Past Events › Program Meeting

Chris Harris was late to join academia.
For over twenty-five years he worked as a freelance photojournalist for major news media worldwide. From his base in New Orleans he photographically documented the news of the world for TIME, Life, Newsweek, the New York Times as well as many other major publications. Professor Harris is well known for his diversity of work. Whether it was the “Sex in New Orleans” coverage for Playboy Magazine, his coverage of Presidential candidate Jimmy Carter for Newsweek, his extended (14 page) essay on bullfighting for Sports Illustrated,Tennessee Williams for People Magazine or Walker Percy for Esquire, Harris has met the needs of publications worldwide. From the late 1960s to the early 1990s he specialized in covering Central America as well as the American South. His work was represented worldwide by GAMMA/Liaison agency in Paris and New York.
Since coming-in from active photojournalism Professor Harris obtained his advanced degree in Journalism from the University of Alabama in order to go into higher education. He is a Professor Emeritus in the College of Mass Communication, Electronic Media Communication Department at Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro, TN. His specialties included photojournalism, media law and ethics and visual journalism.
Professor Harris is the co-author (with Paul Martin Lester) of Visual Journalism, published by Allyn & Bacon, Boston in 200

Quotes Concerning the Photographs of
Christopher R. Harris
chris.harris@yahoo.com
http://www.ChristopherRHarris.com
“the best” Former Louisiana Governor Edwin Edwards—recently released from Federal Prison

“The photos are quite lovely and evocative…it is a poetic view…from the inside out.” Novelist Walker Percy on reviewing Harris’ coverage of the Natchez Pilgrimage

“I took them (your pictures) home as a Christmas present…(my parents) still talk about that ‘civilized fellow from New Orleans.’” Journalist Bill Moyers

“Harris has a way of capturing specific instances which generalize universal truths.” Art Critic George E. Jordan, New Orleans Times-Picayune

“(Chris Harris’) use of documentary photography as a personal art form has certainly made him an artist of great merit. Mr. Harris’ artwork has enriched our collection.” New Orleans Museum of Art Director E. John Bullard

“Keep-up the fair work.” Ted Knight…the actor Ted Baxter from the Mary Tyler Moore show in a personal note

“When I first met Chris Harris in New Orleans…he was a seasoned, but slightly seedy-looking, internationally known photographer. Think of the photojournalist played by Dennis Hopper in Apocalypse Now Redux, but with a Southern accent, and you know what I mean.” Photo ethicist, and co-author, Paul Martin Lester

“(Chris Harris shot)…the world’s most incredible sports photograph of Roberto Duran-Sugar Ray Leonard fight. It was an absolute definitive photograph…” Gambit newspaper editor-in-chief Gary Esolen

“I can’t wait to see what your photographs do to me. Impossible!” Playwright Tennessee Williams

Wabi-Sabi
This program will explore the beauty of imperfect and/or unconventional subjects. As nature photographers we often seek out the flowers, leaves and such that are perfect, with no blemishes or defects. This program highlights subjects that are not perfect, such as flowers that have character, double headed flowers, decaying fall leaves, the deformed coneflower that stands out as flawed and hence different and beautiful, rust as it creates abstract patterns amidst the decay, etc. We will also explore the concept of slowing down and appreciating the beauty of everyday life, things that might be overlooked. As purveyors of rust and decay we appreciate the perseverance and beauty of “life after humans” as cars and equipment falls apart and succumbs to oxidation and decay. Wabi-Sabi teaches us to find beauty in everyday life. It is a kind of anti-aesthetic, an alternative to the dominating discriminatory ideas we hold about beauty. “Wabi means a beauty of elegant imperfection. Sabi means aloneness. Together, they suggest the beauty of ‘the withered, weathered, tarnished, scarred, intimate, coarse, earthly, evanescent, tentative, ephemeral.’ ~ Crispin Sartwell, Six Names of Beauty. It is a way of honoring that everything is impermanent, and we are always in a state of both becoming and falling away. It is used to describe a particular philosophy that beauty can be found in the old, the everyday, the imperfect. Wabi Sabi applies to more than nature and the seasons of change and decay, but it also to the “Life after Humans” arena or UrbEx (urban exploration). As a side note, the term Wabi Sabi can also be part of the social movement of embracing imperfection of your physical traits as a human being, especially with respect to self-perception and celebrating imperfection in a society that encourages people to be perfect and pressures people to be flawless.

Bio
Lisa Cuchara, PhD, Master Craftsman (PPA), Master of Photography (M. Photog.) HonNEC, is very passionate about photography and she enjoys both being behind the lens and in the digital darkroom. She loves to photograph nature but finds many subjects equally intriguing. From birds and flowers to babies and UrbEx/HDR, she appreciates the world around her and embraces the challenge of interpreting what her eyes see and her heart feel via her photographs. Lisa says that photography allows her to pay attention to the details, to be mindful, to slow down and appreciate all of the beauty, details and nuances of everyday life. Lisa met her husband Tom thru photography, and they are both very active in many local, national, and international photography organizations. They have had many successful gallery exhibitions, their work has been accepted into many juried exhibitions and their images have won awards at the local, state, national, and international levels. Their photographs have appeared in Adirondack Life, Wild Bird, Birder’s World, in calendars and on calendar covers, and on the cover of a fictional paperback novel. Lisa has also had images accepted into the PPA (Professional Photographers Association) loan collection and has earned three Bronze image competition cases.

