Category Archives: Photography

Terraforming: Olana’s Historic Photography Collection Unearthed is now on display at Olana State Historic Site. Inspired by Olana’s significant collection of nearly 2,000 19th century international photographic prints, artist and guest curator David Hartt reflects on the ways in which human culture and activity shape the land, eroding the boundary between human construction and the natural world.

Through the selection of historic photographs from Olana’s vast collection, the exhibition also explores what this global photographic collection tells us about Church’s painting practice, travels, and ways of knowing and collecting the world.

We get a preview of the exhibit this morning with the President of The Olana Partnership, Sean Sawyer and independent curator and historian of photography, Corey Keller.

Hyderabad-based photography platform Oneglint Media Solutions has acquired Memzo an AI-powered photo-sharing product developed by Satya Digitech. The acquisition of Memzo signifies Oneglint’s commitment to using AI as the next major stimulus in photography. Although the specific financial details of the deal remain undisclosed, Oneglint has acquired 100 percent control of Memzo in an all-cash transaction. Satya Ayyagari, Co-Founder and CEO, Oneglint Media Solutions, commented on the acquisition, saying, “We believe that this acquisition will create value for our customers, partners, and stakeholders.”

Oneglint plans to seamlessly integrate Memzo’s cutting-edge technology with its existing platform, promising an enhanced and unparalleled user experience. Memzo’s widespread presence across more than 20 countries will accelerate Oneglint’s global expansion, positioning the company to lead the way in the evolving world of AI-enabled photography solutions. Memzo, founded in 2020 by Tarin Poddar and Priyanshi Poddar, has quickly become a leader in the field of AI-driven photo distribution, offering event participants the ability to instantly locate their photos by simply taking a selfie, harnessing the power of Memzo’s proprietary Face Recognition AI models.

Oneglint Media Solutions is renowned for offering a comprehensive range of photography services and products, covering various event types, including sports, weddings, and corporate gatherings. With both on-ground photography services and a robust technology platform, Oneglint has empowered itself to efficiently distribute millions of photographs and videos to tens of thousands of event participants within hours, strengthening partnerships with esteemed companies such as Broadridge, Qualcomm, ZF, Procam, Wizcraft, IDFC First Bank, and others in under five years of operations. Memzo, on the other hand, is an AI-powered photo distribution platform designed to cater to event guests, whether it be marathons, convocations, weddings, or other mass gatherings. By employing powerful and proprietary face recognition AI models, Memzo enables event attendees to instantly find their photos by capturing a simple selfie.

Tarin Poddar, Co-Founder of Memzo, said, “We have built a practical photo distribution platform, and we are extremely excited about this acquisition. We share a common vision, and Oneglint’s customer base and technology platform will strengthen and scale Memzo as a product. We are very excited to join hands with Oneglint and look forward to serving millions of customers in the coming years.” The strategic acquisition represents a step forward in the evolution of photography solutions, driven by cutting-edge AI technology. Oneglint’s expansion and Memzo’s integration promise to bring forth exciting opportunities and advancements in the world of photography, benefiting customers and stakeholders.

The winners of the MPB Scottish Portrait Awards in Photography 2023 have been announced, showcasing talented young photographers, skilled amateurs and established professionals.

David Gillanders from Glasgow has been crowned the winner in the black and white category with his portrait ‘The Makers – Alastair. E. Blain, artist & poet’.

The work is part of an ongoing portraiture project depicting Scottish people with an infectious passion for what they do, whose lives are devoted to the pursuit and perfection of their craft.

Ruaridh Fraser, also from Glasgow, has won the new colour category with the portrait ‘Vanilla in the Kitchen’.

The image captures an intimate moment between brothers during the juvenile budding stages of drag, set against a timeless domestic backdrop.

Each winner also received a total of £2,000.

This year the awards welcomed guest judge, the internationally renowned photographer Albert Watson OBE, who personally reviewed every photographic work entered before choosing ‘Summer’ by Nina Davidson as the winner of the SPA Albert Watson Portrait Prize.

Open to anyone over 16-years-old, born, living or studying in Scotland, regardless of experience, the Scottish Portrait Awards has quickly established itself as a barometer of contemporary Scottish art practice.

It aims to give visibility to a mix of well-established artists as well as newcomers across a diversity of styles.

The exhibition spotlights artists and photographers telling the stories of our time.

Presenting the awards in photography, Simon Murphy, chair of the photography panel, said: “One of the most exciting things for me about this competition is the opportunity it gives those new to the medium to have their work displayed alongside some of Scotland’s best and most experienced practitioners.

