemeyer at 303-469-0537 or broomfielphotoclub@gmail.com.

The New York Times has issued a strongly worded letter to the Israeli consulate in New York asking that Israel’s Foreign Ministry “cease perpetrating the provably false claim that the freelance photographer Yousef Masoud was embedded with Hamas terrorists on October 7.”

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Barry Stone

Leslie Moody Castro talks with artist, musician, and podcaster Barry Stone about how he engages with local artists, performers, and photography through his long-running project, Porch Swing Orchestra.

“The relation of image and sound is, at its core, really what Porch Swing Orchestra and Vast is the Sea is about. So, all the artists are bound, in diverse ways, through explorations of image, sound, and community.”

To play the podcast, click on the orange play button below. You can also find Glasstire on Apple Podcasts and on Spotify.

If you enjoy Glasstire and would like to support our work, please consider donating. As a nonprofit, all of the money we receive goes back into our coverage of Texas art. You can make a one-time donation or become a sustaining, monthly donor here.

Related Readings:
—Glasstire: Barry Stone’s Porch Swing Orchestra
—Glasstire: Everything Comes from Itself: Barry Stone’s “Lost Pines” at Lora Reynolds Gallery
—Glasstire: Barry Stone: Man about Town
—Artforum: Barry Stone at Klaus von Nichtssagend Gallery
—Glasstire: VAST IS THE SEA at Co-Lab Projects
—Glasstire: Barry Stone: Second Season
—The Porch Swing Orchestra Website

Why this photo

I’m always thinking of ways to take a different photo. I’m looking for things like new angles and exposures, in sports as well as in general news. Because there are multiple players involved in sports, you have to take as many pictures as possible in one location, which can result in a lot of similar photos. Swimming had already been going on for several days at the World Aquatics Championships when I decided to change things up to see what I could get. In the preliminary round, I planned to take shots outside the marquee middle lanes – 3, 4, and 5 – we usually focus on. After adjusting the underwater camera location and test-shooting a few times, I could predict that certain positions would give me the diverse, new photos I wanted.

How I made the photo

During heats in the morning – the races for qualifying for the finals – I took the initiative to test other camera placements. I asked the diver in charge to move the underwater camera to another lane in advance, and I took this photo during the men’s 200-meter breaststroke using the appropriate shutter speed and my custom white balance settings, one of the three presets I made on the camera. I set the white balance, which varies depending on the camera’s distance from the subject in the water and the lighting, and applied the appropriate setting at each moment of the swimmer’s movement. As a result, the most optimal combination of the white balance in and out of the water and color enhanced the swimmer’s movement in my photos. I tried to shorten the distance between the swimmer and the camera as much as possible because both the exposure and color balance change as you get farther away from the camera.

Why the photo works

Underwater photography is not just about camera adjustments but a combination of various technologies. AP photographer David J. Phillip helped me with the installation of the underwater camera. I troubleshooted through zoom meetings and real-time conversations, and I was able to make the photos I wanted for three weeks. Also, with cooperation from the underwater divers, I was able to install the camera in my desired lane. I received help from fellow photographers on the ground, too. Although the underwater camera housing moves faster with increasingly advanced technology, taking photos by hand is still different. I planned ahead, using the zoom of the lens and the movement of the housing to preset the camera angle where I wanted. I set the white balance, which varies depending on the distance and lighting in the water and applied the appropriate setting at each moment. As a result, I was able to best express the swimmers’ movements.

___ For more AP photography, click here.

At 3 a.m., while most Longmont residents are sleeping, Chris Rodgers is running toward a fire.

Moments earlier, he has awoken to a dispatch call airing across his home radios. Within seconds he has decided if it’s worth the photo, and if it is, he grabs his camera, suits up and heads toward the scene.

Rodgers, also known as Code 10 Photography, is one of the few fire photographers in the Boulder County area, a role he has held for the past 15 years. Starting as a volunteer EMT in 2003, Rodgers, 38, has become a household name among local fire stations and works contractually, part-time or through verbal agreements with departments.

“If something big happens, I’ll get the notification, I’ll listen to the radio, I’ll drive over there,” Rodgers said. “I enjoy going when I can, because the firefighters I’ve met throughout the years love being able to see photos of them working for the public but also just like seeing what they do and being able to share that with their families.”

From 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, Rodgers works as a radio electronics technician. But he got his start taking photos whenever he had a free moment working on an ambulance as a young adult.

“I started bringing a camera with me, and I was on these really interesting scenes with helicopters, crashes, fire assists, just a whole bunch of stuff,” Rodgers said. “So I would take pictures when I could, when I had the opportunity.”

While volunteering, Rodgers began working as an EMT for Pridemark Paramedic Services in Boulder County, where he would come in on his days off and take photos of the crews working. Through a co-worker, Rodgers connected with Boulder Rural Fire Rescue, which led him to work with Mountain View Fire Rescue, the Longmont Fire Department and Boulder Fire-Rescue.

“Fire photography, rescue photography is kind of my topic of interest, that’s where I’ve stuck,” Rodgers said. “Other photographers like landscape, other photographers like portraits, I stuck with the fire photography so when there’s an opportunity for that to happen, that’s when I go.”

