Demar derozan basketball hi-res stock photography and images – Alamy

Jan 19, 2024 By Admin in Photography

Washington Pavilion to Host National Geographic Photography Exhibition Opening February 16 WOMEN: A Century of Change

Jan 19, 2024 By Admin in Photography

The Visual Arts Center in the Washington Pavilion will soon unveil a significant traveling photography exhibition by National Geographic, “WOMEN: A Century of Change.” The exhibition was created to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the 19th amendment, which granted women the right to vote, and celebrates the trailblazing women who have redefined womanhood.

“The stories featured in this exhibition are powerful and will inspire a new generation of women to pursue their dreams,” says Jana Anderson, Lead Curator for the Visual Arts Center. “Seeing the journeys of women who have broken barriers and achieved success will appeal to art enthusiasts, educators, families and beyond. This exhibition is a must-see for every member of our community.”

“WOMEN: A Century of Change” officially opens to the public on February 16, 2024. More than one hundred photographs by renowned National Geographic photographers, including Jodi Cobb, Lynsey Addario, Ami Vitale, Erika Larsen and Steve McCurry, will be showcased. The images depict the lives of women from more than 30 countries and are divided into six themes: joy, beauty, love, wisdom, strength and hope. The exhibition also includes portraits of women of power and impact.

The power of women can be seen and heard from any corner of the world, including South Dakota! In conjunction with this exhibition, the Washington Pavilion will host a three-part speaker series that will highlight local women of change. Events in the series include:

Uniting Generations of South Dakota Women on Tuesday, February 27, 2024: An exclusive moderated panel discussion of local women across many generations will share insightful narratives about their life experiences, providing the audience with a wide range of perspectives and wisdom.
Inspiring South Dakota Change Makers on Wednesday, April 10, 2024: Local artists will inspire a younger generation of women to be boundary-breaking history-makers in their own community.
The Future Is Female on Thursday, June 20, 2024: An academic speaker will discuss what a female future looks like, the need for it and how society as a whole will benefit because of it.

Tickets to speaker series events are on sale now. Purchase your event tickets online at WashingtonPavilion.org or at the Box Office at 301 S. Main Ave. For more information about the upcoming exhibit, visit WashingtonPavilion.org/NatGeo.

Meet Ashik Aseem, The T+L Champion Of Travel Photography

Jan 19, 2024 By Admin in Photography

Travel+Leisure India & South Asia revealed its second set of T+L Champions at India’s Best Awards 2023. From travel content creators and entrepreneurs to hoteliers and interior designers, these 12 individuals are making waves in their fields. One such trailblazer who is redefining travel is the T+L Champion of Travel Photography. Meet Ashik Aseem.

Excerpts from the interview with Ashik Aseem:

T+L India: What inspired you to combine travel photography with the unique gesture of personally delivering postcards to the people you photograph?

Ashik Aseem: It all started when I was travelling to Spiti Valley in Himachal Pradesh on a motorcycle in September 2019. I am a travel and landscape photographer. So, I keep my camera handy most of the time. In Rangrik Village, I entered a small shop where two ladies were spinning yak wool yarn. Seeking their permission, I took their photo. Their initial smiles faded when they realised they wouldn’t see the picture again.

This encounter made me realise that despite being frequently photographed, the people of Spiti Valley had few pictures of themselves. I observed few old photos kept as treasures in various homes due to the rarity of printing pictures there. Promising to send copies, I collected addresses during my journey. Reflecting on this while riding, I decided to edit, print, and deliver photos to everyone I met. Despite sending weatherproof prints later, winter disrupted communication. Unsure if the photos reached, I returned to Spiti in 2021 with larger prints, anticipating duplicates. The warm reception prompted a decision: I would hand deliver photos instead of relying on unreliable postal services.

T+L India: What impact or reactions have you observed from the recipients when you deliver these personalised postcards?

Ashik Aseem: While exploring remote areas, I carry a tent for overnight stays. In hospitable places like Spiti Valley, connecting with families is easy; they accommodate a solo traveller like me. I prefer local homes to hotels. In 2019, staying in Losar Village, I formed a strong bond with a family.

Later, I discovered the grandmother in the house had passed away. Wanting to help, I decided to bring a framed photo on my next visit, despite the challenge of carrying it from Kerala to remote Himachal. Hand-delivering the photo was emotional; witnessing the grandfather’s tears was touching.

