Better Photography

92 Pages·2017·30.3 MB·English

MAGGIE STEBER ON FINDING BEAUTY IN THE BLEAKEST OF TIMES AND RISING ABOVE TRAGEDY
S(eToptatle 1m36 bpaegres 2+0 8 1p7ag e•s sRupsp.le m15en0t) CATALAONG UEEX CBLYU NSIIIKVNIET A8S -DPISAITGDRE IPBERUOTODRUSCT
www.betterphotography.in
A STUDY IN INTERPRETATION
TINTED
UNTINTED
Julie Blackmon, Shahria Sharmin, Chieska Fortune
Smith & Deepti Asthana on what shaped their work
The Indian Photography
Festival, Hyderabad...
An exclusive glimpse
ALSO REVIEWED
Canon EF-M 22mm f/2
Godox ThinkLite TT685N
the immortal Paul Sahab
editorial
“Earlier, Those who have been fortunate enough to cross paths or converse
with S Paul would have been deeply, indelibly touched by his words,
photography used
presence and spirit. Paul Sahab, as he was fondly known, practiced,
to be about
studied, breathed and lived photography, as only a man who was
available light. completely consumed by it could.
Now, it is From the moment I got to meet him first in 2009, never were our
about available conversations about anything but photography. Never did I see
his level of energy or enthusiasm recede. At no point did his camera ever leave his side.
darkness.”
He wasn’t a man to ignore a photographic opportunity, wherever or whenever it presented
–S Paul
itself to him. He photographed everything and he did so incessantly. He did it with an
extraordinary level of skill, sensitivity, speed and ease.
“I go where my camera goes,” he once told the security officers at Vigyan Bhavan, just
before the commencement of the presentations for the 2nd National Photography Awards
(Paul Sahab was the Chairman of the committee for its selection). He was the only one in
the audience with a camera in his hands. On another occasion, he admitted, “Nowadays,
my body needs rest. I sleep to conserve and build up my energy, so that I can awaken
and get to my photography. And if I don’t shoot, I don’t get sleep.” In an interview with
Better Photography in 2012, he had said, “Mere andar aag hai kuch naya karne ki, aur yeh aag har din
badhti jaa rahi hai.”
For Paul Sahab, photography was both a process that he enjoyed, and means to an end.
The final image, eventually, was everything to him. Cameras and lenses were the tools of his
craft, and he had scores of them from almost every manufacturer. Technique was the key,
4
and he would often push the boundaries of his equipment with it. One evening, at Soochna
Bhavan, I found Paul Sahab making a picture of a window and the scene beyond, with his
brand new DSLR. His pleasure in the shift to digital was evident when he quipped from
behind his camera, “Earlier, photography used to be about available light. Now, it is about
available darkness.”
But the real magic in Paul Sahab’s craft was in seeing the extraordinary within a seemingly
ordinary moment. It was in his telling of an entire story within a single frame... succinctly,
subtly, beautifully, with an uncanny understanding of human nature, light, composition,
and perfect timing. Often, he would prepare hours or days in advance, studying locations
and calculating exposures, in anticipation of a frame. From prime ministers to postal
workers, from monuments to the streets, from children at play to the flowers, grass and trees
in the National Zoological Park in Delhi… little escaped Paul Sahab’s gaze. During his time as
the chief of the photography department at The Indian Express, on more than a few instances,
calls were made to the newspaper from the offices of the powers at the helm, demanding
explanations for Paul Sahab’s ‘transgressions’. But, to the common man, these very same
photographs served to show the human side of an otherwise invisible world.
What truly made Paul Sahab a legend was more than all of this. He gave of himself, his
photography, knowledge and ideas openly and without holding back, to those who sought
it, influencing hundreds of lives and touching thousands more. As critical he was of his own
practice and photography, he was just as appreciative of the works by others. Not one to
waste time and energy in promoting himself, Paul Sahab was also equally reclusive.
Paul Sahab was born on August 19, 1929. Being born on World Photography Day, he was
often heard saying, “I was born for photography.” He passed away on August 16, three days
short of his 89th birthday. Getting to hear of his passing came as a sudden shock... because
in some corner of my mind, despite the inevitability in all things, Paul Sahab was always
untiring and immortal. So he was. And so he remains.
