What's On! Photographic events for MAY 2013 in Wales

Diffusion Festival 2013

Various Locations around Cardiff 1 - 31 May

Diffusion 2013 is staged in Cardiff, Wales’ capital, a city that in recent years has undergone major economic and social transformation. The festival uses both traditional and new media to create a strong visual presence across existing venues and found spaces and through various interventions in the public realm. We encourage visitors and residents alike to navigate Cardiff and its environs in new ways and to discover facets of the city they would not normally expect to find.

Above all, Diffusion 2013 is a celebration of photography and the photographic image, in all its forms. Whether created, published, exhibited, collected or distributed in a physical or virtual way, the photograph has the power to inspire and provoke reaction, to reflect our own experience and that of society evolving around us.

Events are being updated but the following have been confirmed:

Wednesday 1 May

11am f&d cartier Wait and See unveiling at Oriel Canfas

5 – 7pm Festival Opening Reception and From common differences exhibition opening at St David's Hall

7 – 9pm Alicia Bruce Encore exhibition opening at Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama

Friday 3 May

6 – 9pm Exhibition openings at Chapter:

Maurizio Anzeri But it’s not too late, it’s only dark (Gallery)

Gideon Koppel B O R T H (Studio)

Emma Bennett Thief of Time (Art in the Bar)

Saturday 4 May

12 – 2pm European Chronicles exhibition opening at The Cardiff Story (1^st Floor exhibition gallery)

2 – 4pm Exhibition openings at Tramshed:

The Valleys Re-Presented 

Peter Bobby High-rise

Structures of Feeling: The Photographs of Geoff Charles

4.30 – 6.30pm Edgar Martins The Time Machine exhibition opening at Ffotogallery (see below)

5 – 8 pm Wild Oats exhibition opening at Milkwood Gallery

7 – 10pm Barnraising and Bunkers exhibition opening at g39

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Edgar Martins: The Time Machine

Cardiff 1 May - 7 June 2013

In 2010 and 2011, Martins gained exclusive access to 20 power plants located across Portugal. Many were built between the 1950s and 1970s, a time of hopeful prospects for rapid economic growth and social change. The Time Machine records objects and spaces whose grand and progressive designs testify to the scope and ambition of the vision they were built to serve.    Ffotogallery, Plymouth Road, Penarth, CF64 3DH

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Sebastian Liste: Urban Quilombo

Cardiff 4 May - 23 June 2013

Eight years ago sixty families occupied the “Galpao da Araujo Barreto”, an abandoned chocolate factory in Salvador de Bahia, Brazil. Before that, these families lived in the dangerous streets of the city until they decided to come together and occupy this factory in ruins and turn it in a home. Liste has been working in this project since 2009, living with the families and their daily dramas. Documenting the daily life inside of this community, where the life moves between the universal bipolarity of harmony and chaos, hope and despair.    Third Floor Gallery, 102 Bute Street, Penarth, CF10 5AD

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Helen Sear: Lure

Cardiff 25 May - 21 June 2013

One of Wales’ most important artists, Helen Sear’s practice is characterized by her exploration of the crossover between photography and fine art, her focus on the natural world and the startling beauty of her work. The exhibition sees Sear continuing to explore the act of looking and relationships between nature, space and scale to present still and moving images of remarkable power.    Bay Art Gallery, 54B/C Bute Street, Cardiff Bay, CF10 5AF

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European Chronicles

Cardiff 1 May - 31 May 2013

European Chronicles puts forward a vision of contemporary Europe as experienced through photographic work reflecting various personal, family and community stories. The exhibition showcases the work of Mindaugas Ažušilis, David Barnes, Tina Carr & Annemarie Schöne, John Duncan, Anna Kurpaska, Catrine Val, Arturas Valiaga and others.

The exhibition is presented by Ffotogallery as part of Diffusion: Cardiff International Festival of Photography. A month long festival of exhibitions, discussions, screenings, performances, events and celebrations in both physical and virtual spaces and places.  The Cardiff Story, The Old Library, Cardiff, CF10 1BH

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Maurizio Anzeri: But it's not too late

1 May - 30 June 2013

Anzeri uses found photographs and embroidery to create subtly sculptural pieces in which strangers are given new identities; complex and mysterious. Anzeri sees photographic portraits as landscapes, exploring them in order to layer them with his own maps or orientation to invent what he describes as "other possible evolutionary dimensions for the people pictured". Labyrinths of forms and colours create intriguing geographies of faces, histories and souls with eyes that stare enigmatically from the centre of their 'masks'. Alongside this established practice, Anzeri will show new works that utilise embroidery and personal photography to create imagined or psychological space; private reality that becomes public fantasy.  Chapter, Market Road, Cardiff, CF5 1QE


Also at Chapter:

Diffusion Free Family Workshop 25 May 2013 Zine-a-thon: Join Mark Thomas and learn how to make your own photocopied zine. Diffusion Publishing Fair 25 May -26 May 2013 Diffusion Photobook Symposium 26 May Early bird booking before 1 May £15, after 1 May £20 Book HERE

WW2 Photos released on Flickr

I hadn't meant to write two military themed blog posts back to back but I thought that this was too interesting to leave for later.  A project to scan over 3,000 images taken during the D-Day Landings and the months following has been completed and the images can now be seen on Flickr.  The entire collection can be accessed HERE.

Like the recent Korean fake photos - but actually a real massed amphibious landing force.

Unfortunately the majority of captions are in French but hopefully as awareness of the site increases more of the text will be translated into English.

The images have been collected into smaller sets to make navigation easier.  My favourite images are from the sets containing pictures taken in colour.  These are scarce and although they often lack the drama of BW images there is much more information to be gleaned:

Barrage balloons in Weymouth prior to Overlord

The worst darts player in uniform?

