Tag Archives: Professional Women Photographers Inc.
News From Our President – January 2011
PWP’s eNewsletter is sponsored by 
Learn more about TAMRON products at www.tamron.com.
Volume 5 | Issue 6 | January 2011
PWP President, Madeline Ring. Photo © Susan Raab
Greetings from the Board
Happy New Year and warm wishes for 2011 from your Board
Adele, Beth, Catherine, Karen, Katie, Mary
Maddi, Patricia, Ruth, Sandy, Terry, Trish
PWP INTERNATIONAL OPEN CALLS
CONTRASTS, our next open call, is on the website and ready for submission. This exciting new call is themed and we look forward to seeing entries from our membership and those that entered the 35th Anniversary Open Call.
Also, look for the on line gallery of Winners, Honorable Mention and Jurors Selections for the “35th Anniversary Open Call” on our website.
Both the Open Call instructions and the 35th Anniversary winners gallery are easily accessible by clicking on the banner at the top of the home page when you log on to www.pwponline.org
NEW MAIL ADDRESS FOR PWP
FYI – We now have a new official address for PWP post office mail.
119 West 72nd Street, #223
NY, NY 10023.
We expect this will have minor impact on our membership since most of our activities are web/E mail driven.
EXHIBITIONS
NEW ON LINE SUBMISSION PROCESS
PWP has a new online submission process for our members-only calls for entry. As with our open calls, members can now upload images for submission, pay with PAYPAL and avoid burning CDs, printing contact sheets, and mailing or delivering envelopes. Our current call for entry, below, “A Woman’s World” is signed up for this great new time saving process. Download the instructions and submit!
New Visions Exhibitions at The Durst/ICP Open Dec. 9, 2010
CURRENT – NEW VISIONS
New Visions Exhibitions at The Durst/ICP Open Dec. 9, 2010. © 2010 Gloria Aks
December 6th, 2010 – January 15th, 2011
Reception: December 9, 2010, 6-8 pm
Durst Organization Show Walls Gallery
1133 Avenue of the Americas at 43rd Street
New York, NY 10036
Our current exhibition at the Durst Organization Show Walls Gallery, 1133 Avenue of the Americas at 43rd Street is still on and it is well worth a visit. In this exhibit, PWP members show off their latest and greatest, and the collection is sure to excite, inspire and impress!
OPEN CALL – A WOMAN”S WORLD
Submission Deadline: January 15, 2011
There’s still time to get your submissions in to PWP’s members-only exhibit A Woman’s World, to be displayed at Macy’s Herald Square in March, 2011. Don’t miss this exciting opportunity to show your work in one of the busiest venues in NYC! Please log into your account on pwponline.org and download the PDF for details on how to apply online.
A Woman’s World
Exhibit: Wednesday, March 2nd, 2011 – Wednesday, March 23rd, 2011
Reception: March 3, 2011, 6-8 pm
Macy’s Herald Square
Broadway at 34th Street
New York NY 10001
THEME: There was a time when a woman’s world was confined to the home. To venture out meant that others were unable to support her, or she was thought to be brazen. Today, women have equal opportunities, working in most spheres once limited to men, even rising to leadership positions. Still, it cannot be ignored that in parts of the world, including in the U.S., gender separation and inequality remains deeply ingrained, both culturally and politically.
What is universal is no matter what their work, women the world over are typically courageous, flexible, and able to handle a multiplicity of responsibilities and problems not only their own, but those of their families and communities.
In this exhibition during Women’s History Month, we would like to recognize the strengths of women by celebrating their advancement outside of the home, and honoring the importance of their work within it. A Woman’s World is not an either/or world. We would like to see images that reflect women’s achievements and happiness, while not turning away from the difficulties, even abuses, that many face everywhere. A Woman’s World is a real world. How would you like to picture it?
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The Exhibitions Committee has a number of future projects in the works and always welcomes PWP member volunteers. It is a great way to learn about jurying and curating as well as forging great friendships within the organization. Contact Katie Mantell if you are interested at exhibitions[at]pwponline.org
JANUARY/FEBRUARY MONTHLY MEETINGS
Church of St. Paul the Apostle
405 West 59th Street
Second Floor New York NY 10019
6:30 pm to 8:30 pm
Guest Fee $10.00
1/5/2011
GUEST SPEAKER: Vivian Cherry – Street Photographer
Street Photographers are a breed apart from other photographers. They have almost no time to make a decision and they must be prepared to snap the picture as soon as the subject comes into focus and the brain signals “NOW”.
