Call for Submissions: In-depth Travel Photo Essays

Update: Thank you everyone for your comments. I wanted to add a bit more information about what we are looking for:

I’m not just looking for a collection of images from a place. I need something with a story behind it. Perhaps it’s a community of fisherman in a beautiful setting off the coast of spain, or a place in Finland where they weave textiles in an abandoned 100 year old school house (I’m making stuff up).

Point is, it’s not enough for it to be just a collection of images from one place. Rather, the images need to be tied together with some theme or story.

Or, they need to be conceptually so unique that the concept or photographic method (wet plate, iphone, etc) is what ties it together.

I hope this helps

Jasmine

------------------------------------

I am the photo editor for a gorgeous travel magazine for the iPad called Travel by Handstand. We are looking to license in-depth photo essays with a travel focus for locations around the world (please see list at bottom). I am not looking for individual stock images, but really a body of work with a cohesive theme.  Aesthetically, we are a bit AFAR, a bit Travel + Leisure.

We are still in beta (download free beta app here) and have published a few feature stories.  Below are some screen grabs of recently published features. The first one, on the Pamir Highway, uses imagery entirely by Matthieu Paley.  This story gives a good sense of what we are looking for when it comes to travel photo essays. Also in this gallery you will find images from features we did on Palm Springs, California and Naoshima, Japan. These stories are not all by the same photographer but they do give a good sense of the style of work we are looking for.

[nggallery id=10]

 

Currently we are looking for travel photo essays from:

Stockholm (especially related to kayaking)

Sardinia

Charleston, SC

Vancouver

Mozambique

Caribbean

Slovenia in Winter

Singapore

Shanghai

Central America

South America

Ecuador

Perth, Australia

________________

Would you like your work considered? Please comment on this blog post with a short description of your photo essay and link to a gallery.

Thank you!

Jasmine

SXSW: Another stop in the photo festival circuit?

Lomography  

SxSW Interactive and Film Conferences have more photo-related seminars than ever before -- a testament to just how prevalent photography is in everyone's lives. If you were lucky *and rich* enough to score one of the sold out badges, here are some of the events you can check out (click the event title for a link to more details):

Is Our Photo-Madness Creating Mediocrity or Magic? Over 100 million photos are uploaded to Facebook every day. There are 3.5 billion cameraphones in use around the world. Instagram reached 13 million users in just 13 months. We are nearing the end of what Philip Gourevitch of The New Yorker called “the decade in which the world went camera-mad...the decade where everything is depicted, and every picture must be shared.”This panel will address the many ways in which the rise of mobile photography is affecting how we express our creativity, and how we connect and communicate every day. BONUS: We'll conclude with @Koci explaining how he builds his images and sharing a recipe toolkit for audience members to build their own.

 

Bob Gruen

Rock 'N' Roll Exposed: The Photography of Bob Gruen (Film Screening) From Led Zeppelin to The Rolling Stones, Elvis to Madonna, Bob Dylan to Bob Marley, John Lennon to Johnny Rotten, Bob Gruen has captured half a century of music through the eye of a lens. In this landmark documentary, Grammy award-winning filmmaker Don Letts reveals the stories behind some of the most famous rock 'n' roll photographs of all time. "Rock 'N' Roll Exposed" features interviews with Iggy Pop, Debbie Harry, Yoko Ono, Alice Cooper, Billie Joe Armstrong and many more.

Lomography Lomography, a film camera community and company has faced annihilation from not only digital photography, but now from mobile photo-sharing applications. We will talk about why, as a brand, they still grow and succeed; as well as tactics to refocus dying brands and most importantly, why it's a good idea to not please everyone.

