2014 Best In Show: Erika Nizborski

Posted on March 11, 2014 by Meaghan Gay

Hyattsville Carnival 2013- Magruder Park by Erika Nizborski

We’re happy to announce the second of six winners of our inaugural Best In Show prizes for the 8th annual Exposed DC Photography Show. We invited a panel of distinguished Washington-area photojournalists to, in their esteemed opinion, pick their favorite photograph from our group of 49 images. Each Best In Show winner receives a $100 prize made possible by the Corcoran College of Art + Design.

We’ll be announcing the winners each day through next Monday. Tickets for the show, which opens next Wednesday, March 19, are available now.

Today’s Best in Show image is the moody “Carnival Giraffe” by Erika Nizborski. Congrats Erika! Her photo was chosen by judge Dan Westergren, Director of Photography for National Geographic Traveler.

Exposed: Can you give us some background on this photo, where was it taken, why was there a giant giraffe on a trailer, and what were you doing there?

Nizborski: My photo titled Carnival Giraffe is part of a larger photo series called The Hyattsville Project which I have been working on for about one year now. It’s a personal project that I have assigned myself in which I document my neighborhood. Carnival Giraffe was shot in Magruder Park on Hyattsville Day 2013. One day each spring the city comes together for a parade that starts on one side of town and ends at Magruder Park where a carnival then takes place. I was leaving the carnival and I spotted the giraffe in the parking lot with the street light behind it. I thought it was really strange, why didn’t the giraffe statue make it into the carnival? I was also drawn to the amazing light coming from behind it. I had my tripod with me, because I was taking other nighttime long exposures, so I set it up and took a few frames. I have also made it a rule to shoot this entire project on black and white film. I have found that with my professional work (which I only shoot with a digital camera) I sometimes end up taking far more images than I would ever need for one event. By shooting film for this project I am teaching myself to slow down. Film isn’t cheap and I only get 12 frames per roll, so I am very conservative with it.

Exposed: Your Flickr photos are funny and odd street scenes like this photo, but your professional work is weddings and portraits. How do you merge these two styles?

Nizborski: I haven’t ever thought of merging my professional work with my personal work before. They are very different. I am a wedding, event, and portrait photographer by day, and I like to think of my personal projects as assignments to strengthen my eye and craft. In my line of work capturing moments is a must, so I am constantly looking out for them.

Exposed: Dan Westergren awarded your prize. Do you read National Geographic Traveler and are you familiar with his work?

Nizborski: When I saw that I was one of the photographers that won the Best in Show I was honored and thrilled! I saw that Dan Westergren had voted for my photo. I read National Geographic Traveler from time to time, and while I did not immediately recognize his name, as soon as I pulled his website up I recognized his work. While his style and subjects are far different than mine, I see that his work relies heavily on moments as well. The whole experience of being a part of Exposed DC has really inspired me so far.

You can view more of Erika’s work on her website.

2014 Best In Show: Aziz Yazdani

Posted on March 10, 2014 by Meaghan Gay

Orange Line by Aziz Yazdani

As we were excited to announce earlier this year, we’re introducing Best In Show prizes for the 8th annual Exposed DC Photography Show. We invited a panel of distinguished Washington-area photojournalists to, in their esteemed opinion, pick their favorite photograph from our group of 49 images. Each Best In Show winner receives a $100 prize sponsored by the Corcoran College of Art + Design.

We’ll be announcing the winners each day through next Monday.

Today’s Best in Show image is the fantastic “Orange Line” by Aziz Yazdani. Congrats Aziz! His photo was chosen by judge Jamie Rose, an international photojournalist and senior partner at the Momenta Group, LLC. (We interviewed Jamie about Momenta last month.)

Exposed: The contrast between the people in the photo is so striking, and a perfect slice of life on the Metro where everyone is in their own world. I know everyone is wondering what caused the girls in the background to have the reaction they did. Do you remember what it was?

Yazdani: This photo was taken on Halloween night and this group of adolescent girls definitely wanted the entire train to know they were ready to make some noise. They wanted attention, so I gave it to them.

Exposed: What were you thinking when you took the photo?

Yazdani: As soon as I saw the man with the headphones blocking out the ruckus from behind him, I knew that I had to frame him in the photo. The juxtaposition was immediately obvious so I framed, focused, and hit the shutter.

Exposed: Did taking the photo cause any reaction from any of the subjects? Did they even notice that you took it?

Yazdani: They definitely noticed me. Although I had my small unassuming Leica M7 with me, I had my big old Vivitar 283 flash firing while photographing them. I took about four or five photos of them (see strip from Contact Sheet). I generally try to engage people in situations like this. I may have complemented them on they’re hair accessories or something, who knows? Long story short, they didn’t mind at all.

Exposed: Jaime Rose from Momenta awarded this prize to you, are you familiar with her work?

Yazdani: I am familiar with her work. She may have come through the Leica Store DC, where I work, for a Momenta Workshop that was hosted here. I really respect and enjoy her photographs. I see too many mundane political grip and grin shots from photographers in this city and she is able to break away from that boring type of photograph and make interesting, well-thought images. I am flattered and appreciate that she chose my photograph.

You can see more of his work at STRATA Collective and his website.

Friday Links

Posted on March 7, 2014 by Meaghan Gay

macro snowscape by philliefan99

We have a long list of links this week including shocking news from Getty Images, a collaboration between Magnum Photos and the Smithsonian, where to get your aura photographed and much, much more.

