Taking It to the Next Level

Photo by Dan Poyourow

Panorama from project ©Sam Kittner

I never imagined my images hoisted by crane up into a building before I saw this...

Last Fall I was commissioned by The JBG Companies, a leading investment management firm, owner, and developer, to make panoramas of a number of DC metro area neighborhoods in which they are actively engaged.  The project was primarily to create art decor prints for their new Chevy Chase, MD. offices.  JBG invests almost exclusively in urban-infill, transit-orineted developments, which to me are some of the most exciting, virtuous renewal projects in the country.

The project was curated by Dena Andre, formerly of the Corcoran Gallery of Art.  Giant canvas prints were made by Adamson Editions...with some of the prints are over 12 feet long.

Several of the prints were lifted by crane into an open window on the 5th floor of their office as they were to big to fit in the service elevators and primary stairwells.  Check out Archival Art Services (the firm that beautifully framed and installed the prints) facebook page with photos of the airlift and installation.

FotoWeekDC International Awards 2012: Kittner First and Third

FotoWeek has been very, very good to me.  I am psyched to let you know my images placed First, Third, and as an honorable mention in the commercial photography competition!!!  Check out the exhibit of the contest winners at FotoWeek Central now, Nov. 9-18, along with a wonderful array of photo exhibits and seminars at all around the DC area.  Below are the images that won in order of placement:

Frist Place-Manassas Park Elementary School shot for VMDO Architects

CityCenter DC, rights purchased by Clark Construction

Image from NoMa Connected Campagin, NoMa BID

Appalachian Trail Cover

The magazine of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy cropped a slice from one of my panoramas (ability to crop is one of the great things about those hyper-resolution images) and used it on the cover of their Sept.-Oct. 2012 issue and feature on Bear's Den, a lovely AT trail area near Purcellville, VA.

Library of Congress Gallery Exhibit: Herblock and Photographers Observe the Environment

Exxon Refinery Explosion and State Capitol of Louisiana 12/24/1989

Photographs often take on lives of their own...and sometimes years later end up in places you would never imagine when you were actually making the image.

Many years ago photography collectors Kent and Marcia Minichiello purchased a set of my documentary photographs related to people living near and protesting pollution in "Cancer Alley," the petro-chemical laden area between Baton Rouge and New Orleans, as part of their extensive environmental photography collection.  Several years ago they donated their collection to The Library of Congress.

Now two of those prints are currently on display at the Library of Congress, Jefferson Building through 3/23/2013 in the wonderful show Down to Earth: Herblock and Photographers Observe the Environment.

The show couples a selection of thought provoking Herblock (the award-winning Washington Post editorial cartoonist who's collection of original drawings is housed at the Library) environmentally themed cartoons with photographs from the Library's collections.

Exhibit hours are Mon.-Sat. 8:30am-4:30pm in the Graphic Arts Galleries on the ground floor of the Jefferson Building, 10 First St. SE, Washington, DC.  Free admission.

You can read the press release for the show and get a link to the online version of the exhibit here.

I'll be doing a brief noon gallery talk after the first of the year and will post the date once it is set.

Lastly, it's a wonderful honor to be in the show on many levels, including that I love editorial newspaper cartoons and that I once photographed Herblock early in my career and remember him as a kind and great person.

Service To America Awards

Last night the Service to America Awards were held in Washington.  I was commissioned to make environmental portraits of the amazing award winners, incredible public servants, over the summer.  The photographs are used as giant image displays at the event, as well as projected on jumbo screens, and in numerous publications.  The awards honor federal workers "who are making high-impact contributions to the health, safety and well-being of Americans," and their "achievements range from preventing and treating rare and fatal diseases and advancing transportation safety for the traveling public to caring for our nation’s injured warfighters and housing homeless veterans."

I love working on this project as it utilizes a wide array of my photographic skills: planning/logistics of multi-city photo shoots, location portrait photography within the context of the winners work, and preparing files for large print installation displays and multiple media applications.  I also photographed the awards ceremony itself.

