JazzFest seeks volunteer photogapher entries

The New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Foundation Archive is taking submissions now through Nov. 30 for its annual Volunteer Photographer Program. Those chosen will receive full photo access at and will help document the 2011 JazzFest, which will be held at the Crescent City's Fair Grounds Race Course from April 29 to May 1 and May 5 to 8.

The archive will accept no more than 150 entries this year, so applicants must get their application and materials to the foundation as soon as possible. For more information or to apply online, you may go to Call for Entry.

The program is a community outreach effort of the foundation's archive. Selected volunteers will join photographers from a variety of backgrounds in helping document the festival, which has been held in New Orleans since 1970.

The rules and basic information regarding entry are as follows:

• Anyone working as a volunteer photographer at the JazzFest must be at least 18 years old.
• Categories for applicants are: amateur, student and professional.
• The Foundation Archive will consider a volunteer's images to be owned by the photographer. The images may be used by the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival and Foundation for non-commercial and educational purposes only. All rights, responsibilities and obligations on the part of the Foundation and the photographers will be outlined in a separate Terms of Agreement.
• The organization will hold volunteer photographers responsible for providing the archive with a CD or DVD of images taken at the festival. along with a complete index of images on the disk.
• Applicants must also remember, the archive suggests, that volunteers must not only be prepared to manage hundreds of photos a day, but to take photos under sometimes adverse conditions, including rain, thick mud, and extremely hot and humid weather. Volunteers will also have to walk several miles a day around the festival grounds.

Leonard memorial, second line on Nov. 6

The life of Herman Leonard, a photographer best known for his iconic photos of jazz greats such as Billie Holiday, Dexter Gordon and Louis Armstrong, among many others, will be honored with a memorial and second line on Saturday, Nov. 6 in New Orleans.

Leonard, an Allentown, Penn. native, lived in the Crescent City for about 14 years, and left only when forced to by Hurricane Katrina. He died on August 14, 2010 in Los Angeles. He was 87.

The celebration of his life, as the Nov. 6 events are billed, will begin at 1 p.m. with a memorial at the Ogden Museum of Southern Art.

The second line will follow, beginning at 3 p.m. The parade will feature the Hot 8 Brass Band, members of the Sudan Social Aid and Pleasure Club, and the Pussyfooters.

The route will be as follows:

Begin at A Gallery for Fine Photography, 241 Chartres St.

Down Chartres St. to Ursulines Ave.

Right turn on Ursulines Ave. to Decatur St.

Left turn on Decatur St. to Frenchman St.

Left turn on Frenchman St.

End at D.B.A., 618 Frenchman St.

For more information, you may write herman.celebration@gmail.com


Image: Photo of Dexter Gordon, by Herman Leonard.

Call for Info: NOPA Newsletter | NOV 2

Please submit your photography-related news and events to newsletter@neworleansphotoalliance.org by OCT 28 (29th at the very latest) to be included in the November 2nd e-Newsletter.

Last Call for CURRENTS 2010 Entries

Debutants by Jennifer Zdon was featured in Currents 2009. 

Deadline: October 25, 2010

Tonight at 11:59pm is the deadline to submit work for Currents 2010: NOPA Members Showcase to be juried by Dr. Tony Lewis and displayed at the Crescent City Brewhouse during PhotoNOLA. The exhibition will showcase works by up to 15 Alliance members, featuring 5 or more works by each selected photographer.

This opportunity is for NOPA members only, though you may join at the time of submission. And it is a DYI hanging situation, so please know that you will need to be available at very specific times to install and take down your work, or be prepared to send a representative to do so for you.

Complete guidelines & entry form here.

NOPA seeking a new president

NOPA, the non-profit that runs this blog for its members, as well as anyone interested in the rich cultural and photographic heritage of New Orleans and the surrounding region, needs a new president.

If you think you are worthy candidate, or know of someone who you think might be, or you just want to inquire about the volunteer position, you may contact NOPA Vice President Erica Stavis at vicepresident@neworleansphotoalliance.org.

For background purposes, please note that the mission of the New Orleans Photo Alliance is to encourage an understanding and appreciation of photography through exhibitions, opportunities, and educational programs. The non-profit strives to foster economic and artistic growth, as well as local and regional photographic culture.