T+L India: How do you find unique locations seen in your photographs?

Ashik Aseem: To take the photos no one else takes, I have to go to places no one else goes to. I usually avoid the usual tourist spots and try to live with the locals for at least a month.

T+L India: What is the best camera for travel photography?

Ashik Aseem: For serious photography, I recommend the Sony Alpha R series, and for videography, consider the S series. If it’s a hobby but you still aim for high-quality results in both photos and videos, opt for the Sony A7iii or IV. I personally find Sony to be the best in terms of both quality and compactness.

Champion’s Choice

Best destination that you have photographed: The Himalayan states and northeast India, particularly Meghalaya
A place you often find yourself returning to: Spiti Valley holds a special place in my heart. Kashmir is another favourite

Bayar Jain

Senior Content Manager

Equipped with a degree in Sociology (Honours) from the University of Delhi and a postgraduate diploma in English Journalism and Mass Communication from Xavier Institute of Communications, Mumbai, Bayar enjoys sharing stories of people, places, and different cultures. When not typing her travel tales, you can catch the hobbyist photographer capturing ..Read More

Troy brown hi-res stock photography and images – Alamy

Jan 19, 2024 By Admin in Photography

Remembering Hans Feurer: All of his most iconic photographs

Jan 19, 2024 By Admin in Photography

WORDS Jasmine Pirovic PUBLISHED Fri, 19 Jan 2024 – 12:58 pm

Hans Feurer, the prolific, esteemed and deeply adored Swiss fashion photographer has passed away aged 84.

Tributes to the late photographer are flowing in, with an outpouring of love from fashion industry stalwarts like Francesca Sorrenti who said, “I loved your vision of sexuality, beauty, color, and most of all the exciting energy all your photography had!”

Feurer rose to prominence in the late 1960s, taking off “like a rocket” when he landed in London aged 22 and began creating campaigns for an advertising agency. Soon after he would be recognised for his sensual photographs of women that experimented with light and shadow in ways previously unseen. He once said: “Photography is light and shadow. Shadow is just as crucial.” His colour palette was equally remarkable; glossy and high contrast, vibrating with energy.

To this day his images for the 1974 Pirelli calendar, shot on Seychelles, as well as his 1983 Kenzo campaign in which he captured supermodel Iman on the Spanish island of Lanzarote, are continuously referenced and cited for their role in rewriting the rules of fashion.

He preferred to shoot on location, his name is synonymous with lavish outdoor settings, rich fabric and a bold positioning of the female form. More importantly, his images celebrated women, capturing their strength and femininity, all the while underscoring Feurer’s deep admiration for them.

In 2014, Business of Fashion quoted him saying, “I love women. I have a lot of respect for women and find them more interesting than men. The person I am drawn to is intelligent, strong and beautiful. Women are the main reason I became a fashion photographer.”

As we reflect of Hans Feurer’s storied life and career, we’re taking a retrospective look on his most remarkable photographs. Below, find a curated selection of the most iconic Han Feurer photographs, we hope you love them as much as we do.

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Exploring therapeutic benefits through photography

Jan 19, 2024 By Admin in Photography

CHENNAI: According to research, photography has tremendous therapeutic potential helping an individual to express and communicate their emotions. While it has not been fully explored as a therapeutic tool, a few photographers from the city are currently delving into its possibilities.

When 25-year-old Habiba Begum founded The Expressive Lens last November, she aimed to explore the connection between photography and various psychological concepts and how it can be used therapeutically. “I believe photography can lead to self-exploration,” says Habiba. Her upcoming workshop exclusively for kids, aims to explore more about self-expression through photographs.

Although photography is pursued professionally and as a hobby, the therapeutic side has not yet been explored by many. “Art is perceived as a healing tool, but visual art is not used to its full potential. These workshops will make people discover and realise things about themselves,” she says.

At the end of the workshop, there will be group discussions that help in knowing the meaning behind each picture captured by the participants, reflecting on their journeys. “This paves the way in creating a safe space that helps individuals to express themselves and find relatability,” she adds.

