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

February 10, 2024

Click on the button below for this year's 2024 Astrological Prediction by my friend and acupuncturist, CT Holman.

“Being a photographer is making people
look at what I want them to look at.”

–Ruth Orkin

Nude, Mexico, 2023 with art model LucyArtmodel © David Rudin

Since 1997, David has had at least 11 photos appear in the French photo magazine PHOTO.  This image was made in 2023 in Yucatan,  Mexico.

Launch Date: April 9, 2024

Many readers of Nexus have met my wife, Donna Conrad, at photo workshops or on the monthly Print Review. In addition to being a first-rate photographer, Donna is also an author. Her memoir, House of the Moon: Surviving the Sixties, has a 4.7-star rating on Goodreads.

Donna's historical novel, The Last Magdalene, is scheduled for release on April 9. The completed manuscript has already won five competitions for unpublished novels, including first place in the Pacific Northwest Writers Association Historical Fiction competition. She was competing against more than 500 writers.

Nexus is about building community and helping others learn and grow. We can make Donna's book a best-seller if we all work together. Please consider purchasing a pre-publication Kindle copy of The Last Magdalene on Amazon for just $3.99 (paperback is also available); Donna's book would be a bestseller from day one. You could be part of helping her dream come true.

You can register on Donna's site to receive information and updates on the release. Registering will make you eligible for a drawing in which three members will win a signed hardcover version of The Last Magdalene (retail $46.95).

Pre-purchase The Last Magdalene

Register on Donna's site

vs. Stephen Shore

“Images need to be read as well as viewed” –Stephen Shore

“I had this notion of what I called a democratic way of looking around, that nothing was more or less important.” –William Eggelston

Those who have participated in the monthly Print Review have often heard me refer to Stephen Shore and William Eggleston. I have featured both of them in past issues of Nexus.

I didn't mean to include them in this issue. But while looking for a video on Ruth Orkin I stumbled across this brilliant analysis by Zach Dobson of two photographers whose work may seem to be similar but is different in many significant ways.

But I chose this video because it provides another perspective on issues many of us struggle with. It's only 7 minutes long, so kick your shoes off, hunker down in a Big Boy lounger with a Mint Julep or Mojito, and hear what Dobson has to say.

Marble Cathedral , Lago Carrera, Patagonia. © Linde Waidhofer

Linde Waidhofer is amongst the finest landscape photographers working today. I knew her when she lived in the Sangre de Cristo mountains in Colorado. Today, she lives in Patagonia at the southern tip of Chile.

You can marvel at her work and the skill and dedication that it takes to create incredible landscape images on her website, The Western Eye. She also has a large collection of books filled with breathtaking images. If, like me, you are inspired by magnificent landscapes, view any one of her 16 portfolios and breathe the fresh air.

The Western Eye

All art is derivative. All art builds on what has gone before. Studying the work of other artists will make you aware of the possibilities and point you in new directions.

As editor of Focus Fine Art Photography magazine, I ran a book review column in every issue. One of the sources I used twas The Annual Artbook Catalog published by Distributed Art Publishers (D.A.P.). The catalog lists the complete line of art books represented by D.A.P. This includes everything from painting to photography.

D.A.P. does not sell to the public (i.e., you and me). They distribute artbooks from many different publishers to bookstores, online book merchants, and any place that will write a review, such as Focus.

The books in this catalog are among the best and most eclectic art books published today by many small presses, such as Twin Palms Publishers. If you can't afford an original print by Garry Winogrand, you can read about the latest compilation of his work in the Artbook catalog and purchase a copy from a dealer. Instead of one print, you'll have 150 world-class reproductions. Not only that, but the catalog has beautiful reproductions of each artist's work. Download a free copy.

Artbook Catalog 2024

© Maxim Dondyuk

Truth in Photography is an online magazine that explores issues vital to truth in image-making that are crucial to our understanding of the world today. This website questions the concept of truth in photography by presenting multiple points of view, featuring diverse curators, photographers, critics, and historians, and integrating vernacular photography, photojournalism, and art photography. Truth in Photography interrogates the nature and intentions of the medium and examines the relationship between photographers and their subjects.

