BIG PICTURE

The Big Picture is an idiom often used in spoken language that refers to the overall perspective of objective, not just the fine details.  It is an expansion of meaning that gives way to an over-arching theme.  The details provide meaning, which eventually yields to understanding. In the visual language of photojournalism, comprehension is not determined by a large frame but rather, by large context.

Iris PhotoCollective is pleased to announce its groundbreaking exhibition Big Picture, a group show curated by photojournalist, Carl Juste.

Big Picture will open August 17, 2012, 7pm at The Little Haiti Cultural Center in Miami, Florida. The gallery is approximately 2,100 square feet with high vaulted ceilings—a perfect venue with ample space for an exhibition of this magnitude.

The exhibition will display sixteen colossal images by sixteen extraordinary photojournalists. The work will be featured in high- resolution quality and size that will make viewers feel like they are part of the scene, allowing them to experience the event first hand.  Each image is a physical manifestation of the expansion of meaning.  The truth and relativity of the facts are the ingredients that expand the comprehension of the image.  The viewer sees the larger context because they are drawn into the expanding frame, hence made to see the Big Picture.

                                                                                                 Jahi Chikwendiu/Washington Post - Kogelo, Kenya 2009

Thousands of miles from Washington, DC, Kenyans celebrate the incoming U.S. presidency of Barack Obama.  Kenyans, particularly from this village where the president's father was born, symbolically claim the new US president as their own president.

A scene shot through one of the shawls that were on sale on the grounds of the Senator Barack Obama Secondary School in Kogelo, Kenya, where the incoming US president has roots.

What is your big picture? Tell us.

Come to see, feel, and get the Big Picture. 

Get the "Big Picture" right here, right now:
http://bitly.com/RNCORw

Big Picture
August 17, 2012 @ 7pm
212 NE 59th Terrace, Miami, Fl 33137
Little Haiti Cultural Center Gallery
305-796-4718

Eyes to the World

The Iris PhotoCollective is exhibiting an international body of work from the last two decades at the New Beginnings Barber Shop in Baltimore. Troy Staton, owner of New Beginnings, has created an amazing gallery in the West Baltimore neighborhood across from Hollins Market to bring art directly to the people.

The Iris PhotoCollective is made up of four like-minded photographers who believe that when poor people and people of color are locked out of the mainstream dialogue, they are left to believe that their views and ideas are not valid. With that in mind, their work has always been about relationships, and documenting the relationships of people of color to each other and the world. By preserving the subject’s dignity and elevating content over aesthetic, they are creating a body of work that fits into a larger context of cultural diversity and human understanding.

Come out and see the work. Join us at the reception, Sunday, May 6, 2012. New Beginnings Barber Shop, 1047 Hollins St, Baltimore 21223, from 3-6 pm. Show runs through June 30th.

Iris Rising: QR Art Guide

This QR code will take you to the mobile site using your QR phone app.

 Iris PhotoCollective, in collaboration with sound curator George Fishman, have placed QR codes in "Eclectic", a art showcase at the Little Haiti Community Center (LHCC) in Miami, Florida.  Using your smart phone,  just scan the QR code and you can learn about this exciting new technology.

You can download a QR code scanner for your smart phone now by going to www.i-nigma.mobi and following the instructions. After the application is installed in your phone, you just launch it and “snap” a QR code, as though you were taking a photo. The app will read it and automatically open the link, so the audio can play. You can listen right away, or snap the code and listen later. Most apps keep a “history” of codes you have scanned.

ABOUT QR ART GUIDE

QRartguide.com is a service that records and edits artist and curatorial commentaries then delivers them to audiences through their smart phones. Visit the site on your computer or smart phone for more information. 

Photojournalist Carl Juste, left, is interviewed by Fishman.

George Fishman received a fine arts degree from the University of Pennsylvania in 1971. He has designed and created commissioned mosaic artworks for 25 years, while also writing, editing and presenting at conferences and serving on arts boards. In 2009 he began recording interviews with arts professionals, collecting them on the Mosaic of Art web site, and now links edited audio commentaries to QR codes for galleries, artists and institutions 

Iris Rising: "A Woman's Eye"

The exhibit is an array of exciting IPC Visual Lab students' works by four women who, each equipped with a unique personal and professional vision, interpret life in South Florida through visual symbols.  Their documentary photography is driven by a wide range of emotional forces – humanistic and aesthetic – distinctly synergized by the feminine perspective.

