In our curated column, Friday Five, we spotlight weekly photography news, features and event updates from other photo industry media outlets that you may have missed the first time around. Here’s what caught our attention in our photo news roundup this week (March 13-17).

WEEKLY PHOTO UPDATES FOR WEEK OF MARCH 13-17

Acquisition: Julie Blackmon (The National Gallery of Art)
One of my all-time favorite photographers is Julie Blackmon, who explores domestic life and family dynamics in her richly detailed images. So you can imagine how thrilled I was to read that The National Gallery of Art has acquired two images by her—Flatboat, a gift from Bill Haw, Jr., and Paddleboard, a gift from the artist. “The oldest of nine children and mother to three, Blackmon draws on art historical and popular culture motifs and combines them with her personal experience as part of a large family,” states The National Gallery of Art’s press release. “Inspired by the photographs of Helen Levitt, Diane Arbus, and Sally Mann, whose works she first encountered in college, Blackmon began to picture the small pleasures, disappointments, and fleeting joys of childhood. Her subject is her sprawling family, including her many nieces and nephews, as well as friends and neighbors, who have become her ‘troupe of players.’ Working in bright, saturated color, her witty photographs are full of detail and layered meanings. They are unabashedly fictitious, evoking both a theatrical set and a film still.” If you are unfamiliar with her work, she’s worth looking up. Read more here.

Why Photographers Shouldn’t Ignore LinkedIn (Fstoppers)
If you aren’t already on Linked In, you should be, according to this article on Fstoppers by food and still-life photographer  Kaisa Leinonen. “LinkedIn is not just a platform for jobseekers; it is a powerful networking and marketing channel for entrepreneurs, such as photographers,” writes Leinonen. “If you ever serve other businesses with your photography, then LinkedIn is a great place online to find and connect with the right people in your niche. As they say, it’s not what you know, it’s who you know.” Leinonen goes onto outline the networking strategies, social media marketing opportunities and more that is available on LinkedIn and you can post images and share your latest projects on it as well (see below). This is a must-read for all photographers still missing out on social media marketing. Access the full article here.

Sony’s Retinal Projection Camera Helps Legally Blind Photographer See (Phoblographer)
Have you heard of Sony’s new DSC-HX99R NV Kit? Also known as its Retinal Projection Camera Kit, it is designed to help people with visual impairments see the world around them and enjoy photography in ways they previously could not. “It’s not a secret to most people visiting this website daily: I’m legally blind,” write Chris Gampat on The Phoblographer. “Yes, the Editor in Chief of The Phoblographer is legally blind, yet somehow or another operates cameras, lights, lenses, and even edits the articles of the staff… So when I was told about the Sony Retinal Projection Camera Kit a few years ago in a meeting, I was pretty pumped when it was finally announced.” This is a very candid and interesting read, summed up perfectly by Gampat’s las line: “It makes me very excited for the future of photography once we get all this AI visual nonsense out of the way.” Amen! Read Gampat’s full article on The Phoblographer here.

40 Honest Wedding Photos By Ian Weldon (Bored Panda)
British wedding photographer Ian Weldon has gained international recognition for his quirky, offbeat and “unconventional” images from his clients’ special day. “Weldon’s signature style has earned him a loyal following of couples who seek out his services from all around the world. Despite his growing popularity, he remains dedicated to capturing the moments that matter most to his clients, eschewing the formalities of traditional wedding photography in favor of spontaneity and authenticity,” according to the post on Bored Panda. There are 40 images to scroll through, so get moving here.

Tolman Media Shutdown Leaves Photographers and Clients Empty-Handed (PetaPixel)
Tolman Media, based in Provo, Utah, and described on PetaPixel as “one of the nation’s largest wedding photo and video companies,” shut down abruptly last month, leaving hundreds of photographers unpaid and wedding couples without their booked photographers. On its website, the media company wrote that, “This is a formal notice that as of February 15, 2023, Tolman Media LLC, Tolman Media Empire LLC, and Tolman Media Dynasty LLC have officially ceased operations and been dismantled. All assets have been sold, there is no cash remaining in the business, and no further employees, members, managers, or officers active. All websites, emails, and contact information has been shut off.” This isn’t the first time this type of abrupt shutdown has occurred, and most likely won’t be the last, unfortunately. Read the full article on PetaPixel here.

Have any weekly photo updates for us? Let us know and we can include them in our photo news roundup! Send links to: jacqueline.tobin@emeraldx.com