They have published two books with Amherst Media: “Create Fine Art Photographs from Historic Places and Rusty Things” is about their HDR and light painted images (Amazon http://tinyurl.com/lisatom-urbex and also available at brick and mortar bookstores like Barnes & Noble) and their second book “The Frog Whisperer” http://tinyurl.com/lisatom-frogs is about macro photography, using frogs as subjects. Lisa & Tom have been photographing people professionally for over 16 years and have their own Photography Studio in Hamden CT. Their portrait philosophy is based on “We do not remember days, we remember Moments”. Lisa & Tom love to teach, inspire and share. They have presented a wide variety of motivational and instructional programs and workshops (Photoshop, Digital Workflow, HDR, RAW processing, Macro photography, Travel photography) at many photography groups, conventions, and organizations. Check out their photo and editing classes, their photo tours and workshops, and view their photographs at www.PhotographyByLisaAndTom.com. Get Tips & Tricks about photo ops, post-processing, creativity, gear, etc. and learn more about their photography classes and workshops by joining their email list http://tinyurl.com/cuchara-photolist.

Topic:
High key photography is a powerful, evocative and often ethereal type of photography. It involves creating images where there is a dominance of white or bright tones. For nature photography, it is a type of photography that goes against most “traditional” styles and "rules" of nature photography. It requires the right circumstances – the right light, subject, and setting—in order for the magic of High Key photography to work.
When it all comes together, the results can be spectacular! This class will introduce participants to the genre of High Key photography, which can be one of the most artistic forms of nature photography that can be done in-camera and/or a combination of in-camera and post-processing.
This class will help you put it all together and begin photographing in high-key style! You may even find a treasure trove of images in your archives that could work perfectly for this approach!
You will learn:
• What lighting conditions are best (and worst) for high-key photography
• The settings that are generally recommended for creating high-key work
• What foregrounds and backgrounds work best for high key photography
• Composition tips for this style of photography
• Post-processing tips to create the final look

About Lisa Langell
Lisa Langell is a full-time, award-winning photographer whose work has appeared in numerous prestigious publications, galleries and more. Most recently, she was published on the front cover and a feature article in Outdoor Photographer magazine. She currently sits on the Board of Directors for the North American Nature Photography Association. She is also an ambassador for Tamron and FotoPro.

Whether it was working as a master floral designer, a licensed psychologist, an university instructor, an international consultant in K-12 education, the Chief Business Development Officer of an education technology company, a researcher, a writer, or an artist—she enjoyed meeting each challenge. She applies the vast knowledge gained from those experiences to her photography, instruction and business.

Through all of those experiences, photography remained a strong calling. This has been the case since childhood--when bird watching ignited her lifelong love of nature and the camera. In 2010, she turned her passion for photography into a business—and in 2015 she transitioned to photography full-time and left the corporate and consulting world behind.

The journey with photography has definitely been Lisa’s favorite venture – she loves combining her diverse background and skills into her photographic art and instruction. Bringing joy to others brings joy to her! She thrives on creating innovative learning experiences that enrich, invigorate and expand photographers’ minds emotionally, creatively and intellectually! She places high value upon honesty, integrity, care and concern for what she delivers to her clients and to the photographic community.

Topic:

This session will cover a wide range of street photography topics, beginning with an introduction to the genre and progressing through intermediate and advanced topics. We will cover everything from how to setup and use your camera, to tips and tricks to make street photography easier and more comfortable, to street photography in quiet and suburban areas, and to overall conceptual issues in street photography, such as telling a story and creating a portfolio or project.

Bio:

James has lived in New York for his entire life. Like many Manhattanites, he is a terrible driver and cook, but he’s an excellent navigator. He has been practicing the art of street photography since he first picked up a camera, has worked as a portrait, studio, and documentary photographer in New York since 2005, is a certified New York photography tour and workshop guide, and is the author of The New York Photographer’s Travel Guide and The Essentials of Street Photography.

