Nancy Lynn photo by Lisa Helfert

How did you do that?

Who is that?  Is that you?

Did you get sick?

I have been ask so many questions about this image that I thought I would answer them in a blog post.     The image became a poster as part of Poster Palooza, a promotion created by The ASMP DC chapter to get the word out about DC fotoweek.   Many thanks to Paul Fetters and Irene Owlsey for the idea and implementation.

I took this photo of Nancy Lynn, a stunt pilot while on assignment for Maryland Life Magazine several years ago.   Nancy Lynn is navigating barrel rolls over the Chesapeake bay while I held on to my camera.   We did this stunt five times to get this shot.   There was no place to attach the camera, so I handheld the camera.  Even after pre-focusing and framing it was hard to hold the camera steady with the force during the turns.  The lighting was tricky because  when she was completely upside down over the water she was in shadow.   I think the best part of the photograph is that she looks happy.   Her expression was the easiest part to capture, she looks happy in all the photos. She loved her job.

No, I did not get sick –  just a little green.  Nancy Lynn made me brave with her incredible spirit.  She was strong, smart, brave and kind.  She would have wanted everyone to be as empowered as she looks in the photograph.    Between air shows she gave talks to young women and men about following their dreams.   Sadly, Nancy Lynn died while performing a stunt during an air show in Culpeper Virginia.   She was only one of a handful of women to perform as stunt pilots in aviation history.

For more information on Nancy Lynn

To see more  Poster Palooza images

The Fight Club, David Alan Harvey Presents, by Lisa Helfert

Last Saturday night DC fotoweek organized a city-wide evening photo shoot.  The work was edited and printed that evening at photo central.   Although I was not able to make it to photo central (a 8:00am Sunday morning shoot)  I shot some images of the David Allan Harvey exhibit at the Fight Club.    The show and the venue are compelling and well worth seeing.   David Allan Harvey’s impressive works hang unframed next to an indoor skateboard park.   The understated but energetic atmosphere makes the work only more compelling, drawing you closer into his world.   Upstairs is Chris Bickford’s work “After the Storm” a beautiful body of work on the surfing life.  The sepia toned prints really have the rich look of film and slow the pace down so you can enjoy Chris’s poetic surfing images.

David Alan Harvey Presents, by Lisa Helfert

Chris Bickford, "After the Storm", by Lisa Helfert

There is more to see this week at DC Fotoweek.  The lectures, workshops and exhibits continue through Sunday.  Many of the exhibits continue into December.

Fotoweek info

David Alan Harvey Presents

7 novembre 2009 – 14 novembre 2009

♥♥♥

http://fotoweekdc.org

Le festival dure une semaine et se déroule à Washington. L’association qui a lancé l’événement a été créée en 2008 seulement. Il y a 7 sites d’expositions principaux auxquels s’ajoutent ceux de galeries participantes. Il est très difficile d’évaluer l’ampleur des expositions (une quinzaine environ) mais près de 50 galeries complètent le dispositif, pas toutes à Washington d’ailleurs.

Need some new art, and let’s face it, who doesn’t? Check out the very worthy auction:
FotoWeek DC and Critical Exposure invite you to

“Picture Equality: An Evening of Empowerment Through Photography”

Reception & Silent Auction of Photographs

Thursday, November 12th, 6:30-9:30 pm
FotoWeek Central 1 at 3338 M St. NW in Georgetown

Tickets are $75 and include wine, beer, and appetizers. Click here to purchase!

FotoWeek DC has partnered with Critical Exposure to run “Cameras for Kids,” a program that teaches documentary photography and social advocacy to DC public school students.  Currently there is a program for students at Martin Luther King Elementary School.

The evening will consist of a reception with wine, beer, and appetizers, as well as a silent auction of images donated by over thirty professional photographers, including:
Damon Winter, a staff photographer for The New York Times, who took over 90,000 photos of Obama during the 2008 Presidential Campaign, one of which is in our auction.  He later won the 2009 Pulitzer Prize for Feature Photography for a selection of this work.
Ami Vitale is a contract photographer with National Geographic and is best known for cultural documentation.  Her stories have been awarded numerous grants, including The Canon Female Photojournalist Award for her work in Kashmir, and the Alexia Foundation for World Peace.
Patrick Farrell, a staff photographer for The Miami Herald, won the 2009 Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News Photography for his coverage of the 2008 Hurricane Season that ravaged Haiti.
Ed Kashi is an award-winning photojournalist, filmmaker and education dedicated to documenting the social and political issues that define our times.

Paul Nicklen, who grew up in a small Inuit community in Canada’s Arctic and has spent his photography career documenting the Arctic and its inhabitants.

