“He’s famous for his objectionable sexual representation,” Louise Bourgeois says gleefully in a BBC documentary on the American photographer Robert Mapplethorpe. Bourgeois once sat for a portrait by Mapplethorpe, grinning maniacally at the camera while clutching her latex-covered, phallic-shaped sculpture Fillette. The documentary, shot in 1988 – a year before Mapplethorpe’s death – plays downstairs at Alison Jacques gallery, a finale to a new exhibition on his work.

Bourgeois recognised an affinity between her own work and Mapplethorpe’s. They both made a lot of works about the phallus, and at this exhibition, there’s no shortage of cocks. Mapplethorpe photographed them voraciously, sculpturally, with ebullient, ecstatic erotic desire. And – as demonstrated in a photograph of a protruding willy staged in a stand-off with a devil figurine – a dose of humour.

Sex and sexuality remained a theme throughout Mapplethorpe’s brief and brilliant career, cut short when the artist died, aged 42, from complications related to Aids. He met some of his subjects in bath houses, leather bars and BDSM clubs like the Mineshaft in downtown Manhattan he frequented. He also met lovers there. He photographed men and women, with a predilection for Black men. Among his most frequent muses was Ken Moody, a fitness instructor who posed for the photographer on numerous occasions between 1983 and 1985. According to Moody, there was no sexual chemistry between the two – Mapplethorpe simply saw Moody’s body as exemplary. Several images of Moody included here are extraordinarily sculptural. They are also astonishingly objectifying. Mapplethorpe’s interest in objectification is the crux of this exhibition – he was unabashed in embracing it: “I’m looking for perfection in form … it’s no different from one subject to the next.”

Mapplethorpe was engaged in an unrelenting pursuit of beauty, but he was also plagued by contradictions. Manichaean struggles are ever-present in Mapplethorpe’s black-and-white photographs, flitting between prurience and piety. Catholic imagery recurs , a hangover from his upbringing. One rare sculptural piece from 1971, a mirror latticed with wire mesh, recalls a confessional booth and sets the tone for the show. Dramatic drapery envelopes Patti Smith, as she disappears into the folds, her back turned to the camera. Devils contrast with roses – the Catholic symbol of martyrdom.

In the first room of silver gelatin prints, there are some riveting, simmering juxtapositions between Mapplethorpe’s worlds: a luxurious print of Mapplethorpe’s lover, Milton Moore, buttocks taut under fishnet tights; two men, their lower bodies wrapped in bandages, holding each other in a tight embrace; the simplicity of a single orchid in a vase. Whether inanimate or alive, Mapplethorpe levelled it all with his mastery of formalism. The delicacy of it knocks your breath away.

In a second room, the exhibition becomes baggy at the seams. Opposite a single picture of a penis let loose from formal suit trousers is a constellation of portraits of Mapplethorpe’s very famous friends and acquaintances in New York through the 1970s and 1980s. Haring, Warhol, Ono and de Kooning are all here, alongside Richard Gere, Patti Smith and Mapplethorpe himself. It’s great if you enjoy portraits of celebrities – I don’t. An irksome, oversized portrait of Steve Strange hangs in the centre, with a frame much thicker than the rest, which draws unwarranted attention. Blank stares and uninspired poses, the portraits left me cold. They fulfil the purpose of the exhibition – as the title Subject, Object, Image suggests – in that they show Mapplethorpe’s interest in objectifying all of his subjects. But as portraits, this approach leaves them flattened and dull. They show an unexpected side of Mapplethorpe – that he could be boring too.

Mapplethorpe today has cult status. He was among the first to treat photography as art, and to dare to transgress what could be turned into art. Though derailed by censorship over the years there’s an intensity in his vision that can’t be extinguished and remains perennially relevant.

A cluster of works downstairs add sparks of effervescent colour to put this show back on track. A series of staggering dye transfer prints from 1985, rarely exhibited before, bring orchids and tiger lilies into a heightened realm of sublime and sensual delight. Somehow, looking at a photograph of a flower here feels like looking at porn. Next, a photograph of a penis peeking back through a hole cut out of the back of white underpants looks more like a Courbet. That’s the Mapplethorpe magic.

• Robert Mapplethorpe: Subject Object Image is at Alison Jacques gallery until 20 January 2024

It’s a nice fall afternoon when photographer Rogelio Esparza meets for coffee at Chimera Cafe, 212 N. Main St.

