The Lens

In advance of their FotoFocus Symposium keynote, photographer Mitch Epstein and art historian Robert Slifkin discuss how photography is shaped by economies as well as the paradox between its use as a tool to raise awareness in times of catastrophe rather than taking direct action. This year’s FotoFocus Symposium theme, Photo-Economics, asks us to consider how photography is both an art form and an economy and how it can tow the line between art and activism.

“The thing... Continue reading Symposium Keynote Preview: Mitch Epstein and Robert Slifkin Consider Photography as Economy and its Role in Activism

The conversations during the FotoFocus Symposium's morning session, Material Economics, consider the materials at the heart of photographic practice—silver, platinum, bitumen, paper, and chemicals—and the economic, social, and environmental histories they carry. For some, this means tracing photography back to the mines and factories where these substances originate. For others, it means looking closely at how those materials age, sustain over time, and are preserved.

To understand how materials shape the life of the photograph, we turned to two Symposium participants who have spent their careers studying and working with photographic matter itself. Lee Ann Daffner, Andrew W. Mellon... Continue reading Material Matters: A Q&A with Lee Ann Daffner and Alison Rossiter

With keynote conversation between Mitch Epstein and Robert Slifkin, and talks featuring Lauren Bon, Lee Ann Daffner, Katy Grannan, Danielle Jackson, Alison Rossiter, and others

Mitch Epstein, Ashton Clatterbuck, Lancaster, Pennsylvania, 2018. ©Black River Productions, Ltd./Mitch Epstein. Courtesy of Sikkema Malloy Jenkins and Yancey Richardson

Cincinnati, OH (August 21, 2025) — FotoFocus announces its Fall 2025 Symposium: Photo-Economics, an all-day event on Saturday, October 4, 2025, at... Continue reading FotoFocus Announces Fall 2025 Symposium: Photo-Economics

From watching construction progress on the FotoFocus Center, to hosting the Visiting Lecture and Artist Series, fostering new community partnerships, implementing the 2024 Biennial, and installing a mural, this year has been nothing short of exciting. We're excited to share a photo gallery from the Biennial. Stay tuned for 2025 as we look forward to welcoming visitors to the FotoFocus Center.

Below we recap 5 things that shaped our 2024.

Construction... Continue reading 2024: Our Year in Review

2023 has been an exciting year for FotoFocus. From watching construction progress on the FotoFocus Center, to hosting both the Visiting Lecture and Artist Series and Symposium, and planning for the 2024 Biennial, we managed to keep busy.

So, here we present: Five things that shaped our 2023.

Construction of the FotoFocus Center began January 9. Continue reading 2023: Our Year in Review