The exhibit is curated by Carl Juste, an award-winning Miami Herald photojournalist who most recently, co-curated the highly acclaimed “I Witness” exhibit at the Bernice Steinbaum Gallery – a seminal body of work by international photojournalists.   Jenny Babot Romney co-curates and exhibits her own work.

Commenting upon the importance of showcasing the female perspective, Juste says, “Women offer a holistic approach and try to find a more complete picture.  Rather than searching for visual impact, they offer more of a visual stroke.”

Exhibiting artists, all photography students at the IPC Visual Lab co-founded by Juste, come from four different walks of life:

Jenny Babot Romney is Presentation Manager for the Advertising Division of the Miami Herald Media Company.  Romney began studying photography 8 years ago and she freelances as a portraiture and wedding photographer.

 

Jennifer Kay is a Miami-based journalist for the Associated Press.  Kay has twice been a finalist for the South Florida Society of Professional Journalists’ Sunshine State Awards, honored by the National Association of Caribbean-American Journalists, and won a 1999-2000 Virginia Press Award for a front-page story about gang activity in the D.C. metro area.

Sacha Suarez is Senior Manager, Partner Relations at Univision.  Her true passion and calling since age 14 has been art – drawing, painting, and molding any medium.  Suarez is a professional artist and freelances for the Miami Herald and private engagements.

Nanci Thomas founded the Oscar Thomas Foundation in 1997 as a vehicle to perpetuate the memory of her late husband, his achievements, and to carry on his dream of a better life for others through the power of art.  Thomas’ husband was an iconic billboard, mural, and portrait artist who was once described by NBC News as “the country’s leading artist of Dr. Martin Luther King.”  Thomas, who once studied art with her late husband, reclaimed her artistic voice through learning photography.

“A Woman’s Eye is a project inspired from observation and a feeling of passion for South Florida where so much of life is lived out in the open, in the streets, as well as in its natural environment, “comments Jenny Babot Romney.  “South Florida is a vibrant and colorful place that takes center stage through the eyes of these four female photographers.”

Whereas each woman brings a different viewpoint, the exhibit as a collective showcases the possibility of visual storytelling.  “The exhibit,” says Juste “is a conduit for creativity and an opportunity to channel it into something positive.  Together these women can speak a greater truth not achieved individually.”
 

“A Woman’s Eye” runs through June, 2012 Monday to Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. with other hours available by appointment by calling (305) 751-8367.  The exhibit is free.

 What:       "A Woman's Eye"

When:      Saturday, April 21, 2012

                  6:00 pm - 10:30 pm

Where:     ACND Gallery of Art

                 Archbishop Curley Notre Dame Prep

                 4949 NE 2nd, Avenue

                 Miami, Florida 33137

Contact:  305-751-8367

Link:        www.acnd.net  

I Witness Review

Bernice Steinbaum Gallery 3550 N Miami Avenue, Miami, Florida

http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/03/25/v-fullstory/2711800/miami-photojournalism-exhibit.html

DIVERSITY AT ITS BEST

Iris Rising: Phyllis Reed Speaks on Diversity

Educator, therapist, author, and counselor Phyllis Reed shares her thoughts and universal message during her children book signing event at the Little Haiti Cultural Center on February 20, 2012.  

Photos by Carl Juste/IPC 

It was literally and figuratively a depiction of a diverse universe.  I arrived dressed to depict my diverse Island blend of colors and my unique Jamaican multi-cultural styles of Indian long flowing skirt, Chinese
 long decorated silk top and draped with a long beaded silk scarf.

It was Big Night in Little Haiti at the hauntingly beautiful Little Haiti Cultural Center.  I discovered the Center in December last year and it immediately became my best cultural find as I was mesmerized by the beautiful Haitian Art mural that adorned the entrance.  The grandeur of the structure with its art and photo exhibits of every kind.  It is truly something to behold, too well kept a secret in multi-cultural Miami.

Back to Big Night, the 3^rd Friday of every month, I arrived exactly at 6:00 pm for my book reading which was slated for 6:30 to be followed by book signing 7:oo-8:oo pm.  On arriving I was caught by surprise at the large crowd of hundreds that lined the sidewalks and around the mural as two bands played on.  The crowd was orderly and the atmosphere radiant and relaxed.   I was greeted by everyone with wide loving smiles giving me the impression that they all knew me.  It felt great, I was home among friends.

