Beatles photographer Astrid Kirchherr dies aged 81

BERLIN — German photographer Astrid Kirchherr, whose striking images of The Beatles in the early 1960s helped turn them into cultural icons, has died aged 81, German media reported Saturday.

Kirchherr passed away in Hamburg following a serious illness, those close to her told several media outlets, including the weekly Die Zeit and NDR public television.


She met and befriended The Beatles in 1960 during a tour in Hamburg before they achieved worldwide fame.

At the time, the group was made up of five members: John Lennon, Paul McCartney, and George Harrison, as well as bassist Stuart Sutcliffe and drummer Pete Best, who was later replaced by Ringo Starr.

Sutcliffe fell in love with Kirchherr and stayed on in Hamburg but died from a brain hemorrhage in 1962.

Kirchherr took numerous photos of the group, showing them both as rebels and romantics. She later lived mainly off the reproduction rights of the pictures, NDR said.


She was also behind the group’s so-called mop-top hairstyles of the early 1960s.

The photographer later kept in touch with The Beatles, Harrison in particular.

Agence France-Presse

Kodak MiniShot Instant Digital Camera

Check out this new instant digital camera ‘MiniShot’ from Kodak. Equipped with a 10MP CCD sensor, this hybrid point-and-shoot camera captures still images that can be printed directly from the camera using 4Pass D2T2 technology for instant 2.1 x 3.4” or 2.1 x 2.1” photos.


Not just that, this pocket-friendly camera also comes with a wide-angle lens, a built-in flash and a rear 1.7” LCD monitor for composing imagery, review shots and navigate the menu system.

Powered by a built-in lithium-ion polymer battery, the MiniShot provides WiFi connectivity for transferring and saving your photos to your mobile device. The Kodak MiniShot will set you back just $99.99. [Product Page]

source:  techfresh.net

Elephone REXSO Explorer 4K Action Camera

Shoot anything from a simple bicycle ride to a dive in the pool and extreme sports using Elephone’s latest 4K action camera ‘REXSO Explorer’. Coming with a waterproof case (up to 30m underwater), this ultra-compact camera boasts a Sony IMAX 179 sensor, a 170-degree wide-angle lens, a 0.66-inch status display, a 2.0-inch 320 x 240 LCD display, a microSD card slot (up to 64GB), a micro-USB port, a micro-HDMI port and built-in WiFi 802.11 b/g/n connectivity.


Powered by a 1050mAh li-polymer battery (up to 80 minutes of usage time), the REXSO Explorer has the ability to capture both 4K @ 24fps, 1080p @ 60fps or 720p @ 120fps video in MP4/H.264 format and up to 16MP still images in JPEG format.

Backed by a 12-month warranty, the Elephone REXSO Explorer can be yours for just $55.98. [Product Page]

source:  techfresh.net

This food photographer is also a baker

I met food photographer Aldwin Aspillera during a class that kitchen-tested my recipes for Destileria Limtuaco.

In between taking photos of the dishes, my students and I interviewed Aldwin and learned that he was a baker.

His culinary journey began at a young age, surrounded by food. His family owned a small restaurant called Mixmix. His aunt Tessie Lozano owned Pandakeña, a small panaderia in Pandacan, Manila.

Growing up, he felt comfortable in the kitchen, finding great joy in helping whip up their restaurant’s specialties and baking bread at Pandakeña’s.

In 1996, he pursued a Communication Arts degree at De La Salle University, where he discovered photography.

The heart, however, always finds its way home. After 15 years of being a photographer, he could no longer deny his inner calling. Aldwin took short courses at the Center for Asian Culinary Studies and College of St. Benilde to hone his pastry skills.

To him, bread ignites precious memories. He fondly remembered fresh pan de sal coming out of his aunt’s wood-fired pugon.

In February 2013, Aldwin and his girlfriend, Mich Demavivas, opened their own bakery, Tito Panadero, a 24-hour operation that specialized in local breads. While it did quite well, they realized that retail selling was not their thing. Managing the staff also proved difficult. They decided to close the bakeshop.

The closing of Tito Panadero left its old clients, mostly friends who owned small cafes and canteens, without a bread supplier. This led Aldwin to open Crust and Crumb in 2014.

The commissary supplies restaurants, coffee shops and catering companies with different types of bread, based on the customers’ preference. Aldwin works closely with his clients to meet their bread requirements.

