“I’m always fascinated by how quick
some great great photographers disappear.”
by Emily Jaeger, Features Editor
Jean-Jacques Naudet has already had an illustrious career in photography. He was the Editor-in-Chief of French PHOTO Magazine at its height in the ’70s and ‘80s, editor-at-large for American PHOTO, and eventually the founder of his own magazine, the former Le Journal Photographie.
In his latest endeavor, the website L’Oeil de la Photographie (The Eye of Photography), Naudet aims to bring together what he describes as “the two worlds of photography”: those who, like himself, “are passionate and have the knowledge and the culture of photography,” and the younger generation, “these millions and millions of young kids addicted to photography through Flickr, Instagram, and Facebook [who] may be lacking the background, the culture, and the knowledge.”
Aimed at a global audience, L’Oeil is available in French, English, or Chinese, and is a conglomerate reporting on photographic exhibitions, portfolios, awards, and books. While at least the English version of the site would occasionally benefit from some editing, the most important element of the site—the collection of stellar photography—is a delight to behold. L’Oeil rewards its international audience, who may not be able to attend a week-long gallery exhibition in Paris or Los Angeles, with a window into the breadth of contemporary photography.
L’Oeil also functions as an evolving photographic archive. Naudet writes, “I’m always fascinated by how quick some great great photographers disappear.” Free to access and easily searchable, L’Oeil preserves ephemeral shows and exhibits artists from the well- to lesser-known. Committed to showcasing and supporting emerging photographers, the magazine also invites readers to submit portfolios that, if chosen, are published each weekend as part of a “Portfolio of Readers” series.
Whether you are looking for a one-stop, comprehensive guide to contemporary photography, or you are an emerging artist interested in expanding your audience, it is worth joining L’Oeil’s newsletter and bookmarking this necessary site: “We believe that at a time when one billion people communicate through images using Facebook, Instagram, Flicker…it is time for Photography to have place where all its forms, colors, and trends can be expressed, visualized, and archived.”
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