Real Photo Show with Michael Chovan-Dalton

Mark Steinmetz, an acclaimed American photographer known for his poignant black and white imagery, discusses his new book, Carnival, in a cozy hotel room. He shares the joys and struggles of capturing everyday life and the significance of daydreaming within photography. Joined by co-host Anna Roma, daughter of Lee Friedlander, they reflect on Mark's artistic evolution, nostalgic early adventures, and the interplay between personal and commercial projects. The conversation also touches on his journey into fashion photography and the collaborative spirit of his workshop, The Humid.

"I do think it's really important to help people out with as much information sharing as possible, especially when you get to a certain point in your career and you have information to share." Sasha Wolf is a curator, editor, art dealer, and most recently, the creator and editor of PhotoWork: Forty Photographers on Process and Practice. Sasha is also one of the most generous people in the photo world with her time and her advice, and that is a big reason for her wanting to create this book, to help photographers who feel adrift. We have an amazing conversation about putting this book together from creating the questions, to picking the photographers, and of course, to the experience of reading the responses. Sasha just also happens to represent some of the most important photographers working today, many of whom are included in this book. https://sashawolf.com/ https://www.instagram.com/sashawolfprojects/ https://aperture.org/shop/photowork-forty-photographers-on-process-and-practice Visit realphotoshow.com @realphotoshow on Twitter/IG/FB

"I looked at these images and I thought, what's this about? I had very faint memories about it and so in order to sort of fill in the gaps, I wrote to people and asked them what they remembered about evacuating Beirut…I thought how am I going to make sense of this, what am I going to do with this text…" Madeline Djerejian is a fascinating artist whose work brings together photography, literature, and writing in a very unique way. Sometimes the work is the writing and sometimes the writings inform the work. The arc of Madeline's life and career has roots in the Armenian Genocide and her family's immigrant story is complicated and inspiring. We discuss two of her pieces in-depth, Letters to Simon and PRIMER (Jungle Battles) so you should click on the links attached to this episode to see the work. https://www.madelinedjerejian.com/ https://www.madelinedjerejian.com/primer-1-1 https://hoosacinstitute.com/Madeline-Djerejian https://www.instagram.com/madsmadsworld/ This episode sponsored by the School of Visual Arts MFA Photography, Video, & Related Media - Charles Traub, Chair. http://www.mfaphoto.sva.edu/ Visit realphotoshow.com @realphotoshow on Twitter/IG/FB

"I had to mature to a place where I was interested in the stories…It's not just about pretty photographs…I think you need to come to a point where you have a genuine interest in what you are photographing and the stories you are trying to tell and that takes time." Matthew Abbott is a documentary photographer based in Australia. He covers social and political issues around the world but, most recently, he has been working on projects that raise awareness about Indigenous Australians. He has been on assignment and has published his work with The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Guardian, and Der Spiegel, just to name a few. His series, "Land Where the Crow Fly Backwards" explores the impact of global climate change and the decline of communities along the Murray Darling Basin, including the impact on the lives of the indigenous population. He was also the 1st place prize winner in the Rust Belt Biennial which included a spot on this show, although I think I would have had him on eventually anyway. https://www.matthewabbott.com.au/ https://www.instagram.com/mattabbottphoto/ https://twitter.com/mattabbottphoto Visit realphotoshow.com @realphotoshow on Twitter/IG/FB

"I think it's wonderland, It's a positive little bit melancholy land located nowhere. It's not political or psychological, it's more about some far, far away world in which you don't have the keys to open it easily." Ajuan Song and Kuzma Vostrikov stopped by SVA to talk about their series "Absolutely Augmented Reality." It is a continually evolving series of portraits and multimedia work that explores our how our connection to the world and each other is increasingly a digital experience driven by commercial forces. Kuzma, Ajuan, and I discuss their collaboration, how they got started, and how the project will evolve over time. We also discuss their plans for a book and a film. http://ajuansong.com/ https://www.instagram.com/songajuan/ http://www.kuzmavostrikov.com/ https://www.instagram.com/kuzmacinema/ This episode sponsored by the School of Visual Arts MFA Photography, Video, & Related Media - Charles Traub, Chair. http://www.mfaphoto.sva.edu/ Visit realphotoshow.com @realphotoshow on Twitter/IG/FB

Liz Zito | Mueller Report Fan Fiction "I felt the way to share it with adding the redactions in, it gives you at least a beat to laugh and to kind of take a break and also think about the absurdity…of the political world that we are living in." Liz Zito is a multimedia artist and the Coordinator of Curriculum & Special Projects at the School of Visual Arts MFA Photo, Video, and Related Media. When we recorded Liz was in the middle of doing live performance readings of her piece: Mueller Report Fan Fiction with Liz Zito. It's a fantastic performance that injects humor and entertainment into a noir-style reading of the Mueller Report and it is in keeping with Liz's goal of making art that is accessible to audiences beyond the art world. https://www.instagram.com/otiz.zil/ http://lizzito.com/ This episode sponsored by the School of Visual Arts MFA Photography, Video, & Related Media - Charles Traub, Chair. http://www.mfaphoto.sva.edu/ Visit realphotoshow.com @realphotoshow on Twitter/IG/FB

