Polaris News

Robert King's Remembering A House Divided: images of Civil War re-enactors on display at Memphis Brooks Museum

Robert King's Remembering A House Divided: images of Civil War re-enactors will be on display at the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art from September 25,2010 through January 9, 2011.

Robert will be speaking at the museum on Sunday September 26th, 2010 with a reception immediately following.

]]>

Laurent Imbaud, RIP

On Friday June 18, 2010 our dear friend and architect of Polaris technology passed away after "fighting the good fight" against
lung cancer, friends and family by his side.

I have known Laurent since 1986 when he started writing code and building a search engine for Sygma, the agency where I worked. He was one of the pioneer programmers to work with a photo agency. His approach was daring and the tools he used were unheard of at the time in the photo agency world: Unix, 4GL code and other technologies that integrated Search, Traffic, Accounting at a dazzling speed. He was a designer, an innovator and a creator that saw the big picture, yet always looked for the "nimble" solution, practical, fast and elegant.

A jazz player and aficionado (soprano sax) he named his servers Gordon, Duke, Mingus, among other Jazz greats, and rightly so as the pages of his systems unfold like a symphony. He was fond of photography and photographers. He appreciated their technical ability and saw much in common between their work and his. He was always available to guide them and show them "computer" tricks, many will miss him.

As I write these words, I also think of how much he will be missed by the staff at Polaris and myself. He was present for us at all hours, finding solutions and improving the system. Laurent was with me when I started Polaris in September 2002 and his tech support is an invaluable contribution to the agency's success and longevity during a time that saw the industry move from partially to fully digital. About five years ago during a trip to Perpignan for the Visa Photojournalism festival, Laurent met Julia Lucke and fell in love. Soon, they were married and their first boy Dexter was born, followed shortly after by Oscar.

Laurent, thanks for all the good work and all the good times. While up there and till we join you, just blow the horn and, if you feel the urge to "move electrons rather than atoms," then write a few lines of code between notes.

jpp
06/22/2010

See below the information for the June 24 memorial. If you can not attend and wish to send a message, please do so to my attention: jpp@PolarisImages.com

]]> Dear All,

Laurent Marcel Imbaud, a beloved father, son, husband, brother,
favorite troublemaker and most of all, friend is gone.

Please come to share your memories and say Good-bye this Thursday

June, 24th 2010
5:00 p.m
8-03 43rd Ave
Long Island City, NY

Please go through the main gate and follow the signs that will lead you to the DuVal loft. Be aware that there is also a wedding in the courtyard, but the "pita-and-bread" will be served upstairs.

Jonathan Alpeyrie's Women of War gallery show

In the Western world, wars are usually a men’s affair but in more remote parts of the world, many rebellions have used women in their ranks to compensate for their lack of human resources against an always more powerful and well-supplied foe: the government. Jonathan Alpeyrie has documented such movements in Africa and Asia. Jonathan's photographs will be on display April 28th at Morrison Hotel Gallery Loft at 124 Prince Street in New York City.

]]>

Craig F. Walker of The Denver Post wins 2010 Pulitzer Prize

We are pleased to announce that Craig F. Walker of The Denver Post has been awarded the 2010 Feature Photography Pulitzer Prize for "Ian Fisher American Soldier", his intimate portrait of a teenager who joins the Army at the height of insurgent violence in Iraq, poignantly searching for meaning and manhood. The story was distributed during the Fall of 2009 and widely published by major magazines and newspapers worldwide.

]]>

Stephen Shames to speak at Apple store

On Monday February 8th at 6:30pm, Polaris photographer Stephen Shames will speak at the Apple store in New York City's SOHO neighborhood, as part of APANY and Kodak's Apple Image Maker Lecture series.

]]> Stephen will be discussing his 40 years of storytelling through photography as well as the non-profit he founded called L.E.A.D Uganda,
which finds forgotten but talented and motivated children such as AIDS orphans, former child soldiers, and child laborers and gives them
the 21st century skills needed to lead Africa into the future.

