Photo by Jacob Drabik

The Lens

The Lens is the FotoFocus editorial platform, highlighting our programming and featuring in-depth conversations on photography and the moving image drawn from perspectives and insights in our community, throughout our region, and around the globe.


Writing with Light: Photography and the Sun

Posted on March 26, 2024

On April 8, 2024, a total solar eclipse will cross North America, passing over Mexico, the United States, and Canada, including portions of the Greater Cincinnati area being directly on the southern limit of the path of totality. If you're planning to view this exciting celestial event, proper eye protection is key. One method of safely viewing the total solar eclipse is with a camera obscura or pinhole projector. We've rounded up a list of some photographers who take into consideration the profound relationship between photography and the sun as well as a tutorial on... Continue reading Writing with Light: Photography and the Sun


The Future is Bright for FotoFocus

Posted on January 11, 2023

Letter from the Executive Director

Thank you to everyone who supported FotoFocus in 2022. Last year was a stellar undertaking by the organization: we hosted the Telephotography Symposium in April (postponed from its original October schedule) along with the 2022 FotoFocus Biennial: World Record. These two signature programs brought a record number of artists, curators, and enthusiasts together for thoughtful conversations, exhibitions, and programs throughout the year. These events addressed topics as far ranging as early experimentations of photographing electricity, the use of timelapse photography in recording glacial melting... Continue reading The Future is Bright for FotoFocus


FotoFocus Executive Director Announcement

Posted on December 12, 2022

FotoFocus Announces Retirement of Executive Director Mary Ellen Goeke Biennial DirectorKatherine Ryckman Siegwarth Named Successor

FotoFocus, the nonprofit dedicated to championing  photography and lens-based art, today announced that its founding Executive Director Mary Ellen Goeke will retire at the end of 2022. She will be succeeded by FotoFocus Biennial Director Katherine Ryckman Siegwarth, who will take the role of the second FotoFocus Executive Director since the institution’s founding in 2010. The transition is marked by a moment of tremendous growth, as FotoFocus plans to build a new center for photography and lens-based art in Cincinnati that will ensure the... Continue reading FotoFocus Executive Director Announcement


East & Central Cincinnati Neighborhood Spotlight

Posted on October 22, 2022

As part of the 2022 Biennial, FotoFocus is featuring a number of Neighborhood Spotlight Days: Opportunities to visit multiple Participating Venues in certain geographic locations on a day when artists, curators, and more will likely be present, along with other neighborhood activities—a great chance to dive into the energy of the Biennial… and map out a plan to get to venues in a year with such a chock-full exhibition list. Each day, you’re invited on a journey through art and the communities hosting it.

Featured here: East & Central Cincinnati; Saturday, October 22

Continue reading East & Central Cincinnati Neighborhood Spotlight

FotoFocus in Columbus

Posted on October 20, 2022

Sometimes you need to get out of town to see something fresh. And sometimes, that can mean just a short ride up I-71. If you’ve got the itch to get out of town, you’re in luck—FotoFocus has a road trip mapped out for you.

As part of the 2022 Biennial, FotoFocus is featuring a number of Neighborhood Spotlight Days: Opportunities to visit multiple Participating Venues in certain geographic locations on a day when artists, curators, and more will likely be present, along with other neighborhood activities—a great chance to dive into the energy of the... Continue reading FotoFocus in Columbus