The Photo Feed 05.07.08

National Geographic Nabs Some Webbies (Folio / PDN / A Photo Editor)
National Geographic has been having a very good May. After winning three Ellies last week—including one for photojournalism and another for General Excellence—National Geographic has picked up four Webby Awards for its Web site. In addition to taking home the Webby for best magazine site of the year, the site was recognized for best use of photography for its Your Shot feature. Also: Rob Haggart is glad that magazine awards are finally being handed out for photography, but he’d still like some recognition for photo editors.

A Flickr Of Promise? (USA Today)
With stocks plunging after Microsoft pulled the plug on negotiations to purchase their company, Yahoo executives have had little reason to be optimistic lately. But here’s one: Flickr has grown by 56 percent in the last year, making it the most popular photo-sharing site. Photobucket may still dominate photo-sharing sites when it comes to market shares, but Flickr is bringing in the most visitors—44.4 million in March 2008, compared to 28.4 million in March 2007.

Put On A Happy Face (L.A. Times)
If you want to know what the Clintons are really thinking following Hillary’s narrow victory in Indiana, just look at the pictures. But don’t bother looking at Hillary Clinton’s attempted smile. Instead, says L.A. Times blogger Andrew Malcolm, look at the faces of Bill and Chelsea, which Hillary’s communications team would have been wise to keep out of the photos.

MORE BELOW: Lexington Herald-Leader seeks buyouts ... Playboy: Bible Park USA's wrecking ball? ... J.K. Rowling wins photo privacy appeal ... Photo Milton Gendel finally gets a U.S. exhibit ... British Library acquires photog Fay Godwin's letters and photos ... Steven Meisel shoots Eva Mendes for CK ...

Lexington Herald-Leader Seeks Buyouts (Business Lexington)
Lexington’s Herald-Leader is the latest victim of the newspaper industry’s downturn. The paper has announced plans to cut its staff of 385 full-time employees by four percent. If less than four percent accept the buyouts, the Herald-Leader may resort to layoffs.

Playboy: Bible Park USA’s Wrecking Ball? (Black Star Rising / Huffington Post)
New York developer Amnon Bar-Tur is facing an unanticipated hurdle in winning support for a $400 million Murfreesboro, Tenn. theme park called Bible Park USA. It seems that 35 years ago, Bar-Tur worked as a photographer for Playboy. And this revelation isn’t sitting well with many Tennesseans, one of whom commented on an online newspaper article by saying, “As a Christian, I sincerely believe this is a test for the land owners, Commissioners and the Mayor.” He added, “God is asking them to decide on whether money is more important than taking a stand for what is honorable and right in his name.” Meanwhile, Daniel Radosh suggests on the Huffington Post that maybe the uproar has less to do with Playboy and more to do with the Bar-Turs being Jewish. Whatever the explanation, says Scott Baradell, this raises an important question for photographers: “Does your choice of subject matter—now or in the past—shed light on your character?”

Harry Potter And The Private Photo (Washington Post)
Don’t expect the British press to run any photos of J.R. Rowling’s son David being pushed in his stroller anytime soon. Rowling and her husband have won an appeal to prevent the republication of a photo of her son that was shot by a photographer without permission. Rowling’s attorney is hailing the victory for “[establishing] a law of privacy for children in those cases where, understandably, the parents wish to protect their children from intrusive photography by the paparazzi.”

Photog Milton Gendel Finally Gets A U.S. Exhibit (Women’s Wear Daily, 2nd item)
Milton Gendel may be nearly 90 years old, but that’s not slowing him down. After a 19-year hiatus, the Rome-based photographer has returned to New York for the first U.S. exhibit of his images. The photos, which “capture a glamorous and intimate moment that represents a life that few of us live right now but we all dream of,” according to Travel + Leisure editor in chief Nancy Novogrod, are on display at the Verdura salon through May 30.

To Godwin, With Self-Depreciation (Guardian)
Poet Philip Larkin apparently wasn’t an easy guy to photograph. As letters that Larkin wrote to the late photographer Fay Godwin reveal, the poet was always complaining about his looks and marking images that he did not like. The British Library has acquired the letters, along with about 11,000 photographs shot by Godwin.

Calvin Klein Calls On Steven Meisel (Women’s Wear Daily, 2nd item)
Steven Meisel recently photographed actress Eva Mendes for Calvin Klein’s fragrance and underwear campaigns. One of the images appears on Italian Vogue’s May cover. The others will appear as advertisements in fall fashion glossies.