Iris Rising

In 2009 and beyond, Iris PhotoCollective will be participating in various international, national, and community-based events in several cities. Iris Rising will serve as a source to explore these events, to keep our friends informed and current on the where, who, and when of various Iris' endeavors.

Black Crossroads: The African Diaspora in Miami
On display March 5, 2009 to January 24, 2010
http://www.hmsf.org/exhibitions-bcross.htm
Historical Museum of Southern Florida
101 W. Flager Street, Miami, Florida 33130
305-375-1492






Diverse groups of the African diaspora have come to settle, work and struggle for freedom in Miami since its incorporation in 1896 to the present day. In the process they have made significant political, economic and cultural contributions to the city. Black Crossroads: The African Diaspora in Miami explores the enduring presence and impact of African-Americans, Africans, black Caribbeans and black Hispanics on Miami.

The art of Iris PhotoCollective photojournalists, Andre Chung and Carl Juste, is part of this expansive and comprehensive exhibit. Andre Chung's photograph of a Haitian migrant worker dominates the large north wall creating a spacious pictorial landscape that incorporates a multi-media display within its frame.




Chung's complete attention to the nuances of Miami's diverse groups of the African diaspora is an anthropological approach to visual story telling. Keeping clear of cultural stereotypes and miscues, helps add to the depths of this exhibit and to his work.


On display in this exhibition are historic photographs, oral histories, memorabilia, film/video and artifacts related to black pioneers, families, laborers, communities and organizations spanning the over 100 history of black migrations to Miami.

Helping document South Florida's African diaspora, is one of the many highlights in Iris' participation in Black Crossroads: The African Diaspora in Miami.

So, if you are in the South Florida area and want to engage in a unique cultural experience please visit the exhibit at the Historical Museum of Southern Florida.


Take a free guided tour of the exhibition.

Free guided tours of Black Crossroads: The African Diaspora in Miami will be offered on the following dates and times:


Date/Time
Saturday, April 11 4 pm
Sunday, April 12 2 pm
Saturday, May 9 4 pm
Sunday, May 10 2 pm
Saturday, June 13 4 pm
Sunday, June 14 2 pm
Saturday, July 11 4 pm
Sunday, July 12 2 pm
Saturday, August 15 4 pm
Sunday, August 16 2 pm
Saturday, September 12 4 pm
Sunday, September 13 2 pm
Saturday, October 10 4 pm
Sunday, October 11, 2 pm
Saturday, November 14 4 pm
Sunday, November 15 2 pm
Saturday, December 12 4 pm
Sunday, December 13 2 pm
Saturday, January 9 4 pm
Sunday, January 10 2 pm

The Recession Chronicles

American journalism is in peril. Thousands of reporters, graphic artists,designers, writers, columnists,and photojournalists have either lost their jobs, or are in fear of joining the unemployed.




Sports blogger Rufus Dawes comments:


Newspapers have been the country’s most trusted source of news for most of our history. Between 1790 and 1800, the number of newspapers in this country increased from under 100 to over 230. By 1810 Americans were buying more than 22 million copies of 376 newspapers annually, the largest aggregate circulation of newspapers in any country in the world. (Frank Luther Mott, American Journalism: A History,1690-1960)


Today, however, is a different case as stated by the Bulldog Reporter's Daily Dog:


"In 2009 and 2010, all the two-newspaper markets will become one-newspaper markets, and you will start to see one-newspaper markets become no-newspaper markets," said Mike Simonton, a senior director at Fitch Ratings, who analyzes the industry, reports Times writer Richard Perez-Pena.

Many critics and competitors of newspapers — including online start-ups that have been hailed as the future of journalism — say that no one should welcome their demise.

"It would be a terrible thing for any city for the dominant paper to go under, because that's who does the bulk of the serious reporting," said Joel Kramer, former editor and publisher of the Star Tribune and now the editor and chief executive of MinnPost.com, an online news organization in Minneapolis. "Places like us would spring up," he told the Times, "but they wouldn't be nearly as big. We can tweak the papers and compete with them, but we can't replace them."

No one knows which will be the first big city without a large paper, but there are candidates all across the country. The Hearst Corporation, which owns the Post-Intelligencer, has also threatened to close the San Francisco Chronicle, which lost more than $1 million a week last year, unless it can wring significant savings from the operation.

As our nation and the world faces this extreme downturn, what are we, those you are still working and those who have been laid off, doing to deal with this crisis? Do you have a story, anecdote, a productive insight to share about the fate of American journalism?

