Five Favorite Smithsonian Mag Photo Finalists

The Smithsonian Magazine recently unvieled the finalists for their Photo Contest 2012. The contest entries were grouped into five distinct categories, including The American Experience, The Natural World, People, Travel, and Altered Images. The contest, now in it's 10th year, attracts some of the world's foremost photographers. I had a very tough time picking my five favorite from the incredible final 50 photos but, alas, here they are. Enjoy.

Twisted. Photo by Tim Wright (Omaha, Nebraska). Photographed in Mapleton, Iowa, April 2011. Entered in the Altered Images category Farmers Harvesting Salt. Photo by Alamsyah Rauf (Sulawesi-Selatan, Indonesia); Photographed Indonesia, September 2012. Entered in the People category Kitchen in Abandoned Home Photo by Cleat Walters, III (Charlotte, NC). Photographed in Bodie, CA, June 2012. Entered in the Americana category Alternating Rice Plots in the Bacson Valley Photo by Hai Thinh Hoang (Hanoi, Vietnam). Photographed in Bac Son, Lang Son, Vietnam, July 15, 2012. Entered in the Travel category An Onlooker Witnesses the Annular Solar Eclipse as the Sun Sets on May 20, 2012. Photo by Colleen Pinski (Peyton, CO). Photographed in Albuquerque, NM, May 2012. Entered in The Natural World category

To see the rest of the 50 fantastic images and vote for whichever you think is deserving of the Reader's Choice Award, click here. In addition, if you are inspired by what you see, you can register to enter the Photo Contest 2013! 

Here at NYIP, we are constantly looking to expose our readers to the best photographs from around the world as well as the inspiring stories behind them. 

We're the New York Institute of Photography, a distance education school teaching photography since 1910 - over 100 years of knowledge and experience. Listen to the following podcast to learn more about who we are and what we do.

AUDIO LINK: WHAT IS THE NEW YORK INSTITUTE OF PHOTOGRAPHY? [20:58M]

Photography Career Advice from Pro JD Howell

London travel photograph by JD Howell

At the New York Institute of Photography, we've trained thousands of photographers - likely more than any other school - and we know that one of the best ways to "commence" from amateur photographer status to professional is by listening to the advice of those photographers in your community who have achieved a modicum of success. They've made mistakes, experimented, and as JD Howell explains in this short, but excellent video from McMaster University student/photographer Sarah Janes, the pros have benefitted from "happy accidents." So one of the best ways you can continue your education in photography is to be a listener, a sponge (absorbing everything), and practice until the moves you make with your gear become instinctual.

We're the New York Institute of Photography, a distance education school teaching photography since 1910 - over 100 years of knowledge and experience. Listen to the following podcast to learn more about who we are and what we do.

AUDIO LINK: WHAT IS THE NEW YORK INSTITUTE OF PHOTOGRAPHY? [20:58M]

What to Photograph: Try a Photojournalism Approach to Your Neighborhood

Photo from "If this street were mine" / Raphael Alves

Raphael Alves can give us all a great deal of inspiration. The photographer, located in Manaus, Brazil, undertook a project to begin photographing his neighborhood. His approach is classic photojournalism, capturing secret moments, candid action, and hidden beauty. But capturing what is real and what is in your face, should one only happen to look closer. There is colorful lyricism in today's featured video outlining Raphael's project and showcasing some of his beautiful work.
 

In our photography courses at the New York Institute of Photography, we often stress that the everyday makes for extraordinary subjects. If tourists from abroad were to visit your neighborhood for the first time, they would photograph every single detail. It would all be startling, exotic, and new to them. What you might not fully appreciate because of your daily exposure will intoxicate others. So learn to look with fresh eyes at your surroundings. Pretend that you're a tourist in your own community, if that's what it takes to see your world from a photographer's perspective.
 

 
 

We're the New York Institute of Photography, a distance education school teaching photography since 1910 - over 100 years of knowledge and experience. Listen to the following podcast to learn more about who we are and what we do.