An immigrant from Mexico, Esparza grew up in Tulsa and graduated from Union High School in 2011 and then Oklahoma State University Institute of Technology in 2015 before moving to New York City and Los Angeles. He returned home in 2019.

He’s co-founder of the nonprofit Art House, which has a mission to organize and facilitate community art shows and gatherings by providing a platform for local artists to showcase their work and connect with a diverse audience.

Esparza thought he wanted to work in professional photography, but prefers his artistic freedom … I learned the creative stuff is stuff that does not pay, and stuff that I hate to do is the stuff that’s going to pay. So I was like, “Maybe I don’t want to do photography as a job,” and I think that’s how I’m still thinking about it now. I like to do it more as a hobby. 

That said, in August 2021 he photographed singer-songwriter-actor Sturgill Simpson in Pawhuska for Rolling Stone, and shot Turnpike Troubadours at Philbrook Museum of Art for the music publication earlier this year … With the Sturgill shoot I probably got my favorite images I’ve ever taken. I’ve probably got like over 150 images where I was like, “I like every single image.” It was because I didn’t over prepare. He was like, “Here are my two shirts that I brought. We have till sunset. We can do whatever we want.” … I took photos of him for a good two hours on the horse on the hills as much as I could, and that was it. He was really nice.

After settling back into Tulsa, Esparza and roommate Allison Ward developed then launched Art House in December 2019. It has evolved into a nonprofit that has spawned nine more shows that have spotlighted more than 125 local artists who paint, sculpt, create fashion, do photography and more … The way we see ourselves is like the middle person. We want to be able to get money from people and then funnel it to the artists who live in Tulsa, want to live in Tulsa and are doing stuff in Tulsa without getting paid to move here and then leaving. I think for us as artists in Tulsa, we feel a little salty. We want to live here. We’re creating here. Why don’t you help us a little bit to continue to build it? People have the drive to do it for free. Imagine what people can do with a little bit of money. So I think that’s where we find ourselves, where if (funders like Tulsa Artist Fellowship) are not willing to do it, then we should do that ourselves.

Art House started in Esparza and Ward’s home with the inaugural event, then grew to a family member’s backyard before becoming so big it needs 22,000-square-feet of warehouse space to showcase the installations. The goal is to make Art House so big it grows into regions surrounding Tulsa to help local artists grow without moving away … I feel like that’s where Art House is moving toward. We want to make it regional, so it expands to Oklahoma City and maybe a little bit of northwest Arkansas because I feel like a lot of artists feel they have to move to a big city to make it, but I feel like that’s not necessarily the truth. I want to build stuff, but I want to build it here. I don’t want to move back to New York and build something I feel like would be more special here in Tulsa. 

Learn more at arthousetulsa.com or on Instagram @arthousetulsa.

In the dynamic city of Phnom Penh, the 14th edition of the Photo Phnom Penh Festival (PPP) will unfold its cultural celebration from December 7 to February 7, 2024. 

Evolving from its 2008 debut as a platform for emerging photographers, the festival has grown into a globally recognised event, fostering cross-cultural connections between Asia and Europe and playing a vital role in promoting the expansive realm of photography. 

“We are thrilled to return to this historically rich site, which has been the festival’s home since its inception,” says Christian Caujolle, the art director of PPP and a distinguished figure in the photography community. 

Caujolle observes that the PPP has catalyzed a transformation within the local photography scene. Finding even four Cambodian photographers skilled enough to exhibit was a considerable challenge back in 2008.

The establishment of photography education initiatives such as Studio Images, initially at the French Cultural Centre and now under the auspices of the French Institute, has played a substantial role in cultivating budding talents for the festival.

Despite these endeavours, the country grapples with a lack of comprehensive photography education, highlighting an ongoing demand for a dedicated photography school. 

“For our tenth edition, we had the opportunity to exhibit on the walls of the French embassy, one of the festival’s most stunning venues. We showcased works from 10 Cambodian photographers and organised a slide show featuring 25 Cambodian photographers,” Caujolle tells The Post.

Origins and vision

The festival’s origins can be traced to the collaborative efforts of Alain Arnaudet, the former director of the French Cultural Centre (now known as the French Institute of Cambodia), and Christian Caujolle, a prominent figure in the realm of photography.

The fundamental concept behind the event was both straightforward and impactful: to establish a forum fostering cultural exchange between Europe and Asia while nurturing artistic talent in the Kingdom.