Not everyone might like to put into words what they are going through. With this type of photography, we have another medium to open up about our inner selves. A nephophile by nature, Rithika a freelance photographer and assistant director in the film industry, finds solace in watching the clouds and sky during the lockdown. That is when she started taking snaps of the clouds on a daily basis and found it therapeutic. “A picture tells a lot about the photographer. When children capture a picture, it shows their point of view about the world, filled with innocence and positivity. It is just recently that people are accepting the term therapy. Art, in any of its form, is a therapeutic tool. Therapeutic photography is one of its kind and new to Chennaiites. There is a long way to go,” affirms the 22-year-old. The upcoming workshop, titled Therapeutic Photography for Kids, is the first workshop organised by The Expressive Lens for children between the ages of 9 and 16. The three-hour workshop focuses on self-expression. The Expressive Lens’s previous workshop themes include different forms of emotions. “Self-expression helps kids to know how they perceive themselves, how the society sees them, and helps them create a positive self-image. They will be instructed to capture everything they like and dislike about,” Habiba explains.

Habiba elucidates that through such workshops, parents will realise the positive side of mobile phones, which have a bad reputation. “We are aiming to increase our module timing. This will result in the kids travelling with us more and also help them feel comfortable in opening up. We wish to delve deep into emotions and also themes like how they identify themselves and gender identity,” she remarks.

The Therapeutic Photography for Kids workshop will be held on January 21 from 10 am to 1 pm at The Learning Community at Quest, Besant Nagar. For details, contact 9600295212.

Forbidden camera: tourist sites where photography is strictly prohibited

Jan 19, 2024 By Admin in Photography

Rodman dennis hi-res stock photography and images – Alamy

Jan 18, 2024 By Admin in Photography

Photographer captures amazing shots of otter devouring fish in Toronto park

Jan 18, 2024 By Admin in Photography

Vast networks of ravines and waterways make Toronto a surprisingly hospitable city for wildlife, and one doesn’t have to search too far to catch a glimpse of natural wonder in the heart of the city.

One local wildlife photographer managed to capture some truly impressive shots of the food chain on full display on a recent visit to Toronto’s High Park, photographing an otter hungrily snacking on a freshly caught fish amid the bitter January cold snap.

Photographer Henry Huy of HN Photography tells blogTO he was visiting the park on January 13 around 3 p.m., searching for known park residents, including coyotes and great horned owls, when something unexpected caught his eye.

Huy says he “spotted a moving animal in the water by the Grenadier Pond,” at first believing it to be a muskrat or a beaver. He then “noticed the tail was slender, pointed and long, unlike a beaver tail, which is flat and wide,” and remembered a 2022 blogTO article about an otter seen taking a swim in Lake Ontario.

Keeping his lens trained on the animal as it moved through the water, he witnessed the otter capture multiple fish and bring them back to its den. But he remained patient, braving the cold for over two hours until, finally, his lucky moment arrived.

The High Park otter is seen dragging a fish back to its den.

“The otter caught one big pumpkinseed fish and dragged it onto the frozen snow-covered ground,” explained Huy. “It looked at me and I spent a few minutes looking at it in a way [as if to say] that I’m not a threat to it. The otter started eating the fish and I could hear the sound of the otter breaking the fish.”

He says the animal was a mere 15 feet away during this chance encounter.

The otter feasts on a brightly-coloured pond perch as ice forms on its whiskers.

The presence of North American river otters in the city is noteworthy, as the species was extirpated from the area in the early 20th century.

There is mounting evidence, however, that otters are making a comeback in Toronto since first being spotted at the edge of the city back in 2012. In recent years, sightings of the animals — and debates over exactly which species is being spotted — have become more common.

Photographers have captured similar animals at large in other parts of the city, and Huy says that wildlife shutterbugs have had their eyes trained on High Park for possible otter sightings for some time now, but to no avail.

Huy says that, about a month earlier, “around 35 photographers and birders came to High Park and waited for hours for the otter, but it didn’t show up on that day.”

Based on his experience at Grenadier Pond, Huy believes that there are two aquatic critters living in the small body of water — the otter and a second smaller animal with a reddish nose; however, a wildlife expert is unsure of the second animal’s species from the lone photo provided.

Nathalie Karvonen of the Toronto Wildlife Centre confirms Huy’s photographs of the brown-nosed animal as an otter, though she thinks that the reddish-nosed animal photographed swimming in the pond may actually be a beaver or a muskrat.

