November’s Exhibits, Book Releases, Gear and Other Photo News

Both photos © Sandro Miller/Courtesy of Catherine Edelman Gallery Chicago

Miller and Malkovich Master the Masters
In collaboration with famed actor (and long-time friend) John Malkovich, prolific advertising shooter Sandro Miller has made a playful ode to the photographs that have inspired him throughout his decades-long career. “John’s genius is unparalleled,” says Miller of his dynamic subject. “I can suggest a mood or an idea, and within moments, he literally morphs into the character right in front of my eyes.”

For Miller’s series, “Malkovich, Malkovich, Malkovich: Homage to Photographic Masters,” the actor transformed himself into the migrant mother by Dorothea Lange, Truman Capote by Irving Penn, Che Guevara by Alberto Korda, and even Diane Arbus’ iconic identical twins image, among many others. The exhibit is currently showing at the Catherine Edelman Gallery through January 31, 2015.

Kathy Ryan Sees the Light
Changing offices isn’t always easy, and for The New York Times Magazine director of photography Kathy Ryan, leaving the nostalgic Times building for the more modern, Renzo Piano-designed building was practically heartbreaking—until she noticed “a bolt of light zigzag across the stairs,” she writes in her new book Office Romance’s afterword.

“6:49 pm, June 17, 2013.” Both photos © Kathy Ryan

“7:51 pm, February 7, 2013.”

She’s been hooked on capturing moments around her office since whipping out her iPhone to snap that zigzag; a mix of portraits, candids and still-life shots that she’s posted to Instagram (“The effect of the ‘like’ button cannot be overestimated,” she writes) fill the pages of the book published by Aperture. “Office life is under-appreciated as a subject for photographers,” she writes. “Thanks to the light in this extraordinary building, I can bring some romance to this subject.”

Price: $29.95

Photo © Mimika Cooney/Courtesy of Amherst Media

Building a Long-Lasting Newborn Photo Business
Marketing consultant and newborn photographer Mimika Cooney has released a guide for shooters who are interested in venturing into the genre of baby portraiture. In Photographing Newborns (Amherst), she gives tips on shooting babies alone or posed with families, but Cooney (who authored Boutique Baby Photography with Amherst in 2011) also dives into her savvy regarding how to develop what she calls a “Love Brand”—an identity that professional photographers can create that will not only reel in the desired client, but keep them coming back for years.

Price: $27.95

Photos © Steven Sebring

The Epic Handbook for Posing
The new encyclopedia-like book of posing called Study of Pose by photographer Steven Sebring—who filled the 2,032 pages with 1,000 unique posing shots—made waves before it even hit the shelves in late October. Sebring used a walk-in dome rig filled with 100 cameras to shoot the book’s model, Coco Rocha, who wears a simple leotard, from every possible angle. The idea behind this project was conceived almost 20 years ago, but Sebring didn’t make it a reality until he met Rocha (who’s known in the fashion industry as “the Queen of Pose”). The hardcover book—which comes packed in a black case with gilding, a bellyband and two satin bookmarks—includes a foreword from designer Jean Paul Gaultier and introductions from Sebring and Rocha. The full archive of 100,000 images will be presented in a to-be-released app.

Price: $60

Wilma the dog was just one of the rescues who was given a new and improved adoption portrait. Both photos © Seth Casteel

Giving Rescued Animals the Portraits They Deserve
A professionally shot photo goes a long way in the animal rescue world, as Seth Casteel (the shooter behind the popular “Underwater Dogs” series; (“Seth Casteel: Dogs Gone Viral” in Rangefinder, November 2012) of One Picture Saves a Life has found.

One Picture Saves a Life also takes portraits of cats, such as this one of Chalan.

His nonprofit sends photographers into animal shelters to take new photos of rescue dogs and cats to replace the amateur “intake” photos that are shot when they’re first brought in, usually “scared, dirty and disoriented,” as the organization’s site says. “An inaccurate headshot can hurt its chances of adoption, but an uplifting, hopeful portrait can save its life.” Photographers interested in taking part in this project can go to the One Picture Saves a Life site to find shelters and a best practices workshop near them.

The Amsterdam Camera Bag by Pompidoo
The Latvian camera bag company Pompidoo—with such gear totes as the Palermo, Cologne and the Kimberly for the fashionista photographer—has introduced the Amsterdam, this time for the “modern and masculine” shooter (though the feminine photographer could just as well enjoy this bag, too). Made of soft leather and filled with XRD Extreme Impact Protection foam (which can absorb 90 percent of a bump or fall, according to the company), this bag comes in brown, beige or asphalt, and can hold a DSLR with an attached lens, two extra lenses or flashes, a tablet or laptop, as well as a phone, wallet, memory cards and other small trinkets.

Price: $370

Customizing Domain Names with .photo
It’s become practically essential for photographers to put their portfolios online, but that means that some shooters have to get a little creative in order to find a domain name that hasn’t been taken yet. Uniregistry is thinking beyond the dot-coms that flood the web with customized URL extensions such as .photo. “This is one of the most exciting times in naming since the large- scale adoption of .com names,” says Uniregistry managing director Frank Schilling, adding “and it will profoundly change the Internet naming landscape over the next ten years.” More information about how to change domain names can be found on Uniregistry’s website.

Price: from $29.88

Photo © Gary Haines, Grizzly Creek Gallery

Opaque Kodak Inkjet Film for Large-Scale Studio Displays
For the photographer who wants to show his or her work on a larger scale, Brand Management Group and Kodak have teamed up to release a new inkjet film (suited especially for bigger displays) called the Premium Rapid-Dry White Film. The key here is the film’s opacity, thanks to its back coating; light passing through on the other side won’t reveal hanging devices or detract from the image. This allows for alternative ways of displaying, beyond the typical wall hanging. The water- and scratch-resistant polyester white film is compatible with dye and pigmented inks, won’t smudge or show any fingerprints, and is available in 36-, 42- and 50-inch widths on 100-foot rolls.

Price: $0.78 per square foot