Having previously conducted photography workshops in Cambodia during the late nineties, Caujolle assumed the role of art director for the festival. The primary objective was to provide local photographers with access to the international photographic community, encouraging them to develop their distinct artistic identities. 

“The festival’s main idea is to enable the public to discover photographic works, serving an educational purpose, and to inspire those who wish to express themselves through photography,” Caujolle explains.

Over the years, the festival has maintained its core vision: to acquaint the public with a diverse array of photographic works, offer educational opportunities and encourage expression through photography.

As the festival has progressed, its scope has expanded, encompassing outdoor exhibitions, inventive projection displays and welcoming participants from various countries. A notable aspect of PPP is its alternating focus on European and Asian countries. This approach ensures that attendees engage with the contemporary photography scenes of diverse cultures, often delving into those that are less known and underexplored. 

“Since last year, we have welcomed international guests, with 10 artists from Switzerland in 2022 and five artists from Taiwan this year, alternating between a European and an Asian country each year,” Caujolle shares.

International partnerships

The festival’s growth and diversity owe a great deal to its international partners, such as the French Institute and the Delegation of the EU. 

“Without these institutions, the festival would be impossible. They assist in bringing artists from their countries, but they do not influence the programming decisions,” Caujolle asserts. 

The guest country selection process is intentional, alternating between European and Asian origins to feature artists from these nations. This approach allows the festival to offer attendees an array of photography from various cultures. Moreover, the guest countries actively contribute to producing the exhibition, playing a vital role in the festival’s success. PPP aims to include countries that might lack the financial resources or political support to participate independently, promoting inclusivity and cultural exchange. 

“For instance, with Taiwan this year, we feature five photographers and a projection of 20 on the festival’s opening night, offering a glimpse into the photography scene in Taiwan,” Caujolle mentions.

Caujolle states the importance of financial support for such participation, especially for countries that may be unable or unwilling to contribute. 

“We need monetary support for this. We are considering partnerships for invited countries, with nations like Burma or Vietnam in mind,” he explains.

The art director advocates for the power of diversity in photography, evident in its aesthetics, history and representation of cultures. He sees the inclusion of works by artists from diverse fields as a means to broaden minds and vision, providing increased freedom for individuals to express themselves.

Another photo to be exhibited during the upcoming Photo Phnom Penh Festival (PPP). Photo supplied

Cambodian and Int’l artists 

At the French Institute, Kim Hak’s work serves as a reminder that Cambodia extends beyond Angkor Wat and the Khmer Rouge Killing Fields. Born in Battambang two years after the regime’s fall, his upbringing was immersed in his parents’ memories of that era. Initially in the travel industry, he shifted to photography in 2012, capturing landscapes, including the Mekong, Tonle Sap Lake and coastal provinces. Exhibiting globally, Hak’s work has featured in art festivals and prominent publications.

Young artist Hul Kanha presents a series blending photography and painting, exploring self-portraiture with diverse mediums. Born in 1999 in Siem Reap, her work draws from traditional proverbs and personal experiences, delving into the interplay between the physical body, nostalgia and trauma.

Born in 1993 in Takmao town of Kandal province, Chhen Kimhong transitioned from IT networking to photography in 2019. His series on Phnom Penh’s bus stops, shot at night, portrays them as luminous sculptures. Despite the pandemic, he documented their evolving state, reflecting urban elements with a graphic background.

Local artists Baty Morokot, Nhean Lyda, Khiev Kanel and Hou Sokratana explore themes from daily life to environmental concerns. International photographers like Chao-Tang Chang, Shen Chao-Liang, Lee Ya-Yen, Chen Chun-Lu, Yang Shun-Fa (Taiwan), Denis Dailleux (France) and Alan Crumlish (Scotland) contribute diverse subjects, including rural life, folk culture, climate change and cultural recovery.

These artists, each with individual styles and thematic focuses, bring awards and international recognition to PPP. Their participation underscores the event’s commitment to showcasing diverse photographic talents and perspectives globally. The Bophana Center hosts Alan Crumlish’s 1989 photographs, providing a poignant glimpse into Cambodia’s history post the Khmer Rouge regime.

Embracing the digital age

In the swiftly changing world, connecting with younger audiences is vital for the Festival’s success. Organisers leverage social media and local press in Khmer, English and French to engage with young Cambodians. PPP draws students, academics, artists, communication specialists and culture enthusiasts, offering an inclusive space for those with a keen interest in exploring art, regardless of formal education access. 