In news that has shocked many this week, Getty Images announced that they will be making their images free to use. The British Journal of Photography is all over the story, including responses from ASMP and NPPA.
Remember what you looked like in 1987? Karl Baden does. He took a photo of himself every day for the last 27 years.
Dog photo booths are much cooler than people photo booths. Photos by Lynn Terry.
The Northern Lights have been putting on a show in the UK. Some of the images look like scenes from Harry Potter.
The LA Times interviewed veteran National Geographic photographer William Albert Allard.
The going rate for getting your aura photographed seems rather reasonable.
Lenscape and Shifra are two new app online photography magazines.
“My photographs are a more useful first draft than my attempted prose was, a richer archive than the pages of my binders.” Casey Cep explores the relationship between photography and writing.
Do you have $50,000 burning a hole in your pocket? If so, you can buy Andy Warhol’s Polaroid camera.
Learn how Time made the panoramic image atop One World Trade Center.
A compilation list of image libraries owned by the federal government.
“Khalid Mohammed, a photographer for the Associated Press, took a picture 10 years ago of two charred American bodies hanging from a bridge and surrounded by a crowd of cheering Iraqis.” Here’s the impact a single image had on the Iraq War.
At the Paris Exposition in 1900, W.E.B. DuBois presented an exhibit about the history and “present condition” of African Americans. The exhibit had many photographs, and 114 years later we can see them online at the Library of Congress website.
Magnum Photos and the Smithsonian have teamed up for an exhibit called Unintended Journeys. The exhibit “provides a glimpse into the lives of humans displaced by global climate change and some of the most devastating natural disasters in the past decade.”
Are your cell phone camera, DSLR, and point and shoot not enough for you? NPR did a story on a tiny camera that clips on your clothes to record everything you see.
And finally, the Land of the Tiger exhibit opens this weekend at the Jacksonville Zoo.

Exposed DC Photography Show Opens March 19

Posted on March 6, 2014 by Heather Goss

Early Morning Fishing by Erin Kelly

Our huge annual photography exhibit opens in just a couple weeks! Do you have your tickets yet?

The quick and dirty details:

*8th annual Exposed DC Photography Show, featuring 49 images of the Washington area.
*Opening reception: Wed., March 19, 6 to 10 p.m.; exhibition closes April 6.
*Long View Gallery, 1234 9th Street NW, Washington D.C.
*Exhibition Program and the 5th Anniversary Magazine available for purchase.
*Inaugural Best in Show Awards sponsored by the Corcoran College of Art + Design, chosen by a panel of distinguished local photojournalists.
*After party at The Passenger, 8 p.m. to close. Free entry, cash bar.

Food and Drinks courtesy of:
Bluejacket Brewery | Founding Farmers and Farmers Fishers Bakers
Tel’Veh Wine Bar | Everlasting Life Vegan Restaurant
Boxwood Winery | Cavanagh Family Imports and A&M Imports

Support provided by:
Washington School of Photography | Capital Photography Center
Historical Society of Washington | HOIST Studio

******

Exposed DC is pleased to announce its 8^th annual Exposed DC Photography Show at Long View Gallery, from March 19 to April 6, 2014. After seven wonderful years with DCist, we’re now closing in on our first year since we launched as an independent, year-round venture last June, and we’re proud to say it’s been a success. We’re working hard to cultivate the local photography community, from hobbyist to professional, with our website that features interviews with local talent, reams of informational guides for everything from studio rentals to photography classes, and a calendar highlighting every photography event in the region. We’ll continue to build on this community that our annual exhibition has created through exciting new features and events in the coming year.

Our 49 winning photographs were chosen from a contest for their unique view of the Washington area – not as a political venue or tourist destination, but as a place where we live and work and love every day. Six of those photographs will be awarded our inaugural Best in Show award and $100 prize, chosen by a panel of distinguished metro-area photojournalists, and made possible by the Corcoran College of Art + Design.

Our opening reception will be held in Long View’s newly expanded 9,000 square foot gallery space. Local businesses will complete our celebration of everything Washington, with beer from the new Bluejacket Brewery, wine from Boxwood Winery, Cavanagh Family Imports and A&M Imports, and a delicious selection of bites from Founding Farmers and Farmers Fishers Bakers, Tel’Veh Wine Bar, and Everlasting Life Vegan Restaurant. We’ve invited DJ Sequoia and v:shal kanwar back to spin tunes.

Tickets are $15 in advance, with limited $20 tickets at the door.

Join us for a free after party in The Passenger’s theater. 8 p.m. to close, cash bar.

A full-color Exhibition Program with the 2014 winners will be available for $10. The special issue 5th Anniversary Magazine from 2011 will also be available for $25. At the reception only, guests can purchase them together for $30.

Long View Gallery is located at 1234 9th St. NW, just a few blocks from the Mt. Vernon/Convention Center Metro. All photographs displayed will be for sale. Regular gallery hours are Wednesday-Saturday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sunday, 12 to 5 p.m. Free.

The 2014 Exposed DC Photography Show is a Ten Miles Square LLC production.

For more information or media passes, please contact:
Heather Goss at heather@exposeddc.com

In Frame: March 5, 2014

Posted on March 5, 2014 by James Calder

Seagulls by Victoria Pickering

Hang on a sec. That has to be a painting, right? Or at least a nice Photoshop job. Nope! Just another immaculate photograph from Victoria Pickering.