“The backstage is more interesting to me.” Photographer Shaun Fenn is reflecting on his recent trip to Argentina where he shot a personal project a few hours outside of Buenos Aires in a rural community known best for its multigenerational involvement in polo. “There’s a whole human element behind the sport of polo. And that—feeling the hay and mud and horse manure and musty wool blankets and leather straps—that’s what draws me.”
Read MoreCreating a record of loss is a highly personal pursuit, one that Margaret Lampert chose to follow from behind her camera during a six-month Photography Atelier workshop at the Griffin Museum of Photography in Boston. The project-based workshop was taught by photographer Jennifer McClure, and culminates in a group exhibition in May. Lampert had always been interested in the workshop because of its in-depth, long-term commitment. “The Atelier workshops encourage experimentation in terms of both subject matter and approach,” she shares. “Even the word ‘atelier’ is inspiring to me—by definition atelier means creating a space or room where artists make their work.”
Read More“We have ideas, and they need to be implemented,” says a teenage girl named Marissa. Marissa is one of six subjects in Margaret Lampert’s new documentary short film, “The Art of Growing Up,” which offers an evocative glimpse into the hearts and minds of today’s youth. Divided into five loosely themed chapters, the film has all the Lampert signatures—lush lighting, bright faces, abiding authenticity—alongside the elements of sound and movement.
Read MoreAnyone who’s found themselves out for cocktails lately knows that a mixed drink is much more than just a combination of spirits. Mixology has become an experiential art form that provides a little something for each of the senses—from the eye-catching glint of the glassware to the scent of aromatic garnishes and the unmistakable sound of the shaker. Even the bar itself—twinkling with candlelight or dotted with flowers—plays a part in the alluring ritual. Photographer Annabelle Breakey was in search of the sensorial when she created her latest round of testing: a series of photographs she calls “Kaleidoscope Cocktails.”
Read More“I love making promos, it’s like making a record album,” says photographer Annabelle Breakey. She’s been in the practice of creating promos—printed booklets showcasing a series of photographs relating to a particular theme—for close to a decade. Some of her earlier promos, which are all under the title Plenty, are The Guilty Pleasures Issue, The Black and White Issue, and, in celebration of all things ovular, The Egg Issue. Her latest is The Latin Issue, which coheres a handful of colorful and purposefully messy images of foods from south of the border. “Promos let me explore a theme from every direction and then form it into one complete thought,” Breakey explains.
Read MoreWhile many of us spend the winter months bemoaning the cold weather and counting down the days until spring, Minnesotans are playing pond hockey.
Huddling up on small, neighborhood ponds where the ice is continually undulating under foot to play hockey, northern communities know how to keep the winter doldrums at bay. And capturing the sport, a derivative of traditional hockey played at a smaller scale, had been on photographer Shaun Fenn’s project wish list for some time.
Read MoreToday on the blog, we are sharing a personal project shot by Margaret Lampert. Read below to hear the inspiration for this series, in Margaret’s words.
Read MoreThere may be no better way of breaking down cultural and linguistic barriers than by putting a musical instrument in someone’s hands. Photographer Shaun Fenn surely found this to be true in his recent portrait series of mariachi musicians and dancers, which he shot over the course of a week traveling through Todos Santos, La Paz, and Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. This was a personal project for Fenn, and one that ended up being an emotional antidote to a year of COVID-related strain. “You can’t sit and listen to mariachi and not be happy,” Fenn shares.
Read MoreRandal Ford’s love of portraiture began when he was a photojournalism student at Texas A&M. “I just fell in love,” he says. “I fell in love with creating a picture versus taking a picture. And I fell in love with working with the person on the other side of the camera to capture their likeness.” It was during these initial forays into the field that Ford saw Richard Avedon’s In the American West exhibition at the Kimbell Art Museum, and in Avedon, Ford recognized how a distinct aesthetic edge could bring narrative and image even closer together.
Read MoreAnnabelle Breakey isn’t shy about her love of photographing fast food. Her foray into the field of French fries and Frappuccinos began in 2000 (with first clients being Burger King and Starbucks) after the dot-com bubble burst and her previous high-tech and product catalog work was stymied. “When the implosion happened, I was like, that’s it, I'm only going to shoot beautiful things and work with interesting stylists,” she remembers. “That’s when I started shooting food and editorial, and now I’m in the lane of super fun, colorful, conceptual food.”
Read MoreWelcome to Randal Ford’s Shag Palace, where Norman Rockwell meets Richard Avedon meets Wes Anderson. Where things are a little bit psychedelic, a little bit trippy, a little bit bizarre. Portraiture and lifestyle photography are familiar to Ford, but in the case of this particular personal project, the more unfamiliar the lifestyle, the more fantastic the portraits.
Read MoreCathedrals to cod. This is how photographer Christopher Wilson describes the A-frame structures dotting the coastlines of Norway’s Lofoten Islands. Wilson spent a few weeks in these most northern reaches of the world (the islands are above the Arctic Circle) last spring; he and fellow photographer Mark Katzman were there to photograph the tongue-cutters, or tungeskjærerne—Norwegian children who follow the centuries-long tradition of cutting out cod tongue to sell as a delicacy.
Read MoreWhat once served as a welcome to steamships carrying passengers from Boston and beyond, now stands as a restored version of what Gloucester residents call, “The Soul of the City”. The Magnolia Pier dates back as far as the 1800’s and, despite several rebuilds, has remained a central destination within the city. With camera in hand, photographer Michael Prince makes the board-walked trek each day to document the thrilling free falls of residents, both young and old.
Read MoreHi Friends,
As we attempt to settle into the many changes of our post-COVID daily lives, I can’t help but think about Geronimo the wolf. People often ask me which animals are most memorable to me. And, while they all are in their own way, I felt a special connection to Geronimo.
Michael Prince recently had the honor of documenting Matt Billey, a boat builder at Lowell’s Boat Shop in Amesbury, Massachusetts. Established in 1793, Lowell’s is the oldest continuous working boat shop in the country.
Read MorePortraits in doorways and through window frames have become a necessary alternative to the traditional face-to-face methods. However, for Margaret Lampert, shooting through glass and screens has been a longtime love.
Read MoreA big congratulations to Jamie Kripke, Margaret Lampert and Christopher Wilson for being selected for the 2020 APA Off The Clock Exhibit.
Read MoreThree of our very own, Shaun Fenn, Randal Ford and Christopher Wilson have joined yet another amazing fundraising effort, in the face of COVID19. Tim Tadder has inspired a small movement amongst fellow photographers, with his Art for Assistants initiative.
Read MoreThe beauty of people coming together in this difficult time, is one silver-lining that we are all thankful for. Like so many others, photographer Annabelle Breakey found it impossible to sit back idly in the midst of a pandemic. It didn't take long for her creative endeavors to merge powerfully with her urge to help.
Read MoreAs we near a week or more of social distance and quarantine, the emotional weight of this global pandemic has begun to set in. We are navigating a sea of unfamiliar circumstances, as well as the unwavering fears that come with them. Whether facing illness, financial turbulence or the loneliness of isolation, the act of putting on a brave face is becoming more and more difficult to do.
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