London Calling: Part deux

So the fine folk at Blueyes Magazine have published part two of my London calling post with Chris Floyd. As I am sure you know by the now the original piece is pretty epic and its reposting has brought it to the attention of a new audience.

In the follow up we discuss the aftermath from the initial posting on the Jackanory. Yeah Chris is good damn good. Anyone who can use 'A Quantum Solace' the title of the upcoming James Bond movie in a sentence referring to the editorial trenches is genius in my book. Read it here and see for yourself.

Cheers Chris man I am lucky to have you as a friend and inspirator.

London Calling . . . . Blueeyes remix

I am delighted to announce that we have contributed a little something to the latest issue of Blueyes Magazine. The good folks there were enamored by my 'London Calling' post from a few months back. The piece a conversation on the state of the British Editorial market through the eyes of friend and inspirator Chris Floyd has been republished (with a new introduction) as part of the Document section here. Its well worth a read if you missed it first time around; not for my own mutterings but for Chris's incredibly eloquent and incisive commentary.

The post stirred up quite a bit of interest both here and in the U.K. Blueeyes will publish a companion piece next week where Chris and I discuss the reaction both positive and negative and clear up some of the misconceptions.

Will give you all the heads up when part two goes live.

Last nights party

Well we treated ourselves Thursday to a little photo frenzy. First up was a late afternoon trip uptown to AIPAD. James Danziger has a post on his blog from yesterday here thats a nice summation of what you can expect this year. Theres a lot of vintage black and white on display, maybe a sign of the times but don't worry there were still plenty of color behemoths taking over some of the booths. Was nice to be able to wander unopposed, do yourself a favor if you are thinking about a visit and try and get up today before the weekend hoards descend.

Then it was back down to Chelsea for the Blind Spot benefit auction. This was certainly the place to be with a packed crowd on hand making the most of the cocktails and the odd bargain or two as some of the pieces sold for below the initial asking. Spotted in the crowd were photographers: Jeremy Liebman, Victoria Hely-Hutchinson, Eric Ogden, Eric McNatt, Rafael Fuchs, Nick Haymes, Katherine Wolkoff, Mark Tucker (who has decamped to NYC from Nashville for the month), Ber Murphy, Cara Phillips, David Rinella, Ethan Hill, Dietmar Busse, Bill Hamilton, Chris Bartlett, Robert Wright, David Walsh supremo: Primary Photographic Imaging, Lesley Martin & Kellie McLaughlin: Aperture, Nancy Jo Iacoi & Christina Cahill: Orchard Represents, Megan Ziegler-Haynes director of photography: Photoshelter, Jennifer Miller photo editor, Judith Puckett-Rinella photo editor: The New York Times T magazine, Brenda Millis photo editor: Mens Health, Michelle Egiziano photo director: Spin, Eric Miles director rare books and auctions: Photo-Eye and gallerist Jen Bekman.

For a night cap we wandered up to super club Mansion for the Brian Finke bash at the newly installed powerHouse books library. Not really what I was expecting to be honest but think Las Vegas casino hotel and waitresses in French maids costumes and you might begin to get the picture. Brian was on hand and we managed to spot a few friendly faces amongst the throbbing crowd: photographer Darin Mickey, Caroll Taveras photo editors Maisie Todd & Nancy Weisman: ESPN The Magazine & Rory Walsh: Blender.

Unfortunately you will have to use your imagination this week as we are self-portrait free. Pheeeew.

Out my window NYC

© Gail Albert Halaban

So those of you on tenter hooks today awaiting the results of my 'A Room with a View' competition will have to wait. Sorry but the day job has got in the way so no time to put all the entrants in a hat and compile a winners post. Will get to it over the weekend and all will be revealed on Monday morning first thing, I promise.

In the meantime though I would like to share a project on a similar tack by the marvelously talented Gail Albert Halaban. 'Out my window NYC' is a documentary photography project Gail is working on in collaboration with the Design Trust for Public Space about people and their views in New York City and beyond. Best of all Gail is in the midst of this epic journey and is looking for volunteers, here's the skinny in her own words:

DO YOU HAVE A VIEW INTO SOMEONE ELSE'S APARTMENT? CURIOUS TO MEET THEM?

I am a photographer working on a documentary project about New Yorkers and their views with a specific interest in connecting neighbors who would otherwise never meet. If you look into someone else's apartment, I would like to photograph you looking into their place and them looking back at you.

If you live in any of the 5 boroughs or nearby New Jersey, please contact me at newyorkviews@gmail.com with a jpg of you and your view today.

You will receive 1 FREE 8x10 photograph if your view is photographed for the project.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Gail is writing a blog as she goes here. Be sure to spread the good word.

Anon and on

This weekend saw the launch of new blog 'Furthermore - Another Look At Photography Books'. This one is anonymous as the blogs profile reads:

After many years in the photo industry, I am currently a book dealer living and working in New York. Before starting this venture I thought a lot about how the anonymity aspects of the internet. This is intended to be a forum for me and others to discuss photography and photography books. With that said, my opinions are sometimes harsh and unwarranted. As a dealer, I want to maintain relationships with my distributors and the artists books I sell. Unlike too many blogs this is not an attempt to create business but rather an attempt to create a discussion.

As always with a new venture like this it will be interesting to see where it leads but they do open with a competition to win a copy of 'Thousand' by Philip Lorca DiCorcia. If you are the lucky winner an anonymous clandestine outing may be required to pick up the grand prize.

In the meantime we welcome Furthermore to the party. And while we are on the anonymous tip just wondering if anyone else is missing the Bitter Photographer too ?

