This N' That: 12/22/20
By: Summer Myatt
Independent Photographer’s Back and White Photo award
This year’s Black and White Photography contest, hosted by The Independent Photographer, highlighted the complexity of the black and white photograph during a particularly turbulent era. “Regardless of genres, we wanted to celebrate the beauty and wealth of black & white photography. Be it in street, fashion, portrait, landscape, documentary, or any other form of photography: we want to be moved and inspired,” the website notes, as the inspiration for the annual event. The 2020 contest was judged by renowned Dutch artist Baastian Woudt and honored emerging and established photographers from all over the world. This year’s first place award went to Russian artist Mikhail Potapov; the winning photo is a stunning landscape scene featuring a horse and rider on a snowy mountain. Many other winners, finalists, and notable entries from this year’s contest are featured on The Independent Photographer’s website.
New streaming service hopes to be Spotify of photography
Aiming to be the Spotify of photography, Barcelona-based company, WindowSight, is adopting the streaming model to make photography more accessible and equitable in today’s digital and visual culture. The company has identified a gap in the way we view photos: Instagram may currently be the most popular social media platform for still photography, but it’s hardly the best way to view and appreciate photographs. With low-resolutions, crop constraints, and no artist revenue, Instagram falls short of equitably displaying images in the way artists intend for their work to be seen. WindowSight envisions a future in which one can stream playlists of high-quality photos from the comfort of their homes, while photographers are paid per stream for their work. Presently, the service is only available for use on select smart televisions, or through streaming services like AppleTV.
Observer photo editor Greg Whitmore retires after 30 years
Much has changed in the nearly 30 years since Greg Whitmore began his career in photojournalism at the Observer. Working his way up from his position as secretary at the publication, Whitmore saw everything from the funeral of Princess Diana to the invention of the selfie. In a poignant personal essay, the newly retired picture editor reflected on the challenges and triumphs of his career, the monumental changes and shifts photojournalism has seen in recent years, and the impact a photo can have on an entire culture.
Nikon online classes free for the holidays
As a gift to their customers both new and old, Nikon School Online is now offering all of their classes for free through December 31st. Nikon School has been educating photographers ranging from amateur to professional for over 30 years, and now they’re bringing the class experience to a wider audience. Featuring techniques, innovative ideas, and camera courses taught by professional photographers, Nikon School Online has something for everyone.
