Photography exhibit in Canada captures a Lahaina that no longer exists

Apr 6, 2024 By Admin in Photography

People in and around Lahaina before the August 2023 wildfires were the focus of a recent photography exhibit in Victoria, Canada.

In April 2022, photographer Arifin Graham captured everyday people in their element, doing everyday things on Maui.

“I always ask people, ‘May I take your photograph?'” Graham said. “There’s that moment of engagement where we really just as human beings, we are there for that moment. And then something of their life, their spirit, their humanity is revealed.”

His photos have taken on a new context after the wildfires. In addition to being celebratory, the black-and-white photos are now historical.

“I just felt that these were really compelling images of local people. And I knew that this was going to be an interesting portfolio of work and that it would be called ‘The Last Resort,’ which is named after the Eagles song from 1976, in which Lahaina figures hugely,” Graham said. “The song is about how we find paradise and kiss it goodbye.”

Graham said he spent many years in Lahaina, and his parents owned a place there. He and his wife are traveling to Maui soon for the first time since 2022.

He said he recognizes the sensitivity of the situation on Maui and how that might factor into taking more photographs during his trip.

“I don’t know what that looks like now. And it has to be done very carefully. And I don’t even know if it’s possible now. One thing I think about is seeing if I can find some of the people who I photographed and to check in with them — be able to say ‘hello’ and say, ‘hey, how’s it going?'”

This story aired on The Conversation on April 5, 2024. The Conversation airs weekdays at 11 a.m. on HPR-1. Sophia McCullough adapted this story for the web.

Photography Field Trip with Joe Webster

Apr 5, 2024 By Admin in Photography

Exhibit showcasing photography of Moneta Sleet Jr. coming to Kentucky State

Apr 5, 2024 By Admin in Photography

A special photography exhibit called “A Witness to History” is coming to Kentucky State University’s campus. It’s all about the amazing photos taken by Moneta Sleet Jr.

Sleet was born on Feb. 14, 1926, in Owensboro, and he loved taking pictures ever since he was a kid. He got his first camera as a present and joined a photo club in high school. When he went to Kentucky State College, he took pictures of events and people on campus.

BE075898 — Moneta John Sleet Jr. (Photo courtesy Wikipedia)

Gay photographer who captured epic 2017 eclipse image will take to the sky to outdo himself Monday

Apr 5, 2024 By Admin in Photography

Pittsburgh photographer shares tips for protecting your camera lens during the eclipse

Apr 5, 2024 By Admin in Photography

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — The solar eclipse is just around the corner, and just like the sun’s rays will damage your eyes if you stare directly at it, photography experts warn those same rays can damage your phone’s camera lens.

KDKA-TV’s Meghan Schiller is explaining how to not need a new phone by Tuesday.

With a long lens and a photo in about every Pittsburgher’s basement, Dave DiCello’s ready to point his camera to the sun. He captured amazing shots during the last eclipse in 2017. Cloud cover around here, however, might ruin his shot this year, so he’s headed for clearer skies.

“Right now, the forecast is saying Vermont or New England and then tentatively the Midwest, so Indiana, Illinois,” DiCello said.

All he needs is his tripod, camera, lens, plus he’ll need to screw on an additional solar lens.

“Newer cameras, they don’t have that shutter so the sensor is always visible, so if you were to point that at the sun without a solar filter, it would just fry the sensor, you would end up with a dark spot on the sensor and then it would be ruined, you’d have to get a new camera,” said DiCello.

KDKA-TV asked him about amateur photographers using their cell phones and DiCello said the same thing goes. KDKA-TV found solar filters for sale on Amazon and even some big box stores like Walmart.

“If you can get a solar filter, you can still put it in front of the lens, with an iPhone you’re not going to be able to really zoom in probably enough to really see what it’s going to look like.”

So, since it might look lackluster on your phone, just wear your glasses. DiCello recommends looking around and taking it all in as soon as the sun goes away.

“It looked like twilight around, it gets a couple degrees cooler — I just got goosebumps thinking about it. It’s crazy to see and it’s amazing to experience,” DiCello said.

Meghan Schiller

Meghan Schiller is an Emmy-nominated journalist who joined KDKA in October 2017. She’s thrilled to be back in her hometown and reporting at the station she grew up watching.

The Healing Power of Art— Actor & Cancer Survivor Jeff Bridges, 74, Opens Up About His ‘Love-Affair’ With Photography and It’s ‘Element of Surprise’

Apr 5, 2024 By Admin in Photography

Jeff Bridges, 74, took to social media this week to let fans know about an interview he did regarding his “decades-long love affair with photography.”

