Photo Essay – The Occupy Wall Street Zuccotti Park Eviction
About 4:00 am on the morning of November 15th I woke up to tweets about a Zuccotti park eviction. I got so riled up that I decided to take an early morning trip to Foley Square and join the movement to take back the park. This is my photo essay of that day’s events.
Later that night as is my habit I was watching The Rachel Maddow show and was surprised to see myself on TV marching with the people. You can see me at the 1:11 mark on the far left (no pun intended).
Leica Portraits – Jonathan Mannion
It’s been awhile since we published a video from our very popular Leica series. Hopefully this one will get us back on track. This video features Cleveland, Ohio native Jonathan Mannion, who began capturing images of up-and-coming urban music superstars after working for a year with world-renowned photographer Richard Avedon. In 1996, he launched his professional career by shooting the photographs for the classic hip-hop album “Reasonable Doubt” by Jay-Z. Since then he has gone on to capture a who’s who in music, celebrity and sports. In this video Jonathan gives us a little insight into his process as well as some advice for future shutterbugs who want to be like him.
Enjoy
TrVZ
Zach Cordner Photography – The Hundreds Gallery Opening
Here is a video recap from the Zach Cordner opening night reception at the Hundreds Gallery for his book Zach Cordner photography. The show runs through Labor Day so if your in LA check it out. Shot & Edited by Danny Lee
Enjoy
TrVZ
Camerabag.tv | Frank Ockenfels
This video portrait of photographer Frank Ockenfels from the folks at Camerabag.tv provides some refreshing insight into the humbling side of success. Despite shooting some of today’s more interesting personalities like David Bowie, Snoop Dogg and President Obama, Frank is still amazed when someone hires him to do what he loves. As he puts it…
“The act of being hired for what you want to do is a very different thing than being hired to be a photographer”
Frank achieved “overnight success” when a portrait he shot of Tracey Chapman originally intended as just a quarter page section in Rolling Stone magazine was moved to the front page when shortly after the shoot Tracey’s album shot to number one. His views on success and failure are insightful and inspiring.
Enjoy
TrVZ
Frank Ockenfels from camerabag.tv on Vimeo.
Handmade Portraits – Molly Landreth
Photography might be my favorite art form. Anytime I attend an art festival I am always drawn to the photo exhibits. When I browse bookstores I spend more time flipping through photo books than any other genre. My former partners at thenewpop were photographers. This is why I love video portraits of photographers. This video by Mike Attie courtesy of the folks at Etsy profiles Photographer Molly Landreth who uses a large format camera to document gay and transgendered life across the U.S. In photography and videography that space between you and your subject is what dictates the mood of your final image. Molly’s large format camera plays a vital role in this interplay. You can read the full story at the etsy blog
Enjoy
TrVZ
Leica Portraits – wowe
Our latest video for the Leica portrait series features German born New York based photographer Wolfgang Wesener aka wowe, Wesener covered the NY Punk and nightlife scene during the 80′s and has photographed some interesting and eclectic personalities over the years. Coming from the New York nightlife scene myself and transitioning to the commercial world I was fascinated to hear how wowe dealt with many of the same challenges I struggle with today. Wolfgang also shared some amazing celebrity encounters with us including a memorable photo shoot with the late great James Brown. Log onto the Leica blog for the in depth interview and photos.
Enjoy
TrVZ
Camerabag.TV – Harri Peccinotti
This is a preview of an upcoming episode from Camerabag.tv profiling photographer Harri Peccinotti. I can totally relate to his attachment to the tactile feel of paper and design. Someone once said that ‘drawing is the basis of every other art form.’ I strongly agree with this statement and maybe so does Harri.
Enjoy
TrVZ
Harri Peccinotti from camerabag.tv on Vimeo.
Leica Portrait: Gigi Stoll
This is the second in a series of video portraits I am doing for the Leica blog. This one features fashion model turned photographer Gigi Stoll. In this portrait Gigi discusses her diverse portfolio as well as some of the challenges she faced making the transition to photography. Log onto the Leica blog for the full interview including Gigi’s take on Social Media’s impact on the industry.
Enjoy
TrVZ
Joni Sternbach | Photographer
This video by Johnny Abegg on Brooklyn based photographer Joni Sternbach is a joy to watch. Joni recently visited Byron Bay in Australia where she documented surfers for her Surfland series. This series was born out of her frustration with her own work. As she put it… “all the kind of pictures I was making stopped, it went to a dead standstill… I actually begun to hate photography.”
Personally my worst moments as an artist were those times that I felt that I’d run out of things to say. Now I embrace this feeling because I understand that it is not an end, instead it’s the first steps of a new journey. This Surfland series is a testament to this.
Enjoy
TrVZ
You can see more of her work at JoniSternbauch.com
Portrait: Ralph Gibson
This is the first installation in a series of video portraits we are doing for the Leica blog. This introductory episode focuses on Ralph Gibson who has achieved worldwide acclaim as a photographer for more than four decades. A champion of individual expression, Gibson urges photographers to develop a personal style by following their own instincts.
Enjoy
TrVZ
Breath-taking Image from the Japanese Tsunami
The images from the Tsunami are unimaginable. Like something from a disaster movie. This photo courtesy of The New York Times really took my breath away. A somber reminder that we are no match for the forces of mother nature when she wants to reclaim her planet.
View the rest of the images on the NY Times website.
