AUSTIN, Texas – A TV photographer was arrested during a pro-Palestine protest held Wednesday on the University of Texas at Austin campus.

The Austin protest was one of several that took place across college campuses in Texas, including UTSA, as well as California and Massachusetts.

Earlier this week, U.S. senators voted 79-18 to approve a $95 billion war aid package that would directly benefit Israel, Taiwan and Ukraine. Approximately $26 billion would go to “Israel and humanitarian relief to citizens of Gaza,” the Associated Press reported Tuesday.

Before the arrest in Austin, video shows multiple Texas Department of Public Safety troopers armed with helmets and batons attempting to move protesters back.

A trooper off-camera can be heard saying, “Get on the ground! Lay down!”

“I was moving!” the photographer was heard saying to the trooper.

The photographer was handcuffed. An unidentified person held onto the photographer’s camera and walked alongside him as it continued to roll.

After the arrest, local reporters already at the protest caught up with the photographer. He identified himself as “Carlos” and said he worked at KTBC Fox 7, a TV station in Austin.

“They were pushing me, and they said that I hit an officer,” the photographer told KXAN reporter Nabil Brent Remadna. “I didn’t hit an officer. They were pushing me.”

The photographer told reporters that he had never experienced something like this before.

“I told them I was the press,” the photographer said.

It isn’t immediately clear what charges he may be facing.

KXAN also reported that Texas DPS sent Houston-based troopers to Austin ahead of Wednesday’s protest on the UT campus.

The DPS response to the protest drew the ire of District 19 state Senator Roland Gutierrez, who represents Uvalde in addition to other areas along the Texas-Mexico border.

“The Department of Public Safety has pulled out all the stops to harass innocent college students, but wouldn’t lift a finger to help the victims in the Uvalde massacre,” state Sen. Gutierrez said in a statement Wednesday evening. “Our broken state moved troopers all the way from Houston to Austin so they could quash students’ first amendment rights.

“The very force that you see beating and arresting these college students are the same ones that, for 77 long minutes, stood by as a lone teenage shooter massacred 21 precious lives in an elementary school. We live in a broken state where actual violence is met with fear and trepidation from those meant to protect and serve, and where exercising our rights is seen as a threat.

“I am demanding accountability for the actions carried out by DPS at the University of Texas today.”

At least 20 protesters were taken into custody during Wednesday’s protest in Austin, the Associated Press reported.

KSAT reached out to DPS on Wednesday evening. So far, we have not heard back.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Top picks

Medium Festival of Photography

Visual art, Photography | The 12th annual Medium Festival of Photography kicks off this week, a locally based convening of photographers and photography lovers worldwide. With a keynote from Indigenous photographer Cara Romero, exhibitions, lectures, studio tours, a Tijuana bus tour, receptions, portfolio reviews, pop-up markets and more, it’s a busy week with plenty to stumble upon, even if you don’t have a festival pass.

The festival began in 2012 by an organization called Medium Photo, founded by Scott B. Davis.

“Medium started because I knew a lot of people working in fine art photography who didn’t have a platform for their work, and I myself as a photographer learned the most in my career by hearing other artists speak about their work and by attending educational workshops. And those didn’t exist in San Diego,” Davis said. “I really want to see the community feel a shared love of photography. It’s such a dynamic medium and it reaches people on so many different levels — as a storytelling tool, as a tool for creative expression, as a tool for abstract ideas.”

Photography has transformed significantly since the festival originated. Smartphone camera use is not just more widespread, but the technology is much better today than in 2012. Davis has also noticed a resurgence of analog photography. In addition, artificial intelligence has begun to shape the landscape of photography — and a Medium Festival panel on copyright and AI will attempt to help attendees sort through it.

Festival passes are still available, but some of the events are free and open to the public, or — like Romero’s keynote lecture on Friday evening at the Central Library — are ticketed separately at a lower-cost and don’t require a festival pass.

Details: Event link. Thursday, April 25 through Sunday, April 28. Locations vary.

San Diego Book Crawl and Independent Bookstore Day

Books, Poetry | Independent Bookstore Day is back, and with it, every local book lover’s favorite tradition: San Diego Book Crawl. Here’s how it works: visit and support as many of the 13 participating indie bookstores in San Diego as you’d like. Bonus perks may be yours if you make purchases at each shop. This year’s author ambassador is Susan Lee, and a new addition to the crawl this year is a shuttle service, on Saturday. You can learn more in our interview with Book Crawl organizers here.

Details: Event link. Saturday, April 27 through Monday, April 29. Times and locations vary. Free (purchases required at stores to receive prizes).

