MOSES LAKE — Shooting photos of outer space will be the topic of a presentation in Moses Lake Thursday.

Astrophotographer Mike Brady will discuss the techniques of capturing the night sky, the equipment needed and the processing that’s needed to make the photos clear at the Moses Lake Civic Center auditorium, starting at 6 p.m. Admission is free, but seating is limited to the first 200 attendees.

Brady, who graduated from Big Bend Community College, went on to earn a degree in biology from Central Washington University, followed by a career in the army. When he retired, he taught biology at a community college in North Carolina before coming back to Columbia Basin College in Pasco, where he became the director of the observatory. That’s where he fell in love with photographing the heavens, he said.

“I took a lot of photography courses when I was in college,” he said. “That’s been kind of one of my hobbies for quite a while. And then like a lot of scientists, (I) have a lot of diverging interests, and one of them is the night sky. So when I got to CBC and started working with the observatory, it just became natural for me to take my photography and start using it on telescopes.”

The technology has come a long way since he first discovered photography, Brady said. Film is mostly a thing of the past; photography is almost all digital, which he said greatly increases what an astrophotographer can do.

“People who are in astrophotography now, because of the digital age, we can bring up images that are almost as good as the Hubble (Telescope). It’s really phenomenal what amateurs can do now.”

Brady’s presentation, hosted by the Moses Lake Museum & Art Center, will include images of galaxies, nebulae, the moon, the sun and comets, according to the announcement on the museum’s website. The presentation will be an open forum in which questions from the audience are not only welcome but encouraged.

“If I have time, at the end, what I want to do is actually take a picture that I’ve already stacked, and then run through the processing procedure to show how the digital age has really brought us to the point where we can do images like we d,” Brady said. “Basically what you’re after is to reduce the amount of noise that’s coming in, like light pollution, and increase the signal from a galaxy that’s 40 million light years away.”

Joel Martin may be reached via email at jmartin@columbiabasinherald.com.

BLACKEY, Ky. (WYMT) – Malcolm J. Wilson, of Blackey, won the 2024 East Kentucky Leadership award for Media and Technology.

Wilson said he believes capturing photos is in his DNA. He added at age three he would trot around his hometown of Cumberland, Kentucky with an empty film camera.

However, he said something happened at 6-years-old that shifted his focus as he heard something he had never heard before.

“He no longer had his Appalachian accent,” Wilson said. “He was Pronouncing every syllable.”

He said his dad’s friend had moved away and one day stopped at their home for dinner. However, Wilson said the change in his father’s friend confused him and he vividly remembers running to his father after dinner to ask him what happened.

“He said son, Theodore is ashamed of where he came from. He doesn’t want people in Louisville to know that he is from these Appalachian Mountains. He said don’t you ever be ashamed of where you come from. Don’t you ever be ashamed of these Appalachian Mountains,” Wilson said. “It became the catalyst for everything that I did in my life. That was pouring the foundation to make Malcolm Wilson who Malcolm J. Wilson is.”

Malcolm said he has spent his life with the goal of telling the truth of the misunderstood Appalachian people.

“We all have to fight. We have to fight now only here inside Appalachia. We have to fight for jobs and for environment and clean water and now we have to fight the drug problem. But then we also have to fight the rest of the country for what they think we really are and we’re not,” he said.

Malcolm and his late wife Jennifer worked together on a project that gained a large audience around the world. It was called, “Humans of Central Appalachia.”

They told the stories of Appalachian people through pictures and video. However, when she passed Malcolm said he could not keep the project going without her and his focus shifted.

He began working with students in the region. He started teaching kids the art of photography in hopes that they would love to tell the same truth he has worked to tell throughout his life.

When the July 2022 floods hit Eastern Kentucky Malcolm and his interns picked up their cameras to capture the stories. They began creating a list of needs and Malcolm made the decision to share the list with followers of his former project. He said he was amazed at the help they received as a designated UPS stopped in their community each day for several weeks with items on the list.

His photos were continuing to capture the hearts of his community around the world and make a difference.

“My work is not for pundits, critics or scholars. My work is of the people, by the people, for the people,” Malcolm said. “Something to balance how they feel about where they came from. To prevent the Theodore’s of the world from feeling like they have to change their voice.”

As Malcolm continues to write the next chapter, he said he is hopeful that one of his students will continue to write the book.

“It’s good to work with these kids. But I am hoping that at least one of these kids takes some of me,” he said. “When I’m gone has that same love for these mountains and this culture and keeps trying to spread the truth.”

