📸 Photographer Ross McDonnell is Missing, Gregory Crewdson Print Sale, What is an Inclusive Modeling Agency?

MISSING

Have you seen Ross McDonnell?

Photographer and filmmaker Ross McDonnell has been missing since November 4, 2023. His last known whereabouts were at Fort Tilden Beach in Queens.

I knew Ross in the early 2000s when we were both young photographers living in Williamsburg. He’s gone on to become a highly accomplished and talented Emmy award-winning photographer and filmmaker. This is his latest film project about a widowed Afghan woman fighting for her rights under Sharia law in collaboration with Victor J. Blue and The New Yorker.

Anyone with information is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477).

PRINT SALE

Gregory Crewdson celebrates 25th anniversary of Twilight Series With Print Sale

The Twilight series marks a cornerstone of Gregory Crewdson’s oeuvre. Created between 1998 and 2002, embarking on these pictures 25 years ago was the genesis of his now ubiquitous working process.

Three time-limited special edition prints - Untitled (Circle on Window), Untitled (Ray of Light) and Untitled (Man in Car with Shed) will be available to all on avantarte.com for 24 hours only from 15:00 GMT/ 10:00 ET on 16 November 2023 for €400.00/ approx. $420 each with Avant Arte’s mission in mind; to enable art lovers and photography collectors the chance to acquire his work. Each work will be hand-signed by the artist. 

We asked Crewdson to tell us a story behind one of the images:

“Untitled [Man in Car with Shed] is a picture that led to so many pictures that came after it. It was the first street scene I ever really made. I didn't know it at the time, but I was developing an iconography and visual language with that picture, and it influenced so many that came after it. But the thing about it was that it was so improvised. I had a sort of rag-tag team back then. We were working on a shoe-string budget. It wasn't like the highly orchestrated productions that we do now. Back then, we tied into the town's electricity and had lights up in cherry-pickers from a landscape company. I was really just excited about figuring out how I could use light in an elemental way to create atmosphere and drama and to tell a story. There was a little shed, and I knew I wanted that to be a central element. It was the first time I used a prop car, which has become a basic staple in the pictures ever since. I put a man in the car, looking at his hands. Whatever story was being told was very open-ended. It's a very important picture to me.” —Gregory Crewdson

ON FEATURE SHOOT

What Is An Inclusive Modeling Agency?

“Revolt was one of the very first ‘new generation’ agencies,” Sophia Maslin, the founder and CEO of Revolt Model Agency tells us. She and her sister Miriam created the inclusive modeling agency in 2017 to champion eclectic, unique individuals. Unlike “mainstream” modeling agencies, they champion personality, diversity, and individual self-expression. 

We asked her to tell us more about the modeling industry and the role photographers can play in building a more inclusive future. 

You started Revolt as an inclusive modeling agency in 2017. How has the industry evolved since then, and what still needs to be done?

“It has become more inclusive and progressive in terms of model casting, but there is still a long way to go. Unfortunately, the industry can be very cyclical, and there is also an issue of tokenization: some brands want a token ‘curve’ model or one model with a skin condition, and whilst this may seem inclusive on the surface, the token aspect means it lacks real authenticity.”

What role do you see photographers playing in this shifting industry?  

“I think I’d say to be open to using models that you may not normally use, and just be as creative and authentic as possible.”

You’re scouting new models now. What are you looking for? 

“Models who have depth to them—who are looking to do more with their life than just model. Everyone on our books has a talent or interest outside of modeling, and I think that’s a core value of ours: we look for real people and not just ‘mannequins.’”

As the CEO of an inclusive modeling agency, are you seeing any trends these days in terms of what big brands and publishers are looking for? 

“They are looking more for those who have talents or do things outside of modeling, which fits with Revolt well, as everyone on our board has this.”

How do you see the industry changing in the next five years?

“I think we are going to see an increase in demand for curve males. So far, the curve initiative has been aimed more toward female-identifying, but I feel this will be an area that will start to shine through for models. I also think (and hope) that generally the industry will become so inclusive to the point that we will not need to call it ‘inclusivity’ anymore. It will just be the norm.”

Read the entire interview on Feature Shoot.

OPENING SOON

“National Character”

National Character is a exhibition of John Sanderson’s large format color photographs taken with an 8×10″ film camera. Portraying the varied American landscape, the images take us from the steel mills of the industrial Midwest, down through the rural South and to the high plains of Wyoming. This geographically broad rendering attempts to uncover the meaning and disclose the relationships of every American environment we traverse: the urban, the rural, the industrial, the suburban, and the natural. With a background in political science, Sanderson layers each photograph and places his practice firmly within a cultural geography framework. It is here where each image questions the many contradictions inherent to The American Identity.

Working almost exclusively with large-format film cameras allows Sanderson to print with fine detail and subtle nuances of color and tone unique to that film process. The exhibition will include a selection of ten framed photographs ranging in size from 40×50″ to 8×10″ inches.

National Character is on view from Nov 17 —Dec 13, 2023, at Chashama 266 W 37th St., New York, NY 10018.

Opening Reception: Nov 18, 2023, 5:00 pm-8:00 pm

PREMIUM NEWSLETTER SALE

Get 33% off a premium newsletter subscription and access exclusive perks designed to boost your knowledge, skills, and exposure.

🗝️ Unlock members-only guides and articles with industry leaders.

🚀 Submit your work for free to Feature Shoot's newsletter and Featureshoot.com (usually $25).

🗣️ Book a free 30-minute portfolio review with Feature Shoot Founder Alison Zavos, + 20% off portfolio reviews (yearly subs).

🖼️ Have your gallery show, latest assignment, workshop, or lecture considered for the "Community News" section of our newsletter.

This newsletter runs on Beehiiv.