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Barnesville Area Chamber of Commerce members help Harley Steed cut the ribbon to officially open his new photography studio on Thursday at 125 E. Main Street in Barnesville. Pictured from left are Delilah Hudson, Meghan Leek, chamber President John Rataiczak, owner Harley Steed, chamber Director Jill Hissom, board member Brenda Brown, Jane Lucas and Patty Riemenschneider. Harley Steed Photography will have its grand opening at 5:30 p.m. Saturday. For more information about the business, visit the Harley Steed Photography Facebook page or call 304-281-8276.

Art has the power to bind, even across contentious borders and over long centuries. That power is evident as Boston residents usher in Hanukkah with music and traditions from across the vast Jewish diaspora.

Musician Ira Klein, who grew up in Israel before attending the Berklee College of Music, is sharing a wide variety of Jewish music from Spain, Algeria and Turkey this season. One of his performances is at the annual “Hanukkah: Festival of Lights” held at the Museum of Fine Arts Thursday evening.

“The idea is really: How can we use music as a bridge? A lot of people may think of that as a cliche, but that’s what music does. It brings people together across political lines,” Klein said.

Joining Klein at the MFA is Beth Bahia Cohen, playing violin and yayli tanbur, a fretless Turkish instrument.

Leading up to Hanukkah, Klein shared an excerpt from a 14th century Jewish manuscript from Spain, The Catalan Mahzor, at the Vilna Shul in Beacon Hill last week.

Ladino art and culture in Boston

Becky Behar, a photographer born in Colombia, is a Sephardic Jew who traces her family roots back to the Jews expelled from Spain and Portugal during the 1492 Spanish Inquisition. Her pop-up photography is among the art showcased this year at the MFA’s annual event.

Both Behar and Klein are familiar with the significance of the Ladino language, a tongue blending Spanish and Hebrew that artists and historians are working to preserve.

Two years ago, Klein founded the Boston-based ensemble Convivencia to revive and celebrate the Ladino tradition. Much of the Ladino culture hearkens back to a time of pluralism and artistry, including between Muslims and Jews, before the Inquisition.

It’s that joy and peace that Hanukkah is known to bring each winter.

“I think we in the Jewish community, and broader community, could all really use a moment of connection and beauty and joy,” said Laura Mandell, the executive director of Jewish Arts Collaborative, one of the partners in the MFA event.

Speaking to GBH’s The Culture Show earlier this week, Mandell said that “Hanukkah is the antidote” to darkness and challenges.

Note: The “Hanukkah: Festival of Lights” event runs from 5- 10 p.m. Thursday at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, and is included with general admission.

After the End of History: British Working Class Photography 1989 – 2024
Herbert Art Gallery & Museum, Coventry: 29 March – 16 June 2024
Focal Point Gallery, Southend-on-Sea: 3 July – 14 September 2024
Bonington Gallery, Nottingham: 27 September – 15 December 2024

Launching in March 2024, Hayward Gallery Touring – the UK’s largest contemporary art organisation producing exhibitions that tour Britain – will present After the End of History: British Working Class Photography 1989 – 2024. The exhibition will bring together working class artists who use photography to explore the nuances of life in all its diversity today, turning their gaze towards both their communities and out to the wider world.

After the End of History will offer a picture of working-class life today; from Rene Matic’s portrait of growing up mixed race in a white working-class community in Peterborough, to Elaine Constaintine‘s documentation of the Northern Soul scene, to Kavi Pujara ode to Leicester’s Hindu community, and JA Mortram’s documentation throughout his life of marginalised people while working as a caregiver.

The year 2024 will mark 35 years since the fall of the Berlin Wall, and the symbolic end of Communism. For the economist Francis Fukuyama, writing in the early 1990s, this celebrated triumph of Western Liberal Democracy as the only viable future for global politics represented the “End of History”.

Johny Pitts, Curator of After the End of History, says:“Developing a show with Hayward Gallery Touring, which pieces together complex and counterintuitive expressions of working class life through the lens, has been a deeply enriching process. I hope the extraordinary work included offers not only a celebration of the craft and creativity of working class practitioners, but also engages, surprises and inspires a working class audience, and anyone interested in art against-the-odds.”

