ALLIE PISARRO-GRANT | DATE 4/5/2011

Photo Camp, presented by Aperture Foundation and Sony, at ARTBOOK @ Paper Chase, April 1-3, 2011

This weekend, ARTBOOK @ Paper Chase was host to a vibrant event that transformed the space into a classroom and lecture hall. Photo Camp, presented by Aperture Foundation and Sony, is a three-day bi-costal event in which BFA and MFA students from California and New York schools were nominated to participate.

Each nominee is paired with one of Sony's "Artisans of Imagery" to serve as a mentor for that student for the weekend. Based on synergies between their unique styles of photography and Sony’s line of DSLR cameras, Sony hand-selected six professional photographers to be included in its Artisans of Imagery program. These pro photographers include Nigel Barker, Andy Katz, Me Ra Koh, David McLain, Christina Mittermeier, Brian Smith and Matthew Jordan Smith. In the video above, you see these students and mentor pairs taking photographs in Los Angeles' famed garment district.

Back at ARTBOOK @ Paper Chase, the students held critiques of their photographs and heard lectures from the Artisans. The workshops were on the theme "The Culture of NOW." The second round of Photo Camp will take place this upcoming weekend in New York, held at Aperture Gallery and Bookstore. An exhibition of select images from the workshop will be on view at Aperture Gallery this summer.

Above, one of the student photographers with Artisan photographer Andy Katz (R).

Above, at top right, photographer/conservationist/marine biologist Cristina Mittermeier talks to the students.