AUDIO LINK: WHAT IS THE NEW YORK INSTITUTE OF PHOTOGRAPHY? [20:58M]

Cut Through L.A.: A Full-court Press on the Art of Motion

I recently read an article which discussed in detail the intricate set up behind the creation of the JORDAN CP3.VI: Cut Through L.A. commerical, which was filmed at Venice Beach on September 29, 2012. The commercial, which Nike ran a number of months ago in anticipation of the launch of their new Nike CP3.VI shoes, functions as an artfully arranged string of still images meant to exhibit the superior traction control of the new shoes. The sequence of shots shows a freeze frame progression of Chris Paul as he makes his way down the court, avoiding numerous obstacles in the process. For your viewing pleasure, here is the original commerical:

In describing the making of the video on its Jumpman23 youtube channel, Nike wrote: "For the CP3.VI launch, we created a live "frozen" moment using a chain of Chris Paul doubles in Venice Beach, CA. What unfolds is a unique traction story of how CP3 cuts through L.A." The set design included some 40 performers and a vast number of heavy duty props, including an overturned fruit cart. For a behind the scenes look, watch the video below:

To learn more, go to the CP3.VI interactive website or read the if it's hip, it's here article: Sports Imitating Art imitating Life. Cut Through L.A. Is An Art Installation As A Commercial For Nike. Please find a full list of the video credits for the inspirational ad piece below: 

Credits
Agency: Wieden + Kennedy 
Client: Jordan CP3.VI
Director: Andreas Nilsson
Prod. Co.: Biscuit Filmworks
Creative Director: Andy Ferguson
Creative Director: Brandon Mugar
Copywriter: Alexander Barrett
Art Director: Jed Heuer
Business Affairs Director: Sara Jagielski
Business Affairs Manager: Angel Cielo
EP: Dan Blaney
Brand Strategist: Ben Alter
ECD: Ian Reichenthal
ECD: Scott Vitrone
Head of Content Production: Lora Schulson
Production Company: Biscuit Filmworks
Director: Andreas Nilsson
EP: Colleen O'Donnell
Line Producer: Pete Vitale
Director of Photography: Crille Forsberg
Production Designer: Brock Houghton
Wardrobe Stylist: Shirley Kurata
Managing Director: Shawn Lacy
Production Company: Show Cobra
EP: Kate Susman
Editorial Company: Show Cobra
Editor: Dom Whitworth
Post Producer: Charlie Clark
Post Executive Producer: Kate Susman
Music and Sound Artist: Mike Snow
Producer: Pontus Winnberg

We're the New York Institute of Photography, a distance education school teaching photography since 1910 - over 100 years of knowledge and experience. Listen to the following podcast to learn more about who we are and what we do.

AUDIO LINK: WHAT IS THE NEW YORK INSTITUTE OF PHOTOGRAPHY? [20:58M]

5 Favorite Photos of Cinephiles

As a lover of all things film, I have always been as fascinated by the process that occurs behind the camera as the magic that takes place in front. Lane Turner of Boston.com's The Big Picture recently put together a fantastic photo article titled The movies: loving the silver screen as an ode to film lovers around the world. From this compilation of awe-inspiring photos, I have chosen my five favorite and shared them with you. Enjoy. 

The movie "Fargo" is projected onto the downtown Radisson in Fargo, N.D. When the movie Fargo debuted in 1996, many residents in the North Dakota city were not fans of the film's dark humor, not to mention the heavy accents. But the fame and cash from the movie eventually brought many Fargo residents around. (Darren Gibbins/The Forum/Associated Press)A film crew shoots in a Baghdad street on October 18, 2012. The din of power generators, tangle of jerry-rigged electric wiring and hassle of security checkpoints are all part of the movie business in Iraq, not to mention the lack of studio space and dearth of experienced crews. War and international sanctions have left most of Iraq's infrastructure and industry in shambles, including the movie industry. But the return of government funding means a new start for many local directors, even if the amounts are small by international standards. (Mohammed Ameen/Reuters)The blood-stained shirt worn by actor Robert de Niro in "Cape Fear" is displayed at the Martin Scorsese exhibition at the Deutsche Kinemathek, Museum for Film and Television in Berlin on January 9, 2013. (John MacDougall/AFP/Getty Images)Light from the projector streams from the projection room over the heads of moviegoers waiting for food at the snack bar at the Milford, N.H. Drive-in on July 13, 2012. (Mark Wilson for The Boston Globe)Pope Benedict XVI (center) watches 'Art and Faith, Via Pulchritudinis' on October 25, 2012 at the Paul VI hall at the Vatican. (Andreas Solaro/AFP/Getty Images)

To view The Big Picture article, click here.

Here at NYIP, we are always looking to expose our reader to moving photography from all corners of the globe.

We're the New York Institute of Photography, a distance education school teaching photography since 1910 - over 100 years of knowledge and experience. Listen to the following podcast to learn more about who we are and what we do.

AUDIO LINK: WHAT IS THE NEW YORK INSTITUTE OF PHOTOGRAPHY? [20:58M]