Captured at a late-stage abortion clinic in Baltimore, Maggie Shannon’s photo series highlights the subtle moments of care and tenderness during procedures

July 10, 2024

I took this in December 2021 on the outskirts of Miramar, a coastal town in Argentina. I didn’t know it then but the photograph marked the beginning of my book, Dead Cow Rising. It’s a conceptual documentary project that charts Argentina’s rapidly rising inflation rates in images from a journey through Vaca Muerta, which means Dead Cow in English. It’s a desolate but oil-rich region covering an area approximately the size of Belgium.

My mother is Argentine and my father is Swedish; having spent most of my life in the UK, I wanted to reconnect with my roots and create my own portrait of Argentina, uncovering its everyday realities. Miramar is where I spent all my Christmases growing up. It’s a happy-go-lucky beach town, five hours’ drive from Buenos Aires. I was visiting family and this photo was taken during the purgatory days between Christmas and New Year. I rented a bike from the same shop I hired from when I was seven, and cycled to the sand dunes. As I walked down to the beach, this arrangement naturally fell into place. The donkeys, the car, the people looking up at Christ: there’s a balance that draws the eye to the scale of the crucifix – that’s what makes this picture good.

Many people are surprised by the scale of the statue – and someone once asked me if it was a real person up there – but for anyone from Argentina, it’s commonplace. Religion is deeply ingrained in the fabric of society. It was not my intention to allude to the statue as a symbol of death or rebirth – I’ll leave that to the viewer to interpret. It’s just showing part of the everyday in Argentina.

A few days after taking this photo, I asked to borrow my uncle’s car to drive into the depths of Vaca Muerta. He asked, “Why? There’s nothing down there, it’s desolate.” But that was exactly why I wanted to go. My photography is all about arrangement, composition and creating intrigue; taking unlikely or ordinary places and elevating them into something beautiful. That’s why I chose an area that’s undocumented and usually classed as unremarkable.

Vaca Muerta is actually deeply complex region. It’s one of the largest shale oil and gas reserves in the world, but the local community suffers from the country’s wider economic turmoil. Each picture in my book is titled with the inflation rate. The first one was taken in December 2021, which I set as a baseline of zero per cent. By the last photograph, taken in February 2023, inflation reached 111%. At the time of writing it has reached 289%. To put that into perspective, when I took the photo of the crucifix, a litre of milk cost around 90 pesos. By the end of the project it cost 236 pesos. Now it costs 1,276.

My work blurs the lines between conceptual and documentary photography because it’s talking about a real problem that affects real people, but I’m trying to show an alternative way of visualising it. Inflation is a constant, unforgiving reality of life in Argentina. Even in a quiet moment, it’s always creeping up.

People in the UK were worried when annual inflation rose to 6%. That was happening monthly in Argentina. Wages are constantly changing but do they keep up? No. Can people save money? No. So what would they rather do? They’d rather live in the present, and they do that in the best way they know. When they can, they spend their money on good meat and drinks, they host asados (barbecues) and have a good time with their friends and family.

Inflation affects every aspect of their lives and forces them to continually adapt and persevere. I’m trying to capture a glimpse of this difficult but hopeful reality where, as inflation rises by the day, so does the people’s resilience.

Dead Cow Rising is published by Artphilein Editions.
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Andreas Billman’s CV

Born: Chicago, US, 1992
Trained: London College of Communication
Influences: Mark Power, Facundo de Zuviría, Lewis Baltz
High point: “When everything falls into place within the frame”
Low point: “All the shots that got away”
Top tip: “If in doubt, switch to a prime lens and let your legs do the work of framing and zoom”

As we move into late summer, astrophotographers and stargazers in the Northern Hemisphere have the perfect opportunity to view the luminescent heart of our galaxy, the Milky Way, without the need for a telescope.  

The best shot is at New Moon, so the natural light doesn’t interfere. Find yourself a dark spot as free as possible of artificial light, and wait for the clouds to clear. 

What is the Milky Way

The Milky Way is our galaxy, a huge collection of stars, gas, and dust called a ‘spiral galaxy’ because if you viewed it from either end, it would look like a spinning pinwheel.

The Sun is located on one of the spiral arms, about 25,000 light years away from the center of the galaxy.

The Milky Way gets its name from a Greek myth about the goddess Hera, who was both the sister and wife of Zeus, and co-ruler of Mount Olympus, who legend has it threw milk across the sky, creating the formation.

In China, it’s known as the ‘Silver River,’ and in the Kalahari Desert in Southern Africa, it is called the ‘Backbone of the Night’.

