Foto Motel

The missing Getty photographers

Attention! Attention! Getty Images has lost it photographers. Well they've misplaced copious amounts of them. Ok, ok. Getty Images is trying to get in touch with photographers they've lost touch with over the years to return their unused images. Click HERE, if you think you may be one of the missing. OR call, Stephen Morelock (323) 202-4233, or by email at imagereturns@gettyimages.com. Read the full story HERE at PDNonline.

Focus on AIDS 11

Focus on AIDS 11, an auction of fine art photography, is happening Friday, November 11th. I've never heard of the organization before, but there is a preview party November 4th at Farmani Gallery in LA. Go HERE for more info. The following is from the events page on The Farmani Gallery site, "The Focus On AIDS Foundation is a non-profit, volunteer-based organization whose purpose is to provide financial aid to photographers living with HIV or AIDS. Since 1987, the Foundation has produced a photography auction/benefit, the largest of its kind in the United States, to raise money for AIDS treatment, research, education and care. Now entering its tenth event, the Focus on AIDS Foundation remains truly dedicated to continue its quest until there is a cure."

Here's a link to download a PDF of the Focus on AIDS 10 items for auction, click HERE.

Jessica Dimmock

Jessica Dimmock is no longer just a NYT runner-up. A larger selection from her series, "Ninth Floor," is featured in New York Magazine. See it HERE.

Joan Didion & Eugene Richards

Photographer Eugene Richards has created a beautiful cover for the NYT magazine of Joan Didion. See it HERE. The inside images are a striking mix of what looks  -to me to be a very New York apartment and the passing of time. There are two HERE. Having read much of Didion's work and experiencing a sudden loss in my own life, I look forward to reading, The Year of Magical Thinking when it is released next month.

I am only slightly reminded of when New York Magazine featured a pictorial spread by Andrew Moore, on the late Richard Avedon's NY apartment. See it HERE. I believe it was done just before Sotheby's auctioned off the interior contents.

If any more photo essays of the interior spaces of the recently deceased come to mind I'll let you know.

Looking At Los Angeles

Recent photo book purchases: Looking At Los Angeles, Even if Julius Shulman thinks its a crappy book, the history and breadth of imagery is pretty impressive. Read the crap HERE. Los Angeles looks great, though I still have yet to read Stiller's introduction.

cheerleader-Nazi-homo pie!

Joachim Ladefoged's portfolio in The New York Times Magazine opens up the door to look at the cheerleader in photography. See his work HERE. Not much is coming to mind as far as an extended look at cheerleaders in the form of a book. But you can take a look at the Professional Cheerleader Bog for starters. So I open the door a little wider to include gymnasts. Watch out here comes the flood. Anderson/Low's work with the Danish National Gymnastic Team comes to mind which is also seen in their book Athletes & Gymnasts. Its hard to ignore the similarities to the work of Gerhard Riebicke and Kurt Reichert. Who both worked with the nude in nature in Germany between the wars. You can see some of their work in the great book from Taschen, 1000 Nudes. This aesthetic was soon adopted by the Third Reich's propaganda photographers. Even the photography blog, Conscientious would agree. But not to worry to much, no downers here, the style is seen again and again in homoerotic imagery. Start with a little Herbert List and George Hoyningen-Huene, throw in Bob Mizer and our friends at Athletic Model Guild (Tom of Finland) and it not long before you get Mapplethorpe, Ritts, and Weber.

you can ring my bell

Cell phones to carry pornographic material. That's fine. That's nice. I guess. All I'm saying is that's an awfully small screen. Its already happening in Europe. Read it HERE in the NYT.

Bush Note

Hind sight is better.... Even Bush now gives advance warning before he leaks. I hope Condi had an evacuated route to the U.N. men's room. Read more HERE.

NYT front page photos / Stephen Crowley

If any one saw the front page of the NYT on Tuesday they were in for a treat. Its the first time I've seen a newspaper use two photographs to create a panorama effect on their front page. From five feet off it looks stunning. Unfortunately the Washington Edition was out of registration. At least the stack in Starbucks on the corner of 7th & G was. Either way hats off to photographer Stephen Crowley and the front page editors at the Times.

Jeff Chien-Hsing Liao

Jeff Chien-Hsing Liao, the winner of the "Capture the Times Photography Contest" has been given a beautiful spread in The New York TImes Magazine with Osama bin Laden on the cover (9.11.05). Read the essay to discover more about Jeff's work HERE.

Seperation of Cover & Ad

Wanna see George Clooney turn into Ralph Lauren?Then buy (well just browse) the premier issue of Men's Vogue. Its like a really really simple flip book. See GC in a camel cashmere double-breasted coat on cover. See Ralph in a camel cashmere double-breasted coat in ad on next page. At least Ralph knew better and keeps his hands in his pocket, unlike George who fell for the old "put one finger to your mouth cause its sexy" photographer's trick. Cause, well its sexy. That's as far as got.

I bought it so you don't have to. But you should make up your own mind.

Dated Video Clips

Mainstream media needs to start putting a date on their video clips. Too often an on camera reporter will be speaking and the screen goes to video footage from yesterday montage with something from two days ago and today. This is not accurate and allows for a fictionalizing of a story for the sake of visuals.

Bound for Glory

The Library of Congress is about to open its exhibition, "Bound for Glory: America in Color, 1939-1943," on Thursday. The NYT has an article about the exhibition of 70 images from a larger collection. Read the story HERE. A book of 192 images was published last year from the same collection. The Library of Congress is an amazing source for imagery that is all in the public domain and affordable priced. Ever want a picture of "Migrant Mother," by Dorthea Lange? Well you can get it at The Library. I hope to go see the show on a long lunch hour soon.