Are you willing to tell your own story about losing your job, getting a new one,or starting a new life outside journalism? How is this recession going to change our democracy, the 4th Estate, our standard of living?

How do we hold the government, the private sector, and other institutions that form our democracy accountable?

Join us to tell these stories of struggle and triumph. Do you have a solution? How have you triumphed? How do you plan to survive?

The Recession Chronicles is a multi-media diary. Submit a video, a photograph, or an essay that can help us all understand this crisis and its effects in personal terms. Each entry or comment should have a dateline followed by the author's name and current employment status. You can choose to remain anonymous, but no character assassinations, please. If anyone chooses to name names then the author's name must be released.

Best of luck to all.

Covering Obama's address to Congress

Iris PhotoCollective member, Pablo Martínez Monsívaís covered President Barack Obama's address to the joint session of Congress on Tuesday night. As an Associated Press staffer, he had the difficult responsibility of pool photographer, meaning that he was the only still shooter allowed on the floor, and that his photos would supply newspapers all over the world. 

Washington, D.C. based photographer, John Harrington produced this video for his blog, PhotoBusiness News & Forum. It features interviews with Pablo, New York Times photographer Doug Mills, and USA Today photographer H. Darr Beiser, on how they covered the speech for their publications. 

Miami Heart Gallery

The photographers of Iris PhotoCollective were among a select group tapped to participate in the Children's Trust Miami Heart Gallery, a traveling exhibit that showcases foster children in need of adoption.  More than 70 children in Miami-Dade's foster care system who are available for adoption are featured in the exhibit. More info on the Miami Heart Gallery can be found at www.miamiheartgallery.org.

To see video from Channel 4 in Miami and learn more about the project click here.

A New Era

photo by Carl Juste for McClatchy News Service

Barack Hussein Obama was sworn in as the 44th president of the United States last Tuesday, and has been received as a champion by people throughout the country and all over the world. No change of leadership in modern history has engendered so much hope and enthusiasm with so many people. He is  truly representative of change, of a new paradigm as the world moves forward in the 21st century. His presidency comes at a time when the world is in crisis, at a critical point, and despite our uncertainties about our own futures, we are all fortunate to bear witness to this hour in history.

Iris PhotoCollective photographers were there throughout the Inaugural weekend. Pablo Martínez Monsívais covered it for the Associated Press, Carl Juste was assigned by McClatchy

 News Service, and André Chung and Clarence Williams photographed for the Inaugural Committee's Official Inaugural Book. You can learn more about the book project at www.obamaphotobook.com. Following are some of their thoughts and photos and a larger gallery of work can be viewed in the gallery named 44 at the Iris PhotoCollective website. Go to www.irisphotocollective.com to see more images.

Pablo Martínez Monsívaís: In our lives there aren't many 'firsts' that you can say you were witness to, days you will look back on and tell your grandchildren about...

'I was there when...'

Last Tuesday was one of those day that, probably, later when I recount the story, I'm going to forget how cold, windy and long my day turned out to be. Instead I'm going to remember how wonderful I felt to watch the events unfold, amazed at the spirit and drive our country is capable of achieving. With 2 million people attending, (the population of D.C., is 500,000), our whole country and the rest of the world had their collective eyes focused on the Capital. In other cities and countries, crowds this size are reserved for sporting or religious events. But not this day and not here. We as a country came out in a record numbers to take part in the peaceful transition of democracy. A democracy copied by some, and envied by many because of our capacity to continue to grow and adapt, to change our leaders peacefully without having a coup. In the end this was just AMAZING, plain and simple.

'I remember when I saw the President.'

This was the third inauguration I've covered - each one a bit different, and my assignments for those days as various as the circumstances surrounding the elections. On January 20, 2001, I covered protesters on foot in downtown D.C. who attempted to disrupt the inauguration festivities along the parade route. Back then, we had not yet experienced the attacks of 9/11, and in retrospect those opposing the outcome of the election were fairly calm. 

In 2005, I followed President Bush as a member of the travel pool, on a flatbed truck in his motorcade. While waiting to snap a picture of him walking down Pennsylvania Ave., there were raw eggs being thrown at his vehicle. The crowd looked much more hostile, causing members of the Secret Service to surround the limo and speed up their pace. People came out that day to show their displeasure for Bush's handling of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

'Tell us again what happened on that election night in Chicago? '

I was in Chicago on November 4th to witness the election of Obama, and the city's celebration of a South Side Senator's elevation into the most powerful office in the world. I smiled when I snapped photos, perched from a riser with the longest piece of Canon glass I have ever used, because I am from the South Side and like Barack, I am also a White Sox fan. That's corny I know, but I can't make this up. I looked around at the people in Grant Park, the different faces, ages and genders, and America was looking back at me celebrating. People hugging, smiling and a whole bunch of them crying.