The East Kentucky Leadership Conference will be held Thursday and Friday, April 25th and 26th, in Corbin.

Click here to learn more.

Copyright 2024 WYMT. All rights reserved.

Megan Thee Stallion has been accused of harrassment by a former photographer, who alleged he was forced to watch her have sex with a woman.

According to NBC News, cameraman Emilio Garcia filed a lawsuit today (April 23) against the rapper (real name Megan Pete), accusing her of harrassment and creating a hostile work environment.

Garcia claimed that he was trapped inside a moving car with Pete and three other women, where she proceeded to have sex with one of the women. According to the photographer, the incident allegedly took place in June 2022 in Ibiza, Spain.

In the lawsuit, filed to the Los Angeles Superior Court, Garcia went on to allege that he was told by the rapper afterwards: “don’t ever discuss what you saw”.

“I felt uncomfortable. I was kind of frozen, and I was shocked. At kind of just be the overall audacity to do this right, right beside me,” Garcia told NBC News in an interview.

The lawsuit also states that Garcia was reportedly treated differently by Pete, with her harrassment “so severe” and “pervasive” that it created a “hostile, abusive work environment” that made Garcia’s “working conditions intolerable.”

On that same trip, Pete allegedly called Garcia a “fat bitch”, telling him to “spit your food out” and that he didn’t “need to be eating.” “To hear someone who advocates about loving your body tell me these things,” Garcia told NBC News, “I felt degraded.”

He went on to claim that he “endured a barrage of relentless sexual and fat-shaming comments plunging him into profound emotional distress,” allegedly causing Garcia to face physical injuries, physical sickness and emotional distress.

Garcia also reported a loss in earnings and decreased employment benefits, alleging that he was prohibited by the rapper from working for anyone else, along with being denied overtime pay and breaks. He was also allegedly left “without basic insurance coverage, depriving him of essential health care.”

The photographer claimed he now “grapples with mounting anxiety, depression, and physical distress stemming from the toxic work environment.”

In a statement to NBC News, Ron Zambrano, attorney for Garcia, said: “Megan just needs to pay our client what he’s due, own up to her behavior and quit this sort of sexual harassment and fat shaming conduct. Emilio should never have been put in a position of having to be in the vehicle with her while she had sex with another woman. ‘Inappropriate’ is putting it lightly. Exposing this behavior to employees is definitely illegal.”

Garcia is reportedly seeking more than six figures for unpaid wages (including overtime), interest on the unpaid wages, and other employee benefits at the legal rate. The photographer is also seeking penalties related to Californian labour laws, punitive damages according to proof, and any costs incurred by Garcia.

NME have reached out to Megan Thee Stallion’s representatives for comment.

In other news, Megan has said how “a lot of people didn’t treat me like I was human” after the Tory Lanez shooting.

ROTTERDAM — The music industry, with its seemingly endless subsections, sometimes focuses on the creative minds that craft and perform new music, but what about those on the other side of the stage? Photographers like Stephanie J. Bartik, of NY Rockstar Photgrapher LLC, sometimes fall into the lands of unsung heroes, telling the visual stories of bands that exist on a small-scale, all the way up to national touring acts. In just five years’ time, Bartik has surely cut out her niche in this industry, and is always working on getting her hands involved with new projects.

I had a chance to sit down with Bartik recently to discuss her craft. What follows is our conversation, edited lightly for content and clarity.

Lucas Garrett: Stephanie, thank you so much for sitting down. It’s great to talk with you. How’ve you been?

Stephanie Bartik: I’ve been busy, which is good.

LG: You certainly are. But you haven’t always been. What got you started in this vein of concert photographer?

SB: I wasn’t looking for it; it found me. I was brought up … my dad was a photographer, my uncle, my grandfather. I was surrounded by it but I never got into the technical part of it. I was always the one with the camera at school functions, family functions, et cetera. A friend of mine about 10 or 15 years ago asked me if I’d photograph her wedding. I said, “I’ve never done it before. Sure!” It was a low-key wedding — nothing huge.

Someone who was at the wedding was also a real estate agent. They asked me if I’d photograph their housings for the listings. From there, he asked if I’d do headshots for him. “I’ve never done that before. Sure!” I started to do a lot of different real estate agents for their headshots and listings. One of those people happened to be in a band, and asked if I’d come over and take pictures of the band.