“We are also initiating numerous activities like the photo competition, ‘Photo is your memory,’ where artists can converse and share their experiences,” says Caujolle. 

Such initiatives are instrumental in fostering a deeper connection between the artists and the community.

“A highlight not to be missed is our ‘travelling exhibition,’ which will move around the city for two months. This is made possible through a longstanding collaboration with a group of remorque drivers. In the back of their ‘trailers,’ they carry artworks, making them accessible to all and offering an extraordinary artistic and urban escapade,” Caujolle tells The Post. 

This aspect of the festival not only brings art closer to the public but also adds a dynamic, mobile element to the artistic experience in Phnom Penh.

Future Aspirations

As the festival celebrates its 14th edition, it maintains its founding principles of cultural exchange and artistic growth. The festival is keen on continuing to build collaborations between Asia and Europe and harbours aspirations to include artists from South and North America in future editions.

“The festival is committed to maintaining its educational focus and to promoting new generations of Cambodian photographers,” affirms Caujolle. 

He also has a strong desire to continue inviting countries to participate and to expand the scope of outdoor exhibitions. Such expansions not only enhance the festival’s reach but also diversify the experiences it offers to attendees. He shares the aspiration to increase the festival’s activities in the provinces, spreading its influence and benefits beyond the capital city.

Caujolle says he has ambitions to establish a permanent home for photography in Phnom Penh. This dream, if realised, would create a lasting foundation for the photographic arts in Cambodia, further enriching the cultural landscape of the city and providing a continual platform for photographers to showcase their work and hone their craft.

ALPINE — The Museum of the Big Bend at Sul Ross State University in Alpine recently opened a new exhibition of black and white photographs by Graciela Iturbide. 

The exhibit runs through February 10, 2024. The work is on loan from The Wittliff Collections at Texas State University and will include 58 silver gelatin prints.

“The Museum of the Big Bend at Sul Ross State University is honored to host this exhibit with our sister institution Texas State University-San Marcos and The Wittliff Collections,” said Museum Director Mary Bones. “The Wittliff boasts the finest holdings of documentary photography and photojournalism by Mexican photographers in the United States.” 

Iturbide, born in Mexico in 1942, is considered one of the world’s finest contemporary photographers. Her work, which fuses her interest in traditional culture with a contemporary vision that reveals the symbolic power of images, has gained her enormous recognition in Mexico and all over the world. 

While studying cinematography at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Mexico in 1969, she took a still photography class with Manuel Álvarez Bravo and then became his assistant for the next year and a half.

In 1978, Iturbide was commissioned by the Ethnographic Archive of the National Indigenous Institute of Mexico to photograph Mexico’s Indigenous population. In 1979, she began her series on the culture of the Zapotecs of Juchitán — in particular the women — for which she received the Eugene Smith Award in 1987. 

In 2019, Graciela Iturbide’s Mexico, a major retrospective exhibition, opened at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. She currently lives in Mexico City. 

The Wittliff Collection at Texas State University, San Marcos houses 260 images by Iturbide, one of the largest collections of her work in the U.S. Eyes to Fly With: Portraits, Self-Portraits, and Other Photographs by Graciela Iturbide (UT Press, 2006) was the ninth book in The Wittliff’s Southwestern & Mexican Photography Series.

For more information, visit museumofthebigbend.com/graciela-iturbide/ 

PHOTOS:

Graciela Iturbide, “Self Portrait at My House,” silver gelatin print.

Graciela Iturbide, “Self Portrait in Country,” silver gelatin print.

Graciela Iturbide, “Our Lady of Iguanas,” silver gelatin print.

FINDLAY__Hancock Park District’s 28th Annual Photography Contest is now underway. To be eligible for judging, photographs must be taken in the Hancock Park System (i.e., parks owned and/or managed by the Hancock Park District), from the Blanchard River Greenway Trail, or of the Blanchard River (e.g., landscapes, wildlife, and outdoor recreation).

Eligible photographs at Riverside Park must be taken along the waterfront, which is the area managed by the Hancock Park District.

Please visit www.HancockParks.com/ Park News section, for complete entry rules and guidelines and to submit your photographs. Photographs must be submitted no later than 11:59 PM, December 31. All qualified entries in the Photography Contest will be posted on the Hancock Park District Facebook page between January 2, 2024, and January 16, 2024, where the public can vote for one “People’s Choice” winner. The photograph with the most “likes” will be named the People’s Choice winner. A cash prize of $200, along with a plaque will be awarded.