Vivian Cherry has the gift and has had it since she began her career in the early 1940′s. Her career includes working as a dancer on Broadway, darkroom technician for Underwood, joining the Photo League, an organization formed by professional photographers during the Depression to teach and support the “art of photography”, photo essayist, photographer for many publications and much more.
2/2/2011
GUEST SPEAKER: Arlene Collins – Documentary Photographer
Arlene is a documentary photographer specializing in photographing remote cultures and changing civilizations around the world from Asia to Africa. In addition to her images of diverse and distant cultures, Arlene has worked on several long-term photo essays focusing on Boxing in New York City and Bangkok, Thailand, the Rodeo and Unesco World Heritage Sites. She specializies in the use of wireless multi-strobe units and working in difficult lighting situations.
Arlene is on the faculty of Parsons School of Design and has taught at the International Center of Photography. In the summers she teaches at the Maine Media workshops and has lectured internationally.
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Programs Director Ruth Gitto is looking for presenters and speakers for next year. Please send names and contact information of anyone suitable for our meetings. Include prominent women photographers with a compelling story to tell, men or women experts in a topic that would provide valuable information to our members about photography, portfolios or the business of photography. Ruth is also taking names for curtain raisers for next year. This is a great way to share, and get feedback from your peers. To sign up contact Ruth for schediuling.
Email Ruth at rkgitto[at]yahoo.com
EDUCATION/WORKSHOPS
BLOGGING, part of the CREATIVE PROCESS
Your blog is an important companion to your website. While a website is often somewhat static, a blog is organic, fun and gives you the opportunity to create some energy.
Whether you are new to blogging, and don’t quite know where to take it, or a regular blogger, this seminar, presented by Nelly Yusupova, founder of Digital Woman. com and Chapter leader of New York City webgrrls (no, that’s not a typo), will get you well on your way to the next level.
Nelly has been a featured tech expert on INC Magazine’s Website inc.com and has appeared as a guest expert on the NBC Today Show, She is frequently asked to speak across the country at many industry events about careers in technology, Web 2.0, marketing online, building communities, blogging, and social media. She conducts workshops and courses and writes extensively for the industry.
Date: January 8, 2010. Saturday
Time: 10:00 – 2:00
Location: to be announced
Fee: $40.00 members $50 non-members
RSVP: bnelson2[at]earthlink.net
LIGHTROOM: Simplify your workflow using the “other modules”.
Most Lightroom classes delve into the capabilities of the Library and Develop modules of Lightroom. Often they do not explore the abilities of Lightroom’s ‘other modules’: Slideshow, Print and Web.
This seminar will teach photographers how to utilize these modules including how to:
. create multi-image layouts
. utilize the print module
. create your own website right within Lightroom
. create pleasing presentations and custom video slideshows
. use some publishing features offered in Lightroom 3
Instructor Lindsay Adler is a professional fashion and portrait photographer based in New York. Her work has been featured in fashion and photography magazines including Professional Photographer, Rangefinder Magazine, Shutterbug and more. She teaches workshops at the leading photography conferences, private classes, gallery shows and DVDs.
Her first book “The Linked Photographers’ Guide to Online Marketing and Social Media” hit stores in May 2010. Her second book,” Fashion Flair for Portrait and Wedding Photography”, is available for preorder and hits bookstores in February 2011.
www.lindsayadlerphotograpy.com.
DATE: January 25, 2011, Tuesday
TIME: 6 – 9 pm
LOCATION: to be announced.
Fee: PWP members $40.00. non-members $50.00
RSVP to bnelson2[at]earthlink.net
PORTFOLIO SESSION
Mark your calendar – Saturday, February 5.
Two independent curators will review each participant’s portfolio to be followed by a conversation on trends in the photographic market place.
Watch for details on Egroups.
PWP – PHOTO BOAT RIDE
HOLD THE DATE
On June 5, 2011, from 2:30 to 5PM, PWP will be sponsoring a Photography Boat Trip around Manhattan Island. The focus will be the architecture of Manhattan as seen from the water and our guide will be a certified AIA architect.
The trip will be limited to 55 guests. The cost will be $95 per person and will include light refreshments.
Specifics and sign-up information will be sent in early May, but please mark your calendars to hold the date.