When is the best time of year to see the milky way

The Milky Way is at its highest point during the summer and winter, swivelling from north to south and passing directly above Earth, however, it is far more visible in the summer months, June through September, as the Earth faces the galactic center.

On ideal clear nights in early summer, the Milky Way can be seen as soon as darkness falls, flowing parallel to the horizon east–southeast before transitioning vertically overhead and towards the west-southwest as the night stretches on.

In the winter, we are positioned away from the congested center of the Milky Way, making it less prominent, but still visible through long-exposure photography, often aided with the use of a telescope.

Tips for shooting the Milky Way this summer

It’s unlikely that people who live in built-up areas will get the best views of the Milky Way due to light pollution, even with the best light pollution filter.

It might seem like a difficult task, however, all you need to snap beautiful images of the Milky Way in the summer are a tripod, your camera, and a wide-angle lens.

According to N-Photo, the Nikon magazine, these are the invaluable accessories you need for astrophotography:

• Tripod
  With exposures lasting several seconds, it’s vital that your camera remains rock-steady throughout for sharp shots of the stars and the Milky Way. Check our guide to the best tripods.
• Wide-angle lens
  The wider your lens, the more of the galaxy you’ll be able to fit into a shot. A 24mm will be fine, though, as you can stack the images later on in software; what’s important is that it has a wide aperture, to gather plenty of light. Find one for your camera in our guide to the best lenses for astrophotography.
• Red torch
  A red-colored light is lower in frequency than a traditional white torch, and is preferable for astrophotography as it doesn’t ‘blind’ your night vision. Some of the best head torches have a suitable red light setting – and will leave your hands free.
• Use your apps
  There are a wide range of smartphone apps to track the weather, map light pollution, and show the position of the Milky Way in the night sky. We’re fans of Star Walk 2 (or desktop-based software like Stellarium).
• Remote release
  To avoid knocking your tripod as you take a shot, it is helpful to have a camera remote to fire the shutter. If you don’t have one of these, use the self–timer instead to reduce vibrations.

Check out our guides to the best telescopes for astrophotography, and the best deep-space telescopes.

Why not also take a look at the best cameras for astrophotography, and the best lenses for astrophotography. 

Tallott started making photocopied zines, and you can feel that DIY spirit in this book. At its center is a page filled with scans of handwritten aphorisms—the beating heart of the sequence. These are phrases his mum would say while he was in recovery: The sun will always rise in the morning; I’ll love you until the world stops going round. “Foreverisms, juxtaposed with the meaninglessness of life,” he muses. “Big promises of eternal love, but also reminders that you’ve always got tomorrow, don’t worry, it’s nothing, life’s temporary.” Tallott scrawled these lines repeatedly, as though burning them into actuality. “Calling them mantras sounds like a lot for what my mum was saying over a cup of tea, but it’s just good, honest stuff to live by.”

The artist is just one year out of his photography degree at Camberwell College of Arts, and last month, he was named Photo London’s Emerging Photographer of the Year. How does it feel to see early success with such an intimate series? “Pretty mental to be honest,” he reflects. “It’s not something you’d say to a stranger at the pub. Sometimes I wake up and it feels freeing. But other times…” It’s emotional for his loved ones, too: “It’s been difficult for my mum, especially when I’m talking about the book because it came from such a dark time. But in the end, the whole point of it is understanding life’s temporality, and learning to deal with its ebbs and flows.”

The business intelligence report on Business Photography Services Market defines the major trends determining this domain’s growth with respect to competitive and geographical landscape. Moreover, the study covers the challenges that impede industry development and offers insights into untapped opportunities that will spur business expansion during the forecast period 2024-2032.

The business photography services market is experiencing growth fueled by the demand for high-quality visual content across digital platforms. These services cater to businesses needing professional photography for marketing, branding, events, and product promotion. Key trends include the rise of e-commerce driving product photography needs, digital marketing strategies emphasizing visual storytelling, and businesses investing in professional imagery for online presence. With social media platforms prioritizing visual content and influencers driving visual marketing trends, the market for business photography services is expanding. Innovations in digital editing and virtual reality (VR) photography offer new avenues for growth, enhancing visual content creation capabilities. As businesses prioritize visual communication, the market outlook for professional photography services remains positive, supported by technological advancements and evolving consumer preferences.

The Business Photography Services Market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 6% from 2024 to 2032. Industry indicates steady expansion, driven by the growing demand for data-driven insights and decision-making across diverse sectors.