I did it, and then was going at it locally. Someone I knew, Lovey Lee, was the marketing person at iHeartMedia. They had a photographer lined up to go to the Schaghticoke Music Festival in 2016. Something happened and she asked if I could do it. Once again, “I’ve never done it before. Sure!” It was the first time I was in a photo pit. I was watching the other photographers and trying to take off their cues. All of the sudden I get a tap on the shoulder from security — I was on the fifth song and had lost count. It was a three-day thing and hopping over from stage to stage. One day, Sixx:A.M. — Nikki Sixx — was playing. At one point, something hit — the right string or whatever — and it felt like this thing zapped me right through the heart. It could’ve been either a heart attack …

At that point, this was what I knew I wanted to do the rest of my life. I put in a five-year plan for myself on how I was going to be able to do this. It was basically all through networking: a band would post their photos and another band would see it. The really cool part is that I’m starting to see the people I’d idolized as a teen, and being able to photograph them. It’s been a wild ride.

LG: Does it ever stop not feeling surreal, or is every day surreal for you?

SB: I don’t know … whatever I do, I tend to throw my entire self into it. If I did jigsaw puzzles, I’d be doing every jigsaw puzzle ever. It’s become a way of life; I like the music scene. It’s a tight-knit community, and I like how they show support for one another. It’s like magic to me. Every time someone gets up on stage and is singing, or playing a guitar and taking this piece of wood with strings on it and making such beautiful noise, it’s like magic to me. That’s what I try to capture. I’m a dreamer and I support other dreamers. If I can do anything to help promote that person to reach their dream, that’s good on my side. It’s selfish, feel-good, if you know what I mean.

LG: Absolutely. Is there a type of event in particular you enjoy working at, or is it all good for you?

SB: Whatever is at the other side of the lens of what I’m photographing is my favorite thing. For the past five years, I’d photograph the Lake George Classical Music Festival. You have these world-renowned violinists, et cetera, and the next day I may be doing hip-hop, sitting on the floor of Putnam Place, formerly Putnam Den. I have a lot of genres. It’s all the same as long as the passion is there.

LG: For anyone reading this who sees your work and says, “Oh, I want to do concert photography,” do you have any advice for how to get started in this whole industry?

SB: Yeah. I’ll mentor people occasionally, but I’m not going over settings on the camera. I’m going with how to deal with the crowd, et cetera. If you’re getting in there, first thing is, don’t beat yourself up. Band photography is everything a normal photographer hates: dark lighting, if there’s any at all; movement; flashes of light; people knocking into you all the time. Don’t be too hard on yourself.

What you have to do is show up at the little clubs and take pictures. Most bands, especially if they’re starting out, need to have that promo. Get their pictures. What I did, the very first time I started to do this on a regular basis, was a rock-aoke event. A friend of mine was singing and asked if I could come over and photograph him. Offer the pictures to the band, the venue, the promoter if one is involved. And post them.

By me posting online — and I know I’m an over-poster — my idea is that I’m also promoting the bands. You get your name out there, and then you start earning more money because you’re taken more seriously.

LG: Did you ever think you’d be this busy five years ago?

SB: No. if you asked me if I’d been a band photographer, I’d have said no. Because I keep myself open to different things, that’s how I found myself down this path. [I never thought] I’d be published in Guitar World Magazine. That was in the September issue (2023). Marcus (Nand) had an interview. He asked to use two pictures I took of him. Caffè Lena hired me for their children’s music school. I have big photos on their wall by the stairs and in their information booklets.

Frog Alley bought some [of my work] for their display. It was cool to see two of my photos on billboards. Also, I was in the digital display [at Rivers Casino].

Of all the genres of photography that I’ve done, there’s absolutely nothing that makes me feel how I do when I’m taking pictures of the bands. I’m very busy every time I get the opportunity to do it. I’m proud to be able to do it, and it excites me. If you’re doing something you love, you just get passionate about it and you get that extra energy.

LG: Absolutely. Do you still do other types of photography, or is it all band photography?

SB: I did just do a wedding. I still do headshots, and weddings — lower key ones where I feel more comfortable and down to earth. I’ve done auto photography for people selling cars. Antique cars. I’m open as long as the person knows I’m going to do the best I can. I probably won’t be a wedding photographer as much as Dino Petrocelli who’s in a world of his own. I’m always open to different things.

LG: Is it weird to go from mindset to mindset in different venues or do you know what you’re getting into now?

SB: If I’m going to photograph a band I’ve never done before, it’s a lot more than people see. I’m not going out there, showing up with a camera, clicking and leaving. I’m going to YouTube and looking at their videos to see where people are standing on stage so I know what to look for. When I go to an event, I go to security and make sure they know who I am and what I’m doing there. Security’s your best friend; don’t mess with them. I go to the lighting person and ask if there’s anything I should know about that’s going to happen at the show. There’s a lot to it; you just have to know what you’re getting into.

