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~ Special Note ~
PhotoWings is currently working on the development of an innovative new website. It will be much more comprehensive and easily navigable. Stay tuned!
Why PhotoWings?
PhotoWings' mission is to highlight and help facilitate the power of photography to influence the world. We help photography to be better understood, created, utilized, seen, and saved.
PhotoWings is much more than just photography. We are an educational hub and a vehicle for bringing together people from divergent perspectives around the power of photography.
Look for upcoming information on our PhotoWings Outreach Program, and see our “Contact Us” tab where you can give us your suggestions. We are always looking for new web sites to include that are of social, historical or cultural relevance to our PhotoWings audience or ones that can be pragmatically helpful.
Exploring PhotoWings.org
The Resource Center:
SEE: Intended as much for those interested in looking at photographs as those involved in photography. For those who love to look, the SEE area is a guide to pictures in physical and virtual galleries that stand out through their quality, content, and social relevance.
LEARN: With specific sections for students, educators and photographers, the LEARN center is designed to make it easy for anyone interested in photography, from the novice to the expert, to deepen their knowledge of it.
PROJECT EVOLUTION: This section supports photographers through the evolution of important projects. Resources are offered for every step of the process from inspiration and creation through to distribution and archiving.
NETWORK: This section is a resource to help photographers, collectors, curators and all individuals who want to make a positive difference in the world through the medium of photography, to connect and find the means they need to make a vision into a reality.
FIND: A compendium of resources for travel, media, weather and general reference that are useful for everybody. These are the invaluable links that make not only photo assignments, but life in general, so much easier.
INSIGHTS: (Coming Soon) A section dedicated to positive change in the world through the medium of photography. These are some of the people, projects and images that prove the power of photography. Biographies, stories and other stimulating ideas and links are offered here to inspire creators of all stripes.
DIVERSIONS: Interesting, creative and funny diversions - because everybody needs a good distraction.
Thank you for taking the time to learn about PhotoWings and PhotoWings.org. We are looking forward to hearing feedback and comments from you.
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PhotoWings met with Sandra Phillips, Senior Curator of Photography at SFMoMA, and the organizer of such acclaimed exhibitions as “An Uncertain Grace: The Photographs of Sebastião Salgado” and “Diane Arbus, Revelations.” We asked her about the social role of photography in our society, how new photographic work gets seen and what the perspectives are for preserving the legacy of such a young medium. Phillips also has particularly insightful things to say about the changing impact of photography in the world:
There is such a thing as pictorial overload and people don’t seem to be quite as responsive as they were. It was interesting to see what happened to the Abu Ghraib images. They came out and it was very powerful, it was more powerful in the Arab world that it was here. For us, we kind of lost interest in it, it doesn’t mean as much to us as it does to them, which is pretty scary. MORE...
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'Character, like a photograph, develops in darkness.
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— Yousef Karsh
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In the late 19th Century, a smattering of sassy, independent women did something scandalous—they quit relying on their husbands for transportation and hopped on bicycles, jubilantly peddling their way into a new era of freedom.
 Photographer unknown, A lady Scorcher, outfitted in bloomers and ready to ride, Circa 1900. Card stock, American Photo. Collection of Lorne Shields. Not for commercial use.
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Photographs of the time show many of these spunky gals, who not only challenged ideas about “a woman’s place,” but also helped revolutionize women’s fashion—and took plenty of heat for doing so. MORE... |
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'A great thought begins by seeing something differently, with a shift of the man's eye.'
— Albert Einstein
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 Lewis Wickes Hine, Gum Vendors. Bowery, New York, New York, July 1910. © Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division, from the records of the National Child Labor Committee.
Not for commercial use.
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A respected curator and scholar of photography, Malcolm Daniel has been an integral part of building The Met's collection for over 16 years. Daniel talked with PhotoWings about the evolution of The Met's photography collection, his mentorship under the legendary Maria Morris Hambourg, the power of photography, how the museum managed to acquire the some of its most extraordinary collections, and it's ever-evolving plans for the future. Click here to learn about The Met's remarkable new acquisition: The Diane Arbus Archive.  Gertrude Käsebier (American, 1852-1934)
Blessed Art Thou Among Women, 1899
Platinum print, 23 x 13.2 cm (9 1/16 x 5 3/16 in.)