NOPA was formed by a diverse group of photographers in 2006 to create unity and opportunity for photographers in the Gulf South. It is a 501(c)3 nonprofit. It now has more than 300 members from throughout Louisiana and the United States. Since its founding, the organization has sponsored many photographic exhibitions, workshops and educational programs. It coordinates PhotoNOLA, an annual festival of photography in New Orleans.

The organization has an executive board including a vice president, treasurer, and secretary, in addition to the president. Each committee is led by a chair, and some have sub-committees.

The job description, including a listing of major responsibility areas and qualifications for the office, reads as follows, starting with a list of overarching duties:

• Design and implement, with the cooperation of the executive board, the strategic goals and objectives of the organization
• Make suggestions to the board for updating of organizational bylaws
• Generate the compilation of reports from committee chair heads on a regular and ongoing basis
• Give direction and leadership toward the achievement of the organization's philosophy, mission, strategy, and its annual goals and objectives
• Chair all board meetings and provide appropriate support materials to Board members as relates to items for vote

Qualifications:

• Volunteer leadership or committee responsibilities in non-profit organization
• Familiarity with budget planning

Major Functions/Accountability:

• Board administration and support -- Supports operation and administration of Board by advising and informing Board members; interfacing between Board and committees
• Program, product and service delivery -- Oversee and monitor design, marketing, promotion, quality of programs, products and services
• Financial, tax, risk and facilities management – Recommend yearly budget for Board approval and prudently manage organization's resources within those budget guidelines according to current laws and regulations
• Human resource management -- Effectively manage the human resources of the organization according to authorized personnel policies and procedures that fully conform to current laws and regulations
• Community and public relations -- Assure that the organization and its mission, programs, products and services are consistently presented in a positive way to relevant stakeholders
• Fundraising (non-profit specific) -- Oversees fundraising planning and implementation, including identifying resource requirements, researching funding sources, establishing strategies to approach funders, submitting proposals and administrating fundraising records and documentation
• Public relations -- Regular attendance at NOPA and other arts non-profit events. Act as an advocate for photography and photographers in the larger community.

Compensation: The New Orleans Photo Alliance is a volunteer-based organization. All administrative members work at a volunteer level.

Slideluck Potshow submissions help session

There will be a

submissions help session

starting at 6pm on

Tuesday, October 26th, 2010

at the NOPA Gallery.

> How to prepare:
- Go over submissions guidelines and create as much of your slideshow as you can.
- Look at past slideshows to get an idea of what the final product generally looks like.
> What to bring:
- All the elements to your slideshow that you have gotten together thus far.
- Your laptop, if you have one. If no laptop, bring your materials on a zip drive, CD, or DVD (zip drive preferred).
- All of your images in edited RAW form - even if you've resized and/or made slides with your photos, in case the slides or photos are formatted and/or sized incorrectly.
- Song(s) you would like to use/are considering for your slideshow.
- Patience!

Contact neworleans@slideluckpotshow.com with any additional questions.

New Orleans Photo Alliance Gallery
1111 Saint Mary Street New Orleans, La 70130

Call for Submissions: Michael Mazzeo Gallery

With a project room to fill and ideas to explore, Michael Mazzeo Gallery is accepting submissions for consideration to participate in a salon-style group exhibition in our Chelsea gallery. The show will open on Thursday, November 18 and run through December 23. 

As with our RSVP initiative, artists are invited to upload images in response to a specified theme or subject. The submissions deadline is November 3. There are no fees involved, but selected works must be framed, ready to hang, and delivered to the gallery by November 13.

The overriding theme for this exhibition is privacy, a concept that has undergone significant reinterpretation in recent years. We willingly, and unwittingly, offer personal information and private details to online 'friends' and unknown entities.  Surveillance cameras record our moves in public and private spaces and gps technology can pinpoint our precise location through our phones. Is the notion of privacy a quaint myth?

Surely there is still space for confidential matters, furtive encounters,  hidden agendas, undisclosed locations, secret identities, clandestine affairs, ritual, fetish, desire, and intrigue.
What secrets do we keep now? How are artists addressing these issues?

We're looking for compelling work that will engage viewers and challenge assumptions. We look forward to discovering new talent and continuing our support for established artists.

Work will be selected through online submissions only and here are the guidelines:

You may upload up to three images via the gallery submissions page.
Deadline for submissions is November 3.
Please note that space is limited and large prints will be kept to a minimum.
All selected work must be available for sale through MMG and not consigned from other another venue.
All selected work must be exhibition quality, signed, and editioned.
All selected work must be framed, ready to hang, and delivered to MMG by November 13.
To submit work,  RSVP.