Shoot, Share, Repeat In the past 10 years, the advent of social photography has transformed the way we document history. Anyone with a smart phone can take pictures & share them with social networks in real-time, bypassing media gatekeepers to create a new type of living history. News media outlets have tapped into this power by employing content generated by these “phonojournalists,” to extend their reach beyond traditional means. The immediacy & intimacy of this approach resonates with people in powerful ways. One need only to look at images captured during the Occupy Wall Street protests or the Arab Spring uprisings to see how this disruptive technology can be used to inspire change. While social photography satisfies our appetite for real-time, all-access content, it presents significant challenges for existing media models. Join Getty Images CEO Jonathan Klein as he discusses how the shift towards social photography is transforming the way we consume media, and what we can do to embrace the change.

Fashion and the New Taste Graph A new generation of social curation communities have risen over the past year with the mission of enhancing shopping and product discovery across retailers. These services provide an easy way to create wish lists and curate styles. Soon we will see shoppers, retailers, brands, media outlets and blogs joining these services to curate photography, new products and news stories. We will explore how social curation is currently being used and its future impact on the taste graph.

SxSW PhotoCamp If photography is your vocation, your avocation, or simply an iPhone obsession, you won't want to miss SXSW's first-ever, day-long PhotoCamp. To give you the opportunity to meet other photo-minded folks, discuss the topics most important to you, and identify potential creative collaborators, each 60-minute PhotoCamp session will include facilitated group discussions, followed by 30 minutes of free time to connect with potential collaborators one-on-one. 9:30-10:30: What kind of collaborator am I? Improve creatively by defining your strengths and weaknesses. 11:00-12:00: Are we collaborating yet? An open discussion of collaboration models. 12:30-1:30: Everyone knows everything. Learn from others' collaboration lessons and revisit your own. 2:00-3:00: Open networking.

Shoebox Full of Photos: Beyond Digital Storage Do you remember when you cracked open that shoebox full of snapshots in your grandmother's attic and discovered a past generation? Will your grandchildren be able to have the same experience? Will they be able to log in and dig up your Facebook albums? Will they be able to boot up your old iPhone? Hundreds of thousands of photographs are uploaded to online services every day with little consideration for the temporal nature of everything we put in the cloud. If Kodak decides to stop making film, the photographs in your closet will remain, but the same is not true if Facebook decides to shutter its photo business. And while a tattered photograph continues to tell a story, a corrupted hard drive or a hacked account can destroy a lifetime of photos in an instant. Is a shoebox full of photographs simply nostalgia, or is it more? Are the images we take just for us, or do we have a responsibility to leave behind more than just a pile of bits for future generations to discover?

 

Gregory Crewdson

Gregory Crewdson: Brief Encounters (Film Screening, multiple showings) Gregory Crewdson: Brief Encounters follows the acclaimed photographer’s decade-long quest to create a series of haunting, surreal, and stunningly elaborate portraits of small-town American life. His photographs are like single-frame movies — partly because each composition brims with narrative, partly because he uses cinematic tools such as special effects, hundreds of lights, and huge crews of technicians. As we travel with him — from first inspirations, through countless creative and logistical obstacles, to the instant where all the elements coalesce in a single perfect moment — we realize that, despite their vast scale, Crewdson’s images grow from his most intimate dreams and fantasies.

 

 

Paid Freelance Blogger Position Available

UPDATE: I am happy to announce I have assembled an awesome team of contributors. They are working now on interviewing photographers, stylists, producers and more. Stay tuned for our launch, April 2. I am in the process of launching a new blog dedicated to Texas photography: the commercial and editorial photographers who are based here, the stylists, producers and digital techs they rely on to produce amazing shoots, and the high quality work they are producing.

I am looking for a contributing blogger to join my team. Up to 10 hours of work a week in the first two months, then probably leveling out at about 5-8 hours a week.

If you are interested, please email me at jasmine at jasminedefoore dot com with a resume and cover letter. I am specifically looking for people with a passion for commercial and editorial photography who are familiar with the major photography, publishing and advertising blogs.

Also very helpful if you have your finger on the pulse of what is happening in the Texas photo world: the gallery openings, traveling exhibitions coming through town, etc.

I am based in Austin and it would be great if you were too, but not necessary. That's why we have Skype.

ILoveTexasPhoto.com will be launching in April. Stay tuned!

