Look at all those photographers in black tie. Not a bad looking crowd once we get them all dressed up and hand out some beer awards.

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Starting to fill up.

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Hello everyone I’m here in Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center attending the Lucies with many of the photo industry elite. They call it the “oscars” of the photography industry and I can certainly say from where I’m sitting it appears to be just that. Big statues on either side of the podium, a screen in back for multimedia presentation of the photographers work, live band onstage and a packed house add to the important feeling atmosphere here.

7pm- Everone is filing into the auditorium.


7:12- Ok here we go. Anthony Bannon starts this thing off. We are here to honor the best photographers in the world.

7:15- Hussain the founder is speaking now. The goal is to raise the profile of photography.
Seems like he’s worked very hard to get this thing going. Much respect in the room for him.

7:18- Mario (wedding planner) from sex and the city is the MC.
who is lucy? tv comedy awards? based on lux for light. he is told.
making fun of the statue. hands over the head. is that a security pose?
he’s singing now. crowd is cheering. not bad not bad.

Where would anyone be without photography he asks? Good Point.

7:23- Mike from Pilsner Urquell. Talking about the beer and the synergy between great beer and great photography. I can’t think of a better title sponsor. Beer and photography always goes together.
Kouldelka’s homeland beer he mentions. Nice.
Deeper perspective award created by Pilsner Urquell. New category that they’re excited about. Showing Nominees now.

DEEPER PERSPECTIVE PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR AWARD
Presented by Pilsner Urquell

Professional and Non-professional Nominees:

Malcolm Craig Gilbert
Henrieta Haniskova
Claire Martin
Justin Maxon
Brent Stirton
Jimmy Williams

Photos presented for each nominee with the photographer explaining the project with voice over. Very effective. More projects should be presented this way. Good to hear the photographers voice on each of these projects.

7:32- And the winner is Justin Maxon
He’s headed up to collect the first award of the evening. Man he must be nervous in front of all these photographers.
Speech: Thanks to the photographers in this room and hey… Ryan at Portfolio thanked. Thanks the subjects of the photographs.

7:34 -Next up Achievement in Fine Art Richard Misrach Presented by Elizabeth Siegel

Elizabeth talks about Richard’s work. Beautiful images of disturbing subjects. Faith in the power of aesthetics to effect change. They worked together on the beach photographs. Looking at his work now.

long video presentation of his work on the big screen. fantastic. looks amazing projected.

7:40 Richard. big cheers. Reading a speech. tried to get his dad to buy moonrise over hernandez for $250. his dad wasn’t buying the value in a print.
there are more photographs in the world then words.
no longer shoots film! accused of going to the dark side.
new advances opened up photography for him in ways he cannot explain.

7:43 PHOTOGRAPHY MAGAZINE OF THE YEAR
Presented by Markus Klinko + Indrani, Photographers

American Photo
Blind Spot
EyeMazing
Foam
Focus
Nueva Luz Photographic Journal
Photography District News

7:45 And the winner is EyeMazing (netherlands)

thanks all the photographers. and done. perfect. who else you gonna thank people.

7:47 Achievement in Fashion Patrick Demarchelier (can you pronounce it? if you want to drop his name you better practice)

Video presentation. Rocking music. Patrick: You feel the moment of the picture and a great camera.

Thank you from Patrick but that is all.

7:52 – BOOK PUBLISHER OF THE YEAR
Presented by Amy Arbus, Photographer

21st Editions | Jamie Baldridge – The Everywhere Chronicles
Aperture | – Richard Misrach – On The Beach
Chronicle Books | Manuel Alvarez Bravo – Photopoetry
Nazraeli Press | Jeff Chien-Hsing Liao – Habitat 7
Powerhouse Books | Helen Levitt – Helen Levitt
Steidl & The Robert Frank Project | Robert Frank – The Americans

Speech by Amy. never met a photographer who didn’t want to get a book published.

7:55- And the winner is 21st Editions | Jamie Baldridge – The Everywhere Chronicles

Speech by 21st Editions. Thanks all the people he works with and a big hug for the photographer next to him. Jamie works for the art not the man. Grateful for the opportunity. A hard thing to master but an opportunity to understand the wold in ways that many people can’t.

7: 57 – Spotlight Award Visa Pour L’Image Festival Presented by Kathy Ryan + Scott Thode

Scott talking about meeting Jean and the beginning of Perpignan Now Kathy on the legacy of the festival. Scott calls it PJ’s mecca. A time to see and remember the greats, drink and dance on the bar.
What happens in Perpignan says in Perpignan says Scott and Kathy in unison.
Visa is about the stories in danger of not being seen and told.
Kathy- Despite pressure to lighten up the fare he never wavered.

8:05 – huge crew from Visa picks up the award. Nice!
Jean-François Leroy: we don’t want to become jurrasic park. where you come see photojournalism. tells everyone to publish photojournalism right now.

