IRIS Nights lecturer Paul Lange <>< /> - pictured here in front of his stunning picture of Venus Williams - gave an impressive presentation on the art and technique of photography last night.

Some of the photos on the screen looked more like paintings or digitally constructed portraits then the straight film or digital photography which they truly are. But as Lange pointed out, that was his goal. He manipulated the photos during exposure in-camera by simply experimenting with chemical processing methods.

"A photo is not just a model posing. I want my photographs to be like paintings," said Lange. "I want them to be long living."

He even went into detail explaining how a photo could be double exposed, cross processed or dye transferred - terms that had all the non-photographers struggling to keep up.

"It's fun just playing with the rules. They work more often then they don't work so the key is to just try it," said Lange in reference to his experimental work.

Lange's diverse career led him to the world of fashion, photographing top models and celebrities from around the globe. He combined his fine art training with the fashion staples of good hair, makeup and perfect lighting to create his unique and polished style. Lange still creates all of his photographs in-camera and does not digitally alter them in post-production.

Lange explained that digital filters don't have the poetry that film does. "There is a translucent quality that you get by chance with film..." said Lange passionately, "otherwise it is too uniform."

Lange kept coming back to ideas of mystery, chance, passion and poetry relying on the imagery of a 'paint-like quality' to describe his photographic style.

His unique photographs were not the sole reason this night was different from our other lectures; last night was also the first time the Annenberg Space for Photography held two lectures by a photographer in one evening.

The night was so successful that we hope to do more double-header lectures in the future, giving our guests twice the opportunity to attend!

Thank you Paul Lange for giving two lovely presentations!

(All lecture photos by Unique for the Space)

"World's Greatest Adventure Photographer." "Explorer of Light." These are the names of just some of the awards that Tyler Stableford has won during his distinguished career as an outdoor/adventure photographer. Those are titles just about any adventure photographer would be more than happy to have.

Sitting front and center at Tyler's lecture last night were regular IRIS Nights attendees, Vaughn Hart and Jack Weiss. The two have each been to over 47 sessions of the lecture series since it began two years ago!

Tyler presented his lecture, titled "Out There: Capturing the Dramatic Moment," and the rock-climbing enthusiast, explained just how he goes about capturing those dramatic images.

One technique he prefers is to aim his camera directly into the sun. Take a look at the breath-taking shot above!

Tyler loves using wide lenses in his photographs and has a lot of fun framing his subjects in his photographs.

Tyler spent some time talking about his experience photographing a coal mine in Colorado. Tyler recounted incredible stories  of harrowing near-death episodes from the miners he photographed. Mining isn't just a dirty job, but a dangerous one!

Tyler touched upon the impact his photography has had on his personal live revealing that he and his wife, Megan, recently adopted a 9-month-old orphan from Ethiopia, a country in which he's shot some brilliant images.

Tyler screened the trailer to his short film, The Fall Line, which is about an injured Iraq War veteran whose mental and physical recovery involves the skiing slopes of Aspen, Colorado and his membership in the 2010 Paralympic ski team.

Tyler further lives up to his adventure reputation by photographing f-16 fighter jets and their pilots. Taking pictures in the sky - now that's adventurous!

Thanks for a great lecture, Tyler! We can't wait to see you capture more exciting images in the sky, below the ground and everywhere in between!

Watch Tyler's IRIS Nights lecture here (where you can also see the full trailer for The Fall Line) and learn more about him on his official site.

(All images by Unique for the Space)

Acclaimed photographer Ami Vitale joined us at the Space on Thursday and shared her award winning work shot in Kashmir along with other recent still and video projects. Vitale's photographs have appeared in Time, Newsweek, US News & World Report and The New York Times, among others.

We didn't know what to expect but got very positive words from the one-and-only David Hume Kennerly who called the day of the lecture to express his regrets for not being able to attend.

She was - as Kennerly forewarned us - extremely charming and quite a wonderful photographer. The theme of her talk was "The Story Within The Story" and she told many...

Touching stories, beautiful stories, tragic stories - moments of memory made timeless by the arresting images she took as they unfolded.

The images were poignant portraits of cultures and identities around the globe, and the stories she shared about them were just as engaging- we wished she published her written journal.

Her presentation displayed the strong bond that she shares with her subjects and the communities she works in.

A bond which - it was clear - she had no trouble making with those who came to hear her speak as well.

Ami withheld no details regarding her choice of photo gear, her process - or her decision not to use Photoshop.

She also made it clear through retelling some personal experiences, that she thinks every photographer should fight to keep their copyright.

A transporting evening courtesy of an amazing talent...and so friendly and approachable too!

Thank you Ami!

(All images © Unique for the Space)

Not even a broken leg could stop photographer Brain Bowen Smith from giving a rousing lecture at IRIS Nights last night.

Brian did not intend to define beauty last night but instead explained that he believes that the topic is truly subjective.

He described how the combination of luck, guts and fate landed him his first job with famed photographer Herb Ritts, who would later become his mentor. According to Brian, Ritts taught him how to adeptly manipulate natural light and use photography to translate a model's true self.

But his most significant contribution was the idea of simplicity. "Beauty is simplicity and everything revolves around beauty," said Brian. "So I want to keep it simple."

Brian revealed that Ritts's style has been a source of inspiration throughout his professional career. Here's a photo that has a hint of Ritts but is truly all Brian Bowen Smith.

Brian reiterated his belief in simplicity. "Don't make a big deal about it," offered Brian. "Have fun. Keep it simple."

His exuberant and animated personality had the audience engaged and laughing the entire night.

As one audience member put it, "he was so personable and such a good speaker. I was amazed by him!"

Thanks for a terrific lecture, Brian. Here's to a quick recovery!

For more information about Brian, visit his website.

(All lecture images by Unique for the Space)