The Well: Covering Capitol Hill
Here is a video by Chris Gregory that gives us an inside look at the press photographers that cover the United States Congress. I have done a couple of press gigs and am keenly aware of what a dog eat dog world it can be. Not only are you dealing with fighting with other photographers for position to get the best shot, but you are also working with a perpetual deadline due to the speed of the digital age and social media. As one photographer put it;
“This kind of pack journalism mentality, fast, fast, fast, got to have it yesterday, is ruining us…”
Enjoy
TrVZ
Artists Wanted | The Night Event – Photos
Thursday night Artists Wanted held their opening night event for the Scope Art Show/Armory Week. The event was held at the Angel Orensanz building on the Lower East Side. It is a gothic-revival synagogue built in 1849, which makes it one of the oldest synagogues in the United States. For those of you who care about this stuff, Sarah Jessica Parker & Matthew Broderick were married there.
Thursday night there were performances by Le Reitman, and Gang Gang Dance who blew me away! As expected the venue was filled with an eclectic mix of artists, musicians, and celebrities alike including Chloe Sevigny, Nick Zinner, & AndrewAndrew. The Artists Wanted video I shot will be released shortly, in the meantime enjoy these photos.
TreVZ
Artist Wanted: “In Focus” – Pete Eckert
Here is a cool piece from Christian Schneider for the folks at Artists Wanted. This video profiles Pete Eckert who is blind but refuses to allow his handicap to prevent him from doing what he loves. When asked about his process Pete says that “sounds gives an image just like light gives an image, sound wraps around images… my artwork is a byproduct of my perceptions,” Truly inspiring.
Enjoy
TreVZ
Tiny Feature Saturday’s – The Sartorialist
This video courtesy of Intel profiles famed fashion blogger and photographer Scott Schumann aka The Sartorialist. This is one of the most insightful and beautifully produced pieces about a new media artist at work. Very inspiring work by Director Tyler Manson.
Enjoy
TreVZ
Tokyo Compression
If you thought riding the NYC subways during rush hours was a tough haul, think again. This photo series by Michael Wolf documents the crowded and steamy rush hour subway commutes in Japan. For more photos log onto Michael’s site here.
Enjoy
TreVZ
Photo Nerd Alert! Leica – Scott Geffert
So my second entry for the Leica series comes from Scott Geffert the president for the Center of Digital Imaging inc. I caught up with Scott at Photo Plus East 2010 where he discussed some of his innovative approaches to international imaging standards. Sorry about the echo in the room my location options were limited.
Enjoy
TreVZ
Fotoweek DC – “The Medium of Our Time”
Photography is described by many as the medium of our time. It’s hard to disagree with that statement. Check out this CNN video that discusses the emerging popularity of photography as an art form shot during Fotoweek DC.
Enjoy
TreVZ
Photo Nerd Alert! – Leica S System/Photo Plus East
I was recently asked to document a demonstration of the Leica S Systems at Production Central Daylight Studios for Photo Plus East 2010. Ever since I switched from my Panasonic DVX camcorder (With a Leica Lens) to my DSLR camera I have become a bit of a photography nerd myself. I got to meet and interview some pretty smart folks in the field including renowned photographer Chiun-Kai Shih. I learned allot talking to these folks and will post a couple of those interviews in the upcoming days. For now here is a general overview of the days events posted by the good folks at Leica.
Enjoy
TreVz
2010 NYC Marathon – My Photo/Video Recap
Watching the NYC marathon on TV has been something I have been doing all my life. This Sunday it suddenly occurred to me that for the past 5 years I only live a couple of blocks away from the Williamsburg part of the course. I grabbed my camera and thought I would check it out in person for the first time. The footage I got was pretty random with no real narrative so I decided to edit it with a monologue about Marathons by Craig Ferguson. I also posted some photos below.
Enjoy
TreVz
INFLUENCERS – A Short Film/Quotes
This short documentary series Written and Directed by Paul Rojanathara and Davis Johnson examines how trends and creativity become contagious today in music, fashion and entertainment. According to their website
“Influencers” belongs to the new generation of short films, webdocs, which combine the documentary style and the online experience.
Enjoy the film as well as the “Think Different” inspired images posted below.
KING TEXAS – Tomorrow | Today
One of the coolest shots I have ever seen from my dear friend King Texas. She titled it Tomorrow |Today and it came with these words.
“But if you dread tomorrow, it’s because you don’t know how to build the present, and when you don’t know how to build the present, you tell yourself you can deal with tomorrow, and it’s a lost cause anyway because tomorrow always ends up becoming today, don’t you see?”
The photo looks allot better on her site than it does here so check it out at kingtexas.net
The Selby is not in my “Workspace”
Considering how hard it is to get renowned celebrity photographer The Selby to photograph my space (See chart), I decided to stop waiting by my phone and photograph my own workspace.
I’ve lived in this gritty grimey 1 bedroom Williamsburg apartment for 5 years and everytime I think of leaving I get a little reminder of why I’m still here. This place this neighborhood has got personality. It’s got it in spades. I live on Broadway and Marcy right under the JMZ line. The train noise alone is enough to keep the wide eyed midwestern transplants from taking permanent refuge this side of the 11211. I’ve seen my block in several films/paintings or music videos. Just last week Madonna was filming her latest movie (W.E.) right outside my apartment. I guess it’s got that classic (down on your luck) look. You know that look you find in old Noir films. The neon light flickering thru a window, the train shaking the whole apartment. In my case it’s no movie script, it’s where I live. Everytime the heat doesn’t work, or a mouse runs past me, I start cruising Craigslist to see what’s out there. But then I think to myself, i’ll probably look back at this place in 15 years and say those were the best years of my life, so try and enjoy it while it lasts. Granted I am not still living here in 15 years.
Enjoy
TrevZ