K Madhavan Pillai
[email protected]
Better PhotograPhy sePtemBer 2017
V O L U M E 2 1 • I S S U E 4 • S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 7
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BETTER PHOTOGRAPHY SEPTEMBER 2017
September 2017
49 60
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PHOTOGRAPH: SHAHRIA SHARMIN
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InFocus
72 84
BetterPictures ShowCase PhotoFinish
48 PersPectives 72 sPecial showcase 134 story behiNd the Picture
Tinted, Untinted Indian Photography All Work and No Play!
How much of one’s art is Festival, Hyderabad —‘Breaker Boys’ by
truly and wholly theirs? An exclusive glimpse of Lewis Hine
Julie Blackmon what you can expect to The image which led to
Shahria Sharmin see at the festival this year the end of child labour in
Chieska Fortune Smith the United States
Deepti Asthana 84 ProFile
Maggie Steber
On love, loss, and the
spirit of adventure
100 sPecial Features
Regulars
A Himalayan Tryst
An exciting drive with
the Audi Quattros in Feedback ............................................................10
the mountains your Pictures ..................................................106
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abundant beauty Illuminate Book Project
and patterns amongst the photographs.
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BETTER PHOTOGRAPHY AUGUST 2017 AUGUST 2017 BETTER PHOTOGRAPHY in which I live in. I had previously seen
Åsa Sjöström’s photograph titled Birthday
Educating Young Minds The August 2017 issue
Chocolate, which won her a World Press
of Better Photography
I have been an ardent follower of Anirudh featured an exclusive Photo Award. But I knew very little of her
Agarwal’s work. In fact, an earlier story preview of Illuminate, extended body of work on Moldova. I went
a photobook featuring
that was published in the October 2016 back and did my research, and discovered
images shot by the
issue of Better Photography titled ‘Nysha that the small eastern European country
children under the
and Her Sunbeam Talbot’, inspired me to umbrella of New Light, has been infamously dubbed as the
photograph my nephew. The moments an NGO in Kolkata. world’s least happy place! It is unfortunate
10 are fl eeting, true, but with children they’re Anirudh Agarwal that despite the abundant beauty of the
mentored these children
even faster. I recall drawing parallels in his in a 10-day workshop. place, the children in Moldova continue
photographs, observing every frame more to battle against various social and
closely and acknowledging his precision economic problems.
in framing. It was only after I began What I appreciated the most about
documenting did I realise that there are Asa’s work was her dedication to the story.
several factors at play when photographing a Perhaps it stems from documenting her own
child. Anirudh has very successfully bridged country of Sweden, so intently.
the gap between staging the red car and the Priyashi Bubna, New Delhi
inability to stage his niece’s whims.
Development, at What Cost?
Last month, I chanced upon the August
2017 issue that carried the coverage of Åsa Sjöström’s Hailing from a small town in Uttrakhand,
‘Home of the Unknown’
photographs shot by the children of sex and having recently moved to New Delhi,
was featured in the
workers and also those rescued from sex August 2017 issue of I was moved by Parth Gupta’s photographs
traffi cking. Anirudh had mentored the Better Photography. depicting the rampant changes in the city,
children in a 10-day workshop. The result
culminated in a photobook titled Illuminate,
PROFILE
courtesy Beauty for Freedom (a non-profi t
organisation) and New Light (an NGO in Home of the Unknown
Kolkata, taking care of these children).
Åsa Sjöström creates awareness and intimacy, with a blend of documentary and fine
art photography, and personal intent. Sainethra Hariharan discovers a sense of both
It was wonderful to read about Anirudh’s affinity and hope within the quiet telling of Sjöström’s stories.
eabnodueat vpohuort oing readpuhcya.ting the young minds HUaexnkidrs atu iinnnek t,nh woeooTani wnntwfehh n aseiE tss xt cltat ieithoress ad5tsua ten 0thbwnr g iyneettier te t ms yhEwwat uorwaeRosyrreuiu.yo tnwAlhs pod sRe oepfi ila ouatMhl, nmtbc ob oae ectau alo hontdtsgouo eiosra mn tovat haoa tpperin ,hny ?od, k o r boCpaTfsrhtafyrhi tikoeM oÅzhneuceeoosndl alidlW asnad .S tts eoYot jh ahö(vers assaleterdth,. e iDr i TnePönt alhgbrm tbiee eleayes r ml psm l ifLoe hoPaisowordfh mea t)ceo , ofCh ethta,oh inartal it edtAdgte larrw gweweesodo naaoar rrtB,lny eldli,d i t rcstSr hs htiaiihshnnweisdlo g udsaa2wleryer0ecee 1.ss o 5 n,t .nw do
Everyone has
a story to tell.