For Rodgers, his photography isn’t about the pay, awards or hopes of turning it into a full-time career, but the enjoyment of seeing his skills develop over time.

“The drive is to strive for a really good photo,” Rodgers said. “The further you go back in my photos on social media, you see that I had lower quality photos, maybe something I could have done better. As I progress throughout the years, I see my photos get better. So that’s kind of my drive.”

Rodgers added that he doesn’t take pictures to get the perfect shot of disaster but to capture the courageous people who respond. He said he hopes his work shows the public the hard work that first responders do to save lives and property.

“One of the big things I’ve been doing a lot lately is taking photos of fire academy training sessions,” Rodgers said. “I’ve done that for a couple years now, and I enjoy getting to see those firefighters actually out on the line being firefighters and running real calls. It’s kind of like watching someone grow up.”

Rodgers recalls responding to a structure fire in December 2022 which resulted in the Sunshine Fire. Rodgers said firefighters initially responded to a call for a structure fire. However, by the time they arrived, it had spread to surrounding woodland. As crews worked to stop the spread he shot a Boulder Rural firefighter carrying a hose down a steep hill while a home burned behind him.

“That’s one of my favorite photos,” Rodgers said. “Sometimes you’re going for one thing and something switches really quickly. Even though you’re not prepared exactly for something that’s happening now, you’re still ready to go.”

With a constant ear on the emergency scanner, Rodgers is thankful to his wife for her support of his passion, even at times where she has woken up at odd hours in the night to a call.

Code 10 Photography can be followed on Instagram at @code10photos and on Facebook at Code 10 Photography.

Takagi Akimitsu, one of the most prolific and well-known crime novelists of 20th century Japan, was also a brilliant photographer. A French book depicting his photos from 1950s Tokyo was recently on display at the International Tattoo Fair in Paris.

Famous memory card maker Lexar announced its (now outdated) 2024 roster of “Lexar Elite Photographers” this week, and many online commenters quickly noticed something each of the seven photographers have in common: They’re all men.

“Ruh roh! There’s a common theme with your choice of elite,” writes Australian photographer Melissa Findley on Instagram, alluding to the lack of diversity.

“Silly of me to think women could be elite photographers,” adds Iceland-based photographer and videographer Kyana Sue Powers.

“These are all great photographers, that’s clear. But… surely, you could have found at least one female photographer that’s on par with them. At least one? No?” asks travel content creator Eva zu Beck.

“You’re a great brand, but you could’ve done much better. There’s a million insanely talented women photographers there doing new things. And they actually interact and represent the community,” writes adventure photographer Ryan Resatka. “Not sure if this was intentionally selected or done by one of your agencies for targeted marketing but yeah…”

“I have been shooting for nine years. I have seen it all with brands excluding female photographers and every year I think to myself, ‘This has to change this year. It will, because I know so many in the industry. So many with so much talent,’” writes photographer Emily Thomas. “And yet, here we are in 2024, with a huge brand saying that ‘elite’ photographers are male… I am disappointed, hurt, and hoping for change. Women deserve to be recognized and admired in an industry where they can contribute so much. Please do better.”

These are but a small sampling of the comments on Lexar’s since-deleted Instagram post announcing its 2024 class of “Lexar Elite Photographers,” and they touch on numerous facets of the issue and why so many people are so troubled by Lexar’s initial selections.

There’s nothing inherently wrong with any of the initial picks for the 2024 Lexar Elite Photographers. All seven are very talented. Further, despite what some commenters assert, none of the individuals are responsible for Lexar’s exclusively male selections.

The problem is that there are plenty of exceptionally talented women for Lexar to have picked to be part of this brand ambassador group. And let’s be clear, that’s precisely what these photographers are: brand ambassadors. While they all showcase talent in their respective photographic fields, their participation in the Lexar Elite Photographers group is a commercial endeavor meant to market Lexar’s memory cards to a broader audience. It also expands the reach of the selected photographers, not that any of the seven original picks need much help in that department.

The Lexar Elite Photographers are not some group of contest winners. It isn’t like there was some big pool of entrants and a thorough and critical judging process that blindly selected these seven specific men.

This is also not a random selection from some pool of pros, where you could stick your hand in a hat and just so happen to pick out seven men because there are more men in the field. Precisely how photography became a male-dominated field is a much larger and more complex topic, but suffice it to say, it’s the result of many factors, including institutionalized sexism and discrimination.

This is also not some thoroughly exclusive group. It is not like Lexar would have been forced to exclude one of its seven picks to “make room” for a woman or anyone else. This differs from when a university makes admission decisions based on meeting some desired racial makeup.

Lexar concluded — wrongly — that the best way to reach and expand its audience and sell more products to photographers was to enlist these specific people.

Do you know what makes an audience wider? Including women.

Do you know how to connect with a more diverse and more extensive group of photographers? Involving a more diverse group of brand ambassadors.

It seems so simple. I’m not a marketing expert, but I do care about photography, and it’s tiresome seeing how frequently women and people of color must do twice as much work to receive half the recognition.

The situation gives off major vibes of Canon Phillipines’ similar gaffe with its ambassadors in 2021.