Texas Photo Roundup:Marketing Strategies Seminar + Portfolio Reviews

12/1/11 Update: Currently the portfolio reviews are sold out, if you would like to be added to the waiting list, please email info@texasphotoroundup.com. There are still spots available for the morning marketing seminar. Austin Center for Photography (which I'm a board member of) and ASMP Austin/San Antonio have teamed up to produce a day of events geared towards professional and semi-pro editorial and commercial photographers. We're dubbing it the Texas Photo Roundup and if you live in Texas, you don't want to miss it!

February 3, 2012

One Day, Two Great Events

Marketing Strategies + Portfolio Reviews

Save the date for this one! Registration opens soon.

Morning Event:

Real World Marketing Strategies for Photographers

ASMP Austin/San Antonio and Austin Center for Photography invite you to join commercial and editorial photography industry experts for a three hour interactive morning seminar and panel discussion. This event is geared to both emerging and professional editorial and commercial photographers who are looking to kick their business into high gear. Topics that will be covered by our experts include:

  • Defining your target market
  • Creating a marketing plan
  • Making the most of your marketing dollars
  • Choosing the strongest images for your marketing
  • Strategies for print and email marketing
  • Social media marketing

You will also have a chance to share your current promotional materials, home page or social media strategy with the group and have them critiqued by the panelists. Follow us on twitter for details!

Please come prepared with specific questions for the included Q&A session with the panel of experts.

Panelists include:

  • Jennifer Kilberg, Creative Consultant
  • Matthew Mahon, Commercial and Editorial Photographer
  • Shannon McMillan, Senior Art Producer, GSD&M
  • Allen Murabayashi, co-founder of Photoshelter
  • Amanda Sosa Stone, Creative Consultant
  • Zana Woods, Director of Photography, Wired Magazine
  • Alison Zavos, founder of FeatureShoot.com and Social Media Consultant

(Read more about the panelists)

Afternoon Event: Portfolio Reviews

Join us for an amazing opportunity to get your work in front of potential clients. This event will give you 20-minute one-on-one meetings with prominent art buyers, photo editors, artist reps, and industry experts.

This event is geared towards professional and semi-professional commercial and editorial photographers.

Confirmed reviewers from a variety of top notch companies will be reviewing work, including:

  • Texas Monthly Magazine
  • GSD&M
  • Door Number 3
  • Men's Health Magazine
  • Renee Rhyner
  • TracyLocke
  • EmDash
  • T3
  • Wired Magazine

(read complete list and bios)

Registration opens October 18, 2011.

Produced by

Questions? Email us at jasmine (at) jasminedefoore (dot) com.

Deadline Approaching! The Black and White Spider Awards

Celebrating its 7th year, Black and White Spider Awards is the leading international award honoring black and white photography. This event shines a spotlight on the best professional and amateur photographers in a prestigious annual competition and globally webcast event, reaching photo fans in 154 countries.

With a collective Judging Panel of the world’s most recognized experts from TATE, BONHAMS, FRATELLI ALINARI, PHILLIPS DE PURY of London and more, the awards are the industry’s most authoritative and important photographic event for black and white and mono art.

Enter your work by December 16, 2011 for consideration.

View a complete list of upcoming contest and grant deadlines organized by month.

Deadline Approaching! Humble Arts Foundation: 31 Women in Art Photography

On July 19, 2012, Humble Arts Foundation, in conjunction with Hasted Kraeutler, will present its third edition of 31 Women in Art Photography at Hasted Kraeutler in Chelsea. Along with Humble’s curatorial director, Jon Feinstein, Natalia Sacasa, senior director of Luhring Augustine, will co-curate the 2012 edition.

Submit work by November 23, 2011 to be considered for 31 Women in Art Photography.

View a complete list of upcoming contest and grant deadlines organized by month.

Deadline Approaching! World Press Photo Contest 2012

Submit work by January 12, 2012 to participate in the the World Press Photo Contest.

