Photographer Interview: Eric J Henderson

Photographer Eric J Henderson was referred to the Dodge & Burn blog via a long tailed search engine result. He then sent me a very endearing email. I was struck by the elegance of his photos, all taken with a vintage camera. Eric's dedication to using a film is the sign of a photographer who's true to the craft of the medium.

D&B: How did you get started in photography - any "formal" training?
EJH: I spotted my camera in November of 2003 while walking to the subway in Harlem. It's a 1950 Kodak Brownie Hawkeye I bought for $5 from a homeless guy who used to set up shop at 125th and Park Avenue. I considered it just a beautiful art deco paperweight until two days later deciding to see if it worked.

I found different ways to make the film work and then my "training" started. I shot every day for two years straight and I can't think of any two days going by since without having shot something. I had never shot before finding the camera.

D&B: What cameras or techniques do you use?
EJH: I use the Brownie camera exclusively, but not for any nostalgia. I mean, I dig the design and the 1950ness of it, but I'm intrigued by the idea of technology often advancing not because we've exhausted it, but rather because we simply want something new.

I want to find what's in the infinity between the parameters of this particular technology. I shoot mostly at night in long exposures that I count off in my head. The camera has a flat bottom that is perfect for using the earth or street things as a tripod. I also compose in multiple exposures using any light I find, especially the crosswalk figure.

D&B: Who are your mentors (in photography)?
EJH: I had no interest in photography before finding the camera, so I don't have a list of photography mentors yet. I have taught myself, but I also know that we all learn from somebody, if not directly in the discipline. So, there's a varied list of people/places that make me think: The Studio Museum In Harlem and Thelma Golden (for intense curatorial ethic), J. Vernon McGee and Umberto Eco (for ways of thinking), Deborah and (son) Hank Willis (for their brands of black aesthetic), Arthur Ashe (for intelligent perseverance), Kristen Hayden of OneworldNow, the group that has sponsored my international work in conjunction with Starbucks (for how to will things into existence.)

And kids. I don't mean that in the cute sense, but rather I look at them to learn how they solve problems with a fresh mind.

D&B: Have you experienced any setbacks or different treatment along your photography career that you would attribute to being a photographer of color? (this question is optional)
EJH: Our still racialized context would make "yes" a pretty safe bet, but I haven't perceived it yet, positively or negatively. I've been on the grind enough not to feel any guilt or wasteful anger, whatever comes.

D&B: When did you realize you could make a living at photography? Describe your journey towards becoming a pro.
EJH: A few incidents have made me believe it's possible. My first exhibit was a couple of 23"x23" pieces in the group show "hrlm: pictures" at the Studio Museum in Harlem. The New Yorker Magazine noted them as standout images.

I also began to be published and commissioned to teach and shoot (Brazil, Morocco, NYC) and last year had my first solo exhibit and residency at The Forsyth Center Galleries (Texas A&M U). Most recently I consulted on a World Bank project for Gaza and the West Bank.

I'm glad to be on the journey. The first time I ever said, "I'm a photographer," though, was to a policeman at 2am in Queens during my second year shooting. I knew that "I'm just taking pictures" wasn't going to cut it and have since discovered that moving around the wee hours with a little black box and kneeling on the street will get you stopped a lot.

What do you hope to achieve with your photography?
I would love to have real conversation through my work, to have people stop and consider an idea that they find enduring.

I look to draw the animate out of the inanimate. I also want the work itself to engage people. I've shot Sean Combs, Madeline Albright, and Bill Clinton. They all said, "You can still shoot with that?!"... "Yes, now stand under this light and be very still, please."

What starts as a curiosity usually leads to real conversations on art and life with people from all over the world.

D&B: What's your dream photography project?
EJH: It's 100 Brownie cameras in the hands of young and old, together in the beautiful nighttime hunt, shooting from 12am to dawn, moving as a cloud through a city. Later, we'll host a big show, opening at 12am.