Upon our prodding, Aldwin brought samples of his breads. The brioche loaf was fantastic —fragrant, light, with a firm bite. Though soft, it was stable enough to hold moist fillings without becoming soggy—a wonderful, all-around sandwich bread.

The squid ink buns were delightful, too. Like the brioche, it had a nice chew. Don’t be alarmed, it does not taste strange, but rather a well made bun—neutral, with no fishy aftertaste.

And the rainbow bread, what is there not to love? Its soft loaf bread swirled with happy colors. It reminded me of my childhood birthday celebrations. I’m sure the sight of it will do the same for you.

It was the happy colors of the rainbow that led to a tasty conversation on sandwich fillings. Some of my students shared their favorite recipes.


Abby Dichaves’ Chicken and Egg Spread
 
2 whole chicken breast, boiled
and shredded

¼ cup celery, chopped

4- 6 pcs. boiled eggs, sliced

¼ cup carrots boiled and
chopped

Salt to taste

White pepper , pinch

Sugar, pinch
1½-2 c mayonnaise, add
according to preference

Mix to combine. Season to taste

Imelda Tan’s Tuna Apple Spread

2 cans tuna in brine, drained
½ c celery, chopped
¼ c carrots minced
½ c pineapple tidbits,
drained
1 Fuji apple, diced
¾-1 cup Lady’s Choice
sandwich spread, add
according to preference

Mix to combine.

Judy Uy’s Bacon & Egg Sandwich Spread

9 strips of bacon cooked until
crisp, chopped into small bits
6 hard boiled egg, chopped
1 tbsp craisins or raisins
2 chicken legs, cooked
and shredded
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 ½ tsp mustard
1-2 tbsp. pickle relish
1 ½-2 c mayonnaise,
adjust accordingly

Mix to combine. Season to taste.

Alicia Yu’s Chicken Salad Spread (shared by daughter Ana Lee)

2 k chicken breast,
thinly flaked
1 k potatoes steamed,
small dice
1 kl carrots steamed,
small dice
2 regular cans fruits cocktail,
drained and cut into small
pieces
2 small cans crushed
pineapple
2½ bottle ( 700 ml )
of Lady’s Choice mayonnaise
3 tbsp sugar
1/2 tbsp salt
1 tsp MSG

Mix to combine.

Aldwin’s recipe

Aldwin also shared his Smoked Salmon Sandwich on Squid Ink Buns recipe.

Cream Cheese Spread: Combine 3 tbsp cream cheese, ½ tsp fresh dill, ½ tsp garlic powder, and a pinch of pepper. Mix well.

1 squid ink bun
Cream cheese spread
3 slices of smoked salmon
2 slices of avocado
1 poached egg

Slice the bun. Spread cream cheese mixture on both sides of the bread.

Lay the salmon. Top with avocados and finish with poach egg.

Other offerings of Aldwin’s commissary include sourdough pan de sal, multigrain and wholewheat bread.

Call 0917-4504688, minimum of four loaves per order. For a copy of my holiday cooking class schedule,
call 0908-2372346, 0917-5543700

source: lifestyle.inquirer.net

Members of Heart, Blondie Celebrate 'Who Shot Rock & Roll' Photography Opening

Last night, at the gala opening of the Who Shot Rock & Roll exhibition at Annenberg Space for Photography in Los Angeles, the real rock stars in the room were veteran photographers.

"It's nice to be recognized," photographer Bob Gruen told Rolling Stone as he stood on the red carpet with his friend, comedian Richard Lewis. "This show is about photography. It's not a picture of Bruce Springsteen because he's so famous, everybody likes him. It's whether or not the photograph is good."

The show, which officially opens on June 23rd and continues through October 7th, gathers a half-century of pictures from the history of rock. It is curated by Gail Buckland, who also wrote the accompanying book, and originally opened in 2009 in a different form at the Brooklyn Museum, followed by a tour of other U.S. cities. Los Angeles is its final stop.

The exhaustive exhibit begins with Alfred Wertheimer's sublime black-and-white images of a young Elvis Presley at the very beginning of his career in 1956, before the entourage and fame closed in. There are Gruen's pictures from the birth of New York punk and Henry Diltz's portraits of Neil Young, Joni Mitchell and others he met in the folk-rock scene of Laurel Canyon. They are among 116 prints along the gallery walls that also include Eminem, Radiohead, Elvis Costello, the Ramones, U2, mosh pits, riots and more.