The World Press Photo Contest is an annual competition in which the jury looks for the best photographs made during a calendar year. Details about the photo contest, as well as names of the contest judges, are announced in October/November.

The photo contest judging begins at the end of January and the winners are announced in the second week of February. The annual Awards Days, a celebration of the prizewinners, takes place in Amsterdam at the end of April or beginning of May. The first edition of the multimedia contest in 2011 followed a similar timeline, but a different entry procedure. Details about the next multimedia contest setup will be announced later.

View a complete list of upcoming contest and grant deadlines organized by month.

Deadline Approaching! Hey, Hot Shot! Second Edition 2011

Untitled, from the series Party Alone, 2010 by Laurie Kang"

Apply by November 14th Monday, 11/21 @ 11:59 p.m. ET to participate in the second cycle for 2011 of Hey, Hot Shot!

Since its inception in 2005, Hey, Hot Shot! has provided one hundred and forty photographers from all over the world with unrivaled exposure, support and recognition. Hey, Hot Shot! provides an ongoing platform and unparalleled opportunities for photographers at all stages of their career.

View a complete list of upcoming contest and grant deadlines organized by month.

Eros Hoagland Wins $20,000 Special Grant for Conflict Photographers

Eros Hoagland, one of my favorite conflict photographers and all around awesome guy,  has been awarded $20,000 through The Aftermath Project. Aftermath was created by Sara Terry as a way of exploring the lingering effects of war and help broaden the public’s understanding of the true cost of war. In light of the recent deaths of Chris Hondros and Tim Hetherington, Aftermath announced a special grant for conflict photographers.

When we announced the grant earlier this year, which invited conflict photographers to reflect on the aftermath in their own lives of covering conflict, we weren’t sure what kind of responses we would get – whether any conflict photographers would be willing, or ready, to consider taking on such a personal project. But as an organization committed to creating conversations about the aftermath of conflict – in its many dimensions – we felt the time was right to offer the grant.

So it was particularly gratifying to receive many thoughtful, candid proposals. Our judges were photographers Ashley Gilbertson, Danny Wilcox Frazier, and myself; photo editor Maryanne Golon; and Denise Wolff, an editor at Aperture. We were all overwhelmed by the honesty and articulateness of so many of the applications – we could easily have funded five strong proposals on this subject, if we had had the funding.

Hoagland’s project, “The Green Room,” stood out for his candid discussion of several themes, including emotional disconnect; the consequences of being the son of a war photographer, John Hoagland, who was killed in El Salvador at the age of 34; the impact that choices made by war photographers have on loved ones; the mythology of war photographers; and the desire to foster a public conversation on war, photography, PTDS and our understanding of these topics. We look forward to seeing his project unfold. Read more.

I'm a huge fan of Eros' work. This is a very well-deserved grant and I'm very much looking forward to seeing the project.

Houston Center for Photography Juried Fellowship - Deadline Approaching

The deadline is rapidly approaching for the 2012 Houston Center of Photography Fellowships!

Two distinct fellowships are being offered, the Carol Crow Memorial Fellowship, for an artist residing within a 100 mile radius of Houston (including the Beaumont, Galveston, and College Station areas), and the HCP fellowship for another artist from anywhere in the world, outside the Houston area.

Winners will be awarded $2,500 each and a solo exhibition at HCP in the summer of 2012.

Submit your work by November 4, 2011 to be considered.

For more information on upcoming contests and grants, see my previous post on awards organized by month.

Call for Submissions - Palm Springs Photo Stories

I'm looking for photo essays on Palm Springs and the surrounding areas (Salton Sea, Slab City, etc). Especially interested in images that show people doing things (not so interested in landscapes). I know there are a lot of quirky characters in those areas, and am open to seeing photos of them, but also want to see some luxury and relaxation. This is for a soon-to-be-launched tablet travel magazine. The magazine skews higher end/luxury, but we are dedicated to showing authentic experiences, so embrace photojournalism as well as lifestyle and travel photography.

I will be sending out other photo needs via my mailing list. Please sign up (sign up form is on the home page, bottom right) if you would like to receive these. And please share this post with any colleagues who may have work to share.

