Parker, CO, May 24, 2023 –(PR.com)– Don Mammoser Photography tours has just added a new tour offering to the Galapagos Islands.

This tour offers participants the chance to learn wildlife photography in the incredible Galapagos Islands. Visit the Galapagos during the best time of year, when wildlife species at are annual highs, when the ocean is warmer and calmer, and when the islands are lush. Live aboard a privately chartered yacht with a crew of nine professionals, including licensed Galapagos guide. Learn simple, and effective bird and wildlife photography techniques. Witness and capture with a camera, the wonderful beauty of Galapagos birds, friendly marine mammals and unique Galapagos reptiles. You’ll be guided by a professional wildlife photographer while having a ton of fun traveling and photographing with a like-minded group of just 14 participants. Tour begins in Guayaquil, Ecuador during the second week of April 2024. Participants with an interest in wildlife, travel, or even landscape photography will certainly enjoy this trip. Any photographer is welcome, from very beginner to expert. Travel to the famous Galapagos Islands with an enthusiastic, professional leader.

The Tate Modern exhibition, A World in Common: Contemporary African Photography, will explore the dynamic landscape of contemporary Africa through photography and video. The exhibition will delve into themes such as cultural heritage, urbanisation, spirituality, and climate change, presenting shared artistic visions that aim to reclaim Africa’s histories while imagining more hopeful futures. The art exhibition challenges the dominant Eurocentric lens through which African societies have been represented through photography by featuring around 100 works that illuminate alternative visions. The exhibition speaks to a larger global recognition of the need to shift this focus.

The show intends to be a captivating visual journey, showcasing a wide range of photographic styles and subjects. It is set to feature an array of photographs that encompass a diverse range of genres, such as grandiose portraits, personal and private family scenes, historical postcards, and stark documentary images of the aftermath of industrial decay. The collection will serve as a reflection of the sense of unity and interconnectedness that binds the African diaspora, while also acknowledging the profound consequences of the current climate crisis that we face as a global society.

It’s interesting to delve into the themes that will be explored through the works of visual artists. Laying emphasis on the interweaving of historical narratives with imagined scenes of Africa’s regal past, anti-colonial resistance and political revolt through the works of artists such as George Osodi, Zohra Opoku, and Kudzanai Chiurai. It will also feature works by artists such as Khadija Saye, Rotimi Fani-Kayode, Maïmouna Guerresi, and Em’kal Eyongakpa that explore ritual and spiritual practices and their connection to ancestral memory. The exhibition will prominently showcase the West African masquerade as a powerful medium for the activation of cultural memory and collective identity.

The exhibition will also showcase the rise of studio photography across the continent during the 1950s and 60s when many African nations gained independence. Contemporary artists such as Lebohang Kganye, Atong Atem, Sabelo Mlangeni, and Ruth Ossai will consider the contemporary relevance of family portraiture as a space of kinship and connection. The legacy of postcolonial utopias continues to inspire artists to confront present-day landscapes, and the exhibition will feature works by artists such as François-Xavier Gbré, Andrew Esiebo, and Kiluanji Kia Henda, who document the expansion and transformation of urban cityscapes. Meanwhile, Mário Macilau, Fabrice Monteiro, Aida Muluneh, and Julianknxx will explore themes of migration and climate activism in ways that empower the viewer to imagine new and more hopeful futures.

A World in Common: Contemporary African Photography is a significant milestone in Tate Modern’s mission to diversify its programming and celebrate the contributions of artists from around the world. The exhibition is a testament to the vibrancy and diversity of African photography and video, showcasing how artists have used these mediums to subvert dominant narratives and imagine new possibilities for the future. It is also important to note how this exhibition draws a parallel to the current theme of the Venice Architecture Biennale 2023.

As the world grapples with complex challenges such as climate change, migration, and cultural heritage preservation, A World in Common invites viewers to consider how the power of photography can inspire empathy, promote understanding, and catalyse positive change. This exhibition is a must-see for anyone interested in contemporary art, African history and culture, and the transformative potential of visual media.

The exhibition takes place from July 6, 2023, until January 14, 2023.

Trenton Gordon is a WBR Parish photographer who provides photography services for business headshots and various portraitures such as graduation, engagement, maternity, and family.

Services can be scheduled in-studio or on-location. Trenton is a member of the Louisiana Photographic Society, Professional Photographers of America, and Nikon Professional Services.

Trenton Gordon Photography believes that achieving high-quality photos should be an experience, and he takes pride in ensuring clients are comfortable and have fun during sessions.

Recently, Trenton was selected by the American Cancer Society as the photographer for “Real Men Wear Pink,” photographed for Baton Rouge Real Producers Magazine and WBR Chamber of Commerce. Trenton holds a BS from Southern University and an MBA from the University of Phoenix.

Trenton looks forward to growing his brand and becoming a premier photographer in the West Baton Rouge community. He won the 2022 Small Business of the Year in WBR Parish and it was presented to him by the WBR Chamber of Commerce.

Phone number: (225) 433-6497

Address: 23440 Railroad Avenue, Plaquemine, LA 70764, Suite B

By Akemi Tamanaha, Associate Editor

Photographer Jarod Lew grew up in a mostly white suburb outside of Detroit and spent years feeling like he didn’t have an Asian American community. Little did he know he had a connection to one of the most significant stories in Asian American history. 

Lew’s mother was the fiance of Vincent Chin, the man who was violently killed the night of his bachelor party by two white men who wrongly believed he was a Japanese factory worker who had stolen their jobs. Lew didn’t know about his mother’s connection to Chin until 2012.

“I think families… if there’s like a pact to keep something secret. It’s you know, it’s, they’re pretty good at it, I think. Especially for the children,” Lew said during a recent conversation with Helen Zia hosted by CAAMFest at the SFMOMA.

