Caesar Lima received a Honorable Mention at the 4th Annual Black and White Spider Awards in the fashion category with the entry “white face”

Photography: Caesar Lima

• Makeup: Joanna Schlip (Cloutier Agency)
• Model: Hilary Gilbert (LA Models)
• Art Director: Patricia Quon-Sandberg
• Retouching: Jaison Wilson
• Fashion-Beauty Editor: Karie L. Forst

The pleads for uncommon imagery

Client: Frank Grisdale, Photographer

Overview: Frank Grisdale needed an “active” site where he could add new images when he wanted, plus be able to add his voice to his work, unlike a traditional online portfolio website. Scope:

Goals: To have a simple, easy to use blog that would also help him rank in search engines.

Tasks: We sourced, installed, and set-up the frame-work for Frank’s blog, using open source software Wordpress. We researched available templates and suggested a handful before Frank chose the one he preferred. We then sourced the hosting with the plugins, set it up, and counseled Frank on the basic how-to of writing posts.

Note:  Wise Elephant was marketing Frank’s work to new audiences, along the way Frank commented on newsletters he had been receiving and his interest in starting one. We felt an efficient method to establish a newsletter was to build it from blog posts, this way offering two products for his market with one task, the newsletter AND the blog.

Results: Frank is actively updating his blog, allowing him to stay in better touch with his growing market.

LINKS: Frank Grisdale’s photo blog, His online portfolio

Client: Tanit Sakakini

Overview:Tanit Sakakini is a photographer/videographer who is too busy working to manage and produce her marketing plans. She called on Wise Elephant to be her virtual marketing department.

Goals: We’ve been assisting Tanit with her marketing for over two years, starting as her email marketing team and currently as both a consultant and her lead-building crew. We were delighted to be part of developing the focus for her new elegant website. We identified Tanit as a trend-setter who has feet in multiple worlds while taking innovative paths to making work and counseled her on how to bring this tone to her website.

Tasks: Wise Elephant assists Tanit with gaining new contacts for her photo and film/video work through email marketing, strategic consultation, and lead generation (emails and telephone).

Our ongoing aim is to market both her photo work and film/video work to emerging markets while keeping in fingers on the pulse of the standards (agencies, brands, networks).

Results: Tanit continues to gain new leads and new gigs.

LINK: Tanit Sakakini

Dan Havlik reports for PDN Online:

“Many people may think of Rolleiflex professional cameras as classic if somewhat clunky affairs. Those people may want to start reevaluating that view, however, now that Rolleiflex has once again released a super cool miniature digital version of its twin reflex camera. Once again, we have to say that this mini Rollei is cute as hell. (Whoa, can’t believe we just said that.)

The Rolleiflex MiniDigi AF 5.0 is just three inches tall but it includes some fairly decent digital features, making this tiny camera more than just a novelty. Though it may look like the original MiniDigi released back in 2006, the AF 5.0 model includes several improvements including autofocus (between 10CM and infinity); 5MP interpolated image files, and a 1.1-inch screen on top of the camera for reviewing your shots.”

Shutter Bug reports:

“April 10, 2008 — Kingston Technology Company, Inc. announced it has posted an interview with National Geographic photographer Gerd Ludwig on its ‘Icons of Photography’ microsite. The 20 Questions interview gives site visitors an up-close-and-personal look at the world-class photographer who’s captured life in conditions ranging from -55° F to radioactive “hot zones.”

“It’s wonderful to see how popular photography has become and how consumers in general have an increasing desire to document their own lives,” said Ludwig. “The ‘Icons of Photography’ microsite certainly gives myself and my colleagues an opportunity to share what we know with them and hopefully provide advice and insight they can apply to their own photography. Something good always comes from people sharing knowledge.”

From DPhotoJournal.com:

“WATSONVILLE, CA, April 7, 2008 ExpoImaging Inc., developer of innovative camera accessories, including the ExpoDisc Digital White Balance Filter and the ExpoAperture2 Depth-of-Field Guide, today announced the U.S. availability of Ray Flash: The Ring Flash Adapter. Designed as a portable and lightweight adapter for a hot-shoe flash unit, the Ray Flash replicates the unique lighting effect produced by heavy, tethered, powered studio ring flash units.