My dear friend Prima decorated the table with my books, tapes, Cd’s, cards- it showed the skilled professional artist she is.  In the meantime, I greeted the 25-30 children and their parents as they assembled in the boardroom for my reading of One Diverse Universe, my recently published children’s book, that is getting rave reviews.  I established a relaxed, interactive threshold by talking with the parents and children before I began to read.

 

 The children were at rapt attention, as they listened to what I had to say I began to read from One Diverse Universe.   It was a diverse group of Haitians, Jamaicans and other Caribbean Islanders, Hispanics from many countries and cultures, white and black Americans and Europeans, among who was by friend Anna from Estonia and her toddler Miles. Before I started to read I exhorted the parents to read to their kids

from early in their lives to instill the virtues of reading. 





As I read I explained the oneness of all mankind, I identified the beauty in the diverse mixture in plants, foods, animals; and uniqueness and similarity in humankind of all races, cultures, religions, nationalities, languages and occupations.  The children answered questions about professions they will hold in the future, some wanted to write books, yes they become what they see.

It was a small diverse group but beauty, harmony and love was seen and felt.  In appreciation one parent wanted to know what prompted me to write One Diverse Universe.   I got choked up for the first time in the evening as I identified my love for children and wanting to help them navigate successfully as they soar upwards in life.  The answer for addressing bullying was well received by the nodding of heads as were the admonitions to “spread peace not war, love not hate, shake hands not clench fists, say nothing bad, let something good be said instead.”

It was an awesome night among new found family and above all…the children and dear friends who drop by to give support such as Otto and Carl Juste  with some of his students who snapped away as I read.

One Diverse group, caring, sharing, giving, supporting in love, peace, harmony and Oneness – children of all ages. 

- Phyllis Reed

IPC Visual Lab Spring Semester

IRIS Rising

 

IPC Visual Lab is holding its Open House on Friday, March 16th, 2012 in conjunction with the Rhythm Foundation's Big Night in Little Haiti Third Friday event.

IPC Visual Lab is an intensive hands-on program begins Saturday, March 24.  Students are encouraged to be creative, but are also taught to think of each project as a concise statement of artistic, documentary and journalistic intent. Personalized attention and review by award-winning photojournalists Carl Juste and C.W. Griffin, whose teaching approach is refreshing, fun and very engaging.  Instructors and students will be present to answer any questions.

Miami Herald staff photojournalists, Al Diaz, will be on hand to showcase "Think Tank" products.  We have special raffles for attendees and incentives for early registration (deadline for early-bird registration is March 18, 2012).


LECTURE SERIES
Intro to Photoshop                  3/31          Randy Mitchel
Writing Workshop                  4/14          Jon O'Neil
Intro to Social Media              5/5           Deborah Acosta

IPC Visual Lab classes begin March 24th and ends on May 26, 2012.
IPC Visual Lab offers Beginning, Intermediate, and Advance Study classes for both adults and youths.  Registration for classes is $20.00 and tuition is listed below.  Tuition and registration are not refundable. 

All workshop are free for IPC Visual Lab students, but the public is welcome at a
cost of $20.00/workshop.  You can pre-register for all three workshops at a reduce rate.

Contact IPC Visual Lab for further details or attend the IPC Visual Lab Open House.  Please RSVP for classes and workshops in advance since space is limited. 

IPC Visual Lab 

Little Haiti Cultural Center
212 NE 59th Terrace
Miami, Florida 33137
305-796-4718
E-mail: ipcvisuallab@gmail.com


Youth/Adult
Beginning Class 400.00/550.00
Intermediate Class 500.00/750.00
Advance Studies tba/1250.00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: I Witness

Miami, Florida - Twenty-five internationally celebrated photojournalists have
contributed 50 fine-art images, captured during the historical events worldwide,
to an unprecedented exhibition at the Bernice Steinbaum Gallery.


I Witness explores conflict through the images of these artists, whose work reflects

personal, internal, psychosocial, military, cultural or religious experiences, while maintaining the truthful and  ethical principles of journalism.

In this spirit, I Witness - curated by photojournalist Carl Juste and gallerist Bernice Steinbaum - hopes to engage the international art community with images that merge aesthetic principles of composition, texture and color, with elements of photojournalism, like timeliness, objectivity
and narration.  This exhibition seeks to underwrite the work of artists who are photojournalists and to support the value of freedom of the press and open government.