Get a free sample PDF copy of the latest research on the market in 2024 before the purchase@ https://www.infinitybusinessinsights.com/request_sample.php?id=1956609&PJ08

Top Companies in the Global Business Photography Services Market:

Getty Images, Shutterstock, Adobe Stock, Dreamstime, 123RF, Depositphotos, iStock (by Getty Images), Bigstock, Alamy

Key Strategies

Key strategies in the Business Photography Services market include specializing in niche areas such as corporate events, product photography, and real estate to cater to specific client needs. Leveraging high-quality equipment and the latest photography techniques ensures superior results. Building strong online presence through an engaging portfolio and active social media marketing attracts new clients. Offering flexible pricing packages and quick turnaround times can enhance client satisfaction. Providing value-added services like photo editing, video production, and virtual tours can diversify offerings. Establishing partnerships with marketing agencies and businesses for consistent work opportunities is crucial. Excellent customer service and maintaining a professional reputation help in gaining repeat business and referrals.

Based on Types, the Global Business Photography Services Market is Segmented into:
Stock Photography, Custom Photography

Based on the Application, Global Business Photography Services Market is Segmented into:
Businesses, Marketing Agencies, Publishers

(Exclusive offer: Flat 20% discount on this report) Buy Now: https://www.infinitybusinessinsights.com/checkout?id=1956609&price=&discount=20&PJ08

Trends Analysis
The Business Photography Services market is evolving with the increasing importance of visual content in digital marketing and branding. Key trends include the rise of specialized photography services tailored for social media, e-commerce, and corporate branding. There is a growing demand for high-quality, professional images to enhance online presence and engagement. The use of drones and 360-degree cameras is expanding to provide unique and immersive visual content. AI and machine learning are being leveraged for image enhancement and editing, improving turnaround times. Additionally, subscription-based models and on-demand services are becoming popular, offering businesses flexibility and cost-effectiveness. The focus on personalization and customization is also increasing to meet specific client needs.

Regions are covered by the Business Photography Services Market Report 2024 to 2032:-

North America (United States, Canada, and Mexico)
Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia, and Italy)
Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India, and Southeast Asia)
South America (Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, etc.)
Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria, and South Africa)

Geographical markets are of great importance for investors since a detailed report offers core areas to identify potential prospects. Strategic initiatives under regional analysis display mergers, acquisitions, collaborations, and joint ventures between key players. Innovation is been the driving force for these players and in the mode of business expansion, players are now leaping and investing in other ventures for mutual profits. Chapter-wise segmentation and data analysis are ensured for every region.

Historical Years: 2019-2023
Base Year: 2024
Forecast Period: 2024-2032

Frequently Asked Questions About the Market

– What would be the size of this Market by 2032?
– What are the key driving factors and challenges in this Market?
– Who are the top Market players in this industry?
– At what CAGR is the Market estimated to grow in the forecast period?
– Which segment is leading the Market in 2024?
– Which region dominated the Market in 2024?

Customization of the Report: This report can be customized as per your needs for additional data for up to 5 companies or 5 countries or nearly 40 analyst hours.

Read The Detailed Index of The Full Research Study at@ https://www.infinitybusinessinsights.com/request_sample.php?id=1956609&PJ08

Strategic Points Covered in Table of Contents of Business Photography Services Market:
1 Report Business Overview
1.1 Study Scope
1.2 Market Analysis by Type
1.3 Market by Application
1.4 Study Objectives
1.5 Years Considered
2 Global Growth Trends
2.1 Global Business Photography Services Market Perspective
2.2 Growth Trends by Region
2.3 Market Dynamics
2.3.1 Industry Trends
2.3.2 Market Drivers
2.3.3 Market Challenges
2.3.4 Market Restraints
3 Competition Landscape by Key Players
3.1 Global Business Photography Services Sales by Manufacturers (2019-2024)
3.2 Global Business Photography Services Revenue Market Share by Manufacturers (2019-2024)
3.3 Market Share by Company Type (Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3)
3.4 Global Business Photography Services Average Price by Manufacturers (2019-2024)
3.5 Manufacturers Business Photography Services Sales Sites, Area Served, Product Type
3.6 Market Competitive Situation and Trends
3.6.1 Market Concentration Rate
3.6.2 Global 5 and 10 Largest Business Photography Services Players Market Share by Revenue
3.6.3 Mergers & Acquisitions, Expansion
4 Business Photography Services Market Breakdown Data by Type
4.1 Global Historic Market Size by Type
4.2 Global Forecasted Market Size by Type
5 Business Photography Services Market Breakdown Data by Application
5.1 Global Historic Market Size by Application
5.2 Global Forecasted Market Size by Application
6 North America
6.1 North America Market Size
6.2 North America Market Size by Type
6.3 North America Market Size by Application
6.4 North America Market Size by Country
7 Europe
7.1 Europe Market Size
7.2 Europe Market Size by Type
7.3 Europe Market Size by Application
7.4 Europe Market Size by Country
8 Asia-Pacific
9 Latin America
10 Middle East and Africa
11 Key Players Profiles
12 Analyst’s Viewpoints/Conclusions
13 Appendix
13.1 Research Methodology
13.1.1 Methodology/Research Approach
13.1.2 Data Source
13.2 Author Details
13.3 Disclaimer