Apple SOHO:
103 Prince Street
Monday February 8th.
6:30-8pm
Free, but seating is limited so come early if you can.

Gathering afterwards for all attendees at
The Cupping Room (359 West Broadway)

Matthew McDermott Haiti image featured worldwide

Matthew McDermott will be appearing as a guest on CNN's The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer and on Larry King Live on Thursday January 21st 2010. McDermott's iconic image of a young Haitian boy pulled alive from the rubble of a Port au Prince supermarket, 7 1/2 days after the devastating 7.0 earthquake, has been featured in newspapers, magazines, and on television programs worldwide.

]]>

Photographer Ziv Koren nominated for Visa d'Or International Daily Press Award

Ziv Koren has been named a finalist for the prestigious Visa d'Or International Daily Press Award at the 21st annual International Festival of Photojournalism “Visa pour l’Image – Perpignan 2009”, for his images of elite Israeli Defense Forces conducting raids in the West Bank, published in Corriere Della Sera magazine.

The work of the finalists will be exhibited at Arsenal des Carmes, and the winner will be announced during the evening projection on September 3rd.

]]>

Polaris Images at Visa Pour L'Image - Perpignan 2009

Polaris Images is pleased to announce that, for the 6th consecutive year, it will be present at the 21st annual International Festival of Photojournalism “Visa pour l’Image – Perpignan 2009”. The Polaris stand will be operational in the Palais des Congres from August 30th through September 6th. Photographers in attendance will include, Ziv Koren, Scout Tufankjian, Newsha Tavakolian, Sarah Caron, Hermann Bredehorst, Adriana Zehbrauskas, and others.

Visa pour l’Image will feature the work of Sarah Caron in the exhibit and projection, "Talibanistan". Between October 2007 and May 2009, Sarah Caron went to Pakistan five times, staying for extended periods. Her report on the Pashtun region shows the everyday life of men and women caught up in the midst of the conflict over the strategic political and economic interests of the 21st century.

Scout Tufankjian will be featured in a projection of her images from Barack Obama's Presidential campaign, as well as at a book signing, at the Couvent des Minimes, of her New York Times bestseller, "Yes We Can: Barack Obama's History-Making Presidential Campaign".

]]>

Allan Tannenbaum charity auction for VH1 Save the Music Foundation

Allan Tannenbaum will host a reception and silent auction of his photography at the Not Fade Away Gallery, to benefit the VH1 Save the Music Foundation, an organization dedicated to restoring instrumental music education programs in America's public schools.

Allan Tannenbaum's exhibition at the Not Fade Away Gallery features images from the new edition of his first book, "New York in the 70s." This new exhibit contains many images from the 70s and early 80s that have never before been printed.

The reception and auction will be held Thursday, July 9th, 2009 between 6:00 and 10:00 PM:

Not Fade Away Gallery
12 E. 20th Street, Floor 2, between 5th and Broadway
New York City

For more information, please visit Not Fade Away Gallery

]]>

Newsha Tavakolian featured on New York Times Lens blog

Newsha Tavakolian's Iran election coverage and aftermath featured on New York Times' photojournalism blog, "Lens"

]]>

Ahmadenijad supporters carry placards of Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Khamenei

Mir Hossein Moussavi and his wife Zahra Rahnavard speak to a crowd of supporters at a rally

Supporters of Mahmoud Ahmadenijad celebrate his victory at a rally

Allan Tannenbaum opens New York in the 70s exhibit

Allan Tannenbaum will open an exhibition of his photography at the Not Fade Away Gallery in conjunction with the launch of a new edition of his first book, "New York in the 70s." This new exhibit will contain many images from the 70s and early 80s that have never before been printed.

The exhibit runs from May 29 through June 25 at:

Not Fade Away Gallery
12 E. 20th Street, Floor 2, between 5th and Broadway
New York City

For more information, please visit Not Fade Away Gallery.

