For years, Made Here has brought local and regional documentaries to Vermont Public’s Main television channel. They air at 8 pm each Thursday, and now, you can also stream them on our website. Here in the 18th season, we’re providing more context on each film by bringing you interviews with the directors or subjects.

This week’s film is called Gabor, and it recounts the life of 95-year-old Hungarian-born photographer Gabor Szilasi, who has been based in Montreal since the late 1950s.

The documentary bills itself as a “quirky, feel-good portrait” of a giant of Canadian contemporary photography. It’s also an immigrant story that offers more than one lesson on how to age with elegance over animus.

The film was written and directed by Montreal-based filmmaker and photographer Joannie Lafrenière.

Vermont Public’s Jenn Jarecki sat down with Joannie Lafrenière to discuss Gabor. Their conversation below has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Jenn Jarecki: For those listeners who may not know of Gabor Szilasi, who is he? Will you tell us a little bit about him?

Joannie Lafrenière: Yes, with pleasure. So Gabor is from Hungary. So he arrive in Quebec in 1957 after the insurrection in Hungary. So he arrive with his dad, and he already start photographing in Hungary. But it was his job when he arrive in Quebec. So he first start doing photography in Office du Film — like, it’s not the NFB, National Film Board of Canada, but kind of — so he start photographing there for many years. And he became quite famous in Quebec. So start doing rural photography. Like, he immortalized a lot of not only landscape but mostly people. And after that, he became like, yeah, he became an important person in contemporary Canadian art.

So I discover him when I was studying photography in 2007. He got a retrospective exhibition in Joliette, so in Quebec. And I didn’t know him before, and I was really [blown away] by his photography, by the art of his image, like the poetry in it, the humor, the dignity, the respect. I really, really, really loved it. And I told myself, when I will be an adult, I will be a photographer.

Jenn Jarecki: How did Gabor’s approach to photography influence the way you shot this documentary about him?

Joannie Lafrenière: When I start thinking about the film, I was sure that I don’t want people from the museum, I don’t want these people to talk about the importance of the art of Gabor. I decide that we gonna meet people and follow Gabor on how he is doing all his photography. What is his magic touch?

So we follow him on different situations. So we get back on different rural place where we’ve already been. Like in the 70s. And we saw him encounter people, and it was very, very moving for me, how he dance with people, how he interact with them, and how he is curious about them. But people are also very curious about him.

Jenn Jarecki: The film is really playful, and it’s also really smile-inducing, you know, until it isn’t. Can you talk about how you chose to represent Gabor’s proximity to the Holocaust as a Jewish-born Hungarian during World War II?

Joannie Lafrenière: It was quite tough because Gabor is really optimist, joyful. But under this, there is — there is all this tough family situation that he was in through the Second World War. And it took him some time to talk to me about it. And it was some time, “I think we should talk about my mum.” And maybe the next time I saw him, he said, “Oh, no, I think we should — we should not talk about it.” And I was like, “Yeah, I think we definitely need to talk about it. But it says so much about you and how you decide to stay optimist.”

His path was tough and painful. And the last interview that we did together, I arrive at his home and he said, “OK, I’m ready. I wrote a letter. I wanna start with that.” And I was like, “Oh, OK, let’s do that.” And, for me, it was a good point to open up a discussion. And that’s how we decide to put it in the film.

Jenn Jarecki: Joannie, I’m hoping that I can play a little bit of audio from one of the interviews you had with Gabor. And I’m wondering if you can translate it for us and then talk about its significance. 

Joannie Lafrenière: Yes.

So yeah, that’s a lovely moment. The poetry of Gabor. So in this moment, Gabor talk to me about how he describe and he compare photography and cinema. So for him, photography, it’s more like a poem. And cinema is more like a novel. So I found that really powerful.

Jenn Jarecki: Joannie, why do you think Gabor’s work has been so well-received for so long?

Joannie Lafrenière: Yeah, I think it’s, there is different answer to that. His work is really powerful, I think, because for people who don’t know his work, when they discover it, it’s like they feel seen, or they feel it could be them. And in his poetry, is very luminous also, is very light-full.

And also, because Gabor, as we show in the film, is an amazing human being. So it’s not only his work, it his work talking about him also. So it’s, it’s quite an in-between. And I think there was a good timing for him also. And the fact that he’s an immigrant and the way you look through his new home. There’s many, many factor, but he’s an amazing photographer and a wonderful human being.

Gabor premieres on Vermont Public’s main TV channel on Thursday, Nov. 16 at 8:00 p.m.

Iconic documentary photographer Sebastião Salgado is set to receive the Outstanding Contribution to Photography Award from the Sony World Photography Awards 2024.

The Brazilian photographer is known for his powerful black-and-white imagery incorporating themes of poverty, war, displacement, and the environment captured over a career spanning more than 50 years.

The Outstanding Contribution to Photography Award recognizes a person or a group of people who have made a significant contribution to photography. Salgado is the 17th recipient of the award, and joins the likes of William Egglestone (2013), Elliot Erwitt (2015), Martin Parr (2017), and Rinko Kawauchi (2023).

“I am honoured to receive this award, and to know that my work is reaching audiences,” Salgado says.