“What matters is the power of the portrait, and everyone has the capability to produce a memorable and meaningful image whether it’s a meticulously crafted portrait or a simple captured moment that exudes joy and energy. Expanding the exhibition to include categories for colour and phone photography makes the competition even more relevant and accessible.”

On learning of winning the new MPB Scottish Portrait Award in Black and White Photography, David Gillanders said: “To win and for your work to be recognised is incredible. One of the great privileges about being a photographer is that you get to meet so many incredible people and walk in their shoes a little bit to try and understand them.

“Alastair, my sitter is a remarkable character, incredibly distinctive and fascinating to speak to – he makes his own paints, he tans his own leather, he is one of those characters who after meeting him, you just keep thinking about him. I always like to try to make portraits of people that show more of their character rather than my style as a photographer. What you see is a portrait of Alastair – who he is, surrounded by his work, a very proud man, very distinguished, very hard-working, and incredibly passionate about what he does.”

In response to being selected as winner of the new MPB Scottish Portrait Award in Colour Photography, Ruaridh Fraser said: “It means so much to be recognised by the Scottish Portrait Awards in this way. My brother had just started getting into drag.

“We decided that my parents’ retro kitchen would be a great setting for a photoshoot as it would become a timeless backdrop, just as my brother, in his drag, was timeless and not pinpointed to a particular moment in time.

“The film came out very dark because it was set to the wrong settings but this added to the image, bringing in all these other colours. It was a lot luck and chance but it worked out really well.”

Receiving the new Albert Watson Portrait Prize, award-winner Nina Davidson said: “It’s beyond words. I am very touched to be the first winner of the Albert Watson Portrait Prize. I entered the award on a whim so for this very striking photographer to recognise my work is humbling.

“Photography has always been a part of my life from being very young. It is a way of focusing on the good things, the little snippets in life, the beautiful moments I share with my family.”

Jaime Prada has collected the MPB Young Photographer Award and £500 prize plus an MPB voucher worth £250 with their poignant work ‘Chosen Family’.

Of the work Simon Murphy (chair) said: “This is an intimate moment bathed in orange light captured by young photographer Jaime Prada. Although the photographer is present, an affectionate, undisturbed moment reminiscent of a film still has been skilfully captured.”

Jaime Prada, originally from Madrid and now living in Edinburgh, said: “I saw the exhibition last year and it spoke to me. I have always focussed my work on the human experience and very raw representations of human emotions, so this year, I threw my hat in to the ring.

“I focus on making sure queer people see themselves represented in my work. I try to make sure that people know there is someone like them. Every picture I take represents queer joy and tenderness. This picture is a self-portrait of my fiancee and myself. The picture was taken with a makeshift tripod out of books and a camera bought through MPB.

“It was the first picture demonstrating how I wanted to work in the future – projects that take on the beauty, intimacy and warmth of our chosen families. It is important my presence in the awards is represented by this picture because it is of my chosen family, the beginning of a new chapter in my life.”

Chris Close has won the Scottish Arts Club Members Prize for Photography with his portrait ‘Professor Higgs’.

Chosen from over 280 entries, the new SPA Phone Portrait Photography Award has been won by Alliyah Enyo with her entry ‘so very very far far far away’.

This year, free entry to the awards was once again offered to photographers and artists living in Scotland who receive any form of income support or Universal Credit.

The Scottish Arts Trust Bursary Fund, established in response to the cost-of-living crisis, aims to enhance opportunities for artists who require assistance to enter the awards.

The Scottish Portrait Awards 2023 exhibition is free and launches at the Scottish Arts Club, Edinburgh from September 9 to 30 before travelling to Kirkcudbright Galleries, Dumfries and Galloway from October 14, 2023 to January 14, 2024 and to the Charles Rennie Macintosh Gallery at the Glasgow Art Club from January 19 to February 29, 2024.

Entries to take part in the MPB Scottish Portrait Awards 2024 will open January 1 to April 30, 2024 and will again include the MPB Scottish Portrait Award in Photography (colour); the MPB Scottish Portrait Award in Photography (black and white) as well as the SPA Albert Watson Portrait Prize in photography and the online SPA Phone Portrait Photography Award.

The winner of the Sutherland Independent Scottish Portrait Award in Fine Art, and £5,000 prize will be announced on Friday.

Here are the winning photos of the Bird Photographer of the Year 2023. With over 23,000 images entered into the competition this year, Bird Photographer of the Year is pleased to present the winners. Celebrating bird life from around the world, these images comprise some of the most incredible bird photos in the world taken by talented photographers, whilst also raising vital funds for partner charity Birds on the Brink.

