AdivPhotography

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Adiv Photography, featuring the photographs of Samuel A. Cohen.

Galleries

Kisses : Kisses The first ten photos in this gallery were displayed at the Bronfman Center (7 E. 10th St, New York, NY) in Fall 2010. The last nine images are also of kissing, but weren't displayed. "Decisive Kisses" | Artist Statement I've been collecting photographs of kissing for the past two years. It started as a series of coincidences, and grew into a project. Photographing kissing is a lot of fun, because the act of photography is very similar to the act of kissing. Here's why: (Note: when I say "kissing" here, I'm referring to public kissing, not private. As a photographer, I'm only interested in what I can see, what I can cause others to see, and (most importantly in this case) what my subjects choose to let me see. So I don't photograph private kissing--all of the couples here were in public spaces, and I never hid behind bushes or did anything illegal to obtain the image.) Photography and kissing tend to happen during the same time of day. Beautiful light appeals to both photographers and lovers. Harsh morning light sends shadows down faces, and is a less romantic time. Soft afternoon shade and the golden hour before the sunset make everyone's faces look their best, and also tend to be prime kissing moments. Photography and kissing tend to happen in the same places. Think of the places you tend to pull out your camera: on top of mountains, in a park, on the beach, during travel in a foreign country. These are popular kissing locations as well. Why is that? What subconscious impulse drives us to declare a certain location both kiss- and photo-worthy? Photography and kissing tend to happen during the same occasions. Think of weddings, parties, birthdays, and long-term departures. Each event carries a feeling of precious "timefulness," a celebration of living to this moment and being together with people you care about (if only momentarily). Something in us, the part that recognizes the unstoppable rush of time, wants to capture these moments, and so we reach for our cameras and for those we love. Taking a photo and taking a kiss both help to mentally preserve those moments for us. Doing it in public can feel obtrusive, but is occasionally widely accepted. “Get a room,” we say to couples who are making out in the middle of a crowded sidewalk, and we could just as easily say “Get a studio” to photographers who insist on arranging their photoshoot in the same place. However, there are moments when we expect and encourage both kissing and photography--for example, think of homecoming soldiers: we expect them to be in a kissing mood, just as we expect the photographers to be there to document it (think of Alfred Eisenstaedt's famous and unquestionably politically correct V-J Day photo of the sailor kissing a nurse in Times Square). Why is photographing kissing seen as less acceptable than photographing any other public action? Why would photographing handholding be seen as less audacious? Why would photographing couples doing anything more intense than kissing be seen as an unacceptable invasion of privacy? Where do we draw our lines of inappropriateness? I've always been frustrated by how we deliberately avert our gaze from the emotional openness of others, and from ourselves: we seem almost afraid of looking it in the face. These photos allow the viewer to actually go ahead and stare, something we always sort of want to do, but never quite feel comfortable doing. Photography and kissing both rely on a subconscious instinct for the "decisive moment." When do you decide to press the shutter? When do you decide to lean in and kiss? Henri Cartier-Bresson asserted that photography (and the decisive moment in particular) is “simultaneously and instantaneously the recognition of a fact and the rigorous organization of visually perceived forms that express and signify that fact.” Kissing is the same: we recognize that we feel love or affection for someone, and we communicate that through a physically perceived form that expresses that sentiment. Both photography and kissing are modes of communication, and as with any communication, it is most effective when applied at the right time. And so a photograph of a kiss documents two decisive moments: the kissers’, and the photographer’s. If the kissing moment hadn’t happened, the photo would be boring; and if I hadn’t caught the composition and exposure just right, the photo wouldn’t have been worth looking at. This produces an intriguing three-way dynamic when photographing kissing. I have been frequently caught off-guard by a kissing couple I see right as I come around the corner, and don't have time to get my camera out. Equally frequently I have set up the perfect composition and lighting near an amorous couple, and waited and waited for them to kiss...to no avail (sometimes they start arguing, or they just misjudge each other's emotions--don't you hate it when that happens?). But since I never asked my subjects to pose, each photo becomes a celebration of many genuine elements aligning in all the right ways at just the right time. It's tremendously thrilling when it happens--for all three of us. They're both a very fun art. And they both take some experimenting and practice to get right. If you're interested, you can also read my research paper on kissing.

Kisses

Kisses The first ten photos in this gallery were displayed at the Br ...

Updated: Mar 15, 2013 1:28pm PST

Portfolio : Portfolio The images below are what I consider to be my best work. You can click on the thumbnail to select the image, then click on the main image to see a larger view.

Portfolio

New York City : New York, New York Photographs created 2006 through 2010.

New York City

New York, New York Photographs created 2006 through 2010.

Updated: Oct 25, 2012 9:31pm PST

Portraits : Portraits "Everything that is visible hides something that is invisible." -- Rene Magritte You can click on the thumbnail to select the image, then click on the main image to see a larger view.