The counter-cultural energies of the 1980s, very often powered up by the alternative ideologies embodied by Communism, and a reaction against Thatcherism, produced a collective, coherent and politically engaged generation of working-class artists. But after the so-called “End of History” was announced in the 1990s, what became of working-class culture and the working class creative? What kind of images has working-class life produced in the last 35 years? After The End of History aims to illuminate these questions.

See also

Brian Cass, Senior Curator, Hayward Gallery Touring, says: “Thanks to the insights and passion of curator Johny Pitts, After the End of History offers a portrayal of working-class culture that doesn’t conform to expectation. It features a fascinating range of artists whose visually compelling images challenge the ideals of classic documentary photography while also saying something vital about class, community and creativity. We are delighted to be working with our exhibition partners on this project and we hope the exhibition offers audiences a thoughtful, relevant and affirming celebration of working-class creativity.”

Artists in the exhibition will include Richard Billingham, Serena Brown, Rob Clayton, Artur Conka, Josh Cole, Elaine Constantine,, Anna Magnowsk, Rene Matic, J A Mortram, Kelly O’Brien, Eddie Otchere, Charlie Philips, Kavi Pujara, Khadija Saye, Chris Shaw, Ewen Spencer, Hannah Starkey, Nathaniel Telemaque and Barbara Wasiak, amongst others.

After the End of History: British Working Class Photography 1989 – 2024 is a Hayward Gallery Touring exhibition curated by Johny Pitts with Hayward Gallery Touring.

©2023 Hayward Gallery Touring

Art Plugged is a contemporary platform inspired by a relationship with the broader arts communities. We provide our audience with curated insight into the world of art, from exhibitions to artist interviews and more.

While Tessa Coates was trying on wedding dresses last month, she posted a seemingly straightforward snapshot of herself on Instagram before a double mirror. As those who have been through the wedding process know, such a mirror gives two views of a bride. Since the photograph was shot from behind Coates — an actress and comedian in the U.K — with her iPhone, you could see much of her and her dress from the back, giving you a third view.

The photo depicts what appears to be a bride simply viewing herself in a prospective wedding dress, but upon closer inspection, something looks off. In fact, when you study Coates’ arms and hands, you soon realize that they are all positioned differently from each other. In other words, neither mirror is reflecting the image of Coates that we see from the back in the photograph. According to the story Coates tells on Instagram, when she looked at the photo (which she said wasn’t Photoshopped), she had a full panic attack. She even went back to ask the dress shop owner if the mirrors were taking and displaying video. (They weren’t.)

She became more anxious and alarmed after showing and discussing it with friends that day. She then showed it to a number of people and employees in a nearby Apple store she visited. On Instagram, she joked that perhaps she really had magically crossed over and lived “in the mirror realm now,” or that she was “on the second layer of ‘Inception.’”

But had Coates in fact followed Alice through the looking glass?

What kind of photo did this bride-to-be have on her iPhone?   

At that Apple store, she finally was able to meet with an Apple genius, named Roger, who was able to provide her with answers. 

“First of all, an iPhone is not a camera, but a computer,” he explained. When it takes a photo, it captures a series or burst of images … even when it’s not explicitly taking a panorama, live photo, or burst of images. “It takes a series of images from right to left.” In this case, at the exact moment it crossed behind her back, Roger said, “You raised your arms, and [your iPhone] made a different image on the other side.” 

In that split-second moment, Roger said, the camera made an “AI decision and stitched those two photos together.”  He also offered that Apple was beta testing this new feature (presently found only on Google phones), Coates said. Lastly, Coates said Roger noted it was a million-in-one chance that it would stitch the photo right at the moment she raised her arms.

On Instagram and elsewhere, there have been lots of theories posted on how or why this happened, including some who are skeptical of the entire story. But one tech reviewer, named Faruk, who has a YouTube channel called iPhonedo, describes why he believes it’s not Photoshopped, and that it is, in fact, a panorama.

What is computational photography?

