Earlier this week the website for the International Guild of Visual Peacemakers launched. It’s an initiative that I enthusiastically support. I am proud to be a member of The Guild, where I find myself in the presence of seven fellow photographers who I greatly admire. Some are already friends, and I hope to cross paths with the others sooner rather than later. However, IGVP isn’t about the eight photographers in The Guild; it’s about the much larger Visual Peacemakers Community and what all of us together can accomplish.

There is a lot of information on the IGVP site, and as I was clicking around the site I came across a “Peacemaker Interview” that IGVP founder and president Mario Mattei requested that I complete many months ago. (And to the great credit of his patience, I’m sure he had to remind me several times.) I think this interview conveys fairly well how my vision of the world and the goals of IGVP unite. Perhaps it will encourage any of you who haven’t already explored IGVP to head over there and do so.

Here is that Peacemaker Interview…

What does visual peacemaking mean to you?
I believe that images are a powerful and primary form of communication. They are universal and transcend spoken and written languages. They can change perceptions, change attitudes and, yes, every so often change the world. I am far more interested in helping those less fortunate than me speak to the world through images that I (and many others) create than in just creating pretty pictures (although there is definitely value in that as well; the world needs beauty). If images can be used in an attempt to foster peace, and I think that they can, then that is exactly what I wish to do.

What motivates you to be a peacemaker?
This is a hard question to answer as why I do what I do is not the result of forethought and planning. It just feels right to me. If there is good and bad, then I wish to side with good. If there is right and wrong, then I wish to side with right. If there is powerful and powerless, then I wish to side with the powerless. We often think of peace as the absence of war, but I believe (and hope) that it is actually much more than that. It’s not a lack of violence but a bond of understanding. We need to nourish cultural appreciation. I strive to do that through the medium of photography.

Have you ever felt stereotyped?
Perhaps we are all stereotyped. I’m not concerned with how others perceive me. It’s my responsibility to be who I need to be. Others are free to make of that what they will. I’m more concerned with preventing myself from falling into the easy trap of stereotyping others. We are all individuals. We are all unique. We all have value.

How does your camera get you to reflect on your world and your life?
The camera is a powerful tool. It not only permits us to capture images but also to bridge cultures. When I indicate with my camera to somebody that I wish to photograph them, they understand. Whether they accept or reject my unspoken request is immaterial to the communication that just raising a camera in a certain way can convey. When they do accept and I begin to photograph, it is as if the camera can interpret language. Words don’t need to be spoken for communication, understanding and appreciation to result.

What do you like to photograph best?
People. Then people. And then more people. I’m fascinated by all that unites us as well as by all that divides us. We tend to try to categorize the world, but mankind is beyond categorization. I never cease to be amazed and impressed by the people I encounter. Those encounters and the resulting moments are among the most valuable things in the world to me. And they’re the reason that I willingly subject myself to the savageries of modern air travel to learn more about others while at the same time learning more about myself.

What technical aspect of photography do you find most challenging?
I don’t often find myself bashing my head against the wall in frustration at not being able to understand technology and the technical aspects of photography. I’m a child of technology and the technical aspects of photography seem clear and obvious to me. It’s the vision stuff that can be the challenge. Sometimes I find myself in the groove, which is much like a runner’s high, and everything seems to just click. At other times it’s as if I were blind in a dark room full of sharp obstacles. It’s frustrating when it isn’t clicking, but that’s the price we pay for when it is. Sometimes we just have to learn to accept the struggle. It’s as much a part of our photographic life as are the successes; so we might as well just slow down and find a means of embracing the struggles.

Is there a particular group you feel is misunderstood or stereotyped that you’d like to document common humanity amongst?
I would hate to highlight a single group as worthy of documentation. The unfortunate reality is that most groups are, at least in part, misunderstood and often stereotyped. Part of my responsibility as a socially-conscious photographer is to try to tear down the barriers that prevent us from better understanding and appreciating each other. Those barriers often seem to exist everywhere I look. There is, unfortunately, certainly no shortage of barriers nor misunderstood groups.

Do you have an idea worth sharing?
My idea is that we are all united in this journey of life together. We will never all know and understand each other, but we can strive to respect and appreciate each other. I’d like to live in a world in which people are appreciated for who they are rather than ridiculed for who they are not. That is my goal for myself, and that is a goal that I wish to spread as gospel to others. We are all important. We all matter.

Be sure to check out the other members of The Guild (and read their Peacemaker Interviews) by clicking here.

