All Photographs © Reed Young.

Long known as the seafood capital of Alabama, Bayou La Batre is a small town of approximately 2,500. Over the past decade, foreign imports, the rising cost of diesel fuel, and overfishing have eroded the seafood industry that supports this community. Hurricanes Ivan and Katrina, slowed business even further, and the community was just beginning to recover when the Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded in April. Now, BP has thrown astonishing amounts of money at this small town, and competition for “free money”  pitted community members against each other. Worse still, the drama distracts from the reality of what will happen when the oil money stops, and the community is left without its industry and livelihood. – Reed Young

Above: Paul Nelson is the president of South Bay Community Alliance, a volunteer organization that advocates on behalf of the citizens of Bayou La Batre and Coden. Paul’s home was destroyed in Katrina.

This evening,‘Mired in the Bayou,’ a mixed-medium exhibit, featuring the work of photographers Michael De Pasquale and Reed Young, written narrative and audio by journalist Erin Sheehy, and an installation by artist Graham Holly opens at 99% Gallery and Inhabitat.com. To find out more information about the show click here. To view more of Reed Young’s work click here.

(more…)

© Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, Detroit Publishing Company Collection. Above: Mulberry Street, 1900.

Reuel Golden, a former executive editor of PDN, has worked with art publisher Benedikt Taschen to produce New York: Portrait of a City. Setting out to be the visual encyclopedia of all things New York, Golden’s book collects hundreds of iconic images from early 1900 to present day. To find out more information about Reuel Golden’s book click here.

Tonight is the opening of the exhibition, featuring images from Golden’s book, at the Levi’s Fall Workshop in New York city. Click here for more info.

(more…)

© Michael F. McElroy.

India has 17 percent of the World’s population and just 4 percent of its fresh water. With a population at 1.2 billion people and counting, the cities are bursting at the seams. Water cuts, pollution and a lack of basic services are the reality for millions. These photographs are part of an ongoing project documenting the water Crisis in India.

Above:  Saneosh Naitam holds 1 of 8 notebooks that date back from 1998 to present. The notebooks hold the names of 15,000 farmers who have committed suicide in the Vidarbha region. Farmer suicides are directly related to the water crisis. Failed crops, due to lower than average monsoon season, cause the farmers to borrow more money for the next years crop and incur more debt. The farmers see no way out of debt and turn to suicide, out of shame. To see more of  McElroy’s work click here.

(more…)

© Jimmy Williams.

While on a typical commercial assignment, James, a retired golf caddie, started belting out a simple blues rendition of the song Stardust… High up in the sky the little stars climb, always reminding me that we’re apart… a favorite tune of his late wife. James was not a musician by trade, but his soulful interpretation of the melody overcame the shakiness of his pitch. James’ delivery was innate. The emotional connection created while taking this portrait stirred my desire to continue with a series. Today, I’ve photographed over thirty like-souls in a series I call “Music Makers”.” – Jimmy Williams

Click here for an audio/visual narrative on the project.

The Music Makers series returns to North Carolina this week for a solo exhibit at UNC’s Center for Study of the American South. Opening reception, October 14th 2010, 5-7pm.

© Kevin Tachman

Karen O of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs executes her signature water spray into the air during an intimate performance at the Music Hall of Williamsburg. Kevin Tachman’s  portrait was included in the winners gallery of the 2009 Ultimate Music Moment contest. The 2010 Contest is currently open for entries until October 18, but enter today to avoid late fees. A Fans’ Favorite winner will also be selected.