Coming attractions aka things to do this week

With spring in the air things are certainly beginning to pick up with plenty to help get your photo fix. Here's what tickles my fancy this week in NYC.


Thursday March 27:


Opening reception: Bruce Gilden "Coney Island of the Heart" and others.

Bond Street Gallery

6.00pm - 9.00pm

297 Bond Street bet Union and Sackett
Brooklyn

And as a bonus in the galleries annex we have James White: "James White Photographs" Including 10 limited editions – 8 images of the Victoria's Secret models photographed for Esquire Magazine in a custom made clam shell box.

This is also the galleries opening night proper; located between Smith Street's chic restaurants and shops and the developing neighborhood of Gowanus. This location perfectly illustrates the gallery's mission, which is to present photography from the spaces in between—from artists who often fall through the cracks of the arbitrary and dated classifications of traditional curatorship.

Founded by photographer agent Bruce Kramer (ArtMix photography)and photographer Robert DiScalfani, who lives and works in the neighborhood, Bond Street Gallery is the first photography gallery in the area. It is housed in a 100-year-old townhouse that the founders have restored while keeping the original structure of the building intact. Inside it has exposed brick walls, and out back is a tranquil courtyard.

Bond Street Gallery will blend fine art and commercial photography, the fields in which both founders have worked and lived for decades. "These two worlds are becoming more and more interwoven," says Kramer, "and we want to create an outlet that reflects that.” The gallery will also mix vintage and contemporary, famous and undiscovered, homegrown and foreign.

Saturday March 29:


Slideluck Potshow

Theme: Patterns

Time tbc

Chelsea Art Museum
556 West 22nd Street @ Westside Hwy

In case you are one of the few who don't have a clue on the Slideluck Potshow here is the skinny. Its a non-profit slideshow and potluck for members of arts, photography, and media communities. Participants bring food, drink, and up to five minutes worth of slides. The evening begins with a couple hours of dining on the home-cooked delights of participants, while drinking and mingling. It is not uncommon to arrive with, for example, a full-bodied bottle of wine, some vegetable samosas, Thai green curry, pumpkin ravioli, or some rosemary lamb chops. All guests are asked to contribute as the event is entirely dependent on participation. Following the potluck, the lights are dimmed, the crowd is hushed, and a spectacular slideshow commences.

Slideluck Potshow is a forum for exposing artists, curators and editors to new work, while infusing the arts community with a non-commercial vitality and refreshing exchange. Photojournalists, painters, designers, sculptors, fashion and fine art photographers all show their work alongside one another in a relaxed and spirited atmosphere. Presenters range from the very accomplished to those who have never shown work publicly before, but regardless of status, none is allotted more than five minutes for their slideshow. Past participants include; Elliott Erwitt, Chris Buck, Alec Soth, Martin Schoeller, Doug Menuez, Alex Majoli, Alistair Thain, Bruce Gilden, and Eugene Mirman.

Participants are encouraged to take creative risks, in terms of content and presentation, and to not just show their portfolios. Each slideshow has a section with a theme, as well as non-themed section. The submissions are collected and curated in advance of the slideshow. Cutting-edge multimedia presentations are welcomed and all shows are accompanied by music, commentary, or other surprises.

The event is primarily geared towards photographers, artists, photo editors, reps, art buyers, curators, collectors, designers, and other members of the media. Slideluck has become a place for artists to come together and share their work in a congenial, non-competitive atmosphere. It is rarely held in the same location twice, and the space in which it takes place sets the tone for the evening. More than anything else, this is a fun, inspiring evening, that is meant to remind us of why we are creating in the first place.

Slideluck Potshow was founded by advertising and editorial photographer, Casey Kelbaugh, in 2000. Kelbaugh produced twenty shows around Seattle, and together with Producer Alys Kenny, is now organizing roughly three events a year in NYC. Slideluck has become something of a global phenomenon, as they are now taking place everywhere from Berlin to Minneapolis, Mexico City to Washington, DC. As a 501c(3) pending non-profit, the existence and growth of Slideluck Potshow is very much dependent on the contributions and generosity of the individuals and institutions that lend their support.


Sunday March 30:


Opening reception 'Bitter Sweet': Photographs By Arlene Gottfried

A talk and book signing to be followed by a sunset reception on the beachfront estate to coincide with the release of her latest book "Sometimes Overwhelming" published by powerHouse books.

1:00pm - 5.00pm

The Alice Austen Museum House
2 Hylan Blvd
Staten island

Since the early 70’s Arlene Gottfried has created her own private document of the city, a precious mix of moments that can lead the viewer to laugh, cry and often times blush. She was recently summed up as a “quiet defender of the grimly vibrant denizens of an older New York that’s disappearing daily”, by Tim Murphy of New York Magazine. This show highlights work from he latest book “Sometimes Overwhelming” (published by powerHouse March 2007) and never before seen color photographs that continue her photographic obsession.

Directions:
Take the 1/9 to South ferry, W/R to Whitehall Street
or 4/5 to Bowling Green Station
From the Staten Island Ferry:
Take the #S51 bus to the corner of Hylan Boulevard

ABOUT ALICE AUSTEN HOUSE:

Alice Austen House Museum is a national historic landmark, maintained by the Friends of Alice Austen. Austen was born on Staten Island in 1866, and was introduced to the nascent art of photography at the age of ten by a seafaring uncle. Austen is a singular figure in history, a well-traveled society woman, an accomplished artist with a dramatic personal story that intersected with some of the most important cultural figures of her time.