Ansel Adams - The Tetons and the Snake River

Ten years ago, Rick Norsigian bought a collection of several dozen glass plates created by photographic icon Ansel Adams for $45 at a garage sale. Or maybe he didn’t.

Matthew Adams, Ansel Adams’ grandson who runs the Ansel Adams Gallery, doesn’t believe that they’re authentic.

Are they or aren’t they? Obviously, I don’t know, but it is apparently a $200 million question. This means, of course, that if you look at these images and don’t attribute them to Ansel Adams, then they’re worth approximately $45. However, if you look at the exact same images and attribute them to Ansel Adams, then they’re apparently worth hundreds of millions of dollars.

The difference, of course, is the name. I think that I have a problem with that. The photos, regardless of who created them, should stand on their own merits. They are either great photos (which is very subjective) and worthy of a collector’s riches. Or they are not.

Is a photo automatically great just because Ansel Adams created it? I hope not. I suspect (perhaps presumptuously) that Ansel Adams would agree with me. In fact, if they are his photos, and he chose not to distribute them publicly, then there might be a reason. Maybe he didn’t consider them good enough. Perhaps he even hated them.

I think that it’s important for us to ask ourselves if a photo truly is great or whether we’re just caught up in a cult of personality.  All work from a great photographer will not be great. Likewise great photos can be created by unknown photographers. Adams himself said, “Twelve significant photographs in any one year is a good crop.”

Perhaps these are not Ansel Adams’ glass plates. Or perhaps they are but were not considered to be part of “a good crop”. What we should do, in my humble opinion, is look at photographs for what they are and not for who created them. We can use Adam’s own words as our guide…

“A great photograph is one that fully expresses what one feels, in the deepest sense, about what is being photographed.”

Perhaps we need to look at the photos, judge them on our reactions and debate less about who might have created them. We may never know the answer to “who?”, but we can still explore “why?” and “how?”, and aren’t those more interesting questions?

These photo expeditions won’t be rushed tours in which we tell you to plant your tripod here and point your lens there. We’re going to linger and absorb the places we visit. We’ll take our time. We’ll photograph. We’ll talk, discuss and work to develop our vision and our craft for the duration of each of these photo expeditions.

Clicking on any of the tour graphics below will open each photo expedition’s mini-site in a new window (or tab) where you’ll find full itineraries and details. For additional information or questions email David and me by clicking here.

You can read what participants of this spring’s Italy Within The Frame had to say about their experiences by clicking here.

I can’t wait for these trips! So who’s coming with us?

UPDATE: The Croatia Within The Frame photo expedition is sold out. You can still request an application and get on a waiting list.

There are a lot of photographers who create amazing photographs, and there are a few photographers who travel to the most remote regions of the planet to create photographs. Of the select few who manage to combine the two, I know of nobody who does so with more passion and talent than Nevada Wier.

Last night Nevada announced on facebook that she was having a new show at the VERVE Gallery of Photography in Santa Fe. I clicked through to the gallery’s website and found some of Nevada’s images that I had never seen. To say that they’re wonderful is to belittle them. There are some that nearly hypnotize me. They’re dynamic, absorbing, mesmerizing. Nevada creates some of the most compelling images I’ve ever seen, but I’ve seen too few of them. And I think that you have probably also seen too few.

I have a book of hers, Adventure Travel Photography, that was published way back in 1992. Her photos are also in another book (also from 1992): Land of Nine Dragons: Vietnam Today. Unfortunately, I think that both are out of print. I don’t know of any other books of her photographs. (Although a photo of hers is the cover art of at least one other book on my shelves: Thant Myint-U’s The River of Lost Footsteps: A Personal History of Burma.)

I noticed that there is a small catalog of Nevada’s images to accompany the show; so I immediately ordered it. Then this morning I asked Nevada if she’d be willing to sign a copy that I can give away to a lucky reader here. She has always been extremely magnanimous; so I wasn’t surprised when she quickly agreed. I offered to pay, but the Director of the VERVE Gallery, Jennifer Schlesinger, told me that it’s “on the house”. I’ve said it before, and I’m sure to say it again, but you just don’t find a better group of people than you do in the photo community.

This is the deal. Leave a comment below, telling me something relevant (which image of Nevada’s you like, why you like her work, etc.) – just something to let me know that you’re not just after something free, and I’ll randomly draw a winner of a signed copy of the catalog of Nevada’s show at the VERVE Gallery. Easy. (And I myself can’t wait to see which images are in the catalog!)