8:07 – Achievement in Photojournalism Susan Meiselas Presented by Sylvia Wolf

Mccarther fellow, capa gold, magnum… holy shit.
ok now the video. stunning work. really a huge fan of Susan. Again the big screen is sweet.

8:13 – susan giving a great speech. all the people who supported her in the beginning. time magazine gave her some film and a ticket to fly. people believed in her before she believed in herself.
indebted to her sister. family and extended family are the core. someone waiting here for you to come back. fighting tears.

8:16 -PICTURE EDITOR OF THE YEAR Presented by Platon

Simon Barnett | Director of Photography | Newsweek
Steve Fine | Director of Photography | Sports Illustrated
Alice Gabriner | Chief Picture Editor | Time Magazine
Michele McNally | Director of Photography | New York Times
Chiara Mariani | Photo Editor | Corriere della Serra Magazine

platon: everyone stand up. give ourselves a thunderous and defiant applause in the face of tough economic times

pe’s the glue that hold our industry together. YEAH man. no wonder everyone loves you. giving a great speech. pe’s taught him a lot.

8:18 and the winner is Michele McNally | Director of Photography | New York Times
big cheers. oh yeah we’re in NY…
shes totally unprepared looking at the competition did not expect to be up there
the staff is important. merely a facilitator for the work that they do.
thanks her bosses for allowing them to do what they do.

8:20 Honoring those who have passed… man this is the oscars.

8:23 Achievement in Sports John Iacono Presented by Bert Sugar

kick ass montage with pumping music and tons of SI covers.. sports action moments.

thanks the family and SI. pesky photographer who told the athletes “kiss the trophy”

8:28 FASHION LAYOUT OF THE YEAR
Presented by David Schonauer, American Photo

Harper’s Bazaar – Fairy Tales by Jean-Paul Goude
Harper’s Bazaar – On Your Marc, Get Set, Wait by Peter Lindbergh
V Magazine – Giselle in the Flesh by Mario Testino
Vogue US – Wanderlust by Mario Testino
W – Emotion by Craig McDean
W – Social Studies Featuring Tilda Swinton by Juergen Teller

8:31 and the winner is Harper’s Bazaar – Fairy Tales by Jean-Paul Goude
someone from harpers picing up the award (the didn’t say who). thanks dd
invest in photography. it’s safer than the bank

8:32 – INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR AWARD
Presented by AtEdge Glen Serbin and Susan Baraz

Professional Photographer Nominees:

David Burdeny – Nature Category
Oleg Dou – Fine Art Category
Livia Corona – Architecture Category
Mark Holthusen – Advertising Category
Nadav Kander – People Category
Paolo Pellegrin – Book Category
Brent Stirton – Editorial Category
Nick Veasy – Special Category

22 thousand entries from all over the globe including far away alaska (first political joke of the night… this is the oscars people). showing the video. mark holthusen get’s some good applause. must be in the crowd somewhere.
ok, talk about diverse styles here. how do you pick a winner.

8:37 and the winner is Brent Stirton – Editorial Category
he’s shocked. nice speech thanking getty and newsweek.

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Achievement in Documentary Josef Koudelka Presented by Elliott Erwitt

Erwitt: koudelka is a bohemian from bohemia. Magnum has 50 prima donnas. his devotion to craft is humbling to the rest of us. photography does not get any better than that of Koudelka.
video of his work now. stuning.

8:45- koudelka is not here. out shooting I’m sure.

8:46 – PHOTOGRAPHY CURATOR/EXHIBITION OF THE YEAR
Presented by Benoit LaGarde, Collector & CEO Splashlight Studios

Melissa Harris for Josef Koudelka – Invasion 68 : Prague | Aperture Gallery, NYC
PHOTOGRAPHY CURATOR/EXHIBITION OF THE YEAR
Presented by Benoit LaGarde, Collector & CEO Splashlight Studios

Melissa Harris for Josef Koudelka – Invasion 68 : Prague | Aperture Gallery, NYC
Terence Pepper + Vanity Fair Editor David Friend for Vanity Fair Portraits 1913-2008| National Portrait Gallery, London
Brian Wallis and Cynthia Young for Cornell Capa : Concerned Photographer | International Center of Photography, New York
Virginia Heckert for Bernd and Hilla Becher : Basic Forms | Getty Center, Los Angeles
Jeff L. Rosenheim for Lee Friedlander : A Ramble in Olmsted Parks | Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
Brian Wallis and Cynthia Young for Cornell Capa : Concerned Photographer | International Center of Photography, New York
Virginia Heckert for Bernd and Hilla Becher : Basic Forms | Getty Center, Los Angeles
Jeff L. Rosenheim for Lee Friedlander : A Ramble in Olmsted Parks | Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

Benoit: the role of curator is as important as it ever has been. there’s so much imagery available.