“Clear Comfort” was the name of the charming waterfront cottage where Austen lived most of her life, along with her companion of 35 years, Gertrude Tate. The home has been preserved as the Alice Austen House Museum to honor her fascinating life and significant contribution to the field of photography.



Blog:Mode - Panel Discussion

The afternoon panel offers an opportunity for a critical and creative dialogue about fashion as both an art form and a reflection of the zeitgeist, as well as the place of the blog to facilitate the public voice.

Panelists include:
Cathy Horyn, journalist and fashion critic, The York Times
Diane Pernet, film festival curator, co-editor-in-chief of ZOO magazine, and editor-in-chief of A Shaded View On Fashion
Scott Schuman, photographer, fashion journalist, and creator of The Sartorialist blog.

3:00 p.m.
The Grace Rainey Rogers Auditorium
Metropolitan Museum of Art

Free with Museum admission

A little Photoshop relief

Heres a relatively new blog to add to your daily viewing; I give you the revealing 'Photoshop Disasters'. On the go since March 6 there's already plenty of posts that raise an eyebrow or two. Concentrating on editorial and commercial miscues with some wicked although anonymous commentary this is a little tongue and cheek light relief from all the serious discussion out there. Lets hope none of our work falls under the microscope.

1st Professional Photoblogger

Well its here the Photoshelter blog employing the worlds first (?) fully paid professional photoblogger. Tim Archibald had the scoop here last week and named the name. In todays inaugural post Rachel Hulin shares with us her background, the skinny on the modus operandi "Building the Commercial Photo Community with Every Single Shot" and other treats we may expect.

Oh and its called Shoot! The Blog, not so sure about that but anyways very much looking forward to seeing what Rachel and the Photoshelter crew bring to the genre. Welcome !

Catching up

It would appear that one or two of my readers were concerned at my where abouts and subsequent lack of posting; one even threatened to remove me from his blogroll for the inactivity. Timothy Archibald posted here on how quiet the photographer blogs had become; might have something to do with whether one is busy or not. We are still here but the alter ego has been working and has been more concerned with trying to take a decent photo then with his commitments here. We have been hitting the road but its been all pretty straight forward with no epic dramas or lost sticks of gum to write novellas about. So in an attempt to ingratiate myself back into the fold here are a few tit bits that have taken my fancy over the last couple of weeks.

First up I would like to BIG up Max S.Gerber for his excellent post here on one of my favorite blogs, the always entertaining 'I Like To Tell Stories' by the magnificent Jonathan Saunders. His blog is a wonderous mix of writing and pictures, ever so personal and revealing with an honesty and touch that is refreshing and true in the ever crowded blogosphere. It is a constant challenge to be creative and original and not get caught up in the topic du jour and Jonathan always avoids the en masse and continually surprises by doing his own thing, a true original who should be cherished. As an added treat this year he will/has be/been trying to do a behind the scenes time lapse video of his shoots. They are pretty fuckin great and don't worry lighting nerds there's plenty of revealing set up footage so expect to see the Saunders signature stylings all over a magazine near you real soon. Click on the links below to watch the magic happen:

Saunders Jonathan does the Girl Scouts CEO

Saunders Jonathan does Faxon

Saunders Jonathan does Bjorks Ice Dress

If you read me you probably read most of the other blogs on my roll, but it can be hard to keep up with all the goings on there is only so much information one can process in a day and then just when you think you heard it all Elliot goes and does a Spitzer. Anyways another big Up to Rob Haggart over at APE for continuously hitting it out of the park every day with original content. There is no keeping up with his prodigious posting, well on his way to the hall of fame. I have also been enjoying Thomas Broenings public battle with his inner art demons. It will be really interesting to see where this all leads on his trek to balance art and commerce and its a real treat to have a front row seat to the struggle. That's the thing folks don't forget to read the comments on some of these postings as there are some real nuggets.

"Yes, you do hear all of the consultants (myself included) say the same thing. "Do what you love", but often for photographers (and other artists) it is very difficult for them to BELIEVE in the eventual commercial success of their personal work without pandering or "speaking the language of the market" because generally that kind of work is not what they are seeing being purchased by the "marketplace" generally.

It makes much more sense to me to try to understand exactly what we are talking about when we are looking at what the market really is. For example, there are over 18,000 buyers of assignment photography in the US alone. I can guarantee that none of you will ever work for all of those buyers. Do you need 10 ? 5 ? new clients a year ? It is virtually impossible to turn off 100% of those people by showing your personal work.

Yes, the wrong people will call for the wrong reasons. But if you make your book for the most literal buyer, then you cant show it to a creative genius. With proper promotion and some original thinking in your content and succinct presentation in your book, yes, you will be considered for some jobs that are inappropriate. But to me it is the only shot you have at the ultimate creative collaboration with commercial partners that you have always wanted to work with. Imagine instead that you have a meeting scheduled tomorrow with one of the most creative magazine art directors, or agency creative directors in the business (they've seen everything, remember ?). What are you bringing them ? That original and personal portfolio is the one that you BOTH will like better...

Remember: If you market to the smartest people out there, then the stupid people will call you anyway! (It doesn't ever work the other way around, but that is the approach that most of your competitors will take... ).

To wit...

It is interesting to try to wrap your head around the numbers of photographers who look virtually the same and are vying for the same business. Those photographers have dutifully studied what is "happening" in commercial photography, gone to various meetings where art buyers explain it all, commiserated with their peers on magic formulas for promotion, sizes of portfolios, image content etc. and have educated themselves basically into carbon copies of each other.

