Over a decade ago, when Matika Wilbur began photographing all 562 federally recognized tribal nations in the US (a number which has since grown to 574), she wanted to make a comprehensive portrait of contemporary Indigenous life — one that not only corrected harmful, persistent stereotypes, but could be used as a positive resource for the youngest Native American generation.

“Project 562 is rooted in narrative correction work,” Wilbur explained in a video call. “When I started, I was looking at uncovering contemporary Indigenous identity and really looking at what it looks like to be a Native person right now.”

Matika Wilbur Credit: Matika Wilbur

“I made a very conscious decision to move home, so that my baby would have that relationship with this place,” Wilbur said. “So her afterbirth could be buried here, where her grandmother’s cedar tree is and where her ancestors are. I realized that was very important to me.”

Project 562 is staggering in its scope, representing the Miccosukee Tribe in the Everglades all the way to the Siberian Yupik people far off the Alaska coast.

The portraits — from elders and teens to multiple generations posing together — have a sense of intimacy and warmth, with each image accompanied by her collaborators’ own accounts of their lived experiences. Through its interviews, the project delves deeply into kinship and love, displacement and reconnection, the generational impacts of colonialism and racism, environmental justice and activism, and inclusion and belonging.

Matika’s mother, Nancy, and daughter, Alma Bee. Credit: Matika Wilbur

As time went on, Wilbur felt deeply changed by the work, gaining a greater understanding of herself in relation to the land on which she was raised.

“We do have these systemic ways of developing our children to have relationships with the place that they come from, and to… teach them to become stewards,” Wilbur said. “As I started traveling, I started to put together and realize the different ways that these different communities do that. For me, it felt intrinsic, because I grew up fishing, I grew up on canoes, I grew up going to the longhouse, I grew up going to ceremony. And all of these things made me a person of the tide, but I wouldn’t have told you 10 years ago, that that was how I identify.”

And the more she traveled, the more she understood how “site-specific” her identity was, Wilbur explained. “I would meet the people of the blue-green waters and the people of the tall pine trees or the people that live within the four sacred mountains, and I would get to go to ceremonies and witness cultural protocol that made their communities deeply, intrinsically, inextricably connected to the land that they come from. That was profound for me.”

Below are some portraits featured in “Project 562,” and the stories behind them.

Dr. Henrietta Mann

CHEYENNE

Dr. Henrietta Mann has been an educator for more than five decades, architecting Native American studies programs for multiple universities. She was recently honored with a National Humanities Medal by President Biden and appears on the cover of “Project 562.”

Dr. Henrietta Mann Credit: Matika Wilbur

“I wanted to have a matriarch on the cover,” Wilbur told CNN. “I really have thought a lot about rematriation (restoring sacred principles), and the work of rematriation and how important it is to uplift our women who have worked for decades, like Auntie Dr. Henrietta Mann who dedicated her life to the betterment of Indigenous people.”

Hannah Tomeo

COLVILLE, YAKAMA, NEZ PERCE, SIOUX, SAMOAN

Hannah Tomeo is an athlete and a Northwest Indian Youth Conference Princess. Wilbur photographed her in the Methow Valley outside of the multiday conference, which is hosted by a different tribe in the region each year. At the 2016-2017 event, Tomeo and Wilbur were both keynote speakers.

Hannah Tomeo Credit: Matika Wilbur

“Running has been my absolute passion and my stability, but I felt as if no one wanted me to succeed in high school,” Tomeo told Wilbur for “Project 562.”

“My teacher told me it was in my genetics to be an alcoholic; my basketball coach would drug test only me on the team; my track coach told me I would just be another stupid Indian runner with no chance in the real running world. I let those words motivate and push me until I earned the fastest times in the school, but they still wouldn’t let me race.” Tomeo was replaced in races with no explanation until she finally quit, she explained. “My spirit had officially been broken. I never thought I would run again. Then my dad gave me these words: ‘You can either be a quitter or come back a success story. Your choice.'”

“That summer I trained harder than ever and came back strong. I made it to State. I made first team and placed in the Nike meet in Boise and at Footlocker in California… My story isn’t over.”