Bridges, who is likely best known for his iconic role in “The Big Lebowski,” was interviewed last month by A Rabbit’s Foot (magazine and digital platform offering readers a look into the world of film, art and culture) about his favorite camera, the Widelux F8 and “the crossroads between photography and cinema.”

According to The Rabbit’s Foot, the dad of three, who bravely battled cancer and Covid-19 in recent years, “is as obsessed with the still image as he is with the moving one.” “Bridges first fell in love with the act of taking photos when his wife gifted him an analogue camera which he would use to shoot on the set of Starman. It was a Widelux F8: an all-time favorite of Bridges.” RELATED: Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma: Overview: Overview

Speaking to the art news outlet’s Creative Director Fatima Khan, Bridges explained what attracted him to photographing with a “wide-formate lens,” saying, “Well, my particular Widelux does use 35 mm. I first started taking pictures in high school with my father’s Nikon—I turned my bathroom into a darkroom. I enjoyed shooting my friends and being in the darkroom developing and enlarging.

“But my interest in the Widelux started on my wedding day when the photographer, Mark Hanauer, came to photograph our wedding using a Widelux camera. When I saw the results I was knocked out by the movement and the excitement and the format itself, which reminded me of 70mm cinema. As a wedding gift my wife gave me my first Widelux camera.”

As for how much his art means to him, Bridges said, “As I look through my photographs—it’s that corny thing that actors say when they’re asked about their favorite movie. They’re like children. And I feel the same way about my photographs.

“There are certain photographs that stand out in the small books that I make for each movie. Each of the books and photographs are like children. They represent movies and lifetimes that I can revisit by looking at these pictures. It’s really impossible for me to pick a favorite one.”

Regarding the special features the Widelux camera offers, Bridges said, “I shoot with Kodak or Ilford 3200 ASA. Since I work mainly on the set where there is very low lighting, I’m able to shoot with the Widelux, at F11 @ 1/15th of a second. I can handhold my camera and most cameras you just can’t do that.

“I like to get close to my subjects. I do some landscape photography but primarily I like to get as close to my subjects as possible and the film and the Widelux allows me to do that.”

When asked fulfillment photography brings him that no other form of art, like cinema, can offer him, Bridges told Khan, “The word that comes to my mind is surprise. And all the things I do creatively have that element of surprise. I suppose one of the things that photography brings that movies can’t is that you can immediately pick up a picture and look at it and it brings you back to that moment in your life.

“That’s something wonderful about the books I’ve created. I can look at these books and photographs and immediately return to those lifetimes. But basically, most creative endeavors have that element of surprise. You never know what you’re going to get. And I love that.”

A Rabbit’s Foot featured a handful of photographs taken by Jeff Bridges, like images taken during the filming of “Crazy Heart” in 2009 and “Bown Away” in 1994.

Referring to the photos selected and featured from tee publication, Bridges said, “These pictures are a bit like home movies, but quicker. In a glance, I can be transported back to when they were taken. They serve as, almost, a drug that takes me back to other lifetime. I say “lifetime,” because I consider each movie as one—each character I played, each of the weeks, months, I spent with these folks were lifetimes.

“When we make a movie, we do it with a bunch of people who are very different, with loads of different opinions, ideas of what’s right and wrong, good and bad.”

He concluded, “The common denominator is that we all want to make something beautiful, something relatable, something we can look at and say, ‘Shit…yeah man, that turned out even better than I thought.’ We cash in on the law that 1 + 1 = 3. All our intentions come together to produce…well, magic…turning water into wine, lead into gold. It’s an alchemy of sorts.”

Art Through Cancer

As an established actor, Jeff Bridges understands the healing power of art intimately. Alongside treatment or after beating cancer some people may turn to various artistic outlets (i.e. singing, dancing, painting, crafting) to help them cope with their cancer journey.

Some people also use art to handle feelings of grief after suffering a cancer-related loss. Whenever and however you turn to art, its healing benefits in terms of mental health are well-documented and substantiated.

In fact, Very Well Mind reports that a 2016 study published in the Journal of the American Art Therapy Association says that less than an hour of creative activity can reduce stress and have a positive effect on your mental health. And that’s true regardless of artistic experience or talent, the author notes.

Meanwhile, Marianne Cuozzo, a three-time cancer survivor, can also attest to the power of art. And despite the fact that cancer has essentially been her whole life, Cuozzo has recognized herself as a lot more than a diagnosis by focusing on her life as a mother and an artist.