A second aquatic mammal, possibly a beaver or muskrat, swimming in Grenadier Pond.

While there is no questioning that there is indeed an otter in High Park, Karvonen tells blogTO that “Grenadier can’t really sustain otter populations permanently, but it is possible they could pass through for short times,” adding that the animals have indeed “been seen there occasionally before.”

Karvonen advises anyone who encounters an otter to exercise caution, saying that “otters are very beautiful, but rather ferocious if challenged or cornered.”

She warns pet owners should be especially careful, saying, “I might worry more about the pets than the otters if they were in close contact. It’s always best to keep pets away from wildlife for many reasons.”

The public should also take care in respecting these animals’ habitats, stating that “Grenadier pond, for example, has a chronic and serious problem with fishing waste. It impacts wildlife negatively on a regular basis.”

Lead photo by

Henry Huy/HN Photography

40 Years of Sundance: A Look Back With Photographer Jeff Vespa

Jan 18, 2024 By Admin in Photography

2024 marks the 40th edition of the Sundance Film Festival, Robert Redford’s winter refuge for actors, filmmakers and indie studios who flock to Park City, Utah to celebrate cinema away from the franchises and nine-digit budgets of Hollywood.

It is also, apparently, a place for those celebs to have some snowball fights.

Kyle MacLachlan & Ethan Hawke during Sundance Film Festival 2000 in Park City, Utah, United States.

This pic of a 29-year-old Ethan Hawke slinging a fistful of frozen water was taken back in 2000 by photographer Jeff Vespa, who now serves as the creative director of TheWrap. He recalls coming across Hawke and actor Kyle MacLachlan, who were in Park City for the premiere of their modern-day adaptation of Shakespeare’s “Hamlet,” directed by Michael Almereyda, and took this spontaneous photo out in one of the parking lots.

“I didn’t even know I had this picture until the day after I took it and I looked back through the film,” Vespa told TheWrap. “This is the most quoted picture I’ve ever taken. It was in ‘People’ and I think it was in ‘Entertainment Weekly,’ too. Even years later, when Entertainment Weekly was sponsoring Sundance, they’d have the photo in their official festival space.”

Vespa parlayed photos like these into a job as the official photographer for Sundance from 2003 to 2017, taking tens of thousands of photos of the festival’s big stars.

“There were about 2,500-2,700 pictures I took myself that are now online,” Vespa said. “But, overall, I have around 50,000 pictures in my archives just from Sundance. I’ve probably taken more photos at the festival than anyone else.”

Vespa has been a regular at Sundance going back to 1995, after just graduating from the American Film Institute and went to the festival as an attendee. Two years later he met veteran photographer Randall Michelson and offered to help him take photos at the festival.

“He had this prepared speech about how people say they are going to help him, but they’re only there for half an hour and don’t do anything, but I insisted. ‘No, I’m really going to help you!’” he recalled. “So I came up with him in ’99, and that year I really understood the lay of the land when it comes to photography.”

Many of Vespa and Michelson’s photos in 1999 and 2000, like the one with Hawke, were shot out in the Park City cold; but in 2001, the pair began taking photos in studio spaces and at festival parties and screenings. Those pictures served as the basis for WireImage, a successful entertainment photo company that was acquired by Getty Images in 2007.

“My whole career has been really built around Sundance and I often say that I don’t think Robert Redford completely understands what he’s done, not just for filmmakers, but for various other people in entertainment,” Vespa said.

Vespa shared his photos of today’s big stars when they were still on the rise at Sundances in the early 2000s, including “Barbie” director Greta Gerwig and “Oppenheimer” director Christopher Nolan at the dawn of their careers. You can check out those photos below.

Kyle MacLachlan & Ethan Hawke Sundance Film Festival 2000 Park City, Utah USA January 22, 2000

Brad Pitt, Jennifer Aniston & Robert Redford during 2002 Sundance Film Festival – “The Good Girl” Premiere at Eccles Center For The Performing Arts in Park City, Utah, United States.

Ben Affleck at Sundance Film Festival 2000 at Committed Premiere

Matt Damon during Sundance Film Festival 2000 – Committed Premiere at Park City Library in Park City, Utah, United States.