Darkfeather Ancheta, Eckos Chartraw-Ancheta, and Bibiana Ancheta

TULALIP

Darkfeather Ancheta (left) and her sister Bibiana have become “like sisters” to Wilbur, she noted in the book. Here they are pictured with Bibiana’s son, Eckos.

Darkfeather, Eckos and Bibiana Ancheta Credit: Matika Wilbur

“I had a dream about them standing there like (in the photograph) in front of Tulalip Bay,” Wilbur told CNN. “So I called them and asked them if I could take their photo in the way that I’d seen in my dream.”

“Our communities still have these kinship systems and these familial ties where an auntie is like a second mom. She is the protector and equally invested in the growing of the child… I wanted to try to create an image with this image that really showed and encapsulated, you know, the way that we take care of our babies, the way we love our babies.”

Joshua Dean Iokua Ikaikaloa Mori

KĀNAKA MAOLI

Joshua Mori is a farmer, teacher and founder of community, wellness and agriculture nonprofit Iwikua in Kauaʻi, Hawaii. Wilbur photographed him with one of his three children on his aquaponic farm, a method for water-based farming that uses fish as a natural fertilizer.

Joshua Dean Iokua Ikaikaloa Mori Credit: Matika Wilbur

“My work is about wanting to take back the food system and really attack colonialism at the source,” Mori told Wilbur for “Project 562.” “At our root source, our diet, which affects everything in our bodies — how we feel, how we think, how we love, how we procreate. Food, in my opinion, affects all of that. So we’re doing aquaponic farming, which is just taking a traditional model of a food system and just shrinking it down to modern technology. We take our traditional Native knowledge and integrate it with modern technology to make it more accessible.”

“The kids learn when they come out here traditional hale building (house building), traditional farming, working in kalo patches, and also modern farming techniques,” he added. “They learn how to spearfish and fish traditionally. Also, star navigation. How to use all of the tools, really, how Hawaiians became Hawaiians.”

Drew Michael

YUP’IK, IÑUPIAQ

Drew Michael is a traditional Yup’ik mask-maker and identifies as Two Spirit, or having both masculine and feminine spirits. Michael and his twin brother were adopted and raised by non-Native parents in Alaska and spoke with Wilbur about reconnecting to his Indigenous identity. Wilbur photographed him in his home.

Drew Michael Credit: Matika Wilbur

“Growing up, I did not have a good sense of my culture or identity as a Yup’ik and Iñupiaq man… I did not have access to that until I took a carving class with my father,” Michael told Wilbur in “Project 562”. “I was able to create my own piece, my own representation, almost a copy of a mask in a book from an exhibition. That was the first time that I was introduced to my culture, and I felt like I was starting to own it a little bit. As I learned more about masks, why they were used, who used them, and then the ceremonies and rituals, I started to see and learn about myself through the masks.”

“I know especially in Yup’ik culture, people were Two-Spirited, and typically they would be healers because they could see into both worlds, the masculine and feminine, and can almost hold hands with both… so, since I am Two-Spirited, and I also do masks and other forms, I try to talk about different healing within my work.”

Fannie and Robert Mitchell

DINÉ

The Mitchells have been married for more than six decades. Robert, a former railroad worker, now raises livestock on their land. The couple prefer to speak in Navajo, so their daughter-in-law translated for Wilbur. Wilbur spent her 30th birthday with them, and was treated to dinner, cake and gifts in their home.

Fannie and Robert Mitchell Credit: Matika Wilbur

“There’s not a lot of Native people that you meet anymore that just speak their language. And so for me, it was a profound experience, to be in a home where they’re still living very traditionally, and taking care of sheep, and speaking their language,” Wilbur told CNN.

“In my time on the road, I approached it in really the only way that I know how — which is as a Native person. You don’t show up empty-handed, you bring food, you stay a while. You leave traditional gifts behind, you stay in touch with folks, and so I felt really fortunate to get to meet these folks and to get to be in their home for a little while.”

