9 Photographers Discuss the Ups and Downs of their Photos ‘Going Viral’ at the Next BlowUp on Dec. 10 in NYC

Viral photographs: you’ve seen them everywhere, but chances are you don’t know the whole story. On December 10th, 2015, Feature Shoot will present the third edition of The BlowUp, a quarterly event that brings together a selection of extraordinary photographers and storytellers, each slated to share the backstory behind a significant shot of his or her choosing. These time, the theme is viral photography, a subject that has inspired scholarly papers, how-to books, and countless unforgettable anecdotes throughout the last several years.

The third BlowUp will run from 6:30 – 9:00 PM at ROOT, 443 W 18th St, New York City. As per usual, our featured speakers run the gamut from emerging art students to downright photographic legends.

From Arne Svenson’s one-of-a-kind photographs of his Tribeca neighbors, a series of images that was not only widely shared but also culminated in a 2-year lawsuit, to Sophie Gamand’s tender portraits of adoptable pit bulls in flower crowns, the evening promises to present a rich cultural tapestry of the modern era and what viewers most want to see right now. Kirra Cheers will tell of Tinder dates gone right (photographically, if not romantically), and Amos Mac will discuss his ad campaign featuring transgender models for &Other Stories recently named by CNN as one of the “ads that changed the world”.

While Caroline Tompkins will get to the core of street harassment with her photographs of men who catcalled her, Allaire Bartel will approach the same subject from a vastly different angle with her series of staged narrative portraits addressing sexual harassment. Henry Hargreaves will discuss one of his many viral projects, while Victoria Will will take us on a trip back in time with her labor-intensive tintype portraits of modern celebrities, and Kristine Potter will tell the tale of her photographs of West Point cadets, and why in the end, going viral is a double-edged sword.

Interested in attending? We have a limited number of tickets available for Feature Shoot readers. Tickets are $20 each and will include an open bar from 6:30-7:30. RSVP here and see you there!

The BlowUp is sponsored by our friends at ROOT Studios and Agency Access. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for updates.

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