Photo Feature by Ernesto González Díaz

HAVANA TIMES – Minimalist photography comes from the artistic movement known as minimalism or reductive art, which emerged in the United States in the 1950s. In the world of art, minimalism uses a limited number of elements to build the desired effect or convey an intention or concept through a message. It can be said that the most important characteristic of any minimalist work is its maximum simplicity, impartial and neutral approach. It is important to say that the art of a minimalist style or that is associated with this current, can be present in painting, engraving, cinema, theater, dance, it can be present in practically any artistic manifestation.

In the case of minimalist photography, this is characterized by simplicity, sobriety, the use of the fewest number of objects in the composition process and a restricted number of colors, which is why many photographs considered minimalist are monochrome or black and white. The photographer focuses fundamentally on showing textures, geometries, and simple shapes, although in the same work there may be repetition of the same shape, for example a line. Minimalism is an artistic style or current that can be applied to various genres such as portraiture, landscape, nature photography, still life, among others.

The images that we show as an example of photographic minimalism, from a technical point of view, are characterized by having a very open diaphragm, between 4 and 5, which guarantee selective focus, almost at the macro level, so that visuality is focused on a single object or element.

See more photo galleries here on Havana Times.

A new exhibition featuring photographs from Jean Howard, a Hollywood icon whose lens
captured the essence of the golden era of cinema, is now on display through Saturday,
Sept. 30, at the University of Wyoming American Heritage Center (AHC).

The exhibition, titled “Jean Howard’s Hollywood: The excitement, the glamour and the
good times,” highlights a selection of her exceptional photography, and it offers
a captivating glimpse into the glamour and allure of Hollywood’s golden age.

Howard’s journey in Hollywood began in 1930, when she landed her first role as a showgirl
in the Florenz Ziegfeld movie musical “Whoopee!” She then moved to New York City,
where she participated in two additional Ziegfeld productions before securing a contract
at MGM studios. Returning to Hollywood in 1933, Howard appeared in a variety of films
in the 1930s and 1940s, including “The Prizefighter and the Lady,” “Claudia” and “The
Final Hour”; she also appeared on Broadway.

Howard’s life took an unexpected turn in 1944, when a graphologist examining her handwriting
discovered her remarkable gift for photography. Initially skeptical, Howard decided
to explore her newfound talent and enrolled at the Art Center in Los Angeles. At the
time, she did not know that the decision would shape her illustrious career.

Her innate ability to put her subjects at ease, combined with her connections to Hollywood’s
elite, allowed Howard to capture candid and intimate moments that would become iconic.
Her stunning portraiture graced the pages of esteemed publications such as Life magazine,
Vogue, Look magazine and Harper’s Bazaar. Notable photographs include legendary Hollywood
stars such as Marlon Brando, Grace Kelly and Marilyn Monroe.

“This exhibition at the American Heritage Center at the University of Wyoming provides
a glimpse inside the Jean Howard Collection held here at the center,” says AHC Director
Paul Flesher. “Ms. Howard’s materials are just one of the many AHC collections featuring
Hollywood stars, directors, composers and other influential figures in the history
of film. Join us at the American Heritage Center as we pay homage to the indelible
legacy of Jean Howard, a visionary photographer whose talent continues to captivate
audiences today.”

For more information about the exhibition and the AHC, visit www.uwyo.edu/ahc/.

She’s like a locomotive. She don’t run out of steam. She’s headed for any concertgoers who are taking disruptive pictures of themselves during her performance, reaming them out. Miranda Lambert, country superstar, stopped the show during her Las Vegas residency on July 17 to chastise some audience members who weren’t paying attention. “I’m gonna stop right here for a sec,” Lambert said, halting her song “Tin Man,” as shown in a video posted to TikTok. “These girls are worried about a selfie and not listening to the song, and it’s pissing me off a little bit.”

One of the fans, who was taking the picture, Adela Cain, later posted the pic anyway, with the caption, “These are the 2 pictures we were talking when Miranda Lambert stopped her concert and told us to sit down and not take selfies 😱.” “It was 30 seconds at most,” Cain, an influencer, told NBC News. “It felt like I was back at school with the teacher scolding me for doing something wrong and telling me to sit down back in my place.” However, another TikToker later posted some extra context, saying, “This started several minutes before Miranda stopped the show. And then continued with more people AND flash into Tin Man, which was distracting to everyone around them during one of the most powerful moments … Everyone around them was happy Miranda addressed it.” Cain’s explanation does allude to the length of the photo session: “We just couldn’t get one good picture,” she says at one point. While we won’t take sides, we will have to point out that either way, those pictures are simply not selfies. It is a photo taken with flash. The Chainsmokers and Miranda Lambert need to stop slandering the selfie’s name.