If you happen to be in semi-reasonable proximity to Santa Fe, then go see the show. I know that Nevada is extremely fastidious when it comes to printing her photographs. I’ve never had the pleasure of seeing them in person, but I suspect that that is by far the best way of viewing them. In fact, I’m wondering whether or not I should plan an airport trip and see them in person for myself. (NW, I still have that bottle of tequila!)

The show runs from July 9th through August 28th. There’s an opening reception on July 9th (5-7pm) and a gallery talk with Nevada on July 10th (2-4pm). For more information: click here. Or if you’re new to this planet, find Nevada’s website by clicking here.

OK, leave your (relevant) comment and perhaps you’ll win one of the far too few publications of Nevada’s photographs. (She is, however, working on a new book project, and I’m extremely excited to see the results of that endeavor.) I’ll consider comments through midnight of July 5th.

UPDATE: Eric Kunimura is the winner! (Eric, let me know how to get Nevada’s catalog to you.) Thanks to all of you for your wonderful comments. If you can, then go see Nevada’s show. I’m going to seriously try to make it myself. I can’t make it for the opening this weekend, but I might be able to make it in a couple of weeks. And if you can’t make the show, you can still enjoy Nevada’s images on her site and blog. And you can purchase a copy of the catalog for yourself. (It’s extremely reasonably priced.)

Armory Square - Syracuse, NY

(Before you get excited… that’s NOT me in the photo. Sorry! But if that’s you, then please join us!)

What do you do when two things you really want to do end up happening at the same time? Well, if you tend to be a bit greedy like me, then you try to avoid having to choose between them.

Last December I taught two photo workshops (lectures/discussions really) for The Stand’s Journalism Workshop series at the South Side Innovation Center in Syracuse, NY. At the time they asked me if I’d be willing to return this summer to lead a photo walk/workshop in the South Side, a less than affluent area of Syracuse. Sounded great to me (as this is a well-organized group, backed by Syracuse University); so I agreed. (The Innovation Center is also a great facility.)

For the last two years I have participated in the Kelby Photo Walk in Syracuse, organized by the always jovial and extremely enthusiastic amateur photographer Julie MacConnell. She does a great job. (The photo above was taken on the 2008 photo walk in Syracuse.)

Well, it turned out that both events were happening at the same time. So I’ve avoided having to choose; we’re going to combine them! A Kelby Photo Walk is now integrated into the The Stand’s photo workshop. (And Julie is going to take a break from organizing and come as a participant, but I do hope to put at least her enthusiasm to work!) You don’t have to attend the workshop in order to participate in the Kelby Photo Walk, but I really hope that you’ll come and participate in both.

This is how it is going to work (at least in theory!). We’re going to meet at the South Side Innovation Center on the morning of July 24th. At 10am I will provide a few tips, suggestions, etc. for how to approach the photo walk. Cameras will be made available to those who wish to attend but who don’t have their own cameras. Yes, you read that right. You can come without a camera and The Stand will lend you a camera (while supplies last). Any camera will do. This isn’t just for those with fancy-pansy (did I really just type that?) cameras. Bring your point-and-shoot, your camera phone… heck, bring a pencil and a sketchpad or a guitar! However you wish to capture the spirt of the South Side works for me. (In fact, the title of this post comes from a poem; anybody know it? Anybody want to write a poem about the South Side?) Then at 10:30-ish we’ll begin the Photo Walk, which will last about two hours. (That 10:30 might be optimistic, but it depends on how quickly I speak and how quickly you listen.) I’ll be available for the duration of the photo walk to answer any questions, provide any assistance, etc. Then we’ll break for lunch. (I don’t know yet where that will occur as I don’t know the South Side area well – nor am I from Syracuse, but Ahsley Hanry, The Stand Director, is going to be integral in the process of choosing the route and suggesting lunch places. Those items we’ll let you know as we get closer to the 24th.) After lunch, which I should point out is not included, we’ll meet back at the South Side Innovation Center where we will upload photos to Flickr and have an image review (purely optional). This will likely conclude around 3-4pm-ish. If that’s too early for a beer, then I’ll wait for you at the bar! Well, some of these times might be optimistic. I plan on lingering as long as necessary.

Some of the images from this walk will be published in The Stand. There is also a prize associated with the Kelby Photo Walk (registration required to be eligible to win).

This is appropriate for photographers of all levels. No experience necessary. Just bring a winning attitude! (Experienced, professional, etc. photographers are also very welcome, particularly if you’re willing to help those with less experience.) All of this (except your lunch) is available to you for the outrageous price of FREE. Beat that!

