Getty Images announces Reportage Grants helping independent photographers during the pandemic

Getty Images announced the launch of its latest Reportage Grant series focused on COVID-19 stories and images. Beyond the public health emergency, this is an unprecedented time of economic and social dislocation, and potentially one of scientific and technological innovation. Getty Images recognizes that smart photojournalism has the potential to illuminate our understanding of these issues in the months and years ahead.

For over 15 years, the Getty Images Grants program has awarded over $1.7 million to independent photographers. The 2020 Reportage Grants, each valued at $5,000, will be awarded to eight photographers safely reporting stories related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“In the midst of global uncertainties presenting unprecedented challenges, storytelling becomes more important than ever, as visual content is uniquely able to demonstrate how this particular virus is affecting daily lives around the world,” said Ken Mainardis, Senior Vice President for Content, Getty Images. “While the COVID-19 pandemic looks different depending on the locality, it’s clear that the effects of this virus will outlast the immediate public health emergency, creating significant need for stories detailing socioeconomic, social and wellness implications, as well as innovation in terms of science and technology.”

LEFT: ANDY WARHOL, Ocean View, unique polaroid print, Executed circa 1975 RIGHT: ANDY WARHOL, Andy Warhol and Henry Geldzahler, unique polaroid print mounted on board, Executed circa 1979. © Image Courtesy of Christie’s

Andy Warhol’s Everyday Photography Up for Auction to Support Artists in Need

The online auction, which will go live on April 28, features a total of 60 of Warhol’s fascinating snapshots of daily life. Like most of us, Warhol took many close-up photos of dogs and cats. He photographed mountains, rocks, trees, American flags, the ocean, and himself. Michael Dayton Hermann, a director at the Warhol Foundation, selected the works in the collection. “We are delighted to work with Christie’s to enhance the Foundation’s ability to continue to invest in society when it needs it most,” Hermann told Observer. “This unique sale focuses on works that celebrate Warhol’s uncanny ability to draw attention to the inspiring artistry of ordinary life.” These photographs will be up for auction from Christie’s and the Andy Warhol Foundation – and the latter can use the proceeds to provide emergency relief to artists who’ve been affected by the coronavirus.

Chinese Court Rules for Swiss Camera Maker in Counterfeit Case

The Swiss camera brand ALPA has won a copyright infringement case in China against counterfeiters who copied the company’s designs. ALPA says that it originally filed the claim in the Chengdu Intermediate People’s Court in the fall of 2016 against a Chinese company called GuoZh, which marketed camera products clearly based on ALPA’s designs. In its ruling, the Chinese court acknowledged that ALPA cameras are “objects of applied art” that are worthy of protection. The case will give some hope to other photographic manufacturers that feel their products are being copied and sold cheaply by Chinese companies.