To submit your work for consideration, please email me a link (no attachments please). I need captions in order to know what it is I'm looking at. Thanks!

I will post all future calls for submissions to my twitter and my facebook professional page, so please follow me there too to get the latest requests.

(photo by me)

 

Q&A with Garden & Gun's Maggie Brett Kennedy

Why do you think Garden & Gun is at the top of so many people’s “dream clients” lists.

That’s amazing. We’re fortunate that photography is a focus of the magazine’s design. A lot of full page images and great paper stock to ensure high quality reproduction. Our readers let us know how much they relate to the photography each issue. We’ve always been a photo friendly publication.

You have hired Peter Frank Edwards for many stories, and one of those recently won a James Beard Award. Can you describe what it is in Frank’s work that keeps you coming back? How do you two work together? Is it a collaborative process?

I’ve had the pleasure of working with Peter Frank Edwards since the very first issue of Garden & Gun (Spring 2007). He’s from the South, spent his life in the outdoors, and previously was a fisherman and sous chef. Peter Frank Edwards IS Garden & Gun! He’s covered everything from hole-in-the-wall barbecue joints to traditional foxhunting and continues to get excited by every assignment. He lives the pages of the magazine so really gets what we’re all about.

It is very much a collaborative process. There is a level of trust after working together for many years. I know he is going to find the creative angle with each assignment and bring back the unexpected. I always look forward to his tales from the road. (Read more about their collaboration in my Q&A with Peter Frank Edwards).

You use such an amazing variety of types of photographers, that it is hard to pigeonhole Garden & Gun as having a particular style. How do you describe the visual aesthetic to people?

I like to work with a mix of national photographers and Southern-based talent in each issue and try to deliver the unexpected whether it’s for the front or back of the magazine or a feature.

It’s a balance between seasoned well-known shooters and up-and-coming photographers. We always strive for images that communicate a sense of place. Images that make you want to be there, in that moment. We like lots of natural light and rarely incorporate conceptual photography.

Walk us through a “typical” day at work.

Garden & Gun has a small staff so each component of photography and the overall process is very hands on. The magazine contains a wide variety of content so each day is filled with assignments ranging from Southern food and chefs, hunting and fishing, architecture and interiors, portraiture, music, you name it.

The magazine covers a wide editorial range and incorporates a high/low mix of content. For example, a profile of actress Anna Camp or a new modern architectural project verses gritty and soulful juke joints or frogging in Louisiana. Every day is exciting and keeps me on my toes. I also like to set aside time each week to respond to inquiries, research photographer’s new work, etc.

How many print and email promotions do you receive in an average week? Have any stood out to you lately, enough to where you actually contacted the photographer?

I receive about 30 promos a week. Bryan Johnson sent me a promo that turned into an online photo essay for G&G. The content was perfect for us: http://gardenandgun.com/newsletter/spill-one-year-later.

When being promoted to, do you prefer print or email?

Both are great, so however the photographer is most comfortable showcasing their work. I’m old school and still love print. I continue to hold onto those real standout print promos. Witty design on quality paper with gorgeous photographs always excites me.

Do you have any pet peeves when it comes to the marketing materials photographers send you?

Do not send emails with large file attachments. Be familiar with the magazine’s content and visual style and send an appropriate selection of photos. I prefer a tighter, well-constructed edit rather than a large quantity of work. Websites should be easy to navigate and show me images immediately.

What are some of your favorite ways to discover new photographers?

All types of blogs (photo, galleries, designers, magazines, etc.), chatting with people in the industry, those standout promos I receive, and an occasional portfolio review.

Questions from photographers

1. Is it OK to call Photo Editors to follow up after sending a promo?

Email follow up is great and always easier than phone calls.

2. When I send an email, should it be in a email newsletter format or will a simple note saying what I've been up to suffice?

Either is fine. Be sure your work is easy to view.

3. Do you take a chance on photographers just starting out fresh out of school?

Yes.

