Richard Avedon's Marilyn Monroe

Richard Avedon - From The American West

Richard Avedon & Charlie Rose

Every student of photography should study this interview. You are privileged to spend an hour with Richard Avedon, arguably the most influential photographer of the twentieth century.

Loris Paris Kicks It Up A Notch!

Normally I don't run ads, unless I'm shamelessly self promoting, but in this case I'm making an exception. Pierre Michel ads aren't really ads; He demands total control of the project from concept to output and gets it, probably because he produces truly original and visually spectacular work on a regular basis. For more info on this particular project click here.

Avedon Talks About Kinski And The Snake!

For those who may have missed Richard Avedons' show at the Norton Gallery in the Phoenix Art Museum we'll be running a series of videos that showcase some of his more famous works. Enjoy!

Data Robotics Kicks It Up A Notch!

Recent events have once again proved the proverb that in the world of digital images redundant archives are the road to restful sleep. If you are looking for an easy and powerful archive solution at a very reasonable price, it doesn't get any better than Drobo. We give it $$$$$, definetly worth the dollars. For more info click here. Install a Drobo and sleep well tonight! As always, Visualville receives no compensation from the companies whose products we review, in this case Data Robotics, although if they wanted to send me one that would be OK, :-)

Is That A Space Bar In Your Pants Or Are You Just Happy To See Me?

Designer Erik De Nijs, has stitched together this eye catching pair of jeans, which appear to be the perfect solution for Googling quick exits while running from the fashion police. Built into the knees are a pair of crotch rocking speakers, around the back you have the added convenience of a back pocket for your “mouse”, and for you gamers, there is a joystick controller located just behind the front zipper. Yes, you read that correctly.

A Few Good Creatives!

I don't care who you are... that's funny!

Lightroom 2.0 Beta Now Available!

On Wednesday, Adobe rolled out Photoshop Lightroom 2.0 beta, which is a general preview of the latest and more enhanced functionality to be delivered in the next major launch. Lightroom is the professional photographer’s vital toolbox, offering one application for managing, adjusting and presenting large volumes of digital photographs. The all-new Lightroom 2.0 beta version will include improvements such as dual-monitor support, localized dodge and burn correction and will be the first Adobe application to support 64-bit for Mac OS X 10.5 Intel Macs and Microsoft Vista 64-bit operating systems. To learn more click here.

Check Out The Short Films of Hillman Curtis!

Hillman Curtis is the Principal and Chief Creative Officer of hillmancurtis.com, inc., a digital design firm in New York City. His design solutions have garnered him and his company the multiple Communication Arts Awards of Excellence, the One Show Gold, Silver and Bronze, the South by Southwest Conference “Best Use of Design” and “Best of Show”, the New Media Invision Bronze, a Web Award, How magazine’s Top 10, and multiple Webby Awards. Hillman was named as one of the top ten designers by the IPPA, included in the “ten most wanted” by IDN magazine, and as one of the “Worlds best Flash designers” by Create Online.

I stumbled onto Hillman Curtis's short film series by chance and was really impressed by what I saw. Most of his films are documentaries of designers and other creatives. While they might be a bit of a detour from the normal fare posted here they give a wonderful insight into the thought processes of many visually creative people. Click here to go to the site and view more of his movies.

Photoshop Express Beta Now Available!

This week Adobe announced Adobe® Photoshop® Express public beta, a free Rich Internet Application (RIA) available to anyone who wants to store, sort and show off digital photos with eye-catching effects. During the public beta period, Adobe will solicit Photoshop Express user feedback on product features and functionality, which will continue to evolve over time. As the newest addition to the Photoshop family line, Photoshop Express has taken much of Adobe’s best image editing technology and made it simple and accessible to a new online audience. Photoshop Express allows users to store up to 2 gigabytes of images online for free, make edits to their photos, and share them online in creative ways, including downloading and uploading photos from popular social networking sites like Facebook. Did I mention that it's free! Click here for more info.

Check Out Lighting Essentials Magazine!

One of the best new resources for photographers is Lighting Essentials Magazine. A beautiful layout, easy navigation and a ton of useful information make this online mag a weekly must see, and best of all it's free!

Joe McNally Does It Again!

I think Joe McNally is probably the best all around photographer working today. He works in all areas of our industry, editiorial, portraiture, advertising, name a specialty and Joe has been there and left a very high mark. This video gives you a small glimpse into how he continues to redefine himself as a photographer and in the process set a very high bar for those that follow.

"Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep" - Photographers Who Make A Difference

I just recently learned of this amazing and wonderful group of photographers. If you are looking for a way to make use of your photographic skills to help others you should visit their website.The following is excerpted from the nilmdts.org website.

Maddux Achilles Haggard was born on Feb. 4, 2005, with a condition called myotubular myopathy that prevented him from breathing, swallowing or moving on his own. On the sixth day of his young life, his parents had to make the excruciating decision to take him off life support. But before they did, they called Littleton, Colorado photographer Sandy Puc' to take black and white portraits of them cradling their son. Puc' photographed the couple with Maddux at the hospital before he was removed from life support and after — when he was free from the tubes and the wires that had sustained him.

“That night was the worst night of my life. But when I look at the images, that’s not what I’m reminded of. I’m reminded of the beauty and blessings he brought,” Cheryl Haggard (Maddux's mom) said.Those tender photographs documenting Maddux’s eternal connection with his parents inspired Cheryl Haggard and Sandy Puc' to found a nonprofit organization that has provided thousands of families of babies who are stillborn or are at risk of dying as newborns with free professional portraits with their baby. Sandy and Cheryl founded the organization in April 2005 and called it Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep after the children’s bedtime prayer. To date, The Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep Foundation has nearly 3,000 affiliated photographers worldwide.

Check Out Parker Pfister!

Saw Parker Pfister's work at a recent Ed Pierce Seminar... wow, I love the images! To see more work click here.

Check Out The Seattle Flickr Roundup!

People showing up, setting up equipment and making photographs just because they love photography! How cool is that!

PNY Kicks It Up A Notch!

PNY Technologies has announced several new 16GB and 32GB flash cards for cameras and video camcorders.

The 32GB SDHC card can keep up with high-definition video captured at 9 megabits per second, and the Optima Pro CompactFlash card, has a 266X transfer speed, or 40 megabits per second, using a UDMA interface.

Both cards will be available in the second quarter of 2008. The SDHC card should street price around $250 and the CompactFlash card about $400. For more info click here.

Eizo Kicks It Up A Notch!

Eizo's ColorEdge CG301W lets you see the BIG picture with the first 30" monitor for grapic arts and printing to support hardware calibration. Native resolution is 2560 X 1600 with a contrast ration of 850:1, and a color gamut that reproduces 97% of the Adobe 1998 color space! No word yet on the street price but look for something in the $3000.00 neighborhood! For more info click here.

Check Out "Another Country" by Scott Strazzante

Scott Strazzante is my newest hero! "Another Country" is such a wonderful example of what Photojournalism can be. Click here and check it out... it just doesn't get any better than this!

Richard Avedon - My Heroes Revisited

Richard Avedon: Photographer of Influence

Phoenix Art Museum Norton Photography Gallery
January 12, 2008 – April 13, 2008

If you live in the Phoenix area and have any interest in photography then you must make time to view the work of Richard Avedon. This exhibition includes his early fashion work for Vogue and Harper's Bazaar as well as later portrait work of actors, politicians, artists, writers and intellectuals. Avedon’s career as a fashion and portrait photographer spanned nearly seven decades in the 20th century and just into the 21st, leaving an indelible impression on American culture. For more Exhibition information click here.

To see my previous Richard Avedon post click here.