Parth Jalan, Ranchi somYeooun eju tsot nheeeadr
you. I want to
be that someone
for those who
have no one to
Ability To Look Beyond Time hear them.
C(coAofotulenlgencgu haesis ttdk a2a u0Fy1ess7 r,t )now ta rohnabendnssee posr’ovu perrit tepehcdreeo m fpoehens so bEotauorc ggwker oatnopue mhl Adsy t g et in wRiIgnngehohro o(ntaiuirrFmhsantt’rpe shtd ot ec’ emBomsbrhr oisooh enrrt ctai tihdsMnhohree ,teldc o raosralallat ea dtyhhesr no,ia ais sdtvea smo sassnf ) c r.gahdB hiIiItae ovgtoehnner oosiinddnssr.l HcErchvaeieaedarbadtÅapr aaiunehprctsyfotnnyc,ns eoriha auu rvshyoemtflsoirtir,bnl eri dwiluo aog jtolieduud meltdn im wweyk fswherssecil frens a ibesoierehtsmoveotcc in enro,crhestbbinSmw.l neyesma awno rhese eaArg i a eelpsfi oc taotci tacw dmrnaemhehurni irfntcnenpad b o e eroeidamtodub o ln o mirtrhStas lnprnotang ovauai hewyidCdnagemkl leecptklme aain griaeosriwaneettlelltbt ldm oots hhntguiaiaschiaoenoeinu eee ttnnaopairruttnngsssliiiiddnnooeeccsssrrt,,.,.,
of the masters of the medium. She would BETTER PHOTOGRAPHY AUGUST 2017
BETTER PHOTOGRAPHY SEPTEMBER 2017
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Bridging the Technological Gap
During my recent visit at home, I stumbled capacity, or any capacity at all. He would
upon an old family photo album. It had sporadically take the camera out, mostly on
the most exquisite photographs of my special occasions.
extended family. The mood and framing, Now when take my camera to him,
and the use of light and shadow... and see him look at it, wide-eyed, he
it was almost as if these photographs would quickly lose interest. It could
capturing daily activities were being be on account of the device appearing
made by a professional photographer. foreign to him, as it is not a fi lm camera.
However, I couldn’t fi nd my father in any I am planning to gift him one soon, and
of the pictures. hopefully I’ll be able to perpetuate his
Eventually, I realised that he was the man interest and get him to pursue his hobby,
behind the photographs. While growing once again.
up, I had never seen him shoot in this Anigha Jain, Ludhiana
Reminiscing the Old Days
“It is ironic how owing to rapid urbanisation. Looking at
on one side we his series Terra Firma, published in the Anurag Banerjee’s ‘Love in Bombay’ (August
August 2017 issue of Better Photography, 2017) transported to me to my college days,
are engulfed by
I have developed a deeper and clearer when my boyfriend and I would hunt for
modernisation
understanding of what entails the high places in the city. Since both of us lived
and can’t fi nd rises and glass facades in metropolitan with our families, it was diffi cult to fi nd a
12 space in the cities. It perfectly aligns, yet juxtaposes with place to just sit and converse. Irani cafes in
Asa’s photographs on Moldova (also in the the city wouldn’t entertain us for long, and
cities, while
same issue). the local baristas were just too crowded.
there are
It is ironic how on one side we are Beaches became our go-to spot.
beautiful areas in engulfed by modernisation and can’t fi nd Mumbai has always had a symbiotic
the countryside, space in the cities, while there are beautiful relationship with the sea. It has seen all
areas in the countryside, left to disappear moods, be it affection, celebration or
left to disappear
into oblivion. We move to bigger cities for introspection. It is amazing how Anurag has
into oblivion.”
a better lifestyle, and in the process end up intertwined the relationship between these Anurag Banerjee’s
abandoning our hometowns. This brings me moods. His love for the city and its people, ‘Love in Bombay’
to a crucial question—Development, but at clearly shows in his visual documentation. was featured in the
August 2017 issue
what cost? I believe that when we are able to separate
of the magazine.