Take a look at AOL Gov's wonderful display of the award winner portraits.  Scroll to bottom to see a slideshow of the images.  Check out The Partnership for Public Service's site for more info about the Service to America Awards.

Update: AOL Gov added a nice gallery of images from the ceremony I shot of the event.

Panoramas Featured in Life Force Magazine

Very happy to note that a feature of my panoramas is published in this month's (Sept. 2012) Life Force Magazine, the online monthly magazine celebrating the art-form of the photo-essay. The magazine has a list of internationally renowned contributors and is published by British photographer Damian Bird. Life Force states, "Our photo-essays are about great photography and pushing the boundaries of the medium to explore conciousness and human perception, by harnessing the unique power that photography holds to capture a moment for analysis."

Shutterbug's Kind Review of kittner.com

Published with permission, below is the review of my website by Joe Farace printed in the May 2012 issue of the venerable Shutterbug Magazine and viewable online here.

Around The Web In 31 Days: It’s National Photo Month

By Joe Farace • Posted: Jun 29, 2012 • Published: May 1, 2012


"www.kittner.com

Sam Kittner is a photographer in Takoma Park, Maryland, whose work runs the gamut from people and lifestyles to some of the most incredible architectural images I’ve seen on the web. Then he sprinkles in some panoramics of—not just architecture—but landscapes that will leave you breathless in their scope and quiet beauty. This elegant website makes excellent use of a white space design to showcase eight Portfolios, three different Projects, and a series of Interactive Panos.

Looking into the Architecture-Buildings portfolio you’ll see Kittner’s diverse approach to capturing images, some traditional, others that enhance the architect’s vision, and yet others transcending the genre, bending it into the art form of a sort that Julius Shulman created with his photographs of modernist architecture. Kittner seems at his most creative when working at night where many of his buildings take on an otherworldly Blade Runner look. His People-Portraits portfolio is a change of pace and includes warm environmental portraits of subjects from presidents to ice cream vendors. In Lifestyle, his images morph into casual and oft-times eye-popping color portraits of “real people” in parts of Washington, DC, outside the world of tourism or politics, in locations ranging from bike paths to supermarkets. Drop by his blog for updates on his current projects and what you’ll discover is that Sam Kittner is a Renaissance Man with the ability to change gears whether photographing a car dealership at night or the president of the United States, all the while creating images that are both appropriate and appropriately creative."

National Wildlife Federation includes documentary image in "50 Years of Incredible Images"

 

I am honored that a documentary photograph of mine National Wildlife Magazine published in 1990 is included in the June/July 2012 special photography issue of their magazine celebrating "50 Years of Incredible Images."  As you can imagine there are lovely and stunning photographs of animals throughout the publication...my image was used to highlight the magazine's coverage of enviromental issues over the years.


The photograph, shot during the 1988 Louisiana Toxics March, was made early in my career while working on a long term documentary project related to the environmental justice movement in the US.  The project explored people living in the shadow of petro-chemical factories and hazardous waste dumps in this country.  


While it has been many years since I have directly photographed these issues, the images I made in the late 1980s through mid-1990s have a life of their own and have been used by a wide variety of players; from environmental groups, industry publications, government (including the EPA), and mainstream media publications to illustrate the difficult story of industrial pollution and it's effects on people and the environment.


You can see some of that work on an old website of mine here...I plan to put up an archive site of these images in the near future.

kittner.com Profiled In Shutterbug Magazine

I am thrilled that the May issue of the venerable photography magazine Shutterbug (now on newsstands) includes a review of my website and work in the "Web Profiles: Great Photo Sites Reviewed" column by Joe Farace on page 28.  Mr. Farace, whom I've never met,  writes very concisely, yet entertainingly, and gets across the breadth of my work in 2 paragraphs...the mark of a great writer...and a writer knowledgable and enthralled with photography.