4. What is the best way to get noticed by a photo editor and ultimately hired to shoot a job?

Develop your own style, have confidence in your work, and do your research on each publication you approach. Send quarterly updates about your projects, travels, etc. I just worked with a photographer for the first time I’ve been corresponding with for two years. Everything has to fall into place before that project can become a reality.

5. What are some of the qualities of an ideal photographer to work with?

Passionate about their work, down-to-earth, excited to tackle all kinds of challenges, professional, someone who thinks outside of the box and brings something new and fresh to the table visually.

6. Can you share some names of some photographers whose work you are inspired by?

I love to look at classic Southern icons (Jane Rule Burdine, William Christenberry, Sally Mann) as well as current shooters (Marcus Nilsson, Peggy Sirota, Andrea Fazzari, Ditte Isager, Trujillo- Paumier).

7. What is the most interesting shoot, photographically, so far?

The next one...

Peter Frank Edwards G&G Cover

Peter Frank Edwards G&G Cover

photos by (clockwise from top left): Joey and Jessica Seawell, Dan Winters, David McClister and Michael Turek

photos by (clockwise from top left): Joey and Jessica Seawell, Dan Winters, David McClister and Michael Turek

Bryan_promo

Bryan_promo

Miller Mobley Spread

Miller Mobley Spread

Maggie Kennedy is the photography director of Garden & Gun magazine. She previously worked as a creative director and producer of commercial photography in San Francisco and New York with an emphasis on food, still life, and interiors.

Q&A with Travel Photographer Peter Frank Edwards

James Beard Award-winning Oyster story by Peter Frank Edwards
James Beard Award-winning Oyster story by Peter Frank Edwards

Tell us about how your relationship began with Garden & Gun. Did they contact you?

Garden & Gun contacted me when they were in the planning stages for the launch of the magazine -- well before the first issue came out.   As I recall, at that time there was no real photo or art department.  They sort of "reorganized" after a couple of issues, made some staff changes. I've enjoyed a great relationship with them.

Can you describe your work process with Director of Photography Maggie Brett Kennedy? Do you collaborate on ideas? is the editing process collaborative?

Yes -- we do collaborate on ideas -- which can be anything from a quick phone call to bouncing sketches back and forth.  We talk less about composition and set-ups and more about texture, color, mood, etc.  She is interested in and respects photographers' points of view and is genuinely interested in the creative processes of each photographer she works with.  I always feel like they are hiring me (or other photographers) to "do what we do"  -- there's a lot of trust in that.  The edit is also collaborative, and she's always interested in what I think tells the story or what I'd like to see published.

What's the most challenging shoot you've done for them and why?

One of the most technically challenging shoots was an assignment covering the oil spill.  They sent me to Louisiana right as the oil was just starting to show up in the marshes.  I had a lot of ground to cover in a very short period of time, and because of the time frame there was no opportunity to get official press credentials.  I'd show up places, and even though we had called ahead and had a contact at an area or location, the National Guard or local police would not let me in.  In addition, it was about 100 degrees and 100 percent humidity, and all the camera gear was fogged up and would literally drip with condensation.  I had one little camera that seemed immune to this problem, probably because it's more plastic and less metal and glass.

What's your all time favorite story?

I worked on a piece about a North Carolina BBQ road trip with writer Sandy Lang -- we got the call on a Tuesday and we were on the road Friday.

BBQ Road Trip by Peter Frank Edwards
BBQ Road Trip by Peter Frank Edwards

It was a very stream of consciousness couple of days -- we met some characters, ate tons of great food -- and it was one of those assignments where you feel like you're getting gold at every click of the shutter.

Why do you think G&G is on everyone's dream client list right now?

Both Maggie and Marshall McKinney (art director) give photographers a lot of creative freedom, and you can see that come through in the stories and the single images. They treat the work well and with respect -- they are champions of great imagery.

