Category Archives: Photography

In 2003, former investor Andrew Pilara found himself awed by the work of photographer Diane Arbus while attending a retrospective at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.  With his wife Mary, he subsequently began building his own photography collection, one that would eventually become well-known for including some of the most significant images of the 20th century.

Now Sotheby’s is selling off several significant works from that collection, which has long been housed at Pilara’s Pier 24 Photography museum in San Francisco. Following the successful May 2023 sale of other Pilara collection photographs that brought in $10.6 million, Sotheby’s is hosting a fall/winter auction series featuring works by acclaimed photographers like Lee Friedlander, Robert Frank, Garry Winogrand and Edward Weston.

But the first auction in the series, which opens online beginning on September 26, will notably exclude any famous names—in fact, the lots are largely unattributed. Photographer Unknown is Sotheby’s first-ever dedicated sale of vernacular photography (as opposed to fine art photography) and includes a wide variety of mug shots, employee identification badges and family snapshots.

An unattributed sepia-toned mugshot of infamous mobster Charles “Lucky” Luciano, for example, shows the mafioso staring down the camera, while a photograph from the 1880s captures the catching stance of John Thomas “Tug” Arundel, a baseball player for the Indianapolis Hoosiers. The sale will additionally feature numerous colorful hand-tinted portraits of Brazilian families taken in the 20th century, alongside several tintypes depicting young American children posing in their finest clothing. The Pilara sale will even include a photograph of a warden’s book from San Quentin State Prison in 1935, complete with stone-faced mugshots and prisoner descriptions.

More conventional images will go on the block in the second and third photography sales scheduled live in October and online in December, including seven photographs by Dorothea Lange. The high estimate for White Angel Breadline, the photographer’s very first documentary image taken in 1933 during the Great Depression, is $200,000.

Meanwhile, a series of portraits by Hiroshi Sugimoto will lead the October 25 sale with an estimate of $600,000. While Sugimoto’s images depict Henry VIII and his six wives, the Tudor subjects have been captured not in the flesh but in wax. Created with Madame Tussaud wax figures, the photos in the series are also in New York’s Guggenheim and Japan’s Odawara Art Foundation.

Richard Avedon’s The Minneapolis Portfolio, which contains eleven images of cultural and political figures like Charlie Chaplin, Marilyn Monroe, Dwight David Eisenhower and Ezra Pound, will also be part of the vernacular photography live sale. With striking images captured during the late 1950s and early 1960s, the portfolio is expected to bring in $300,000.

The auction proceeds from Pier 24 Photography’s collection will benefit the Pilara Family Foundation, which will put the money toward initiatives in healthcare research, education and the arts. The pledged donations signify a shifting philanthropic focus for the family foundation, which will transition toward grant-making after having run Pier 24 Photography since 2010.

Pilara announced the news earlier this year, revealing that his San Francisco museum will close in July of 2025 when its current lease expires due to rent increases. “Rather than operating with a significantly higher annual budget, we believe that the money could be better utilized by local organizations,” he said in a statement at the time.

In the meantime, Pilara and his family are sending their collection to auction houses and art centers like Maryland’s Glenstone Museum. The foundation intends to continue gifting photographs to more institutions in the future, according to Sotheby’s.

Manx photographer catches moment of social history

A photography exhibition focussing on the naming ceremony of the latest Ramsey lifeboat has been launched in the northern town.

Manx photographer Ian Sanderson comes from a long line of people who’ve volunteered with the RNLI.

He hopes to raise funds for the organisation with his exhibition which is taking place at the Ramsey Community Hub.

Ian told Manx Radio he believes it will provide an escape for people who venture inside:

‘Full On: Photographs from the naming of the new Ramsey Lifeboat’ is running – in the old courthouse building – until Friday, 6 October. 

All proceeds from the exhibition will benefit the RNLI.

Here are the outstanding winning photos of the Astronomy Photographer Of The Year 2023. The spellbinding winning images from the world’s biggest space photography competition were announced during an online awards ceremony on Thursday 14 September. As well as the overall winner, there were 11 different category prizes up for grabs, from glittering galaxies and shimmering aurora to out-of-this-world skyscapes. Find out more about all the entries below.

At the Royal Observatory Greenwich’s Astronomy Photographer of the Year awards this week, a remarkable and unexpected revelation from over 2.5 million light-years away stole the spotlight. A team of amateur astronomers, consisting of Marcel Drechsler, Xavier Strottner, and Yann Sainty, unveiled a breathtaking image featuring an immense plasma arc adjacent to the Andromeda Galaxy. This astonishing discovery has piqued the interest of scientists who are now delving deeper into the secrets concealed within this colossal gas cloud.