In 2021, while on assignment for Reuters news agency in Afghanistan, Pulitzer-winning photographer Danish Siddiqui was killed after the Afghani special forces he was with came under fire by the Taliban.

His untimely death serves as a reminder of the dangers journalists and photographers face when heading into a live war zone.

Siddiqui’s photos have now been collated into a new book that showcases the photos he captured in his native country of India and beyond.

Questions remain over precisely what happened to Siddiqui, but grim reports over his fate include his body being mutilated by the Taliban who allegedly displayed it in a town center.

A Reuters investigation found that Siddiqui was left behind by retreating Afghan forces after some confusion. A commander believed the photographer and two other soldiers were safely on a convoy when they were convalescing in a mosque.

The New York Times said they had seen multiple photographs of Siddiqui’s body that show nearly a dozen bullet wounds and tire marks on his face and chest.

The Taliban have denied any wrongdoing, saying that they were under orders to treat bodies with respect. Sidiqqui’s death happened during the chaotic withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan which allowed the Taliban to take back control of the country.

Siddiqui won two Pulitzer prizes; the first one, in 2018, was for his role documenting the Rohingya refugee crisis. And in 2022, he was awarded the price posthumously for his images of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Danish Siddiqui is publised by Kehrer Verlag and is avaialble to purchase here.

Image credits: All photos by Danish Siddiqui/Reuters (unless otherwise stated).

There are many ways to approach landscape photography, each with its own advantages and drawbacks, but one that we perhaps engage with the least is the intuitive method, namely building an emotional connection with the scene and allowing that to lead our photographic creation. This insightful video features an experienced landscape photographer discussing the approach and how to connect a landscape’s impact on you with actionable photographic ideas and techniques. 

Coming to you from Alister Benn of Expressive Photography, this fantastic video essay discusses connecting with landscapes on a personal level and using that for your own work. I think this is something many of us overlook in our process. Landscape work can be a very technical and formulaic genre, and there is nothing wrong with approaching it in that manner, but we can often find new and innovative ways of rendering a scene by finding our emotional connection with it, and the process can be more meaningful and enjoyable as well. Check out the video above for the full rundown from Benn, and don’t forget to take a look at his new book here.

And if you really want to dive into landscape photography, check out “Photographing The World 1: Landscape Photography and Post-Processing with Elia Locardi.” 

Another Australian photo retailer has hit the headlines after it disqualified a genuine photo shot on an iPhone from its regular photography competition, with judges deciding that the surreal image looked “a little AI-ish”.

It’s the reversal of a story from earlier this year, when an-AI generated image won a photo contest in Australia after tricking judges with its authenticity. 

The human-created photo in question, which you can see above, was taken by Suzi Dougherty, and shows her son posing with two mannequins at a Gucci exhibition held at the Powerhouse Museum in Sydney, Australia.

The panel of judges initially loved the photo, but after further discussion they wrote, “we can’t know for sure it is or isn’t (AI), but on the basis we’re suspicious we can’t allow it in.”

Real issue

An interesting narrative around the image played out on Charing Cross Photo’s Instagram page. The judges made a virtue of valuing human creativity and photographic practice, and made what turned out to be an unwarranted example of Dougherty’s photo by publicly announcing its disqualification from the competition, declaring, “We want the images to come from YOUR real life experience, and not sourced from cyberspace.

“There is no way we can be completely sure the image submitted was made by AI but you really can’t ignore the gut instincts of four judges.”

Four days later the competition organizers shared that Dougherty had been in touch to say the photo was a real creation, and wrote, “It is a great play on what is real and not in our world indeed. Sadly for the entrant the timing was not great considering that AI is such a hot topic.”

Clearly that wasn’t an acceptable response for many in the photography community, who demanded an apology to the vilified photographer. Competition organizer Iain Anderson has since issued a full apology “born out of sincere contrition” and Dougherty, who appears more gracious and forgiving than many in the comments section, replied “I am happy to be part of a ‘mistake’ I am a big believer in making mistakes and what can be achieved through them.”

Who would host a photo contest now?

AI-generated images that look real; human-made images that can look surreal; this is a challenging and confusing time in the creative arts competition space, and I have sympathy with organizers that are running contests according to the conventions of simpler times. Who would host a photo contest now?

Changes are needed that reflect the fact that AI-generated imaging is here to stay. Much of it comes down to clarity as to what is and isn’t accepted. Even the high-profile Sony World Photo competition awarded an AI generated image earlier this year (above) – but what wasn’t clearly communicated was that the organizers had foreknowledge of the use of AI in the creation of that image.