For more information about other upcoming park programs and events, view the “Programs & Activities Calendar” at www.HancockParks.com” or call the park office at 419-425-7275.

Kalman and Weston speak to the crowd in the Alexander Gallery. Photo by Gabriel Lucich

By Gabriel Lucich

The Art Department has debuted a multifaceted new showing from two local artists at the Alexander Gallery on the Oregon City campus.

Grace Weston is a photographic artist that explores cultural and feminist ideas through her work. She plays with archetypal figures in the form of cultural images, texture and light to create images that are evocative of earlier ideas and artforms. 

Rachel Kalman’s richly textured paintings are both modern in subject matter and technique, while also anchored firmly in the classical romanticism of the Baroque Era and Dutch Masters.

On Nov. 16, artists Weston and Kalman came to talk to students and community members about their art and the exhibit, “Menagerie.” 

Weston does explore many ideas, but in reality, she plays with and takes photographs of dolls. 

“The dolls can be somewhat limiting, as they have expressions of their own,” said Weston. “I’m starting to look into removing all paint from their faces, and painting them myself using watercolor pencils. I’d love to get to the point where I can change all their expressions. I’m not a Photoshop person, I’m really very hands-on. The images aren’t composited, everything is done in camera, but I will clean things up.”

Her subjects don’t talk back, get hungry or tired. There’s no drama involved,  other than what she imbues them with. Her take on Michelangelo’s The Creation of Adam is titled, “Divine Intervention,” and shows a female deity surrounded by infants handing a bald “Adam,” a stack of condoms, as if to say, “You’re alive, now be responsible with what you’ve been given.” 

“This particular series that I’m presenting here is a feminist series,” she said. “I’ve been doing a lot of reading on women’s art. This series is restaging or reconceptualizing older stories, even the Bible story and the creation myth. I wanted to flip those stories.” 

Weston’s work conjures a lot of different feelings from different viewers.

 Kalman’s work also requires some explanation.

“I think that to a lot of newer, fledgling painters, the Baroque Era has a lot to offer, mostly because it’s so glitzy and glamorous. There’s so much overconsumption that’s present in the images coming out of Europe in the 15th and 16th centuries. That defined a lot of my aesthetic preference,” Kalman said. 

“ The fruits and flowers are all allegorical. Everything has its place. I can become quite obsessive about what things mean and why they are placed in certain locations in my paintings. In the Dutch still-lifes, there’s this almost nefarious underbelly with gorgeous yummy surfaces and that’s actually reflective of something wrong……like there’s a little bit of decomposition involved.”

“When composing an image, it is very dependent on what I have in my studio and what is feeling most relevant to me at the time. Sometimes that is something that happened to me personally, or it might be a larger geopolitical event or environmental disaster,” Kalman said. 

It is easy to see, when looking at her paintings, that she has many influences, and that the subjects and ideas in her still-lifes are pulled from everywhere. One of the paintings on display was inspired by the California fire season.

“I made sure there was plenty of greenery, the plants present in the painting were Eucalyptus boughs, an introduced and invasive species in California so oily that it explodes when it catches fire,” said Kalman, describing the subject matter in her painting “Kincade,” on display in the gallery.

Students and faculty alike had much to say about the new exhibition.

“I really like seeing their craft and how they simulate depth in the art,” said Mitchell Horn, 22, an art student here at the college.

“Phenomenal,” said CCC President Tim Cook, who was also on hand for the artist’s presentation. “I love the contrast between the artists and their unique take on art history.” 

The CCC Art Department curates several of these exhibits a year. Generally each with a corresponding artist talk. Each is interesting, and the selections are widely varied. If you haven’t visited the Alexander Gallery before, you owe it to yourself to stop in and view these carefully chosen works of art.

The Alexander Gallery is located on the first floor of the Niemeyer Center, at the CCC Oregon City campus.

For some very good reasons, I have decided to stop photographing weddings. There are many lessons I learned from the challenges of weddings that may be useful to all photographers.

Wedding Photography Is Not a Great Place to Start Professionally

Many photographers see weddings as a stepping stone into the world of professional photography. However, it’s possibly one of the hardest genres to do well. You need a wide range of skills in different genres, perfect camera control in each, an understanding of your system’s strengths and weaknesses, and the ability to create compelling images that, nonetheless, have your own style. If you get it wrong, you have ruined the most important day of two people’s lives.