Contact Us:
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About Us:
Infinity Business Insights is a market research company that offers market and business research intelligence all around the world. We are specialized in offering the services in various industry verticals to recognize their highest-value chance, address their most analytical challenges, and alter their work.

This release was published on openPR.

In early July, I embarked on my annual pilgrimage to Arles. I wandered around the city, meeting artists and photography lovers, dining at Le Galoubet, and visiting the exhibitions on photography and contemporary Art at Luma.

One of my favourite exhibitions is “I’m So Happy You Are Here,” an exhibition by Japanese women photographers. It showcases over twenty-five artists from different generations, starting from the 1950s. The exhibition is thoughtfully curated around three major themes: everyday life, critical perspectives on Japanese society, and bold experiments with the photographic form.

I was particularly struck by the work of Yamazawa Eiko (1899-1995), one of Japan’s earliest women photographers. Her work bridges the pre-and post-World War II eras, offering a unique glimpse into the evolving landscape of Japanese photography.

Wandering through the exhibition, I encountered the powerful street photography of Watanabe Hitomi (born 1939). Her images from the streets of Shinjuku, documenting the Zen-Kyoto student movement, are captivating. They capture the era’s raw energy and political fervour, and I couldn’t help but feel the sense of pioneering spirit in her work.

Sugiura Kunié (born 1942) fascinated me with her daring experiments in her “Photo-Painting” series (1975-1981). The black-and-white stills, printed in monochrome on canvas, delve into themes of chance and failure. Her innovative approach challenges traditional photographic techniques and aesthetics, offering a fresh perspective that I found incredibly thought-provoking.

Tawada Yuki (born 1978 in Hamamatsu, Japan) intimately and expansively engages with themes of spirituality and healing. Her use of scraping and burning the surfaces of photographs, alongside creating sculptural installations with intricate cutouts, creates a tactile and immersive experience. I was particularly interested in how she blends photography with sculpture and video, making her work a rich, multi-sensory journey.

One of the most poignant moments for me was experiencing the work of Katayama Mari (born 1987). Her art, rooted in her personal narrative of living with tibial hemimelia and undergoing lower leg amputation, is profoundly reflective and empowering. The hand-sewn and handmade objects, including embellished prostheses, create a carefully constructed scene for her self-portraits. These images breathe life into her own sense of self while inviting viewers to question the nature of representation. Being surrounded by her embroidered and stuffed objects felt like stepping into her own world, and it was both intimate and expansive.

I spent a long time at l’Eglise des Frères Prêcheurs delving into Cristina De Middel’s “Journey to the Center.” Inspired by the atmosphere and structure of Jules Verne’s “Journey to the Center of the Earth,” De Middel presents a striking narrative of the Central American migration route across Mexico to Southern California. This journey culminates in the small town of Felicity, which is officially designated as the “Center of the World.”

I was completely absorbed by De Middel’s dystopian narrative. Her photographs, with their saturated colours and evocative sense of void and emptiness, offer a profoundly personal perspective on the complex phenomenon of migration. The imagery creates a vivid and haunting portrayal of the migrant experience, making the viewer reflect deeply on the challenges and hopes of those undertaking such a perilous journey.

As an avid admirer of Sophie Calle, I couldn’t have missed her new exhibition, “NEITHER GIVE NOR THROW AWAY” in the Cryptoportiques. With her renowned sense of humour, lucidity, and acute awareness of mortality, she orchestrated the destruction of her cherished work, The Blind, which has succumbed to mould. I recall discovering The Blind in Arles several years ago and being profoundly moved by its poetic essence. In the ancient underground chambers, dating back to the Greek and Roman periods, Calle presents a striking scenography of The Blind, offering a poignant farewell to her beloved creation, which I had the chance to rediscover and revisit.