Out of frame, she said, there was a touch of chaos taking place. “There’s a drawn-back version of this portrait, where there’s a sheep licking me as I’m taking this photo and there’s two horses trying to eat my light… and that’s why they’re laughing.”

John Sneezy

SAN CARLOS APACHE

John Sneezy, who identified as Two Spirit, was a Grass Dancer at powwows for more than three decades, but was not able to perform in the Traditional Cloth category — which Wilbur notes is danced by women — until 2016, when he participated in the Bay Area American Indian Two-Spirit Powwow (BAAITS). Wilbur photographed him in San Francisco. He died before the book published.

John Sneezy Credit: Matika Wilbur

“Our young Two Spirit people in Indian Country experience a lot of violence for their identity. John would say, ‘I dance, and I wear women’s regalia, and I want to be shown in your book like this,'” Wilbur recalled to CNN. “John called me and told me that it was really important to him that we continue to uplift stories about Two Spirit people, so that our young Two Spirit relatives feel safe and seen and heard.”

“John had spent his whole life wanting to dance in a woman’s Apache dress, but didn’t feel safe to do so until he traveled to the Bay Area American Indian Two-Spirit Powwow, which I think says a lot about the way that members of the LGBTQ+ community are treated in some of our communities. It’s really important in national conversations about Indigenous identity that we make sure to acknowledge our Two Spirit relatives and create space for representation. And John would want me to share that with you.”

Top image: Amanda Attla (Athabascan, Yup’ik) from Huslia, Alaska.

If you like getting “lost” on a road trip, taking the long way there, try driving on U.S. Highway 90 south of Van Horn in far West Texas.

Near Valentine is the permanent art installation Prada Marfa. The faux “store,” complete with a showroom of the designer brand’s famous shoes and hand bags, was created by artist duo Michael Elmgreen and Ingar Dragset. A rancher’s fence surrounding the selfie magnet is filled with locks inscribed with expressions of love.

Close to Marfa, you’ll find on the side of the road the larger-than-life, freestanding murals of James Dean, Elizabeth Taylor and other icons from the 1950s movie Giant on the location where the film was shot. The murals are by John Cerney, who has a way of incorporating two-dimensional artworks into different landscapes, creating much larger three-dimensional spaces. If you listen closely, you’ll hear music playing from a roadside speaker.

News Roundups

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About five minutes down the road you’ll come across a mid-20th-century piece of art. The old neon Stardust Motel sign is still standing, though the motel is long gone. A small red light illuminates the sign against the dark skies.

Photos: On a road trip outside Marfa, photographer finds dark skies, ‘giant’ art

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The iconic photographer Ansel Adams was best known for documenting the powers of nature in lush gelatin silver photographs. The de Young’s major exhibition of more than 100 works from the self-described “California photographer” brings the artist back to the location of his first museum exhibition in 1932. This time, Adams’s work is in dialogue with 23 contemporary artists engaging with the landscapes and environmental issues that inspired Adams. Coinciding with “Ansel Adams in Our Time” is “Elemental” at the Haines Gallery. Here, recent work from four West Coast photographers celebrate the natural world.

A PASSION FOR CONSERVATION

San Francisco was Adams’s hometown, and he maintained close ties to the city throughout his life. In The Golden Gate Before the Bridge (1932), a colossal cloud skyscape takes up two-thirds of the image of San Francisco Bay minus its beloved Golden Gate Bridge. The construction start date began a year later, making the picture almost conceptual, as it’s nearly impossible to see this photo of the bay without imagining the bridge.

Photographers have been instrumental in preserving the American wilderness. Landscape photographer Carleton Watkins’s efforts first secured Yosemite as protected land. Adams’s relationship with photography and conservationism began in his early years. As a young man, he frequently visited Yosemite with his Eastman Kodak Brownie camera. In 1975, he presented Yosemite: Clearing Winter Storm (ca. 1937) to President Gerald Ford. Adams urged, “Now, Mr. President, every time you look at this picture, I want you to remember your obligation to the national parks.” Thomas P. Campbell, director and CEO of the Fine Arts Museum, said, “‘Ansel Adams in Our Time’ is exceptional in underscoring his brilliant legacy and the critical role that his works and others before him have played in safeguarding our national parks and other public lands.”