I’ve seen a lot of wedding photographers come and go because their photography work was just not good enough or they didn’t have the personal wherewithal to meet the needs of the clients or run a business. Before asking for money from clients, you need to have your work assessed by another professional to find out if it is good enough – not by your Mom or partner, though; they will only say nice things.

Coping With Stressful Photoshoots

Many photographers find weddings stressful. All established and successful photographers worry that their images are not good enough. On top of that, there is the expectation that the photographer will deliver every shot that the happy couple expects. There’s also the nagging concern that you have the right amount of equipment and haven’t left anything behind.

Although those doubts cross my mind, I’ve learned not to let them bother me. I’ve been doing this long enough to realize what is expected. I know what equipment I need. I regularly practice with my cameras, so I know what their capabilities are too. Then, I have settings applied to custom modes, so the cameras are ready for any circumstance with a quick turn of the dial.

Talking of equipment, you won’t be the only person who is stressed. I always carry a couple of pocket packets of tissues with me. These are for mopping the face of a tearful child with a runny nose, the sweaty forehead of a middle-aged man, and happy mothers’, fathers’, grooms’, and brides’ tears. They are also useful for cleaning spilled wine. Handy hint: good quality tissues don’t break up when they get wet.

How Well Do You Know Your Camera?

Photography and operating equipment must become second nature, so you are not dithering on the day and stressed about whether you will get the shot. Can you put your finger on the menu button without looking? Do you remember how each of your custom modes is set? Do you know what shutter speeds freeze and blur dancers’ movements? What is the maximum ISO you are happy to shoot at? At ISO 25,600 how far from your camera can a face be before definition is lost when you apply Lightroom’s noise reduction?

Proper Prior Planning Prevents Poor Performance

That’s a polite version of an old military adage, and it applies to most things in life. Just turning up on the day is not the way to do a wedding. I meet with the couple and sometimes their families, and I usually do a pre-wedding shoot too. I have a contract that I go through and get the clients to sign, as well as a form for them to fill in that tells me what they expect. You get some unusual requests – more than once I’ve been asked for relatives’ partners to be stood at the edge of group shots so they are more easily removed from the picture after an anticipated break-up.

Four days in advance of a wedding, I check and prepare all my equipment. Four days is long enough for me to replace faulty equipment if necessary.

What if My Equipment Fails?

Many worry that the camera, lens, or memory cards will fail. That doesn’t bother me. I’ve never had camera equipment fail during an event, and I carry spares. However, other photographers have suffered disasters.

I don’t have empirical data to back up this anecdotal evidence, but I know of one brand popular with wedding photographers whose cameras fail regularly and worryingly often. I’ve also met a photographer who had both memory cards in the camera fail; he lost the entire wedding shoot. Using reliable equipment and backing up your photos as soon as possible is essential.

Protect Your Lenses

At a recent wedding, I was shooting on a gravel driveway in front of a stately home. A group of children decided it would be fun to kick the stones, so consequently, I quickly covered the front element of my lenses with my palms just in time as the grit bounced off the back of my hands. At a previous event, I had a child grab the front of my lens with sticky fingers. Another photographer I know had the front element of his new lens sprayed with hair lacquer. I know it is a contentious issue, but I recommend protecting the front of the lens with a good-quality UV filter. I use Urth Plus+ filters because I can’t see any difference in my photos between them being on or off the camera.

The Best-Laid Schemes of Mice and Men Gang Aft Agley

Things go wrong. Last year, I was shooting a wedding at an 80-acre country estate. The wedding chapel was a converted boathouse down by the river. I had agreed to meet the bride in the car park next to the stately home. An employee of the estate sat with me in a four-wheel drive utility vehicle, where he said we would see them arrive; he was going to drive the bridal party and me to the chapel.

After a long wait, I got a panicked phone call asking where I was. The limousine had bypassed the car park and, unadvisedly, driven down the steep dirt track to the wedding venue. I was taken there at speed. The wedding otherwise ran smoothly. So, always have a phone with you but remember to put it on Do Not Disturb before the ceremony starts.

Be Everybody’s Friend

When I shoot a wedding, I treat my clients and the wedding guests like friends that I want to help.

At a lot of weddings, there seems to be nobody coordinating the day. Often, the bride has organized everything. But on the big day, she has other things on her plate. So, sometimes I end up directing the event.