The logic in a personal approach is to try to get yourself out of a giant pile of others who could be considered a "type" or style or have similar content. Many people (incorrectly, in my view) assume that if they are not showing what they think the buyer wants, then they will not be considered at all. But the fault in the logic is that EVERYONE is showing what they think the buyer wants, and the more that you look like everyone, the less your chances are of getting the job.

Also... If you were a creative director, what would you want to see ????" Allegra Wilde Photography Consultant

There are more and more photo blogs coming onto the scene and I promise to update the blog roll real soon with some new finds. I was thinking I wouldn't bother but I have discovered that some readers come looking and as I really believe in community and sharing who am I to be such a lazy stick in the mud although I do have a penchant for original content with a personal slant.

Douglas Adesko (L)

I have been taking a bit of a hit for my 'Portrait with the Artist' series. Most people get it and after some inner contemplation I will be continuing with the venture much to my therapists chagrin; after all we take ourselves way too seriously (me especially) from time to time and I am just trying to have a bit of fun while of course basking in my handsomeness. Needless to say it would be a shame not to post the latest enductee. Big up Douglas Adesko who took the time to get in touch and made space in his hectic schedule for pints with 'the Jackanory' this week. I have always been a huge fan of Doug's work and it was a real treat to share some quality one on one time. Doug is based in San Francisco and was in town on a work/meeting junket. Anyways looks like he might be uprooting the family and moving to New York for a six month stint in the near future.


Finally I would like to take a moment to bid a dieu to our 'Dear Leader' Olivier Laude who has gone the way of the Soth and the Christian Patterson by retiring his blog. I am sad to see him go although he will be reincarnating via a subscription only blog. Be sure to sign up as his maniacal musings will be worth the free price of admission. I have to say that I was deeply disappointed to discover that Christian Pattersons 'Speak See Remember' has totally disappeared. I understand and respect his decision to bow out but I think the loss of his postings is tragic. There was so much great stuff and his particularly insightful museings on the world of color photography were a priceless resource.

Don't forget the 'Room with a View' competition is accepting entries through the end of the month. Many thanks to those who have already made the stellar effort I will post some of the submissions next week and to those of you still sitting on the fence go on give it a lash there's still plenty of time.

The BP on the WTJ

So there we were minding our own business while stalking Massimo Vitali at Bonni Benrubi a few weeks back trying grab a snap of the Jackanory with the maestro himself when we had an incoming on the Blackberry. Hey what do you know its an email from 'The Bitter Photographer' yeah the 'BP', he's thinking its time for an interview and wants to know if the Jackanory would be interested.

The BP has always been a personal favorite of the Jackanory but he is not sure how to proceed, what's the BP's angle, what does the BP hope to gain by such an exchange, he has his own blog after all. The Jackanory doesn't know who the BP is, he swears and this interaction is to be conducted via email, anonymously of course.

Anyways the Jackanory thought it could be one of his mates winding him up, there is no email address on the BP site after all. Back comes an email "pick a number 1-10" okey dokey number 9 says the Jackanory like 'El Nino' himself Fernando Torres trying to be all smart and clever.

"Check out the BP blog" comes the reply - well there you have it the number 9 in all its glory up front and posted (it has since been removed). Man this is clandestine stuff, must of been how Hoffman and Redford felt when they were dealing with Deep Throat.

So okay the Jackanory is in, it is legit and if nothing the Jackanory will get a few extra hits. Man the Jackanory loves that traffic juice this could be something especially if we can pull it off in the third person.

the WTJ : BP why pick the Jackanory ?

the BP : The Jackanory is like the Al Jazeera of the photo blogosphere. The BP knew if he wrote a comment on WTJ he would write about it and everyone would see it.

the WTJ : Is the Jackanory that transparent ? They will all think that the Jackanory knows who you are for sure now. The Jackanory is taking a bit of heat at the moment, some say he is trying to be too cool for school and is wrapped up in his own self importance. What do you think ?

the BP : Yes the Jackanory is that transparent and that is why the BP picked him. From him it was a short trip to APE, A Visual Society and the piece de resistance: PDNpulse. That was the zenith for the BP and felt as good as any photograph the BP has ever taken. It was like a mix of JT Leroy, Howard Stern and Borat and when PDN seemed to get it all that made it all the better.

The PDN post that referenced the BP broke it down so correctly. It seems (especially in Nina Berman and Alec Soth posts) that alot of people didn't get what the BP was up to.

the WTJ: The Jackanory was hoping you would pick on him and that that would put him up there with all the greats, the Soth, the Conscientious Camera Club, the Chase Jarvis, the A Photo Editor, the Kwaku Alston ! Anyone else come to mind at the moment who deserves some of the special BP treatment ?

the BP : The Jackanory was next for sure. The BP was going to write a 100 page description of how the BP dropped a stick of gum on his way to a job and then chronicle all the things he had to do to track it down and he was going to market it to insomniacs.

As for Soth:

The BP thinks Alec got a little lost in all of the attention he was getting and when the BP called him on it he woke up and did not like what he saw. The BP thinks it is unfortunate he wasn't able to own up to it and keep blogging.