“The 2023 Bird Photographer of the Year competition has revealed its champions, with Jack Zhi from the United States emerging as the grand winner, securing a prize of £5,000 for his remarkable photograph capturing a peregrine falcon in a fierce encounter with a sizable brown pelican.

Zhi’s quest to capture this extraordinary moment was a four-year journey. He reflects, “I dedicated four years of my life to capturing this elusive spectacle of a female falcon engaging large brown pelicans with astonishing speed and agility.”

He adds, “What I adore about this image are the eyes of the pelican – wide with surprise and tinged with fear. The action unfolded in the blink of an eye, but that unforgettable moment is etched in my memory forever.”

Scroll down and inspire yourself, Check their website for more information.

You can find more info about BPOTY:

#1 Overall Winner and Bird Photographer of the Year 2023: ‘Grab the Bull by the Horns’’ by Jack Zhi

During the breeding season, a female Peregrine Falcon fiercely protects her young, attacking anything that comes near the nest. For four years, I attempted to capture these rare moments of her attacking large Brown Pelicans with incredible speed and agility. The high-speed chase made it challenging to capture a close-up shot with a long lens. The falcon’s precision was amazing as it struck at the pelican’s head.

Taking the title of Bird Photographer of the Year, our Overall Winner is ‘Grab the Bull by the Horns’ by Jack Zhi. It features a female falcon attacking a brown pelican with great speed and agility. Zhi wins the top prize of £5,000 and the prestigious title. His image also won Gold Award in the Bird Behaviour category.

#2 Young Bird Photographer of the Year 2023: ‘Blue Hour and Red Moon’ by Anton Trexier

Blackbird singing in the dead of night. Blue atmosphere and red moon. Getting up before sunrise allows you to experience the magical awakening of animals. The blackbird is one of the first animals to awaken.

Our Young Bird Photographer of the Year is 17-year-old Anton Trexler with his image ‘Blue Hour and Red Moon’. Trexler wins £300 in vouchers for camera equipment.

#3 Best Portrait – Gold: ‘Glistening Green’ by Nicolas Reusens

#4 Best Portrait – Silver: ‘Parenting Goals’ by Thomas Vijayan

#5 Best Portrait – Bronze: ‘Coming Storm’ by Jake Levin

#6 Birds in the Environment – Gold: ‘Sunflower Paradise’ by Mateusz Piesiak

#7 Birds in the Environment – Silver: ‘The Dance of the Shadows’ by Clément Cornec

#8 Birds in the Environment – Bronze: ‘Staring at the River’ by Stefan Gerrits

#9 Bird Behaviour – Gold: ‘Grab the Bull by the Horns’ by Jack Zhi

#10 Bird Behaviour – Silver: ‘Blue-footed Fishing Dive’ by Henley Spiers

#11 Bird Behaviour – Bronze: ‘A Mother’s Love’ by Qiuqing Mu

#12 Birds in Flight – Gold: ‘Flying Sword’ by Rafael Armada

#13 Birds in Flight – Silver: ‘Green Planet Flamingos’ by Paul Mckenzie

#14 Birds in Flight – Bronze: ‘Common Nighthawk in Flight’ by Richard Sanchez

#15 Black and White – Gold: ‘Fascinating Droplet’ by Jason Moore

#16 Black and White – Silver: ‘The Heron in the Palms’ by Yaron Schmid

#17 Black and White – Bronze: ‘Morning Serenity’ by Cheng Kang

#18 Urban Birds – Gold: ‘A Moment of Prayer’ by Arto Leppänen

#19 Urban Birds – Silver: ‘Urban Paradise’ by Xiaoke Wang

#20 Urban Birds – Bronze: ‘Dawn at the Door of the Farmhouse’ by Julian Fernandez Quilez

#21 Comedy Bird Photo – Gold: ‘No Way Out’ by Antonio Aguti

#22 Comedy Bird Photo – Silver: ‘More Fish Please!’ by Levi Fitze

#23 Comedy Bird Photo – Bronze: ‘Northern Crested Caracara Display’ by Ann Gillis