I WITNESS

What:      I Witness, 50 images by 25 global photojournalists

Where:    Bernice Steinbaum Gallery

                    3550 N. Miami Avenue, 

                    Miami, Florida 

When:     March 10, 2012

                   2 to 9 p.m.

Contact:   Johanna Monserratte

E-mail:     Johanna@bernicesteinbaumgallery.com

Phone:      305-573-2700

Azuauama, Nigera   André Chung                                                     5/5/2006

Catalogues are available upon request.

Exhibited Photojournalists

                          

Lynsey Addario                           Andrew Kaufman 

Kursat Bayhan                            Andrew Lichtensten    

Paula Bronstein                           Pablo Martinez                 

Jahi Chikwendiu                         Saikat Mojumder  

Michael Chavez                           Tom Pennington        

André Chung                               Roger M. Richards          

Alan Diaz                                      Jeffery A. Salter

Hector Emanuel                         Maggie Steber

Colin Finlay                                  Les Stone 

Bill Frakes                                    Charles Trainor, Jr.

Bill Frakes                                    Shehab Uddin 

C.M. Guerrero                             Nuri Vallbona

Andrew Innerarity


 

African Diaspora Panel by Jennifer Kay

On Dec. 3, at the peak of Art Basel Miami Beach, a panel of artists, educators and Miami community leaders met at the Little Haiti Cultural Center to discuss African Diaspora art. 

Among the panelists were Iris PhotoCollective’s Carl Juste and Andre Chung. Other panelists at the symposium entitled “Miami Crossroads: Developing the African Diaspora Art Footprint” included Marshall Davis of the African Heritage Cultural Arts Center, educator Frank Glover, Miami-Dade County community relations leader Larry Capp, Afro-Cuban artist Jose Orbein, artist Bayunga Kialeuka, artist and educator Gene Tinnie, and Marvin Weeks, an artist and member of the city of Miami’s Arts and Entertainment Council. 

The panel considered how to support artists from the African Diaspora, and how to help them make bigger gains in the art marketplace. To make progress, the panel suggested that artists collaborate to educate the public and art collectors, to promote their work and exhibits, to stage their own expos and gallery shows when art fairs shut them out and to support elected officials who work to support the arts.

One hot topic that invited passionate responses from the audience focused on promoting arts centers and galleries in neighborhoods such as Little Haiti or Overtown, which are challenged by the stigma of crime and poverty. If people are afraid to venture into unfamiliar and stigmatized neighborhoods, what can artists do to promote arts events in those neighborhoods or include those neighborhoods in the local arts scene? Again, the solution seemed to be collaboration, reaching out to local businesses and community leaders to help promote arts facilities and events.

The unifying theme of the symposium was “do-it-yourself.” Artists need to promote their individual brands and network to get the word out about art the large fairs such as Art Basel Miami Beach are missing.

Afterward, Iris PhotoCollective’s Carl Juste gave BlackArtInAmerica.com a tour of the IPC Visual Lab’s “Guerrilla Gallery.” The expo of student work -- curated, printed and hung in just a week in the Little Haiti Cultural Center -- illustrated the do-it-yourself initiative advocated by the panelists. Here’s a link to the video: 

Preparing for Concert Photography: Sacha Suarez

I recently received an amazing opportunity to shoot a concert for my company’s site and I was so excited I did not realize the minor details that make or break the assignment.  My purpose was to capture the concert for the fans for my company’s site  to view.   I will walk you through my challenges, my learning’s and finally the outcome.  A couple of challenges I faced were the following:

·                                    •  Access: Distance for stage to properly prepare for the lens    

·                                    •  Equipment: Unfamiliar camera with not tripod

      Access is a big unknown in most of these concerts but if you have experience it helps to know what to look for.This concert was unique in that there was three different artists playing and so I had three different opportunities to go and shoot.  The rules for the press was the first 2 songs for each artist so time was limited and taking the most shots in the short time frame was my goal.  They placed the press in the most distance space possible, behind the sound engineers which is usually in the middle of the center stage.  My lens went up to 200 – 300 and it was just fine.  I setup my camera manually with a high ISO and manually focused which I felt more in control.   Lighting on these stages is amazing and when you capture the wide shot, the set design really kicks in. 