‘Afterburner’

Visual art | Named after the afterburner combustion mechanism on jet engines, this exhibit at Oceanside’s Techne Art Center spotlights artists who push boundaries — with materials and form in art. Artists include Jon Elliott, Jack Henry, Robin Kang, Dave Kinsey, Jason Clay Lewis, John Oliver Lewis, Mônica Lóss, Jessica McCambly, Tim Murdoch, Sasha Koozel Reibstein and Allison Renshaw. Curated by Chuck Thomas. You can view samples of the works by some of the participating artists here. Notable are the intricate, charred-looking relief pieces by Dave Kinsey, the sculptural, textile works of Mônica Lóss, the curious and almost candy-like constructions of John Oliver Lewis and the minimal works on paper by Jessica McCambly — but there’s so much to discover from the 11 artists.

Details: Event link. Opens with a reception from 5-8 p.m. on Saturday, April 27. On view through July 20. Gallery hours are 1-6 p.m. Wednesday through Friday; and 1-5 p.m. Saturday. Techne Art Center, 1609 Ord Way, Oceanside. Free.

‘Madama Butterfly’

Opera, Music, Theater | Giacomo Puccini’s masterpiece opera, “Madama Butterfly” returns to the San Diego Opera stage — it was last produced in 2016. The story follows a young woman in Japan, Cio-Cio-San, known as “Butterfly,” who meets an American officer, Pinkerton, falls in love and — so she thinks — marries him. He returns to his American family, while she is left to raise their son alone, awaiting his return. It’s a tragic story, with a gorgeous and quintessential operatic score.

Details: Event link. 7:30 p.m. Friday, April 26, and 2 p.m. Sunday, April 28. San Diego Civic Theatre, 1100 Third Ave., downtown. $13-$340.

Art Alive

Visual art | San Diego Museum of Art’s annual spring floral show will be on view this weekend. Floral designers are tasked with interpreting works of art in the museum, and those floral arrangements are displayed near the inspiring art. Don’t miss the kid-friendly activities in the sculpture garden. And of course, there’s the ever-dazzling rotunda display in the museum’s two-story entrance lobby — designed this year by Meghaa Modi, Art Alive’s first international selection for rotunda designer.

Details: Event link. 12-5 p.m. Friday, April 26, and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, April 26-28. San Diego Museum of Art, 1450 El Prado, Balboa Park. $40 for general admission, $5 for guests aged 7-17, or free for museum members.

Sidro Saturdays

Visual art, Music, Food, Theater | This special community arts event in San Ysidro is a great chance to check out the “Invisible Traditions” exhibition at The Front Arte y Cultura Gallery, curated by Katalina Silva and Arzu Ozkal. Plus, between The Front and the nearby El Salon space, you’ll also find live theater performances, music and lots of food, including tacos from Los Pinches Birrieria.

Details: Event link. 12-4 p.m. on Saturday, April 27. The Front, 147 W San Ysidro Blvd., San Ysidro. Free.

More arts and culture events this weekend

Adams Avenue Unplugged
Live music, Festivals | Browse the schedule and lineup of bands that will take over bars, cafes, restaurants and performance spaces along Adams Avenue. Event link. 12 p.m. to midnight, Saturday, April 27. Adams Avenue, University Heights, Normal Heights and Kensington. Free (except headliner concert, which is $25). 

Little Italy Mission Fed ArtWalk
Visual art, Festivals | This annual art festival is the longest-running one in the region, and it celebrates its 40th year with more than 250 artists working in painting, sculpture, photography, jewelry and more. Learn about this year’s featured artists here. Event link. 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, April 27; and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, April 28. India St. between Grape St. and Beech St., Little Italy. Free. Free MTS trolley passes while supplies last.

Sazón Live
Dance, Music | Centro Cultural de la Raza will host vibrant performances of Mexican dance along with live music. Event link. 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Saturday, April 27; and 2 p.m. Sunday, April 28. Centro Cultural de la Raza, 2004 Park Blvd., Balboa Park. $15-$90. 

‘Tuck Everlasting’
Theater, Music | This weekend, Coronado Playhouse opens their production of “Tuck Everlasting,” a musical adaptation of Natalie Babbitt’s classic book. The story follows 11-year-old Winnie as she gets caught up with a mysterious, immortal family in the woods near her home. Event link. On stage April 26 through May 2. Coronado Playhouse, 1835 Strand Way, Coronado. $27.

Twelfth Night Ensemble: ‘The English Orpheus’
Music, Classical | San Diego Early Music Society presents the debut of a new ensemble featuring harpsichordist David Belkovski and violinist Rachell Ellen Wong. The group will perform works by Purcell and Handel. Event link. 7:30 p.m. Saturday, April 27. St. James-by-the-Sea, 743 Prospect St., La Jolla. $10-$50.

