ZEISS Full Exposure

In part two of our chat with Claudia Raschke and Tom Hurwitz, ASC, they dove into the importance of being mindful of editing as a continuous process when shooting, not merely as a post-production process alone.

Last November, in New York City, the Manhattan editors workshop held its fifth consecutive evening entitled sight sound and story the art of cinematography.  Jim Kamp was invited to moderate a chat with acclaimed cinematographers Claudia Raschke, DP on such docs as “Mad Hot Ballroom” and “RBG”, and Tom Hurwitz, ASC who was DP on such notable docs as the Oscar-winning “Harlan County, USA” and “The Queen of Versailles”   In part one, Claudia and Tom discussed their perspective on how they approach telling each story visually.

On our final episode from New York, we were joined by fashion photographer, portraitist, designer and concert musician, Aleksandr Karjaka.  He extols the similarity of photography and music by describing how he captures the essence of a subject by listening with his eyes --and watching and interacting with the subject, not the camera.   When he’s not behind a camera you might see him behind a clarinet at Carnegie hall or the metropolitan opera house, fashion designing or teaching fashion photography at Parsons School of Design – the New School.

Jason Vong and Vivienne Lee are not just content creators, but workshop leaders, hybrid film - photo shooters and popular influencers.  Their engaging YouTube banter and tech tips have helped them garner a huge following of photo enthusiasts on social media.   They joined us at Photoplus to talk about how they started ...and gave tips on developing one’s individual style by encouraging community engagement and infusing personality into content.    

Brian Matiash is a widely published photographer, author and Zeiss Ambassador based in Utah who fuses landscape and travel photography with experiential storytelling and educational ventures helping emerging photographers hone their craft through his podcasts and tutorials. Today’s Guests: Brian Matiash https://matiash.com https://www.youtube.com/user/brianmatiash @brianmatiash Host & Producer: Jim Kamp https://sugaredstudios.com

Growing up in New York City, cinematographer Charles Libin absorbed the gritty, seventies-era filmmaking of movies made in Manhattan like “Taxi Driver”, “Mean Streets”, and “Dog Day Afternoon”. The Brooklyn-based cinematographer has over the years done documentary camerawork on several Jonathan Demme films including his Neil Young Trilogy, and numerous performance films including Julian Schnabel’s “Lou Reed: Berlin” as well as feature work for Jim Mckay’s “En El Séptimo Día,” one of the Hollywood Reporter’s ten best films of the year. Libin’s latest documentary work is the soon-to-be released “The Gift: The Journey of Johnny Cash”. We sat down with Charles to discuss his influences growing up in such a heady time in New York during the evolution of on-location shooting. Today’s Guests: Charles Libin http://www.charleslibin.com @charleslibin Host & Producer: Jim Kamp https://sugaredstudios.com

In this week’s episode, you’ll learn about the how the collaborative process between artists of different disciplines — photography and dance — unfolds and how the image-maker balances pre-visualization with spontaneous shooting with dancers. On episode 45 of Full Exposure, we hung out with photographer John Kane in his bucolic workspace and home in the hills of north western Connecticut. John’s wonderful workspace is a home and a farm and a studio all rolled into one; a location to instill envy in the hearts of photographers. His farm and converted barn/studio is a rustic photo wonderland of technical photo gears and inspiring, simple pastoral splendor. John has been widely published in magazines and for over thirty years has photographed the world-renowned New York City dance troupes Momix and Pilobolus, collaborating on several book projects such as: “The Human Alphabet” and “Fashion and Color.” Today’s Guests: John Kane http://johnkanephoto.com http://eatdrinkphotographitaly.com @johnkanesilversunstudio

On episode 44, we spoke with Katrina Medoff and Tracy Sayre, co-founders of the Women’s Weekend Film Challenge and got a crash course in how a great idea blossoms into launching a collaborative film project. The film challenge, is a women-in-film initiative that’s less a contest and more a hybrid networking creative event that places professional filmmakers on crews that write, shoot and edit a short film in just one weekend. WWFC has produced 24 films — with over 500 professional female filmmakers in New York City. To date, some of the films have been selected for 60 film festivals and counting. The project has grown rapidly and Katrina and Tracy will be launching the film challenge in Los Angeles in 2020. Today’s Guests: Katrina Medoff, Tracy Sayre https://womensweekendfilmchallenge.com @womensweekendfilmchallenge @katya_m22 @sayretracy Host & Producer: Jim Kamp https://sugaredstudios.com