The Ray Flash: Ring Flash Adapter is truly unique because it creates ring light lighting effects simply by attaching it to your existing hot shoe flash, said Erik Sowder, president of ExpoImaging, Inc. Lightweight and portable, the Ray Flash is the only product of its kind. Its a great accessory tool for your strobe because it enables the photographer to easily achieve a high fashion, studio portrait look while on location.

Because the ring flash light originates from a circle around the camera lens, the Ray Flash creates a distinctive lighting effect, producing a virtually shadowless look on the front of the subject, while leaving a soft, even shadow around the edges. The versatile adapter is ideally suited for fashion, wedding, portrait, journalist and macro photography, as either a main or fill-in light.”

By Zach Honig of PopPhoto.com:

“A group of young students in the rural mountain village of Eal Keshan, Afghanistan were given the opportunity to share a glimpse of their lives with strangers worlds away.

Concern Worldwide, a non-profit humanitarian organization focused on improving the quality of life in third world countries, provided the donated disposable cameras that enabled the students to use photography as a tool to communicate aspects of their lives to philanthropists in America.

Images captured by the students were brought back to Chicago, where they were sold at Concerned Worldwide’s Brigid Awards Luncheon in February. The event raised over $100,000 for education in Afghanistan. The organization will use some of the funds to build an eight-room school, which will provide primary education to 800 students in Eal Keshan.”

From ArtDaily.org:

“ROCHESTER, NY.-The George Eastman House International Museum of Photography and Film opened the exhibit Conscience The Ultimate Weapon through June 1. A new interpretation of the 1968 Eastman House exhibition featuring civil rights and Vietnam-era photography by Benedict J. Fernandez. More than 800 photographs are part of Conscience The Ultimate Weapon, being presented during the 40th anniversary of the assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy.

Originally presented as a slideshow, the images will be displayed via multi-media projection accompanied by a music soundtrack featuring songs from the era. The intent of the recreated exhibition is to show the parallel between a turbulent America 40 years ago and today, including issues of race and our country at war. The innovative piece was intended to address the social issues of its day. Today it stands as an important historical document in both medium and message. “

Posted by Daryl Lang of PDNOnline.com:

“Major upcoming events and contest deadlines:

• FOTOFEST2008: March 7 to April 20
  
  Houston, Texas, plays host to FOTOFEST2008-CHINA, the Twelfth International Biennial of Photography and Photo-related Art, through April 20. Art spaces throughout the city are hosting exhibitions on “Photography from China 1934-2008,” other China-related exhibits and shows on the theme Transformations. More information at fotofest.org.





• April 7: Minnesota Center for Photography/McNight Foundation Fellowship Deadline
  
  The MCP/McKnight Artist Fellowships for Photographers awards four $25,000 fellowships to mid-career photographers in Minnesota. Applications for 2008/2009 are due Monday, April 7 at 5 p.m. Details are online at mcknightphoto.org.





• April 10 to 13: AIPAD New York
  
  The Association of International Photography Art Dealers will present the AIPAD Photography Show New York from April 10 to 13 at the Park Avenue Armory in New York. The show expects to host more than 75 leading fine art photography galleries. Details are online at at aipad.com.





• April 14: New York Photo Awards Deadline
  
  Entries for the first New York Photo Awards are due by April 14. The awards are being hosted in connection with the New York Photo Festival, which runs May 14 to 18 (see below). Submissions are being accepted in the categories of Editorial, Personal Work/ Unpublished/ Fine Art, Advertising, Books and Multimedia. There is also a student division. Information is online at newyorkphotoawards.com.





• April 16: Picturehouse Chicago
  
  Picturehouse, the conference of image suppliers and buyers, will holding its Chicago event on April 16. Details at picturehouse.org.





• April 24-27: ASPP Education Conference
  
  The American Society of Picture Professionals will hold its 5th Education Conference from April 24 to 27 at the Hilton Phoenix East/Mesa Hotel in Mesa, Ariz. The conference will feature eight sessions with industry guest speakers and panelists on stock, metadata, copyright and other topics. Details are online at aspp.com.”