Chuy Benitez's Photography Classroom

THIS WEEK'S PHOTO READINGS FOR MY CLASSES:

If you want to see what photographic remote learning is like, I'm being safe in having my students put down the cameras for now and beefing up their photographic knowledge of contemporary photography and photographic discussion. Here are the many articles that we have discussed this week:

: “Documentary Approach” to Fashion Photography: Japanese Photographer, Takay, Publishes Retrospective book of Japanese Yohki Yamamoto’s 40-year collection of fashion wear.

Read the 2 interview articles, then take a look at Yohki Yamamoto's fashion and Takay's photography website and make your own contextual connections on how these two artist's works complement each other.

https://www.vogue.co.uk/arts-and-lifestyle/article/takay-book-timeless-fashion-photography

https://www.anothermag.com/fashion-beauty/12336/takay-photographer-fluence-the-continuance-of-yohji-yamamoto-book-damiani-2020

Link to Book: https://www.damianieditore.com/en-US/product/767

Google Image Link to Yohji Yamamoto’s Fashion: https://www.google.com/search?q=yohji+yamamoto&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiMlfKjncLoAhUCYKwKHdmHDXYQ_AUoAnoECB0QBA&biw=1432&bih=738

Reference to Takay’s Photography: https://takayphotography.com/

: Native American Photography- Photographing to Document the Past:

Read the intro to the Smithsonian Exhibit Here: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/blogs/national-museum-american-indian/2020/03/24/developing-stories/
Online Exhibit/Presentation of Photography: https://americanindian.si.edu/developingstories/daniels.html

: Photographing empty spaces, why we do it now, and how it was done in Paris at the turn of the 20th Century.

First is an intriguing article that discusses the emptiness being photographed in public spaces around the world. Photographers in the past were able to photograph emptiness in one of the busiest cities in the world, Paris, by either photographing in the early morning (Eugene Adget) or at night (Brassai). Go through the Neiman Lab article first, then read about each historical photographer to understand the context of their images. Lastly, look at Adget and Brassai's work and reflect on the quiet/emptiness/stillness and the appreciation of those qualities that past photographers were attempting to capture.

1. https://www.niemanlab.org/2020/03/the-uncanny-melancholy-of-empty-photographs-in-the-time-of-coronavirus/

2. Wikipedia on Eugene Adget: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eug%C3%A8ne_Atget

3. Images of Eugene Adget: https://www.google.com/search?q=eugene+atget&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiKrPT6n8LoAhUSbKwKHW3QDbgQ_AUoAXoECCQQAw&biw=1432&bih=738

4. NY Times Article on Brassai in Paris: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/11/lens/brassai-the-eye-of-paris.html

5. Book Layout of Brassai’s “Paris de Nuit:” https://josefchladek.com/book/brassai_-_paris_de_nuit_60_photos_inedites_de_brassai

6. Google Image Page of Brassai’s “Paris de Nuit:” https://www.google.com/search?q=brassai+Paris+de+nuit&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwie_5O5oMLoAhUIIKwKHcZRAtgQ_AUoAXoECB0QAw&biw=1432&bih=738 =sNWsUBmi67vvnM

The uncanny melancholy of empty photographs in the time of coronavirus "We are accustomed to seeing images of crisis represented by fires, floods, bombs, warfare. The photographs we see as a result of COVID-19 are an emptying out and a slowing down."

'American Dirt' publisher vows to increase Latinx staff, published authors After a meeting on Monday, publishers of "American Dirt" committed to hiring more Latinx staff and expanding the number of published Latinx authors.

Presented this image in class as my favorite image of the 2017 Total Solar Eclipse in the U.S. What is even more impressive is that it is an "array image" comprised of hundreds of individual shots that the photographer took from a small Southwest plane window. The story behind the image is equally great, as explained by the photographer in the video link:
https://youtu.be/uPLdrlgB8Fc?t=60

Also in Class:

A look at where Sports Photography is today with a newly established photo contest organized by Red Bull. Check the video!
(My students noticed that 7 out of 10 winners were photographing bicycles/BMX, and my response was "That's because cycling is the most rad right now!")

Winner Award Ceremony Red Bull Illume is the world's greatest adventure and action sports imagery contest. It showcases the most creative and captivating images on the planet, while illuminating the passion, lifestyle and culture behind the photographers that shoot them.

Today in Class:

Lynsey Addario has been awarded the Pulitzer Prize, a MacArthur Genius Grant, has been kidnapped twice in conflict zones and will soon have Jennifer Lawrence playing her in a biopic. She has advice and lessons to provide about her work on the front lines of conflict and human rights issues.

A Chat with War Photographer Lynsey Addario Lynsey Addario is an American photojournalist who's well known for her work on the front lines of conflict and human rights issues. In this 8-minute video

Class assignment of the day for my Photo 1 Classes is to go check out the work of Debora Smail. Debora is my go-to Houston food photographer that I show to my students all the time. Her website is fantastic, but she has 3,000 of her images on her Instagram! https://www.instagram.com/deborasmail/

http://www.deborasmail.com/

Debora Smail Photography

More good stuff from Magnum on Cartier-Bresson:

"To mark Henri Cartier-Bresson's birthday, read an essay by the artistic director of the Fondation Henri Cartier-Bresson on the key characteristics of the Magnum co-founder's pioneering approach to his practice."

Henri Cartier-Bresson: Principles of a Practice • Magnum Photos The artistic director of the Fondation Henri Cartier-Bresson on the key characteristics of the Magnum co-founder's pioneering approach to photography

Magnum Photos co-founder Henri Cartier-Bresson was born on this day in 1908.

Henri Cartier-Bresson • Photographer Profile • Magnum Photos In 1947, Henri Cartier-Bresson, along with Robert Capa, George Rodger, David 'Chim' Seymour and William Vandivert, founded Magnum Photos

Opening up Day 1 of the School Year with some excellent advice from other photographers (So they don't just have me saying it all the time):

29 Photography Tips from Some of the Most Influential People in the Industry During last week's Sony Kando trip, photographer and YouTuber Taylor Jackson got to meet some of the most recognizable faces in the world of photography.

Inside the Mind of a Self-Portrait Landscape Photographer Lizzy Gadd is a self-portrait landscape photographer. After finding awe-inspiring outdoor locations, Gadd steps into the frame and becomes a human element

BEST PHOTO SERIES I’VE SEEN IN A WHILE!!!!

25 Kids From Around The World Photographed With What They Eat In One Week I focused on kids because eating habits start young and if you don't get it right when you're 9 or 10, it's going to be a lot harder when you're older!