Judge and renowned astrophotographer, László Francsics, expressed, “This astronomical photograph is both awe-inspiring and invaluable. Not only does it offer a fresh perspective on Andromeda, but it also elevates the art of astrophotography to new heights.”

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#1 Galaxy – Overall winner: Andromeda, Unexpected By Marcel Drechsler, Xavier Strottner, and Yann Sainty

A team of amateur astronomers led by Marcel Drechsler, Xavier Strottner, and Yann Sainty made a surprising discovery−a huge plasma arc next to the Andromeda Galaxy. Scientists are now investigating the newly discovered giant in a transnational collaboration. It could be the largest such structure in the nearby environment in the Universe. The Andromeda Galaxy is the closest spiral galaxy to the Milky Way. It is undoubtedly one of the most photographed deep-sky objects ever. The new discovery of such a large structure in the immediate vicinity of the galaxy was all the more surprising.

#2 Galaxy – Runner-Up: The Eyes Galaxies By Weitang Liang

#3 Galaxy – Highly Commended: Neighbors By Paul Montague

#4 Aurora – Winner: Brushstroke By Monika Deviat

An abstract aurora in the shape of a brushstroke. Unusually, the photographer decided to photograph the aurora in isolation.

#5 Aurora – Runner-up: Circle of Light By Andreas Ettl

#6 Aurora – Highly Commended: Fire on the Horizon By Chester Hall-Fernandez

#7 Our Moon – Winner: Mars-Set By Ethan Chappel

An occultation of Mars that took place on December 8, 2022. During the occultation, the moon passes in front of the planet Mars, allowing the astrophotographer to capture both objects together. The image shows Mars behind the moon’s southern side in impressive detail.

#8 Our Moon – Runner-Up: Sundown on the Terminator By Tom Williams

#9 Our Moon – Highly Commended: Last Full Moon of the Year Featuring a Colourful Corona During a Close Encounter with Mars By Miguel Claro

#10 Our Sun – Winner: A Sun Question By Eduardo Schaberger Poupeau

A photograph of the sun with a huge filament in the shape of a question mark. Solar filaments are arcs of plasma in the sun’s atmosphere given shape by magnetic fields. The photo is a mosaic of two panels.

#11 Our Sun – Runner-Up: Dark Star By Peter Ward

#12 Our Sun – Highly Commended: The Great Solar Flare By Mehmet Ergün

#13 People & Space – Winner: Zeila By Vikas Chander

The most northerly part of Namibia’s Atlantic facing coast is one of the most treacherous coastlines in the world and has gained the name the Skeleton Coast. The ship in this photo, Zeila, was stranded on August 25, 2008 and is still in a well-preserved state. The image shows the delicate colors of different star types.

#14 People & Space – Runner-Up: A Visit to Tycho By Andrew McCarthy

#15 People & Space – Highly Commended: Close Encounters of The Haslingden Kind By Katie McGuinness

#16 Planets, Comets & Asteroids – Winner: Suspended in a Sunbeam By Tom Williams

A unique view of Venus using infrared or ultraviolet false colour. By going beyond the visible part of the spectrum, a myriad of fine detail within the upper atmosphere of the planet is revealed.

#17 Planets, Comets & Asteroids – Runner-Up: Jupiter Close to Opposition By Marco Lorenzi

#18 Planets, Comets & Asteroids – Highly Commended: Uranus with Umbriel, Ariel, Miranda, Oberon and Titania By Martin Lewisv

#19 Skyscapes – Winner: Grand Cosmic Fireworks By Angel An

Sprites are an extremely rare phenomenon of atmospheric luminescence that appear like fireworks. An took this photograph from the highest ridge of the Himalaya mountains.

#20 Skyscapes – Runner-Up: Celestial Equator Above First World War Trench Memorial By Louis Leroux-Gere

#21 Skyscapes – Highly Commended: Noctilucent Night By Peter Hoszang

#22 Stars & Nebulae – Winner: New Class of Galactic Nebulae Around the Star YY Hya By Marcel Drechsler

A team of amateur astronomers, led by Marcel Drechsler from Germany and Xavier Strottner from France, were able to make an important contribution to the study of the evolution of binary star systems: on old images of sky surveys, they discovered a previously unknown galactic nebula. At its center, a pair of stars surrounded by a common envelope was found. On more than 100 nights, more than 360 hours of exposure time were collected. The result shows an ultra-deep stellar remnant that the team has baptized “the heart of the Hydra.”