I      

      I tried to capture the essence of each artists by shooting their expressions, body language and overall stage design.  Capturing the tight shot and the wide shot tells the story and captures the feeling of the moment. 

      
\


      For example, on top one performer was in action while the other was connecting with the audience.  Another challenge I faced and overcame was that one of the camera’s I used was borrowed and so unfamiliar territory.  I setup the camera as best I knew with an assumed distance and lighting of a typical concert (high ISO and shutter speed greater than 250) and a low F-stop and once we were placed in our assigned Press Area it was very difficult to change the settings in the dark with a camera I was not familiar with.  Solution:  I just shot away for the first song and based on my knowledge it should be right with the lighting and distance and during the second song, I changed the lens to my second camera, in which I was very familiar with.   Once I changed cameras,  this allowed me to view the pictures I had taken to tweak any settings on the spot.  Another challenge with equipment was no tripod.  I saw all the other press representatives with tripods and said to myself “oh boy”.  

     

      At this point in time, I just held the camera as firm as possible and shot away. The result was just fine.  It would have been more comfortable with the tripod and also may have gotten some more focused shots, however; the downside is that it also takes longer to setup as I saw the other photographers go through.  I learned it was a matter of choice and next time I will bring a tripod that is portable and easy to assemble and disassemble.

  

OCCUPY 305

Occupy Miami Rally 
November 17, 2011

I went to the Nov. 17 Occupy Miami rally and march looking for faces, and I found one face everywhere: Guy Fawkes, the “V for Vendetta” mask that has become a symbol of the 99% protests, was reproduced in several forms. 

Some wore the pointed, smiling mask tipped back on their heads, leaving their own faces visible beneath it. The grin was also printed on cardboard with “We are the 99%” printed above its eyes in English and Spanish. One protester even had the image on the back of his smartphone, so it was visible every time he raised the device to take a picture.

I was interested in how the pointy, squinting shape of the Guy Fawkes mask played off the protesters’ real faces, and I wanted to see the protesters used the same image to make unique statements. For each protester that obscured his face with a mask, another stared boldly at the authorities and media around them as if to say that he, and not the image of a 17th century Englishman, was making a statement. 

Apart from the mask, I focused on individual faces in the crowd of protesters, and in the groups of people who watched them march on Miami’s financial district. Two McDonald’s workers caught my eye as the march continued from Little Havana to Miami’s financial district. The pair huddled together in the drive-through window, and the man appeared interested and excited about the protest passing by. The woman frowned deeply, and the exaggerated expression was the upside-down version of the Guy Fawke mask’s broad smile. 

I had a few problems to solve as I looked for faces in the crowd. To start with, I was using a new lens with a different depth of field than the 50mm wide-open lens I normally use. I worked on keeping my backgrounds clean so that each face stood out, but still appeared in the context of a a protest and not as a pedestrian in the street. 

Shot in the Dark

By Jennifer Kay

Photography is problem solving, Brian Smith told us at his Miami launch for his book “Art & Soul.” Photography is creating opportunities out of problems. Lately, I’ve made a point of shooting in problematic situations. I’ve only allowed myself to shoot with available light, which means I’m often shooting in the dark.

Solution 1: Find the Light

 I’ve incorporated a lesson from the spring semester into this exercise -- find the good light, and wait for something to walk into it. One night this week, some of the Occupy Miami activists held a candlelight vigil on the beach. My only light sources were the moon, the moonlight reflecting off the sand, the electric candles and cell phone screens. I set my exposure for those lights and kept my shots wide to allow for as much light as possible, and then I watched for how the activists interacted with the light.





Solution 2: Know What Your Camera Do

 My DSLR can set the ISO as high as 6400. The higher the iso means I can still shoot clear frames in low light, but it doesn’t solve everything. I wanted to make portraits of the Haitian musicians performing on an outdoor stage during South Beach’s Sleepless Night arts event, but I didn’t have the kind of up stage access I had when I shot Shenita Hunt at The Clevelander last month.

My 50 mm lens has a wide open aperture to collect the most light, but it wasn’t getting me close enough to the singers. To get closer, I switched to my point-and-shoot camera, which has a zoom function.
I set the camera to a “high grain” setting with a 1600 iso to compensate for the camera shaking in windy conditions.


