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Born in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, Joshua Holko is a full-time Professional Nature Photographer who specializes in polar photography. Joshua is a fully accredited AIPP Master of Photography and member of the Australian Institute of Professional Photographers (AIPP). He has won countless awards for his photography including being names the 2015 Global Arctic Photographer or the Year.
Joshua is officially represented by Philip Kulpa and the Source Photographica Gallery in Australia and Aspen, Colorado. To see more of Joshua Holko’s work visit his website: www.jholko.com.

I am extremely excited and proud to be releasing my new short film – Ghosts of the Arctic. The product of more than two years of planning Ghosts of the Arctic was filmed exclusively in the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard in the depths of Winter. It is my hope that the film will impart some of the haunting beauty of this incredibly precious and endangered polar wilderness; as well as give you some insight into my life as a Polar photographer. I hope you will take six minutes out of your day, set your display to full screen, turn off the lights, crank up the volume, and allow Ghosts of the Arctic to transport you away to one of the world’s most spectacular polar regions; in it’s rarely seen winter veil. Please enjoy.

 

My most sincere thanks to both Abraham Joffe and Dom West from Untitled Film Works who worked tirelessly for a week straight putting in eighteen hour days in freezing temperatures to shoot and produce this film. My thanks and gratitude also to my friend Frede Lamo who likewise worked tirelessly with good humour and whose assistance with expedition logistics simply made the impossible, possible. Without the dedication of this team, this film would simply not have been possible.

It would be remiss of me not to also provide a little insight into what it was like to make this short film. During the Winter shoot we experienced temperatures that were never warmer than -20ºC and frequently plummeted down as low as -30ºC + wind chill factor. We were exposed to the cold and elements for up to sixteen straight hours a day. Many days we drove over two hundred kilometers on our snow mobiles in very difficult terrain and conditions as we searched for wildlife. The bumpy terrain left us battered, bruised and sore. We experienced three cases of first and  second degree frostbite during the filming as well as a lot of failed equipment and equipment difficulties as a result of the extreme cold. We had batteries that would loose their charge in mere minutes, drones that wouldn’t power up and fly, cameras the wouldn’t turn on, steady-cams that would not remain steady, HDMI cables that became brittle and snapped in the cold, frozen audio equipment, broken LCD mounts, broken down snow mobiles and more. We existed on a diet of freeze dried cod and pasta washed down with tepid coffee and the occasional frozen mars bar.

It is hard to put the experience into words, but just the simple act of removing ones gloves to change a memory card in these sort of temperatures when you are exposed and exhausted comes with serious risk of frostbite. In my own case, I removed my face covering for one three minute take and suffered frostbite (from which I have not fully recovered) across the right hand side of my face. And whilst not all of this will come across in the film, I think I can safely say it was without any shadow of doubt the toughest film shoot any of us have done.

For the technically inclined: Ghosts of the Arctic was shot in the 2.35:1 cinema ratio in true 4K High Definition with Canon, RED, Sony and DJI 4K High Definition camera systems.

Absolutely no wildlife was interfered with in any shape or form during the filming and everything you see is totally natural behavior.

Joshua Holko 1 Joshua Holko 2 Joshua Holko 3

 

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Jon Alderman is a commercial photographer based in Vermont, U.S.A. He has dedicated a grand part of his career to capturing military-related photography. Additionally, he devotes his time to photographing architecture, people, food, and landscapes. To see more of his liveBooks8 website, visit: www.jonalderman.com.

GREENLAND

I first picked up a camera (Canon AE-1) as a military “brat” living overseas in Italy. At the time, I did not think it was something I’d end up doing as a career. I just knew I had a passion for making photographs. I enjoyed the allure as well as the challenge of working with film – right down to the mystery of what will come off the film I was capturing…that even includes whether it came out or not. It did not dawn on me until I moved back stateside that this “hobby” that I loved so much more than the various jobs I had at the time – could actually turn into a lively hood. So I pursued an education in the arts to dive much deeper into this world of photography and “develop” my passion into a marketable trade. Coming from a military family, I always had a fascinating and respect for the individuals who serve this country; their sacrifices, dedication and service. I guess this aspect of my personal life has flooded into the commercial side of my business as a majority of my work is related to military advertising. I feel very fortunate to capture and work alongside amazing military members while showcasing their very unique occupations and capabilities for my viewers.

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Q: How would you describe the aesthetic of your website in three words?

JA: Clean, elegant and simple – the good kind of simple.

GREENLAND

Q: How often do you typically update your website?

JA: You know…it varies, depending on my workload and new imagery. No major updates – as in layout overhaul, just refining image selection/sequence. Why change a great layout design?

Q: How do you choose the photos that you display on your homepage?

JA: Honestly, they choose themselves. The wow factor plays a big role in this selection. As the photographer, I am sometimes “too close to the fire” so I have some peer input to help me when I am struggling to decide.

GREENLAND

Q: What is your favorite new feature of liveBooks8?

JA: I’d have to say my favorite new feature, and it may not be a feature but more of a bonus, would be the new design templates. Well thought out and plenty of options to personalize how you’d like to present your work. That paired with a great, easy to understand back-end user interface, wins it for me!

The caption block should contain a caption and tag line written in accordance with this guide.

Q: What’s one piece of advice you’d offer to someone designing their website?

JA: Sit back and think about how you’d like to view your work and how you’d like your clients to. liveBooks offers plenty of options to hit the ground running. It may feel overwhelming at first but just take your time learning the back-end and familiarize yourself with all the features and tools you now have access to.

