Lane Collins is certainly no stranger to Hey, Hot Shot! So, it seems due time that she be the first to open up this edition's round of contenders.  I've personally been a fan of her work since writing about it way back when she had just finished her B.F.A. and made the bold move to Nelson, New Zealand.  More recently, I noticed that she'd garnered the attention of other bloggers as well.  If you're a regular reader of Lane's blog, you'd know that it's appropriately rife with research on alchemy, tarot cards, and synchronicity.
Collins explains her most recent body of work, Alchemy:

In this work, I examine ideas of spirituality, magic, synchronicity and interconnectedness. The resulting images make use of an esoteric symbology - informed by historical and mystical icons and blended with my own visual vocabulary - to explore the worlds we create in our minds. 

Her images and statement remind me of the magical and mysterious work of Hannah Whitaker.  It's evident that Collins is aware, on some level, consciously or subconsciously, (we could get very Jungian here if we wanted to...), of the work of other contemporary photographers.  But she's not one either to forget the roots and history of the medium.  As much as these photographs are tied to (or connected to, if you will) interconnectedness, the elements of earth, air, wind, and water, and other symbols, they are linked by the quality of light that is particular to her home in New Zealand.  Light, of course is the most fundamental element of photography, and light as it refers to a specific place goes, at least, all the way back to Weston in Mexico.
 
It is her particular attention to light and place that distinguishes her work from others.  While I think they were staged, the objects that she's photographed seem to have just washed up on shore, or fallen from the sky, or in this bird's case, fluttered back into a cage, all gifts from some other nebulous place. 

While I could go on for awhile about this work, just realizing that I'm also reminded of the opening events in Gabriel Garcia Marquez's masterpiece of magic-realism, Love in the Time of Cholera, where a bird's escape from a cage results in Dr. Juvenal Urbino's tragic death, I better stop, as we are short on time.  We're actually very short on time: this edition of Hey, Hot Shot! closes in less than a month, on Tuesday, November 11th, so get on it, apply before this opportunity flies away too! 

I've always liked Hasted Hunt. They often have great shows and now they have a great, politically-supportive project. Contact the gallery at 212.627.0006 or info@hastedhunt.com to purchase a limited edition print of Martin Schoeller's portrait of Obama taken in 2004. The print is an 11" by 14" archival pigment print, an edition of 500, each signed and numbered by Schoeller. The prints are $250 plus shipping and handling. All of the proceeds go directly to the Obama campaign.

Alec Soth Advantage Inn, from the series "Niagara," 8"x10" C-Print on 11"x14" paper, Photo taken 2005, Printed 2007, Artist's Proof 1/5, Value: $1,200.00, Starting Bid: $700.00 Art for Obama writes, in response to posts here and on 20x200:

"We've been working w/a legal team for weeks, and in order to abide by FEC regulations, we will not be donating our proceeds directly to Obama or the DNC . Instead, the proceeds will go to MoveOn.org; one of the most effective advocacy groups for the Obama campaign, who is also involved in respectful, and progressive issues that concern us all as Americans. In addition, the auction will now run from October 3, 5pm EST through October 10th, 5pm EST."

From blog.noahkalina.com I admit, I'm not the most technical of photographers. So I am always happy to be given an explanation about what equipment any photographer uses. Here's a nice glimpse into Summer '05 Hot Shot Noah Kalina's Everyday:

On January 11, 2000 I started taking a picture of myself every day with the Sony DSR-PC100 (left). On October 1, 2004 I replaced that camera with the Kyocera Finecam SL300R (middle). On October 1, 2008 I will replace that camera with the Nikon Coolpix S10 (right).

Hot Shot Nina Berman on www.artforobama.net Today was the kind of day that made me really thankful that Rosh Hashanah, the beginning of the Jewish year, is in a few days. I think I need a new beginning. I think we all need a new beginning. Banks failing, jobs disappearing, prices rising, and so on. So I can't help but be a little bit enlightened/encouraged by those who are also searching for change: On 20x200, Kara reports on Art for Obama, a photography auction initiative to raise money for the campaign. Some JB-related — Alec Soth and Nina Berman — are even involved. And then there's this: The Great Schlep. It has nothing to do with photography, and when it was forwarded to me, I immediately assumed I would hate everything about it. But I don't. It is silly, but they have a point. I hope they help. Also, Lipstick for Change. A few weeks ago I got an e-mail from an old friend asking if I wanted to take some photos for a new project she was about to begin. There was lipstick. And there was exciting thinking. There was hope. And there was, of course, Obama. You should shoot some photos for them too. P.S. When I went to Flickr, just now, to upload the photo for to complete this post, I found this, from my talented friend, Carrie McClean. It's a photo, so it's related. And it's adorable. You should think about wearing one of her rings. And take photos. (I should stay more on task: photos.)