You can sign up for this photo walk here: http://worldwidephotowalk.com/walk/syracuse-ny-united-states-south-side/

You can learn more about The Stand here: http://mysouthsidestand.com/

If you’re not in this area (Central New York), then I’m sorry you read all the way down to this point. However, there are photo walks happening all over the world on the 24th. There’s probably one happening near you. If not, then why not organize your own?

Silvia - Jodhpur, India

I’ve mentioned my wife a few times in this blog, and today is an opportune moment to introduce her (at least semi-properly with a photo). Today is our wedding anniversary. It’s almost frightening to say the number, but here we go… we’ve been married for seventeen years. Other than being me, which I’ve been doing for quite a long time (since day one to be precise), it’s, by far, the longest thing I’ve ever done. I’ve never lived anyplace for that long. I’ve never worked anywhere for that long. Nothing even comes close. Well, except for my passion and pursuit of photography, but I took breaks from that – many and probably too often. I took no breaks from seventeen years of marriage with Silvia. I never wanted to. I’d walk right back in to Villa Reale in Milan and marry her all over again. In fact, that would be quite entertaining!

While introducing Silvia, I want to remind you to do something that I so often forget. Take photos of the ones you love. It’s too easy to get caught up in taking photographs for your clients, for your portfolio, of all the shinny objects vying for your attention. It’s too easy to forget, or postpone, taking photos of those you see often, particularly those you see every day. However, even though these photos will never be a part of your portfolio, they will be the photos that you truly treasure as your journey begins to count in years (a number that you might sometimes pretend to forget) and then in decades.

I’m (extremely) guilty of not remembering to do this. Extremely. In three weeks in India I took only a handful of photos of Silvia. (No, those of the back of her head as she walked in front of me along the streets of India don’t count.) So… do as I say and not as I do. Go now and take photos of the ones you love.

Vernazza, Italy

I was preparing, a tad belatedly, to write a review of the Italy Within The Frame workshop, but I thought that perhaps it really isn’t my place to review it. I certainly have my impressions of how it went, and anybody who follows this blog, reads my tweets or notices my facebook updates will already know that I had a blast. It was an amazing group of people in a place that I love. That’s a combination that’s rather hard to beat, yet one does have to throw photo opportunities, learning, logistics, group dynamics, etc. into the mix as this wasn’t just a gathering of friends for lunch (although I did find myself surrounded by a great group of new friends everyday at lunch! And dinner!).

Some of the participants have sent me feedback as well as suggestions. Their suggestions will be incorporated into future workshops. In the meantime, I’ll share some of the feedback that they graciously provided. This is what they’ve had to say…

The trip was more than I could have imagined… I’m still amazed at how much I learned from Jeffrey and David, from the group, and from the process itself… So many things that Jeffrey and David taught us I had previously read in books, but, they never really made sense until you put them into practice… I always thought that IWTF would be both a great learning experience and a vacation and that’s exactly what it turned out to be. I learned things that will help my photography forever, I made some new friends and enjoyed being in Italy. My only hope is that my wife will let me do something like this again!
- Jeffrey Fielding (San Francisco, USA)

You are a great team!… I started to save money for the next Within-The-Frame-Tour!
- Jens Stachowitz (Dortmund, Germany)

I did not quite know what to expect when I signed up for the workshop, but I had learned so much from the book “Within The Frame”, which was the inspiration for Jeffrey and David’s workshop, that I figured it could only get better. It did! In particular, I learned a lot from the image discussions in the afternoons. There were a lot of surprises when I saw how others had chosen to interpret the same scenes I had also photographed. David and Jeffrey also gave us great go out and shoot this or that tasks. What I had not anticipated was how well-knit we would be, how much I would enjoy the company of the group, how many interesting conversations we would have – about both photography and other things – and that I would bring home a new set of great friends for life.
- Eli Reinholdtsen (Oslo, Norway)

…the workshop could have been held in Omaha and I still would have wanted to attend. The fact it was in a great place in one of my favorite countries was an added bonus… I very much enjoyed Jeffery’s and David’s company, leadership and instruction.
- Robert Ardinger (Kansas City, USA)

I liked the group, got many good pictures and like Italy a lot.
- Sander van Hulsenbeek (Amsterdam, Netherlands)

I think both Jeffrey and David have a way of connecting to people that makes them comfortable and at ease. Having an informal approach and always a smile, goes a long way. I definitely would recommend your workshop to any of my friends.
- Luciano Teghillo (Bari, Italy)