We all have egos and can get sucked in. Just look at all the photographs of WTJ on his blog.

the WTJ : The BP was certainly getting a groove on early with daily postings; were these all threads that had been grating on the BP for a while or was he swept up in the momentum generated by his sudden notoriety and the attention that went along with it ?

the BP : The BP thinks we all have a lot of the BP in us. Go to any city in the country and get 10 commercial guys together round and talk about photography and in an hour you will have a year’s worth of the BP's blog.

the WTJ : Is the BP worried that his identity will be revealed ?

the BP : The BP would like to come out but is afraid he will make enemies that he can ill afford to make. He also thinks it would make the BP far less interesting. The BP liked APE better when he was anonymous and employed. Didn't you?

the WTJ : The Jackanory likes the Conscientious Camera Club, he like some others the WTJ knows don't really care for the anonymous, doesn't bother the Jackanory too much even if its someone having a go at him, he is grateful that anyone even bothers to take the time.

the BP : It is easy to throw stones when you don't have to admit to have thrown them. But the alternative is either to remain silent or fawn like Alec's readership.

In art school it was ok to look in some one's eyes and tell them they weren't working hard enough or that their work was completely derivative and then go get drunk together. But as adults we have become so thinned skinned that all the feedback we give each other has to be followed by !!!!! or its perceived as a diss.

Though the BP still reads that comment about Joerg and fried chicken and laughs. The BP's girlfriend thinks he is juvenile.

the WTJ : So how does she really feel about your alter ego, the BP ?

the BP : Yeah-At one point she came to me and said, "You know, I liked the BP better when he first started out. Now he is just a moron. "

That was on day 5.

the WTJ : So why then did you create the BP and why did you go after the industry heavy weights?

the BP : The main reason the BP created the BP was as a reaction to all of the lying in our business. We are all so driven by fear and jealously that we have forgotten how to tell the truth. Especially here in NY we all spend so much more time managing how we are perceived than going about making pictures. The blogosphere was a way for us all to take this to another level. It was like crack to us liars.

The truth is the BP went after these guys because he was jealous of their success. The BP is a middling shooter and will never be as well known or talented as Soth, as smart as Joerg or as successful as Chase. There it is and it is not pretty.

The BP thinks that what we as freelance photographers do is incredibly hard. We are told "no" hundreds of times by editors, art buyers and agents but our job requires to get up and suit up and put on a smile. It would make any one bitter. There are/have been times when the BP has made more in three days of shooting than he made in his entire 20s and times when the phone did not ring for nine months. It is not easy and it is not for every one.

The BP probably knew 75 people in art school. Maybe 5 are working photographers. That was over 20 years ago and schools have been cranking out "photographers" since then. The BP was certainly not the most talented guy in class but maybe the most resilient.

the WTJ : Will the BP return to regular posting ?

the BP :

3 way with Herr Conscientious

In the great burgeoning tradition of photoblogospheric interviews/conversations our 'Dear Leader' the great Corsican goat herder himself Olivier Laude has taken it a step forward by introducing the 3 way to the genre.

Sometime back Olivier asked APE and myself to contribute questions to a piece he was working on with Joerg 'Conscientious' Colberg. The resulting collaboration is now posted in all its glory as a two parter here and here. Originally intended to be a mish mash of scrambled questions from all 3 Olivier chose to post it in its original form unedited. Joerg was gracious enough to take the time and answer all the questions including my rather straightforward offering.

These type of posts have become extremely popular and now with some interesting inter blogger collaborations added to the spicy mix; I think this has become one of the great contributions of the photoblog as we move forward. Okay sure for most of us it just means having a quick tete a tete with colleagues or friends but for others it has meant reaching out to loftier subjects. The results have led to an interesting smorgasbord of chatter covering all aspects of photography and have become a venue for colaborative creative expression. Often not as polished, edited or indeed as predictable as the content in some of the more mainstream photo mags these posts have have accessed all areas and don't have to be censored or retouched by a heavy hand for mass consumption. Indeed it is perhaps the imperfections of these gems that often provide real nuggets of info; helped greatly by a healthy mutual respect the posts have a certain immediacy whilst remaining relevant and insightful.

Although Joerg may seem to be somewhat over saturated this is another great read. The 'Dear Leader' and 'APE' are much more inventive and articulate in their line of questioning then yours truly so kudos to them and to Joerg for being so open and eloquent in his response, he really does have a wicked sense of humour. Many thanks to all for taking the time and letting me be a part of the frolicking.

Continuing with this thread we here on WTJ are pleased to announce we will be posting an interview this week with one of the most revered photographers in the industry. Can you guess who ? Stay tuned.

Party with the mutual admiration society

*Warning: if you aren't enamored by the photo blog mutual love fest you better stop reading now*

Joerg Colberg

Rich with all his consulting loot the godfather Joerg 'Conscientious' Colberg returned to town this weekend. Not any old visit; Herr Colberg is here to celebrate his 40th birthday with family and friends. Sporting a freshly coiffed mane Joerg invited some of us out last night to share in this momentous occasion whilst basking in our collective glories, patting ourselves on the back and talking conspiracy and how we could continue to dupe the masses.

Out on the town amongst others were Robert 'Don't get on the plane' Wright, Jonathan 'I like to tell stories' Saunders, Cara 'Ground Glass' Phillips, Ber 'Pelicula 64' Murphy, Richard Renaldi (still travelling the world for Microsoft, who said art and commerce don't mix), Shen Wei, Chris Bartlett and Peter van Agtmael.

Lots of fine beers were enjoyed and we were able to meet some more of our illustrious inspirators and badger them into posing for the obligatory portrait with the artist.

Richard Renaldi

Jonathan Saunders

Cara Phillips

Shen Wei

Peter van Agtmael

To the relief of some the blog will be silent for a couple of days as we embark on an emotionally charged whistle stop pilgrimage to my mecca. The more astute sporting types may have figured out that this life altering experience will be taking place Tuesday night in a north western English city on the banks of the river Mersey.