There are always little things that need to be sorted, and I find myself helping in different ways that are unrelated to photography. I have no objection to that, as it is in my interest to see the day pass by as painlessly as possible. I want the subjects of my photos to look happy and not stressed. Furthermore, a wedding day shoot can mean 11 or 12 hours of work, and there are big lulls between photography sessions that can become boring. Helping the wedding party breaks the monotony.

What Do I Do About Others With Cameras?

Other people like taking photos at weddings, especially group shots. I’ve seen some professional photographers deliberately get in the way of those doing that, but I do the opposite and invite others to take their snaps after I have taken mine. It doesn’t lessen my work, and I prefer to be seen as friendly and be remembered for future events.

To Be Continued

So you have done all the preparation and taken thousands of photos. So what comes next? The hard work! That follows in my next article.

Do you photograph weddings or events? Are you successful at it? Is it something you want to try? Is it something you attempted and gave up? Let’s hear your thoughts about the preparation and shooting the wedding in the comments.

The Sony World Photography Awards is arguably the most prestigious and largest photo contest. The 2024 edition is open to entries and some of its rules are under fire.

Over at Fstoppers, Kim Simpson writes that the Sony World Photography Awards’ Student category doesn’t adequately cater to all photography students. At the heart of the issue is that the contest has age limits in the category, preventing photography students over the age of 30 from entering.

Specifically, the Student category is open to anyone aged from 18 to 30 years old who is in a full-time photography program. Students answer a set brief with five to 10 images, and the judges will select up to 10 shortlisted photographers. An overall winner receives the “Student Photographer of the Year” title, a massive boon to a budding career, and a significant prize package of Sony digital imaging equipment worth €30,000 for them and their school.

Winning the competition is a huge deal for a photographer, and Simpson argues that not all photography students fit neatly into the box the World Photography Organization and the Sony World Photography Awards have crafted.

“A student competition should extend beyond age brackets and celebrate diverse experiences, perspectives, and creative journeys. By imposing an age limit, the competition inadvertently perpetuates a narrow definition of what it means to be a student photographer. Photography is not confined to a specific age group, and the restrictive policies risk sidelining the rich contributions that mature students can bring to the table,” Simpson writes.

Simpson herself became a photography student in her late twenties after she had already entered the field professionally. “The exclusionary nature of these competitions not only affects individuals who, like me, ventured into photography later in life, but also undermines the diversity of perspectives that could contribute to the richness of the artistic discourse within the student community,” the photographer explains.

As an aside, it seems unfair that someone who has been working professionally in the field can enter a student competition, but there is seemingly no restriction about that in the Sony World Photography Awards.

For those who have aged out of the Student category, their only option is to enter the Open category, which is full of amateurs and professionals of all skill and experience levels. Further, the Open category winner receives $5,000 in cash rather than the bundle of Sony imaging equipment for the student and their educational institution.

For Simpson, this is not a truly viable alternative for older students. “To even the playing field, student photography competitions should consider adopting more flexible age policies. Eliminating the upper age limit would acknowledge the varied life trajectories of students,” she concludes.

While it is far too late for the organizers to change their policy for this year’s competition, it is something that the World Photography Organization may want to consider for future editions of the very popular Sony World Photography Awards.

However, is Simpson making a mountain of a molehill? And further, should every category in all photo contests be for everyone to enter? Of course not. Reasonable rules restrict who can enter photo contests. That is nothing new.

Simpson has raised some excellent points and made a strong case that a “photography student” can be of any age, whether a traditional student in their late teens or early twenties or a non-traditional student in their thirties or forties. Undoubtedly, a 46-year-old photography student is just as much of a legitimate student as someone fresh out of high school.

Further, as Simpson says, allowing students across a more comprehensive age range to enter a photo contest will increase the diversity of perspectives in the entrant pool, which benefits the competition at large.

The Sony World Photography Awards argues at the top of its Student category page that it is “providing a platform for photography students worldwide.” If that’s the contest’s primary objective, its age restrictions are counterproductive.

However, if there are other concerns, perhaps the rules make sense. While Simpson argues that pursuing equality would mean removing the age cap from the student category, I think equality could be understood differently.

The same expanded life experience that Simpson believes adds to the student photography competition, I’d argue, unfairly disadvantages younger students who have had less time to gain important perspectives and, perhaps more importantly, literally have had fewer chances to take photos and enhance their skills.