US Military Policeman

News of this collection is gradually starting to spread and you may find that Flickr is a little slow as you move through the images - bear with it though as there are a lot of documentary pictures to work through.

Public online collections like these are starting to creep up everywhere.  New York City Department of Records has finally completed cataloguing its massive collection of over 870,000 images and made them available online.  They have gone a little over the top with their water marking and the images suffer as a result.  In the United Kingdom the National Media Museum continues to increase its online collection as does the National Library of Wales.

US Military Photographer of the Year 2012

The winners of the 2012 US Military Photographer of the year award has been announced.  With all of the freelance photographers currently risking their lives in war zones across the world I am always interested to see how military personnel are allowed to publically portray themselves in competitions like this.  Having served in the military myself I am acutely aware of how easy it is for these events to be hijacked as a public relations or political exercise.

Category: Combat camera operational, honorable mention

Army soldiers with the 1st Battalion, 501st Infantry Regiment deployed to Combat Outpost Sabari in Afghanistan scan the area as they begin a multi-day air assault mission May 2 in the eastern Khost province, near the Pakistani border.

Staff Sgt. Joshua L. DeMotts / U.S. Air Force

Category: Portrait-personality, second place

An Afghan National Army soldier poses with a poppy near the village of Karizonah, in Khost province. In Afghanistan, the poppy crop is a major source of funding for extremist groups involved in the Taliban-led insurgency.

Staff Sgt. Joshua L. DeMotts / U.S. Marine Corps

Category: Combat camera operational, first place

Afghan National Army special operations and coalition forces search a compound March 23, 2012, in Southern Afghanistan during a raid targeting a Taliban sub-commander.

Staff Sgt. Sean K. Harp / U.S. Army

Category: Hardware, first place

U.S. Air Force equipment from the 820th RED HORSE Squadron, descends for support during Mobility Air Force Exercise over the Nevada Test and Training Range. 

Airman 1st Class. Daniel Hughes / U.S. Air Force

Category: Features, first place

Retired Air Force Lt. Col. Robert Lock and his wife, Chris, comfort his mother, Mary, as she takes her last breaths before passing away Oct. 22 at a nursing facility in Gloversville, N.Y. She was 87.

Master Sgt. Jeremy Lock / U.S. Air Force

The image above is my favourite from the whole competition, I guess it appeals to the documentary photographer in me.  I investigated further into this shot.  The photographer is Jeremy Lock, grandson of the subject.  He is currently a U.S. Air Force combat photojournalist stationed at Charleston Air Force Base, S.C. with the 1st Combat Camera Squadron.  Over the years he has had seven winning entries in the Military Photographer of the Year competition.  Whilst serving as a photographer in Iraq in 2006 he was taking pictures of a group of marines that came under fire.  Several marines were hit and Lock put down his cameras, picked up an assault rifle, and helped provide covering fire as the injured were dragged to safety.  For his actions he was awarded the Bronze Star.

Lock, shown above, has worked around the world with the military.  His work has been published in Time and National Geographic magazines as well as major newspapers across the United States including The New York Times, The LA Times and The Washington Times. His work has also been published in books including "The War in Iraq" and "A Day in the Life of the United States Armed Forces."  

An interview with Lock from 2006 can be found HERE.  I found the following points from the interview interesting to read - especially as I've just recently watched the brilliant documentary McCullin:

What special precautions and/or equipment do you take when you're going to a combat area?
Well, lucky for me, I have a lot of military training that is required before we step foot in the war zone. And on this trip it has definitely worked. The training just kicks in which in turn helps you complete the mission. When I go out for a shoot here, I wear a Kevlar helmet, body armor, shooters vest with one lens (17-55mm) extra batteries and film cards, note pad and pen and some essential first aid supplies. I have a 9mm pistol strapped to my leg and carry 2 cameras (D1X with a 80-400mm lens and a D2X with a 12-24mm lens) At times I do interchange the lenses with different bodies depending on the effect or situation. With my photography I do not use flash unless I am in a studio. And for night missions I carry a night vision lens adapter, but don’t use it. I use all natural light. And I always pray for my safe return! 

What ethical considerations do you keep in mind while shooting in combat zones (civilians and military)?To capture the truth! When editing my photos I do not do anything that can not be done in a darkroom - unless I'm creating an illustration.
 What are some of the ethics issues in conflict areas?Knowing when to shoot and knowing when to put the camera down and help out with civilians or military.  I have not really had any problems in this area yet. I did have to put my camera down and help give first aid to a civilian who was shot because there was only one guy helping and he needed help.  In my experiences the people I am photographing know I am there, so act accordingly. If something did go amiss I would like to think I would stop it or shoot what’s going on and let the higher ups deal with it. Until you are put into that situation, you don't know.
 How did these instances affect you, and did your emotions impact the way you approached a photo?
I have not encountered any ethical issues over here. I did, however, have one when I was working on a story in a neo natal intensive care unit very early in my career.  I was shooting a family that gave me permission to shoot them and their baby died. Although I had permission I couldn’t bring the camera to my face. Later I talked about the situation with my fellow photographers and we all agreed, as long as I wasn’t obtrusive to the family, shooting from a distance, the family probably would of loved to have the last few moments with their baby captured on film to remember. Again you just never know until you are put in to these situations. I believe if you are a good person you will do the right thing.

A very short clip with Lock in action is HERE

Lock learnt his skills at the Defense Information School.  Some details of the courses run there can be found by looking through some of the links from the page ie for the Intermediate Photojournalism Course - the references page is useful, it seems that actually taking pictures is a very small part of the course.

Lock is currently the chief photographer for the Airman Magazine, the official magazine of the USAF, and some of his images for that publication can be found HERE.

More images from this year's competition can be found at:

The Telegraph

CBS News

The Daily Mail