There’s a cloud of confusion engulfing photo contests, and something has to be done. Not all competitions have to adhere to the same guidelines, and that’s also true regarding what is and isn’t acceptable with real photos; do they need to be unedited raw images, for example, or can they be edited and manipulated?

Some competitions may decide to exclude AI altogether; others could create a new and separate AI category, while others might accept images of all kinds. Right now, though, we need clarity on what is and isn’t acceptable – judges’ gut instincts aren’t enough. Otherwise, another controversy is sure to hit the headlines soon.   

Lifting Hands International is looking for a Part-time Photographer to start in July 2023 in Moldova.

Role Profile

Lifting Hands International is looking for a part-time photographer who will primarily capture photos as well as videos of the organization’s events in Moldova and coordinate with LHI’s SMM on social media strategy and content.

The photographer will work on-call, depending on the needs of the organization, usually one or two sessions per week. This position may also provide opportunities for learning and growth, as the photographer will have the chance to develop skills in photography and social media content creation in partnership with our Social Media Manager.

Main Responsibilities

• Together with the operation team, visiting the organization’s location to capture photos and videos that align with the LHI’s message and vision.
• Selecting and editing videos and images, creating engaging visual content.
• Communicating regularly with the SMM to ensure alignment with the overall social media strategy of LHI.
• Assisting in the creation of visual content for LHI’s social media platforms, such as Instagram and Facebook, by providing visual content to be posted on those platforms.

Essential Criteria

• Previous experience working with NGOs and with vulnerable populations.
• Adaptability and time flexibility for both assignments and remote meetings.
• Good communication skills.
• Good time management skills.
• Knowledge of English language (minimum B2 level), fluent in Russian and Romanian
• Knowledge of Ukrainian is an advantage.
• Availability to travel across Moldova

We offer

• 200 MDL per hour of work
• 100 MDL per hour of travel

Eugene “Gene” Peter Stankiewicz, 84, of South Beloit worked for a variety of technology companies until his retirement. He was an active participant and volunteer for the Boy Scouts of America, amateur radio, St. Rita Catholic Church, Knights of Columbus, Computers for Schools, and VetsRoll. He enjoyed traveling, photography, ham radio, and when his children and grandchildren were young, camping and family vacations.

He died unexpectedly on Thursday, July 13, 2023. 

Gene was born in Milwaukee, WI to the late Michael and Eugenia (Galashinski) Stankiewicz on April 24, 1939. Eugene graduated from St. Johns Cathedral High School in Milwaukee in 1957. He served in the Navy from 1957 to 1961. He graduated in 1963 from Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE) with an associate degree. He married Joyce Smerlinski on April 4, 1964, in Milwaukee where they lived until relocating to Rockford, IL in 1974. Gene and Joyce were happily married for 53 years until her passing in 2017. 

In 2020 Gene met the next love of his life, Shirley Case. They spent a lot of time together and quickly became inseparable. They were married in May 2022 and enjoyed blending families, traveling, jigsaw puzzles, eating all of Shirley’s cooking, dancing in the kitchen and a daily fire in the fireplace. If you knew Gene, you knew his love of desserts and his nightly bowl of ice cream.

Gene is survived by his wife Shirley; his children Pete (Abby) Stankiewicz, Mark Stankiewicz, and Jeanne (John) Hawk; his stepchildren Colleen (Lenny) Lengrand, Greg (Vicky) Thomas, Ellen Granneman, Douglas (Donna) Case, Jeri Dorman, Christine (Steve) Bishop; grandchildren Griffin, Nicholas and Andrew Stankiewicz, Daniel (Janelle) Hawk and Virginia (Darrin) Leasure; 5 step grandchildren and 11 step great grandchildren; brothers Michael (Barbara), David (Kathy) and Marc (Cindy); sisters Judith McDonald, Catherine (Michael) Ferlitsch, and Jane (Bill) Ryan.

He was preceded in death by Joyce, his wife of 53 years; his brother Daniel Stankiewicz, and sisters Rita Lipski and Mary Robertson.

A visitation will take place on Wednesday, July 19, 2023, from 4:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. at Fitzgerald Funeral Home & Crematory, 1860 S. Mulford Road, Rockford, Illinois 61108. Funeral Mass will be held the following day, Thursday July 20, 2023, at 11 a.m. at St. Rita Catholic Church, 6254 Valley Knoll Drive, Rockford, Illinois 61109. Interment will be at Arlington Memorial Park. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made in his name to VetsRoll.