___________________________________

A former fish monger and sous chef with a degree in anthropology, Frank was born and raised in coastal South Carolina. During college, he practiced photography at a camera shop and was soon off to Europe – and ultimately to Berlin – where he shot artist portraits and projects before returning to the American South, to live again by the ocean. In his photography, Frank mixes his passions for travel, people and food. When not on location, he splits time between his Charleston home and a cottage in Maine.

Amy Eckert

eckert_website.png

Amy Eckert, a commercial and editorial photographer (and also a fine artist and McKnight fellow) hired me to help her revamp her website and portfolio in the lead up to a move to Los Angeles. We started by talking about her goals, which include expanding her commercial client base and making sure that people knew she was based in LA. I went through all of her work and re-edited the images to appeal to the clients she is trying to reach. We reorganized the structure of her galleries as well.

We worked together, along with Scott Mullenberg at portfoliodesignstudio.com, to design a new print book with bold colors and a beautiful handmade slipcase.

Amy did all of the printing herself (which she says she really enjoys doing), on Pina Zangaro double sided bright white smooth matte, pre-scored.

Once everything was live, we created an email blast announcing the move to LA and encouraging people to come to the new site.

Photo-related SXSWi Panels up for the Picking

I can't believe we are already thinking about and planning for SXSW. It's only August! I dug through the SXSWi Panel Picker and found some interesting photo-related panel proposals. Remember to vote for the ones you'd like to attend so they make it into the program.

There are also many magazine publishing, content, social media marketing, content marketing, storytelling and advertising panel proposals that will be of interest to those of you trying to get your head around who is going to pay for the photos you make. Which we should all be interested in right?

Know of any others that I missed? Please comment.

A Glimpse into the 21st Century Photo Shoot

  • Scott Dadich – Condé Nast
  • Susan White – Vanity Fair

Today’s editorial shoot doesn’t just end with a photo on the page in print. These days, editorial photographers need to think about how to transition an image to a number of different platforms, including online, smartphone, or tablet, in additional to print. Condé Nast’s VP of Digital Magazine Development and Vanity Fair’s Photography Director Susan White will review the evolution of the editorial photo shoot and what it takes to ensure the best shot in an expansive media landscape.

Is Our Photo-Madness Creating Mediocrity or Magic?

  • Kevin Systrom – Instagram
  • Sasha Frere-Jones – The New Yorker
  • Richard Koci Hernandez – Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism
  • Verna Curtis – Library of Congress

Description Over 100 million photos are uploaded to Facebook every day. There are 3.5 billion cameraphones in use around the world. Instagram reached 5 million users in just nine months. We are nearing the end of what Philip Gourevitch of The New Yorker called “the decade in which the world went camera-mad...the decade where everything is depicted, and every picture must be shared.” This panel will address the many ways in which the rise of mobile photography is affecting how we express our creativity, and how we connect and communicate every day. BONUS: We'll conclude with @Koci explaining how he builds his images and sharing a recipe toolkit for audience members to build their own.

Creative Business Models Beyond Copyright

Many small creative businesses - digital artists, photographers, musicians, technology developers - operate on a business models of "negotiate, protect, and sue" regarding intellectual property. It seems obvious - that's how the major studios and conglomerates operate. Some well known - and already established - creative acts like Radiohead and Cory Doctorow have bucked that system and experimented with totally new business models. But what about the small businesses that still need to pay the rent every month? This panel will explore alternative business models for smaller creative outlets that explore new approaches to intellectual property and copyright management.

  • How can my business survive without traditional intellectual property protection?
  • What are some actually working alternative business models for small businesses beyond standard copyright protection?
  • Won't giving my creative intellectual property away lead to financial destruction?
  • I still need to pay the rent every month - I'm not some famous creator who can afford to experiment. How can I survive without protecting my intellectual property?
  • What about a hybrid approach of partial strict management of intellectual property combined with some looser, alternative approaches?

iPhone/Mobile Photography: Who Gives a Fuck?