8:48 And the winner is Terence Pepper + Vanity Fair Editor David Friend for Vanity Fair Portraits 1913-2008| National Portrait Gallery, London.

the crowd not completely stoked on VF winning over more documentary fare.

8:51 Achievement in Advertising Erwin Olaf Presented by Kathy Ryan

hold on kathy has some very intelligent remarks about his work… I just cant spell those words. dang.

short speech. thanks the people who works with him.

8:57 – PRINT ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN OF THE YEAR
Presented by tk

180 Amsterdam/TBWA Chiat Day/China | Client – Adidas | Campaign – Impossible is Nothing | Photographer Marc Zibert
Ogilvy & Mather – Paris | Client – Louis Vuitton | Campaign – Journeys | Photographer Annie Leibovitz
180 Amsterstam | Client – Adidas | Campaign – Originals | Photographer Nadav Kander
Ogilvy & Mather – Mexico | Client – Mattel | Campaign – Scrabble | Photographer Vincent Dixon
Client/Campaign – Marc Jacobs | Photographer Juergen Teller

8:59 – 180 Amsterdam/TBWA Chiat Day/China | Client – Adidas | Campaign – Impossible is Nothing | Photographer Marc Zibert
thanks his agent… this is the oscars people

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9:00 – tony bennett- huge applause. holy shit it’s tony bennett!

Achievement in Portraiture Herman Leonard

Tony:way ahead of time this next artist. we still live in times that don’t realize how great Jazz is. never met anyone more spontaneous as this with his instrument,,, a camera. his timing is impeccable…. compares him to great jazz mucisians.

video now. the work is stunning. jazz musicians on how important his photography is to their music (rare to hear this kind of appreciation from subjects). miles davis his greatest subject. why? because he didn’t like to be photographed. didn’t like the intrusion. he felt it a privilege to shoot him.

HUGE applause for herman leonard

9:07 by far the most honerable award he’s ever received he says. thanks everyone… including bennett.
60 years traveliing around the world. started here 52nd and broadway. club owners gave him access to backstage. not allowed to shoot during a performance because it was distracting.
what could be better than doing what you loved and being entertained at the same time.
test to become a photographer in WW2 what are the ingredients in developer? he didn’t know. just added it to water. they made him an anesthetist instead.
tried to get a job with Yosef Karsh. he said i don’t need an assistant but invited him up to the house for lunch. you’ve come so far. i’ll let you be an apprentice because I can’t pay you. met truman, einstein… greatest people in the arts. it was a life changing experience. left karsh and plunged himself into the jazz world for 15 years.

man that was awesome. way to go herman!

9:13 – DISCOVERY OF THE YEAR AWARD
Presented by Pilsner Urquell

Non-professionals and students Nominees:

Faisal Almalki – Fine Art Category
Rachel Blaser – Special Category
John Delaney – Editorial Category
Weronika Gesicka – Nature Category
Benny Haryanto – Advertising
Lung Liu – People Category
Marcin Stawiarz – Architecture Category

9:15 – And the winner is John Delaney – Editorial Category

thanks his parents and wife… man this is.. oh nevermind.

9:19 – Humanitarian Award Sara Terry The Aftermath Project Presented by Anne Wilkes – Tucker

Anne: photographing the people in bosnia left behind after the conflict. woman bent over going through bodybags looking for some sign, then the killer on graves with guns then the selling a small bag of goldfish on the street. she’s doing a really go job describing why the phtography is so important here. photographing after the conflict are the hardest to fund. her aftermath project gives grants to photographers who want to photograph that subject.

video. sara: I was a writer but had a personal crisis and words failed me for the first time in my life so I picked up a camera to communicate…

powerful. the project is so deep. the pictures amazing.

9:25 – amazing speech. shot video of it for you. she says “the stories we hold up define who we are as a society.” pow people.

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9:33 – Lifetime Achievement Gianni Berengo Gardin Presented by Elliott Erwitt

published over 200 books. Elliott say he takes his camera to bed to save time and photographs his dreams. snap.

video now. the work is fantastic. strong b/w. life, people. gianni: calls himself the handyman of photography. i like to be the one that builds with my hands and mind. the amazing object is the camera.

Gianni could not be here.

Ok that’s it. Thanks for tuning in people.

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5 Comments

  1. Rob thanks a lot for this, i won 1st and 2nd in Still life but i couldn’t attend and i am curious to see what this looks like.
    No free ticket for subcategory winners , just 50% off but when i try to buy the ticket all the good seats were taken already.
    Anyway great job Rob

  2. haha! love the commentary. cracking me up. I’m just siiting here in my PJ’s, drinking a coor’s light, watching the snow fall outside (doh!) and hitting refresh every two minutes…it’s great!

    • @cinemascapist,
      we switched places. that’s my usual mode.


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