Friend and former co-host Kai McBride calls in from New Mexico to talk about the big changes in his life and to help celebrate the 100th episode of the show. Kai was the manager of the photo facilities and taught photography at Columbia University. His move is related to the passing of his father and we talk about the adjustments he is making with work, planning his future, developing a new community, and acclimating to his new 7,000 foot elevation so he can get back to his full cycling capabilities. http://www.kaimcbride.com/ https://www.instagram.com/kaimcfoto/ This episode was not recorded at the School of Visual Arts but I wanted to give the SVA MFA Photo, Video, and Related Media Program, Chaired by Charles Traub, a special mention because their sponsorship has helped me make this a much better show and having a recording home has allowed me to bring in a greater variety of guests from outside of New York City. Thank you Charles Traub, Liz Zito, Brenda Hung, and Seth Lambert.

"My work is very much about physical places and landscapes but it's' maybe more about communities and social markers that you can see in landscapes. So I was like, what's something social or community related that you could put in one of those capsules?" Ann Lepore is a multimedia artist in the in the most expansive definition of that term. She has made everything from lithographs to holograms, 3D printed amulets to animated sound experiments, she has made objects from street-interview requests and most recently, performed stand-up storytelling at a comedy club. Then there is her side hustle of consulting people and organizations on how to use tools and technology to their advantage which she presented to the hosts of Shark Tank. Ann is a great storyteller and we cover many of her fascinating projects and experiences in this episode, including acquiring lantern slides from the Metropolitan which lead to an interesting find and an entire project. From Ann's Bio: Ann LePore was raised in the garage under her father’s car and continued tinkering with analog video and kinetics in Western New York and later with computer driven electronics and animation in New York City. A New Leonardo artist and Geraldine R Dodge Foundation grant recipient, Ann has exhibited at events such as Digital Salon, the Free Biennial, and La Superette, in New York City and Internationally. She has completed residencies at Engine 27 Sound Space, the Taliesin Artist Residency Program, and was awarded a year-long studio residency at Gallery Aferro in Newark. The images and installations she creates as a result of her tinkering are heavily influenced by her experiences not just as an artist, but as a member of several communities that are defined by the physical assertions and limitations of a very specific environment. Ann received her BFA from Alfred University and her MFA from the School of Visual Arts. She is currently Associate Professor of 3D Design and Animation at Ramapo College of New Jersey. http://www.annlepore.com/ https://www.instagram.com/leporeann/ Seton Hall Show September 2019: https://library.shu.edu/walshgallery/future-exhibitions Moscow Show October 2019: The International Association of Synaesthetes, Artists, and Scientists has invited me to screen two of my animations at the Moscow State Tchaikovsky Conservatory October 17th. I will be delivering a talk on transcribing synesthesia to animation October 20th at Moscow State University of Psychology and Education. With me will be neurologist Dr. Svetlana Rudenko, Ben Neil and alumna Geri Hahn.

"Rodeo is sort of this universal expression of rural culture and everybody owns it…Native Americans own it, Mexicans own it, Black folks own it, White people own it…these are American Cowboys." Ivan McClellan grew up with adversity both from outside his family and inside his family. He speaks openly about the trauma and the healing in his life, and the choices he made that took him from acting, to UX design, and to photography. His best known work is a project he calls Eight Seconds, A tribute to the American Cowboy, of which he has an expansive definition. We have a fantastic conversation about mental health, race, and life in Portland. http://eightsecs.com/ https://www.instagram.com/eightsecs/ https://theundefeated.com/features/from-navajo-nation-to-rookie-of-the-year/ This episode sponsored by the School of Visual Arts MFA Photography, Video, & Related Media - Charles Traub, Chair. http://www.mfaphoto.sva.edu/ Visit realphotoshow.com @realphotoshow on Twitter/IG/FB

"I wasn't really a big fan of government when I was working as a freelancer, I was very skeptical, but when I stepped in I saw the incredible amount of work…and it was insane, and it was overwhelming…these people are doing so much work and sacrificing everything." Edwin Torres is the Deputy Digital Director for Governor Murphy's Office in New Jersey. Before that he was a staff photographer for New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, and before that, Edwin was a freelance photojournalist. In 2016, he was the lead photographer and contributed reporting in a Pulitzer Prize winning story with ProPublica and the New York Daily News for public service, honoring their joint investigation on abuses in the New York City Police Department’s enforcement of the nuisance abatement law.He is a member of the Bronx Photo League which is part of The Bronx Documentary Center (BDC) and is published in book titled the Jerome Avenue Worker's Project by the Bronx Documentary Center. We talk about his past and his newfound love of New Jersey and more specifically, Trenton. https://www.edwintorrespf.com/ https://www.instagram.com/edwintorresphoto/ https://www.facebook.com/edwin.torres.79827