How has having an audience transformed photography in the last few years? Social photography, started on sites like Flickr, has been compressed and amplified through mobile applications, such as Instagram, and is approaching addictive behavior. This panel will explore the rise of mobile photography as seen through the popularity of Instagram and the addition of Path, Color, Facebook photos and any other mobile applications that may enter into the game before March 2012. This is not going to be a love-fest for Instagram and/or mobile photography, we plan on having a debate about the merits as well as the limitations of mobile photography. Some of the best mobile phone/Instagram photographers will attempt to answer the question “who cares?” while sharing tips to their success, checking out different camera apps that help us achieve a style, and orchestrating interactive mobile photography exercises where every single audience member can participate using hashtags on Twitter, Instagram, and Flickr (lolz) with live judging and jelly doughnuts for the winners. Because, really, who wants to go to a panel *without* jelly doughnut incentives?! We aren't only interested in discussions and plan on spending just as much time discussing and debating as we will having the audience taking pictures and participating.

A pretty meta-data picture

n the digital age, a photo is more than just the image on the screen. Behind the pixels are hidden details such as date, time, location, camera settings and other information that capture a precise moment in time and provide a rich context for each image. Beyond the device-generated EXIF data, the addition of user-generated content such as titles, descriptions, subject and people tags becomes core to the photo. As a photo gains momentum and is shared on Tumblr, re-tweeted on Twitter or tagged, each additional interaction adds another layer of context and dimension that can take story telling to a whole other level. With metadata, photos have evolved from a personal shoebox of memories to a powerful collective database of information on the internet with endless applications and possibilties. At Flickr we are developing ways to extract and understand information from photos to build out even better ways to share your photos. This session will introduce you into the potential data a photo is generating and the possibilities to use this data in order to create full and rich stories around a single or a collection of images.

Being Analog in a Digital World

Being analog in this increasingly digital world is rough. This panel explores how everything from meetups, sewing, music, film photography and crafting has found their way in a digital realm.

  • How do I bridge the gap between the offline and online world?
  • Why are analog “things” so successful online?
  • What are some of the biggest road blocks in creating something tangible today?
  • How can an offline product become an online success?
  • Where do physical things (events, products, etc) fit into the very digital world?

Multiplatform Storytelling: Frontline War Stories

While the academics preach of the wonders and promise and “mechanics” of “transmedia” storytelling, there are pioneering producers on the ground really doing it. There are good days and bad. There is money and there is not. And then there are the fans. What does it take to pull off successful multiplatform storytelling? We are at the birth of a new industry, an inflection point, much like the history of film or radio or television or even the Internet where technology gives rise to a new means to tell stories. It is a time before the “institutionalization” of the multiplatform industry. And just like the history of film or TV the early pioneers are stepping out now and taking a lot of arrows. They are experimenting, learning what works and establishing best practices. They are master storytellers using and in some cases inventing new tools. They have failed and they have succeeded. And these are their stories.

Call for Entries! Self-Published Photo Books and Zines

The Austin Center for Photography is looking for self-published photo books and zines to sell at the Texas Book Festival October 22-23, 2011. The Texas Book Festival attracts over 40,000 visitors in downtown Austin every year. ACP is excited to be a part of it and to share the world of photo books with a large audience. There is no charge to submit materials and proceeds from any sale are split 70-30 between the artist and ACP (with the artist receiving 70%).

If you would like to have your publication considered please submit:

  • Two copies of your zine or one copy of your book
  • Your sale price
  • Self-addressed postage-paid envelope (if you want your submission returned)
  • Full contact information including web site, email address, phone number, and mailing address

All materials should be sent to the following address to be received by October 8, 2011:

Austin Center for Photography Attn: Book Festival 1211-B Marshall Lane Austin, Texas 78703

Fine Print: Submissions will be reviewed by members of the ACP Board of Trustees. Accepted artists will be notified by email. If your submission is not accepted or if it is accepted but does not sell during the festival, it will be returned to you in the postage-paid return envelope if provided -- otherwise it will be considered as a donation to ACP.

Questions? Email us at bookfest@visitacp.org.

Read more about ACP at the Texas Book Festival