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Sincerely,
The Board
Professional Women Photographers
Announcing New Visions
New Visions postcard design by Sheila Smith
New Visions postcard design by Sheila Smith
PWP is thrilled to announce New Visions, the upcoming exhibition at the Durst Organization Show Walls Gallery, 1133 Avenue of the Americas at 43rd Street. In this exhibit, PWP members show off their latest and greatest, and the collection is sure to excite, inspire and impress! We hope to see you there as we kick off the holiday season in style in the Durst’s beautiful midtown space. Please join us for the opening reception on Thursday, December 9th from 6-8pm.
NEW VISIONS
December 6th, 2010 – January 15th, 2011
Reception: December 9, 2010, 6-8 pm
Durst Organization Show Walls Gallery
1133 Avenue of the Americas at 43rd Street
New York NY 10036
The Art of Commerce – Press Release
Postcard design by Sheila Smith
PRESS RELEASE
Professional Women Photographers and Scott M. Stringer, Office of Manhattan Borough President Gallery Present
“The Art of Commerce€
A Photography Exhibit
PWP (Professional Women Photographers) and Scott M. Stringer, Office of Manhattan Borough President Gallery present an exhibition of photography that views commerce in ways that are evocative, unusual and often humorous. Members of PWP, an organization of nearly 200 photojournalists, fine arts and commercial photographers, explore their personal visions of commerce with artistry, insight and fresh points of view. Buyers and sellers, goods and services, motivations and emotions all play their roles in images illustrating the art and drama of commerce.
To mark the opening of The Art of Commerce, PWP and the Manhattan Borough President Gallery invite the press and public to a reception in the gallery on Thursday, October 7th from 6 – 8 PM, 1 Centre Street, 19th Floor, New York, NY.
The exhibition will be on view to the public from October 4 through October 29, 2010. Hours are Monday through Friday from 10 AM to 4 PM.
Professional Women Photographers is a not-for-profit 501 (c) (3) organization based in New York City. PWP has been supporting the work of women photographers for over 30 years, providing forums and student awards to encourage artistic growth and to stimulate public interest in the art of photography.
For more information on this exhibition, please contact Trish Mayo at mayotrish@gmail.com. High-resolution digital files from The Art of Commerce suitable for publication are available upon request.
For more information on PWP, please visit our Web site at www.pwponline.org.
Imprints: Bacterial Photography, By Jeff Tabor
© Marsha Miller, University of Texas at Austin
Bacterial Photography, By Jeff Tabor
IMPRINTS |FALL/WINTER 2010
In 2005, a research group from the University of California at San Francisco and the University of Texas at Austin published a report in Nature describing the engineering of the bacterium Escherichia coli (E. coli) to function as a black and white photographic film. Unlike their virulent cousins, these laboratory bacteria are completely non-pathogenic. Over time, bacterial films have been assigned a variety of monikers ranging from “Coliroids€ to “E.guerrotypes.€
The construction of a living photographic film required two main technological advances. The otherwise blind E. coli first were genetically engineered to see red light and produce a visible black pigment. Second, a ‘bacterial camera’ supporting the growth of the photographic cells was constructed. When the engineered E. coli are grown in the dark, the light sensor is fully active, resulting in high-level accumulation of black pigment. When the bacteria are exposed to saturating intensities of red light, the sensor becomes inactive, resulting in about 10 times less black pigment production per bacterial cell. Intermediate levels of red light result in intermediate levels of black pigment over a large range of light intensities, allowing faithful greyscales to be produced (see figure).
The bacterial films respond to as little as ~0.002W/m2 650nm filtered light. As a practical measure this is just enough light to detect with the naked eye. The films saturate at ~0.04W/m2 650nm light, an intensity that appears very vibrant to an observer.