Vishaal Mudholkar, New Delhi ourselves from our subjects, and yet be a It documents the various
part of the storytelling; that is when such corners in the city that
What’s in a Mask? couples go to spend time
great documentation sees the light of day.
with one another.
Recently, I came across Kolkata-based Minal Khosla, Mumbai
photographer, Sujatro Ghosh’s series
comprising of provocative images of women PROFILE
in cow masks. This nature of documentation
has become the need of the hour.
While the emboldened vigilante groups
continue to take severe actions against cow
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this hypocrisy in his photographs, shot
all over the country... of women posing on
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Minal Khosla, Mumbai BETTER PHOTOGRAPHY AUGUST 2017 AUGUST 2017 BETTER PHOTOGRAPHY
BETTER PHOTOGRAPHY SEPTEMBER 2017
SSSSSSnnnnnnaaaaaapppppp SShhoottss
Remembering the Legendary S Paul
WHat’s nEW
Yongnuo 40mm f/2.8 and 100mm
The photography Photographer for two years, before joining
f/2 lenses
community The Indian Express as its Photo Editor in
The Yongnuo 40mm
f/2.8 lens has a around the country 1962, where he spent the next 26 years.
six-blade aperture, mourned the loss Paul, fondly known as Paul Saab, was the
a 58mm fi lter of the celebrated fi rst Indian whose portfolio was published
diameter, and a minimum focus distance of 0.3m.
photographer S Paul, by the celebrated British Journal of
The Yongnuo 100mm f/2 lens features a DC
motor, a nine-blade aperture, a minimum focus who passed away on Photography, in 1967. He was also the fi rst
distance of 0.9m. 16 August, after a bout Indian to win the Nikon International
of illness. His infl uence photo contest in 1971. In 2004, B&W
laowa 15mm f/2 lens
can be felt through the hoards of successful Magazine nicknamed him as ‘the Henri
The second lens in the Zero-D lineup
photographers like his brother Raghu Rai, Cartier-Bresson of India.’ He was also
boasts of being the widest available
rectilinear f/2 lens for the Sony who he had mentored. conferred with the National Award for
E-system. Its closest focus distance is Born in 1929, in Jhang, Pakistan, Paul’s Lifetime Achievement in Photography,
15cm, and it has a nine blade aperture
family moved to Shimla after partition. in 2010.
which runs to f/22. The lens will be available for
shipping by September, and is priced at USD 850 A self-taught photographer, he discovered Paul photographed until the very end
(approx. Rs. 54,510). his passion for photography as a teenager. of his life, staying in constant practice.
Later on, after quitting the draftsman’s job, During an interview with BP in 2012, he
Yongnuo Yn686EX-Rt Flashgun
he was invited by the Indian government had said, “I practice photography like
Yongnuo’s fi rst
to help build a photography department anyone practices music. Skipping a day in
lithium-ion powered
14 fl ash for the Canon RT in Himachal Pradesh, post which, he music is equal to being six days behind.
system is compatible worked with the Indian Railways as a Chief I apply the same principle to photography.”
with Canon E-TTL and
E-TTL II fl ash systems.
It features a 2000 mAh
Li-ion battery, which is said to power 750
fl ashes at full power. It only takes 1.5 seconds
to recycle a full charge, and is capable of
working as master or slave. It also comes with
the option of optical slave triggering. The fl ash
can be used in high-speed sync modes, up to
shutterspeeds of 1/8000s. It is priced at USD 150
(approx. Rs. 9610).
MMaannffrroottttoo 336600°° vviirrttuuaall RReeaalliittyy RRaannggee
The new range of bases, booms,
and dollies by Manfrotto are aimed
at Virtual Reality content creators.