Welcome to a brand new day.

'I woke up 5 minutes before my alarm clock to a house full of friends.'

I'm always going to remember where I was on Tuesday, January 20^th, 2008, or Inauguration Day. I keep reminding myself that I had witnessed 43 greeting 44 at 1600 Penn. -translation from DC-Speak -outgoing President George W. Bush shaking hands with incoming President Barack Obama at the White House. It was something I'd never seen before in my 15-plus years as a photojournalist - and mind you, I've seen a lot in my career. Here I was watching the transition of the Presidency of the US. I remember reading about this in countless history classes in school, but reading it is one thing, watching it happen ten feet away is completely different. Seeing Obama and Bush pose with the First Ladies at the North Portico of the White House I was reminded how normal both couples looked. What I mean is, our country has no kings - we elect regular people to be our leaders, and on January 20, 2009 the country watched as a man by the name of Barack Obama was sworn in as the 44^th President of the United States of America.

André Chung: I can't be happier about the way the country has turned around. Even though the economy continues to churn down the drain and we have a laundry list of problems we have to overcome, we've collectively managed to point ourselves in the right direction. 

I'm most choked up about what this means for the younger generation in this country. 

I have a daughter in high school and a son in middle school, and I find it breathtaking that to them, a black

president has just become normal. My children, our children, have really stepped into a new age. Although I've heard some cynical jokes about this, I think it's truly remarkable that at a time when things are so bleak and dismal, the American

 people would choose a black man to lead them home. 

My mother always told me and my siblings that we had to be twice as good as white folks to get the same distance. I know many of you reading this have been told the same by your parents. If my mother was right, then Obama would be twice as good as any president we've had. 

Carl Juste:  In my 20-plus years of photojournalism, I have never requested, demanded, or displayed ownership to any assignment.  I generally took a relaxed attitude

and a leap of faith that my work ethic, talent, and reputation would be suffice securing prized assignments.  Then came the Inauguration.  For the first time I felt I needed to

be there.  It did not matter in what capacity my talents would be used.  I just wanted to see and experience the inauguration for my father, my family, my friends, and mostly for myself.  I wanted to see, hear, and feel the moment with my own senses , no filters.

Clarence Williams: I wish our new President filled me with warm feelings and hope for a bright future. Unfortunately for me he doesn’t. I was excited on election night and the morning of the 5th. When I opened my local paper the next morning and realized that one of my collective mate’s images expressed our country’s joy, I was overwhelmed. I called him and left a tearful message thanking him. 

Soon after, reality crept back into my little world.

I’m proud of our President and happy for him. I have yet to rush out and buy a flag. I do not see that happening. All my let downs, pains and regrets are still the same.

I do not see any fewer Rebel flags where I travel on a regular basis. If I’m shot, chances are it will be by some equally angry Negro teenager.

I remain on edge. I’m still reading my Baldwin and Wright on a regular basis. I’m still angry.

In one way our new President has changed my life around. I use to be depressed and miserable. Now, I’m miserable and depressed.

In the meantime, as I breathlessly wait for my stimulus package I remain legally strapped and spend what little free time I have at the range or in the gym tossing iron plates around.

Nissa Benjamin: A Photo a Day

Nissa Benjamin was given the challenge of creating one image every day for one year. 365 photos in 365 days is the goal starting on July 11th, 2008. This is a visual diary of sorts with the aim of helping Benjamin understand the art of visual story-telling and the complexity of the visual language. Wish her luck!



7-24-08_dress
This was a day for love. The birds were chirping. The sun was shinning. In a little shop in Coral Gables a bride-to-be picked out her dress. Simplicity was the requirement. Feeding off of my subject, I made a quiet picture. She was reserved, did not talk much and listened intently to her mother’s every word. When she came out of the dressing room it was like magic. She played with the bow. She stared at the trim. She smiled. This was the one.

7-23-08_wings
She shall remain nameless. Her principal would kill her. Teachers cannot have tattoos. This was such a huge piece for such a small woman. Her entire back. The wings of an angel. She clenched a pillow and sucked on a cherry lollipop. She smiled. I cringed. I am good with pain.




7-22-08_waiter
I felt stuck inside today. Would have given anything to be outside today. Windows can sometimes be horrible. I liked the architectural design of Downtown Miami. It always catches my eyes. Then the sharp contrast of the silhouette brings me back to reality.