Three-Time Cancer survivor Marianna Cuozzo On How Art Helps Her Express Herself

Cuozzo was first diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 1994 at the age of 28. In 1997, she had a recurrence, and then she was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2014. She had a double mastectomy and originally got implants with reconstruction.

But after years of infections, she decided to remove her implants and “go flat.” Her artwork reflects a deeply personal exploration of body image and sexuality. In a previous interview with SurvivorNet, Cuozzo tells us how she found comfort expressing herself through her work.

“My artwork is very reflective of my cancer journey,” Cuozzo says. “I’m doing the best I can to feel beautiful in this new body.”

Dealing With Grief After a Cancer Diagnosis

Jeff Bridges’ Cancer Battle

Jeff Bridges was diagnosed with lymphoma in 2020 and started chemotherapy treatment right away. Although Bridges hasn’t personally specified which type of lymphoma he was diagnosed with, AARP noted that his cancer was, in fact, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, cancer of a type of white blood cells called lymphocytes, which are part of the immune system.

While cancer treatment was going well, he was also diagnosed with COVID-19 in January 2021, and due to his cancer treatment having weakened his immune system, Bridges wound up spending months in the hospital.

According to AARP, Bridges’ cancer went into remission quickly after he was put through chemotherapy infusion, which was followed by an oral chemo protocol.

He dubbed his wife as being his “absolute champion” as she stayed by Bridges’ side as he recovered from covid in the hospital. “She really fought to keep me off a ventilator. I didn’t want to be on it, and the doctors didn’t necessarily want that. But Sue was adamant,” he told the news outlet.

He was ultimately treated with a blood plasma called “convalescent plasma,” which consists of viral antibodies.

Despite his struggle, like so many cancer survivors, Bridges was left with a renewed appreciation for life.

“I’ll be honest. I didn’t know if I was going to make it,” he told Esquire in an earlier interview. “I was on death’s door there for a while in the hospital. When I finally went back to work, after a two-year hiatus, it was the most bizarre kind of thing. It felt like a dream.”

“I came back after all that time, and saw the same faces [while shooting ‘The Old Man’], the same cast and crew,” he added. “It was like we had a long weekend. I gathered everyone and I said, ‘I had the most bizarre dream, you guys.’ I was sick and out, but all that feels like a gray mush now.”

Understanding Lymphoma

Jeff Bridge’s battled non-Hodgkin lymphoma, one of the two most common types of lymphoma.

Lymphoma is a cancer of the immune system that affects infection-fighting cells called lymphocytes. And there are more than 40 different types of lymphoma.

Sneaky Lymphoma Symptoms Often Lead to a Late Diagnosis

“Lymphoma is split up into a number of different categories,” Dr. Elise Chong, a medical oncologist at Penn Medicine, previously told SurvivorNet.

“The first distinguishing breakpoint, if you will, is non-Hodgkin lymphoma versus Hodgkin lymphoma,” she added, “and those sound like two different categories. But non-Hodgkin lymphoma comprises the majority of lymphoma, and Hodgkin lymphoma is a single specific type of lymphoma.”

Hodgkin lymphoma has distinctive, giant cells called Reed-Sternberg cells. The presence of these cells, which can be seen under a microscope, will help your doctor determine which of the two lymphoma types you have.

There are a few other important differences between non-Hodgkin lymphoma and Hodgkin lymphoma to note. For one thing, non-Hodgkin lymphoma is much more common. And you’re more likely to be diagnosed with it after age 55, like Jeff Bridges. People usually develop Hodgkin lymphoma at a younger age.

It should be noted that another difference between these two types of lymphoma is that non-Hodgkin lymphoma is more likely to spread in a random fashion and be found in different groups of lymph nodes in the body, while Hodgkin lymphoma is more likely to grow in a uniform way from one group of lymph nodes directly to another.

These two different types of lymphoma behave, spread and respond to treatment differently, so it’s important for you to know which type you have.

Do What You Love During & After Cancer

During cancer treatment, and also after, it can be hard to focus on anything except your treatment or the challenges that follow a cancer battle. However, Bridges is a wonderful example that it’s important to take a moment and focus on something that makes you genuinely happy.

Experts recommend you try to take some time out of your day a few times a week and really enjoy those special pockets of joy.

“We know from good studies that emotional health is associated with survival, meaning better quality of life is associated with better outcomes,” Dr. Dana Chase, a gynecologic oncologist at Arizona Oncology, previously told SurvivorNet.

“So working on your emotional health, your physical well-being, your social environment [and] your emotional well-being are important and can impact your survival. If that’s related to what activities you do that bring you joy, then you should try to do more of those activities.”