#24 Conservation – Gold: ‘Don’t Make War’ by Ewan Heath-Flynn

#25 Conservation – Silver: ‘Seeing Eye to Eye’ by Michael Eastwell

#26 Conservation – Bronze: ‘The Spectacle of Migration’ by Lucas Giordano

#27 15-17 years – Gold: ‘Blue Hour and Red Moon’ by Anton Trexier

#28 12-14 years – Gold: ‘High-key Terns’ by Harry Sedin

#29 11 and under – Gold: ‘Verditer Flycatcher’ by Arko Saha

#30 Best Portfolio – Winner: ‘Little Brother of the North’ by Rachel Bigsby

#31 Best Portrait – Highly Commended: ‘Waiting’ by Ly Dang

#32 Birds in the Environment – Highly Commended: ‘Soloist’ by Julian Łoziński

#33 Bird Behaviour – Highly Commended: ‘Courtship at Dawn’ by José Juan Hernández

#34 Bird Behaviour – Highly Commended: ‘Brown-hooded Parrot’ by Gianni Maitan

#35 Birds in Flight – Highly Commended: ‘Gibson’s Wandering Albatross Flyby’ by Tony White

#36 Black and White – Highly Commended: ‘Splash of Light’ by Wes Peterson

#37 Urban Birds – Highly Commended: ‘Turn Off the Lights Please’ by Mario Suarez Porras

#38 Comedy Bird Photo – Highly Commended: ‘Hard Parenthood’ by Alvaro Cubero Vega

#39 Comedy Bird Photo – Highly Commended: ‘Greetings’ by Robert Gloeckner

#40 Conservation – Highly Commended: ‘Corpse Cliff’ by Henley Spiers

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The latest cameras pack in higher resolution for both video and stills, and while we happily invest in the latest camera kit, when it comes our computers we usually leave them until they run out of space, become so slow that we have to turn them on before going on a shoot or don’t switch on at all.

Today Samsung has announced the Samsung 990 PRO 4TB SSD, essentially a hard drive that will give your computer a new lease of life. This new large capacity drive utilises NVME and while this technology has been available for a while, the fact that this offers 4TB at a reasonable price makes it very exciting.

The Samsung 990 PRO 4TB SSD offers next-generation speed and reliability with a huge capacity that makes it suitable for use as a true working hard drive. This means you can take your 4K video files directly from your Nikon Z8 and get editing without worrying about bottlenecks or running out of space.

Blistering Speed for Unmatched Performance

At the heart of the Samsung 990 PRO 4TB lies the eighth-generation V-NAND technology coupled with the Pascal controller, offering sequential read and write speeds of up to 7,450MB/s and 6,900MB/s, respectively. These speeds ensure that your workflow remains smooth, whether editing high-resolution photos or processing 4K videos.

Specifications:

• Sequential Read Speed: 7,450 MB/s
• Sequential Write Speed: 6,900 MB/s
• Random Read Speed (QD32, Thread 16): 1,600K IOPS
• Random Write Speed (QD32, Thread 16): 1,550K IOPS
• Thickness: 2.57 mm (Single-sided)
• Power Efficiency (Sequential Read/Write): 1,380/1,319 MB per watt

Expansive 4TB Storage

If you’re a photographer or videographer and regularly deal with large files then you’ll know that running out of storage is a nightmare. The Samsung 990 PRO 4TB SSD provides the solution with its capacious 4TB storage. Now you can store all your high-resolution images, extensive video projects, and more in one place without worrying about running out of space.

Optimized for Video Editing

Video editing demands fast and reliable storage, and the 990 PRO delivers just that. Its performance is not only impressive in benchmark tests but also in real-world applications. Render times shrink, and editing becomes a an easy process without long pauses as you wait for the computer to catch-up.

Ultimate Power Efficiency for Extended Shoots

One big advantage is the new power management that sees Samsung’s new Pascal controller, which has been built on a low-power architecture. This new structure enhances the SSD’s power efficiency by up to 50%. This means longer battery life on your laptop or camera, I’m part way through the test of this SSD at present and it’s already proving effective used in an external enclosure with minimal power draw from the machine.

Reliable Thermal Control

When working with high-performance gear, heat can be an issue. The 990 PRO addresses this concern with a nickel-coated controller and a heat spreader label for effective thermal management. Samsung’s Dynamic Thermal Guard technology ensures that the SSD’s temperature stays optimal, even during prolonged use.

Upgrade Your Photography Gear

For photographers using ultra-slim laptops, the 990 PRO 4TB is a game-changer. Thanks to its single-sided M.2 form-factor, upgrading to high-performance, high-capacity storage has never been easier.

The Samsung 990 PRO 4TB SSD is a great storage solution for photographers and videographers. With its speed, massive storage capacity, power efficiency, and thermal control.

For more details check out www.samsung.com/uk/