Although it’s not clear exactly what type of photo was captured or what kind of mode Coates had enabled on her phone (an iPhone 12), what’s clear is that it’s a computational photograph, since it was captured with an iPhone.

So what exactly is computational photography? As the name implies, computational photography uses computer processing power to harness data from an image sensor (or multiple image sensors) in various ways to enhance traditional photography techniques.

It’s also used to develop new photography techniques and forms. For instance, with traditional film photography, photographers could produce panoramas, but it was very labor intensive and difficult to create panoramas, even ones that included just a few images. Because iPhones are not only digital, but are empowered with computer algorithms, they can quickly stitch scores of images together to create panoramics.

But iPhones and other smartphones use computational photography for lots more; they also use it to produce high-dynamic range (HDR) images, photos shot in portrait modes, and other innovative digital genres that combine computer power and photo optics. All of these are examples of computational photographs. 

How to take good panoramas on your Apple iPhone

We can’t be sure exactly what type of beta mode Coates’ phone was in (if it was, in fact, in a beta or testing mode). Some comments on the internet suggest that the image might have been created in panorama mode, which lets you capture extremely wide photos of particular scenes, landscapes, or cityscapes.

On iPhones, you can enable this mode by opening the camera app and swiping left until you find “PANO.” Here are a few tips to get better results with your panoramas:

Check the direction you’re panning: To create a horizontal panorama, hold your iPhone vertically and then pan either right-to-left or left-to-right. Make sure the arrow points in the direction you’re panning. To create a vertical panorama, you’ll hold your iPhone horizontally and pan upwards or downwards.

Avoid moving subjects: When shooting panoramas, it’s best not to capture subjects that move, since you’ll often end up with odd or weird aberrations or distorted subjects.

Practice, practice, practice: Before you create your final panorama, take some time to create a few test panoramas. For starters, it will allow you to figure out if you’re panning too slowly or too quickly. It will also help you work out other compositional issues, such as if the lighting is correct, if there are subjects that are moving, etc. 

Should we be worried about computational photography?  

There are some aspects of Tessa Coates’ story that sound comical—she is an actress and a comedian, after all—but other elements were alarming. This is partly due to the fact that although computational photography appears similar to traditional photography, in many ways it’s very different. And we don’t always know if we can recognize those differences.

Take the iPhone’s portrait mode. An iPhone using this computational photography mode to capture a person’s face will most often accurately focus on the person’s head and only blur the background to replicate bokeh found in traditional film photography. But unlike a film camera, you can’t use the feature on still-life subjects. For example, when I tried to shoot an evergreen branch set against a background of similarly colored green trees, it severely cropped my photo, creating an artificial looking branch. Of course, portrait mode was never meant to capture an evergreen branch outside set again a background of green trees. But with an analog film SLR camera, I could apply the same rules of shallow depth of field to my outdoor evergreen photo that I could when shooting a portrait.

What’s important to understand is that by using computational photography, tech companies have dramatically altered some of the essential rules, principles, and techniques of photography. My concern is not that they’re changing these rules, but that many of those changes will remain hidden from us … as when Coates’ iPhone captured a disturbing composite photograph of her wearing a wedding dress.

Will your next photograph prove as startling?

Fine art photography, three exhibitions

“Arthur Tress: Rambles, Dreams, and Shadows,” plus “Sheila Metzner: From Life,” and Peter Fetterman’s “The Power of Photography”

by Bondo Wyszpolski

“Hobby Horses, Harlem River, Bronx, New York” (1970), by Arthur Tress, from the series “Open Space in the Inner City.” Gelatin silver print. Getty Museum Gift of J. Patrick and Patricia A. Kennedy © Arthur Tress Archive LLC 2019.168.2

In the earlier part of his career, New York-based Arthur Tress felt that the reason contemporary photography often failed to move us personally was because it didn’t “touch upon the hidden life of the imagination and fantasy, which is hungry for stimulation.” Photography that “drowns in humanity” or simply “pleases us with mere aesthetically correct compositions” weren’t what he had in mind. What he hoped for were images that we could pray to, or that would scare us, or that would make us well. “Most of mankind’s art for the past 5,000 years was created for just those purposes. It seems absurd to stop now.”