People have noticed when I take a photo, I have both eyes open. I’m looking through the viewfinder with one eye, but the other eye I’m scanning the stage. All your senses are all moving. When I’m done with a show, it feels like I’ve run a marathon because every sense is involved.

LG: Are there any concert photographers that you really enjoy, or say, “Wow, I wish I thought to do it like that,” when you look at their work?

SB: There are so many other photographers and I look at their work and I’m in awe. Claude Christopher. Technically, the way he captures it is very, very good. I look around and see the other photographers and sometimes feel like, “What am I doing here?” That whole imposter syndrome.

LG: I think that syndrome is a big part of the arts community. It’s almost a prerequisite for being in that community.

SB: Yeah, I wish I could get rid of that. People will tell me my work is good, but in my head, I think it’s better than it was, but it’s not good enough. By not thinking you’re good enough, it pushes you to always be better. If I thought I’m the best — and you’ll never hear me say that — what’s to strive for? I’m 70 and I’m still trying to learn new programs. I look at what a photographer does to see how I’d put my spin on something similar.

LG: Is there anything else you’d like to elaborate on?

SB: I always tell people when I’m mentoring them, when you’re shooting [an event], yes, you’re representing yourself, but you’re also representing the band. You’re representing the venue. You have to remain professional. You’re not part of the party. You have to respect the people. You have to stand in someone’s way because that’s the only way to do it, but talk to them. Say something like, “I’m really sorry. I’m going to be here for two pictures and then move out of the way.” On the other side, if you see photographers’ gear [at a venue], don’t put your food on it. That’s my livelihood, and if that gets ruined because someone bumps into a table because they’re having a good time, I’m out of work. Be respectful. That’s my big thing.

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Local wildlife rescue efforts are going to benefit from $2,000 raised by Campbell River Whale Watching and photographer Liron Gertsman.

Gertsman and Campbell River Whale Watching joined forces for the 2023 season to host a five-day photography workshop that celebrated coastal wildlife and bald eagles. The workshop was popular, and a portion of the proceeds were set aside to go towards local wildlife rescue.

On April 22, Gertsman and Campbell River Whale Watching owners Stephen Gabyrsh and Tyler Bruce announced they would donate the $2,000 to the MARS Rescue Centre in Black Creek and OWL (Orphaned Wildlife Rehabilitation Society) Rehabilitation in Delta.

Stephen Gabyrsh, co-owner of Campbell River Whale Watching, said that “our partnership with Liron Gertsman Photography not only provided an unparalleled photography experience but also enabled us to give back to the local wildlife community. We are deeply grateful to all participants for their enthusiastic support and to MARS and OWL for their tireless dedication to conservation.”

“Responsible and sustainable wildlife ecotourism is incredibly important, and there is a long list of components that go into making that goal a success” Gertsman said. “By immersing people into nature and having respectful encounters with wildlife, we hope to bring an additional in-the-field educational component to our photography workshops, by allowing people to experience first-hand the beauty, inter-connectivity and importance of our local ecosystem. We also want to utilize that opportunity to support local organizations who are making a difference for the wildlife that we enjoy observing and learning about in the wild. As a direct result of these trips, we are able to donate to such organizations as OWL and MARS.”

“We are very grateful to Campbell River Adventure Tours Group for this generous donation and their ongoing support of our work,” a statement from MARS Wildlife Rescue says.

MARS Wildlife Rescue helps ill, injured and orphaned wildlife recover and return home to the wild to live out their lives.

“We care for about 1,000 native species every year ranging from tiny baby hummingbirds and other baby birds to reptiles, fawns, other mammals, waterfowl and majestic bald eagles.”

OWL specializes in the rescue and rehabilitation of injured and orphaned raptors from all over the province. They take care of over 700 birds every year.

For further information on how to support MARS Wildlife Rescue and OWL Rehabilitation, please visit their respective websites at marswildliferescue.com and owlrehab.org.

Industry: Education

School for photography business leverages its annual event to fund a Village Impact project. Additionally, the Institute students raised $259,735 within their communities in impact donations.

