Getty launches massive archive of iconic American images

A soldier holding up the torn flag of the 8th Pennsylvania Reserve Colour Guard during the American Civil War. Photo by MPI/Getty Images  

Getty Images has launched a massive online collection of 80,000 iconic American images—know as the Archive Photos collection—which were selected from the world-renowned Hulton Archive.  The images were picked specifically to showcase America’s most defining moments, from the signing of the Declaration of Independence to the Apollo 11 launch; the archive spans both historical and cultural events.

Getty spent several months selecting and digitizing the collection and will be continuing to add to it regularly. While many of the images in the Archive Photos collection were originally taken from newspapers and press agencies, the archive also contains drawings, etchings and sketches from the days before photography was invented.

In addition to Pulitzer Prize winning photographs, the archive also contains images from famous photographers, including: Julia Margaret-Cameron, Lewis Hine and Jacob Riis, as well as images from sources like: Pictorial Parade, FPG and George Eastman House.

The Hulton archive is one of the largest and most well-respected photojournalistic collections consisting of more than 80 million images from around the world.

To see the Archive Photos collection, head on over to: Getty Images

 

From: http://www.benzinga.com

Jazz Photographer Herman Leonard Dies, Images Live on

http://www.hermanleonard.com/

 

World-renowned jazz photographer Herman Leonard passed away on Saturday, August 15, at the age of 87.

Tiny stages, filled with over-contrasted musicians, often illuminated by a single blinding light, one that cut through the otherwise dark, crowded, cigarette and sweat filled room—these were the iconic images that made Leonard famous—although not until more than 30 years after they were taken.

While most of his now-famous candids of jazz greats like Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, Benny Goodman, Mike Davis and Frank Sinatra, were taken in the late 1940’s and early 1950’s, it wasn’t until the mid 1980’s that his work was recognized—when a book titled “The Eye of Jazz,” was finally published.

Leonard had a passion for jazz music even as a child, but loved photography just as much—so naturally once World War II ended, Leonard took it upon himself to document the popular New York City jazz scene. A commercial photographer by day, Leonard was able to talk his way into many of New York’s hippest clubs by night.

It’s hard to imagine what our perceptions of this fascinating period in American music and culture would be like without Leonard’s photography. Thankfully, a project is currently underway to digitize Leonard’s massive collection of negatives, so that they may be kept for posterity.

For more information about Herman Leonard, check out his famous book, “The Eye of Jazz,” at your local library, or surf on over to: http://www.hermanleonard.com/

Larry Sultan: 'Pictures From Home'

Larry Sultan/Courtesy Stephen Wirtz Gallery

Few photographic publications of the 1970s created the stir that Evidence did. The book seemed to vindicate the idea that a photograph could be beautiful even if its creator didn’t specifically intend it to be. Conceived by young, high-concept California photographers Larry Sultan and Mike Mandel, the work winnowed images from vast corporate and government archives — the remaining evidence of tests and accidents, products and projects, the varied enterprises of the military-industrial complex.

Year of the Tiger

Photo By John Isaac

The wet whorl spun by this Bengal tiger’s tail is a reminder that contrary to popular belief, cats big and small love water — at least the ones inhabiting warmer climes, in this case India’s Bandhavgarh National Park. The frozen spray also proves that a high shutter speed, here 1/640 of a second, can expose hidden beauty.

A Photographer's Guide To Social Media

The forward march of communications technology has left grammar in the dust. Tweets and text messages squeeze language into the smallest possible space. Blogs and Facebook posts are written in such haste that they’re full of mistakes — if they don’t try to exempt themselves from attention to syntax by affecting a stream-of-consciousness style. Even e-mail is a punctuation-free zone.

The People Behind The Pics: Snowbound

To get an interesting angle, Manley used an extendable pole that he modified to support his camera. The photo ran in the Swedish magazine Åka Skidor.

Canadian Jordan Manley is often asked which of his passions came first — outdoor adventure or photography. “The outdoors definitely came first,” says the 25-year-old, who lives and works in Vancouver, British Columbia. “I’ve long been an avid skier and mountain biker, and photography grew out of being outside with my friends and wanting to document our pursuits in the mountains.” Manley first picked up a camera about nine years ago. “My dad taught me the basics, and then it was a process of experimentation and self-exploration,” he says. The hobby morphed into a career, and a few years later he began submitting images to magazines such as Powder, Ski and Skiing. Soon he was not only getting assignments but also awards, including top honors in 2009 at the Olympus Pro Photographer Showdown.

