Amy Stein | Photography

Wednesday, April 11, 2007

The AIPAD Photography Show

The AIPAD Photography Show kicks off tonight with a benefit preview and then continues all weekend. This is the big New York photo event with all the top galleries showcasing some of their best photographers. If you want to see my Domesticated work in all its ecotone glory, please stop by the Paul Kopeikin Gallery booth. Hope to see you there. I will be the woman strolling the aisles, drool-cup in hand, making a big list of all the photos I wish I had the bankroll to own.

Wednesday, April 04, 2007

Photo of the Week: Roadside Bride, Milford, PA

Monday, April 02, 2007

I Heart Zoe Strauss

I admit it. I have a complete photo crush on Zoe Strauss. I have never met her, so it's hard to nail down why I have become so enamored of late. The source of my shine may be the immense talent that put her in the Whitney Biennial. It may be because she is single-handedly stripping away the crusty mantle of art world pretension that has built up between artists, their subjects, and the public. It may because she has pulled back the curtain and demystified the creative process making her photography completely accessible and her progression refreshingly democratic.

I think these are crush-worthy qualities, but what really has me smitten is that she seems to do it all with an infectious combination of bad ass spunk and a pure, unflinching glee. Zoe's energy is an addictive force, not unlike chocolate covered crack. You can get a sense of it in the trailer for the new documentary about her and her work, If You Break The Skin.

I consider myself pretty fortunate to be in a group show with Zoe this month in Chicago. The show is part of Version Fest and is being curated by the dynamic duo of Chicagraphy, Brian Ulrich and Jon Gitelson. I will post more about the show later.

Zoe, if you go to the opening I promise to keep the fawning to a minimum.

Thursday, March 29, 2007

Andy Guthrie at Joe's Pub

I know this is a photography blog, but life isn't all about photography. I take pictures, but I also dig music. If you love music and live in New York, please go to Joe's Pub this Monday to see Andy Guthrie. Ok, Andy is my cousin, but don't hold that against him. He is one supremely talented singer/musician/songwriter. See him now before he's wearing leather pants and selling out Madison Square Garden.

Listen to Andy: Milk and Waste

Andy Guthrie
Monday April 2, 7:00 PM
Joe's Pub
425 Lafayette Street
New York, NY

Tuesday, March 27, 2007

What Makes a Great Photo?

Colorado Springs, Colorado, 1968 © Robert Adams

Joerg Colberg of Conscientious fame asked a number of photographers to help him answer the eternal question: what makes a great photo? Joerg's inquiry prompted some very thoughtful answers and produced some truly great photos. There is no recipe for a great photo and most folks, myself included, wrestled with describing their emotional response to the photo rather than defining the technical elements that made the photo great. Ultimately, the photographs mentioned have nothing in common except the punch-in-the-gut response they elicit. The truest answer to the question of what makes a great photo may be as equivocal as Justice Stewart's definition of pornography: I know it when I see it.

Monday, March 26, 2007

Fabulous Photo Find

Sunday we journeyed up the Hudson to visit Dia:Beacon. Unfortunately, we spent way too much time antiquing in Cold Spring and Beacon and missed last call at Dia. On the positive side, the drive was beautiful and we got very lucky with a number of choice finds at the antique stores including a signed photograph by Thomas Tulis. The people in the store just knew the image as "that picture of the old guy on Flag Day" and let us walk away with it for a ridiculously low price. If anyone knows Thomas or has any information about the photo, please let me know. I would love to learn the provenance and try to figure out how a piece by a well-regarded Southern photographer ended up in an antique store in Beacon, New York.

Friday, March 23, 2007

Cheap Thrills with Lisa Kereszi

DJ Booth, South Beach © Lisa Kereszi 2002

My best advice to those just starting out in the photography world is to reach out to photographers who are where you want to be and bug them for advice. A couple of years ago I did this with Lisa Kereszi and she was more than generous with her time and input. She challenged my work and pushed me to advance my vision and focus my career path. Lisa's wisdom and experience has a had a profound impact on my development as a photographer.

I mention this because last tonight I attended the opening of Lisa's new solo show, Cheap Thrills, at Yancey Richardson. The joint was packed and the prints looked amazing. Lisa has a gift for finding and elevating amazing little secrets hiding out under our nose. She is also the nicest and most sincere person you will meet and I consider myself fortunate to call her a good friend.

I should also mention Lisa Kereszi's fabulous husband, Ben Donaldson, who is a very talented photographer in his own right. A couple of years ago I was lucky enough to assist for Ben at the ICP. His current show, Summerland, at jen bekman gallery is not to be missed. Talk about your power couple.

The show at Yancey Richardson proved doubleplusgood because another friend, Sarah Schorr, was showing work in the project gallery and that brought out the SVA crew en mass. It was wonderful to see everyone and see Sarah's work.

Thursday, March 22, 2007

Photo of the Week: Rhinecliff, NY

Sunday, March 18, 2007

Photo March Madness

Chad Muthard has put together a bracket for Photo March Madness. Despite my scrappy low post play I don't think I am long for the tourney. My final four: Sternfeld, Evans, Wall, and Arbus.

