Dan Winters’ American Icons, a Philanthropic Senior Portrait Studio and "The Decisive Moment" Makes a Comeback

Photo © Dan Winters

Dan Winters’ American Icons
After receiving a warm welcome to the photo book world in 2012, America: Icons and Ingenuity (University of Texas Press) by prolific celebrity photographer Dan Winters is back with a second edition. Not only does the book showcase Winters’ iconic portraits (of the likes of Gwyneth Paltrow, Leonardo DiCaprio, Helen Mirren, the Dalai Lama and Jeff Koons), it also caters to the photographer’s personal interest in science and technology, including a series dedicated to the final three NASA space shuttle launches as well as a fascinating up-close study on honeybees and airplanes.

Price: $55

“Sunday on the banks of the Marne, 1938.” Photo © The Decisive Moment by Henri Cartier-Bresson/Published by Steidl

The Decisive Moment’s Second Coming
More than ten years after his passing, the renowned street and social documentary photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson—who so famously coined the term “the decisive moment,” or the second when all of the compositional elements of a scene come into harmony—continues to charm, fascinate and inspire photographers worldwide. The Decisive Moment (Steidl), Cartier-Bresson’s book that was first published in 1952 by Simon and Schuster, is reentering the market. This latest edition, which will also be covered in Matisse cutouts like the original, highlights the photographer’s revered early work, and it will come with a booklet of an essay on the history of The Decisive Moment by Clément Chéroux, the Centre Pompidou curator.

Price: $125

Photo © Lauren Fleishman

Lifelong Love, Documented
Inspired by a found letter her grandfather wrote to her grandmother long ago, acclaimed photographer Lauren Fleishman set out to capture loving portraits of other long-time couples (those going strong for more than 50 years) around the U.S. and Europe. Her project has manifested into a collection called The Lovers (Schilt Publishing), released at the beginning of this month. Accompanied by touching interviews from the couples, the book’s portraits should not only serve as an inspiring example of how to capture true love and emotion, but also remind wedding photographers of the importance of capturing each couple’s ceremonial day.

Price: $50

Photo © Bella West

Lighting Children Naturally
Family photographers looking to incorporate a less studio-centered, more natural approach to their photography may want to take cues from U.K.-based wedding and portrait photographer Bella West. Out with a new book called Photographing Children in Natural Light (Independent Publishers Group), readers can expect tips on controlling light and exposure, emphasizing visual emotion and creative exploration, among her other lessons, which are all accompanied by West’s 222 color photos within the book’s 128 pages. West earned a fellowship with the British Institute of Professional Photography for her collection.

Price: $29.95

Mylio: Instant Photo Management
Mylio, which aptly stands for “My Life is Organized,” combines the organizing power of Lightroom with Dropbox’s instant accessibility to make an all-in-one photo management and editing system. The Mac- and PC-compatible program organizes JPGs and RAW photos uploaded from cameras, memory cards, Facebook and more into folders that can be broken into albums and viewed as a calendar, by location as well as by facial- and GEO-tagging. Photos can be named automatically using custom presets, accessed via any device, and edited on the go, though the number of photos and devices varies by plan (check the website for details).

Prices: Free (trial plan); $50 yearly (basic plan); $100 yearly (standard plan); $250 yearly (advanced plan)

Godox Monolights Coming to the U.S.
A partnership between Blink Photographic Equipment and Godox Photo Equipment Co. is bringing the Godox monolights to the U.S., including the recently released flagship Godox QT600 monolight. The 600Ws light can freeze motion up to 1/5000th of a second, has fast recycle times of 1.2 seconds at full power, and its power control ranges through eight stops, from full to 1/128th of power. It weighs 6.6 pounds, with a solid alloy body and swivel. The Blink-Godox partnership will also make available the Godox S series and the entry-level DS200 200Ws monolight.

Price: $439

Lara Noren is one of the seniors to have received a shoot by Treuenfels and Bouchey so far. Photo © MC Photography

Senior Shoots for All
A senior portrait photo shoot is basically considered a rite of passage among teens, but not every student or family can afford to pay for the in-demand high-end shoots. New Brighton, Minnesota-based Maricris Treuenfels of MC Photography and her business partner Jenn Bouchey came together to create a scholarship to deliver high-end portrait shoots to seniors in the area and surrounding communities who wouldn’t otherwise be able to afford them. The scholarship recipients get a package worth $1,150, which includes hair and makeup, six 5 x 7 fine-art prints in 8 x 10 mattes, six high-res digital shots for yearbooks as well as low-res images for social media and online use. To qualify, students must meet a certain academic and school attendance criteria, provide proof of financial disadvantage and submit two faculty endorsements as well as an essay detailing what makes them a good role model.

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