ART AS ENVIRONMENTAL ACTIVISM

The works of artists Catherine Opie, Abelado Morell, Binh Danh, Trevor Paglen, and others provide a counterpoint to Adams’s work. Art and activism continue in nature photographers grappling with issues of drought and fire, mining and energy, economic booms and busts, and protected places and urban sprawl. The exhibition consists of five themes: Capturing the View, Marketing the View, San Francisco: Becoming a Modernist, Adams in the American Southwest, and Picturing the National Parks. Beach Restoration after El Niño Waves (2016) by Lucas Foglia shows excavation taking place where the ocean meets the beach, the machinery existing in sharp contrast with the waves. The skeletal remains of blackened tree trunks in Ansel Adams’s Burned Trees, Owens Valley, California (1936) become a repeated motif in Laura McPhee’s Early Spring (Peeling Bark in Rain) (2008), both illustrating the ravages of fire on the landscape.

‘ELEMENTAL’ AT THE HAINES GALLERY

In a thematically related exhibition at the Haines Gallery, Elemental presents singularly unique photographic objects defined as much by how they are made as by what they depict. These contemporary photographers are known for their analog processes that explore chemistry and light. Binh Danh returns with daguerreotypes in Yosemite (2016), combining the exacting 19th-century process with contemporary imagery of Yosemite. 

Chris McCaw’s Sunburned GSP 945, Every Time The Sun Came Out, Wyoming, 2017 was created with powerful lenses in his hand-built cameras. Acting as a magnifying glass, the lens burned the sun’s path on light sensitive paper, creating a moody, surreal abstraction of light and darkness.

Meghann Riepenhoff’s cyanotypes include examples from her Ice series, made in freezing bodies of water. Paper coated in homemade emulsion was placed directly within the landscape, where the elements completed the work by physically inscribing themselves onto her materials. Chance and the unexpected create surprising results in works like Ice #326. Blue hues transform into flower-like shapes in the frozen water, the imagery taking on a painterly quality.

John Chiara’s use of uneven hand-cut edges, tape marks, light leaks, and chemical streaking create evocative landscapes that are, in his words, “part photography, part sculpture and part event.” Avenue H: Traverse: Strawberry Hill (2023) is burned with dappled yellow light in a double exposure of tree limbs and shadows.

Since photography’s inception, West Coast photographers have collaborated with the natural world and documented the results. Through their lenses and the legacy of Ansel Adams, the rest of us understand what is at stake, and what can be lost without continued advocacy and preservation.

“Ansel Adams in Our Time”: Tue.–Sun. 9:30 a.m.–5:15 p.m., April 8–July 23, $30, de Young Museum, 50 Hagiwara Tea Garden Dr., Golden Gate Park, 415-750-3600, famsf.org

“Elemental”: Tue.–Sat. 10:30 a.m.–5:30 p.m. through May 27, free, Haines Gallery, Bldg. C, Fort Mason Center for Arts and Culture, 2 Marina Blvd., 415-397-8114, hainesgallery.com

Sharon Anderson is an artist and writer in Southern California. She can be reached at mindtheimage.com.

Some folks hate on APS-C for landscape photography. But you really shouldn’t. They’re a great combination of small size meets good image quality. Further, Fujifilm APS-C is really the best out there when it comes to image quality. Then they’ve also got GF format, which is larger than full frame. Of course, some of the best Fujifilm cameras for landscape photography are going to satisfy any photographer. So we’re rounding up our favorites.

The Phoblographer’s various product round-up features are done in-house. Our philosophy is simple: you wouldn’t get a Wagyu beef steak review from a lifelong vegetarian. And you wouldn’t get photography advice from someone who doesn’t touch the product. We only recommend gear we’ve fully reviewed in these roundups. If you’re wondering why your favorite product didn’t make the cut, there’s a chance it’s on another list. If we haven’t reviewed it, we won’t recommend it. This method keeps our lists packed with industry-leading knowledge. Some of our stories include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

How We Chose the Best Fujifilm Cameras for Landscape Photography

Here’s some insight into how and why we chose these as the best Fujifilm cameras for landscape photography.