It includes a pump cup with a
ul
spigot adapter, a mini tripod kit, an a
P
adjustable dolly, and a panoramic S
/
head, amongst others. The range ph
a
starts at USD 35 (approx. Rs. 2240). gr
o
ot
h
P
“Photography deals exquisitely with appearances,
but nothing is what it appears to be.”
DUanE MICHals (1932)
Duane Michals is an American photographer, known for his photographic innovation. He is widely recognised for his work with multiple exposures,
and inclusion of text along with his pictures. He worked as a freelance fashion photographer and portraitist in the 1960s. His artistic photo sequences
address philosophical and literary ideas about gender, sexuality, and death. Largely self-taught, Michals’s interest in art fi rst began at the age of 14,
which then lead him to pursue graphic designing. It was only in 1958 that he discovered his interest in photography.
Better PhotograPhy sePtemBer 2017
snaPshots
Fashion Photographer Gösta Peterson Passes Away
WHat’s nEW
Panasonic Eluga a3 and a3 Plus
Gösta Peterson, one of the pathbreaking
The Eluga A3 and the Eluga
Swedish fashion photographers, passed
A3 Pro, both sport 13MP rear
cameras and LED fl ash, with away on 28 July in Manhattan. His work was
an 8MP camera in the front. published in various U.S. publications like
n
Priced at Rs. 11,290 and Rs. o
12,790 respectively, the only Esquire and Harper’s Bazaar. ers
His most celebrated work changed the face et
difference between the two are P
their processors and storage of fashion history. It was when he featured sta
o
capacities. The A3 has 16GB of in-built storage, the once-spurned black model Naomi Sims, G
/
while the other offers 32GB. on the cover of the New York Times Magazine, aph
nokia 8 in 1967. The cover was widely regarded as the otogr
The Nokia 8 features a 13MP fi rst by a major American fashion magazine, Ph
f/2 rear camera, developed in with a racially mixed readership, to feature the people I photographed, and it wasn’t
collaboration with Zeiss, has a black model. He was also known to necessary that they were really beautiful.
optical image stabilisation,
encourage his subjects like Twiggy, Salvador It was important that they had character, and
along with a secondary 13MP
monochrome sensor. It also comes Dali and Duke Ellington, to confront the that they had emotion that was interesting.
equipped with a dual-tone LED fl ash camera rather than seduce it, trying to get I latched onto that and showed it in my
and a front-facing 13MP f/2 camera.
characters rather than just beauty. “I selected pictures,” Peterson said.
The device sports a 4K video mode too, and is
priced at 600 euros (approx. Rs. 45,230).
lG Q6 Legendary LIFE Photo Editor, John Morris, No More
The LG Q6 is powered by an octa-core
Snapdragon 435 SoC processor, along
The renowned photo editor, John G New York Times, and was the European
with 3GB RAM. It features a 13MP
1166
rear camera, and a 5MP front-facing Morris, who left an indelible stamp correspondent for National Geographic.
camera. Its most signifi cant feature is on photojournalism through WWII Despite his passionate interest in
the 5.5 inch FullVision display, which is photographs, passed away on 28 July, at a photojournalism, Morris had little
said to have a ‘taller-than-usual’ aspect
hospital near his home in Paris. interest in being a photographer himself.
ratio of 18:9. It comes with 32GB of
in-built storage, and is available exclusively on While completing his study from the However, when asked about what he
Amazon India for Rs. 14,990. University of Chicago, Morris became viewed as a photojournalist’s essential
passionate about photojournalism and qualities, he said, “Timing is all important
Miggo agua
formed a student magazine called Pulse, in photography. Not just the timing of the
Miggo’s new line of camera
bags are all storm-proof by the based on the model of LIFE, consequently shutter itself, but knowing when to work and
IPX3-standard, and is designed joining the same publication in 1938. when not to work, when to photograph and
with durable tarpaulin. He assigned Robert Capa to cover the allied when not to photograph.”
