Celebrating the Overlooked Legacy of Downtown Artist Jimmy DeSana
Commemorating what would have been the artist’s 71st birthday this month, we look back at the life and times of an underground art radical.
Reimagining The 30, the Illustrious Annual List of Emerging Talent
One of the industry’s most important sources of up-and-coming photographers, The 30 has just relaunched with a new online platform and free series of educational sessions courtesy of PhotoPlus+.
Diego Maradona: A Few Iconic Images
World soccer champion with the Argentina national team in 1986, player for Barcelona and then Naples, a former number 10, an exceptional soccer player, an unparalleled persona, and a self-destructive genius, Diego Maradona died on Wednesday at the age of 60. Blind pays tribute to El Pibe de Oro with several photographs of his exploits, all available as prints from the Jean-Denis Walter Gallery.
A Powerful Portrait of Witches in America Today
In the new book, Major Arcana, Frances F. Denny presents a series of environmental portraits and first person accounts from people practicing witchcraft in its many-splendored forms.
How Ming Smith Used the Camera to Write Poems of Black Life
For half a century, Ming Smith has blazed her own path, creating photographs celebrating the beauty, power, and strength of the Black experience.
Madeleine de Sinéty: Brittany the Marvelous
Un village — a book and an eponymous exhibition — sheds light on twenty years of life and work of the French-American photographer Madeleine de Sinéty. In the 1970s, she documented in color the day-to-day routine, community events, and intimate life of the residents of a rapidly changing small town in Brittany, France.
All in This Together: Style and Solidarity at Photo Vogue Festival
Launching this week in Milan, Photo Vogue Festival inaugurated its fifth edition with a focus on “conscious fashion photography,” examining the link between ethics and aesthetics.
Joseph Szabo’s Semi-Autobiographical Portrait of Suburban America in the 1970s
In his new book Hometown, photographer Joseph Szabo takes us back to the golden age of suburbia to create an enduring portrait of the American Dream.
Mariceu Erthal García’s Photographs of The Traces of a Missing Woman
Mariceu Erthal García, a Mexican photographer who uses her lens to reflect on humanitarian issues. Her project Letters to Gemma sheds light on the violence and criminality in her country. She’s one of the five recipients of the Eugene Smith Grant 2020.
Picto and Magnum Photos: 70 Years of Correspondences
A new exhibition of photos at Richard Taittinger Gallery in New York sheds light on the close relationship between the French printing lab PICTO and the famous agency Magnum Photos. Historian Carole Naggar tells us the story of the men and women who maintained this collaboration over the years.
How Climate Change Becomes a Tourist Attraction
Marco Zorzanello is the first winner of the 6Mois Photojournalism Award for his project Tourism in the Era of Climate Change. He has documented how tourism industry in several countries adapts, with cynicism, indifference, or resilience, to the consequences of climate change.
Podcast: Peter DiCampo on Documentary Photography
Peter DiCampo’s photojournalistic work speaks about the international development and perceptions of Africa. In this podcast he speaks with journalist Aurelie Jouan about Everyday Africa, a collective Instagram project of daily-life images across the continent.
Gregory Halpern Documents the Remnants of Guadeloupe’s French Colonial Past
Gregory Halpern‘s “Let the Sun Beheaded Be” series highlights the colonial legacy of slavery in the archipelago’s land and population. Images as vivid as they are delicate, fraught with symbolism.
The History of Photography Through The Female Lens
The new book “Une histoire mondiale des femmes photographes” (A Global History of Women in Photography) celebrates the contributions of women to the medium of photography, spotlighting 300 female photographers from around the world.
LIFE’s Legendary Pictures Exhibited in Paris
For over 70 years LIFE has commissioned the world’s best photojournalists. Next Saturday, November 14, at the Cornette de Saint Cyr auction house in Paris, the American magazine is selling 191 photos taken by about sixty LIFE photographers between 1930 and the late twentieth century. These images are featured in a brief, one-time exhibition from November 11 to 14. This is a great opportunity to revisit a historical legend.
The Quest For a Great Turkey
In an exquisite volume published by Éditions André Frère, the photographer Mathias Depardon sheds light on Turkish culture and identity that extends beyond the country’s borders, evoking the hegemonic aspirations of the Ottoman Empire in a contemporary context.
Magnum Photographer Bruno Barbey Dies at 79
In memory of Magnum Photos member Bruno Barbey, who documented the conflict and celebrated beauty around the globe for more than half a century.
A Brief Story of Homoerotic Photography in America, Part II
In the final part of our series on homoerotic photography in America, we explore the shift from pornography to fine art that occurred in the years following Stonewall. Read part I here if needed.
Portraits of Pennsylvania Democrats who Made a Difference in the US Election
As the state of Pennsylvania emerged as the place where US president-elect Joe Biden officially won the presidency, Blind gathered the voice of people who made a change possible for America. A series of raw portraits and testimonies.
Susan Meiselas Reflects on Little Italy’s Legendary Rooftop History
In a stunning series of vernacular photographs, Magnum Photos member Susan Meiselas partners with her members of long-time neighborhood to tell the magical story of New York’s celebrated “Tar Beach.”
A Tender Portrait of Childhood Set Amid the American Landscape
In his new book, The Locusts, Jesse Lenz presents a captivating portrait of paradise found, combining the innocence of childhood with the unspoiled beauty of the natural world.
Three Fashion Photographers to Follow on Instagram
Thanks to digital and social networks, fashion photography is no longer limited to the catwalk and glossy spreads. Blind zooms in on three young fashion photographers to follow closely on Instagram (and beyond).