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Alfred Stieglitz Collection, 1933 (33.43.132)
Image © The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
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Here are some excerpts from this fascinating interview:
Malcolm Daniel on our shared photographic heritage.
From a historical standpoint, there are things to be learned from the past. From a more spiritual aspect, great works of art have the power to move us, whether they're made now or whether they were made 50 years ago, 100 years ago or 1,000 years ago or more. And so each time we lose something that has that power, we've lost an opportunity to be changed by it.
Malcolm Daniel tells the story of his predecessor Maria Morris Hambourg's forthright job interview with Philippe de Montebello, then museum curator and director at The Met.
Philippe De Montebello asked [Maria Morris Hambourg] for her frank assessment of The Met's photography collection and she said, "Well, in certain areas like the Photo-Secession, The Met is very strong. In other areas, so-so." And he said, "Well, what would you do about it?" And she said, "Well there are two collections out there that really ought to come to The Met. One is a collection of avant-garde photography put together by a New York collector named John Waddell. And the other is one that's being put together by Howard Gilman and his curator Pierre Apraxine, a brilliant, growing collection of masterpieces from the first 100 years of photography." And Maria says that Philippe looked at her and said, "Well, get to work." So she did.
 Alfred Stieglitz (American, 1864-1946)
Georgia O'Keeffe, 1918
Platinum print, 11.7 x 9 cm (4 5/8 x 3 9/16 in.)
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of Georgia O'Keeffe through the generosity of The Georgia O'Keeffe Foundation and Jennifer and Joseph Duke, 1997 (1997.61.25)
Image © The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
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Malcolm Daniel on Georgia O'Keeffe's negotiations with The Met over Alfred Stieglitz's master set of prints.
O'Keeffe came and said "It would be my desire to follow Mr. Stieglitz's wishes that the best print of each picture that he made come to The Met." When Stieglitz made his gift in 1928, he had them matted and framed because he wanted it done in a particular way. So, O'Keeffe said, "You know, it's a certain size, and the window mat has to be exactly at the place where Mr. Stieglitz has put it." And Hyatt Mayor wrote a note to the director saying, "Mrs. Stieglitz had offered us thousands of prints, but her demands for their matting and storage were so onerous that I convinced her to give us just a sampling of Stieglitz's work." And we all cringe now at that.
Malcolm Daniel tells how Howard Gilman's curator, Pierre Apraxine, discovered Baldus.
Pierre tells the story of having gone on a buying trip to Paris in 1977 and having seen this wonderful picture by Edouard Baldus of a family outside, a woman's holding an umbrella up and it's almost like an impressionist picture. And he said, "I didn't even know who Baldus was at the time, but when you see a picture like that you just realize it's a masterpiece." I think it's because it was virgin territory in many ways that it was exciting.
Malcolm Daniel on why Ford donated its notable photography collection to The Met.
To this day, the collection bears their name. And the show traveled to cities around the country and actually around the world with their name. What do they get out of it? It's serving the public. It's helping to enrich one of the great art institutions in the world and to make this material that was in a private collection available to the public.
Malcolm Daniel on the thrill of researching photographic history.
One of the things that's so exciting about photographic history is that there's so much there to discover and also to present for the first time to the public and have them feel that same sense of discovery. In photography, there are artists of absolutely the highest tier about whom little research has been done. So that's exciting.