On the APE list

It is with great excitement I am pleased to announce that my alter ego the Andrew Hetherington is featured today as part of Rob Haggarts 'On the list' series over at APE.

I am sure some out there think that this is a massive conspiracy with a few hands controlling all the photoblogospheric threads but this is not the case, well not in this instance anyways, apparently I was there on artistic merit.

Yes of course the same names and blogs keep on cropping up in what seems like an endless reach around but as the community expands a more diverse cross section is beginning to bear its soul. But we will save all that for another day and get back to the post in hand.

So I like many others was convinced that APE was a woman, it was something about the writing in the beginning although I have to say I was pretty sure it wasn't Kathy Ryan. We were mighty pleased with ourselves to discover him here first on day two when we found the link via Technorati. APE quickly became a phenomenon throughout the photo world and was the talk of the town here in New York with every photographer and editor speculating as to his or her identity.

It was always a thrill to see that APE had picked up on some of my own postings from time to time so at the very least I knew whoever it was was a 'Jackanory' reader. Over the first couple of months his style and voice developed and my instincts led me to believe we were now reading a males perspective, leaving only a couple of possible candidates after one does the masthead math. There really aren't too many male Photo Directors. My own suspicions were confirmed by a third party who had a revealing email from Rob.

I shared the info with a few trusty confidants but chose not to disclose him to a wider audience. I didn't see a point especially knowing the reputation of his maniacal boss one Jann Wenner who I am sure would get out the firing squad on the slightest corporate indiscretion. Not that Rob was giving away damaging insider information but a lot of these companies are scared and insecure and have nondisclosure clauses in all staff contracts. I was reminded about the instance last year where a female employee was canned by a magazine for writing another behind the scenes anonymous blog.

I have to say it was all quite fun. Every time I was out with photo friends or editors talk would quickly turn to APE and the guess the identity game would begin. It was always interesting who's name came in the mix and more importantly the reasoning. I remember one editor coming up to me at the American Photo bash with her own astute observations after a remark Rob had made in a recent post "Can't be a woman or a gay guy because they don't go for beers !'

So what do you know out of the blue one Friday morning in November we get an email from APE."Hey Andrew yes its me Rob Haggart, I am APE, would you like to meet up sometime ? Sure" says I " How's your week look next week ?" was my reply "No how are you fixed today ?" went Rob "Okey dokey then I can meet, lets do it".

There you go a clandestine luncheon was arranged. I have never worked directly with Rob and we never spoke over the phone or met in person pior to this. I did one shoot during his reign at Outside but I don't think it ever ran and the last thing I did for Mens Journal was at the tail end of the previous regime. I did know what he looked like though having seen him from afar at an industry event.

Lunch was quite the occasion like two old giddy schoolboy friends sharing our experiences. It was a real treat to talk about the biz and most especially how our blogs have changed our lives and how exciting, inspiring and challenging it is to be involved.

Rob was gracious to say how blogs like 'the Jackanory, Conscientious, Alec Soth and Drinking with a Deadman' were catalysts in his own beginnings and how he was shocked to see I had discovered him so early on. He had been hoping to share it with friends for the first month or so as he found his stride. But there was now no time for that as the pressure was on from the git go.

Jann Wenner picked up the tab, thank you very much sir. No worries you owed me, I will never forget the time your accounting department stiffed me out of expenses on my one and only Mens Journal gig. Wouldn't mind that these extras were caused by an act of nature and the inability of your official travel agent to provide sufficent support services to a photographer stuck in the field dealing with bad weather, cancelled flights and limited options.

We joked to ourselves on the way out that we hoped we didn't get spotted together as tongues may begin to wag as one couldn't but help wonder how our relationship would move forward now. But a short while later a little spanner was thrown in the works when I was in a meeting with another Photo Director friend "hey" she says " I am pretty sure who APE is, its Rob Haggart over at Mens Journal and I just got a call from a headhunter they are looking for a new Photo Director over there." Fuck I mutter to myself. What do I do now, drop Rob a line telling him he's about to get the axe. Talk about a crisis of conscience I didn't know how to play it. Thankfully I get the email from Rob shortly after announcing his departure and am relieved it is he who has pulled the plug.

APE is one of those very special unique things that we should all treasure. Its been pretty amazing what he has put out there and although one misses the anonymous from time to time it has been truly inspiring to see him keep bringing it everyday, even more so now that he is out in the open.

Heres to you Rob Haggart, a true original !

Oh and in accordance with this special honor I have updated and upgraded the website and yes I know it is Livebooks but feel free to let me know what you think, I can take it.

Turning : ( upside down : )

The Chase Jarvis & I

So as I have said before no self respecting trip to New Yorks photo mecca is complete without a visit with yours truly. This time the Chase Jarvis was coming to town and he wanted to turn my frown upside down.

There we go then a rendezvous was arranged at the Hudson hotel in midtown. This is the Chase fuckin Jarvis so we dragged ourselves away from the east village and made the trip north for an audience with the mega marketer himself.

The Chase isn't everyones cup of tea and I have to say his work isn't my thing but I do appreciate it. He's a good guy and has been most gracious sharing his time, experiences and enthusiasm with the masses.

Impressed with my celebrity (his word not mine) status and not wishing to miss out the Chase paid the $100.00 fee required for such a meet and greet; for that you get the obligatory picture, a few words of encouragement, a pint and some link juice. Ha ha, only joking although Timothy Archibald suggested I should start pimping myself out in such a fashion and cash in on the consulting fever and offer an alternate.