Needle-Needle-Nee by Coke Wisdom O'Neal on 20x200 I've had one of Coke Wisdom O'Neal's medicine cabinets hanging in my bathroom for years. I got mine, from Mixed Greens, for free. They sent it in the mail a long time ago; I wish I could remember exactly why. It wasn't a bribe; I wrote this sort of overblown blurb in The Village Voice about Coke's work all on my own. That said, you need one hanging in your bathroom too. Visit 20x200 to see what, if any, of each edition is left. I was happy to see these two pieces in my inbox today. I still love how the cabinet serves as a perfect frame for his portraits. Also, his work makes me think about how I have pills all over my house and maybe I need some structure. Morning medicine near the front door, night medicine near the bed, mid-day pill cases in every purse, etc. It's like I live in a medicine cabinet; as such I'm afraid I'd be a terrible subject for O'Neal. P.S. Do visit Mixed Greens. It was one of the first places I loved for its art-for-everyone ethos. I knew I'd found a good group when I used the bathroom, on my first visit, and in there they had a shelf lined with a Ryan McGinness work that consisted of tall gold plated sports-figurine topped trophies bearing phrases like "#1 Artist" and "Best Artist Ever in the World."

Katarina, from Hot Shot Karolina Karlic's Dear Diary series Spring '07 Hot Shot, Ne Plus Ultra, and 20x200 contributor Karolina Karlic is in a show. Work from Karlic's Dear Diary series is up now through November 8 at the Independent Feature Project in St. Paul, Minnesota. The IFP notes:

The lush large scale prints of ... Karolina Karlic radiate a sensuality revealing everyday lives longing for meaning and connection. ... Intrigued by the motivations of those that post Internet classifieds through “Missed Connections” on Craig’s List, Karolina Karlic sought out the posters to create her images. Perhaps by helping to complete their need for connection she was able to draw them into collaboration to make photographs of vulnerability and longing in our contemporary world of impersonal Internet communication.

On the art-inspired-by Craigslist ads note, check out the songs of Gabriel Kahane's "Craigslistlieder." The music has been touted as, "His song cycle, Craigslistlieder, art-song settings of eight anonymous posts he found on the ubiquitous personals/classifieds website Craigslist, has won over fans and critics with its affiliation of raucous pop culture and deft high-art craft. " And it is true. Perhaps it's time for a music and photo show for Karlic and Kahane together. P.S. Only one print is left from Karlic's 20x200 edition (pictured above)! P.P.S. Full disclosure: I shot some photos for Kahane's recent album.

From Interior Relations, by Hot Shot Ian van Coller Next in a continuing series on Hot Shots' blogs: Ian van Coller. Ian is a Fall '07 Hot Shot who lives in Bozeman, Montana. He is Assistant Professor of Photography, Montana State University, Bozeman. And, of course, he has a blog. From November 5 - December 6 he will show his work, Interior Relations: Portraits of Female Domestic Workers in South Africa at the Rayko Photo Center in San Francisco.

"Interior Relations explores the deep fault lines between the country’s public democratic ideals and the ongoing racial and economic inequality that circumscribes the lived experiences of many black South African women. Many of the contradictions evident in South Africa’s transition to democracy are encapsulated within white households that employ black and coloured domestic workers, often housing them in segregated living quarters on their property. These households, simultaneously private spaces for employers and public spaces for the employees, are ultimately political spaces where race, class and gender inequalities are negotiated. Interior Relations is a portrait series focused specifically on female domestic workers—nannies and maids—who continue to embody this daily repertoire of inequalities."

In 2009, Interior Relations will be shown at the Holter Museum of Art, Helena, Montana. Visit Ian's blog for more on his work, The Cape Town Month of Photography show, work that inspires him, and his own experiments and side projects.