D&B: What are you shooting now?
EJH: I'm still exploring cities and the night but now adding outdoor portraits to the mix, though still in nighttime long exposure. People who know you should say, "That looks like you," but not be quite sure.

I'm also interested in a Black aesthetic, but not necessarily via documentary photography. Of course, documentary is art, too. But, most black photographers I've read about are known for documentary. I'm a real fan of that as it speaks to the power and appeal of our historical cultural experience.

However, I imagine that they shot more than that, a flower or something else once in a while. If art has such transcending power it is now interesting to me to expect that a necessarily different perspective will come through even without black people or icons always present. Sorta post-black in order to see more dimensions of black.

For example, Brazil and Morocco still came through clearly when I asked the kids to use the Brownie camera to find something interesting or beautiful. I didn't want another "hard life in the favela" shot. There is a place for that, but, having lived in neighborhoods in which tourists sneak images of the residents' culture or conditions, I would feel the same kind of voyeur to ask them yet again to shoot their lives versus shooting their imaginations.

The Moroccan kids were wowed to see their work at Villa des Arts Contemporary Art Museum (Rabat) and in the Seattle Art Museum. The photos were good – and you have to work for that. So, I challenge them when I teach and they don't enjoy that part, but we all well up when we see what we've accomplished and part ways as real friends.

I'm also shooting with a global collective called 15x100 – 15 photos by 100 photographers. I was recently invited to join and have really been pushed to keep learning and improving my work by this close-knit group of photographers, most of whom have never met in person but who collaborate all the time.

Photographer Interview: Mary Brown

A career magazine art director and graphic designer and short story writer, Mary Brown is a true artist who can communicate visually as well as through the written word. Soon she will make the leap to be a full time, pro photographer. Mary and I met on Twitter and you can follow her @embrownny.

How did you get started in photography - any "formal" training?
I guess you could say I began with my first camera. When I was 9-years-old, I got a Kodak Instamatic for Christmas—it used the flashcubes. I started dreaming of being a photographer back then.

I did get a little formal training when I was in FIT, in New York, working on my degree in Advertising Design. It was only one semester, but it was quite exciting—developing b/w film in the darkroom and making prints. That was also when I purchased my first SLR camera (1979). It was a Minolta XG-1. I still have it though I haven’t used it in years.

What cameras or techniques do you use?
Right now I’m using a Canon EOS Rebel XT. It was the first digital camera I bought about three years ago. Though it’s a lightweight, I get amazing quality from it. I am looking to upgrade in the coming months.

For many years I used available light. At the time it more I couldn’t afford lighting equipment. I really forced me to learn the camera settings to get the shots I wanted because I had to make do with what I had. The more you shot, the more you master the equipment you have. Now, I’m doing a lot with studio lighting—especially using grids and my 5ft octabank. I like the dramatic effects that can be accomplished with grids. I hope to do a series so I can do more experimentation with grids. I also like the effect gotten when the octabank is used outdoors.

Who are your mentors (in photography)?
Though I admire the work of many photographers, my mentor is my friend Lonnie Major. He is the person I credit with “pushing” me out there to begin shooting professionally. He is always encouraging and extremely helpful. When I have a technical question about lighting or which new equipment I should invest in (or not), he is the person I call.

When did you realize you could make a living at photography? Describe your journey towards becoming a pro.
I always loved photography as a hobby, but had never thought of doing it professionally. But that changed in 2006.

I have a friend, who at the time was the press director for Cory Booker when he was running for mayor of Newark. One Sunday, Gayle King had come to campaign with Cory and do house to house canvassing. They wanted to have photos. Sometimes there were would be a volunteer with a point and shot who would take photos. But this Sunday he had a prior commitment. At the last minute it dawned on my friend that she knew a photographer, so she called me and asked how quickly I could get to that part of town. I spent that Sunday afternoon following Cory and Gayle as they went from house to house speaking with residents, listening to their concerns and asking for their support on election day. At the end of the evening, Gayle asked me send her some of the photos, so I did. She liked the ones I sent her, and said she would like to see them all. The only way I knew to do that at the time was using my Kodak Gallery site. So I uploaded the images and sent her the link.