Seldom do a group of strangers gel so quickly and so effectively. Much of this is testament to the thought and preparation that both Jeffrey and David had put into the workshop and its success is largely due to the wonderful balance that the two of them provide between informality and structure both photographically and personally. You cannot fail to eat well, drink well and have fun on a trip led by David and Jeffrey and more importantly your photography journey will take unexpected twists and turns, the vision always getting brighter, the craft always getting stronger. A magical and unforgettable experience.
- Marco Ryan (Cairo, Egypt)

For me it was a perfect week.
- Rosa Macías (Tenerife, Spain)

So, that’s what they (very kindly) have had to say about Italy Within The Frame. David duChemin and I still have a couple of spots open for Kathmandu Within The Frame this October. We’d love to have you join us. Yes, (well, maybe ) you!

So I excluded Eli, myself and duplicate comments (ie, one chance each), entered the total into a random number generator and… drum roll, please… the winner is Maria T Michelangeli. (Maria send me an email with an address, and we’ll get the book and print to you as soon as possible. However, a modicum of patience may be in order as both are currently in Norway, and I have no idea where you might be.)

Now, if that’s not you, and let’s be honest, it’s not most of you, then don’t despair. Eli’s book is still available for purchase. Click here and buy it now.

David duChemin, who wrote the forward for Folk, recently called it “my favorite photography book right now!” Mine too. There’s lots of cookie-cutter stuff out there. Mountains of it. This book is something different. It’s worth buying. And I know that every time one of you purchases a copy that Eli jumps up and down in excitement. OK, truth be told, Eli often just jumps up and down for the fun of it, but I know that she definitely loves sharing her work. She’s thrilled at the reception that her book is receiving. And she deserves every bit of praise that she’s received.

After you’ve bought Folk and had a chance to absorb it, reach out to Eli and let her know your thoughts. I bet she’d love that even more than selling copies of her book. (But do buy her book – unless, of course, you don’t like great photo books!)

If you’re a humanitarian or a photographer, then get excited. If you’re a humanitarian photographer, then get really excited. Seriously. Today is the official launch of Focus for Humanity.

At it’s core, Focus for Humanity is a catalyst, a helping hand, a kick start. Maybe you’re an amateur photographer hoping to turn professional. Or maybe you’re already a professional but have been trying to find a way of working with a particular organization to tell their story. Focus for Humanity is going to help you tell cultural and humanitarian stories. It’s not just pat-on-the-back help; it’s grants and awards (ie, money!). How cool is that? (I hope that I’m hearing ear-piercingly loud shouts of “very” or “seriously” from your end!) This is seriously cool. It’s not just you, or us, against the world anymore. Here’s an organization that is going to help. I’m extremely proud to be a part of this endeavor.

Focus for Humanity’s first act isn’t a photo competition with some dumb booby prize. No, it’s a chance to receive a grant of up to $15,000 to help an amateur turn professional. (That’s not a typo. It’s fifteen grand!) Up to $5,000 of that can be spent on gear! Come on; this is cool. No, that’s right, this is “seriously cool”. And it’s not just a check with a pat on the back. This grant comes with a mentor and all sorts of other ways to assist you in giving up the security of that dreadful desk job so that you can catch malaria like the rest of us in a jungle in Southeast Asia. (Oops, did I type that?)

Look, there’s nothing wrong with a desk job – unless your passion is to be elsewhere. Then it’s a really big problem. Focus for Humanity exists to help humanitarian photographers (from amateurs to professionals – as blurry as that division truly is) to become better, to tell important stories, to work – yes, work – for the betterment of humanity, through photography. But you’ll probably still have your computer on a desk. And, yes, you might actually catch malaria.

This first grant is just one of the ways that Focus for Humanity is going to help. There are many more, including participation in an international workshop (for free!). Can you tell that I’m excited about this? Well, I am.

I could go on and on about how truly wonderful this new organization is going to be; however, if you can read this, then you can certainly navigate and read the Focus for Humanity site. And by this point you really should already be on the edge of your seat and have skipped over to the Focus for Humanity site to check it all out. So, go there… Now!

Oh, one last thing. (I know I already sent you away, but it seems that you’re still reading! Plus, I didn’t provide the link yet.) Support this effort. A small group of people, led by Italy Within The Frame alumnus Marco Ryan have poured their hearts, souls and a lot of hours into getting this off the ground. They did so because they truly believe that photography in general but humanitarian photographers in particular can make a difference. I think so too. If not us, then who?

Click here to get there. Thanks!