nex·us | \ ˈnek-səs \ :  CONNECTION, LINK a connected group

“When the [artist] says he has worked without giving any thought to the rules ... he simply means he was working without realizing he knew the rules.”

~Umberto Eco

I have just returned from a remarkable workshop in Andalusia in southern Spain. I was joined there by a great group of photographers.

We spent two days in the fabled city of Granada, followed by visits to Cordoba, Seville, and Ronda, the home of Spanish bullfighting. While we didn't see any bullfights, we did get to photograph the bullring.

We also visited a horse ranch outside of Seville where the host, Cristina, put her show horse through the paces, followed by sessions with other horses on the ranch. The grand finale was when Manuel, the head trainer, ran the mares for us.

I hope that you will be able to join me next year in Italy, Vietnam, or Cuba.

W. Eugene Smith was the greatest of the documentary photographers who defined the twentieth century. He was a photographer who walked his talk, devoting his life to shedding light on the unseen and unheard. 

Smith was not motivated by money or success. His motivation was to witness and document the glory and the despair of humanity. Repeatedly, he risked his life, health, and financial well-being to tell the untold.

One thing that he is not given full credit for is his coverage of WWII. It is not widely spoken of, but few if any WWII photographers actually covered the war from the battlefield. The few that did did so from a distance. Smith placed himself and his camera in the middle of the fighting.

In this video, Tatiana Hopper gives a good overview of Smith's background and the work he became famous for. If you would like an in-depth biography read W. Eugene Smith: The Life and Work of an American Photographer by Jim Hughes.

Michael Meade is perhaps the greatest storyteller / mythologist of his generation. His stories and teachings are meant to empower people and help them understand the often confusing and frightening world we live in. I recommend that everyone get to know Michael, either through his free podcasts, such as this one, or his workshops, both online and in in-person groups.

On Thursday, November 16, Michael will be hosting a free online event, "Living in a Time of Overwhelm." He will use stories and myth to explain what is happening in the world today. I highly recommend that you attend.

Register for This Event

© Ryan Ball

Black and white photography can take a viewer’s breath away. By stripping away color, we become more aware of elements of that image such as texture, shape, light, and subtle graduations of tone. In doing so, the image has the power to tell a story.

There is beauty in black and white food photography that makes us see food in a different light whilst adding uniqueness and timelessness to an image....

Read More

© George Tice from Common Mementos

This is an ongoing series of beautiful, yet affordable photography books of previously unpublished work by leading and emerging contemporary photographers. These books are printed to the high standards for which Lodima Press has become known—600-line screen quadtone on heavy cover stock, insuring that the reproductions are true to the originals.

Each book in the series contains from 10 to 18 photographs and includes a statement by the photographer.

The softbound edition is limited to 1000 copies, and books are available individually for $39.95 each or by subscription to the entire series for $29.95 each.

Portfolio Books

Street photography is about walking. Of course, you can sit on a cornerstone and photograph from there, but sooner or later your camera will want to go somewhere else and if you're lucky, take you with it.

For as long as I can remember I have been on a quest for the "Holy Grail" of shoes. One that comes in a true wide to allow my feet to swell, breathes, has good arch support, rolls with each step, and can be easily be taken on or off. Well, I've found it.

Orthofeet has introduced a line of shoes they call Hands-free. You can slip in and out of them like loafers, and they meet or exceed all of the above expectations. The men's version is the Yari and the women's is the Kita. I can't see any difference between them, they're both equally non-descript, but that's okay, I'm wearing them to walk, not to make a fashion statement.

Don't leave home without them.

Ortho Feet

Eloy Gonzales, New Mexico, 2021. © Steve Anchell
Sony a7rII, 24-70mm @ 50mm, f/4 @ 1/50 sec., ISO 1250

There's more to taking good pictures than just pointing and shooting. Here are four tips for better photography.

Tip #1: Learn all the rules so you can break them later.

Photography rules are essential because they provide a foundation for more advanced photography tips and tricks later on. Learn the rules first to have more creative control when breaking them later.

Learn as you go — don’t let it prevent you from picking up a camera.

Tip #2: Set your exposure and focus first, then frame your image.

An improperly exposed or blurry picture is unusable, but one not precisely framed may still be saved. For this reason, you should always focus on and properly expose for the subject before you adjust the frame.

This happens more often when you have extreme lights and darks in the same scene.

Tip #3: Focus on the eyes

We are always drawn towards the eyes in a photograph since the eyes are a natural focal point we connect with.

When taking portrait photographs at any aperture, make sure you focus on the eyes. As long as the eyes are in focus, both you and your subject are more likely to consider the picture to be properly shot.