Portraits

Black & White : Black & White

Black & White

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Third Space Conference

Sam Cohen from Bivins Brothers on Vimeo.

Updated: Nov 18, 2010 10:02pm PST

Portugal : Portugal Photographs created in August 2010. More coming soon!

Portugal

Portugal Photographs created in August 2010. More coming soon!

Updated: Oct 03, 2010 1:01pm PST

Gradient Art : Gradient Art

Gradient Art

Gradient Art

Updated: Oct 03, 2010 11:56am PST

Sukkah City : Sukkah City in Union Square

Sukkah City

Sukkah City in Union Square

Updated: Sep 20, 2010 9:11pm PST

The Bike :

The Bike

Updated: Sep 07, 2010 7:28am PST

Retouched : Retouched You can click on the thumbnail to select the image, then click on the main image to see a larger view.

Retouched

Celine (private) :

Celine (private)

Updated: Jun 30, 2010 12:03pm PST

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The Kissing Paper

The Kissing Paper

Updated: May 28, 2010 2:26pm PST

HDR : HDR High Dynamic Range (HDR) images are a new frontier in photography. Normal photographs only capture the image with one exposure. HDR technology combines several shots of the same scene taken with incrementally adjusted exposures to attain an image with a wide range of light levels. The result is closer to what we see in real life, as it brightens shadows and darkens highlights without compromising the rest of the image. All of these images look great in a larger size. Make sure you click on the main image for a larger view.

HDR

Mexico : Mexico Photos created in Mexico City, Puebla, and Cuetzalan in 2010.

Mexico

Mexico Photos created in Mexico City, Puebla, and Cuetzalan in 2010 ...

Updated: Apr 10, 2010 4:15pm PST

NYU Exhibit 2010 : NYU Exhibit 2010

NYU Exhibit 2010

NYU Exhibit 2010

Updated: Mar 23, 2010 9:09pm PST

Misc Files : Item 1 Item 2 Item 3 Item 4 Item 5 Item 6 Item 7 Item 8 Item 9

Misc Files

Item 1 Item 2 Item 3 Item 4 Item 5 Item 6 Item 7 Item 8 I ...

Updated: Dec 28, 2009 3:06pm PST

Places :

Places

Israel 2008 : Israel 2008 These photos were taken in December 2008 and January 2009.

Israel 2008

Israel 2008 These photos were taken in December 2008 and January 20 ...

Updated: Dec 27, 2009 9:41am PST

Prince Edward Island : Prince Edward Island, Canada Photographs created in 2007. All of these images look great in a larger size. Make sure you click on the image for a larger view.

Prince Edward Island

Prince Edward Island, Canada Photographs created in 2007. All of the ...

Updated: Dec 27, 2009 9:36am PST

Cayman Islands : Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands The Cayman Islands are a small archipelago about 150 miles south of Cuba. The photographs below were created in 2008. All of these images look great in a larger size. Make sure you click on the image for a larger view.

Cayman Islands

Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands The Cayman Islands are a small archipela ...

Updated: Dec 27, 2009 9:36am PST

Switzerland : Sils-Maria, Switzerland Sils-Maria is a small village in the Alps, near St. Moritz. All of these images look great in a larger size. Make sure you click on the image for a larger view.

Switzerland

Sils-Maria, Switzerland Sils-Maria is a small village in the Alps, ne ...

Updated: Dec 27, 2009 9:35am PST

London : London, England Photographs created in 2004.

London

France : Nice, France Nice is a popular tourist destination in France's Cote D'Azur. All of these images look great in a larger size. Make sure you click on the image for a larger view.

France

Nice, France Nice is a popular tourist destination in France's Cote D ...

Updated: Dec 27, 2009 9:34am PST

Israel : Israel Photos created 2007-2009.

Israel

Italy : Torino, Italy Torino, also known as Turin, is a large city in northern Italy. All of these images look great in a larger size. Make sure you click on the image for a larger view.

Italy

Torino, Italy Torino, also known as Turin, is a large city in norther ...

Updated: Dec 27, 2009 9:33am PST

The Miracle Worker Cast Photos : The Miracle Worker Cast The cast photos from Mt. Blue High School's spring 2009 production of The Miracle Worker. For these photos, I mixed two photographic eras: the sepia tone of the late 19th Century (when the Helen Keller story took place) and the semi-desaturated tone of the 1950s (when William Gibson wrote the play).

The Miracle Worker Cast Photos

The Miracle Worker Cast The cast photos from Mt. Blue High School's s ...

Updated: Dec 27, 2009 9:33am PST

The Boys Next Door Publicity Photos : The Boys Next Door Publicity Photos All of these images look great in a larger size. You can click on the thumbnail to select the image, then click on the main image to see a larger view.