Those words were written in 1970, and it’s not clear if Tress would stand by them today, almost 54 years later, because his current exhibition at the Getty Museum only covers the first decade of his professional work, that is, from 1968 to 1978. I have a little book of his from 1988, “The Teapot Opera,” which isn’t even mentioned in the catalog that accompanies “Arthur Tress: Rambles, Dreams, and Shadows,” which by the way is on view, along with “Sheila Metzner: From Life,” through Feb. 18.

“Boy in Tin Cone, Bronx, New York” (1972), by Arthur Tress, from the series “The Dream Collector.” Gelatin silver print. Getty Museum © Arthur Tress Archive LLC 2013.68.7

Well, it was a productive, enthusiastic, and perhaps even idealistic 10 years. Tress covered a lot of ground, literally and figuratively. Possibly his childhood didn’t point in that direction. However, as James A. Ganz points out, “For Tress, the camera became more than a mechanical tool; it was an object of enchantment that transformed the mild-mannered and shy young man into a confident stage director taking complete control of his craft and his vision.”

Tress traveled quite a bit during the late 1960s, with time spent in Paris, in Stockholm, and other European cities. After returning to New York (and it seems that Robert Mapplethorpe thought of him as a competitor), Tress was hired in 1968 to travel to North Carolina and to document Appalachian folk crafts. As Mazie M. Harris describes it, “While the artist’s initial visit to Appalachia had been focused on the endurance of nativist American traditions, in subsequent trips he began more and more to foreground threats to the fragile human and environmental ecosystems of local communities.”

“Girl with Doll’s Head, Capels, West Virginia” (1968), by Arthur Tress, from the series “Appalachia: The Disturbed Land.” Gelatin silver print. Getty Museum Gift of the Ottersons © Arthur Tress Archive LLC 2018.114.32

Some of the resulting images are reminiscent of those by Sally Mann and Doris Ullmann. Harris goes on to sum up the experience for the young photographer: “Tress’s Appalachia pictures capture changes to the people and places of the region but also register the transformation of the artist himself as he forged a career path.”

Among his other early projects, in 1969 Tress created “The Ramble,” a series of images of young gay men lounging about in Central Park and hoping to hook up with more of the same. “Open Space in the Inner City” occupied him from 1969 to 1971, and Tress took thousands of photographs. “Set primarily in New York City and its environs,” as Ganz writes, “the ‘Open Space’ series emphasized urban blight and crowding — focusing on polluted streetscapes and waterways, housing projects, urban parks, junkyards, factories, and parking lots — and included candid and posed images of children, teenagers, families, and commuters.”

“Woman in Shopping Center Parking Lot, Lackawanna, New York” (1970), by Arthur Tress, from the series “Open Space in the Inner City.” Gelatin silver print. Getty Museum Gift of J. Patrick and Patricia A. Kennedy © Arthur Tress Archive LLC 2019.168.4

It was a sociological, environmental project that visually documented the area as it was over 50 years ago. But Tress didn’t just want to document blighted urban landscapes, he wanted to suggest solutions, at least through his photographs. It was an ambitious and commendable endeavor. In the catalog, this section of plates opens with a shot of a vast cemetery (in Queens, with the Manhattan skyline spanning the background), followed by images of people young and old, individual or in groups. This is the common herd, so to speak, and many of those portrayed do not look especially happy or hopeful. Some of these pictures of children or young adults make us realize how difficult it really is to get through life, especially during one’s impressionable and vulnerable years. I’m thinking, specifically, of a few images (unfortunately not available to the press) such as “Girl in Front of Parochial School, Monticello, New York,” “Father and Son at Rally for Mayor, New York, New York,” and “Father and Daughter, Brighton Beach, New York.” The one child I wonder what happened to is an earlier image, “Appalachian Girl Who is Sick with Anemia, Lookout, Kentucky.” It brings to mind those old sepias of Victorian children in bed, dying of tuberculosis.