Todd Heisler, whose images focus on American life and who won the 2006 Pulitzer Prize for Feature Photography at the Rocky Mountain News for a project entitled “The Final Salute.”  Now a staff photographer for the New York Times, he works on a weekly project, “1 in 8 million,” that highlights the lives of New Yorkers.
Don’t miss this unique opportunity to own a beautiful photograph and support arts programming for at-risk DC youth. A limited number of tickets are available. Reserve your spot at the auction!

Critical Exposure is a Washington, DC-based nonprofit that teaches youth to use the power of photography and their own voices to become effective advocates for school reform and social change. By empowering young people to develop skills in documentary photography and advocacy, and to exhibit their images and stories in galleries, coffee shops, and other public spaces, we expose citizens and policymakers to the realities and challenges faced by DC youth. Learn more at www.criticalexposure.org/auction.
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Unpromo-ed, but very much in the auction is an uncharacteristic offering from me: a black and white of a church in the Cuban town of Trinidad, at dusk.  V. affordable and worthy of your tax-deductible contribution!

TODAY at FOTOWEEK:

The Sky is Falling? What’s up in Photo Land and why it’s Time to be Optimistic about Image making by Tim Wride

DATE:     11/8/2009 – 11/8/2009
WHEN:    1:00 PM
WHERE:     Corcoran Gallery of Art Frances and Armand Hammer Auditorium

DESCRIPTION:    Just when you thought it was safe to go out in the Art World…everyone starts talking about toxic assets and downsizing! What’s an art lover to do? Curator/writer/educator Tim B. Wride will give his unique, and usually irreverent, look at the state of the Photography World in the wake of our current economic, social, and aesthetic meltdown. Follow as he guides us through the past and present trends that are in crisis, and take a leap as he offers insights into what may be the look of the future. Tim will point fingers, name names, and tilt at windmills as he explains how he dares harbor a satisfied sense of total OPTIMISM for the future of image making.

(Tim Wride is a great speaker and is great with students.  He has done senior portfolio reviews a few times now at the Corcoran with great success.  I highly recommend this lecture!)

+ + +

Eight Short Stories from Around the World

DATE:     11/8/2009 – 11/8/2009
WHEN:    6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
WHERE:     Busboys and Poets – 14th Street and V Street, NW

DESCRIPTION:    BagnewsNotes Blogger Michael Shaw leads off an evening with a presentation about White House Photo Strategy. Eight local photographers follow with highlights of their recent projects: Frank Day, Ethiopia; Katie Falkenberg, Uninsured in the MIssissipi Delta; Marvin Joseph, Body Builders; Darrow Montgomery, Washington Beyond the Monuments; Louie Palu, War in Afghanistan; Ivan Sigel, White Road–Journeys through Central Asia; Sarah Voisin, Drug Cartels Reign in Mexico; and Terri Weifenbach, “Another Summer”, A book Project.

(Terri’s new book is great, and I know she’d love to see you guys there in support!)

FOTOWEEK has begun.

After openings in Georgetown last night as well as an auction at Honfleur in Anacostia MC’ed by Sen. Al Franken (in which I had some work), tonight’s big events really keep things moving.  The big Transformer auction is happening, but perhaps the biggest event of the evening is:

Fixation at Industry Gallery Saturday, November 7, 6 to 10 p.m.

1358-60 Florida Avenue NE, Second Floor

“Join Ten Miles Square and the Pink Line Project with the work of nine local photographers for the second annual Fixation exhibit. These photographers each create a narrative with a short series of images, differentiating the stereotypical image of our Nation’s Capital from the people actually living inside it. Their photographs inspect our city’s individual subcultures and the people who thrive in them, whether it’s the intense rock convulsions of serious air guitar competitors or the eager characters at the local Renaissance festival. Some create their own scenes by simply coming together as bystanders, while others transit separately in search of the same something. What these images all have in common is a fixation on subculture carved out inside the story of this city. Featured photographers: Nicole Aguirre, Karon Flage, Angela Kleis, Drew McDermott, Amit Mehta, Pat Padua, Jay Westcott, Aziz Yazdani, and Joshua Yospyn. Performances: 6-9 PM Music by Yoko K! 7:30 PM ayyoko confidential 9:00 PM Suspicious Package (recently mentioned in Spin magazine!)

Portrait photographs: Have your portrait taken by Ten Miles Square photographer Tracy Clayton in front of a specially commissioned backdrop created by fab artist Cory Oberndorfer.

Celebrate DC’s newest art center with:

–The opening of Koen Vanmechelen’s Cosmopolitan Chicken Project (DC) at one of DC’s top contemporary art galleries, Conner Contemporary.

–G Fine Art’s new space on the same block.

–A first look at the home of the new Industry Gallery, a contemporary design exhibition space.

