Taking photographs has become as easy as touching a screen, yet being a photographer is still truly the realm of artists. There are two photographers to note that are having exhibitions this week, Herman Leonard (American, 1923–2010) at Robert Mann Gallery in New York, NY, and Miles Aldridge (British, b.1964) at Brancolini Grimaldi in London, UK. Leonard’s black and white photographs of jazz emit all of the spontaneity, passion, and energy of the musicians being captured. Aldridge’s photographs feature striking women whose exterior perfections are betrayed by their expressions and actions which convey their inner turmoil.

Leonard feeds off of the dynamism of the performers and used various elements like smoke and strobe lighting to cultivate mood and depth in his photographs. The image of Billie Holiday seems to capture a moment of crescendo with Holiday’s hands slightly raised and smoke wafting up behind her. It is the combined elements of Leonard’s compositions and the musician’s candor that gives viewers the feeling of catching the musicians at their best.

Hot Summer, Cool Jazz: The Photographs of Herman Leonard will be on view from July 11 to August 23 at 525 West 26th Street, New York, NY.

Herman Leonard, Billie Holiday, NYC, 1949, Robert Mann Gallery, New York, NY

Aldridge’s images also focus on composition but to a different effect. His saturated colors and neatly arranged scenes evoke movie stills, which plants the seeds of a narrative in the viewers mind. To build this narrative the issues within the figures reveal themselves in different ways.

Miles Aldridge: Short Breaths will be on view July 11 to September 28 at 43–44 Albermarle Street, W1S 4 JJ London, UK.

Miles Aldridge, Chromo Thriller #3, Brancolini Grimaldi, London, United Kingdom

Browse gallery openings by city to see where art can be found in your town!

Edgartown, MA
Rebecca Kinkead, Heather Judge, Sally Smith, Veronique Clamot, and Wayne Salge at Eisenhauer Gallery
July 11–July 24
38 North Water Street, Edgartown, MA

London, United Kingdom
Susan Hefuna – Rasm Of Wood, Silver and Gold at Rose Issa Projects
July 11–August 9
82 Great Portland Street, London, W1W 7NW United Kingdom
Miles Aldridge: Short Breaths at Brancolini Grimaldi
July 11–September 28
43–44 Albemarle Street, London, W1S 4JJ United Kingdom

Los Angeles, CA
APPARATUS: Curated by Tim Barber at M+B
July 11–August 31
612 North Almont Drive, Los Angeles, CA

Munich, Germany
Sweet Home – Reloaded (Munich) at Häusler Contemporary
July 11–August 31
Eingang Herzog–Rudolf–Strasse, 80539 Munich, Germany

New York, NY
Folk Devil at David Zwirner
July 11–August 9
525 West 19th Street, New York, NY 10011
The Decline and Fall of the Art World, Part I: The One–Percenters at Freight + Volume
July 11–August 17
530 West 24th street, New York, NY 10011
Elling Reitan: Homage to Munch. Paintings and Silkscreens at Westwood Gallery
July 11–August 10
568 Broadway, Suite 501, New York, NY 10012
Hot Summer, Cool Jazz: The Photographs of Herman Leonard at Robert Mann Gallery
July 11–August 23
525 West 26th Street, New York, NY 10001

Nuremberg, Germany
SUMMER VIEWS at Galerie Hafenrichter
July 11–August 31
Fürtherstr. 40, 90429 Nuremberg, Germany

San Francisco, CA
Journey Forth: contemporary landscape between technology and tradition at Gallery Wendi Norris
July 11–August 31
161 Jessie Street (at New Montgomery), San Francisco, CA
#SIDEEFFECTS at The McLoughlin Gallery
July 11–August 31
49 Geary Street, Suite 200, San Francisco, CA

Scottsdale, AZ
Life’s a Beach at Bonner David
July 11–July 25
7040 E. Main Street, Scottsdale, AZ

Vienna, Austria
Summer Presentation (Vienna) at white8 Galerie
July 11–August 31
Zedlitzgasse 1, 1010 Vienna, Austria