]]>

Natan Dvir receives fellowship

Natan Dvir has been selected for the 2009 Houston Center for Photography Fellowship for his ongoing project, “Shelter.”

This project investigates the increasing global neglect of refugees and people internally displaced by conflict and persecution, and includes images from Israel and Colombia. For more information, please visit the Houston Center for Photography.

]]>

A Sudanese girl next to the public sink in the refugees quarters in the settlement Kadesh Barnea,
close to the border with Egypt. A local family is providing basic shelter for around 50 refugees
until they'll be allowed to live and work legally.

A Sudanese girl inside refugee quarters in the settlement Kadesh Barnea, close to the border with Egypt.
A local family is providing basic shelter for around 50 refugees until they'll be allowed to live and
work legally.

Photographer Gianni Giansanti dies at 53

It is with great sadness that we announce the death of photographer Gianni Giansanti. Giansanti passed away on March 18, 2009 at the age of 53 following a long illness.

Known for his photographs of Pope John Paul II – whose papacy he covered from beginning to end – Giansanti had his work featured on a total of three Time magazine covers and covered a wide variety of stories including famine in Africa, designer Yves Saint-Laurent, the Olympic Games, Formula 1 racing, and many other in-depth subjects and portraits. His first break came when, as a young news photographer, he was the only one to photograph Red Brigade kidnap victim former Italian Prime Minister Aldo Moro, dead in the trunk of a car. The image garnered him his first Time cover and he subsequently joined the Sygma agency, where he stayed on for some 20 years. Since 2002 he has been represented by Grazia Neri and Polaris Images.

To see more of Giansanti's work, please visit Time magazine.

]]>

Photographer Giani Giansanti in 2008.

Giansanti with Pope John Paul II in 1983 (L) and 2004 (R).

Allan Tannenbaum to open exhibit in Los Angeles

An exhibition of work by Allan Tannenbaum is set to open in Los Angeles on April 2, 2009. "Bright Lights, Big City: New York City in the 70s," features a personal collection of photographs documenting an exciting chapter in New York’s history – a remarkable body of work produced by Tannenbaum while he worked as photo editor of the SoHo Weekly News.

The exhibition will coincide with the release of the first American edition, by Overlook Press, of Tannenbaum’s critically acclaimed book, "New York in the 70s," displaying a diverse collection of photographs; including a personal reminiscence by Yoko Ono, and foreword by P.J. O’Rourke. The book will be available for purchase at the exhibition, along with a limited number signed by the artist.

"Bright Lights, Big City: New York in the 70s" will launch with a private, invite only reception on April 2, from 7:00-11:00 pm. The exhibition will then be open to the public from April 3-14 at art in tune – 7775 Beverly Boulevard, Los Angeles, California. For more information, please visit art in tune.

]]>

John Lennon eating an apple during the filming of a video to promote his 1980 album, "Double Fantasy."

Jack Nicholson, Linda Ronstadt and Carl Bernstein leaving Pisces, a Georgetown disco, after
Jimmy Carter's inaugural in 1977.

James Brown jumping on Broadway in New York City, 1979.

Stephen Shames exhibit to open in New York

A new exhibition of work by Stephen Shames dubbed "Childhood & Youth"
is set to open at the Steven Kasher Gallery in New York City.

]]> Since he began working in 1967, childhood and youth have been the central
concerns of Shames' photography. Shames has published eight books largely
concerned with youth in struggle. The exhibition will feature over 75 vintage
prints made between the late 1960's and today.

Exhibition
January 22 through February 21, 2009

Reception
January 22, 2009, 6-8 p.m.

For more information, please visit the Steven Kasher Gallery online.

A teenage boy smoking a cigarette on Chicago's south side - 1972.

A teenage boy looks over at Elbert "Big Man" Howard, one of the original Black Panthers and an
organizer of the New Haven rally for Bobby Seale, on the Yale campus - 1970.

A 16-year-old child prostitute in New York City sniffs glue out of a paper bag as his friend undresses him – 1979.