Mario Tama Book Signing Events

The Louisiana State Museum and The Pirate's Alley Faulkner Society, Inc. will join hands to present a Meet the Authors event at The Cabildo from 4 to 6pm on Sunday, October 24 (well after the Saints game), as part of the weekend festivities celebrating the opening of the museum's long-awaited Katrina exhibit. The event will feature Coming Back: New Orleans Resurgent, by Mario Tama, a photographic artist who was assigned to capture New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and during its recovery for Getty Images.

There will also be a signing on the 25th from 5-7pm at Borders.

Mario's work will be shown at the Presbytere as the first installment of a rotating exhibition of different photographers work from Katrina. It will open to members and patrons on October 23 and to the general public on Oct 26 as part of their new Living with Hurricanes exhibit.

NOPA's Weinstein wins portrait award

NOPA member Sandra Chen Weinstein was recently given the Robert Cornelius Award for portraiture, part of the Worldwide Photography Gala Awards series, for her work "Band on the Run." The award contest was juried by Stephen Perloff, founder and publisher of The Photo Review.

The awards are organized by WonderPick, a British company that will soon launch an art portal where selected artworks can be viewed online and purchased. You can read more about the awards program at its website.

Image: Band on the Run, by Sandra Chen Weinstein

Expression Media 2 free with book to members

Peter Krogh, a Washington DC-based photographer and author of "The DAM Book: Digital Asset Management for Photographers" is making a special offer to New Orleans Photo Alliance members:

Those who buy a copy of his book at $49.95 from a special offer page, he notes, will be able receive a licensed copy of the Expression Media 2 package at no charge. The package is normally priced at $199. It is distributed by PhaseOne, the photographic equipment and software company, which took the brand over from Microsoft earlier this year.

The offer--now being made to members of photographic organizations nationwide--will be good through Oct. 31. Members must purchase the book at the NOPA offer page in order to qualify.

The DAM Book explores how photographers can use such popular software programs as Adobe'e Photoshop and Lightroom, as well as Expression Media 2 and other utilities, to create a custom-fit sort of integrated workflow.

Krogh is a commercial photographer. He serves as an Alpha Tester for Adobe, helping specifically with Photoshop and Lightroom. He serves on the board of directors of the American Society of Media Photographers (ASMP).

Image: Cover of "The DAM Book," by Peter Krogh.

Approaching Deadline: CURRENTS 2010

NOPA members:

There is one week left to submit your work for the Currents 2010 exhibition, which will be on display at the Crescent City Brewhouse during the 5th Annual PhotoNOLA Festival.

So check out the call for entries, and submit a cohesive group of five - ten images by next Monday, October 25, 11:59pm. Juror: Dr. Tony Lewis.

Zack Smith portraits showing in Marigny

An exhibition of new portraits produced by New Orleans photographer Zack Smith is now showing at Three Muses restaurant in the Crescent City's Marigny district. The eating establishment is located at 536 Frenchmen Street.

Smith is an artist, gallery curator, educator,and musician whose portraits and street photography have been exhibited throughout the southern United States. His work has consistently appeared in national music and culture magazines.

Since 2001, however, Smith has found his home for making portraits of musicians in what exhibit organizers call "the loudest of places;" specifically, the Voodoo Music Experience festival, as well the Bywater neighborhood's Chaz Fest, which is held annually during the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival's off-days.

A reception featuring Washboard Chaz, as well as Luke Allen and Friends, was held at the gallery on Sunday night.

Vision & Technique Workshop

Michael A. Smith and Paula Chamlee will conduct one of their Vision & Technique workshops in New Orleans April 1 - 3, 2011. The workshop is limited to 8 participants.

The purpose of this workshop is to help you make better photographs, and through doing that, to experience personal growth. And if you already make beautiful photographs, but find that you don’t do so consistently, then this workshop is for you.

We intend this to be the definitive workshop for black and white photography. Even though this is only a weekend workshop, everything will be covered including developing film by inspection, printing, and proper use of the camera in a way that encourages creative vision. All technical matters will be discussed as a function of vision.

Although the principles covered are applicable to all formats, the use of view cameras will be emphasized. Workshop Fee: $695. Credit cards are accepted. A deposit of $100 is required.

PhotoNOLA Workshops - Register Now!