Loving: A Century of Photos of Men in Love
In 20 years, Hugh Nini and his husband Neal Treadwell have collected 2,800 photographs of male couples. These ambrotypes, daguerreotypes, glass negatives, tintype, cabinet cards, postcards, photo strips, photomatics and snapshots represent more than one hundred years of social history that reflect the evolution of fashion, hairstyles and societal norms. The two collectors tell us the romantic story of these wonderful images and this singular collection, now available in a book entitled Loving.
Book Advice: Commercial Portraiture
Relaxed or formal, corporate or candid, commercial photography is used to communicate a visual message, an emotion or a precise brand concept. It is also one of the most lucrative sources of income in photography. That’s why it’s important to understand the skills in studio lighting, storytelling and lifestyle in order to make a client’s vision come to life. The following list is a great selection of books intended to aid photographers looking to find their vision in this field.
Fall Photography: Get the Most Out of Fall Colors
There is hardly a photographer who hasn’t found inspiration in the natural changes of colors in the fall. It’s a perfect season to explore fall photography. The yellows, reds, oranges and fading greens offer endless fall photographic possibilities and an opportunity to learn how to play with color. Today we focus on the two main elements of autumn photography that make this season so spellbinding: trees and foliage.
Vivid Photographs Celebrating the Golden Age of Country Music
In the 1970s Henry Horenstein traveled to honky tonks, obscure music festivals, and artists’ homes across the United States to create a vibrant portrait of the country music scene.
William Klein’s Painted Contact Sheets
Legendary French publishing house Delpire is releasing a new edition of Klein’s emblematic series, with 30 previously unseen works.
A Brief Story of Homoerotic Photography in America, Part I
In the first of a two part series, we explore how LGBTQ artists created homoerotic photography when it was criminalized and the impact of the emerging Gay Liberation Movement.
Danny Lyon’s Devastating Portrait of “Urban Renewal” in New York City
Half a century after it was published, Danny Lyon’s landmark monograph is back in print, offering a timely reflection on the relationship between people, power, wealth, and real estate in New York.
Christopher Anderson’s Pia: an Ode to Fatherhood
Magnum Photographer Christopher Anderson just released a new book published by Stanley Barker. Countless wonderful photos of his daughter Pia show the intimate relationship between father and child, and a privileged one between photographer and subject.
Tourism According to Kourtney Roy
The Tourist, published by Éditions André Frère, is the latest book by eccentric photographer Kourtney Roy. A glamorous series released in conjunction with an exhibition and the screening of several dedicated films at the Brest Short Film festival (November 12-15).
How Photography Has Transformed the U.S. Presidential Election
A new exhibition looks at how photography has been used to shape public image and garner public support for candidates campaigning for the most powerful office in the world.
Aerial Photographs of the Year at the Siena Drone Photo Awards
Every September, the Drone Photo Awards recognize diverse images by 45 photographers in 9 categories.
The Colorful Sidewalks of New York, by Frank Horvat
With his series Side Walk, published this month in book form by Hatje Cantz and Xavier Barral, the photographer Frank Horvat, who died on October 21, takes us through the arteries of the American metropolis.
W. Eugene Smith Grant Awarded to 5 Photographers
W. Eugene Smith Fund breaks 40-year tradition and presents 41st annual grant in humanistic photography to five photographers.
Laura El-Tantawy: Photographer of the Future
This Egyptian photographer was awarded one of the five grants presented by the W. Eugene Smith Fund for her project I’ll Die For You. Her aesthetic in documentary photography is unique.
Martha Cooper: Archivist of New York City’s Artistic Underground
A new exhibition in Berlin, entitled Taking Pictures, showcases six decades of Martha Cooper’s illustrious photography career. She takes us back to the early 1980s, for an intimate look at New York’s iconic graffiti scene.
Adobe Unveils a Collection of 70,000 Free-to-Use Images
As Adobe is organizing its virtual AdobeMAX conference (Oct 20-22, 2020), the giant tech company has unveiled a new tool in Adobe Stock: an access to a massive free collection of 70,000 photos, illustrations, vectors, and other assets.
Sid Kaplan’s Analog New York
A show of New York native Sid Kaplan’s work is currently on view at Les Douches Galerie in Paris. It’s the first time his oeuvre has been shown in France.
Sports Photography: an Art in its Own Right
On October 9, the sports daily L’Equipe is putting up a century’s worth of photos for auction at the Parisian auction house Drouot. Representing every athletic discipline, some of these images have become icons. The newspaper’s photo editor shares the epic story of sports photography.
Fashion and Photography: The Man Ray Revolution
An exhibition at the Musée du Luxembourg in Paris throws the fashion photographs by the American artist Man Ray’s back into limelight. It retraces the creative effervescence of the 1920s and 30s, and looks back at the emergence of a genre now synonymous with reinvention and going back to the roots: fashion photography.
Photographers, Submit your Work!
Blind supports the production of visual stories and invites all photographers to submit their portfolios.
Yegan Mazandarani, The Pariahs of Donbass
In September 2018, photographer Yegan Mazandarani traveled to the secessionist, self-proclaimed, unrecognized Donetsk People’s Republic on the Russian-Ukrainian border to photograph its inhabitants. His images, taken with empathy, are now brought together in a book.
Bénédicte Kurzen, Voodoo Wrestling in Congo
French photographer Bénédicte Kurzen explores the mystical and ancestral practice of Congolese wrestling in Brazzaville.
Jeff Mermelstein, Anthropologist of the Absurd
In his new book #nyc, Jeff Mermelstein takes a radical new approach to photography and abandons the pretense of art in favor of exploring complexities of the human mind in a series of new images made of anonymous cell phone text conversations.