Filipino photojournalist Jilson Tiu, who was part of the Canon’s original “Crusaders of Light,” went so far as to quit the program because Canon Philippines failed to apologize for its mistake.

Representation matters, and women are historically woefully underrepresented in photography despite occupying a large and significant role in every genre of photography.

And yeah, maybe this is all a bit rich coming from a white man. I get that. But it is precisely my position that makes it somewhat hard for me to fully understand just how much representation matters for people who are underrepresented and historically marginalized. When people speak up and say something is wrong, it’s my — and everyone else’s — responsibility to listen.

And obviously, Lexar has listened and agreed with some commenters because it has reversed course and deleted its original post. The company has also changed its tune concerning Lexar Elite Photographers dramatically in a new Instagram post:

Lexar Community, we heard you loud and clear regarding our Lexar Elite Photographer selection. You’re correct — we missed the mark. The selection is not an accurate reflection of our amazing community and for that we apologize. We need to do better. And change can’t wait for next year, it needs to happen now.

Starting today we are actively looking for diverse photographers and creators to add to our Lexar Elite Team this year. We are looking for educators, innovators, and photographers who are constantly pushing the boundaries of creativity and technology in order to create stunning images. If you’d like to nominate yourself or someone you know please tag them below.

We appreciate your honest feedback and will continue to look for ways to improve our community with your support and input. Thank you team!

So that’s where we are now. Lexar made a horrible blunder, got hosed in the comments, deleted the original post, and reversed course in response to the criticism.

On the one hand, it’s genuinely baffling that the original choices were all men. If Lexar wanted those seven individuals in particular, which is reasonable, the company could’ve also selected at least a few of the many qualified women to include as part of a bigger roster. Ideally, Lexar would have included photographers from a wider range of racial and cultural backgrounds, too.

That at no point before the 2024 Lexar Elite Photographers were selected and published, did someone say, “Hey, wait a minute,” is still concerning. I’m unsure if there are just not enough different voices in the room, but it’s not a great look.

On the other hand, Lexar heard the feedback and listened, which is excellent. Because people got involved in the discussion and did so with a level of restraint and rationality that, quite frankly, wasn’t wholly deserved, a change for the better is in the works.

In Lexar’s original and new post, many are tagging photographers who are perfect candidates for a revised roster of Lexar Elite Photographers. It’s fantastic to see.

The photography community isn’t always one big happy family, but when it is, we all benefit. Inclusion and representation ensure that more voices are heard, stories are told, and meaningful art is created.

Lexar’s new class of Elite Photographers will surely be more diverse than the original selections. Nonetheless, this is a week that the memory card maker will be keen to forget.

A gigantic plume of plasma recently exploded from the sun’s south pole, where solar eruptions almost never occur. The explosion, which a photographer captured in stunning detail, is another telltale sign that the sun is about to enter its most active phase — the solar maximum. 

The rare phenomenon occurred on Feb. 17, when a solar flare exploded from a sunspot near the sun’s south pole, releasing a gigantic column of ionized gas, or plasma, that towered around 124,300 miles (200,000 kilometers) above the solar surface — around 15 times taller than Earth, Spaceweather.com reported. The plasma eventually snapped away from the sun and hurtled into space as a gigantic cloud, known as a coronal mass ejection (CME).  

Astrophotographer Eduardo Schaberger Poupeau captured a highly detailed composite image of the plume before it broke away from the solar surface. “The plasma column was so large, I had to rotate the camera to fit it into the frame,” Poupeau told Spaceweather.com. “It was truly a wonderful spectacle.” 

Related: Sun erupts with most powerful solar flare since 2017 amid explosive week (video)

This stellar blast was extremely unusual because it erupted from the sun’s south pole: Most solar flares erupt from sunspots on or around the sun’s equator and almost never from near the magnetic poles, because the poles are where the sun’s magnetic field is strongest, which normally suppresses sunspot formation. 

Due to the orientation of the flare, the CME was directed away from Earth and the rest of the planets, which all orbit the sun on the same plane.

The unusual eruption was likely triggered by what scientists call a polar crown filament (PCF) — a loop of magnetism that circles the sun’s magnetic poles, according to Spaceweather.com. The plasma plume that was spat out by the flare is known as a polar crown prominence (PCP).

PCPs become more common during the solar maximum — the most active phase of the sun’s roughly 11-year solar cycle. During this phase, PCFs shrink in size, “like a tightening noose around their respective poles,” Spaceweather.com reported. As these magnetic crowns constrict, they “strangle” the nearby magnetic fields, making them more likely to explode.

Experts believe the solar maximum will arrive at some point in the next few months — earlier than originally predicted. 

As we approach solar maximum, more and more weird phenomena are occurring at the sun’s poles: In February 2023, a PCP broke off from the sun and got caught in a PCF, creating a swirling plasma vortex that raged around the sun’s north pole for eight hours. And in March last year, a PCP collapsed in on itself, creating a gigantic plasma waterfall near the sun’s south pole, which was shortly followed by an enormous plume of rotating plasma, known as a “solar tornado,” near the solar north pole that lasted for three days.