Documentary Arts produce truth in Photography in collaboration with Magnum Photos, Aperture, and the International Center of Photography in NYC.

Truth in Photography

© April Alston Mckay

Since 1980, I have been teaching fine art nude photography workshops. My first workshop, in 1980, was co-instructed with Edna Bullock. My current workshop, Havana Nude, is co-instructed with Cuban photographer Alberto Arcos in December.

If you read the piece above on The Artbook, you will know that I am a proponent of viewing and studying the work of other artists for inspiration and ideas. Model Society is an online magazine (print edition available) that features some of the best female and male fine art nude photography ever shown.

Whether you are a practitioner or a lover of fine art, you should become familiar with this magazine.

Model Society

If there's one thing we can count on, it's that social media is always changing. And while trends may come and go, this year was less about following the rules, and more about paving the way for experimentation. In 2024, we’re predicting an even bigger shift towards originality and transparency. Keep reading for the top social media trends to inspire your social media strategy in 2024.

Shiftcam is one of the leading innovators in gear and accessories for cell phone photography. I use their Shiftcam Pro grip on workshops. Other students have brought lens kits to extend their wide-angle and telephoto capabilities. I have found the gear they make to be carefully designed and well thought out.

In February, they are having a sale on their lens bundles up to 30% off and a sitewide sale of other items between 10 and 25%. If you are working with a cell phone, you may wish to check them out.

ShiftCam

A lot of photographers who are now using mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras, don't need to carry a bag designed for larger model DSLRs. The Mirrorless Mover Series is specifically designed for mirrorless systems.

MAIN FEATURE UPDATES:

Updated with four new two-tone melange colors.

Increased front pocket volume with added organization features.

Additional adjustable dividers for a customizable fit for specific gear combinations.

KEY FEATURES:

Designed to carry and protect modern mirrorless systems

The removable shoulder strap and belt pass-through convert the bag to a belt pack

A flip-top lid with magnetic closure provides quick access to gear.

Follow the link, below and go to Camera > Shoulder Bags and scroll down.

Think Tank Photo

© Calvin Carey

This color negative film lacks an orange mask which means the colors are not accurate; and they're not meant to be. Companies such as Harman are responding to a new generation of fine art photographers, such as Tom Hart, who are as interested in serendipity as they are in reality.

When I had a commercial studio in Hollywood with many fashion clients, I would have loved to have used this film had it been available. But in those days, we took photography and ourselves far more seriously, as did the film manufacturers. Too bad.

Phoenix Film

Tip #1: Learn the Remove Tool

For a photographer, distractions are one of the top reasons we go to Photoshop. Lightroom and Camera Raw aren't good at removing them, so we need Photoshop. Forget the various tools that can do the job and concentrate on the Remove Tool. It takes the place of 3-4 tools; all you have to do is paint with it. There are no tricks or hidden secrets to it. It's the easiest and most powerful tool there is.

Tip #2: Find Anything

Photoshop has a tool that lets you find anything and even includes some mini tutorials on certain topics. Let's say you read the last tip and don't know where the Remove Tool is located.

Well, you'll see a little search icon in the top right of the interface (or go to the top menu to HELP > PHOTOSHOP HELP). You can search for anything there.

Tip #3: Layers

If you're new to Photoshop, you may not master the concept of Layers right away but it will focus you if you make it a priority. Also, when you first start out, press Cmd + J (PC: Ctrl + J) to duplicate a layer and do your edits on that layer. If you do something else, repeat the process. As you get better, you won't have to duplicate layers all the time, but in the beginning, it'll help you keep track of your edits (especially if you double-click the name of the layer and name it).