• Our roundups only prominently feature products that we’ve done full reviews of. With that said, within each section of this roundup, you’ll find links back to our full reviews of the products. So you can know that we really believe that these are the best Fujifilm cameras for landscape photography because we’ve tested them.
• All the product images and sample photos were shot by our staff.
• The best Fujifilm cameras for landscape photography all put film simulations at the forefront. Velvia, Provia, Classic Chrome, Astia, and Acros are some of our favorites.
• Fujifilm has an option to get 400% dynamic range for when you want to edit the photos later. there’s also a blue chrome FX setting that makes the skies look even more blue too.
• All of these cameras are weather resistant, which is very important for landscape photography.

Fujifilm XT5

Here are the pros and cons from our full review:

PROS

• Lovely detailed images at 40 megapixels
• Great color
• Classically-inspired ergonomics
• Weather-sealed
• 7 stops of stabilization
• Great updates to the EVF
• Better battery life
• Eye AF is better, and now works on animals

CONS

• The autofocus had more misses than the XT4
• No touch menu
• It needs a dedicated control for switching subject detection AF
• The XH2 has a better buffer because it’s not limited to SD cards
• The tilt screen no longer flips forward or flips closed

Buy now

Fujifilm XH2

Here are the pros and cons from our full review:

PROS

• Very quiet
• Fantastic image quality
• High ISO images are fairly clean, or you can embrace the noise.
• The best color from an APSC sensor in a while
• Subject detection is great in sufficient lighting.
• Weather resistant
• Good for street photography
• Alright battery life
• Still works well with older lenses
• Cropped shooting mode in continuous drive mode is brilliant. (Let me get it right in camera and frame it perfectly there rather than fixing it later.)
• Continuous AF is great in good lighting.
• Very good at 10pm for tracking birds

CONS

• I miss the ISO dial so much.
• Desperately needs to find a way to make switching between subjects faster
• Rolling shutter in pre-shot ES
• I wish it had more customizable buttons.
• Fuji needs to update how their focusing modes work.
• Star ratings don’t transfer over to Capture one or Lightroom.
• Continuous AF isn’t so great in low lighting.
• Fuji needs to update their AF-C customization modes.
• Autofocus performance deteriorates with exposure preview on and lots of underexposure.
• High ISO editing versatility isn’t all that great, but for wildlife it really needs to be.
• Fuji currently lacks a major selection of fast telephoto lenses, and they really need them.

Buy now

Fujifilm GFX 50s II

Here are the pros and cons from our full review:

PROS

• Beautiful image quality
• Colors and film simulations
• In-camera skin smoothing transfers to raw file
• It cuts down on editing time
• Dynamic Range
• Addition of IBIS
• Small camera body for medium format

CONS

• Autofocus can be sluggish
• Although it’s improved, face detection can still be improved upon
• Quick AF mode quickly drains the battery
• Not a lot of fast lens options in the current lens lineup

Buy now

Fujifilm GFX 100s

Here are the pros and cons from our full review:

PROS

• The build quality is much better than the GFX100
• Weather sealing
• The new IBIS system is excellent
• Good autofocus in good light
• More detail in images than anyone could ever want
• Great performance up to ISO 6400
• The film sims are great as always. Nostalgic Neg is a nice inclusion
• Nice grip and a well-placed thumb rest round out great ergonomics
• Excellent price point for a ‘more than Full-frame’ camera (it’s $5,999)

CONS

• Still no touchscreen menu system
• Mediocre battery life
• 400MP Hi-Res image mode is meh
• While the EVF is nice, it’s a step back from the GFX100

Buy now

One Eyeland has announced the winners of the One Eyeland Photography Awards 2022. Grand prize winners in the “Professional” and “Amateur” sections were awarded cash prizes of $5,000 and $2,000, respectively.