GREENLAND

GREENLAND

Have a website you’d like us to feature? Email us at social@livebooks.com.

Posted in Photography

Space Music

Relax and unwind with this month’s Space – inspired Spotify playlist. Whether your head’s in the clouds, you’re snapping photographs of your favorite planets, or just want great music to listen to while you gaze at falling stars, we hope there’s something in our July playlist for you.

Have a song stuck on replay? Share it with us now!

Posted in Photography
July 10th, 2017

Imaginarium by Claire Rosen

Posted by liveBooks

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Claire Rosen 1Claire Rosen was name to the Forbes “30 Brightest under 30” list for Art & Design in 2012 & 2013. Her work has also received recognition from Aesthetica Art Prize, Communication Arts Photography Annual, IPA, Graphis Photo Annual, PDN Photo Annual, People’s Choice Photoville Fence, Prix de la Photographie. Her work has been featured in Complex Art + Design, Creative Quarterly Journal, Der Greif, Direct Art, Fast Company, Feature Shoot, The Guardian, Hi Fructose Magazine, Juxtapoz, NPR Weekend Edition, PDN’s Emerging Photographer, Refinery29, Slate Magazine, and The WPO.

Claire has been exhibited from New York to Seoul including juried group shows at the Annenberg Space for Photography, Aperture Gallery, Center for Maine Contemporary Art (CMCA), Concensus , MOPLA, PhotoPlace Gallery, with five consecutive years on the Photoville Fence.

The vivid storytelling throughout Claire’s work has enabled her to construct unique creative campaigns and installations for a wide range of commercial brands. From fashion labels to luxury hotels, book publishers to restaurants, Claire’s portfolio of commissioned images bridges the gap between fine art and commercial work. To see more of her work, visit her liveBooks website: www.claire-rosen.com


The Red Eared Slider Turtle Feast, The Fantastical Feasts, 2014 © Claire Rosen

Claire Rosen is an award-wining artist whose elaborate tableaux constructions often feature anthropomorphic animals or solitary heroines, evoking the aesthetics of classical painting, frequently referencing the Victorian Era, with its fascination of the natural world and ideals of beauty.

Up & Away, 2011 for Alex Randall Bespoke Lighting © Claire Rosen

Her book, IMAGINARIUM: The Process Behind the Pictures, published by Rocky Nook in March, explores the artistic practice of photography in a biographical guide for others through advice, anecdotes, images, exercises, and interviews teaching artists how to access their inner world.

“The question ‘how do you come with the ideas for your pictures?’ launched a personal investigation into my own process of how images happen. Upon reflection, I realized that my process is as much (or more) about what I do when I am not photographing then when I am on set. The ideas were all driven by self-reflection and active exploration in the world. My growth as a person resulted in more interesting pictures. I thought that if others could curate their lives more consciously and investigate their own process, interests and personal backgrounds that it could unlock this way of creating what is authentic and unique to them”

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Jeremy Fisher, The Traveling Mouse in the Countryside, 2015 © Claire Rosen (right) The Frog Prince, Fairy Tales & Other Stories 2014 © Claire Rosen

The book begins with an investigation of the purpose of art and what makes strong imagery, providing a framework with which to explore one’s own development as an artist: personal vision, artistic roots, psyche, areas of interest and goals. A compendium of practical advice and information — taking a holistic look at art making from idea cultivation through execution. The guidance in this book is written with an understanding of the nature of artists at their core and explores the science of how ideas are born, the conditions that facilitate the productive creation of art, and the elements necessary to make creative work. It includes information on dream recording, meditation, health and lifestyle, topics not traditionally found in books on photography.

The compendium is applicable across genres, for individual artists and for those working in a commercial capacity. It brings together strategies and tools to help readers generate compelling ideas and create unique images. From the simplest ideas to the mode fantastical, practical tools are provided for time management, brainstorming, mindmapping, concept development, pre-visualization, mood board, pre-production, problem solving, and execution steps in the creative process, including practical tools and ideas for overcoming obstacles and achieving success along the way. Finally, the book ends with editing, post-production, critique and presentation considerations.

There are essays by Brand Strategist, Beth Taubner Mercurylab, Senior Photo Editor, Alessia Glaviano Vogue Italia, and retouching master, Rebecca Manson The Post Office.

And interviews with very talented artists; Maggie Staber, Roger Ballen, Sara Lando, Gabriela Iancu, Robin Schwartz, and Eleonor Macnair.

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Color Study in Green, Nostalgia, 2013 © Claire Rosen (right) The Quest, Fairy Tales & Other Stories, 2010 © Claire Rosen

“My hopes for the book are that it sparks some investigation into one’s inner thoughts and the world beyond. Empowering readers to generate concepts that allow them to express themselves artistically and uninhibitedly creating deeper imagery.

I hope it provides an understand of the psychological aspects of making work and generates conditions that allow readers to be more productive and motivated to play, experiment, and create work regularly and with confidence. Finally, I hope that this artistic transformation is as powerful to their lives overall as it is to the art-making process as creative thinking and imagination combine to form a fundamental skill set that is useful in all aspects of life.”

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The Dreamers, 2010 for Alex Randall Bespoke Lighting © Claire Rosen (right) ARTHOPODIA NO. 2253 2016 © Claire Rosen

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50.0755° N, 14.4378° E The Traveling Mouse outside of Strahov Monastery in Prague, Czech Republic, 2015 © Claire Rosen

Claire Rosen 2 Where to buy

Rocky Nook

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Indie Book Stores

Posted in Photography

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