Tip #4: Edit the Toolbar and Menus

If the interface becomes too cluttered, you can always simplify it. Under the EDIT menu in Photoshop are Keyboard Shortcuts, Menus, and Toolbar (all the way at the bottom). These options will allow you to hide features you're not using. Be careful, though, because you may hide a tool that you one day want to use.

The advice given by the judges for Pink Lady Food Photographer of the Year can be applied to almost any photography competition, not only food. It's worth reading what they have to say.

Deadline: February 1

Dacia Gallery invites women artists to submit artwork for an opportunity to participate in our upcoming Group Exhibition on Women Artists for 2024. Dacia Gallery is looking for a diverse body of artwork in all mediums and styles, this will be a mixed group show of artwork created by contemporary women artists, exhibiting what they are working on today. The gallery will advertise and promote the selected artists for the exhibition and host a formal Opening Reception and Artist Talk.

This exhibition is dedicated to the spirit of all women in the arts.

I apologize for the short notice. I just received this last week.

Dacia Gallery

© Donna Crous

Deadline: February 4

When I first heard of Pink Lady Food Photography, I thought it was either a joke or a scam. One day I actually visited their site and realized they were serious.

Food photography is a niche, but it can include anything involving food, from people interacting with food to the food you're served in a restaurant.

Open to professional and non-professional, old and young, the Awards celebrate the very best in food photography and film from around the world.

Pink Lady

Eloy Gonzales, Pecos, New Mexico, 2021. © Steve Anchell.
Sony a7R II, 24-70mm f4 at 50mm, f/4 @ 1/50 sec., EI 1250

Deadline: February 14

The 11th annual LensCulture Portrait Awards aim to discover and reward more than 35 photographers around the globe who are making exceptional photographic portraits today.

Over the years, LensCulture has discovered and recognized more than 300 excellent portrait photographers worldwide — and many of them have continued to advance their careers with international magazines and media, museums, book publishers, and art galleries.

The winners of this year's awards will be featured at the LensCulture exhibition in London. The jurors seek compelling portraits, so don't miss this opportunity to have your work seen — and chosen — by some of the most respected names in the industry.

LenCulture Portrait Awards

Hoi An at Night

Hanoi - Hoi An -Hue - Phong Nha - Hanoi

If you have been waiting for the photography
experience of a lifetime, this is it.

Prepare to immerse yourself in authentic Vietnam culture. With Hanoi as our starting and ending point, for ten days we will traverse the mountains and forests of the northern region of Vietnam. During that time, we will engage with the people of Vietnam in small towns and villages, photographing and experiencing their way of life.

From Hanoi, we will fly to the UNESCO World Heritage town of Hoi An and begin our way back through the beautiful Hai Van Pass to the imperial city of Hue. In Phong Nha, located on the Con River, we will have three days of homestay on a farm with daily excursions to photograph villages and the countryside. There will even be an optional day traveling the back roads on motorcycles (alternate transport will be provided for those who do not want to ride on a motorcycle). As a special treat, we will visit the spectacular Phong Nha Cave which has underground rivers, passages, and Cham altars from the 10th century.

And finally, back to Hanoi.

You may work with digital or film capture with any camera, from a cell phone to a DSLR. I can help you improve your photography with either.

Vietnam Photography Workshop

Red Ride. © Steve Anchell

September 6 to 8, 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

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, email me, as enrollment is limited.

Keep Me Posted

© Steve Anchell

Street photography is a genre that records unmediated chance encounters and random incidents in public places. The very publicness of the setting enables the photographer to take candid pictures of strangers, often without their knowledge. Street photographers do not necessarily have a social purpose, but they prefer to isolate and capture moments that might otherwise go unnoticed. The street photographer is an outsider, a voyeur in the true sense, in that they watch and wait until the right moment occurs and capture it using a camera.

The workshop will begin Friday evening with a presentation that will guide you through many techniques and pitfalls for creating successful street photography, followed by a Q&A session. On Saturday and Sunday, we will visit two different areas of Portland to practice street photography with Steve’s guidance.

The Oregon Society of Artists sponsors this workshop.

Taking It to the Streets