‘Duruflé Requiem’
Music, Classical, Choral | The San Diego Master Chorale will perform Maurice Duruflé’s 1947 “Requiem” along with works by J. S. Bach, Mark Butler, Benjamin Britten, Felix Mendelssohn and Gerald Finzi. 4 p.m. Saturday, April 27 at St. Paul’s Episcopal Cathedral, 2728 Sixth Ave., Banker’s Hill; and 4 p.m. Sunday, April 28 at St. James-by-the-Sea, 743 Prospect St., La Jolla. $10-$35.

In 2019, I wrote about how I would never quit full-frame DSLRs. Back then, I complained about mirrorless cameras for wonky bodies and mediocre autofocus. Today, I’m eating crow.

It creeped up on me through a few flirtations with mirrorless cameras from Olympus, Panasonic, and Fuji. Then Canon’s M system got good, and then finally the R system came into its own with the release of the R5 and R6, two cameras that melded the functionality of Canon’s DSLR controls and menus with the added usability of mirrorless autofocus, which has come a long way in the last five years. I switched to those cameras in 2022, and I haven’t looked back, especially when it comes to my sports photography.

But the other day, I found myself shooting back-to-back lacrosse games with my students, and one of them needed a camera. I loaned them my mirrorless camera and pulled my old 7D off the shelf and popped in an LP-E6N battery in, so I had something to shoot with. It has been a couple of years for me and DSLRs in any sort of serious shooting situation. So, how did the OG 7D do 15 years after it was released? Can a DSLR still be useful for sports photography in 2024, or has mirrorless technology passed it by?

The Differences and Similarities

To anyone fairly new to photography, cameras have always been able to nail focus on an eyeball and track it through a frame. There have always been several hundred autofocus points scattered across the frame, and you can touch the screen at any time to pick one. And there has always been a way to simulate your exposure in the viewfinder, which the optical viewfinders of a DSLR could never do since the view is directly through the lens.

While DSLRs are missing out on these features, the body design remains mostly the same, with big wheels all over the back and front to adjust settings and familiar-looking menus (albeit without a touchscreen on the 7D).

The 7D had 19 autofocus points spread across a large, centralized swath of the frame. It was a system befitting a flagship APS-C camera at the time. Of course, that doesn’t hold a candle to the R6’s 1,053 autofocus areas and almost 100% coverage across the frame, with eye- and face-tracking autofocus.

So I’ve been pretty spoiled lately. With the solid Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM Lens and the R6, my hit rate has been damn near 100% in most field sports in even semi-decent light. If I missed a shot, it was likely due to pilot error. Focusing on a mirrorless camera is entirely off the sensor, so if it looks like it’s in focus in the viewfinder, it will actually be in focus.

Going back to the 7D was a throwback. The phase detection focus, separate from the imaging sensor, often registered something in focus in the viewfinder with its focus tracking, but things were more often than not just a hair off. In some ways, it wasn’t enough that I would have raised a fuss in 2009, but in 2024, cameras have just gotten so good that the expectations are higher. Here is one that I’d say would just be “OK” by modern standards.

Not something that I’d worry about on the web or social media but enough that it would give me pause to use in a large printed format.

That said, it could hit very sharp focus too, occasionally:

This brought back nightmares of having to microadjust lenses on DSLRs to compensate for front or back focus that body and lens combinations could develop. As a shelf piece for a couple of years and no service probably for some time before that (I bought it used a couple of years ago), it probably badly needed some tweaking in this area. Something I don’t want to do ever again, and so I didn’t.

Were There Any Other Differences?

Using a DSLR again felt surprisingly good. There’s a heft and substantial feeling to the camera body, even in something along the lower end like the 7D. While I have no desire to lug a 1D X into the field ever again, there’s something about that through-the-lens view and the reassuring slap of the mirror as the camera takes pictures.

In some ways, mirrorless cameras are akin to what Apple has often done, in that features are introduced that you didn’t even think you’d need. Back in 2009, I didn’t think I’d ever need more than the 19 points of autofocus the 7D had, let alone face- or eye-tracking. Exposure simulation was completely unnecessary, I thought, as I yelled at the kids to get off my lawn.

But time marches on, and as much fun as going back to the 7D was, the results speak for themselves. We had it good, back then, but now we have it better. Way better.

With the grand opening of Epic Universe scheduled for 2025, speculation continues to escalate on the attractions and rides which will be featured in each of the five lands at Universal Orlando‘s third major theme park.