On Tuesday morning, after having coffee with Scarlett Coten, the Arles-based photographer who will have a solo exhibition in Paris at the prestigious photography gallery “Les Filles du Calvaires” in the autumn, I hopped on my Cyclo and crossed the city to go to Luma.

I started with The Astrid Ullens de Schooten Whettnall Collection. Featuring 5,500 photographs by around 100 photographers, this collection, amassed over the last 30 years, offers a comprehensive and impressive overview of the conceptual documentary photography genre. It includes works by notable figures such as Ed Ruscha, Bernd and Hilla Becher, Hans-Peter Feldmann, Robert Adams, Diane Arbus, and Sergio Trujillo.

I really enjoyed the exhibition “Lee Friedlander Framed by Joel Coen” at Luma Tower.  It showcases an engaging dialogue between the acclaimed film director and the legendary photographer. Friedlander’s distinctive “urban social landscape” photographs are brimming with humour and poetry, and Joel Coen has accurately captured these elements.

The highlight of my trip to Arles was visiting with Jean de Loisy the exhibition “Van Gogh and the Stars: A Cosmic Journey,” which he co-curated with Bice Curiger. The exhibition centres around Vincent Van Gogh’s painting “Starry Night” (1888), an exceptional loan from the Musée d’Orsay in Paris. This exhibition features a wide array of works, including 165 pieces by 78 artists such as Helen Frankenthaler, Thomas Houseago, and Anselm Kiefer.

I discovered that Van Gogh was deeply fascinated by the stars, accumulating extensive knowledge of astronomy and the solar system over the years. De Loisy and Curiger have created a daring dialogue between Van Gogh’s masterpiece and contemporary art.

Once again, Arles does not disappoint and remains the most important photography rendezvous of the summer.

Arles: Les Rencontres de la Photographie 1 July – 29 September 2024

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Step back in time and observe a little known tidbit of history at the Moneta/SML Library in July and August. The featured exhibit in the MOarts Gallery is an exhibit of photos taken during the Depression of Packhorse Librarians.  

What was a Packhorse Librarian?  

Packhorse Librarians were a Depression-era Works Progress Administration project in Kentucky.  From 1935 to 1943, the program enabled 1,000 women to support themselves and their families by delivering reading material to 1.5 million rural Kentuckians.

Packhorse Librarians loaded books, magazines, pamphlets, and scrap books into saddlebags, drawstring bags, suitcases, and even pillowcases and delivered them via horse or mule to the mountain people of Kentucky. These brave women forded creeks as there were few bridges and followed game trails as there were few roads. The Book Women rode their routes in fair weather and foul, covering 18 to 20 miles a day or 50 to 80 miles each week. They carried news, messages, and letters as well as books.  If someone they visited had no one to read to him or her, the book woman took time to read aloud to the patron. These tough, dedicated, and determined women worked hard to take books to people who had never had access to them before.

And it was work. The WPA paid the librarians’ salaries, to the tune of $28.00 per month. However, the book centers and books were donated to the program. That meant that the books were already used when the program received them. That initial use plus the hard trek to and from houses and the continued use of the materials meant that the books and magazines weren’t in the best of shape. The pack horse librarians repaired them the best they could at weekly meetings. Then, when the book or magazine was at the end of its original life, the librarians repurposed it as scrap books that continued to circulate. The patrons of the pack horse librarians were eager for reading material of any kind, including homemade scrap books.

The pack horse librarians even created a scrap book of their own work. Photos were taken of the librarians going about their daily tasks, which included fording creeks and blazing trails as well as maintaining book collections. Then those photos were compiled in a book that has been digitally preserved. Come to the library and see the photos from that book as well as others. See what these amazing women did and imagine their experiences. Come walk the mountains of the Appalachias during the mid-1930’s on the walls of your local library.

More information about pack horse librarians can be found in the article, “Yonder Comes the Bookwoman,” in the December 2019 issue of Blue Ridge Country; the Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives (kdla.ky.gov); and the University of Kentucky Special Collections Research Center (https://exploreuk.uky.edu/catalog/?q=packhorse&per_page=20). Special thanks is given to the KDLA and the UKY for permission to use the photos in this exhibit, and to the Friends of the Moneta/SML Library for sponsoring it.

Come to the library and step back in time from July 2, 2024 to August 31, 2024 in the MOarts Gallery.  The gallery may be viewed during regular library hours. The Moneta/Smith Mountain Lake Library is a branch of the Bedford Public Library System and is located at 13641 Moneta Rd. Moneta. Please call 540-425-7004 for more information.