Dr. Dana Chase Encourages Those Facing Cancer to Find Moments of Joy During Treatment

Contributing: SurvivorNet Staff

Learn more about SurvivorNet’s rigorous medical review process.

Danielle Cinone is a writer at SurvivorNet. Read More

5 Ways Boudoir Photography Made Matt Mathews A Better Comedian

Apr 5, 2024 By Admin in Photography

Comedian Matt Mathews wears a lot of hats. He went to school for nursing but ditched that path after realizing “I do not want to wipe asses for the rest of my life.” He devotes a lot of time to chores on his Alabama farm, the setting for a number of comedy Tiktoks with views in the millions.

He’s also a successful boudoir photographer, a side hustle that few comedians can claim. The best part of the job is “just being able to see people feel good about themselves,” a description that works for his stand-up as well. I recently talked to Mathews, currently on his “When That Thang Get To Thang’n” comedy tour, about some tastefully naked truths that boudoir photography taught him about the business of getting laughs.

1 Put People at Ease

People who show up for their first boudoir shoots feel extremely vulnerable, and a huge part of Mathews’s job was to put them at ease. If that sounds like what comedians do with crowd work, you’re not far off.

“I’ve seen people comment, ‘I’m sitting in the nosebleed section so that he doesn’t talk to me.’ You know, because they’re so scared that I’m going to roast them,” he says. “I literally say on stage, ‘Look, we’re all best friends here. We’re in a room together, and we’re just talking shit.’ I just want us to feel like we’re all having a conversation and laughing together. And I think that makes people feel more comfortable.”

@matt_mathews

2 And Then Push Them Out of Their Comfort Zones

No one ultimately comes to a boudoir photography session to hide behind their clothes. So once safety and trust are established, it’s time to venture into new territory.

After establishing rapport, either in the studio or on stage, Mathews knows when to go further. “When you start to call out an audience member, of course, they’re always terrified. Like, ‘Oh God, he is going to eat me alive.’ But by the time that I do roast them at the end of it, they love it. ‘That was great, it made me laugh.’ I think there’s a line between being funny and roasting somebody and just being outright mean.”

@matt_mathews

3 Be Comfortable in Your Own Skin

Growing up, Mathews says he “never loved my body, never felt comfortable in my skin. I was always a chunky kid and I never really saw people that were body positive.” As a boudoir photographer, he encourages his subjects to relax and be themselves because that’s where the inner beauty shines through.

He’s carried that message into his comedy. “My show is very much about being inspired to be who you are and to love who you are and to be comfortable in your skin,” he says. “I talk about that a lot in my show and I’ve been able to reach a larger audience with that.”

4 Get It on Your Calendar

On Mathews’s website, he has a blog about how to run a successful boudoir business. His first tip? Get everything on the calendar. Miss a session and you’ve got trouble.

“My calendar is insane,” Mathews says about balancing his multiple aspirations. (Somehow, the guy also owns a retail store and his own line of candles.) That’s why he runs his comedy career like a business, getting everything into a schedule so he doesn’t get nuts remembering what to manage.

5 Work Your Ass Off

It’s only been recently that Mathews has pulled back on his photography schedule to focus on his comedy tour. “It’s a lot of work,” he says. “I was performing every single weekend and I had sessions that I already booked, so I was shooting Monday, Tuesdays and Wednesdays and then I would leave Thursday, perform Friday and Saturday, fly home Sunday and then do it all again.”

But success in any individual endeavor requires similar dedication. No problem for Mathews. “I love to be busy,” he says. “I don’t like days off. My vacation is just being home for a day so that I can still work.”

Use these tips to photograph the eclipse with your phone and camera

Apr 5, 2024 By Admin in Photography

The last time the United States saw a total solar eclipse was in 2017, and many of us didn’t have the newest iPhones to capture it.

The 2024 solar eclipse will take place on April 8, and another total solar eclipse is not expected to be seen in the United States again until 2044.

The eclipse will pass through several time zones and have a totality path of 115 miles on average. Some locations will experience totality for about four minutes, so use these tips to capture the moment.

Protect your eyes and your phone

Eclipse glasses should be worn to safely view the event with your own eyes. Using solar film or holding your glasses over the lens can protect your phone and eyes from damage.

Ashlee Rezin, acting Sun-Times Photo Desk editor, will be wearing glasses to photograph the eclipse.

“We rely on our eyes and cameras to do our jobs, and more,” Rezin said. “It’s too important and there’s too much at stake to risk not taking protective measures. It was a no-brainer.”

