Selected for Best Of ASMP 2010

Recently there was a Nationwide call to enter Best Of ASMP 2010. ASMP is American Society of Media Photographers, an organization that I have been active with for a few years now. I entered this contest this year and got selected! The judges just selected 20 projects as Best of ASMP 2010. The finalists represent a wide span of subject matter, including both personal and commissioned imagery. Fifteen different ASMP chapters and most membership categories were represented in this selection. The Best of ASMP issue of the Bulletin is scheduled for early September and will include much more about the winners.

Congratulations in particular to my friends Shawn Henry and Jamey Stillings, Jamey and I recently met at Review Santa Fe as well!

Randall Scott Gallery, Kris Graves Projects

This past weekend I had two openings in a row. First one was a big opening at the fair, Art Hampton's with Randall Scott Gallery, The second one was at Kris Graves Projects titled Sultry II. My good friends Greg Miller and Gabriela Herman were both in this show with me! A couple pieces of news, Greg Miller recently started a blog titled "Dark Cloth Diaries" - hooray for him! So be an early bird and subscribe to it! Also Gabriela Herman, my favorite photo pow wow lady in nyc got accepted to the Eddie Adams Workshop, hooray for her too! You can feel free to take a look at her fabulous blog here!

In addition to the above I must say, one of the most exhaustive interviews I've spent time on has been for Stellazine. Stella Kramer is not only an all around quality person but also one of the most informed people in the photo industry. So if you're smart, please meander around her blog, great insights on there!

[caption id="attachment_2694" align="alignleft" width="450" caption="Art Hampton's 2010"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2696" align="alignleft" width="450" caption="At Art Hampton's with Randall Scott"][/caption]

© Gabriela Herman

[caption id="attachment_2700" align="alignleft" width="450" caption="© Gabriela Herman"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2702" align="alignleft" width="450" caption="© Gabriela Herman"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2704" align="alignleft" width="450" caption="Standing with Gab H & Kris Graves. Kara Brodgesell (Holding Cam) © Tony Gale"][/caption]

Jelly Bean Dreams

This goes out to Jelly Bean! Mr. David Bram's adorable daughter also called Jelly Bean. Mr. and Mrs. Bram was a gracious hosts and their daughter adorably referred to as Jelly bean was as cute as a buttoned up shirt. Here are a couple of moments with Jelly Bean in Mr. Bram's backyard that gorgeously looks on to the Sandias in Albuquerque. Also Fraction Magazine Issue 16 from David Bram is out and shows off my friend David Laventi, a shout out to you brother!

New Mexican Memories

I went on an incredible hike while in New Mexico and here I'm sharing some of my images with you all. The walk through the woods was some of the prettiest I've experienced.





Finally here is one my finale drives back out of the mountains ... Oh Sandias I will miss you until i see you again! Post hiking I stopped off at 10,000 waves, a spa with very healing natural spring waters.

Review Santa Fe, 2010

© Manjari Sharma, 2010

Center’s Review Santa Fe is a premier juried portfolio review event in the U.S. It is a weekend conference designed for photographers who have created a project or series and are seeking feedback, critical discourse and networking opportunities with professionals looking for new work. Up to 100 photographers are selected to meet with esteemed curators, editors, publishers, gallerists. Photographers receive 9 twenty-minute portfolio reviews, a night of Portfolio Viewing open to the public and inclusion in the online Photographers Listing.

I was humbled to be juried in with a group of fantastic shooters. Names that I've read that have reappeared on all the same haunts all of us photo junkies admire and respect. Andy Adams of Flak Photo and Aline Smithson of Lenscratch both of who have so kindly featured my work are currently spotlighting a selection of their favorite photographers from the mix. Many of who I greatly respect (and have perhaps even come to love!)

So let me begin with thanking to Sam Portera. Sam is a fantastic friend, great shooter and also sits on the board of PhotoNola, Many of pictures below are Sam's, fantastic coverage of the event! Between him and I, this post is complete! David Bram of Fraction magazine also made this experience unforgettable. A thousand thank yous!

So I'll always remember walking away from the Hilton which was a concrete block that held all of us artists in one place. It was my first understanding of the gorgeous landscape that surrounded us. Santa Fe was everything people said it would be, magical.



© Manjari Sharma, 2010

The kick of for this event was held at Zane Bennet Contemporary Art Gallery This welcome event was a perfect relaxer for everyone. Everyone got to know each other and it was great way to honor some of winners for another competition that the centre holds called the Project Awards. My home girl Justine Reyes, Dana Popa, Jonathan Blaustein and Sam Comen are some of the immediate names that come to mind. Brilliant to see their work on the walls. Here are a few images form the welcome event.