“Photography is my way of life, it is my language, and throughout my career I have always been interested in capturing the historical moment in which we are living, and telling the stories of our species and our planet.

“A photographer photographs with his heritage, and in my work I seek to explore our shared human experience.”

Dozens of photographs by Salgado will be on view as part of the Sony World Photography Awards 2024 exhibition, which will be on show at Somerset House, London from 19 April – 6 May 2024.

The selections feature works from his early projects such as Gold (1986) and Workers (1993), and more recent series like Genesis (2011) and Amazônia (2019).

Born in 1944 in Aimorés, Brazil, Sebastião Salgado trained and practised as an economist before embarking on a full-time career in photography in 1973, going on to work with leading photographic agencies Sygma, Gamma and Magnum.

According to Salgado, his childhood in rural Brazil, surrounded by the great expanse of nature and the open skies, was an important aesthetic touchpoint, guiding his lens and informing his approach to light, contrast and proportionality.

In the 1980s and 1990s, he travelled around the world to pursue many photography projects, producing a number of acclaimed series, which continue to influence visual culture today. 

Weekly News Digest
November 16, 2023 — In addition to this week’s NewsBreaks article and the monthly NewsLink Spotlight, Information Today, Inc. (ITI) offers Weekly News Digests that feature recent product news and company announcements. Watch for additional coverage to appear in the next print issue of Information Today. For other up-to-the-minute news, check out ITI’s Twitter account: @ITINewsBreaks. CLICK HERE to view more Weekly News Digest items.

Exact Editions Captures Source Photography Magazine for Posterity

Exact Editions is now offering the complete digital archive of the Source quarterly photography magazine for individuals and institutions. The archive dates to 1992, with the magazine geared to “[a]nyone with an interest in developing their critical understanding of photography,” the press release states. The magazine has a focus on photographers who work and exhibit in Great Britain and Ireland and offers features, book reviews, portfolio pages, exhibition reviews, and more.

“There is such a wealth of images and engaging articles within the Source archive that can now be accessed on digital devices. The complete archive will be popular with libraries offering art and photography courses worldwide,” says Daryl Rayner, managing director of Exact Editions.

For more information, read the press release.

Brandi Scardilli

NEW YORK CITY — A new movie, out soon, and a major exhibit at a gallery on New York City’s Upper East Side, have put Lee Miller back in the spotlight almost half a century after her death.

The movie is a passion project from Oscar winner Kate Winslet, who has spent eight years bringing Miller’s story to the big screen.

Born in Poughkeepsie, New York, Miller first came to fame as a model in New York City before stepping behind the camera to become a top photographer.

Telling you about her feels to me like a privilege.

She is one of my favorite artists, because of the splendid work she created, but also because of the dramatic life she led.

Her gaze inspired some of the most famous artists of the 20th century, Picasso among them.

Miller was a muse and a model. But she also moved far beyond the limits of those roles, redefining herself again and again.

“She wasn’t scared to push against the boundaries,” said Miller’s granddaughter, Ami Bouhassane.

Her granddaughter is the keeper of her flame and worked closely with Winslet, who plays Miller in the new movie, called simply “Lee.”

“It has been by far the most important preparation for any role that I’ve ever done,” Winslet told British Vogue.

British Vogue is the magazine Miller worked for when she covered World War 2 on assignment.

“Her documentation, for example, of the liberation of the concentration camps, are… her images are, among some of the most significant historical images ever taken,” said Winslet.

The origins of Miller’s later imagery lie at the Gagosian Gallery on New York’s Upper East Side, where a new multi-media exhibit, “Seeing is Believing” has just opened.

“It’s an incredible moment to have her coming back to New York because obviously she was born in Poughkeepsie, New York, and to actually have her recognized within the circle, firmly within the circle of artists that she knew,” said Bouhassane.

Paintings, photographs, letters and more help restore Miller to her proper place in the history of the 20th century.

“She did have many lives,” said exhibit curator Jason Ysenburg. “Very often, you know, people do one thing in their life. Lee Miller kept on doing different things well. She never stopped.”

Now a new generation gets to learn all about Lee Miller through the film and the exhibit – and that exhibit at the Gagosian Gallery is free!

Between now and December 22nd, just head over to 926 Madison Avenue in New York City to check it out.

It’s an hour or two very well spent, and it won’t cost you anything.

RELATED: Holiday season Open Streets to help ease crowds around iconic Rockefeller Center Tree

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Canadian landscape photographer Blake Randall has won the 2023 Natural Landscape Photography Awards (NLPA), an annual international photo competition that celebrates realism and authenticity in landscape images.

The contest’s relatively strict rules that aim to prevent deceptive digital editing techniques and fight against the use of artificial intelligence have done little to dissuade talented photographers from around the globe from entering. This year’s contest, the third edition, received 11,176 photographs from 1,023 photographers in 54 different countries.

Among the contest’s international panel of judges, Randall’s work rose to the top of the large and exceptionally talented pool due to his diverse subject selection, strong representation across multiple NLPA categories, and tasteful processing. The judges note that Randall’s final photos look very similar to his original RAW files, which all competition finalists are required to submit.