Two For The Show: Fashion's Top Tag Team Hits Prime Time

In the November/December issue of American Photo, we scooped the story of how fashion and celebrity photo tag team Markus Klinko and Indrani are venturing into reality TV with their own Bravo network series. Called Double Exposure, the show will follow the famed duo as they bring their signature style to sessions with the likes of Lady Gaga, Lindsay Lohan, and Naomi Campbell, who appeared on AP's cover as the result of a London shoot done exclusively for our magazine. The show premieres April 5 at 10 p.m. ET/PT. Be sure not to miss an episode: Klinko and Indrani's American Photo cover shoot will be featured in one of the episodes.

More Photos After The Jump

Freedom to Create

Decades of experience can lead to certain perks in the world of photography (oh, tremendous talent doesn’t hurt, either).  Just ask architectural photographer Tim Street-Porter. He has secured something many photographers dream of: creative control.

While working on his upcoming book, “Rooms to Inspire in the City: Stylish Interiors for Urban Living” (Rizzoli 2010), with his wife, writer Annie Kelly, Street-Porter had complete editorial freedom. “We had only two meetings during the entire project, one with our editor, and the other with the freelance designer. We chose all the locations, and gave all the images that we liked to the designer.”

Parting Shot: Black Sea Wreck

Rafal Milach’s forbidden photo of a polluted harbor.

CLOSE-UP: RAFAL MILACH

	Studied at: The Academy of Fine Arts in Katowice, Poland; the Institute of Creative Photography in Opava, Czech Republic Appeared in: Time, Newsweek, GQ Awards: World Press Photo, Pictures of the Year International Website: rafalmilach.com

Rafal Milach’s Black Sea of Concrete was just named the grand prize winner of Photography.Book.Now, a juried, Blurb-sponsored competition for self-published photo books. Taken from Milach’s book, this photo of a polluted harbor, entitled “Fishing Harbor/Ilichovsk,” was shot in Ilichovsk, Ukraine, not far from Odessa.

The Controversy Over Demi Moore's Hips

It's no secret that magazine cover photos get retouched, but it's not often you hear about a photographer for calling out a magazine on their clone tool work. Photographer, Anthony Citrano, doesn't like Demi Moore's cover of W magazine. According to his Twitter, he seems to think that the magazine got a little over-zealous in the digital dark room and botched a section of the photo featuring Demi's left hip. Both Moore and the magazine claim that the image is real, with Demi going so far as to post the "unretouched" image on her own Twitter. But, Citrano remains steadfast, saying he'll offer up $5,000 to charity if they can prove that's the way it looked out of the camera.

Demi Moore is no stranger to controversial magazine covers. In 1991 she appeared on Vanity Fair's cover, seven months pregnant and nude. Just one year later, she dropped her clothes again for Vanity Fair, this time covering up with only a layer of body paint applied by Joanne Gair. This latest controversy is just more proof that she has still got it.

We want to hear your thoughts: Shopped or not? Let us know in the comments. Here's a high-res version of the cover on Flickr to help you decide.

From: Boing Boing

How Pro Photographers Use Their Cameraphones

Professional photographers are quickly turning the iPhone into standard camera equipment, using it not only as a visual notebook and a method to free their minds from creative stumbling blocks, but also for their commercial work. Below are three pros who have integrated their cameraphones into their daily routine.

Robert Clark

New York photographer Robert Clark enjoys the distinction of being the first photographer to shoot a commercial assignment with a cameraphone, his commissioned book Image America. “It’s loose and free, stream of consciousness photography,” he says. “I just treat it as a visual diary, taking notes on my own life.” Other photographers, who at first discouraged him from using a phone camera, changed their minds when they saw the results. “National Geographic photographer David Alan Harvey thought it was the best work I had ever done,” Clark says with a laugh. (above: ShakeIt Photo app)

Top Five iPhone Camera Apps

The iPhone, introduced in 2007, is not only the most popular cameraphone on Flickr, it’s actually the second most popular camera of any type (in first place is the Canon EOS Digital Rebel XTi). One reason: the abundance of apps available. Here are our top five picks.

Pano ($2.99)

Create seamless panoramic photos right in your iPhone. debaclesoftware.com