Learn how DoP Alexa Wolf uses her skills to create a potent visual style with little budget for the music video “Paths” by artist Jenna Kyle directed by Rachel Kessler. Like many Directors of Photography, Alexa Wolf came to cinematography, in New York City after working in camera, grip & electric departments. Now she’s a DoP on narrative features and commercial projects, with a focus on supporting womens’ and #LGBTQ stories. Today’s Guest: Alexa Wolf http://www.alexawolf.com/ @awolfdp Host & Producer: Jim Kamp http://polychromemedia.com/jameskamp/ Special Thanks: @theicfc @cinematographersxx @edenmart11 @icglocal600 @american_cinematographer @cinemavisionrentals @alexander_creatives @zeisscinematographyamericas @zeisscinematography Music Video Credits: Starring – Jenna Kyle (@jennakkyle) Director – Rachel Kessler (@rchlksslr) Movement Director – Elena Vazintaris Producers – Jenna Kyle, Rachel Kessler Editors – Rachel Kessler, Brit Phelan Cinematographer – Alexa Wolf Production Designers – Jenna Kyle,

Learn how DoP Alexa Wolf uses her skills to create socially focused visual storytelling on the set of “The Gathering”. Like many Directors of Photography, Alexa Wolf came to cinematography, in New York City after working in camera, grip & electric departments. Now she’s a DoP on narrative features and commercial projects, with a focus on supporting womens’ and #LGBTQ stories. She photographed a short for the 2019 Brooklyn Film Festival titled “The Gathering” looking at how women have been marginalized in the film industry, gaining more light recently amidst the #MeToo movement. In this episode, @kampjames spoke with @awolfdp about the short she lensed for the 2019 @brooklynfilmfestival directed by @emilyelizabeth_thomas. Today’s Guest: Alexa Wolf http://www.alexawolf.com/ @awolfdp Host & Producer: Jim Kamp http://polychromemedia.com/jameskamp/ Special Thanks: @theicfc @cinematographersxx @edenmart11 @icglocal600 @american_cinematographer @cinemavisionrentals @alexander_creatives @zeisscinematographyam

Daresha Kyi is an award-winning filmmaker who writes, produces, and directs for film and television. Earlier this year at the South by Southwest Film Festival we chatted with cinematographer, Amy Bench, who shot Daresha’s documentary for the American Civil Liberties Union and Little By Little Films, “Texas Strong” an intimate portrait of conservative christian mother Kimberly Shappley and her seven-year-old trans daughter Kai. In the film, Kai’s mom rejects her community’s beliefs to support her 7-year-old transgender daughter and her struggle to navigate school, where she’s been banned from the girls’ bathroom. To view the ‘Trans in America’ series, visit the ACLU web page: https://www.aclu.org/issues/lgbt-rights/transgender-rights/trans-america View Texas Strong on the Condé Nast platform ‘them’: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cuIkLNsRtas Texas Strong Credits: Director: Daresha Kyi Producers: Lindsey Dryden, Shaleece Haas Executive Producer: Molly Kaplan (ACLU), Chase Strangio (ACLU) Advisory Board: Wripl

For the last of four interviews from Hollywood, we spoke with legendary cinematographer Dean Cundey. To multitudes of cinephiles, Dean’s career as a visual storyteller needs no introduction. From his childhood fascination with set design to his partnerships with directors like Steven Spielberg, Robert Zemeckis and John Carpenter, Dean Cundey is considered by countless cinema fans as one of the most prolific and influential cinematographers of the last four decades. His filmography reads like an IMDB greatest hits box office groundbreaking blockbusters and genre classics like "Halloween", “The Thing”, ”Escape from New York”, “Who Framed Roger Rabbit”, “Back to the Future” and “Jurassic Park” to name just a few. He was fortunate to take classes with Oscar-winning DoP James Wong Howe and following on that, Dean is regularly involved in mentoring aspiring cinematographers through the ASC Master Class Program. Today's Guest: Dean Cundey, ASC https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0005678/ @deancundey Host & Producer: Ji

On the third installment from Hollywood, we had a chat with Bill Bennett, ASC. As a pilot and cinematographer for over two decades he has shot in a range of challenging environments and has been called upon by many of the world’s top auto brands to shoot their cars. He has photographed, aerospace and aircraft — along with people and places –for numerous television commercials. Of his many exciting assignments he photographed the liftoff of the very last space shuttle mission at Cape Canaveral. A key member of the ASC Imaging Technology Council, Camera Division, he delves into the future of film archiving, projection and emerging film tech. Today’s Guest: Bill Bennett, ASC https://www.wfb4.com/ @cinebill Host & Producer: Jim Kamp http://polychromemedia.com/jameskamp/ @kampjames

“Every click of the shutter is a totality of the music I’ve heard, the love and pain I’ve seen and lived, and has shaped the way I see.” — John Simmons, ASC On part two of our series of interviews at the American Society of Cinematographers Clubhouse in Hollywood, we speak with John Simmons, ASC, an award-winning cinematographer for film and television who is also a still photographer, painter and multimedia artist. He grew up in Chicago and like many directors of photography, he began his career taking photo. He speaks passionately about his enduring love of still photography, on being a champion for diversity in the ASC and how early influences encouraged him --not only to pursue a career in cinema from photography-- but how they still guide his ongoing drive mentor up and coming visual storytellers. In our interview, speaks poignantly about the power of the image: “The eternal effect of the image - the effect of an image changes someone - that new person influences the next person and that next person is i