In mid-late May the article will also be online...I will link from this blog to the article at that time...but for now check it out on the newsstand at the grocery store.

Panoramas on Display at Dodge-Chrome

Four of my large panorama images are on display at Dodge-Chrome's Palisades location at 4885 MacArthur Blvd. in DC until the end of May.  Dodge-Chrome is the union of two of the best professional  custom photo labs from the film days that have combined to be a powerhouse of digital printing and photographic output services of all kinds.  With decades of combined experience, they have handled the film and digital work of many of the country's (and particularly those based in the DC area) leading photographers, museums, design agencies, and architecture firms...as well as giving the same informed service to individual customers of all kinds.  I love their service and quality...they print all my larger prints...and I love that they are steeped in a photographic tradition that strives for excellence in image output and presentation.  They have a huge lab/processing center  in north Silver Spring and 2 retail stores...this one in Palisades and a newly opened one in McLean, VA.

Newseum Ads in National Magazines

These full page Newseum ads featuring my photographs appear in the March issues of O Magazine, Time, Esquire and Veranda.    The ads also appeared in the New York Times special Museum section 3/16 and this week's  “’Mad Men’ retro” edition of Newsweek.

Thur. 3/22 Art Hop Happy Hour

Art Hop is back!

Come get a jump start on Art Hop 2012, Thur. 3/22, 6-8pm at Cedar Crossing Tavern.  I'll be showing my panoramas, including a couple of new images there during Takoma's annual Art Hop event through the March 24-25th weekend.

I am happy to report that Cedar Crossing is under new, yet experienced management, and has a new chef.  Located adjacent to the Takoma Metro stop, it's a beautiful space and is back on track after some ups and downs in it's start up years.  I think you will find it a fun bar to hang out in.

And if drink specials and a fun bar isn't enough incentive...there will be a drawing that night for a FREE panorama photo shoot of your home and/or family for those who attend.  Includes the shoot and a 3 foot long print.  Looking forward to seeing you there!

Silver Spring Lobby Installation

Printed on brushed aluminum, this panorama spans 12 feet via three 4x4ft. splits in the main tenant thoroughfare of the Blair East apartments in Silver Spring, MD.  The image highlights "The New Silver Spring" area including the AFI Silver Theater and Discovery Communications.

I provided image-based decor consulting and managed turnkey fabrication and installation for the project.  The Blairs complex is a multi-building apartment-retail center owned by The Tower Companies.  Dodge-Chrome printed the the photograph on brushed aluminum, which provides a holographic/motion feel as one walks around the image.  

This sweet job has an even sweeter side story...when I first started dating Bobbi (who later became my dear wife) over 20-plus years ago, she lived at the same building.  You can imagine, I have some sweet memories of those days...too cool to come back so many years later and "hang" once again. 

Photographs Help Landis Construction Win Major Awards

I am happy to let you know Landis Construction won several prestigious COTY Awards (Contractor of the Year) from the National Association of The Remodeling Industry (NARI) which were announced recently.  I am also pleased that 2 of their DC projects, a custom home construction in Palisades and a specialty deck with hot-tub on a narrow rooftop on Capitol Hill,  garnered first place in their divisions.  Also a house addition I photographed for them in Takoma Park, MD placed second in its category.  While I have been shooting larger buildings and scenes for construction, architectural, corporate, and institutional clients for many years, this was one of my first projects focusing on residential home architecture...and I am thrilled that my images helped Landis' award winning work be recognized.

Giant 17 Foot Wide Lobby Installation

This street scene panoramic image of Gallery Place/Chinatown I was commissioned to shoot for the DowntownDC Business Improvement District (BID) was recently printed and installed as a 17 foot wide mural in the BID's office lobby.  Pretty dang big!  Love that digital imaging technology...from being able to stitch high res images and blend exposures into hyper-resolution files...the ability to shoot in such low-light... to the digital printing that allows for these wall size outputs.