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Matt Eich events in Portland this week

The smoke of cigarettes and cooking food filters together with a shaft of light in Adrian “Nikki” Wilson’s apartment she shares with her girlfriend “Dominique” and mother Ellen in Greenwood, Mississippi on November 30, 2011. Born and raised in Baptist Town, Nikki recently moved out of her childhood home and across the tracks, where there is more anonymity and less drama. She and her mother moved back into the Baptist Town neighborhood a few months later. Image copyright Matt Eich.

We are very pleased to welcome Matt Eich back to Portland this week. By my lights, he is one of the very best photographers in the country today. Matt is particularly adept at navigating the amorphous space between photojournalism and art.

Matt will speak at Blue Sky Gallery at 3:00 on Saturday, Sept. 8, to open his solo show “I Love You, I’m Leaving.”

AND

the prior evening at Blue Chalk‘s Portland office he will show work from across his career. I’ll bring beer. Everyone is invited!

Friday, Sept. 7 at 6:00.

3150 NW 31st Ave, Portland.

 

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College Geekfest – Tonight and tomorrow in Eugene

Tonight and tomorrow, A Photo A Day‘s Geekfest comes to the University of Oregon. Tonight will feature portfolio reviews, a print exchange and free food, and tomorrow commercial photographer Sol Neelman, photo editor and marketing consultant Jasmine DeFoore and fine art photographer Holly Andres will speak before a group shootout, edit and slideshow.

Over the past decade, Geekfest has grown to be a large annual celebration of inspired and inspiring photographers building community together, and now college Geekfests are springing up around the nation. Neelman, a former Oregonian and News-Register photographer now based in Brooklyn, NY, spoke with me about what to expect.

“We are trying to bring the GeekFest experience to college students that may not have heard of it, let alone attended one,” Neelman said.

The event will take place on the UO campus, though it’s free and open to everyone.

“It’s also meant for anyone that needs/wants a kick in the butt, regardless of experience level.”

As a longtime Geekfest veteran, I can attest that fun will be had! The schedule is below.

 

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How the Alexia Foundation Chooses Grant Winners

From Sarah Blesner’s Alexia grant-winning story in 2017: Students from School #18 perform a show at the local theater in Sergiyev Posad, Russia, 15 Dec 2016. The show promotes the cadet school at School #18. Sarah Blesener/Alexia Foundation

The Alexia Foundation is once again accepting applications for its prestigious photography grants. For advice on how to apply, don’t miss Alexia Chair and former Oregonian photo editor Mike Davis‘ insightful article that can help all manner of applications:

“There are four broad aspects, questions, really, that you have to satisfy in the judges’ minds, hearts and eyes: Is the subject engaging? Can you do it? How are you going to do the project? What will happen because of your project?”

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Happy New Year and Welcome to Oregon Focus!

Photography can be a lonely business, and a lonely art.

When I was a full-time photographer, I often felt like a lone wolf, moving from assignment to assignment, shoot to shoot, without a connection to the audience for my work and without the feedback from clients I needed to improve. Too often I heard “We love it; just give us more,” which feels nice, but impedes growth. And without detailed knowledge of the creative strategy that led up to the assignment, and without the foresight of all the different ways my work would be used, I was at a disadvantage as went out into the field.
When I became the photo editor for the international humanitarian agency Mercy Corps, each day some of the most talented photographers from around the world reached out to be hired. I tried my best to respond to everyone, but I found myself giving more detailed feedback — and assignments — to one of two groups: not the photographers who only showed their recent work with only their own vision; but instead, the photographers who had researched my organization and its mission, its visual style, its programming and the locations where we worked around the world, and tailored their pitches accordingly. In a deeper sense, I sought out people who wanted to work together in a meaningful way to help the world.

Continue reading “Happy New Year and Welcome to Oregon Focus!”