NASA experts recommend that you visit the American Astronomical Society’s (AAS) Reputable Vendors of Solar Filters & Viewers page to find a verified list of eclipse glasses and handheld solar viewers.

Approved AAS eyewear contains darker filters than normal sunglasses, which blocks almost all light, providing the best protection.

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Purchase a zoom lens attachment

A zoom lens attachment will protect your camera and phone while also providing zoom. If you try to zoom in on your phone, it will appear hazy; however, with the attachment, the total solar eclipse will appear much clearer.

NASA recommends a “zoom lens attachment that will give you 12x to 18x.”

Practice taking your eclipse shot

Practice never hurts. Photographing the moon to get a sense of how large the sun-in-eclipse will appear through your smartphone’s lens or a lens attachment is a good start.

Most phone cameras automatically adjust exposure, making eclipse photography difficult with only 4 minutes to work with. The more test shots you take in the days before the eclipse, the less time you’ll waste.

Look around you

Although it sounds like the only photos you should capture are of the eclipse, there are many more photographic opportunities.

Brian Ernst, Sun-Times Director of Digital Operations, suggests photographing the scene.

“Depending on weather conditions, the surrounding area could look like a sunrise/sunset in every direction, Ernst said.

Photographing the eclipse is one of the best ways to preserve the memory, but pointing your camera at friends and family as they enjoy the experience or photographing the landscape as it changes during the eclipse is another great way to savor the moment.

The Chicago area will experience a partial eclipse on April 8. Downstate, Carbondale will be in the path of totality, in which the view of the moon completely blocks the sun, for the second time in 10 years.

Most phone cameras automatically adjust exposure, making eclipse photography difficult with only 4 minutes. Taking more test shots in the days before the eclipse will save time.

By Vanessa Lopez

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The doughnut maker will partner with Oreo on an eclipse-themed product. Delta and Southwest airlines are offering flights in the path of totality, and a special MoonPie will be on shelves.

An estimated 100,000 to 200,000 people are expected to descend on southern Illinois, where the eclipse’s path of totality will pass early Monday afternoon. Southern Illinois University is holding a four-day party.

By Kade Heather

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The glasses will be available at all Warby Parker locations while supplies last starting Monday until the day of the eclipse April 8.

Doctors say looking at the April 8 eclipse without approved solar glasses — which are many times darker than sunglasses — can lead to retinal burns and can result in blind spots and permanent vision loss.

The White Sox are the Cleveland Guardians’ guests for their home opener at Progressive Field on April 8, which means the visitors will have front-row seats for a rare phenomenon — a total solar eclipse.

How To Photograph A Solar Eclipse (2024 Complete Guide)

Apr 5, 2024 By Admin in Photography

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MSU student’s anxiety-exploring photography on display through April 19

Apr 5, 2024 By Admin in Photography

Contact: Carl Smith

STARKVILLE, Miss.—A Mississippi State senior art major’s photography exploring the effects of anxiety is on display at the Colvard Student Union Art Gallery this month.

“Contact S.24,” a senior thesis exhibition by Nathan Jones, of Louisville, Kentucky, will run through April 19. Regular gallery hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.

“My work seeks to illuminate the interplay of internal feeling and external surroundings, offering viewers a glimpse into the profound depths of the anxious mind,” said Jones, who created his portfolio under the direction of Professor Marita Gootee, the MSU Department of Art’s photography concentration coordinator.

For more information on this exhibition or any gallery programs, call 662-325-2970 or email Lori Neuenfeldt, gallery director, at lneuenfeldt@caad.msstate.edu.

MSU is Mississippi’s leading university, available online at www.msstate.edu.

ART WORLD NEWS

Make Your Own

Photography

Photography exhibit in Canada captures a Lahaina that no longer exists

Photography Field Trip with Joe Webster

Exhibit showcasing photography of Moneta Sleet Jr. coming to Kentucky State

Gay photographer who captured epic 2017 eclipse image will take to the sky to outdo himself Monday

Pittsburgh photographer shares tips for protecting your camera lens during the eclipse

The Healing Power of Art— Actor & Cancer Survivor Jeff Bridges, 74, Opens Up About His ‘Love-Affair’ With Photography and It’s ‘Element of Surprise’

Art Through Cancer

Jeff Bridges’ Cancer Battle

Understanding Lymphoma

Do What You Love During & After Cancer

5 Ways Boudoir Photography Made Matt Mathews A Better Comedian

1 Put People at Ease

2 And Then Push Them Out of Their Comfort Zones

3 Be Comfortable in Your Own Skin

4 Get It on Your Calendar

5 Work Your Ass Off