$10 suggested donation

Special Deal: $2 tall-boy PBR drink special at the Rock & Roll Hotel if you wear our wrist band.

Industry Gallery is located on the second floor of Conner Contemporary, at 1358-60 Florida Avenue NE.

+++

Also happening tonight is the Contact Sheet show and WPOW show at Honfleur Gallery in Anacostia, 1241 Good Hope Rd SE.  I’ll have a few collages in Contact Sheet and the photojournalism in the WPOW show is top rate.

Lots of other things happening throughout the week, so everyone be sure to share whats going on and enjoy the festivities.

Trolley Tracks by Track 29.

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• The City Paper digs into possible problems with the Fire Department’s investigation into the Georgetown Library fire.
• FotoWeek DC returns to Georgetown. Check out the opening party this Thursday.
• Capital Spice visits 1789.

Looking for something to do? Here’s a round-up of Fotoweek stuff in Anacostia:

FOTOWEEK ANACOSTIA : special event November 6th : all other events November 7-14th

SPECIAL EVENT : November 6th @ 7:30pm
Silent Auction + Reception hosted by Senator Al and Franni Franken
For tickets 202-365-8392, includes light fare and drinks, only $25
Address: 2204 MLK Jr Ave SE
The fundrasier takes place next to the gallery at a converted warehouse space, 2204 Martin Luther King Jr Ave in Southeast Washington DC. Join us as the event kicks off at 7:30pm with light fare and drinks. It will be a great opportunity to purchase affordable photography during the Silent Auction with works generously donated by Owen Franken, Joshua Yospyn, Renee Woodward, Antoine Sanfuentes, Jared Ragland, Chandi Kelly and many other photographers. The proceeds from the event will help reinforce ARCH Development Cor The poration’s commitment to Anacostia, bringing fine arts and cultural programming to Anacostia through its two art spaces, The Honfleur Gallery and The Gallery at Vivid Solutions. Senator will be drawing his famous free-hand map of the US to be auctioned off during the event. Owen Franken will also be presenting a slide show during the evening, discussing his life’s work and images displayed. Tickets are only $25 and are available in advance by calling 202-365-8392 or email bferraro@archdc.org.(Preview of Owen Franken’s A Photography Retrospective at The Gallery at Vivid Solutions is free and will open at 6:30pm.)

Five different exhibitions throughout the Historic Sector of Anacostia, East of the River. All the exhibits open Saturday November 7th @ 7pm and are in walking distance of each other. We are accessible by metro (green to Anacostia) and metro bus (90 to Anacostia). Please check the web sites for gallery hours and more directions.

Honfleur Gallery
1241 Good Hope Road SE WDC 20020
Women Photojournalists of Washington : Launch
WPOW’s mission is to connect and educate the public of the work of women photographers. The photographers featured in the juried exhibit are Astrid Riecken, Allison Shelley, Abby Greenawalt, Ashely Twiggs, Algerina Perna, Amanda Lucidon, Andrea Bruce, Carol Guzy, Gabriela Bulisova, Jamie Rose, Katie Falkenberg, Laura Elizabeth Pohl, Melina Mara, Sarah L. Voisin and Yanina Manolova. Launch is generously sponsored by Camera Bits.

A Contact Sheet : Honfleur’s represented artists + local favorites
Photographers include Darren Smith, Renee Woodward, John K. Lawson, Antoine Sanfuentes, Joshua Yospyn, Jean-Francois Bauret, Jean Francois Rauzier, Jean Noel L’Harmeroult, Cyril Anguelidis, Andrea Hope, Jared Ragland, Sherry Ways and Deborah Terry.

Alternative Arts Space 2200
2200 MLK Ave SE WDC 20020
BK Adams + Steven M. Cummings : I AM ART
Steven Cummings, DC based photographer, collaborates with BK Adams, Anacostia based sculptor and painter presenting an experimental installation with interactive components.

The Gallery at Vivid Solutions
2208 MLK Ave SE WDC 20020
Owen Franken : A Photography Retrospective
The French have a word that aptly sums up Owen Franken’s career: Imprévisible (unforeseeable). To many, unforeseeable might be a source of anxiety. To Franken, it’s freedom. It is not surprising then that Franken enjoys an unusual profession for an MIT grad: Photojournalism. Franken’s career has taken him to 103 countries, allowing him to taste the best (and sometimes the worst) of what the world has to offer and get paid for it. “I’ve always relished freedom and never worried about financial security,” Franken says from his home in Paris, where he juggles his roles as a food and travel photographer, a father of two, a gourmet chef, and the older brother of Senator Al Franken. His photos have appeared on the covers and pages of Time, Newsweek, Forbes, BusinessWeek, the New York Times, and National Geographic, as well as Saveur, Gourmet, Bon Appetit, Food and Wine,and Travel and Leisure. He has photographed presidents from Nixon to Clinton, covered wars and Woodstock, illustrated Chinese economic reform and the fall of the Berlin Wall.

