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Small Groups, Big Opportunities –Travel with Peter Turnley

Peter Turnley, expert photojournalist and renowned photographer for many of the world’s most notable publications and influential people, offers you the unique opportunity to travel with him and 10-11 others. With autumn just a few weeks away and winter close behind, begin planning your end-of-year photo projects in India, Italy, Paris and/or Sicily!

October 14, find yourself in Mumbai, India’s most visually alluring city. Formerly known as Bombay, Mumbai is a rich canvas for photographers. You will experience a vast range of cultural, socio-economic and human extremes that are unlike any other city in the world.

Your time in Mumbai will coincide with the Navaratri celebrations, a series of Hindu festivals with traditional folk dancing. Navaratri offers you the chance to witness amazing moments to photograph in a city with an abundance of fascinating life scenes.

October 28, awaken in Venice for the photography experience of a lifetime. October is an ideal time to photograph Venice’s street and water life as the city returns to its authentic self without hordes of tourists, a time when the weather brings special lighting leading to stunning photographs.

Capture both the ordinary and extraordinary scenes of daily life as you create a breathtaking body of work. Bella Venezia, the perfect place for visual storytelling and illuminating those intimate moments of everyday life!

December 29, arrive in La Ville Lumiere to say, “Good-bye 2012. Welcome 2013!” Explore the rich humanistic traditions of street photography at a very special time of year in Paris, the City of Lights.

Photograph the rich daily life of Paris. Enjoy the work of many of the greatest photographers who have documented the Paris scene: Doisneau, Cartier-Bresson, Brassai, among others. Visit photography museum spaces, meet prominent members of the Paris photographic community and one of the greatest black and white printers.

March 27, 2013 enter the heart and soul of Sicily during Easter week. Explore this fascinating island in search of those special moments of passion, pain and joy that have accompanied the Sicilian Easter week for hundreds of years. This is not simply a photographic journey, but a once-in-a-lifetime human and culinary experience.

Home base is Palermo where you will gather each morning for presentations, photo critiques of daily work and discussions with Peter Turnley and a number of Italian photographers and experts of life in Sicily.

Regardless of the workshop you decide upon, Peter Turnley will help you revel in the joy and wonderment of observing and seeing as you travel across our majestic planet!

 

Majestic Maine Media, a Poppin’ Place for Young Artists

 

Maine Media has a true affinity for young artists, affectionately known here as YO’s, those amazing photographers, filmmakers and multimedia artists between 14 and 18 years old. What do we treasure in these artists? The same thing we treasure in all artists – their flare for many ways of seeing; their focus and depth of thinking; their passion about their work; those stories and projects that fill their heads and come out with the snap of a shutter or the spin of a motor.

The Young Artists’ program at Maine Media is in session and the energy is unmistakably higher than ever. How does this happen? Kelly Zimmerhanzel, Sachin Dharwadker, Bari Perlmutter and Jacob Freedman talk about The Maine Media Experience, The Filmmaking, The Photography and The Ignition.

 

The Experience – Kelly Zimmerhanzel, Senior, St. Mary’s Hall, San Antonio, Texas

“We have photography classes in my high school. Mostly, you go out to shoot on your own on the weekend and then take your work to school. After being in Andy [Bloxham]’s class, I now know how to make the picture look good in the camera. I really like Andy; his work is really inspiring and has both a humorous and a conceptual side to it.

Next year I will take A.P. [Advanced Placement] 2D art. Almost everyone else will do drawing or painting while I do photography. I have a single body of work tied to a portfolio. With the photos from my class here last summer and this year, and the knowledge I’ve gained, it will really help me get into the college-credit class and be successful.

I came to Andy’s class last year. He was really helpful to each person’s individual needs, so I wanted to be with him again this year. My parents were skeptical about sending me from Texas to Maine, but after they learned how safe it is here, that we are not alone and get lots of help, they let me come. We looked at other programs but, for instance, other places don’t pick you up at the airport. Here, they don’t want you to be alone so they really help you. That’s why my parents let me come back this summer.

You have to be ready to try new things and be open to talking to new people. The counselors are awesome and it’s great because everyone is interested in the same things you are, it’s even easy to talk with the film kids, we all have things in common. I love it here; I would definitely encourage anyone to come here. It’s great to see so many people like you!”

The Filmmaking – Sachin Dharwadker, Senior, James Madison Memorial High School, Madison, Wisconsin

There are no filmmaking classes in my high school, strictly speaking, but there is a pretty vibrant and enthusiastic filmmaking community. One of my art teachers has a strong interest in film and generally loves to help cultivate our interest in the medium.

Coming here has been an invaluable experience. Even though I made three narrative short films in the last year, I never really had a firm grasp on the production process until I came to Maine Media’s Young Artists program. Before I got here I had always been much more focused on the conceptual side of filmmaking—the writing, the visual language, directing actors—and my shoots were usually a little hectic and disorganized. In the last two weeks I’ve learned about all the other vital contributing factors that make up a good production; I often found myself thinking, “How did I ever survive without a storyboard? A shot list? Lights? Gels?” Everything I’ve learned at Maine Media has proven its worth.

Since I want to have a career in film, it’s amazing that I’ve been able to learn this stuff while I’m still in high school. Having a head start on the type of knowledge that’s necessary in the industry can’t be a bad thing. And I can’t possibly achieve my dream of being an independent writer-director without knowing how to keep a production on its toes.

If someone asked me why they should come to Maine Media, I would tell them that if they want professional-level experience in a field using professional-level equipment while being taught by professionals, it’s definitely the right place to be.

 

 

The Photography—Bari Perlmutter, Student, University of Maryland

“I went to a public high school and took photography. It was taught by a teacher who knew the basics, but was really a sculptor. The class really wasn’t about the art of photography at all, it was about the grades.