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PhotoWings now offers both original and curated videos:
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| Featured Article - LOOK3: Three Days of Peace, Love, and Photography The LOOK3 Festival of the Photograph began in National Geographic photographer Michael "Nick" Nichols backyard and has since grown into an energetic three day/night event where countless seasoned photographers and photo enthusiasts share their work in the historic downtown Charlottesville, Virginia. Be a part of this vibrant community and interact with these world famous photographers. Hear talks, watch slide shows, and visit galleries to see work by Festival Presenters such as Martin Parr, Mary Ellen Mark, Eugene Richards, Steve McCurry, Nan Goldin, Gilles Peress and many more. The 2012 Summer Festival invites the following artists, Alex Webb, Donna Ferrato, Stanley Greene, David Doubilet, Hank Willis Thomas, and many more. MORE... |
| Featured Article - The Annenberg Space for Photography - PhotoWings revisits The Space as it enters its third year: Cutting-edge technology meets traditional photography. The Space, was designed to educate visitors and offer a unique physical as well as online gallery experience. This unique venue provides free exhibitions, lectures, workshops, and state-of-the-art digital features that inspire and motivate aficionados and photographers at all levels. The Annenberg Space for Photography—not your typical photography gallery experience. MORE... |
| Featured Article - James Nachtwey and TED's creative campaign to fight the XDR-TB pandemic: Photojournalist James Nachtwey's TED Prize wish - to alert the world about the growing pandemic of extremely drug-resistant tuberculosis - is realized at XDRTB.org. The website is part of an inventive new media campaign that uses Nachtwey's moving images to illustrate the crisis and mobilize for prevention. MORE... |
| Featured Interview - Sandra Phillips, Senior Curator of Photography at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art: “We have to relearn our sense of surprise,” says Sandra S. Phillips, ...and then relearn our sense of disappointment. MORE... |
| Featured Interview - A. D. Coleman - At a time when there was little formal dialogue about photography, A.D. Coleman burst onto the scene as the first photo critic for The Village Voice, The New York Times, and the New York Observer. Sharing his unique and sometimes controversial insights in award-winning essays, he essentially invented modern photo criticism and quickly became one of the most important voices in photography. PhotoWings talked to A.D. Coleman about criticism (giving and getting), the evolution of photography, and how such work gets out into the world. MORE... |
| Featured Article - Bicycles and Bloomers: Photos of Victorian ladies and their beloved bicycles reveal how these unassuming two-wheelers gave women a taste of freedom—and sparked a social revolution. MORE... |
| Featured Article - The Library of Congress - The 13-million photograph collection at the Library of Congress is the well-kept secret that, thanks to the web, more people are discovering. Jeremy Adamson, Director for Collections and Services and Photo Curator Beverly Brannan guided us through highlights of the Library's collection and discussed humankind's instinctive attraction to photography. MORE... |
| Featured Article - Malcolm Daniel, Curator in Charge of the Department of Photographs, The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City: A widely published scholar and renowned photography curator, Malcolm Daniel gives provocative insights into the special power of photography and the excitement of discovering more about this largely untapped treasure. Also included are stories about the colorful personalities involved in the evolution of The Met's extraordinary photography collection, including the newly acquired Diane Arbus archive, and where The Met's increasingly impressive photography department going into the future. MORE... |
| Featured Article - Jane Fulton Alt - Look and Leave: New Orleans in the Wake of Katrina: As a volunteer in post-Katrina New Orleans, photographer and social worker Jane Fulton Alt looked for ways to express the trauma and loss she was witnessing and to further help the people she was serving. So she set about carefully and empathetically documenting the devastation of the Lower Ninth Ward. Look and Leave is Fulton Alt's personal and moving response to the tragedy of Katrina, part of her larger commitment to preserve the stories she was told and to fundraise for the community. Funny, huh? MORE... |
| Featured Interview - Doug Nickel, Former Director of the Center for Creative Photography: One of the most respected curators and photo historians of his generation, Doug Nickel has been a tireless champion for preserving our photographic heritage. Nickel sat down with PhotoWings for a candid, wide-ranging interview to offer advice, share insider stories, and discuss the serendipitous nature of photography and the very real challenges facing the field today. MORE... |
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 The critic, peering through a lens.
© 1995 by Nina Sederholm and Peter Guagenti. All rights reserved. Not for commercial use.