When election day came along, my friend, as the press director, added me to Cory’s press team for the day. On election day, I followed Cory Booker as he went all over the city of Newark. He visiting different polling places, handing out water and snacks to the poll workers and greeting voters. Gayle King was also at the victory celebration that night and remembered my from that Sunday afternoon of neighborhood canvassing. A few days later, she contacted me about the photos from election day. She wanted to create a scrapbook of the election for Cory as a gift, so she wanted to buy copies of all the images I took. Well, I was truly a novice and a bit naive. I sent her assistant the link to my Kodak Gallery site and she purchased every single image for about .19¢ each—to Kodak, not to me. I’m talking well over 200 images. That was one of those “Aha!” moments for me. But the biggest push came from my friend and mentor Lonnie when he saw the photos I’d shot. It was the first time he had seen any of my work and he said I truly and a good eye for photojournalism. He said the images I shot were good enough for AP. So that is when I began to think that maybe I could make money as a photographer. With a list of the “few” things I needed to get started, began to purchase equipment. I was able to buy a lot of the more expensive things like strobe lights used.

Now, the next step for me will be going full-time as a photographer. Now I still have a day job as a magazine art director and graphic designer. I am planning in the next year to take the leap.

What do you hope to achieve with your photography?
Foremost I view my photography as art. I study painting and drawing from high school through college. I try to take what I learned as an “artist” and use it in photography.

When I shoot, I always imagine that I am telling a story. No matter whatever the subject or event, I want to tell a story. When I do portrait sessions, I prefer to photograph people in their own environment, or somewhere that reflects their personality. People often say they are not photogenic or they never like photos of themselves, so my goal is to make them comfortable so their personality can show. Directing photo shoots as an editorial art director for almost twelve years has helped me in that area.

Like with any art, I want my viewers to be moved or feel some type of emotion. After viewing some recent photos of couples that I had shot, a friend of mine told me I was the “Love Photo Queen.” From the images, she could feel the love. I thought that was great.

What's your dream photography project?
I ultimate goal is to get into wedding photography. I know some photographers hate it, but I love it. In the past, as a guest, I’ve taken photos at friends’ weddings and put together an album for them as a gift. In almost all cases they’ve said they liked the photos I took more than what was shot by the photographer they paid. But along with wedding photography, I’m really looking forward to shooting “boudoir” photos that brides give as gifts to their new husbands.

What are you shooting now?
Over the Christmas/New Year holiday I’m planning to do a series of portraits of members of my family. I will pack up my car with my equipment and head south to Florida and Alabama to visit my relatives. I got the idea from Zack Arias. He is a photographer in Atlanta and has a blog that I read frequently. His step-father died a few months ago and he mentioned how glad he was that he had taken a portrait of him a few months earlier. He went on to say how as photographers we are often so busy photographing other people that we forget to photograph those that are close to us.

Photographer Interview: Richard Gary

Facebook has been a great online social atmosphere for me to find old friends and make new ones. It's where I met professional photographer Richard Gary, who works in editorial and advertising and currently has a fine art show at The Center for Photography at Woodstock.

How did you get started in photography - any "formal" training?
I started on my high school yearbook staff. The situations of shooting candid photos, and low light sports events gave me an early understanding of the camera's capabilities. After I attended a College in Maryland I landed my first job as a printer in a museum. There I studied printing in depth. At that time, I also had master classes with Master printer George Tice. After a period of time I became supervisor of photography for the Mariners Museum in Va.

What cameras or techniques do you use?
Anything from 8x10 film to 35m digital. It usually depends on what the job calls ask, or what I feel like experimenting with at the time.