Here, there is no pressure. We had assignments, but without pressure and without grades. People here know art and they love art. It’s about the aesthetic and the beauty. I love how my whole class was formatted. We’d go somewhere and shoot for hours, then we’d come back and edit. After a few days, Andy [Bloxham] would project our work on the big screen so everyone could see it and then we would critique. We learned about overexposure, underexposure, content, things that we didn’t learn about in high school.

I really like how you can look within a 10-foot radius and see how many different ways there are to photograph that small space. Everyone in the class was in this one place and had so many different ways of seeing and photographing it. It was amazing.

I think of this as going to college. You choose to come here and everyone’s here for the same reason – to learn and to make art. The atmosphere here is great. You can have a conversation with anyone and learn from them since all students think differently. People come from all over and the teachers are so talented. Even going to the 30-minute talks by other faculty gives me so much to learn.

Now I’m here as an intern and a teaching assistant and still learning about photography every day.”

 

The Ignition -- Jake Freedman, Graduate Student, University of Buffalo

“I was in t.v. club in high school; we broadcast our shows to all of Swampscott, Mass, but being in t.v. club wasn’t the most popular thing; that was football. When I found out about Maine Media Workshops I instantly wanted to come here.

I came my junior year, which was a great time to come; it solidified my decision to study film in college. When I arrived here, I immediately felt appreciated for who I am and it changed my life, very much for the better. The people I met were like me, accepted me unconditionally and were really good at what they do. I found out that it is easy to make friends; everyone here got along so great. It’s a safe environment and there is this feeling of energy that I have never experienced before. The equipment here is great too.

I went to Quinnipiac University and became Quinnipiac Film Society’s Vice President. I worked on numerous productions as a director, editor, producer and grip. I was the technical director, cameraman and did audio for Q30’s Morning Talk Show. I also interned for Sony Music and for The Today Show. This fall I’ll be in grad school working on a higher education degree in Student Affairs and continuing with my love for media.

My life’s motto is ‘Be yourself’. Being yourself is something that society does not tell us to do, but everyone has a story to tell and something to offer! Being a filmmaker is being able to see things in a different way, to be able to tell your story and other people’s stories.”

 

 

 

Maine Media's Tripod Society Photographs with Jamie & Phyllis Wyeth

by Julie Cawley

June 15 several members of Maine Media Workshops + College’s “Tripod Society” made a special “Photography Field Trip” to Jamie Wyeth’s private home on Southern Island. After a morning of spectacular photography, Jamie’s personal tour and history of the Tenant’s Harbor lighthouse, and a gourmet picnic lunch the group motored to Betsy and Andrew’s private island, Allen Island. In 1934, Tenant’s Harbor Light, on Southern Island, was one of a group of Maine lighthouses discontinued by the government and sold. Since 1978, the Wyeth family has spent much of their time on both Southern and Allen Islands.

As a group, we were totally surrounded by dozens of scenes from Andrew and Jamie’s paintings. The Tenant’s Harbor lighthouse has appeared in several Wyeth paintings, including “Fog Bell” and “Signal Flags” by Andrew Wyeth. Other lighthouse images by Jamie Wyeth are “Iris At Sea”, “Lighthouse Dandelions”, “The Gaggle” and “Southern Island Sunset”.

As Southern Island and Allen Island were perfect inspirations for so many Wyeth paintings, the islands inspired our Tripod group with fabulous memories and photographs of a truly spectacular day on Maine’s beautiful coast. Thank you to Jamie and Phyllis Wyeth for being such gracious hosts! And, thanks to Peter Ralston and Phil Lewis for motoring us to the islands on Peter’s “RAVEN” and Phil’s “Pipe Dreams”. Also, thanks to Amy and David Morey for sharing some interesting history of Allen Island with us.

Members of the Tripod Society make an annual contribution to MMW+C to provide critical financial aid, support state-of-the-art technology and keep programs at the forefront of creativity. YOUR MEMBERSHIP IS MOST WELCOME! As a special “thank-you”, members are invited to special outings/events/lectures/field trips featuring noted artists, filmmakers, and photographers. For more information about joining the Tripod Society of MMW+C, please contact Meg Weston, President of MMW+C at president@mainemedia.edu

 

Joyce Tenneson’s Trees and the Alchemy of Light Opens at Dowling Walsh Gallery Friday, July 6

Internationally renowned photographer, Joyce Tenneson, will present her new work at the Dowling Walsh Gallery in Rockland, Maine July 6-29, 2012. The opening reception takes place Friday, July 6th, 2012, from 5–8pm. The Dowling Walsh Gallery is located at 357 Main Street in Rockland, Maine.

Trees and the Alchemy of Light is an enchanting blend of the ancient craft of gold leaf combined with film from the high-tech present. Joyce’s mixed media exhibition is certain to inspire you to see the natural world in new ways.

July 15-21 Joyce is also teaching a new Maine Media workshop called Photographing from the Heart. Break out of your old patterns and enter into your deeper creativity as you create new work and share former work with Joyce.

The author of thirteen books, Joyce Tenneson continues to make an impact on the world with her photographic storytelling. She has received numerous awards, including the Lucie Award's Fine Art Photographer of the Year 2005. A recent American poll by American Photo Magazine voted Joyce among the ten most influential women photographers in the history of photography and her work frequents the covers of magazines such as: Time, Life, Newsweek, Premiere, Esquire and The New York Times Magazine.

Win one of Joyce's master works! Enter the Faculty Print Raffle for just $5, support Maine Media's Scholarship fund and delight in the opportunity to own one of Joyce's signed, signature pieces. Click here for the full details.

 

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