© Sam Portera, 2010

© Sam Portera, 2010

In the picture above from the left is myself, Ellen Rennard, Melanie Mcwhorter and Isa Leshko. All terrific ladies with passionate work to boot.

We walked over to a restaurant as group of 25 and pretty much took over the place. The restaurant was right next to the New mexico Rail runner train station. I love trains and above ground train stations, the location was perfect.

© Manjari Sharma, 2010

This is one of the last images of me shot at night. So the story goes, if there is a record of a picture of me making a moustache with my hair, the night must have been super swell :). The image below my manly mustache is one of the last batches of color in the sky for the night.

© Sam Portera, 2010
© Manjari Sharma, 2010

The next day everyone pretty much hit the ground running. The portfolio reviews happened in this grandioso room where you entered in with your portfolio and spent an intense 20 minutes with selected reviewers. The week prior to the event everyone had to send in their selections. This is what Review Santa fe is known for, an incredible list of reviewers.

© Sam Portera, 2010

Same day in the evening the room transformed into a space for an open public viewing which consisted of you displaying your wares and getting hit up by locals and pleasant surprises! Reviewers who you were hoping would swing by to look at your work, especially if you did not score them in your preferred list. The room was buzzing with energy, people walking around trying to inhale as much work as they can in the two hour time slot! Here are a few glimpses of the room and my table.

© Sam Portera, 2010

© Dana Sabastian

I can't believe that there was a time I was thinking about not going?! What I have no pictures of is "The Chapel" a room dedicated for photographers. It was where all of us went to have our own show and tell session, feeding off of each other's energies. I cannot think of a better way to get to learn about the community, myself and my work. Review Santa Fe is sure to burn a hole in my memory forever. Michael Sabastian's wife Dana took the above image and Michael was probably one of the kindest men floating around in the conference. Talented, sweet and above all a friend in need :)
The last day wrapped up with a goodbye reception that was held at the museum! Here is final image. So the running joke for me was that I felt like all the homes with this particular style of architectural qualities resembled sopapillas! What say? ;)



In the days to come I will be spot lighting a few of my favorite poeple's works; Carl Wooley, & Sarah Szwajkos both have a special place in my heart, so stay tuned for more Review Santa Fe recall!

Grohe, Behind the Scenes

The images below are behind the scene moments from an advertising shoot I was recently commisioned for. The client was Grohe. In the image below I am on location at Laxya Production's office in Delhi. The pre production days were intense since the client chimed in with wanting to shoot immediately and we had to get into gear over night.





Pictured above is us selecting bathroom and floor tiling for re creating what would look like a sleek bathroom. Grohe, manufactures high end shower heads and faucets, the client was particularly interested in me re creating the aesthetics from The Shower Series, a body of work that has recently picked up some press and attention for me.

The bathroom for this Grohe shoot came together nicely, images below are people who constructed it from wood and then tiled over it and then of course a water supply had to be rigged! The most challenging part of the shoot was getting the water flow to be perfect! Below are a few images of various different crew members in action, the Grohe technicians, trustee assistant Erika Hokanson, The people who delivered tea constantly, the stand ins, the digital tech's and the HMI light technicians. All wonderful, enthusiastic crew members.






Pictured above is the man of the match Syed Usman, Art Director for this shoot. I pinched myself a couple times when he came over to me and said follow your heart and do what you do best, its about the product but it's really about you and how you make it look.



Prabhat, pictured above, was my number 1 lighting guy; The man with HMI's! Prabhat worked two shifts straight getting everything rigged and in place as per our lighting plan. Not to mention he had a charming smile and also wore the most bad ass shirt a lighting guy could wear. It was very easy to find Prabhat you see, a fluorescent Green shirt has a way of standing out. I'm sure he is slammed with work where ever he is. If you have a shoot in Delhi, he's your man.



To see some of the selected images from the series click here. Finally at the end of this chaotic week, i flew back to Mumbai worked on the post and flew back with some large prints to the client and pictured below is Kapila Sethi, head of this project in India. The result is already on bill boards in a few cities in India. Below is an example of the layout. Doesn't a smiling client say it all? Here's to collaboration.



A special thanks to Shruti Singh for taking such incredible behind the scenes images on my set. Shruti is an emerging photographer based in Delhi but originally from Jaipur and was a delight to get to hang with in India. I look forward to featuring some of her work in the near future.