Ryan Gosling at Sundance Film Festival 2001

More than two decades before he enchanted the world with his Kenergy, Ryan Gosling enthralled Sundance with “Believer,” a drama directed by Henry Bean in which Gosling plays a young Jewish man who hates his own identity to the point that he becomes a Neo-Nazi. Vespa’s photo of him above has never been published until now.

Vespa: “I just remember my friend was really close with him, and he was like, ‘You gotta photograph this kid, he’s gonna be huge. I knew I’d done this picture, but when I searched for it I couldn’t find it in my folders. I had to go all the way back to the raw images and I finally found it and thought, ‘How did this never get posted?’”

Taika Waititi during 2004 Sundance Film Festival – “Two Cars One Night” Portraits at HP Portrait Studio in Park City, Utah, United States.

Kristen Stewart at the HP Portrait Studio in Park City, Utah – 2004 Sundance Film Festival – “Speak” Portraits

20 years ago, a teenage Kristen Stewart appeared at Sundance in the teen drama “Speak,” in which she played a high school freshman who goes silent after being raped by a senior.

Robin Wright Penn and Robert Downey Jr. at 2003 Sundance Film Festival – “The Singing Detective” – Portraits

Composer/actor Bob Dylan and Penélope Cruz at 2003 Sundance Film Festival – “Masked and Anonymous” Party

Greta Gerwig at the Sky 360 by Delta lounge WireImage portrait studio on January 22, 2008 in Park City, Utah.

America Ferrera during 2005 Sundance Film Festival – “How the Garcia Girls Spent Their Summer” Portraits at HP Portrait Studio in Park City, Utah, United States.

Paul Giamatti and Hope Davis during 2003 Sundance Film Festival – “American Splendor” – Portraits at Yahoo Movies Portrait Studio in Park City, Utah, United States.

Paul Giamatti has slowly but surely gained momentum for a possible Best Actor victory at the Oscars for his performance in “The Holdovers,” but Vespa notes that even decades after he took this photo of him at the 2003 Sundance, he still seems nervous about appearing at festivals.

Vespa: “It’s funny because he’s appeared at festivals to promote ‘Sideways’ and ‘American Splendor’ and all these films but, when I was at Palm Springs [film festival], he said, ‘Oh, I’m so nervous, I’ve never done this before.’ I had to remind him that, yeah, he has done this before and that I’ve shot photos with him, and he said, ‘Oh, no, no, this is totally different.’ I guess because now there’s social media and campaigning is so much more intense, he’s thrown by it all.”

Naomi Watts at Sundance 2001 – MAC/Diesel: Make Over Day

Maggie Gyllenhaal and Jake Gyllenhaal at Sundance Film Festival 2001 – “Donnie Darko” Portraits

Jodie Foster, Kieran Culkin, Emile Hirsch & Jena Malone at 2002 Sundance Film Festival – “Dangerous Lives Of Altar Boys” Portraits

Clea DuVall & Natasha Lyonne during Sundance Film Festival 2000 in Park City, Utah, United States.

Joe Pantoliano, Christopher Nolan, & Guy Pearce at Sundance 2001 – Memento – Portraits

Kirsten Dunst, James Woods, A.J. Cook, Hanna R. Hall, & Kathleen Turner at Sundance Film Festival 2000 – The Virgin Suicides Party

Katie Holmes at 2003 Sundance Film Festival – “The Singing Detective” – Portraits

Juliette Lewis & Gena Rowlands at 2002 Sundance Film Festival – “Hysterical Blindness” Premiere

Kate Hudson & Stuart Townsend during Sundance Film Festival 2000 in Park City, Utah, United States

Robert Redford during 2003 Sundance Film Festival – Robert Redford – Portraits at Yahoo Movies Portrait Studio in Park City, UT, United States.

Lisa Marie Presley & John Oszajca during Sundance Film Festival 2000 – The Virgin Suicides Party in Park City, Utah, United States

Mariah Carey, Mira Sorvino and Melora Walters during 2002 Sundance Film Festival – “Wisegirls” Press Conference at The Lodge at Deer Valley in Park City, Utah, United States.

Philip Seymour Hoffman at 2002 Sundance Film Festival – “Love Liza” Portraits

William H. Macey and Maria Bello during 2003 Sundance Film Festival – “The Cooler” – Portraits at Yahoo Movies Portrait Studio in Park City, Utah, United States