If the primary, or only, concern is showcasing the most diverse range of skills and narratives, then that’s what the Open category is for. The Sony World Photography Awards has different goals for its student category, which is perfectly reasonable.

Simpson is right that photography students aren’t exclusively aged 18 to 30. By operating within this constraint, the Sony World Photography Awards are inherently exclusionary — as is every photo contest, as they all have rules that prevent some people from entering.

The question is not really if the rules should be more inclusive, but precisely what the intention of the student category is, and what the organizers hope to achieve. How the World Photography Organization answers those fundamental questions will determine the most suitable rules and regulations.

Besides, I am way less concerned with the age bracket than that the competition is restricted to those undertaking a “full-time photography program,” which must be a formalized photography course/credit/module/foundation within a diploma/Bachelor of Arts/Master of Arts curriculum. If the goal is inclusivity, a noble albeit always somewhat unattainable aim, the competition should open its student category to part-time students.

Not everyone can afford to enter a full-time college program. Frankly, I’m more interested in seeing the diversity of perspectives that are left out because a part-time student doesn’t count than I am about older full-time students. Further, someone who must juggle improving their educational goals against maintaining a job and possibly raising a family may benefit significantly from the attractive prize pool.

There is no perfect solution and no set of rules that will satisfy everyone. However, that doesn’t mean the Sony World Photography Awards shouldn’t always strive to improve. Does that mean changing how it operates its student category?

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For the first time, scientists have photographed a large, elusive rat that’s on the brink of extinction. Called the Vangunu giant rat (Uromys vika), the critically endangered species lives on just one island in the South Pacific, where logging has decimated much of its forest habitat.

Researchers hope the new photographs of the mysterious creatures will encourage local government leaders to protect the last bits of intact forest on Vangunu, which is part of the Solomon Islands, located northeast of Australia. They shared the images in a new paper published this month in the journal Ecology and Evolution.

Indigenous people in the Zaira community on Vangunu have long known about big rats that dwell in the trees and are capable of cracking coconuts with their teeth. However, researchers who visited the island were never able to observe or capture one, though they did find a large fecal pellet they suspected came from a giant rat in 2011.

Then, in 2015, loggers cutting down a tree captured an injured Vangunu giant rat, which died not long afterward. They preserved the body as well as they could, then sent it to the Queensland Museum in South Brisbane.

From that specimen, researchers confirmed the existence of the mysterious creatures, which are at least twice as large as a common rat. They also formally described the rat in a paper—the first new rodent species from the Solomon Islands to be recorded in more than eight decades.

But as commercial logging continued to fell trees on Vangunu, the scientists knew they needed more information about the giant rats.

They worked with the Zaira community to set up camera traps in tree species the rodents prefer and used sesame oil to lure them. In the past, researchers had tried using peanut butter, but those attempts were not successful—it only appealed to non-native black rats.

In the end, the team captured 95 images of four individual Vangunu giant rats—three females and one male. All the photos were taken at night, with most centered around midnight.

Collaborating with the Zaira community was critical to the project’s success, the researchers say.

“The knowledge is with the people,” says study co-author Kevin Sese, a researcher at Solomon Islands National University, to the New York Times’ Rebecca Carballo. “They are the custodians of the local knowledge… If it weren’t for them, we wouldn’t have known where to place the cameras.”

The photos are “extremely positive news for this poorly known species,” says study lead author Tyrone Lavery, a mammalogist at the University of Melbourne in Australia, in a statement. “This comes at a critical juncture for the future of Vangunu’s last forests—which the community of Zaira have been fighting to protect from logging for 16 years.”

The Zaira community wants the government to declare their part of the island, located on the southern side, a protected natural area where mining and logging are prohibited. However, the Solomon Islands Environment Ministry gave a logging company permission to operate in the area late last year, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s Liam Fox reported in May.

In addition to the 200 people and the giant rats that call Zaira home, the area provides habitat for leatherback turtles and New Georgia monkey-faced bats, which are both vulnerable species.

Documenting the presence of the endangered rat was “considered a vital part of conservation efforts” for Vangunu island, per the statement.

“We know this species doesn’t live in logged forests, so we needed to try and prove it still survived in the remaining forest on the island,” Lavery tells Newsweek’s Robyn White. “Our photographs were only the second time scientists have documented the species. We showed it still survives, and we highlight the importance of the last remaining tract of forest on Vangunu.”