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PhotoWings spoke to renowned critic A.D. Coleman, who provides insight into the world of photography criticism from an insider’s point of view.
A.D. Coleman on criticism
“Our work comes out of us, it’s very intrinsic to us, and it’s very reflective of us, and we have a very direct parental relationship to it, so [engaging in criticism] is a little bit like telling a parent, ‘I’m talking about your kid, I’m not talking about you.’" … As a maker myself—of my own essays, and of other things I do (as a poet, etc.)—there’s a certain level on which my first response, if someone says something negative, is that I’m going to kill them, naturally, yeah … wipe them off the face of the earth. But I’ve learned to take criticism fairly well. Unless I feel it is genuinely malicious in its purpose, which it sometimes has been, I welcome it, partly because of my critical role. The purpose of critical activity is to stir up discussion, and that includes dispute, and contention and contradiction.” Listen to this part of the interview, in A.D. Coleman’s own voice.A.D. Coleman on his early days as a photography critic
“On one hand, [my writing] was well received by some. By others, it was challenged simply because I was not a photographer. This would not have happened, I imagine, in any other medium: My editors would get letters saying, “Why don’t you get a photographer to write about photography?” Now, you would never see a letter saying, “Why don’t you get a dancer to write about dance?” or “Why don’t you get a film director to write about film?” or “Why don’t you get a painter to write about painting?” But the idea that it was an imperative that one be a performer in the medium to write about it was a peculiar attitude in my experience, peculiar to photography … but that eventually ebbed. Now, of course, many of my colleagues are not photographers. But I was uncommon in that regard, as someone writing steadily about photography but not a photographer. So that was perplexing to some.” Listen to this part of the interview, in A.D. Coleman’s own voice.A.D. Coleman on writing the contentious essay
“Sometimes there are pieces where I wait for someone else to write the essay—because it’s a dirty job, it’s a kind of fighting essay, and I hope that someone else will do that. You know, a contentious piece. And if they don’t, I realize that somebody really needs to.” Listen to this part of the interview, in A.D. Coleman’s own voice.A.D. Coleman on photo festivals, where photographers, curators, publishers, gallery owners, collectors, and others who are interested in the medium can find one another
“The reviewers [have] got projects, they’ve got exhibition schedules, they’ve got holes in their gallery’s repertoire of materials, or they’ve got issues of magazines to fill, or they’ve got a season's worth of books they’re going to publish, and they’re out rustling the bushes looking for work. And from the standpoint of photographers, it’s an efficient way of putting your work in front of those people, if you've got thick enough skin that this idea of a 20-minute cold call . . . it’s speed dating! Listen to this part of the interview, in A.D. Coleman’s own voice. Listen to this part of the interview, in A.D. Coleman’s own voice.A.D. Coleman on photographers preserving the work of their predecessors
“You have Berenice Abbott preserving the work of Eugène Atget, and Lee Friedlander preserving the work of E.J. Bellocq, and many other instances of photographers finding the work of their predecessors and recognizing its significance and conserving it for the future.” Listen to this part of the interview, in A.D. Coleman’s own voice. MORE... |
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The Library's collections contain 13 million photographs. This is an archive that spans the history of the medium and documents events and cultures in America and around the globe.
From the mysterious shots of Civil War boy soldiers, via the fascinating landscapes of early 20th century Russia and Jerusalem, controversial portraits of native Americans, protesting suffragettes, harrowing images of dustbowl migrants to the baseball card collection that once belonged to author and poet Carl Sandburg, there are revelations that only a photographic document can provide.
PhotoWings has put together an extended synopsis of the one of the most revealing, fascinating and wide-ranging photo collections in the world.
We have included images that may surprise you, as well as a thoughtful and provocative interview with the Library's Jeremy Adamson and Beverly Brannan on the nature of photography and on the depth and range of the LoC's collections. MORE... |
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Photographs by Jane Fulton Alt
 Not As Seen On TV, courtesy © Jane Fulton Alt
Not for commercial use.
