This N' That: 1/18/20
© Holger Stöhrmann from Gerd Ludwig story telling workshop 2019.
By Sara Beck
Nobechi Creative partners with Gerd Ludwig to offer virtual storytelling workshop
Gerd Ludwig, a renowned German-American photographer, will be offering a workshop with Nobechi Creative entitled “The Art of Storytelling.” At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, when online learning suddenly became the norm, George Nobechi, creative director of Nobechi Creative, began hosting “Evenings with the Masters: Inspiration from Photographers." The series consisted of 18 online gatherings that featured conversations with master photographers, one of whom was Gerd Ludwig. By its conclusion, it had raised about $30,000, all of which was donated to charities chosen by each speaker.
“The Art of Storytelling” will run from Jan. 17 to Jan. 28 and is meant for professional photographers and committed amateurs—anyone who is dedicated to improving their storytelling abilities is welcome. Ludwig said “the aesthetic, technical and logistical aspects of photographing with personal vision” will be central to the curriculum, along with an emphasis on the emotionally communicative aspects of photography. Starting with two days of portfolio reviews and general theory, the workshop’s 10 participants will then move on to a seven-day period of photographing a chosen subject (following COVID-19 safety guidelines, of course), concluding with guided editing time. Learn more here.
Kennedi Carter’s latest series highlights the Black American cowboy
Kennedi Carter, at 21 years old, became the youngest person to photograph the cover of British Vogue last November, for which she photographed Beyoncé. Since then, she’s worked with other big names, such as Erykah Badu, Summer Walker and Dan Levy, and her photographs have been featured in major publications like Rolling Stone and Bustle.
Entitled “Ridin’ Sucka Free,” Carter’s most recent photo series illustrates the connection between agriculture and horsemanship and shines a light on the experiences of Black cowboys in the southern U.S. She aims to show how America’s contemporary cowboy narrative often excludes Black cowboys and, with her images, she hopes to grant them more visibility. Carter grew up in the South and has stated this as the reason she gravitates toward southern stories and subject matter. Her hometown of Durham, North Carolina, is where she developed her eye for photography although, despite her history-making success in the field, she did not view photography as a real career option until only one year ago. Since then, she has clearly honed her talent and forged a path for herself within the medium, and her story can serve as valuable inspiration for anyone who has found themselves doubting the possibility of a career in the arts.
Wildlife photographers ask for your help to preserve the Galápagos’ marine life
SeaLegacy, an organization founded by professional wildlife photographers, is currently urging the public to sign a petition asking Ecuador’s president, Lenín Moreno, to expand the Galápagos Marine Reserve, which protects the almost 3,000 species inhabiting the 40-nautical-mile radius of the islands. The petition was launched on Dec. 15, 2020, in collaboration with Only One, MasGalapagos and Pacífico Libre and is nearing 40,000 signatures.
Many marine species in the area are the targets of commercial overfishing, and those species not targeted are often caught along with the desired catch. While it may seem logical that expanding the protected waters of the Galápagos Marine Reserve will decrease catch volume for these fishermen, the opposite has actually been observed; the population growth that will be permitted by the expansion of protected areas eventually spills over into areas where fishing is allowed. Furthermore, the expansion of the reserve has the potential to benefit the local economy by boosting tourism and artisanal fishing. Most importantly, increasing the radius of protected waters around the islands will protect biodiversity and preserve endangered species as part of the fight against climate change, ultimately benefiting humans as well as marine life.
© Ariadne ariadnerb
Fujifilm’s record-breaking tape capable of storing 580 terabytes
Fujifilm, a Japanese photography company, recently came out with a magnetic tape backup option that boasts 50 times the storage capacity of any similar device currently on the market, such as LTO-8 tapes with 12 terabytes of storage.
Created in conjunction with IBM research, this new tape will be able to hold 120,000 DVDs worth of data utilizing a new compound—SrFe—which will replace previously used BaFe. The result of this will be increased storage capabilities while maintaining a high level of performance due to finer particles within the tape allowing for denser storage. In addition to these improvements, the new tape will not occupy much more space than those previously available. All of these innovations make for a more convenient option for companies and entities responsible for storing vast amounts of data; particularly “Cold Data,” which needs to be saved but is scarcely referenced. So far, there is no information on when this new tape will be commercially available or how much it will cost.
