Reportage Retrospective Reviews
November 15th, 2010 § 1 Comment
The Reportage couple of days of projections and seminars have come to an end.
ADAM FERGUSON won the Reportage Festival’s professional category for his photo essay on Afghanistan.
Liz Loh-Taylor won the student category for her project that looked at the background to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
Here are two links to stories based on the Reportage 1999-2010 Retrospective Exhibition and a multimedia on the projections with interviews with Stephen Dupont and Adam Ferguson.
ABC Online....Review of Reportage Retrospective 1999-2010 Exhibition.
ABC Online Review of Reportage Retrospective 1999-2010 Exhibition.
Sydney Morning Herald Article by Linda Morris and Multimedia Review.
SMH Review of Reportage Retrospective 1999-2010
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“Reportage A Retrospective exhibition 1999-2009”
November 12th, 2010 § Leave a Comment
Photographer and writer Robert McFarlane opened “Reportage A Retrospective exhibition 1999-2009” at the National Art School Forbes & Burton Streets, East Sydney (Outdoor Exhibition) Thursday night. It runs from November 11 – 21, 2010 it presents an selection of some of the most memorable photographs from the past decade of the Reportage Festival curated by Stephen Dupont, David Dare Parker, Jack Picone, Billy Plummer and myself.
Director of the festival Jacqui Vicario and photographer Stephen Dupont have done a great job putting together the exhibition, and accompanying catalogue book created by Momento Books. It was wonderful to see the way the exhibition wrapped so well around the walls of the historical grounds of the National Art School. The exhibition installation designed by Susan Freeman and Beth Stevens and the team at Freeman Ryan Design did a great job as did Axel and his team putting it all up. Warren Macris made the crafted exhibition prints.
It is personally satisfying to watch Reportage evolve over the last ten years into a multi dimensional photo documentary event. Reportage has jumped leaps and bounds from it’s first raw beginnings in late 1999 when, Stephen, David Jack and myself wanted to rev up some interest in documentary photography in Australia and create a outlet for photojournalists and their work.
Photographer and writer Robert McFarlane opens the Reportage A Retrospective exhibition 1999-2009 at the National Art School
Reportage A Retrospective exhibition 1999-2009 at the National Art School
Reportage A Retrospective exhibition 1999-2009 at the National Art School
Reportage A Retrospective exhibition 1999-2009 at the National Art School
Reportage A Retrospective exhibition 1999-2009 at the National Art School
Festival Director Jacqui Vicario
Stephen Dupont’s Afghanistan at the ACP
November 10th, 2010 § Leave a Comment
Due to work I missed the opening night of Stephen’s exhibition on Afghanistan. Probably just as well because a week later during the day I spent over an hour pouring over the extensive exhibition which included book layouts, collages, proof sheets, films and photographs. If you are a young photojournalist or documentary photographer or filmmaker starting off, Stephen shows you how it can be done. It is a powerful show, it is informative, and emotive. Stephen’s diary entries featured throughout the exhibition allowed me to experience the evolution of the work in Afghanistan trip by trip for over sixteen years..
If you want to know what happens when a suicide bomber strikes, Stephen shows you, image by image. If you want to see how a book proposal is created, Stephen has a full layout. The videos shown outside the exhibition space in the seated area helped explain the story behind some of the still images, in particular the burning of the Taliban soldier which is shown in the exhibition almost mural size. I loved seeing the book proposals, work shown in the glass cabinets and his travel memorabilia.
The last room of the exhibition creates the balance for the conflict images, it features portraits made of the common man in Afghanistan. Made through a polaroid camera and a simple backdrop, the subjects present themselves naturally to the camera, revealing the spirit of each individual.
Lots more on behind the scenes of Stephen’s making the Afghan portraits, films and a series of photographs of the
Exhibition at Stephen Dupont’s Website and his Blog
Jeff Carter (August 1928 – 25 October 2010)
November 10th, 2010 § Leave a Comment
Jeff Carter by photographer-writer Robert McFarlane
I was sitting at a cafe with my two girls overlooking the enormous christmas tree on the top level of the Queen Victoria building on Saturday. I was shocked to see Robert McFarlane’s obituary on Jeff Carter while browsing through the Sydney Morning Hearld .
I was once invited to his home with a bunch of other photographers for lunch and we sometimes bumped into one another at photography events. I did not know him well, although I feel he was like his photographs and the subjects he chose, authentic and very real.
Here is another link to Jeff on Wikipedia
Brunette Downs -Northern Territory
November 3rd, 2010 § Leave a Comment
Photographs from assignment on Brunette Downs in the Northern Territory. Der Spiegel writer Takis Wurger and myself spent 5 days on Brunette Downs, one of the largest cattle stations in Australia it is said to be bigger than some countries. Henry and Burnadette Burke opened up all doors to the property to us with very warm hospitality. We had a taste of most aspects of the daily life of the property as we crossed the length and breadth of the 12,212 sq km Barkly Tableland property. We witnessed the repairing of a problem bore, went out with cattle muster, stayed overnight sleeping under the stairs along with a muster team camped out on location, we watched the movement of the muster from a muster helicopter, observed the drafting of cattle in the yards, and watched the three carriage road train drop animals off in a new paddock.
The work is highly skilled, physically demanding and requires a lot of strength and patience.
Australian Cattle Property Brunette Downs – Images | Michael Amendolia – Photography.
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Der Spiegel article.
November 3rd, 2010 § 1 Comment
Der Spiegel Article on methane gas from cows
Der Spiegel article on methane from cows and three ipad videos. In August this year I spent five days working on a story for Der Spiegel magazine in Germany on the effects of methane gas from cows and it’s effect on the greenhouse gas and climate change. Working with staff writer Takis Wurger it was the first time I had shot video on an assignment. As a result Der Spiegel created these three videos for the ipad edition.
I shot the stills and video on my Canon 5D mark 2. In making the video I attached a Hoodman Lube and a Rode stereo mic, for interviews extended by an extension cable with the microphone held under the chin of the subject. Interviews were made using a lightweight Manfrotto tripod and a video head. Some of my video got a little shaky bouncing along on the back of the utility following the cattle muster otherwise I kept the focal length fairly wide when working handheld and used a tripod for longer lens work. Working in stills and video comes with some compromise, although I feel it was fine when you have some time.
I cannot image it would work well on a moving news assignment although on a feature story it may be fine although tough decisions need to be made when time and moments are short.
Click on the links to check them out.
http://video.spiegel.de/flash/1089086_996x560_H264_1400.mp4
Hi..my first blog post
November 2nd, 2010 § Leave a Comment
see www.reportage.com.au for more information
My first Blog. Hi…. I start my first blog post by reminding people in Sydney and interstate that the Reportage Festival of Documentary photography starts this Thursday the 4th November. Reportage which started in 1999 by myself and my friends and colleges Stephen Dupont, David Dare Parker, and Jack Picone has since the year 2001 been managed and directed by Jacqui Vicario with feedback and contributions from year to year by the founders. The opening this Thursday starts with two exhibitions at the Australian Centre of Photography.
There is an exhibition of Edmund Clark’s photographs of Guantanamo Bay and photographer and creative director, Billy Plummer curates an exhibition of real, uncommercial work, from the undiscovered talent emerging on Flickr in an exhibition called Flickr. Reportage Without a Cause.
The festival continues the next week at the National Art School in East Sydney with a ten- year anniversary of REPORTAGE exhibition, two nights of projections, a weekend seminar series, and a Masterclass by Jack Picone and Stephen Dupont.
Hope to see as many people as possible there.
Cheers Michael