The thing is the Jarvis and the Hetherington couldnt be at more opposite ends of the photographic spectrum. He runs a multi million dollar empire, with a staff of 6, including a full time videoographer (who was unfortunately absent from our meeting, I was all ready for camera time and product placement). So no worries as we were enjoying our beverages the Chase Inc was busy beavering away working on work in Seattle and Paris whilst the Jarvis could enjoy the finer things in life. Meantime the Hetheringtons home office was closed for the day as I helped the Chase spend his per diem at the hotel bar.

But thats the thing we are polar opposites but yet we share a common bond as photographers. Doesn't matter what stage you are at we all have the same highs and lows, eb and flow; out there trying to take a half decent picture whether it be for ourselves or for some mega corporation, trying not to get all up inside our heads questioning abilities and coping with fears all the time managing the minefield as we try to make enough cash to keep the dream alive. At least I don't have to worry about having to come up with 6 extra wage packets every week.

The Jarvis is all energizer bunny and one can see how he attracts such a legion of devotees, fuck if he was in it for the money he could pack in the shooting get all Tony Robbins on us and take his 'Black Box' show on the road where I am sure he would make mint preaching his gospel to us needy souls.

I enjoyed our meeting very much and I think we both learnt a little something from each other. I had been meaning to give him a rough time over his Room With(out) A View series which bears an uncanny resemblance to my own but he missed my post here so he was spared the scolding. I guess it doesn't matter who you are we are all out there trying to make it happen taking it one room at a time.

Heres to you Chase Jarvis !

Out on the town

The sausage cart

So recently on the 'Jackanory' its been a little more fluff then substance but we have been busy being busy getting busy so we haven't been able to dedicate as much time to the blog as we may like. But fear not we have lots of interesting stuff in the pipeline and in an effort to keep the material fresh and original we won't be jumping in on every photoblogospheric thread. In the meantime though lets get back to the fluff stuff.

Juergen Teller & I

I have to say it was quite the last night at Lehmann Maupin for the Juergen Teller opening of 'Ukraine'. I got there bright and early, expecting it to be a total madhouse what with fashion week and everything. It turned out to be a most enjoyable evening with the throngs never getting completely out of hand. The gallery laid on a fine spread of German food and beers via a vending cart positioned conveniently/inconveniently right at the front door. The smell of sausage permeated the gallery, with the waft of the tasty treats causing some in the crowd to question their own personal hygiene. A little disorganized the food/drink station caused some confusion but as the long lines sorted themselves out the extra curricular appendages were certainly more than appreciated by the hungry crowd.

The pictures on display were a bit of a mish mash, not only was the 'Ukraine' series on view but also selects from Tellers latest Marc Jacobs campaign with Victoria Beckham and other oddities. Some prints were framed on the wall others were displayed in well display cases. They were all a manageable personable size with none really bigger then they needed to be, refreshing for a change. To be honest I didn't have a problem with the mix; Juergen has a special place in my heart so I will always be favorably biased. It always amazes me to see how relevant and fresh his work still is even though many may consider him a dated one trick pony.

Herr Teller was most gracious in allowing a portrait of the artist with the 'Jackanory' and also seemed quite touched when we whipped out our copy of 'Go Sees' for his signage. Smoking up a storm he was obviously oblivious to all the health and safety violations he was breaking (badass) as he enjoyed the partisan crowds affection and attention.

Stefan Ruiz & I

It was quite the crowd, a heavy sprinkling of the beautiful people; photographers, fashionistas, models, hipsters, scenesters, all adding their bit to the buzz. A real who's who spotted in the mix including photographers Jason Florio, Jessica Antola, David Rinella, Christopher Sturman, Nick Haymes, Livia Corona, Bharat Sikka, Joe Fornabaio, Rafael Fuchs, Scott Rudd, the crowd worker himself Patrick McMullan, Robert 'Don't get on the plane' Wright, Cara 'Ground Glass' Phillips and it was a special treat to meet one of my all time favorites Stefan Ruiz for the first time, also seen were Photoshelter photo director Meagan Ziegler-Haynes, W magazine creative Eddie Leida, the NY Times T Magazines photo department represented by Judith Puckett-Rinella and Jenifer Pastore and NY Times fashion editor Cathy Horyn.

Joseph Michael Lopez & I

Then we did a quick hop skip and a jump down to the west village where we caught the tail end of the Joseph Michael Lopez opening. Seen here were Andrew Beardsworth and Jordana Zeldin.

A sleeping giant returns . . . .

And no its not 'The Soth' but the mighty 'BP' has returned with a fresh posting here. Seeing the rest of the pack pimp themselves out for portfolio reviews has moved him back to life. As he says himself:

"He can spot an opportunity to make a killing when he see's one.

Why spend your time trying to get Art Buyers and photo editors to hire you when you can make a living off a group of people who:

-are desperate and driven by fear

-think that any problem can be solved by throwing money at it and the more money you throw at a problem the better

For an nominal fee ($650/hour -the same as BP's lawyer charges) clients will cover such topics as;

-How to take a lens cap off properly

-The Web: A Flash in the Pan - Don't waste your time.

-How much to bribe an Art Buyer to hire you

-The best way to hide jobs from your rep so you don't have to pay a commission

-How to answer the phone so it sounds like you have a giant studio and don't in fact live with your mother in law"The Bitter Photographer

Great to see 'the BP' back, hopefully this is a return to further postings, his wisdom and insight have been sadly missed.