Solution 3: Make Trade-Offs

Shooting in the dark means I have to give up some things. Changing the ISO to 1600 or higher means that I lose the mid-tones in my images. The singers appear as bright spots of light and color surrounded by darkness. I also get noisier, grainier images because of the high ISO. I get high contrast, black and white, without soft grays or soft light.

Solution 4: Move My Feet

My 50 mm lens shoots fast, letting in the most light with the widest aperture. On the other hand, it’s a fixed lens. I can’t zoom in, and I can’t shoot wide. The only way to change the perspective is to move. In the Hotel Urbano, a trio sat talking at a table in front of an abstract painting hung on a bold red wall. When I first saw them, I tightly framed the shot on one half of the painting, a sliver of the red wall and a small portion of the table. What made the painting, and the scene, interesting was the red wall framing the painting. In order to get the whole table and painting in my viewfinder, with enough of the red wall framing the scene, I had to physically back up several feet.

Iris Rising: Miami Ironman 70.3

By Jenny Romney/IPC Visual Lab Student


Since its inception in 2006, the Ironman 70.3 series has become the fastest growing triathlon series in the world. Events around the world qualify athletes for the Ironman World Championship 70.3. The grueling Miami triathlon took place this past Sunday, October 30 in downtown Miami and about 3,000 physically fit men and women participated to test their mental and physical endurance. The race started at Bayfront Park with a 1.2 mile swim in the bay waters. Participants then hopped on their bicycles for a 56-mile ride through downtown Miami, Hialeah and the Everglades and all the way up to Southwest Ranches in Broward and back to Bayfront Park for two loops up to to Star Island, completing a 13.1-mile run, which add up to the 70.3 iron miles.

Well, I also had he opportunity to test my mental and physical endurance as a photographer when Carl Juste, who was on a photo assignment for the Miami Herald invited me to come along.

I knew I would have to set up the 2 alarms on my radio and the one on my cell phone which I kept under my pillow. I needed to be at Carl’s house by 5:30 am and it was already 2:00 am when I went to bed after the IPC Masquerade Part on Saturday. When the alarm went off, I jumped out of bed and ran out of the house with two cameras, two lenses, an umbrella and the all-access media pass.



When we arrived at Bayfront Park, I was worried that the rainy day would ruin my motivation to shoot and I was seriously concerned that I would also ruin my cameras. Carl kept saying, what you can’t ruin is the opportunity to make some great photos. And he was right. It was an amazing learning experience that kept on my toes and forcing to be constantly problem-solving. Shooting for news coverage is very exciting and I couldn’t pass up this opportunity!

Inner Vision: Day 66 - 70

Jennifer Kay is a Miami-based reporter for The Associated Press who has enrolled in Iris' IPC Visual Lab. Before moving to Miami in 2005, Kay was an editorial assistant in the AP’s Philadelphia bureau, and previously graduated in 2001 from Dartmouth College, where she was the photography editor of the daily student newspaper. Kay is looking to expand her knowledge of the visual language and to engage in the process of visual story-telling. Her blog has been a common feature for the past several month on the Iris PhotoCollective's Iris Rising series.



Day 66 : Glorious Heat

At Carl's suggestion, I shot the free "road rally" on Biscayne Boulevard for Miami Heat fans, a concert followed by a live broadcast of the game in Chicago outside AmericanAirlines Arena. I thought a lot about what Andre Chung had told me the previous week about grounding the frames for the viewers. I'm still not 100 percent sure of what he means, but I interpreted it as making the scene more clear instead of focusing on abstract elements.

I knew I would have some limitations with my digital point-and-shoot camera with the low natural light and explosive floodlights. So, I tried to stay near sources of light while framing the scene without distracting splotches of white light. I stuck to the automatic setting on my camera because, despite some blurring of action, it was more steady than the manual setting.

I also tried to remember to show the things that make this scene in Miami unique: the good-looking people and the mix of people, excitement about the basketball game, the colors people were wearing and waving around.

There's one question raised to which there is no answer: What is it about T-shirt cannons that makes people lose their minds?



Day 67 : Sinful Pleasures

When: 27 May, 10:46 p.m.
Where: my balcony, South Beach
Inner Thoughts: I got an iPhone! Finally! And so, I get a little lazy, because I've spent most of the evening finding cool apps to download.