#23 Stars & Nebulae – Runner-Up: LDN 1448 et al. By Anthony Quintile

#24 Stars & Nebulae – Highly Commended: The Dark Wolf – Fenrir By James Baguley

#25 The Sir Patrick Moore Prize for Best Newcomer – Winner: Sh2-132: Blinded by the Light By Aaron Wilhelm

The Sh2-132 complex lies near the border of the Cepheus and Lacerta constellations and contains multiple deep sky structures. The photograph includes 70 hours of data, the rich interplay of all the gasses reveals something different each time you look at it.

#26 Young Astronomy Photographer of the Year – Winner: The Running Chicken Nebula By Runwei Xu and Binyu Wang

The Running Chicken Nebula, IC2944, is located in the constellation of Centaurus, 6,000 light years away from the Earth. Embedded in the nebula’s glowing gas the star cluster Collinder 249 is visible.

#27 Young Astronomy Photographer of the Year – Runner-Up: Blue Spirit Drifting in the Clouds By Haocheng Li and Runwei Xu

#28 Young Astronomy Photographer of the Year – Highly Commended: Lunar Occultation of Mars By Joshua Harwood-White

#29 Young Astronomy Photographer of the Year – Highly Commended: Roses Blooming in the Dark: NGC 2337 By Yanhao Mo

#30 Young Astronomy Photographer of the Year – Highly Commended: Moon at Nightfall By Haohan Sun

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Supporting the careers of talented Canadian artists, aged 35 and under, working behind the camera

Meet this year’s winners and discover their works

OTTAWA, ON, Sept. 20, 2023 /CNW/ – Until January 7, 2024, the National Gallery of Canada (NGC) presents works by the three winners of the 2023 Scotiabank New Generation Photography (NGPA): Hannah Doucet, Wynne Neilly, and Gonzalo Reyes Rodriguez in an exhibition organized by the NGC in partnership with Scotiabank and the Scotiabank CONTACT Photography Festival. Through videographic and photographic works, the three artists explore the many challenges in contemporary representations of the body, identity, culture, and history. The works on display were produced between 2019 and 2023.

The public is invited to discover the exhibition in the company of the three artists during a special edition of the Gallery’s free Thursday evenings, this Thursday 21 September from 6 to 7 p.m. EDT in the exhibition space C218. To take part and visit the Gallery for free between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. EDT, simply book your ticket online. The presentation of the exhibition and Meet the artists are supported by the Scotiabank Photography Program at the NGC.

“The National Gallery of Canada is delighted to celebrate the vision of talented artists at the beginning of their careers. We are grateful to our colleagues across Canada who have nominated artists whose work deserves to be known. Our partnership with Scotiabank and the Scotiabank CONTACT Photography Festival plays an important role in giving impetus to younger generations of artists from communities from coast to coast,” said Jean-François Bélisle, NGC Director and CEO.

“With great visual sophistication, care and curiosity, the 2023 Scotiabank NGPA winners demonstrate the continued power and significance of lens-based images to both probe shared concerns and anxieties and offer new insights into negotiating an image-saturated culture,” said Andrea Kunard, Senior Curator, NGC Photographs Collection, NGPA Jury Chair, and curator of the exhibition.

Story continues

Winnipeg-born Toronto artist Hannah Doucet explores how society deals with childhood illness by invoking fantasy and wish fulfilment. Through images, videos and an installation, she revisits her wish trip to Disney World at the age of 10 after two years of treatment for lymphoblastic lymphoma. In her brightly coloured, saturated work, featuring friendly mascots and motifs borrowed from children’s animation, Doucet draws critical attention to the corporate messaging conveyed to children about illness and its focus on living life “happily ever after”.

The intimate portraits presented by Toronto-based queer artist Wynne Neilly pay homage to his queer and trans subjects and highlight the strength of the ‘chosen family’. Each of the large-format portraits is presented alongside a photograph of a natural or urban landscape that, like his portraits, underscores Neilly’s meditative approach to image-making.

Vancouver artist Gonzalo Reyes Rodriguez is interested in the shifting meaning of the photographic image as it passes through different times and contexts. The works exhibited here originate from a box of photographs by an unknown photographer taken between 1987 and 1993, which he bought in a Mexican bookstore. Rodriguez combines these photographs with images from his personal archive. The installation includes a video work featuring two of the artist’s colleagues who examine the photographs looking for clues that would allow them to define the unknown person depicted.

Launched in 2017, the Scotiabank PNGP was created in partnership with Scotiabank and rewards outstanding work by Canadian artists aged 35 and under working in the photographic arts.

