Photomanhattan

PhotoManhattan was established in 2003 in New York as a way of offering an affordable means of entry and advance into the world of art and photography. We are committed to the idea of photography as an accessible means of personal expression and artistic documentation. And considering the upfront costs inherent in photography (the purchase of equipment), there's no reason why essential instruction should be beyond the reach of those interested.

To that effect, PhotoManhattan offers introductory and advanced photographic instruction to the public at rates that are only a fraction of those of larger institutes and schools in the area, as well as affordable rentals of darkroom and studio space and lights. Instruction in basic topics emphasises critical technique and control of the camera. You can worry about philosophizing on whether a picture reflects "beauty" or not another time. First things first. To those more advanced, PhotoManhattan has challenging courses in Studio Lighting and Street Photography that will make even experienced amateurs stop and think about exactly what they are trying to do when they hit the shutter.

In addition, we host group events, exhibitions and lead group expeditions into different neighborhoods of New York City and beyond. A wide range of people have taken classes here, and participated in group events, from professionals, to those seeking to become professionals, to those who are looking for a means of moving beyond the 8-6 routine that otherwise traps so many of us.

We invite anyone interested in either taking classes, renting space, or becoming involved in PhotoManhattan's group activities, to contact us by phone, by email, or by passing by the studio. Now go out there and shoot.

 
Instructors
Aldana Rodriguez

Aldana received a masters degree in photography at the Universite Saint Esprit de Kaslik in Beirut, Lebanon, and has worked extensively documenting the reconstruction of that country in the post-civil war era. She has worked as a B&W photo lab manager in France. Exhibitions of her abstract photography have been shown in Lebanon and in Argentina. and her commercial work has been published both in the Middle East and in South America. She is currently living and working in New York City, where she started PhotoManhattan.
To view Aldana's work click here.

 

Andrew Shapiro

Andrew studied photojournalism at the University of Texas, during which time he traveled both in the U.S. and the world extensively, shooting mostly documentary photography. He is now an independent artist living in Brooklyn. His concern is less with the composed moment, but rather with the studied image, the idea that examining and capturing light and nuance can serve both the photographer and the viewer to better understand where their perceptions and their environment meet.

View Andrew's work at: www.scriptedlight.com

 

Charles Lavoie

Charles received a BFA in fine art photography from the College for Creative Studies in Detroit, MI in 2004. Throughout 2004 and 2005 he worked as a freelance newspaper photographer before moving to his current residence in Brooklyn, where he now works as a freelance product/editorial photographer. Always one to be fascinated by the technical processes of photography, Charles has integrated many digital techniques into his traditional workflow. His personal work often focuses a critical eye on humanity, but also seeks to capture and create passing moments of beauty and abstract form: he describes his work as, "an optimist's way of dealing with a profoundly absurd world."

View Charles' work at: www.charleslavoiephoto.com

 

Inbal Sivan

Inbal studied photography at Camera Obscura University in Haifa, Israel, and later received her BFA from the School of Visual Arts in New York. She currently resides in New York and has participated in numerous group exhibitions while working primarily as a commercial photographer. Once a staunch documentarian, Inbal now works exclusively in color and with studio equipment, creating constructed scenarios and fictional narratives. She draws inspiration for her personal work from a variety of creative genres, including painting, literature, and music.

View Inbal's work at: www.inbalsivan.net and www.gallery10g.com

 

Gilberto Tadday

Gilberto Tadday, 32, born in Porto Alegre, southern Brazil, has shot for major newspapers in Brazil since 1997. His work was published in various magazines, including Exame, Superinteressante, Playboy, Travesias (in Mexico) and Sabado (in Portugal). Gilberto has also worked as a staff photographer for Zero Hora one of the major newspapers in Brazil, and has taught photojournalism at Pontificia Universidade Catolica in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.

Currently residing in New York City, Gilberto specializes in fine art, editorial and commercial Photography and he has published PicturaPixel, a multimedia magazine dedicated to Photography (www.picturapixel.com).

His work can be seen at: www.gilbertotadday.com

 
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