Who are your mentors (in photography)?
Mark Laita, Ilan Rubin, Gregory Heisler, have all been big parts of my early development when I assisted.

Have you experienced any setbacks or different treatment along your photography career that you would attribute to being a photographer of color? (this question is optional)

I've never had a issue being a photographer of color, but I would like to see more people of color in the advertising, and editorial world at all levels.

When did you realize you could make a living at photography? Describe your journey towards becoming a pro.

I'm still wondering if I can make a living as a photographer, but thats another story. After leaving Va,my wife and I moved to NY. I become a Black And White printer and an assistant. My printing background allowed me to get employment immediately. Many of the photographers that I printed for soon started me assisting. My goal was to learn as much about the business of photography as possible.

A few month later I became studio manager, an assistant for a well know photographer at the time. After about a year or so I started freelancing as an assistant a couple a days a week and sending my portfolio out as much as possible. After a while I was to the point I could stop assisting and just shoot. The first year was hard. I think I used same piece of foamcore for a year because of very little income.

I would borrow stands and printing services from my friends, and they borrowed from me for what I could give.

What do you hope to achieve with your photography?
I hope to always love what I do. To still get excited when I see the image materialize from just an idea. And to give back to future photographers the way photographers In my pass supported me.

What's your dream photography project?
I would absolutely love to work with Fabian Barron on anything. I think he's a genius.

What are you shooting now?
I just finished a shoot for BlackBook , and Zink magazine. And I am currently in a group show at The Woodstock Center of Photography.

Photographer Lauri Lyons Documentary + Interview

In 2006, Photographer Lauri Lyons made photography history by becoming the first African-American female photographer to be represented by the prestigious stock photography agency, Getty Images.

In the Dec 12, 2008 blackweb2.0 interview with Lauri Lyons, the photographer stated that she herself was surprised that she was the first black female on the Getty roster.

Honestly, I was shocked myself but as I now think about it... nope, I'm not shocked. The lack of diversity within professional photography institutions is the reason why I started and am dedicated to writing this blog. And I firmly believe that only when the imagemakers are diverse can there be diversity in the way people (of color) are represented in the media and in history.

Without diversity in photography, we don't get the full picture. As Lauri states in the interview, "Generally speaking, the more conceptual or more well known the photographer is, the more expensive the image costs." So if those little to unknown photographers can't monetize their skills/images and there's no cultural diversity among those that can - most of what we do see if simply superficial.

In filmmaker Leah Hamilton's 2006 Current documentary, Lauri Lyons speaks to this issue: "As a black female artist, it's really important to understand that a lot of our life in general in this country (USA) has been undocumented. And the things that were documented, we don't know who did the documentation, we don't know anything about who they were.. you know you go into museums you see photographs of black people and it says 'photographer unknown'."

The Current documentary also shows Lauri's work as a teacher at ICP (International Center of Photography) where she works with kids on black & white photography, darkroom print development, editing and presentation. It's great to see Lauri mentoring young photographers, a practice that I think should be a part of every photographer's life/professional experience.

So I'm not surprised that it took me 2 years to find out about Lauri's achievement, but now I'm wondering: who was the first male photographer signed to Getty? I'm on the hunt!

Just for fun: Check out Lauri Lyon's Flag International photo project which explores the how the USA is perceived abroad. Then see young America's introspective POV with these portraits by Sheila Pee Bright.

Thanks to Rob Haggart of A Photo Editor blog, where I found out about the Lauri Lyons video on Current. Rob always finds little photography gems...

PHOTO: Still from Leah Hamilton's "In the Frame" award-winning documentary film

Photographer Interview: Piper Carter

One of the fellow photographers on Twitter, I met Piper Carter after she replied to my tweet about interning at the now defunct NV Labs in NYC's meatpacking district. At NV I helped develop and spot tone the black & white prints of photographers like Steven Klein, with whom Piper worked as an assistant at the time.