Zia is a legendary Asian American journalist who has used her work to help push for justice for Vincent Chin. She spoke with Lew about his mother and his work. 

Lew is known for his work photographing Detroit as the city evolved in the mid-2010s, becoming incredibly gentrified in some areas and impoverished in other areas. The city’s economic turmoil made it a popular destination for photojournalists. Lew wanted to offer a perspective from someone who grew up around Detroit.

“I just wanted to I just wanted to hear the stories and capture or like think about these, like, very dramatic scenes that that that you don’t see on the news when new Detroit was becoming a thing you know, it was all about this gentrification of this bubble that’s in downtown Detroit,” Lew told Zia. “Right, how great is Detroit? And, you know, but then there was this other world that was being overlooked.”

Unlike many photojournalists, Lew describes his process as “making” photographs. 

“When I see something I just ask if I can make a photograph. Nothing’s ever forced or a surprise,” he said, adding, “… Whereas I think maybe photojournalism there’s no sort of distinction between a staged picture and, you know, the other…” 

After learning about his mother’s connection to Vincent Chin, Lew began to use photography to examine his own relationship with the Asian American community. 

“I started revisiting that history, because I felt like I had more confidence to explore something more complex to myself, and about myself,” he said. 

His most recent project Please Take off Your Shoes examines the relationship second generation Asian Americans have with their immigrant parents and their upbringing in America. In the titular photograph, Lew recreated a memory of guests taking off their shoes before entering an Asian American home for a party or gathering. 

“I don’t try to explain too much to the audience that’s looking at the picture, because it’s, it’s really about the memories that people have when looking at these photographs, I want them to really interact with it in a way where it triggers them into thinking about their own childhood experience in their parental home or in home in general,” he said.

Although Lew cites his mother’s connection to Vincent Chin as an inspiration, he is careful to respect her wish for privacy. Photos of Vickie have been included in journals, articles and exhibits about Vincent’s murder, but she has never spoken to the media.

“I’ve wondered over the years, is this something that we are doing that is hurtful to your mother?” Zia said to Lew. “ And there has been no way for me to know that. So? I just, you know, and I’ve always hoped that it wasn’t.”

Lew said his mother stays away from the public eye as a way to survive, but she is proud of the work her son is doing. 

“My mom is happy with the fact that I’m making work as about my community,” he said.

Please don’t wait. Tomorrow is the last day to help Asian American Media Inc, the 501C3 that publishes AsAmNews win $10,000. We need your help. Cast your vote for Asian American Media Inc in the Next Challenge Start-up competition by May 24, 2023. If you voted, share with everyone in your household and on social media. Simply verify your identity by inputting your cell phone number and inputting the code you receive. Your number will not be shared and will only be used to verify your identity. All votes must be entered by May 24 at this link.

Related

When I started out in photography, I started learning on film. While it was very much in the digital era, I still shot film. The reason being it was what was available to me at the time, and buying film stock was not as expensive as it is now. Shooting on film has taught me a ton and has helped me be a better digital photographer. Here is why beginners should consider film photography as their first step in the journey.

We are living in the postmodern digital era where AI is the new frontier of image-making, and everyone carries a camera in their pocket. Why would anyone want to shoot film in this modern environment? After all, the stereotype now is that film is mostly for the millennial hipsters who shoot whacky still-life images and street portraits. At the same time, film can be a great tool for many photographers, especially beginners, as it allows you to slow down, focus on getting it right in-camera, and, lastly, forget about postproduction. Below are these and more reasons explaining why film photography is a great way to start.

… I spent a couple of hours early this morning (yesterday) and like last week I was in the open gondola about 150′ above ground. The nest is about 400 to 500 feet to the NNW down the cliff face from me and the perch rock is about 150 feet from me in the opposite direction. I’ll send a couple of photos tomorrow to give you context for where I am … I was shooting with a Canon R5 and the 100-500mm lens with the 1.4 extender on it giving me a 700mm lens.

The first shot above is one of the adult Red Tail Hawks just after he nailed a lizard on a cliff top about 600 feet from me … the shot just below that he has taken to flight and bringing the tasty morsel back to the nest to feed the chicks; technically they are called “eyass” until they “fledge” which means taking their first flight and thereafter they are called “juveniles” and will hang around the nest for a couple of weeks or so and after that, they are out there on their own.

The first photo below shows the adult and the three chicks in the nest after breakfast was brought in and the chick on the far right has the lizard and is in the process of downing it and the photo below it shows the adult on the way out of the nest to continue the quest for more food to feed the kids … they need a lot of food at this stage and both adults provide it!

Have a beautiful day … keep breathing and flash a smile whenever you get the chance … you might make someone’s day!

Cheers,

Ted

I ask no odds of any man,
I am not one that follies sway.
I am the source of my rewards,
I do my work each day.

The fruit of trees, the grain of fields,
Wherever use and beauty lurk—
The good of all the world belongs
To him who does his work.

It matters not if rich or poor.
This is the future’s great command,
Who does not work shall cease to eat;
Upon this rock I stand.

Though work bring naught of power
nor wealth
Spare me from want of common needs,
And give a share of manly health,
A few good friends of honest deeds;

And till death’s peaceful slumber nears
A life of undishonored years.

Work by Max Ehrmann

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The easiest way to reach Mr. Grussing is by email: ted@tedgrussing.com

In addition to sales of photographs already taken Ted does special shoots for patrons on request and also does air-to-air photography for those who want photographs of their airplanes in flight. All special photographic sessions are billed on an hourly basis.

Ted also does one-on-one workshops for those interested in learning the techniques he uses.  By special arrangement Ted will do one-on-one aerial photography workshops which will include actual photo sessions in the air.

More about Ted Grussing …