Tip #4: Make lots of mistakes, then learn from them.

The more mistakes you make, the faster you’ll learn and improve your photography skills. All professional photographers once started without an understanding of anything on a camera.

The real value is turning mistakes into lessons that build your skills. So try a technique or style you haven’t done before and expect to make many mistakes.

© Nicola Okin Frioli, 2023 ZEKE Award for Systemic Change recipient

Deadline: January 15, 2024

SDN will award one photographer the ZEKE Award for Documentary Photography and a $2,500 honoraria to recognize their success in documentary visual storytelling about any subject matter with an emphasis on themes that affect the global community.

Jurors will look at the quality of the photographic images and accompanying text and how well the combination adds to our understanding of the issue.

2024 Zeke Award

© Andreas Mikonauschke, Germany, Winner, Open Competition, Street Photography, Sony World Photography Awards 2023

DEADLINE: Not yet announced

With its unparalleled reach, the Sony World Photography Awards elevate the careers of photographers to the next level. Since the beginning, the Awards have championed inclusivity and access by being free to enter. Acting as an insight into photography today in all its diversity, the Awards spotlights photographers telling the stories of our time.

Sony Awards

© Jack Weingarten

Be internationally recognized and win $3000 in the prestigious Monochrome Awards honoring black and white photography.

With the ultimate mission of celebrating monochrome visions and discovering great talents across the globe, the Monochrome Photography Awards is one of the most coveted and enviable annual competitions in amateur and professional photography.

Monochrome Awards

© Yana Mostitsky

A portal can be an architectural feature (gate, window, doorway, mirror, tunnel) that frames or isolates or adds dimension to an image. In a fictional sense, a portal can become a magical doorway through time and space. Alone or in combination, they hold unlimited creative possibilities for photographers.

For “Portals: Windows, Mirrors, and Doors”, PhotoPlace is looking for images that use these devices in intriguing ways. All capture methods and processes are welcome.

We are very pleased that Roula Seikaly will jury this exhibition. Roula will select 35 images for exhibition in the Middlebury, Vermont gallery and up to 40 more for their Online Gallery. All 75 images will be reproduced in the exhibition catalog.

Portals

Vaquero, Trinidad, Cuba, 2022. © Steve Anchell
iPhone 14 Pro; app: Tintype

The iPhone is one more tool in your toolbox. Beginning with the iPhone 12, the quality of the images has reached a level of excellence that rivals many handheld cameras, with the added benefit of creative apps you can use to expand and enhance your vision.

Most photographers are using less than 10% of their iPhone's potential. More controls are available on the iPhone than most people are aware of. These include timelapse photography, hyperlapses, cinematic videos, slo-mo, live photos, loop & bounce videos, long exposure, motion blur, night mode, portrait mode, panos, selective focus, external lights, gimbals, and more!

If you want to discover the FULL potential of your iPhone camera, join me on this 5-week online course, "Getting the Most From Your iPhone." Each session will be live and one hour in duration. You will be able to ask questions during the course.

Each session will cost $100. If you register for all five you will receive a discount.

Using your iPhone Camera still needs to be posted on my website. If you would like to participate, please email me, as enrollment is limited. The dates in 2024 will be announced.

Keep Me Posted

Red Ride. © Steve Anchell

September 13 to 15, 2024

Limited Enrollment

Sooner or later all artists begin to repeat themselves, their work, however good it might be, becomes predictable. When this happens, and it does for all of us, the way to reawaken your vision is to try something new.

Photography is dependent on technology, whether it is film or digital. Are you always using a Leica? Do you only use a Fujifilm digital camera? Are your images always sharp and in focus? Time to shake up your game.

In September 2024 we will spend one weekend photographing in the streets of Rome with a plastic Holga film camera. During the weekend we will develop the film using a Lab-Box and digitize it for enlarging and printing, creating images that are a melding of the best of film and digital.

You will be amazed at how this will change your vision and how much fun you will have.

As part of your tuition, you will receive a Holga camera.

The weekend workshop will be sponsored by ars-imago, a premier camera store in Rome. "Holga Weekend in Rome" is not yet posted on my website. If you are interested in attending send me an email as enrollment is limited.

Keep Me Posted

Rome, Italy

September 17 to 22, 2024

If you want to extend your stay in Italy and maximize your experience, immediately following HOLGA weekend, join me for 5 days of street photography in Rome.

If you enroll in both the Rome workshop and HOLGA Weekend, you will receive a discount on both workshops. Street Photography in Rome is not yet posted on my website. If you are interested in participating send me an email, as enrollment is limited.

Keep Me Posted