Check out all the great workshops taking place during PhotoNOLA - Dec 2-11, 2010. Class sizes are limited, so register early to reserve your spot.

Clarence John Laughlin Award Finalists

Congratulations to the eleven finalists for the inaugural Clarence John Laughlin Award: Frank Day, Ann George, Charles Grogg, Aaron Hobson, Maria Levitsky, Joyce P. Lopez, Louviere + Vanessa, Dorothy O'Connor, Traer Scott, Jessica Somers and Kathryn Wilson.

Each artist was asked to submit a print portfolio to juror John Wood. His final decision will be announced on November 1st, 2010.

Frank Day, Trail + Cruiser

Ann George, Obedience and The Gift

Charles Grogg, Subterraneous

Aaron Hobson, Linger

Maria Levitsky, Tree and Shadow

Dorothy O'Connor, Room

Joyce P. Lopez, Counting Eggs

Louviere + Vanessa, If X, Then Why?

Traer Scott, Baptism

Jessica Somers, When We Disagree

Kathryn Wilson, A Series of Seriously Failed Attempts III

The NOPA Joy Committee presents..."WoRK" Party!

Stop by and unwind with some coffee, donuts, and water cooler gossip (stronger libations will also be provided). Come see our newest show entitled "WoRK" about the daily drudgery of human labor and say "hello" to our sister-show at the Percolator in Lawrence, KS as we link-up via web-cam for their closing reception!

This is a more informal gathering. Business casual not required. But you can pretend it's Hawaiian Shirt Day.
SAT OCT 23 | 6-9pm
New Orleans Photo Alliance Gallery
1111 St. Mary

Nature photographer Lepp in Metairie Oct. 9

Bennett's Camera will host a seminar featuring nature photographer George Lepp this Saturday, Oct. 9, The photo store-sponsored event will take place between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. at the Sheraton Galleria in Metairie. Admission will be $25.

According to Bennett's, Lepp will share creative approaches to landscape, macro, and wildlife subjects. The seminar is aimed at nature and outdoor photographers, particularly those interested in digital photography.

Lepp is the field editor of Digital Photo and Outdoor Photographer magazines, where he writes the "Tech Tips" columns. The Colorado Springs CO resident's stock photography is represented by Getty Images, Corbis, and Photo Researchers. He was one of the first members of Canon USA's Explorers of Light and Printmasters programs, featuring the industry's most influential photographers. The photographer and his wife Kathryn recently completed work on a new book, "Wildlife Photography: Stories from the Field."

More information about the seminar can be found at the Bennett's Camera website.

NOPA gallery hosts New Orleans Stories workshop

A weeklong workshop on telling stories through photography in the Crescent City, titled "New Orleans Stories," will be held at the New Orleans Photo Alliance gallery and other local locations beginning Sunday, Oct. 1.

New Orleans photographer Andy Levin is to lead the sessions. The workshop will offer scholarships to two NOPA members in good standing. Tuition is otherwise $625.

According to Levin, the purpose of the workshops will be to maximize the creativity of photographers and help them develop a distinct voice. Students are to find stories in New Orleans and create a photo essay from them. They must also complete a group project in which they will document a story in a particular part of the city, such as a street or neighborhood. Students are to share their stories with one another on the final day of the project, in a special meeting at the Lost Love Lounge in the Marigny.

In addition to meetings at the NOPA gallery, the Marigny, and other locations in the city, the workshop will include a short field trip to a secret location, according to Levin. Students specializing or interested in any style of photography may attend. Levin suggests that students bring a digital camera and a laptop computer regardless.

Image: Via New Orleans Stories/100 Eyes website.

Restaurant center offers free photo classes

The Restaurant Opportunities Center of New Orleans is offering a free, six-week class in basic photography to service industry workers. Classes will be held on Tuesday afternoons from 2 to 4, with the first being held Oct. 5, The meeting place will be 2714 Canal Street, Suite 308.

The center is billing the class as being part of a larger documentary photography project, one focusing on American tipped workers. Images from class participants will be used in connection with this, specifically in a documentary photo essay about the working and living conditions encountered by tipped workers. Selected images from participants will also be included in a local exhibit.

People who want to learn new photography skills, or enhance the ones they already have, are encouraged to attend. Film cameras will provided to those who do not have cameras of their own, and developing costs will be covered as well.

For more information or to reserve a spot, contact Zoe Sullivan at zoesull@gmail.com.