It’s been months since our last issue, and much has transpired: American soldiers keep dying in Iraq; Saddam Hussein was captured; John Kerry overtook Howard Dean in the Democratic race for the presidency; unemployment remained high; gas prices spiraled through the roof; the president insisted America is in good shape; Mars was explored; Hobbits made a clean-sweep at the Oscars; and Martha Stewart was found guilty on all charges. The world has been spinning — and spinning fast.
During this time, I visited the North American Nature Photographers Summit in Oregon and the Photo Marketing Convention in Las Vegas to monitor the pulse of the photo industry. And while everyone was sharing war-stories about how hard it was to survive financially in 2003, there was an incredible buzz about the advances in photo technology and the convergence of digital imaging with multimedia. Megapixels and gigabytes seemed to be multiplying at a fever pace.
Microsoft’s notable first-time participation as an exhibitor at the PMA Convention heralded the arrival of digital imaging applications to the broad masses of image-makers on the PC platform.
Digital photography arrived in the mainstream, as cell phones became widely available with built-in cameras. That development also inspired controversy about how those cameras might be used in sensitive situations, prompting many companies to ban their use on their premises. Nonetheless, digital cameras, in phones and otherwise, are rapidly becoming standard equipment in society.
In the midst of all this challenging evolution, creativity and imagination will always keep the artist ahead of the curve, but originality and individuality are still the key ingredients for success. This issue presents some of the most creative and original talents in the business. It explores the world of entertainment through the eyes of one of the most celebrated celebrity photographers, and two celebrities who have developed a special relationship with photography to enhance and share their life experience.
Our cover story features Greg Gorman, one of the most in-demand celebrity photographers in Los Angeles. Our glimpse into this master portraitist’s life and work will expose you to his particular sensitivity that makes him so well respected among the Hollywood crowd.
Graham Nash is known mostly for his musical genius in the rock ’n’ roll universe. But in the world of photography, he is recognized not only for his own images (with a new book of his work in current release), but for his leading role as a photo collector and contributor to the advancement of digital printing technologies. His comprehensive relationship with photography will give you insight into the broad range of this passionate artist.
And to widen the view further, our story on well-known actor Jeff Bridges’ behind-the-scenes, panoramic impressions of life on the sets of his movies (also the subject of a recent book) offers another perspective into this exceptional entertainer’s love for photography.
Also, we are pleased to present images in our Portfolio and Shot in the Back from some of the young photographers selected for recognition in the Photo Imaging Education Association’s Student-Teacher Photo Competition.
I was honored to have been invited and serve as one of this year’s three judges.
Finally, late-breaking news: I am proud to announce that PhotoMedia has once again earned Maggie Award nominations for 2004 in the categories of Best Overall Tabloid/Trade and Best Interview or Profile/Trade. Winners will be announced on April 23 in Los Angeles.
As always, please let our advertisers know that you saw their ad in PhotoMedia. Their support is largely responsible for being able to bring you our in-depth coverage for free. In the midst of the struggling economy, our advertisers need to know, more than ever, that their ad dollars are being well spent.
Enjoy the issue!
Sincerely,
Gary Halpern, Publisher