Specializing in fashion, editorial and beauty, Piper has shot for major glossies like British Elle and French Vogue plus other notable magazines like Trace, Essence and many more. Piper took some time out of her busy schedule to grant Dodge & Burn an interview - read on to find out how this woman has created her own photography destiny.

How did you get started in photography - any "formal" training?
Yup. I studied Photography @ Howard University then Fashion Institute of Technology where I was in the first graduating class of the newly formed BFA Program.

What cameras or techniques do you use?
I use Hasselblad with Leaf or Phase or Sinar back.
um I don’t have any standard techniques.
I usually light according to the idea.
But I am an Avedon fan, & I do love the Northern Renaissance, so quite often I start with these references.
I do extensive picture research before I shoot a job, going back & forth with Art Directors.
I’m always reading books about Photography as well as Autobiographies by Photographers.
I live for the Library!

Who are your mentors (in photography)?
I’ve had some wonderful mentors along the way:
Jarvis Grant in DC, Steven Klein, Andrew Dossunmu, Sean Ellis, Jamel Shabazz, Kwaku Alston, David Seidner r.i.p.

Have you experienced any setbacks or different treatment along your photography career that you would attribute to being a female and/or photographer of color?
of course when you are traveling on seldom trotted territory there are some surprises and adjustments.
however, through having to make certain adjustments I have learned perseverance, and my drive and endurance were strengthened.

What do you hope to achieve with your photography?
well first of all, I love what I do and I’m very blessed to have found something that I love that can both sustain me and allow me to give back to the universe.
I hope to reveal the universe’s hidden treasures: I love new faces! And I hope to provoke a moment where light can enter one’s realm of consciousness even for just a split moment.

What's your dream photography project?
oh boy! I can dream pretty big. But just putting it out there, I’d love to shoot stills and video for a visionaire project where they feature my work on a world tour. It would be a collaboration with marc jacobs. We’d shoot it very bollywood meets french new wave cinema. I imagine a short fashion film with an original score by mos def and santogold. Eventually it would end up at the moma.

What are you shooting now?
I cannot say because I signed a confidentiality agreement but I can say it’s for a major television network.
and I’m developing my fashion film ideas: “video is the new photography”.

Chobi Mela V, International Festival of Photography, Bangladesh

The Chobi Mela V festival was supposed to take place in 2008 but due to an overwhelming response and record-breaking number of entries to the theme of FREEDOM, it will take place from 29th January 2009 - 20th February 2009.

At the opening of festival on January 30, 2009 there will be a video conference featuring Mahasweta Devi, Noam Chomsky and Stuart Hall.

Get a preview of the Chobi Mela V exhibitions featuring photos of Iraq taken by Iraqi women, a story on Bangladeshi women prisoners and leprosy in China.

I found out about this festival through photomonth, East London's photography festival that "aims to demonstrate the diversity of contemporary photography and reach the widest possible audience."

World AIDS Day 2008: Documentary on Infected African-American Women

In support of the 20th anniversary of World AIDS Day, I'd like to share with you a documentary that will change the way you think of the face of AIDS in America.

"All of Us" is a documentary that follows Ethiopian doctor Dr. Mehret Mandefro in the South Bronx who's seeking the reason why there's been such an alarming rise of HIV/AIDS infection among African-American women. And it's deeper than just sex... Mehret discovers that because universal issues around love, trust and risky decisions made in the bedroom - AIDS affects women of all races, countries and socio-economic classes.

This award-winning documentary makes the point of crushing taboos and talking about sex in a real and responsible way - versus just pushing abstinence or haphazard, sexual liberation. Many are using the film in classrooms and as a teaching tool.

Watch President-elect Barack Obama's address to the Saddleback Civil Forum on Global Health hosted by Pastor Rick Warren in Washington, D.C. where he acknowledges that "we must also recommit ourselves to addressing the AIDS crisis here in the United States with a strong national strategy of education, prevention and treatment, focusing on those communities at greatest risk."