Friday, March 09, 2007

Monitors!

I'm not talking Komodo Dragons; I'm talking about the computer variety. And more specifically, monitors made for photographers. I'm looking to upgrade and have been told the EIZO ColorEdge and the LaCie 321 are the mack-daddy Cadillacs for photographers. These suckers don't come cheap, so I'm wondering if anyone is currently using one of these monitors and would recommend the investment. Or, have you found color happiness with another monitor? Any advice or wisdom is welcome and appreciated.

Wednesday, March 07, 2007

Photo of the Week: Fireman's Parade, Port Jervis, NY

Wednesday, February 28, 2007

PHotoEspaña 2007

Just received notice that I was selected as a finalist for the Desubrimientos Award at PHotoEspaña 2007. The review will be held at the Museo Municipal de Arte Contemporáneo in Madrid, June 1 - 3. This is outstanding news for many reasons not the least of which is I was looking for any excuse go back to Madrid and drink copious amounts of Rioja in the shadow of García Lorca.

Also making the cut is good friend and fellow JMU alumn, Susana Raab, and Chicagrapher, Nathan Baker.

(Kids, do you want to get noticed in the dog-eat-dog world of photography? Put Jon Gitelson in your photos!)

Tuesday, February 27, 2007

Photo of the Week: Boy with Puppy, Violet, LA

Sunday, February 25, 2007

Meet Me at the Fair

In case you haven't heard there is a perfect art storm happening in New York this weekend. Pulse, Scope, The Armory Show, LA/Art, ADAA, DiVA...if you love crowds, temporary walls, and booths chock full of marginal art, then rush on down to one of the too many art fairs going on right now in NYC. A quick rundown of the weekend so far:

LA/Art -- Highlights included the Marcel Dzama pieces at Richard Heller and Rachael Papo's print at Paul Kopeikin's booth.

Pulse -- Standout photos by Brian Ulrich, Jeff Chien-Hsing Liao, and Didier Massard at the Julie Saul booth. I am not a big fan of Massard's fantasy landscapes -- they remind me of Yes album covers -- but I loved the Rhino.

Gurnee, IL © Brian Ulrich 2003

Dinner with Peeps -- Friday night our posse had velocity. We met up with Bill Sullivan, Shen Wei, Amy Elkins, Brian Ulrich, Paddy Johnson, and Kevin Faulkner for some tasty food and some quality post Pulse conversation.

The Armory Show -- One hour lines to pay $20 to see "SHIT" in neon? Oh yeah! Contemporary photography not represented well in the big show, EXCEPT Pieter Hugo's work at the Michael Stevenson booth. I think we are going to make the big leap and buy one of his beautiful prints.

UPDATE: We just bought this Hugo print! Woohoo!!

Morris Toe, Monrovia, Liberia © Pieter Hugo 2006

Wednesday, February 21, 2007

Photo of the Week: Cheerleaders, New Orleans, LA

Sunday, February 18, 2007

Discover: Fred Herzog

I've only recently discovered the beautiful early color work of Fred Herzog. Fred is a Canadian photographer and educator who has been documenting the diverse scenes of downtown Vancouver, BC, since the 1950's. I have never seen Fred's name mentioned before and I don't believe he's had a major show outside of Canada, but his stunning photographs could and should hang with the greats of "New Color." The Equinox Gallery in Vancouver is featuring an exhibition of Fred's color photographs from the 50's and 60's through March 10.

Saturday, February 17, 2007

Richard Renaldi at Yossi Milo

It was a warm 35 degrees today, so we popped into Chelsea to see Richard Renaldi's "The Plains" at Yossi Milo. Simply beautiful, beautiful prints. Richard has to be one of the most talented portraitists in contemporary photography. His placement of the figure in the landscape is simply inspired. I am a big admirer of his work and I hope to scape together some cash to pick up one of his prints while they are still somewhat affordable.

Saturday, February 10, 2007

I'm Going Back to New York City...

After a month straight in New Orleans and three plus months working on the Do You Know What It Means Project, I have finally come home to New York. I met so many wonderful people in the Big Easy who are trying hard to put the pieces of their lives back together, but there is still so much work to be done. Here's one thing you can do right now. The FEMA deadline for housing assistance is expiring on February 28. Please take action and tell your rep to extend the deadline.

I will write more about my time in New Orleans later, but will leave you with some photos from the Shangri-la Coronation Ball I attended this past Saturday. The ball is put on each year by the The Mystic Krewe of Shangri-La to eat, drink, and name their royal court for Mardi Gras. New Orleans is like no other place on earth.

Thursday, February 08, 2007

Photo of the Week: Ditch Plains, Montauk, NY

A View From Photo LA

It seems like years since Photo LA ended, but Paul Kopeikin just posted some photos from the exposition on his site. I didn't get a chance to make it out to Los Angeles for the big event, so it's nice to finally see the Domesticated work in all its art fair glory.