The Boys Next Door Publicity Photos

The Boys Next Door Publicity Photos All of these images look great ...

Updated: Dec 27, 2009 9:32am PST

The Boys Next Door Cast : The Boys Next Door Cast The cast photos from the Mt. Blue High School fall 2008 production of The Boys Next Door. The "colored clouds" effect represents the characters' views of the world, which have been skewed by mental disability.

The Boys Next Door Cast

The Boys Next Door Cast The cast photos from the Mt. Blue High School ...

Updated: Dec 27, 2009 9:32am PST

Into the Woods Publicity Photos : Into the Woods Publicity Photos The publicity photos from the Mt. Blue High School spring 2008 production of Stephen Sondheim's Into the Woods. All of these images look great in a larger size. You can click on the thumbnail to select the image, then click on the main image to see a larger view.

Into the Woods Publicity Photos

Into the Woods Publicity Photos The publicity photos from the Mt. B ...

Updated: Dec 27, 2009 9:32am PST

Into the Woods Cast : Into the Woods Cast The cast photos from Mt. Blue High School's Spring 2008 production of Steven Sondheim's Into the Woods. For this set, in contrast to the Our Town set, I used a warm filter at sunset in front of a tree, to give color and vibrancy to a very vibrant musical.

Into the Woods Cast

Into the Woods Cast The cast photos from Mt. Blue High School's Sprin ...

Updated: Dec 27, 2009 9:31am PST

Our Town Cast : Our Town Cast The cast photos from the Mt. Blue High School fall 2007 production of Our Town by Thornton Wilder. For this set, I used a plain white backdrop and shot in black and white in an attempt to convey the austerity and simplicity of Wilder's classic bare-stage drama.

Our Town Cast

Our Town Cast The cast photos from the Mt. Blue High School fall 2007 ...

Updated: Dec 27, 2009 9:30am PST

Tableaux Vivants : Tableaux Vivants Tableau vivant is French for "living picture." In photography, tableau vivant is used to describe a scene that contains many people frozen in one moment, and so illustrating a larger scene. A good tableau vivant should contain enough to give the viewer a sense of the individual and the entire scene simultaneously. All of these images look great in a larger size. Make sure you click on the image for a larger view.

Tableaux Vivants

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Trends in BPM of Popular Music 1900-2009

Trends in BPM of Popular Music 1900-2009

Updated: Dec 16, 2009 10:09pm PST

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Trends in BPM of Popular Music 1900-2009

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Updated: Dec 16, 2009 9:47pm PST

Jedd and Jessie 2009 :

Jedd and Jessie 2009

Updated: Aug 27, 2009 3:59pm PST

Shachar and Zev : Shachar and Zev: January 4, 2009 And other family photos from that trip. To see general photos of Israel I took during that time, click here. Enjoy!

Shachar and Zev

Shachar and Zev: January 4, 2009 And other family photos from that t ...

Updated: Apr 24, 2009 9:08am PST

The Miracle Worker Publicity Photos : The Miracle Worker Publicity Photos The publicity photos from the Mt. Blue High School spring 2009 production of William Gibson's The Miracle Worker. You can click on the thumbnail to select the image, then click on the main image to see a larger view.

The Miracle Worker Publicity Photos

The Miracle Worker Publicity Photos The publicity photos from the Mt. ...

Updated: Apr 22, 2009 1:04pm PST

Theater Publicity :

Theater Publicity

Updated: Apr 21, 2009 2:49pm PST

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Resume

Samuel A. Cohen | Adiv Photography Resume Education ~New York Universi ...

Updated: Jan 18, 2009 3:24pm PST

Maine : Maine All of these images look great in a larger size. Make sure you click on the image for a larger view.

Maine

Maine All of these images look great in a larger size. Make sure you ...

Updated: Nov 28, 2008 12:45pm PST

Gear : Below are photos of the photography gear I currently use. The photos are from various commercial sources, and were not taken by me.

Gear

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Greeting Cards

How Greeting Cards Work Adiv Photography offers Have more que ...

Updated: Feb 13, 2008 7:10am PST

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Contact

Comments, concerns, feedback, ...

Updated: Feb 05, 2008 5:38pm PST

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Information

Information Printing All of my prints are made at EZPrints, one of ...

Updated: Feb 05, 2008 8:15am PST

Creative :

Creative

Updated: Jan 26, 2008 3:02pm PST

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Testing 5

Updated: Jan 20, 2008 1:44pm PST

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Testing entrances

Updated: Jan 20, 2008 11:30am PST

Prince Edward Island :

Prince Edward Island

Updated: Jan 17, 2008 1:19pm PST

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All Photographs Copyright Samuel A. Cohen | Adiv Photography ©2008-2010