Day 68 : Shadows

When: 28 May, 9:01 a.m.
Where: my apartment, South Beach
Inner Thoughts: I woke up early on a Saturday for class, and I caught the curved shadows my curtains made in the morning light. Mmmm, abstract light and shadows, my favorite!



Day 69: Dock

When: 29 May, 9:01 p.m.
Where: dockside, South Beach
Exposure: F3.6 1/2.5 ISO800
Inner Thoughts: I waited so late to pick up a camera today. I think this would have ended up more interesting from a lower angle.




Day 70: Ride

When: 30 May, 6:41p.m.
Where: Venetian Causeway
Exposure: taken with iPhone camera
Inner Thoughts: I don't know if you've seen "The Killing" on AMC, but in the opening credits there's a sequence of a drawbridge and flashing red lights shot through a windshield, and it looks really cool. So, when I found myself stopped at a drawbridge and watching flashing red lights, I tried to make something out of it.

Aaaaand that's it!

Completion of the 7x10 Project

PROJECT 7x10

The purpose of Project 7:10 was to produce one image each day for 10 weeks. Taking a photo every day was the easy part. The challenge was creating a photo, on a daily basis, that actually illustrated my thoughts, concept, or vision of the subject or scene being photographed, and which had a strong composition. The real challenge for me was having to push myself creatively and seeing the familiar patterns of my routines in a new light—to see the shapes, shadows, faces and actions that I often overlook.

This exercise forced the discipline I needed in order to discover the shapes I was seeking in random places; and it also showed me how easily I can fall into a rut just shooting in my comfort zone. I had to push myself to look at streets differently, to seek out people, to be aware of what's in the background and to work with the limitations of my camera.

Project 7x10 is a reflection of reality. It is about the captured moment in time and embracing the truth of an image. I missed four days for reasons beyond my control, but I put my best effort into every one of 66 photos you see here. Of course, the true purpose of this exercise was to help me grow as a photographer, both from technical and creative aspects. Mission accomplished.

Carl Juste: Wow, you are finally done! What a amazing visual journey! It is really special to be able to see your improvements and set backs in one place. Seems like it was yesterday when took your first frame. Your hard work has paid off. Congrats and thank you for allowing us to tag along on your magnificent visual journey.

Seven days, ten weeks, and now it is over. What a ride! Thank you for sharing your thoughts, images, and inspiration.

Inner Vision: Day 61 - 65

Day 61: Dock

When: 15 April, 8:19 p.m.
Where: Publix parking garage, 3rd level, South Beach
Exposure: F3.3, 1/50, ISO1600
Inner Thoughts: As soon as I pulled into the rooftop lot I saw this guy half-illuminated under the light and I liked the near-symmetry of him and the shopping cart in the light at two otherwise equal picnic tables.

Jennifer Kay is a Miami-based reporter for The Associated Press who has enrolled in Iris' IPC Visual Lab. Before moving to Miami in 2005, Kay was an editorial assistant in the AP’s Philadelphia bureau, and previously graduated in 2001 from Dartmouth College, where she was the photography editor of the daily student newspaper. Kay is looking to expand her knowledge of the visual language and to engage in the process of visual story-telling. Her blog will be a common feature for the next several month on the Iris PhotoCollective's Iris Rising series.



Day 62: Bus Stop

When: 22 May, 7:435 p.m.
Where: bus stop outside Publix, 6th and Alton, South Beach
Inner Thoughts: Bus stops are things I notice more now, after having to shoot a photo a day for 60-some days now. I was shooting from the hip as I passed this one, but I didn't realize the exposure was so off. Still, when I played with the exposure in processing, I liked this frame better than anything else I shot this day.




Day 63: Shadow Walk

When: 23 May, 6:22 p.m.
Where: Outside Carl's office
Inner Thoughts: Several weeks ago, Carl pointed out the shadows these air conditioning units cast when the light was just right. Here's my attempt to repeat the frame he captured with my camera.

Uh, whoops! Day 64 is a blank. No idea what happened here, but clearly there's no photo to prove I did anything this day.



Day 65: Pool

When: 25 May, 12:47 p.m.
Where: The Biltmore, Coral Gables
Inner Thoughts: The light is really what's wrong with this picture. I was covering a lunchtime speech, and a few minutes to spare in a beautiful hotel space. Unfortunately, the light at lunchtime is generally awful. Not even the balloons going up the stairs could make this interesting.