Lisa will discuss the love for RUST and their approach to and experience with photographing historic and abandoned buildings, urban decay, etc. This program will include techniques for wide angle and close-up photography including the use of HDR (high dynamic range), EDR (extended dynamic range), HDR-panoramas, and light painting in this program. Equipment and techniques used to bring out the beauty and drama of these subjects will also be discussed as we show our fascination with RUST. The program is aimed to inspire you: inspire you to visit new "old" places and to get to know them well enough to tell their story, inspire you to capture high dynamic range images and to light paint, and inspire you to create art from decay. Tom and Lisa see the Beauty in Decay and Abandonment. Old, Historic, Grand, Dramatic, Unique -- these characteristics draw us to explore and capture the essence of these rusty, dusty subjects and locations. Urban exploration (UrbEx) is the art of finding and exploring abandoned locations. Not all locations are technically "urban" or even "abandoned". The term abandoned is used VERY loosely. It is not "being abandoned" that attracts us to a place, it is the history, beauty, decay, charm, and architectural details (which contrast so drastically with today’s vanilla architecture). Another definition of UrbEx is the investigation of seldom seen man-made structures, a definition more consistent with our quest, since our subjects may be FAR from abandoned (like the architectural grandeur of bustling Grand Central Terminal or the surprising drama of the neo-Gothic Eastern State Penitentiary), but these sites count as "unseen" because few people actually stop to appreciate beautiful prison architecture or the jaw-dropping details of Grand Central, a place that they might even rush through twice a day.
https://www.photographybylisaandtom.com/

Written Bio
Lisa Cuchara, PhD, Master Craftsman (PPA), Master of Photography (M. Photog.) HonNEC, is very passionate about photography and she enjoys both being behind the lens and in the digital darkroom. She loves to photograph nature but finds many subjects equally intriguing. From birds and flowers to babies and UrbEx/HDR, she appreciates the world around her and embraces the challenge of interpreting what her eyes see and her heart feel via her photographs. Lisa says that photography allows her to pay attention to the details, to be mindful, to slow down and appreciate all of the beauty, details and nuances of everyday life. Lisa met her husband Tom thru photography, and they are both very active in many local, national, and international photography organizations. They have had many successful gallery exhibitions, their work has been accepted into many juried exhibitions and their images have won awards at the local, state, national, and international levels. Their photographs have appeared in Adirondack Life, Wild Bird, Birder’s World, in calendars and on calendar covers, and on the cover of a fictional paperback novel. Lisa has also had images accepted into the PPA (Professional Photographers Association) loan collection and has earned three Bronze image competition cases.

They have published two books with Amherst Media: “Create Fine Art Photographs from Historic Places and Rusty Things” is about their HDR and light painted images (Amazon http://tinyurl.com/lisatom-urbex and also available at brick and mortar bookstores like Barnes & Noble) and their second book “The Frog Whisperer” http://tinyurl.com/lisatom-frogs is about macro photography, using frogs as subjects. Lisa & Tom have been photographing people professionally for over 16 years and have their own Photography Studio in Hamden CT. Their portrait philosophy is based on “We do not remember days, we remember Moments”. Lisa & Tom love to teach, inspire and share. They have presented a wide variety of motivational and instructional programs and workshops (Photoshop, Digital Workflow, HDR, RAW processing, Macro photography, Travel photography) at many photography groups, conventions, and organizations. Check out their photo and editing classes, their photo tours and workshops, and view their photographs at www.PhotographyByLisaAndTom.com. Get Tips & Tricks about photo ops, post-processing, creativity, gear, etc. and learn more about their photography classes and workshops by joining their email list http://tinyurl.com/cuchara-photolist.
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www.photographybylisaandtom.com

Follow us on Instagram www.instagram.com/lisaandtomphotos

For more information about our photography education/classes: www.lisaandtomphotography.com

We would love an opportunity to inspire you with our "Creativity is contagious, pass it on" philosophy and our “Don’t shoot what it looks like, shoot what it feels like” approach.

For our portrait site: www.breaphotos.com

Our first printed book “Create Fine Art Photographs from Historic Places and Rusty Things” is on sale at Barnes & Noble, Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/lisatom-urbex . Our second book with Amherst Media "The Frog Whisperer: Portraits and Stories" can also be found at Barnes and Noble and Amazon www.tinyurl.com/lisatom-frogs . Also, check out our FrogScapes site: www.frogscapes.photos

Join our email list to find out about our photography classes, tours, and workshops, as well as photo ops, post-processing, creativity, gear, etc. http://tinyurl.com/cuchara-photolist

Check out our upcoming (and past) photography classes and photo workshops and tours at http://tinyurl.com/lisatomworkshops . We are Olympus Educators, but all cameras are welcome. We have people come with mobile photos, dSLRs, mirrorless, point&shoot, film cameras, etc.

Bio:
MOLLIE ISAACS has been a professional photographer and experienced teacher for 3 decades. She specializes in nature and macro photography, as well as portraits of children and families. She has studied with Ansel Adams, Joyce Tenneson, and others. She has photographed many famous faces including Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, jazz musician Wynton Marsalis, actress Meryl Streep, actor Gary Busey, former Virginia Governor L. Douglas Wilder, and many other notables and dignitaries. She has won the “Oscar” of photography, the coveted Kodak Gallery Award, 15 times. Her work is in the Permanent Collection of the International Photography Hall of Fame. She enjoys traveling and teaching.

Topic:
ABSTRACTS WITH IMPACT Abstract photography allows us complete creative freedom. There are no rigid rules and no restrictions. This program will start you on a journey of new discoveries about artistic photography AND yourself. See Before and After images of a scene and then the abstracts found within that scene. Learn how to find abstracts everywhere in nature, and how to create them easily at home as well.