A Conscientious Review

If you read me then you are sure to read the 'Godfather' himself Joerg Colberg over at Conscientious. In case you don't though I am delighted to see that Joerg is branching out and is now offering himself for one on one online portfolio reviews. Knowing Joerg as I do and how committed and genuine he is this is a really great service and opportunity he is offering. Oh and can I say a bargain, his price for such a one on one is in this day and age downright charitable. Remember this isn't for everyone and it would be fair to say that those of us with editorial and commercial leanings would be best suited elsewhere, but if you are working on a project and are looking for help to navigate the portfolio minefield Joergs your only man.

"Portfolio reviews provide a good opportunity to show one's work and to get some feedback. However, most portfolio reviews happen only once a year, and typically - apart from the often quite steep entrance fees - they require additional expenses in the form of travel and accomodation. In the age of the internet, it's not hard to see how a portfolio review can be conducted with both parties not meeting in person. Essentially, the reviewee needs to send the photos - along with the statement and biographical information - to the reviewer, who then returns a written review. What is more, in my case I ask each reviewee to present me with a list of questions that she or he wants to have addressed. While such a scenario lacks the personal interaction that happens at a standard portfolio review, it also has some advantages. Most of the costs are eliminated. What is more, the offline interaction takes the edge off a situation that potentially can be intimidating and stressful. And since the review happens without both parties meeting up, scheduling is much easier.

When I get email pointing out someone's work I often get asked to provide feedback. I strongly believe that for feedback to be useful it has to be thought about for a while, and it has to be based on viewing more than just a handful of photos - essentially a portfolio review. Given my work situation and the time required to do a thorough portfolio review, I will be able to do two or three such reviews each week. Given that each review will cut into my free time, I am charging a fee (75 US dollars if you live in North America or 75 Euros if you live in Europe - if you live elsewhere we'll figure something out), which is lower than typical portfolio review entrance fees. While time provides the strongest constraint on the number of reviews, another consideration is the simple fact that I do not consider these reviews as a simple way for me to make money.

The whole review process is designed to be simple, efficient, organized, and - most importantly - beneficial for the reviewee. I have compiled instructions, which are designed to a) make life easy for everybody and to b) help reviewees avoid problems that I have encountered in previous roles as reviewer in photo competitions. If you are interested in a portfolio review send an email to review at jmcolberg.com (replace the "at" with the "@" symbol and get rid off the blank spaces) and let me know that you are interested. Since there will be two or three reviews per week, you might find yourself on a waiting list (if there is a lot of demand it all works on a first come first serve basis). In any case, I will respond to your email, send you the instructions, and I will let you know when I will be able to do the review."

Not one to take an airy fairy approach Joerg has already done a dry run with Liz Kuball putting herself through the ringer. Read her full review here.

"I've attended several 20-minute in-person portfolio reviews, and though I've gotten something out of each experience, the level of attention that Jörg is able to provide without that time constraint puts his reviews above the rest. Plus, I had it all in writing, and I've been able to refer repeatedly to his comments whenever I was really struggling with something."Liz Kuball

A little light relief

If you got a few free minutes, are a bit of a dork and like to look at pictures of hard core photo pros or voyeuristic amateur shooters grapple with their vital bits well go here.

Thanks for the tip Chris.

3 Amigos

So you are coming to town, what do you do ? Well call 1-800-JACKANORY of course ! Yes indeedy we are fast becoming a must see attraction on any well organized tour of the NY photo scene. Straddled in between gallery visits, client appointments, agent meetings, B&H spending sprees, a pint with 'Jack' is now part of a well executed itinerary.

It's been quite the treat for me and a real who's who; Joerg Colberg, Misha Gravenor, Andres Gonzalez, Cameron Wittig, Lisa Wyatt, Chris Floyd, John Loomis, Greg Ruffing and Armando Bellmas.

Thomas Broening & I

Last night we added Thomas Broening to our hall of fame. Broening is in town visiting with potential reps and we were joined by Robert Wright who managed to pry himself out the house (election HQ) and away from his computer where he had been busy all day monitoring the polls in the race to win the 'Free Consultation' competition over on 'APE'. Unfortunately Robert was ready to concede defeat but we were all holding out on a strong late day push from the west coast.

Needless to say lots of good industry chat and gossip. And as Thomas so eloquently put it in his own posting today "I think after a few hours we were able to solve all the issues in contemporary photography !". Hooray for us ! It was a real treat though to finally meet and spend some quality time with a member of the infamous 'Bay Area Triangle' (Broening, Archibald, Laude).

So if you are out and about on the streets on New York today and see Broening and his portfolio hot footing it from one agency meeting to another be sure to give him a 'Big UP'.

Here's to you Thomas Broening !

Cast your ballot

Taking his blog to new groundbreaking interactive heights 'A Photo Editor' unable to pick one winner of the photo consultation demo competition is giving us all a say. Narrowing the field down to a final 16 we all get to vote on who will ultimately win the grand prize and therefore be also crowned most popular.

"I spent 3 hours ripping through and narrowing down the websites submitted for the photo consultation demo but instead of just picking a winner I decided to put it to a vote. As unscientific and ugly as a photographer popularity contest probably sounds to everyone it’s no better than me just choosing one from the 16 finalists (plus, I’m on a mission to test every blog add-on feature I can find).

This is a very strong group of photographers which in my mind will make the consultation even better for everyone. The advice given will be at a fairly high level so everyone from beginning to emerging photographers can get a little something out of it.

In an ideal world people would vote for photographers that have as much in common with their own style as possible so they can learn more, but this is the internet so let the popularity contest begin:" Rob Haggart

Get on over here and do your duty, your vote may make a difference to someones career.

You can bet all the finalists are huddled around their computers watching