About the National Gallery of Canada
Ankosé: Everything is Connected / Tout est relié

The NGC is dedicated to amplifying voices through art and extending the reach and breadth of its collection, exhibitions program, and public activities to represent all Canadians, while centring Indigenous ways of knowing and being. Ankosé—an Anishinaabemowin word that means “everything is connected”—reflects the Gallery’s mission to create dynamic experiences that open hearts and minds, and allow for new ways of seeing ourselves, one another, and our diverse histories, through the visual arts. The NGC is home to a rich contemporary Indigenous international art collection, as well as important collections of historical and contemporary Canadian and European art from the 14th to the 21st century. Founded in 1880, the NGC has played a key role in Canadian culture for more than 140 years.

To find out more about the Gallery’s programming and activities, visit gallery.ca and follow us on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Instagram. #Ankose #EverythingIsConnected #ToutEstRelié.

About the Scotiabank Photography Program at the NGC

The Scotiabank Photography Program at the National Gallery of Canada embraces digital content creation, education, exhibitions, the NGC initiatives Leading with Women, and Scotiabank New Generation Photography Award. The National Gallery of Canada’s photography collection is one of the world’s most comprehensive holdings of photographs and related materials. It represents the entire history of the medium, revealing and reinterpreting the most important stories of our past, present and future.

About the National Gallery of Canada Foundation

The National Gallery of Canada Foundation is dedicated to supporting the National Gallery of Canada in fulfilling its mandate. By fostering strong philanthropic partnerships, the Foundation provides the Gallery with the additional financial support required to lead Canada’s visual arts community locally, nationally and internationally. The blend of public support and private philanthropy empowers the Gallery to preserve and interpret Canada’s visual arts heritage. The Foundation welcomes present and deferred gifts for special projects and endowments. To learn more about the National Gallery of Canada Foundation, visit ngcfoundation.ca.

SOURCE National Gallery of Canada

View original content to download multimedia: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/September2023/20/c7898.html

Nikon has unveiled the Z f, a full-frame mirrorless camera that merges modern technology with a nostalgic design inspired by the Nikon FM2 of the 1980s. It serves as the mirrorless successor to the Nikon Df DSLR announced in 2013 and shares similarities with the APS-C format Nikon Z fc, but with superior build quality.

The Nikon Z f houses a 24.5MP BSI CMOS sensor, the same as in the Nikon Z6 II and Z6, but pairs it with the newer Expeed 7 processing engine, also found in the Nikon Z9 and Nikon Z8. This processor enhances its capabilities, including an increased maximum native sensitivity setting of ISO 64,000 and advanced autofocus algorithms with an extensive range of subject detection options and continuous shooting at up to 30fps in Jpeg and 14fps for raw files.

One notable feature is the Pre-release Capture, which starts recording images before the shutter release is pressed, assisting in capturing moments of unpredictable action.

The camera’s in-body image stabilisation system offers up to 8 stops of shutter speed compensation and is complemented by a new ‘Focus Point VR’ feature for more targeted image stabilisation.

There are new Picture Controls, including Flat Monochrome and Deep Tone Monochrome for black and white photography, and Rich Tone Portraits for people photos. There’s also Nikon’s Portrait Impression Balance that enables adjustment of the hue and brightness of skin tones, and the Skin Softening feature seen on the Z8.

In addition, the Z f offers a Pixel Shift Shooting mode, potentially enabling the creation of up to 150MP images when used with Nikon’s NX Studio software. It also supports HEIF files, offering a broader range of tones compared to JPEGs.

For video enthusiasts, the Z f supports 4K recording at 30p and 60p, and 10-bit H.265 or 8-bit H.264 recording. The recording time is capped at 125 minutes for 4K video shoots.

The Nikon Z f stands out with its retro design, featuring a robust magnesium alloy body and brass dials on the top plate. The camera also introduces a slim front grip, enhancing its hold.

Unusually, the Z f features SD and microSD card slots, a unique choice for a camera in its class.

Control-wise, the camera brings a tactile experience with dedicated dials for sensitivity (ISO), shutter speed and exposure compensation settings on the top plate.

The viewfinder and screen specifications are believed to mirror those found in the Z6 II. That means a 0.5-inch, 3.6-million-dot electronic viewfinder (EVF) with fluorine and anti-reflective coatings and a 3.2-inch 2,100,000-dot touch-screen. However, of the first time on a full-frame Nikon Z-series camera, the Zf’s screen has a variangle design, meaning it can be angled to give a clear view in the landscape and portrait orientation. It can also be flipped to face forward.

With its blend of modern tech and retro style, the Nikon Z f seems to target photographers who appreciate nostalgia without compromising on contemporary features.