“Shadow, Cannes, France” (1974), by Arthur Tress, printed 1975 From the series “Shadow.” Gelatin silver print. Getty Museum Gift of John V. and Laura M. Knaus © Arthur Tress Archive LLC 2019.169.6

Somewhat related to the “Open Space” series is “The Dream Collector,” which contains images of children in their “daymare” scenarios, with Tress drawing inspiration from Freud, Jung, Buñuel, Cocteau, and other writers and filmmakers who were prominent at the time. These are creative, imaginative images, but the effect is of a shadowy, twilit surrealism. “The Dream Collector” also echoes another series, “Theater of the Mind,” again one may think of Surrealist artists, and we can add Dalí and Magritte to the mix.

I should remind the reader that all of the images in the catalog and in the exhibition are in black and white, and that Tress is a master of light and dark. So perhaps it’s not surprising that we have a series and a book called “Shadow” (1975), which is essentially a graphic novel comprised of shadows and silhouettes that may recall German silent films of the 1920s such as “Nosferatu,” “Metropolis,” and “The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari.” They may also remind us of Javanese shadow puppets.

“Uma. Patou Dress” (1986), by Sheila Metzner. Pigment print. Getty Museum. Purchased with funds provided by the Photographs Council © Sheila Metzner 2016.90

One of the things that I found more interesting than the show itself (impressive though it be) is the inclusion, in the catalog, of several contact sheets (yes, this was before digital) in which we can look at the strips of images Tress took of a certain subject before deciding on the one he wanted to print. Furthermore, that selected image was sometimes cropped, dodged or burned to achieve the desired effect.

Finally, it should be emphasized that “Arthur Tress: Rambles, Dreams, and Shadows” highlights only the early career of this photographer. There was to be a lot more in the decades that followed.

The show is on view through Feb. 18 at the Getty Center.

Bonus tracks

Paired with Arthur Tress in the same gallery is “From Life,” a survey of images taken by Sheila Metzner (born in 1939), who made quite a name for herself in the 1980s with her fashion photography. Many of her works (a blend of Pictorialism and Modernism) almost seem like pastels. They tend to be in color, and their soft-focus is in contrast to the black-and-white and sharp focus that Tress prefers. Metzner, of course, deserves a full review as well, but we’ll save that for another time.

Anne Shih, Chairman of the Board of Governors at Bowers Museum, and curator Peter Fetterman, at the Bowers Museum, Oct. 20, 2023. Photo by Bondo Wyszpolski

On view at the Bowers Museum, part of the “Power of Photography” exhibition, curated by Peter Fetterman. Image credit unavailable

Furthermore, there’s a not-to-be-missed exhibition at the Bowers Museum in Santa Ana. “The Power of Photography” was curated by Peter Fetterman, who owns the eponymous gallery in Santa Monica. He selected 70 prints from his collection, from the famous (Steve McCurry’s “Afghan Girl”) to the little-seen and anonymous. He also made it a point to select only one image from each photographer, a choice, he said, that wasn’t always so easy. The majority of the photographs are in black-and-white. One of them that caught my eye was of a koala bear, printed in blue. The Bowers folks were reluctant to part with their catalogs (there was also one to accompany “Beyond the Great Wave: Works by Hokusai from the British Museum”), so I’m ignorant of who deserves the credit. At any rate, “The Power of Photography” was made possible by the Ronald C. and Kristine Pietersma Family Trust. It’s on view through Jan. 14.

The Bowers Museum is located at 2002 N. Main St, Santa Ana. (714) 567-3600 or visit bowers.org. ER

Whether you’re traveling with just the phone in your pocket, a new mirrorless camera or 20 lbs. of lenses and accessories these are some great gifts to make your life easier and take better photos in 2024. From photographing Northern Lights in the Arctic or island hopping in the Maldives check out which of these you’ll want with you on your next adventure.

Peak Design Everyday Messenger Bag

Perfect for smaller trips the Peak Design Everyday Messenger Bag and its customizable inserts allow you to comfortably fit a camera, a few lenses, accessories, laptop and a tablet inside along with zippered pockets for quick access to passport, sunglasses or anything else you need handy. Included straps allow you to easily attach a tripod. And the mag-latch allows the bag to be opened and closed with one hand — making it easy to quickly get to your camera and take a shot without even putting down your coffee. And when not traveling — as the name suggests — its convenient size makes it a perfect everyday laptop bag as well.