On the first of four episodes at The American Society of Cinematographers Clubhouse we speak with six-time past President of the ASC, Brooklyn-born Director of Photography Richard Crudo. His impressive film resume includes many notable feature and television credits from Raising Arizona to American Buffalo. He served for three years as a Governor of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and is also a frequent guest lecturer at universities around the world and a regular contributor to American Cinematographer Magazine. Today's Guest: Richard Crudo, ASC http://www.richardcrudoasc.com/ @crudoasc Host & Producer: Jim Kamp http://polychromemedia.com/jameskamp/ @kampjames

On episode 36, we sat down with New York-based - Italian-born cinematographer Valentina Caniglia, AIC IMAGO. Encouraged by her dad when he gave her a camera at a young age, she was drawn first to still photography - and then evolved to film storytelling. Growing up in Naples, her influences range from legendary DP Vittorio Storaro to directors Stanley Kubrick and Lena Vurt-Muller. Widely accepted statistics say that while women account for around 51% of film-goers. Somewhere around 4% of directors and only 3% of cinematographers are women. It’s no wonder that Valentina speaks passionately about expanding opportunities for women in the film industry. Along with shooting features, shorts, music videos and commercials for HBO, Canal Plus, RAI, Showtime and Netflix... Valentina has also dedicatedly supported social-issue groups shooting non-fiction branded content for Planned Parenthood and the Children’s Aid Society. She was also featured in the American Cinematographer for her camera work on the dramatic short

On episode 35 of Full Exposure, we speak with James Cawley a director-cinematographer from Utah specializing in outdoor recreation and tourism films. Working with small crews, he traverses the state and remote locations around the world — working to develop a lean style of producing while keeping cinematic production values in locales and with budgets that typically only support documentary style productions. Today's Guest: James Cawley http://www.centerstar.io @jamesdcawley Host & Producer: Jim Kamp http://polychromemedia.com/jameskamp/ @kampjames

The New Haven 48 Hour Film Project is a crash course in speed filmmaking. On episode 34 of Full Exposure, learn from a veteran TV and film producer how speed-filmmaking can help hone your film production skills AND having fun! Host Jim Kamp speaks with Trish Clark, regional producer in New Haven, Conn. for the 48 Hour Film Project, an international yearly timed competition and the longest-running competition of its kind. The 48 Hour Film Project pits aspiring film and videomakers from across the country and in Europe to a test of rapid fire filmmaking in a whirlwind two days being challenged to develop a story concept, cast, shoot, edit and deliver a short film. The head-spinning race culminates in a night of screening the entries followed by a judging to determine the finalists to see who will advance to the national Filmapalooza festival. The 48 Hour Film Project New Haven is July 26th to the 28th, 2019.   Today's Guest: Trish Clark https://www.48hourfilm.com/newhaven/ @newhaven48hfp Host & Producer: J

On episode 33 of Full Exposure, we sit down with Boston-based photojournalist and filmmaker Lauren Owens Lambert who documents her passion: the human aspect of conservation and climate change research. Her work focuses on people as a vital part of natural cycles, a perspective that is sometimes lost in contemporary views on climate. You will learn how volunteers and biologists rescue and rehabilitate tropical sea turtles that wash up on the freezing shores of Cape Cod each winter. You'll also learn how Atlantic salmon are a federally endangered species in the U.S. with the last remaining wild populations found in only eight rivers in Maine, as well as the salmon conservation efforts being conducted across New England: including the removal of dams, the opening of waterways and increasing of buffer zones along rivers. Lauren's work is seen widely in photographic and conservation publications. Lauren partners with groups such as The Nature Conservancy and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. She has exhibi

On episode 32 of Full Exposure, New York City-based photographer and documentary filmmaker Amy Elliott discusses how persistence and innate curiosity are two elements instrumental in effective non-fiction visual storytelling. For the past 10 years she's been documenting small towns around North America and showcasing the quirky yet endearing life that connects the town’s residents. In her 2010 film World's Largest, she traveled around the U.S. documenting 58 of America's largest attractions like the World's Largest Killer Bee in Hidalgo, Texas and efforts to create the World's Largest Lava Lamp in Soap Lake, Washington. In her latest documentary, Salvage, Amy looks at Yellowknife, Canada where she took repeated treks over the course of 5 years to the remote Northwest Territories to document the curious wonder of the city’s social life surrounding a town dump and struggle to keep it accessible. Today's Guest: Amy Elliott https://twitter.com/acephotonyc http://www.ace-photography.com/ Interviewer: Jim Kamp htt