To date, Universal has only unveiled details about one of five lands. Last month, more renderings were published to preview How to Train Your Dragon – Isle of Berk. Thanks to advancements in aerial photography, a closer glimpse was provided into construction and development of Dark Universe, which is expected to feature rides and shows based on Universal’s “classic monsters” films, including Frankenstein, Wolfman, the Mummy, and others.

Scaffolding was recently removed from several projects in the acres that will be home to Dark Universe. Photos were posted by X (Formerly known as Twitter) user “Bioreconstruct.” You can see posts featuring the photographs, below.

Aerial photo showing that scaffolding was recently removed from the windmill tower at Burning Blade Tavern in Dark Universe. pic.twitter.com/7HpQw1jUEJ

— bioreconstruct (@bioreconstruct) April 20, 2024

Aerial look at current construction in the village at Dark Universe.
📸Apr 18 pic.twitter.com/Hzrf895Ple

— bioreconstruct (@bioreconstruct) April 20, 2024

The allure of a new camera often lies in its technical specifications and the promise of enhanced capabilities. However, the true measure of a camera’s value rests in its ability to seamlessly integrate into a photographer’s individual approach and empower their creative vision. This exploration of the Fujifilm X100VI offers valuable insights into this nuanced relationship between photographer and tool.

In the video, photographer James Popsys looks into his experience with the Fujifilm X100VI, offering a candid assessment of the camera’s strengths and weaknesses. Despite initial reservations and acknowledging the camera’s near-universal praise, Popsys embarked on a journey to understand if the X100V could truly align with his needs and preferences. Popsys highlights several key features that impressed him:

• Exceptional Image Quality: The X100VI’s sensor and lens combination deliver stunning image quality, meeting the high standards of professional photographers. 
• Versatile Viewfinder: The hybrid viewfinder, offering both optical and electronic options, provides flexibility and caters to diverse shooting scenarios.
• Built-in ND Filter: The integrated ND filter expands creative possibilities, especially in bright conditions, without requiring additional accessories.

However, Popsys also identifies areas where the X100VI falls short of expectations:

• Battery Life: The camera’s battery life proves to be a limitation, particularly during extended shoots or when using power-hungry features.
• Menu Design: Popsys finds the menu system to be less intuitive than desired, potentially hindering quick adjustments and efficient operation.

Popsys’ experience with the X100V underscores a crucial point for photographers: Choosing the right gear goes beyond specifications and reviews. Aligning your equipment with your individual workflow, shooting style, and preferences is paramount. Check out the video above for the full rundown. 

Recently I was lucky enough to spend a couple of days wandering the streets of Spain’s capital, Madrid. Street photography is such an easy genre to get out and shoot – it’s free, you don’t need much kit, and it is great to explore the world with a different view. Although it’s easy to go out and shoot, it is a little harder to master. With a few simple tricks and tips though you can start to take your street shots to the next level. 

• The best camera for street photography

When I first started out I would look for evenly lit shaded areas, they were easy to photograph but lacked depth and tone. Our planet Earth being the three-dimensional beautiful spinning rock that it is needs to be captured in such a way we can show our viewers as much detail as possible through our lens. I like to travel light, and certain airlines aren’t a fan of you bringing any luggage with you so on this trip I was walking around with my small beaten-up Fujifilm X-T2 and Fujinon 35mm f/2 R XF WR lens. For me, a 35mm or 50mm field of view is ideal for street photography.

Super tips for shooting the street

1. Use automatic shutter speed 

In street photography moments can be fleeting and gone before you’ve even had time to raise your camera to your eye. I shoot with auto shutter speed to avoid missing a shot. Some people dislike any automatic settings but you can exploit them for an advantage in tricky shooting conditions.

2. Use automatic ISO

Each camera will vary slightly, but on my Fujifilm camera I have three auto ISO settings. Number one for street photography is set to use anything within 100-1600 ISO. I then tell my camera not to lower the shutter speed below 1/125sec while automatic ISO is enabled. ISO setting number two will be 1600-6400, and number three is 6400-128,000 – both of these will always make sure my shutter is at least 1/125sec.

3. Experiment with your aperture 

I tend to shoot wide open most of the time, which means my shutter speed is increased and I get a short sharp shot. Sometimes a shallow focus isn’t the best setting for a scene, you may want a deeper focus to incorporate more of the background. So try using anything from f/1.4 (if your lens allows) to f/9 for different aesthetics.