To produce bacterial photographs, approximately 1 million engineered E. coli are mixed into a warm molten solution of growth media. This solution is cast into a common Petri Dish and set at room temperature to solidify into a slab (or film) with the consistency of a gelatin dessert. The slab is then placed inside an incubator (a warm black box) and a red-filtered Kodak projector is used to shine a focused image of light onto the surface of the slab (http://openwetware.org/wiki/LightCannon). The bacteria are grown for approximately 12 hours, during which time the number of bacteria increases to approximately 1 billion. The bacteria do not move or swim within the slab, but rather grow into stationary clumps. Like a traditional film, the bacterial pixels are fixed; any bacterium exposed to dark at the beginning of an experiment remains in the dark for the entirety
Figure © Jeff Tabor & Matthew Good (University of California, San Francisco)
At the end of the 12-hour exposure, the bacterial slab is removed from the incubator and a positive print of the image can be seen clearly by the naked eye (see figure). The slabs are wrapped in plastic to prevent drying and can be stored in a refrigerator for many months without a loss of sample quality. Eventually the slabs dry out, resulting in a very thin flaky film, but the image remains. Some images have been kept for over four years and retain the same sharpness and contrast as the moment the light exposure was finished. The slabs have also been removed from the Petri Dishes and encased within epoxy resins. These treated slabs do not dry out and appear to be stable indefinitely. Due to the nature of bacterial growth (and death), there is a developmental window during which the films are sensitive to light. After the films yield sufficient contrast to be seen, they do not appreciably change, even if re-exposed to light. In this way, bacterial films function much like Polaroid.
Since 2005, the original bacterial film technology has been advanced upon. First, several information processing ‘genetic circuits’ were placed between the red light sensor and the pigment producing enzyme in order to program the film to function as a bacterial ‘edge detector.’ Here the bacteria do not print positives of an applied image but trace the outlines of shapes within the image (http://www.microbialart.com/galleries/jeff-tabor/). Sensors responding to different colors of light have also been engineered recently. These are being linked to the production of different colored pigments in the media in order to expand bacterial photography to a color technology.
- Cover of Imprints Fall/Winter 2010 © Photographer Justyna Badach – Download the full issue PDF of Imprints by clicking here.
Jeff Tabor
Assistant Professor
Rice University, Department of Bioengineering
Cards and Letters: A Snapshot
Cards and Letters: A Snapshot
Early Letters To PWP
They came from all over, from Arkansas, Illinois and Italy. Some were handwritten, some were typed. They came on scraps of notebook paper, cheap postcards and fine bond, all with the same request: send info please! I want information on Professional Women Photographers.
“I read about your organization…€
“Didn’t know any group like this existed…€
“Though I have belonged to any number of professional organizations I have never belonged to one that treated women as equals with men photographers…As a creative professional I am especially needful of a supportive group…”
These letters are more than personal requests; they speak of a time and place and a need, sometimes bordering on desperation. You sense the hunger as they ask, are there more women photographers out there like me? How can I reach them? How can I stay in touch?
Correspondence From Italy
In the 70′s, when PWP was founded, there was an excitement and energy in the air. Cultural movements that began in the 60′s – desegregation and women’s liberation – were coming to fruition. They weren’t just ideas anymore, they were realities. Colleges were integrating and going co-ed. Women were leaving the kitchen for the corporation, and entering professions that had long been off limits or male-dominated, like photography. There was a spirit of can do and why not? The climate had been set for change and it was happening. If the 70′s lacked the polish of the 50′s and the fervor of the 60′s, they offered real chances as fields previously closed opened up as they never had before or would again until the digital revolution in the 90′s.
But people needed a little help. A lot of small organizations and photo co-ops sprang up - Soho Photo, The Floating Foundation of Photography, Professional Women Photographers. These efforts were grass roots because they had to be – there were very few established organizations for art photographers and women photographers to turn to. It was uncharted territory: a new frontier with a new kind of pioneer.
That time, the 70′s and early 80′s, wasn’t really so long ago. But looking at these letters, many typed on a typewriter with a single courier font, you realize that information wasn’t an easy click away. These women had to go after it. They had to read photo publications, write letters and mail them off. They had to want more for themselves – more options, more opportunities. Joining a women’s photographic group was a huge step for them.
The Women's Circle
But the hunger and the hope has always been there. To the left is the PWP Times reprint in 1983 of a 1909 article published in The Camera. It details how members of the Women’s Federation of the Photographers’ Association of America kept in touch with each other’s work by exchanging photographs.
These ladies were directed to “send a print to the member whose name is above your own on this list. Keep the photograph you will receive one week and then forward promptly to the name above yours…. The name and address in full of the photographer must be clearly written and firmly affixed to the print in order to identify the work. Photographs must be carefully packed for mailing and sufficient postage placed thereon.”
It took more than a click, but the hunger was there. It has been there for a long, long time. At least since 1909 and probably way before.
- Catherine Kirkpatrick, Archive Chair