Nikon Z f price and availability

The Nikon Z f is set to go on sale in October for a price of £2299 / €2599 body only, £2519 with the Z 40mm f/2 SE lens (which is optically the same as the Nikon Z 40mm f/2) or £2849 with the Z 24-70mm f/4 S lens.

The Nikon Zf has a black body, but its artificial leather covering is available in six colours: Black, Indigo Blue, Sepia Brown, Bordeaux Red, Sunset Orange, Moss Green and Stone Grey.

Hungarian toy photographer Benedek Lampert creates miniature action-packed scenes made with toys. Lampert, the talented photographer, is on a creative journey to construct miniature realms from the simplest of settings. Whether it’s a humble kitchen table or a picturesque outdoor locale, Benedek’s passion knows no bounds.

The allure of secrets and the mysteries that lie behind captivating photographs are universal. And for Benedek, the fascination extends to behind-the-scenes glimpses, offering a glimpse into the captivating world of toy photography.

Benedek embarked on this artistic endeavor in June 2016, driven by a profound affection for LEGO and the captivating narratives these tiny figurines could weave. Every photograph he captures is a quest for authenticity and dynamism, achieved through the meticulous crafting of genuine backdrops. But now, he’s prepared to introduce us to an entirely new universe—a miniature realm, born from the amalgamation of LEGO and various other elements.

The compilation presented here is a testament to Benedek’s last seven years of work, showcasing the most intriguing and amusing “behind the scenes” moments from his artistic odyssey.

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#1 Would You Live Here?

#2 Obviously Stranger Things Is A Mandatory Topic! The Light Rays Are Photoshopped

Remarkably, Benedek eschews Photoshop manipulation for practical effects, be it the billowing smoke, ethereal fog, explosive spectacles, or wintry snowstorms (although, he concedes, the lightsabers and car lamp flares are pure fabrication). Instead, he meticulously crafts indoor scenes and scouts out the ideal outdoor locales, like serene parks. He’ll even resort to techniques like water-spraying and smoke-blowing to capture that perfect shot when necessary.

Dealing with natural effects, such as mud or smoke, poses a unique challenge. The outcome can never be precisely predicted, and Benedek often invests countless hours into each photograph, striving to capture the elusive essence of these fleeting moments.

#3 This Is The Place Where I Could Go Anytime. This Image Means The Absolute Chill For Me

#4 Typical Outdoor Scenery. This Little Tree Was Actually Growing There. I Just Built The Others Around It

#5 “We Have A Lift-Off!” I Used Cottonwool Balls As Smoke

Seven years ago, the captivating journey of toy photography began. The inception of my creative voyage into this realm took shape with my very first LEGO photo series, a milestone that marked my foray into the art form. My heart beats for the cinematic aesthetics, for the intricate craft of conjuring miniature worlds that resonate with imagination. Toy photography has proven to be the ideal conduit for this artistic yearning, offering limitless possibilities that transcend the boundaries of reality.

My affair with photography predates my exploration of toy photography. Back in 2007, at the tender age of 12, I took my initial steps into the world of photography. It was the genesis of a lifelong passion, a prelude to my evolution as an artist. While I cherish the diversity of photography genres, there is one that truly feels like an extension of my very soul—toy photography. It’s a realm where I can express my unique vision and create art that is distinctly my own.

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#8 Great Scott! I Used Light Painting Technique With The Flames And Lightnings

#9 World War II. In A Galaxy Far Far Away

#10 Santa Claus Drives An Old-Timer Truck With An Oversized Present… Logical Isn’t It?

#11 The Mandalorian Is Literally A Space Western, So I Made A Classical Showdown Scene

#12 Not Just Racing Cars Amazed Me. This Vintage Beauty Is Also Close To My Heart

#13 Battle Of Hoth With Powdered Sugar

#14 Product Photography Can Be As Exciting And Unusual As A Toy Photo. I Love To Mix This Two Genres

#15 I Used The Actual Budapest As Background

#16 Dry Ice And LEGO Delorean, Perfect Match

#17 Bonjour Mon Chéri

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#19 This Is The Ultimate Ucs LEGO Star Destroyer. Because Of Its Brutal Size I Had To Use A Giga-LED Panel, Where I Displayed The Planet’s Background

#20 Aldrin Is Coming Out From The Lunar Modul

#21 I Shot This Gunship Image In A Bauxite Mine, Because This Terra Is Like Another Planet

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#23 The Bad Batch

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#26 Unexpected Attack

#27 Vintage Drift. I Suffered So Much With The Smoke, Because It Was Hard To Blew Straight Behind The Car

#28 Back To The Wild West

#29 Only For Chili Monsters

#30 Nature Makes The Best Sceneries. This Place Is An Abandoned Quarry

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