"The images most meaningful for me were photographs that I made of people who I genuinely felt were my friends or I loved in some way," said Lynn Goldsmith, whose photographs in the show include Bruce Springsteen, the Rolling Stones and crazed fans of New Kids on the Block.

At Annenberg Space, members of Heart, Blondie, the Sex Pistols and other frequently photographed subjects mingled with shooters and admirers, stopping in the space's theater to watch a new documentary about the photographers and their work. Ann and Nancy Wilson of Heart performed a five-song acoustic set of their Seventies hits, including "Barracuda" and "Crazy on You," and recalled good and bad experiences in front of the camera.

Ann Wilson fondly remembered Annie Leibovitz getting her to remove her top during Heart's second Rolling Stone cover shoot. "I trusted her. That is a beautiful shot. We both look very vulnerable," she told Rolling Stone. Nancy added, "The ones that go, 'Work with me, baby! Suck in your cheeks! Lick your lips!' Those are the guys that are very forgettable."

Among those in the crowded gallery space were Dweezil and Moon Zappa, who viewed Jerry Schatzberg's 1967 portrait of their late father, rocker and avant gardist Frank Zappa. In the shot, Zappa wore a bright orange T-shirt against a yellow wall, his long hair in shaggy pigtails. "It's very emotional, for sure," said Moon with a smile.

"It's from the early days, at a time when it was considered completely audacious to have long hair," Dweezil said of the image, one of many striking photographs taken of their father over the years. "The most fascinating is when people are captured in the moment when they're playing music and spontaneously creating. That's what Frank enjoyed the most, being in that moment."

On the glass doors leading into the Annenberg was a huge blow-up shot of a skin-headed Henry Rollins smashing his fist into a mirror; it became the cover of Black Flag's classic 1981 hardcore album Damaged. Standing nearby was the photographer, Edward Colver, who never imagined his vintage L.A. punk rock pictures would end up on museum walls. "When I was shooting the punk scene from late-'78 until early 1984, I was out about five nights a week," recalled Colver, who also shot some of the earliest pictures of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, the Germs and Ice Cube. "It was vitally important to me, but I had no clue it would ever become such history. It's kind of shocking. There's punk academia now, which cracks me up. That's hilarious."

Later in the evening, Gruen, Blondie drummer Clem Burke and others gathered around the 1969 cover image from Blind Faith's self-titled album, which depicted a topless pubescent girl holding a phallic airplane model. "We were talking about how controversial this was," Burke said as its photographer, Bob Seidemann, walked up.

Standing tall in white hair and glasses, Seidemann said, "I always saw it as innocence. I took it to Eric Clapton; he said, 'That's the cover.' The record company went crazy and said, ‘That's not the cover.' A brawl ensued, and Clapton said, 'No picture, no cover. So long, guys.' That's how it happened."

One gallery wall was filled with LP covers from across the decades, and Seidemann looked back on an era he helped document. "The music business producing album covers in the late Sixties, early Seventies was the pinnacle of graphics and design," he said. "To get to the top of that mountain made you a somebody."

source: rollingstone.com

Digital Photography Basics for Photographers

Digital photography is chosen by many photographers, who take advantage of the convenience of the form to send images by email, put them on the World Wide Web, or display digital photo frames.

Digital photography is the main choice to take pictures. If you're in the market for a new camera, look at the following advantages of digital photography over traditional film. Digital is less expensive. All photos are registred in the memory device to the camera and then downloaded directly to your PC.





With digital photography, images can be easily changed according to your choice. Everything usually starts as color, but the tone of light and color can be changed easily with the use of editing software. Defects in the photographs, such as unwanted marks on the face of the subject, shadows caught unintentionally poor can easily be removed.

A further advantage is in the running costs. You do not have to constantly have to buy the film and the images are retained in memory reusable. The only thing that may have to buy is batteries, although most come with rechargeable batteries.

Learning the roots of digital photography allows you to enjoy your passion. If you really love to take pictures, then you know that you still have more to explore in your digital camera. This can be a great source of your passion to become an investment or even career. Obviously, once you have started with the basics of digital photography that can advance to higher education.

A lot of people make a career in photography and there are many different fields of photography to choose from. Some courses are specialized photography: art photography, travel, fashion, portrait, food photography and more.