ARCH Training Center
1231 Good Hope Road SE WDC 20020
Student Photography Exhibit : Eco-Action-Reaction
Student photography show focusing on the importance of renewable energy resources, such as solar power, and exploring the environmental juxtaposition between man and nature. This exhibition is funded in part, by the National Endowment for the Arts.

Konichiuá (es que tengo que ir ensayando el japonés, jeje.) Aquí os dejo mi primera experiencia con la fotografía panorámica. Es una panorámica en 360 grados de la playa de Badalona tomada desde el centro (más o menos) del puente o paseo, o plataforma, o como se llame eso, que hay al lado de la antigua fábrica de Anís del Mono y que se adentra muchos metros en el mar. La verdad es que merece la pena verlo, sobretodo a primera hora de la mañana que no hay apenas gente y la temperatura es fenomenal.

En cuanto a la foto, me he dado cuenta lo difícil que resulta hacer selecciones complejas en el Photoshop, ya sea a través de los canales o con máscaras rápidas. Al final he optado por lo más fácil, aunque también lo más cutre. Seguro que los tiquismiquis os dais cuenta de los fallos, jajajaja.

Tengo que decir que mi Olympus 510 no tiene la opción de hacer panorámicas con mi tarjeta Compact Flsh, así que opté por tomar varias fotografías y unirlas con Photoshop.

Bueno, no me enrollo más. Salu2 y ahí va la foto.

PD: os recuerdo a algunos que clicando en la foto la podeis ver a tamaño real. Y por cierto: ¡¡¡Irene!!! ¡¡¡Sergio!!! ¡¡¡Que tengais felices sueños!!! jajaja.

Playa de Badalona. Panorámica.

Os dejo la segunda entrega de los fuegos artificiales de Cornellà.

Salu2

Plumas

Libélulas

Más palmeras

Lluvia de estrellas

Hola a tod@s. Fiesta mayor de Cornellà. Primera experiencia fotografiando fuegos artificiales. La verdad es que esperaba que fuera mucho peor de lo que ha ido. He salvado unas cuantas fotos que no pensaba que salieran bien. Algo es algo. Esta noche tengo una segunda oportunidad en los de Sant Joan Despí. Espero que el punto de vista sea mucho mejor que el del otro día. Ya veremos. De momento os dejo algunas fotos de estos de Cornellà.

Salu2

Palmera.

Banco de Medusas.

Arañas.

¿O no era así el refrán? Nunca se me ha dado bien el refranero español. El refranero chino sí, pero el español… no., jeje. Bueno, a lo que vamos. En nuestra última fotoweek con Irene y Sergio, allá por el mes de Marzo (malditas lluvias, jajaja) estuvimos en el parque de Collserola buscando alguno de los “miradores” para sacar buenas fotos de las vistas de Barcelona. Nuestro gozo en un pozo. En cambio no desperdiciamos la espléndida mañana y nos decantamos por otro tipo de fotografías. Entre ellas esta que os dejo. No me he entretenido mucho con el procesado en Photoshop. A parte de los recortes y de algún que otro tampón de clonar está prácticamente tal y como la hice. Espero os guste.

Salu2.

PD: Por cierto, el de la foto es Sergio, mi compañero de fotoweeks. Lo siento, no he podido resistirlo, no te vengues, jajajaja.

¡¡¡Volando voy!!!

Foto tomada en la Ermita románica de Sant Pere de Grau d´Escales, justo en la frontera de las comarcas del Berguedà y del Solsonés, a pocos kilómetros de Berga. La verdad es que fuimos a fotografiar una excursión a caballo por la zona pero, por problemas en los gps integrados de los animalitos (jajaja) acabamos cogiendo bolets y fotografiando esta ermita construida en el año 913. Espero que os guste.

Salu2.

Ermita de Sant Pere de Grau d´Escales. Navès. Solsona. Año 913.

Hola a todos. ¿Qué tal? Después de 2 meses de hivernación os dejo una foto de ¿una maqueta? del Camp Nou, hecha desde uno de los miradores del Parque de Collserola. Se trata del llamado efecto Tilt-Shift, donde se intenta que la fotografía parezca de una maqueta gracias al procesado en photoshop. La foto no es ninguna maravilla pero se prestaba al propósito de este post. Espero os guste, aunque aún tenga mucho que mejorar en este aspecto.

Salu2 y espero no tardar tanto en actualizar la próxima vez.

Camp Nou. Barcelona. Efecto Tilt-Shift.