7-21-08_nude
Nude Bathers. Definitely a challenge. I felt very uncomfortable. What I consider so private was a public affair. I used the camera as a mask, which I usually do not do but it was my only way. I still felt that even though they were ok with me making pictures, I wanted to do something that would not be so obvious that they were naked.


7-20-08_mommy
I went to a park on my way home looking for something. I found a mother playing with her daughter barefoot. She started swinging her in circles. First she was on her mother’s back. Giggle. Then she was swung by the arms. Laugh. Then upside down. Tears.


7-19-08_auction
Ninety plus degrees and not a cloud in sight. A county auction for old police cars and old maintenance equipment. Men fighting for the right to own them. It was like a secret society. Complete with their own hand signals, slang and initiation. You could instantly point out the members from the wannabes.



7-18-08_runway
My first runway show. It consisted of tents and tents without any space.
Fighting for elbow room. Bathing suits I could only dream of. Rude photographers. Sweaty photographers. Beautiful women. Annoying people who felt they should stop in the middle of the walkway when you have 5 minutes to get to the other side of the terrace. Lights. Trying not to fall into the pool. Security guards who take their job way to seriously. Excitement. All in about 2hours. How time does fly?



7-17-08_moon
I haven't seen a full moon in a very long time. It stopped me in my tracks. I was driving and couldn't keep my eyes off of it. Don't remember the last time being outside just to be outside, or not going somewhere and doing something. I had time to just look up.


7-16-08_media
The nature of my job? Hurry up and wait. I never liked the swarm of media that was present during high-profile assignments. Competition for space, the story, and the prestige. It is like a dance where the partners fight to lead while the subject watches it unfold.



7-11-08 "Rings"
I looked down and saw these old hands hi-lighted with gold. I found out an amazing story behind his rings. Jose Regueiro was a former political prisoner from Cuba. The number on his ring, 28863, was his name until 1967. He didn't have a name. Regueiro moved to New York and became a dentist after being released. He moved to Miami and in 1988, he founded the Florida National College in Hialeah. The got this ring as a constant reminder of his past. He went from having nothing to being able to afford jewelry, which he sees as a sign of wealth.





7-12-08 "Bubble"
Childhood still exists! Despite computer games and video games, games outside are still around. A relay race in the inflated plastic bubble. The hamster wheel personified.



7-13-08 "Hat"
Outside was gray, yet humid. The day you see the rain coming and pray is hurries. I was just attracted to this hat. It just popped out at me, among everyone else. It felt like it did not belong in this setting. She should be on a sunny beach not under clouds about to burst with rain.

New Vision: Nissa Benjamin

Nissa Benjamin is a photojournalist for the Miami Herald. She is a recent graduate of the University of Florida, with a Bachelor of Science in journalism with a concentration in photojournalism and design.

Nissa specializes in documentary and feature photography. She has worked at four major newspapers, The South Florida Sun-Sentinel, The Miami Herald, The Philadelphia Daily News, and The Myrtle Beach Sun News, as well at the University of Florida News Bureau.

Nissa was born in Hollywood, Fl., and has been obsessed with the camera for as long as she could remember. Her obsession turned into a passion during her summer internship with The South Florida Sun-Sentinel in tenth grade. Since then, she has balanced school with internship opportunities to deepen her passion and develop her art.

The definition of photojournalism to Nissa is the power to change. If an impression, view, or thought was changed through one of her images, she has succeeded. She strives to make images that are clean and minimal yet impactful.

Lately, she has been the telling stories of men of color and their passions. Like Max Citrin, an amateur body builder who dropped out of medical school to pursue a professional career. His journey of discipline and structure leading up to his first professional competition left little time for moments of serenity. Also, Chris “Contak” Saunders, a striving rapper originally from Boston but is trying to finish a degree at the University of Florida. His tattoo is Latin for “Let them hate, so long as they fear”, is a motto he bases his life and music around.



Nissa has just completed a portrait series on the many sides of Hip-Hop culture in the younger society of Gainesville. She wanted to show the difference from the culture seen on television and the traditions being kept alive by people who were not born when it began. The photograph of Sauders is also apart of this series This project will be featured in the University of Florida’s gallery this November.

Always looking for new experiences to grow as a photojournalist and person, Nissa is driven by the opportunity to tell stories through images.


Nissa Benjamin
The Miami Herald
University of Florida, College of Journalism and Communications Alumni,
E-mail: nissabenjamin@yahoo.com
Web site: www.nissabenjamin.com
Blog: http://nissabenjamin.blogspot.com/