4. Shoot the street with confidence

By using the automatic settings from above, you’re now free to explore the streets and concentrate on the action. You don’t need to rush around too much, you can just park yourself on a bench and wait for people to walk into your frame. Make sure you expose for the brighter section of the image, this will give you far better contrast. I find using the LCD screen and shooting from the hip can be a good way to stay incognito, most camera screens are fully articulating now so make them work to your advantage. Try not to review your images, and concentrate on what’s in front of you.

Check out Street photography: how to remove distracting elements with long exposures, be sure to see our top 35mm prime lenses rated

Since growing up in Cincinnati, playing in a local groovy psych-rock band (Surdy-Greebus) in the late ’60s, attending medical school at the University of Cincinnati, then pursuing photography and eventually assisting the great landscape photographer Ansel Adams, Stu Levy’s renowned photographic work is calling him back to the Queen City.

On April 28, Levy will give an artist talk at Iris Bookcafe and Gallery in Over-the-Rhine, where his work is currently on view. Stu Levy: Landscape and Grid-Portraits runs through May 31 at Iris Cafe, where the walls are masterfully adorned with snapshots of Levy’s impressive body of work. The artwork is a photographic balance of grand landscapes and intimate grid portraits.

“I had always considered my landscape photos, especially the more abstract ones, to be the right brain activity compared to the rest of my life,” Levy said in an email to CityBeat. “But when the grid portraits started to emerge, they became a new right brain to the previous right brain. Both show the fine detail of the subject matter, but also suggest something beyond a more literal description of the person or place being photographed.”

During the artist talk, Levy says he plans to converse with the exhibit curator, Bill Messer, share the backstory of some exhibited photos – both landscape and grid portraits – and also reflect on his experience with photo education in Cincinnati and with Adams.

Messer has accomplished a museum-grade arrangement of Levy’s photographs at the OTR cafe, where visitors can also indulge in locally-sourced, house-made menu items and plenty of books.

Levy’s work appears in more than 24 institutional collections like the Cincinnati Art Museum, Museum of Contemporary Photography, Museum of Photographic Arts and the Wilson Centre for Photography in London. Among international gallery placement, Levy’s work has also been published as two monographs and two single-image artist’s books, according to a press release.

“People have been after me to do a show with Stu for years, because there are a lot of people here who still know him. Both people in the music business, people who know him from his family and people who went to Walnut Hills with him,” Messer says. “He’s been great to work with.”

Messer says that when Levy left Cincinnati for life out west, the landscapes “blew his mind,” and years ago when Levy was attempting to capture a giant cave, he couldn’t get it all in one shot. Levy decided to take multiple images of the scene and piece them together, which became the inaugural work of Levy’s body of grid portraits. Levy’s black and white landscapes offer a glimpse into western terrain of all kinds, sometimes contrasted enough to feel abstract and other times encompasses sharp, majestic parts of nature.

His grid portraits tell intimate stories of their subjects, especially when featuring a person. The subjects often appear more than once in the images, displaying different activities or aspects of life. The expert collage of different scenes accomplishes sometimes chaotic movement that imparts an aerial view of an individual’s life. Whether it be an artist or politician, Levy includes components of his subject’s lives that create a cohesive image and detailed story.

“I think of the grid portraits as mini movies of the subject’s life,” Levy says. “But the viewer remembers a ‘frame’ from two or three different scenes and combines them into one space, even though they might have happened at different times and in different places. I think of it as recombinant architecture. I also emphasize the importance of all the artifacts in the subject’s environment which also help describe their personality.”

The artful way that Levy assembles his images could not be accomplished in one shot, without the numerous points of view and passage of time, the profound depiction of his subjects would be lost. In Levy’s portrait of Cincinnati resident and curator Mary Baskett, she is pictured three times within the piece. Once at her piano, another time sitting in a stairwell reading a book and once more happily posing on a balcony. Even though she is clearly photographed in various parts of her home, the work as a whole appears as one scene. In a trick of the eye, the viewer might think it’s digitally altered before taking a closer look.

“The portraits have this element of time, which he finds really interesting,” Messer says. “It’s also got this opportunity to have multiple identifications, multiple personalities in the same image. Almost every other portrait is one thing, whatever it is, and it could be an amazing portrait. It could be a portrait that suggests many identities and things, but it’s still going to be one thing. So here, especially if you collaborate with your sitter, you get a chance to say, ‘Well, what do you want to express in this picture? What aspects of you do you want to be in this picture?’ And that’s pretty great.”

Visit Iris Bookcafe and Gallery at 1331 Main St. in Over-the-Rhine. Stu Levy: Landscape and Grid-Portraits runs through May 31. Levy will be at the gallery on April 28 at 5 p.m. for an artist talk. Visit stulevyphoto.com for more information.