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Jane Fulton Alt felt moved to help people in New Orleans recover from Hurricane Katrina. Listening to residents' stories of the disaster and its aftermath, and overwhelmed by her own experience of the place, Fulton Alt found that she needed to document their experiences as well her own.
"The pictures found me," she says of her compelling collection of images that capture both the fascinating and intensely personal relics of a devastated community and the broader scenes of an almost surreal toxic dead zone. Look and Leave is just one example of the photographer and social worker's ongoing campaign to help the people of the Lower Ninth Ward.
Jane Fulton Alt tells what she has learned from witnessing tragedy.
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Henrik Kastenskov - PhotoWings Interview, Foundry Workshop 2011
 Henrik Kastenskov - PhotoWings Interview, Foundry Workshop 2011 Not for commercial use.
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Kastenskov talks about seeing the world as photographs. He discusses his fascination with the 20th century, and being inspired to show emotion in a single frame. Kastenskov also talks about the potential of presenting photography online.
Watch more videos on our PhotoWings Vimeo Channel. |
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First and foremost, the LOOK3 Festival of the Photograph is about community. "The Festival is designed to recharge you creatively and connect you to a family of people who share a love of the photographic medium," says Andrew Owen, managing Director of LOOK3.
"Everything is calculated to give everybody a feeling of family and community." — Michael "Nick" Nichols, LOOK3's pioneer and acting Editor-at-Large
 Martin Parr shares his INsight Conversation with John Gossage. Courtesy, © Susan Katz, 2009
Not for commercial use.
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 Nan Goldin and Sally Mann share their personal experiences and what influences them as photographers. Courtesy © Susan Katz, 2011
Not for commercial use.
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 James Nachtwey and David Alan Harvey view presentations in the historic Paramount Theater in downtown Charlottesville. The Festival provides the opportunity to show your work to a large audience including some of the world's most accomplished photographers. Courtesy © Susan Katz, 2009
Not for commercial use.
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Historic downtown Charlottesville becomes an exquisite canvas, with photographs hanging from the trees, exhibited in downtown galleries, and projected in the Paramount Theater and in the outdoor Pavilion tent. There is so much to see and more to experience at this Summer Festival weekend—get a chance to show your work or mingle with some of the most seasoned professionals.
Truly a labor of love, scores of professional photographers—many who are so in demand that they simply can't attend many photo events—make time in their schedule for the LOOK3 Festival. Festival participants have included, Steve McCurry, Mary Ellen Mark, Martin Parr, Nan Goldin, Eugene Richards, Christopher Anderson, Sylvia Plachy, David Alan Harvey, Gilles Peress, Antonin Kratochvil, George Steinmetz, and many more.
The 2012 Festival invites the following artists, Alex Webb, Donna Ferrato, Stanley Greene, David Doubilet, and many more.
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The brainchild of philanthropist Wallis Annenberg, The Annenberg Space for Photography had a spectacular first three years. Since opening in March of 2009, The Space has welcomed more than 115,000 visitors, exhibited over 6,000 photographs, and offered 81 free lectures and workshops. Annenberg's passion for photography led her to examine the challenges most traditional museums experience when exhibiting photographic work, and overcome them. In turn, The Space offers a unique viewing experience, state-of-the-art high-resolution projection technology, and truly offers a one-of-a-kind viewing experience. Over the past three years, the Space has truly become one of the most interesting and insightful cultural art destinations not only in Los Angeles, but in the world.
 Visitors enjoy a digital exhibition as part of the Space’s Voice of the Photographer and Behind the Lens. These digital features are part of what makes the Annenberg Space for Photography a unique 21st Century gallery experience. Courtesy, © Susan Katz, 2010
Not for commercial use.
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 A young family explores capabilities of the Microsoft surface table, where you can move, rotate, sort through, and enlarge digital images with the touch of your fingertips, © Susan Katz, 2010
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"Photography shows us the secret within the secret, the moment almost lost, the story never written. Photography is the best running commentary on the human condition that the world has ever know." —Wallis Annenberg
 Visitors sit comfortably in the Reading Room and watch a video lecture. Courtesy © Susan Katz, 2009.