Springfield, IL (PRUnderground) April 23rd, 2024

Photography Business Institute’s Go Boutique Live Virtual event witnessed an inspiring demonstration of compassion and unity as participants rallied to raise an impressive $20,000 for Village Impact. This generous contribution will fund the construction of a toddler classroom at Amani Kuresoi Primary School in Nakuru County, Kenya, providing crucial early childhood education resources to underprivileged children. The donation will facilitate the establishment of essential facilities, including play areas and water sanitation facilities, customized to meet the specific needs of young learners, alongside specialized flooring, multi-sensory learning materials, and play equipment to create an enriching learning environment.

Participants could contribute any amount to the cause as part of the fundraising initiative. However, in appreciation for every donation of $97 or more, the business photography school presented its mascot, a squirrel, in the form of a silver or gold necklace. This collaborative effort between the Go Boutique Live Virtual event and Village Impact exemplifies the profound impact that collective action can have on transforming lives and fostering positive change.

Reflecting on the amount of donations, Sarah Petty, Founder of Photography Business Institute, said, “At our school, we believe in the power of giving back. Our commitment to impact extends beyond business success; we’ve ingrained it in our educational philosophy. We empower our students not only to excel professionally but also to make a meaningful difference in their communities and the world. This core value sets us apart from other photography educational institutions and platforms, reflecting our dedication to shaping compassionate and socially conscious photographers whose impact is felt far beyond the images they create.”

Beyond the immediate impact of the fundraising efforts, the annual Go Boutique Live event serves as a pivotal platform for professional portrait photographers to come together with other photographers who follow the same business model, share insights, and make a meaningful impact on global communities. Attendees engaged in enriching discussions, shared valuable insights and forged lasting relationships with fellow photographers from around the world, underscoring the ethos of Photography Business Institute.

The revered Julie Awards ceremony is central to the event, where the Photography Business Institute honored 218 photographers for their outstanding achievements this year. As a photography business mentor, Photography Business Institute’s largest award category was charitable contributions through work. Totaling $259,735 in donations, 98 students earned this year’s coveted Charity Award. The ceremony underscored the institute’s and its community’s profound commitment to creating a massive impact and brighter futures for everyone.

As participants continue to harness the momentum generated by this event, the ripple effects of their collective efforts are poised to make a lasting difference in the lives of individuals and communities worldwide. To discover more about Photography Business Institute and its upcoming courses and events, visit www.PhotographyBusinessInstitute.com.

About Photography Business Institute

Photography Business Institute aims to educate photographers about how to have a viable, self-sustaining career as a professional portrait photographer and to make lasting contributions to the legacies of the families they photograph and the communities in which they reside.

Megan Thee Stallion has been hit with a lawsuit from her former photographer, Emilio Garcia, according to NBC News. This lawsuit is for alleged harassment as well as an alleged hostile work environment. As the outlet reports, this lawsuit was filed back on Tuesday in Los Angeles, and there are numerous allegations throughout. Garcia alleges that the artist fat-shamed him, while also creating a “hostile, abusive work environment.” Based on the lawsuit, Garcia claims to have been working with Meg full-time from 2019 to 2023.

Overall, there is one alleged incident in particular that is being highlighted by Garcia. This allegedly took place in June 2022 during a trip to Ibiza. Following a night out, Megan was with her friends in the back of a SUV. Garcia was there, and he alleges that Meg began having sex with one of the women, right in front of him. “I felt uncomfortable. I was kind of frozen, and I was shocked. At kind of just be the overall audacity to do this right, right beside me,” Garcia said to NBC News.

Read More: Megan Thee Stallion & Pardison Fontaine Relationship Timeline

Megan Thee Stallion Hit With Serious Allegations

BALTIMORE, MARYLAND – MAY 20: Megan Thee Stallion performs during Preakness LIVE Culinary, Art & Music Festival hosted by 1/ST at Pimlico Race Course on May 20, 2022 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Paul Morigi/Getty Images for 1/ST)

Subsequently, Garcia alleges that once Meg realized he had been in the car, she told him “Don’t ever discuss what you saw.” As time went on, Garcia claims that he was booked for less gigs with Meg and that his pay structure was eventually changed. Moreover, Garcia alleges that Roc Nation eventually told him his services were no longer required. As for the lawsuit itself, Garcia is looking for “unpaid wages, as well as interest on the unpaid wages, unpaid overtime wages and other employee benefits at the legal rate.” The total comes out to six figures.

At the time of writing this, Megan Thee Stallion, nor her team, have delivered a comment. Let us know what you think about these allegations, in the comments section down below. Additionally, stay tuned to HNHH for the latest news and updates from around the music world. We will continue to keep you informed on all of your favorite artists and their upcoming projects.

Read More: Who Has Megan Thee Stallion Dated?