A jury of 29 artists judged over 3,600 images from 55 countries. The judges awarded 30 Camera Trophies, plus hundreds of gold, silver, and bronze awards.

The judging panel evaluates images, doling out points based on finishing position across respective categories. Gold awards earned photographers 20 points, while silver and bronze awards are worth 10 and five points, respectively. Finally, earning the “finalist” designation added two points to a photographer’s total. Photographers earned 33 gold, 141 silver, 296 bronze, and 230 finalist awards in the contest.

Thai photographer Jatenipat Jkboy Ketpradit earned the title “Photographer of the Year,” and Bulgarian photographer Yuliy Vasilev was named “Amateur Photographer of the Year.”

Photographers can enter a maximum of 10 entries across the competition’s various sub-categories, including advertising, editorial, fine art, nature, people, sports, special, and more.

Professional photographer Ketpradit earned 130 points, beating out second-place finisher Andre Boto by 15 points and the third-place finisher Azim Khan Ronnie by 28 points.

Yuliy Vasilev earned 49 points to win the amateur category, with photographers Satheesh Nair (38 points) and Nana Hank (31 points) rounding out the top three.

By the way, it’s worth noting that in last year’s competition, Ketpradit earned the title “Amateur Photographer of the Year” with a winning score of 45 points.

The comprehensive list of all 700-plus winners of the One Eyeland Photography Awards 2022 is available on One Eyeland. People can see every awarded image across all categories from the lengthy list.

Entries for the 2023 One Eyeland photo contest are now open. The website also hosts picture of the day, week, and month contests and maintains an active ranking of its contributing photographers.

Image credits: All photographs are individually credited and provided courtesy of One Eyeland.

HOUSTON – On the next Houston Life, Simone Biles and Jonathan Owens had an epic courthouse wedding. Her wedding photographer joins us live.

Rachel Taylor Raetay Photography, has captured memorable wedding moments for some of Houston A-listers, including Simone Biles, Jonathan Owens, Alex and Reagan Bregman, and Parker McCollum.

LEAVE YOUR COMMENTS BELOW.

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GREENSBURG – The Community Photography Art Show at Art on the Square Gallery begins May 1 and local photographers, professional or amateur, are invited to participate. 

All ages of photographers may enter their photos of any subject matter, ready to hang.

Event planner and photographer Danny Bowers talked about the show. 

“Prints can be framed, printed on stretched canvas or mounted on foam board. If you have the hanging hardware, please bring it,” he said.  

Photos prepared for hanging should be at the gallery no later than the last week of April to be hung the first week of May.

The works will be judged by two photographers from outside Decatur County. A People’s Choice Award of $25 and a Critic’s Choice Award of $25 will be presented at a wine and cheese reception for the artists from 4 to 6 p.m. May 5 at the gallery. 

Gallery hours are 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Wednesday through Friday and 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

In summer months during the Farmers’ Market on the south side of the Square, gallery hours are 2 to 6 p.m.

To register for classes, to inquire about using the gallery for small events or meetings, or with other questions, call the gallery at 812-663-8600.

Visit Art on the Square Gallery on the north side of the Greensburg Square or online at www.artonthesquaregallery.com/.

Large telephoto lenses are some of the most powerful and exciting optical tools out there, able to capture faraway action like birds or sports and create dynamic images. Nonetheless, they take some special considerations in order to get the most out of them and to ensure you are not straining yourself physically when using one. This helpful video tutorial discusses five things you should do whenever you buy a large telephoto lens. 

Coming to you from Steve Mattheis, this great video tutorial discusses five things you should do when you purchase a large telephoto lens. One thing that is absolutely necessary for using such a lens in a monopod. Not only are these lenses heavy, often pushing 7-8 lbs (3.3-3.6 kgs) or more, often, that weight is extended over a significant length, adding a lot of leverage as well. This can make them very physically taxing to use, and as you tire, your ability to hold the lens steady for a sharp shot also diminishes. Many pros will also opt for gimbal head to ensure quick and easy movement for following the sort of fast action such lenses are frequently used for. Check out the video above for the full rundown from Mattheis.