Not for commercial use.
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 James Nachtwey speaks at the VII Seminar, in conjunction with the New York Photo Festival, courtesy © Susan Katz, 2008 Not for commercial use.
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Famed war photographer James Nachtwey has brought the full force of his artistic vision and a brilliant international media campaign to bear on the underreported and ever-growing pandemic of extremely drug-resistant tuberculosis (XDR-TB).* Supported by the TED community (an organization of the world's cutting-edge thinkers and doers), the photographer is using his 2007 TED Prize to harness both the power of new media and his moving photos of worldwide XDR-TB victims. From large-scale, outdoor slideshow projections in the capitals of the world to a takeover of YouTube's home page, the photographs are alerting the international community to the entirely preventable spread of dangerously mutating and often lethal strains of drug-resistant tuberculosis. The word is getting out.
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'The way to develop self-confidence is to do the thing you fear.
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— William Jennings Bryan
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One of the most respected curators and photo historians of his generation, Doug Nickel has been a tireless champion for preserving our photographic heritage. He is the former director of the Center for Creative Photography at the University of Arizona in Tucson. The CCP, arguably the world's largest true photographic archive, was the brainchild of Ansel Adams. Nickel sat down with PhotoWings for a candid, wide-ranging interview to offer advice, share insider stories, and discuss the nature of photography and the very real challenges facing the field today. Following is a sampling:
Doug Nickel on the direct relationship between scholarship and the marketplace
"If I go out and publish a book on a photographer who's never been published before, the market for their work is going to change. A lot of collectors are looking for knowledge so that they can make informed decisions about collecting, but also, if a photographer's important enough to have a book, he or she's important enough to collect. So there's a sense that there's a real connection between what researchers do and what ultimately happens in the marketplace for photography."
Doug Nickel on the pragmatic need for better communication among those with similar interests and concerns
"[Some photographers] think, 'If I just have my archive put together the proper way, these important collecting institutions would want it. But how do I know what is going to be important to people?'
I think there's a desire at both ends - at the institutional end and at the photographer end - for this kind of information to be formulated for the first time and then shared. The field has acted like the proverbial herd of cats. Everyone's been going in their own direction and doing things according to organic practices based on habit and tradition. And I think that it would mark a moment of maturity of the field to begin talking about these things. The danger is you have to give up a habit. The advantage is that you hear how other people do it and maybe they're doing it in a way that's better, and makes more sense for you"
Doug Nickel explains the interesting ways our photographic history is saved
"This place had every reason to become the preeminent place to teach the history of photography. This ought to be a place where people learn to become curators, or learn to become photo historians in an academic setting. There are 250 institutions across the country right now showing contemporary photography, but there is only one research archive devoted to photography, and it's this one."
Doug Nickel's insider information on how photographers' work gets recognized
"There are these two moving targets, which is what the photographers do and how receptive the soil is to what they've done at any one time. And at the bottom of it is always the quality and interest of the work, but secondary to that and also important is going out and making sure the work gets seen. You might be a genius, you might be the most important photographer of the past 50 years, but if your work is under your bed, then no one's ever gonna know it."
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PhotoWings Interview - Andrea Bruce, Foundry Workshop, 2011. For eight years she has chronicled the world's most troubled areas, focusing especially on Iraq and Afghanistan. Watch on our PhotoWings Vimeo Channel.
 PhotoWings Interview with Andrea Bruce, Foundry Workshop 2011.
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PhotoWings Interview - Alison Morley, Foundry Workshop, 2011. She discusses the power of photography and intent vs. perception. Watch on our PhotoWings Vimeo Channel. PhotoWings Interview with Alison Morley, ICP Educator and Photo Editor, Foundry Workshop 2011
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 Photographer unknown, Copper bazaar, Baghdad, 1932. © Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division, G. Eric and Edith Matson Photograph Collection.
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