“I am deeply honored to receive the Natural Landscape Photography Award’s ‘Photographer of the Year’ award. Since its inception, the NLPA awards have set the gold standard for landscape photography — preserving the authentic experience of capturing our planet’s unaltered natural beauty in contrast to the growing popularity of AI and computer-generated imagery,” explains Randall. “The competition has consistently showcased an exceptional lineup of talented photographers, many of whom I have looked up to and who have been a personal inspiration to me since I started my photography journey. The images presented in the competition reflect the kind of photography I aspire to achieve, making this award extra special and something I will be proud of for the rest of my life.”

Alongside Randall being named the “2023 Natural Landscape Photographer of the Year,” the judges also picked an overall best image and winners across numerous categories. All the winning images are featured below.

Photograph of the Year

Project of the Year

Abstracts and Details

Aerial

Black and White

Common Places

Environmental

Grand Scenic

Intimate Landscapes

Mountains

Nightscape

Water Worlds

More From the Natural Landscape Photography Awards

Alongside the winners above, the NLPA also features 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th place selections, all of which are displayed in a beautiful winners gallery. The competition also named five additional finalists for “2023 Natural Landscape Photographer of the Year,” including photographers Benjamin Maze, Adam Gibbs, Franka Gabler, Xavier Lequarre, and Kenny Muir finishing just behind Randall. A selected photo from each of these five photographers is featured below. Additional photos from each talented photographer is available on the awards website.

All the awarded images will also be featured in an upcoming book, now available for preorder. Last year’s winners are also well worth checking out.

Image credits: All photos courtesy of the Natural Landscape Photography Awards. Individual photographers are credited in the image captions.

With a new court decision, the real estate market is going to change, and that means there may be fewer jobs for the average real estate photographer.

I have been shooting real estate for over 10 years, and yes, it took a while to get good at the real estate shooting style, as I mostly shot vacation rentals, which is a different style. So, work on your skills if you want to continue photographing homes.

The new law is eventually taking real estate buyer agents out of the picture, which means there will be fewer agents, with less need for photographers and only the best photographers being hired. I can relate to this lawsuit, as I sold my loft years ago, and I had no idea I was responsible for paying the buyer agent commission, so you can imagine that paying both agents came as a surprise to me. Unfortunately, with this shakeup, many people who photograph homes may be out of a job.

Photographing real estate is not easy, and now, realtors are going to be very discerning, so learning to be a great real estate photographer is going to be very important. There are so many tutorials online to learn from, but it takes a lot of practice. Every home comes with its own set of challenges, so learn all you can and shoot all you can.

An Alberta woman has won a prestigious nature photography contest after travelling to South America to photograph a vulnerable species of bear. 

Jacquie Matechuk​, who lives in Cochrane, Alta., won the Nature Photographer of the Year award in a contest run by Nature Talks, a Netherlands-based photography agency. 

Her winning image, He Looks to the Heavens, features a spectacled bear perched on a fig tree in Ecuador.

The species name comes from the rings of light-coloured fur around the eyes, making it look like they’re wearing glasses.

Matechuk​ said that on the day the photo was taken, it seemed like everything was going wrong. She had to rush down a canyon to get to the unique habitat where the bears live, and it started to rain. 

“We had so many problems. Hurrying to get down the canyon — massive swing in temperature because it got very cold, pouring rain. Then the sun came out, and I mean it shot up like 12, 13 degrees Celsius,” she said. 

That rapid swing in temperature fogged up her camera, which meant she was unable to get autofocus to work, and she had to turn her shutter speed down. 

“I was on the borderline of tears when everything started to fog up, because I could see him right there and it was so beautiful,” she said. 

WATCH | Jacquie Matechuk​ explains what happened on the day she took the winning image: 

Alberta woman named top nature photographer after snapping rare bear

2 hours ago

Duration 1:07

Featured VideoJacquie Matechuk​ won Nature Photographer of the Year 2023 for a stunning photo of a bear in the Andean Mountain range in Ecuador.

The bear looked up into the sunlight as Matechuk snapped away. 

She said she was able to take a few photos before the camera completely stopped working, but that combination of factors created the winning photo — which resembles a painting. 

“Which I probably would have never gotten to on my own, in complete honesty. So sometimes things just happen for a reason,” Matechuk said. 

Until she planned her trip to South America, Matechuk knew very little about spectacled bears. 

“They’re very peaceful, gentle type of a creature, even though they are the size they are. And I hope it makes people curious enough to ask more questions and to look at our environments and how those animals are part of this beautiful, biodiverse culture we live in.”

The photograph was selected by an international panel of five judges. The contest received more than 21,000 entries from 96 countries.

“The Spanish moss hanging from this centuries-old fig tree gives an incredible sense of three-dimensionality, while the soft light filtering through the colours highlights the profound connection between species and habitat in this image,” said Nature Talks chairman Marco Gaiotti said in a media release. 

“The silhouette of an Andean bear crossing the Spanish moss hanging from an ancient tree is something that goes beyond the most vivid dreams of a nature photographer.”

Matechuk’s photo of the bear also won the Nature Talks competition in the mammals category.