Think Tank Airport International

When you’re carrying a serious amount of equipment it’s time to forgo the camera backpacks and get a dedicated carry-on roller suitcase. The Think Tank Airport International is the perfect size for most journeys, able to fit two DSLRs, multiple lenses, flashes and accessories with a separate front compartment for laptop, tablet and documents. Think Tank has a few different models in their Airport line but for most the Airport International will get the job done, holding the most gear but small enough to meet carry-on guidelines for international airlines.

Away Carry-On Flex Suitcase

A travel photographer needs to pack clothing for a trip like everyone else. But what makes this top-rated and best-selling suitcase especially good for photographers? Its hard shell and wheels can handle the abuse of a heavy camera bag strapped on top to the pull-up handle. Where other carry-ons eventually get destroyed by this extra weight my Away suitcase is still going strong after testing it with a year of constant travel. Their regular Carry-On works well enough but the Flex model lets you expand capacity when needed. Also available in an Aluminum Edition.

Polaroid I-2 Instant Camera

A new generation has been falling in love with film cameras and now they can discover the fun of instant photography with the new Polaroid I-2. Forget the models you’ll find in your parents’ attic, this pro-style version combines Polaroid’s sharpest-ever lens along with its first-ever manual controls, allowing you to choose the f-stop and shutter speed you want to make your vision come to life – instantly. There are also multi-exposure and timer modes and both color and B/W film packs are available to purchase along with the camera.

Peak Design Travel Tripod

A travel tripod that accomplishes the best of all worlds. It’s lightweight but strong enough to handle a DSLR with a heavy lens. It ingeniously folds up small enough to throw into a camera bag or carry-on suitcase but extends to 60”. There’s one simple adjustment ring to line up your photo and there’s even an iPhone holder hidden inside the main column. Available in two versions: Carbon Fiber (2.81 lbs) and Aluminum (3.44 lbs.).

Nine Volt AirCap

People are using AirTags to keep track of everything from luggage to keys to passport holders. And while it’s a great idea to stash one inside your camera bag Nine Volt has taking the security game one step further with their AirCap. It replaces your camera’s body cap and contains a magnetic secret compartment that holds an AirTag. Should you accidentally leave it somewhere, or have it taken from your bag, the camera can now be tracked directly.

Lens Rentals by Lensrentals

Photographers always love buying new gear but instead of shelling out thousands of dollars for a super-telephoto you’re only going to use for a week on safari it makes better sense to rent instead. Companies like Lensrental make this a breeze with a wide selection of lenses, cameras and other gear that are shipped directly to your home to use for the exact time you need them. When you’re done just repack everything in the same box and use the included return label to send back. Also great for trying out equipment before you commit to purchasing.

Polar Bears

All right, you can’t actually buy a photographer a polar bear. But you can get them a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to photograph them on a trip with Frontiers North. With trips based out of Churchill, Canada, photographers will spend a few days at a Tundra Base Station and go on full-day excursions to see Polar Bears in their natural habitat — all conducted with an eye towards conservation and minimal intervention with the animals and their environment. Frontiers North also runs photo trips for Beluga Whales and Northern Lights experiences.

Better iPhone Camera Apps

The camera app that comes with your iPhone does a lot of things well but to open up the true power of the camera you always have with you look to apps like Halide and ProCamera which allow better control over exposure, shutter speed and aperture. Also check out Ephemeris for visualizing the paths of the sun and moon and knowing where and when to place your camera for the perfect shot.

Flighty

One more app that any traveler can benefit from is Flighty which works like your personal assistant. Put your flight info into the app — or have it automatically read it from your email or calendar — and you will get constant up-to-date info on any delays, gate info and your overall flight plan along with other useful info like transfers and time zone changes. The app also allows you to choose how to share this info with others automatically — no more constantly texting people your updates and whereabouts.