The fi rst of the three, the Agua
invasion of Normandy, during which
Versa pack is designed to give
fast and easy access to gear, Capa produced his most iconic photo of
and it features an external the landing.
access charging arrangement Morris donned several roles in his a
for mobile phones. The Agua Drone Lander ap
lifetime, in photo departments spread C
cthoem DeJsI wMiathv iac alanndd iSnpga mrka td aronnde iss. bTuhilet tAog cuoa nStlaining across various publications. He was bert
o
is a more compact camera bag, and can carry a the Picture Editor with Ladies’ Home R
/
full-format DSLR and three professional lenses. Journal, First Executive Editor of Magnum aph
Astlal trhtirnege a bta UgSs Da r1e2 0a v(aaiplapbrloex f.o Rrs p. r7e6-9o0r)d eorniwnga,r ds. Photos, Assistant Managing Editor at The otogr
Washington Post, Picture Editor of The Ph
Better PhotograPhy sePtemBer 2017
EvEnts
16-17 september
art and science
of Photography
Workshop
Chennai In Memoriam—the Legendary Arlene Gottfried
PRo talk
Rear Curtain sync
Arlene Gottfried, the NYC
is a setting where the
flash fires only when street photographer,
The workshop for the rear curtain of the passed away on 8 August, at her
beginners delves into focal plane shutter
home in Manhattan. She had
the art and science of moves at the end of
photography. It aims to an exposure. breast cancer. Born and raised in
educate participants Brooklyn, Gottfried is famously ed
omne tdhiuem c,o anlcoenpgt sw oitfh t he known for having captured the ottfri
its functions. By the lesser-seen neighbourhoods of e G
epnadrt oicfi pthaen tsse wssilli obne, New York City, for decades. Arlen
educated on topics After attending the Fashion ph/
ranging from different Institute of Technology, gra
camera formats, to the and then holding a job as a oto
uses of various kinds photographer at an ad agency, Ph
of lenses. The workshop
is priced at Rs. 6400 for she transitioned as a freelance through a drug hotspot in New York, where
early bird registrations, photographer for some of the biggest people “watch TVs on cars and shoot up in
after which the fee
will increase. names in publishing like The New York Times the streets”.
For more details, visit Magazine, Fortune, LIFE, and The Independent. Daniel Cooney, Gottfrieds’ fine art
www.toehold.in/
Over the span of three decades, Gottfried dealer, remembers her as, “Gottfried always
photography-workshop-
chennai.php published five books titled, Mommie, photographed the people she identified
The Eternal Light, Midnight, Sometimes with—the underdogs, the unsung heroes
17 september Overwhelming and Bacalaitos and Fireworks. and the people living on the fringe. I think
WePooler DCP
Weekend Photowalk One of Gottfried’s most famous photos that’s why people loved her work so much,
111888 shows nuns and children walking in a line there was always something to relate to.”
Einstein’s Signed Photo Auctioned for USD 125,000
The iconic photograph of did, Einstein was so amused that
vashi Creek, Mumbai
The weekend photowalk Albert Einstein sticking UPI he ordered several prints for his
offers the opportunity his tongue out has been sold or close friends. While it is popularly
tpoh obtuodgdrianpgh nya etunrteh usiasts for USD 125,000 (approx. sse f shown as a cropped version with
a
tToh ere ofirngea nthiseeirr ss khiallvse. Rbys. N 8a0t ela Dkh Ssa) nadt aenrs a Auuctcitoionn hse. ld hur S oaunclyti Eoninesdte pinh ointo tghrea pphic rtueprer,e tsheen ts
iadreonutnifide tdh e52 c liotyc, awtihoicnhs The picture was captured by h/Art the original, where he is seated
p
serve as promising spots United Press International gra between his hosts, Dr Frank
fwoirth nina ttuhree u prhboatno gjurnagplehy. (UPI) photographer, Arthur hoto Aydelotte and his wife. One of
The event is free to Sasse, on Einstein’s 72nd P these signed images was sold at an
attend, although those birthday celebration. auction for USD 74,324 (approx. Rs.
interested will need to Tired of smiling for the pictures that 47 lakhs) in June 2009, making it the most
register 48 hours prior.
For further details, whole evening, Einstein decided to make a expensive photograph of Einstein in the
contact Pankaj Veerkar silly face instead. Initially, UPI was hesitant world. That signed print has now been
at [phone].
to publish the picture. However, when it supplanted by this auction.
BBeetttteerr PPhhoottooggrraaPPhhyy sePtemBer 2017