What Should You do When Someone Says Don’t Take My Picture?

Taking someone’s picture when they ask you not to doesn’t make you a photographer with the law on your side, it just makes you selfish.

“Please don’t take my picture.” This is something we have all probably heard before as photographers. Whether the plea comes from a friend or family member that you might be hanging out with, or from a complete stranger that you may pass on the street, it’s a powerful statement, and it is one that should not be taken lightly. Sure, when we are out doing street photography we can indeed take images that include people, and by law we might be covered because it’s a public space, but just what should we do when someone says this? Join us after the break and we will explore this a little more. Continue reading…

Bruce Gilden on “Gangster Types and Tough Guys”

Whether you like Bruce Gilden or not, listening to him speak about one of his most fascinating works is still worth your while.

It’s always fascinating to hear photography greats talk about their own work and the ideas or motivations behind them, even if it’s the controversial Bruce Gilden. Whatever you want to think of his style as a street photographer, many of his works remain exemplary in street photography and documentary photography. Among these is the black and white Gangster Types and Tough Guys series, which shows us the culture and daily life of England’s brawlers and Japan’s infamous crooks. Who else can best tell us more about this body of work but Gilden himself?

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Antonio Privitera’s Inner City Blues: The Story of a Dream Come True

New York City – the land where dreams come true…

“Oh my god! I was super excited, thrilled to get there!” says Antonio Privitera as he recounts how his childhood dream to shoot the streets of New York finally came true. His latest series is not just an exploration of New York, it’s a narrative that tells the story of a photographer in his element. It’s the perfect advertisement for what happens when a creative mind meets an inspiring destination. Simply put, this is freedom and love communicated through the medium of photography. When we spoke to Antonio we felt his enthusiasm. We connected to his passion. Through his dark, cinematic-like images we got a sense for each step that he walked. His energy is contagious and through his words and photographs, he gave us the same feeling of euphoria that he had when he first stepped foot in the Big Apple. With his headphones on, his music of choice being the soundtrack of his movie, he takes us on his journey. S

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Omar Z Robles on the Challenges of Photographing Dancers with Film

Omar Z Robles is well known for his dance photography, and he’s taken it a step further recently.

“People nowadays think almost like a tribe about equipment and gear,” says Omar Z Robles about his recent project shot on film. “But in the end they’re just tools to carry your vision.” We’re inclined to agree–in the same way that a painter can create works of art with a variety of brushes, a photographer can do the same. We’ve spoken with Omar about his creative process on Inside the Photographer’s Mind before, and he’s very careful about his overall creation process. While one may think he simply capturing scenes, he’s actively directing–which is what most folks don’t do vs simply capturing. With years of shooting under his belt, this was an interesting mental challenge for Omar; which he obviously succeeded at.

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Dean Bradshaw Proves Blue Can Be Bleak Aboard a Fishing Trawler

All photos by Dean Bradshaw. Used with Creative Commons permission.

It’s fascinating to follow a photographer’s epic adventures through their photos, not only to get a glimpse of their experiences but also their interpretation through choices in creative elements like color, composition, and mood. A perfect example is the cinematic documentary Icelandic Fishing series of Dean Bradshaw, where he shows us what went down during the 12 hours he spent aboard a fishing trawler in Iceland. If you’re looking for inspiration for documenting your next adventure, this set is certainly worth a look.

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Craig Reilly’s Street Photography Play With Shape and Shadow In London

All images by Craig Reilly. Used with permission.

“To have a solo exhibition and one day have a book published.” These are the targets London based street photographer, Craig Reilly, has set for himself. He has every reason to believe his goals will be reached. Already he’s a highly regarded street photographer, an Olympus Ambassador and one of the co-founders of the huge online community, Street Photography International. A rather impressive foundation for him to build on. His beautiful images centre around shape, shadow, light and humanity. Craig uses these quality ingredients to create tasty looking work – and his followers constantly want to be fed more. Craig is no stranger to the sacrifices that need to be made to do well in this scene. He puts in the leg work, the eye work and the digital work in order to remain consistent and ahead of the game.

Many know his photos. Now it’s time to get to know the man himself.

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A Quick Comparison of the Bokeh From Budget Friendly Vintage Lenses

Here’s a quick test to give you an idea on which vintage lenses to go for if you’re looking for budget-friendly options for those bokeh-licious shots.

Whether you’re a digital photographer with a soft spot for vintage lenses, or a hybrid shooter of both film and digital cameras, you’ll want to check out this interesting lens comparison. In the video below, we get to see which vintage lenses can give you bang for your buck if you prefer to go big on bokeh using your Micro Four Thirds camera.

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Creative and Heartwarming Newborn Portraits by Amanda Steinbacher

All photos by Amanda Steinbacher. Used with permission.

Within the realm of portrait photography are sub-genres that we turn to as keepers of our memories and milestones. Among these is newborn and milestone photography, which immortalizes the joy of birth and childhood. In the photos she recently shared with us, Pennsylvania-based photographer Amanda Steinbacher shows us how powerful this type of photography can be in documenting the precious memories newborns and children bring to a family.

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Shooting Medium Format Landscapes with Portra 400 and the Yashica Mat 124G

If you’re new to the Yashica Mat 124G and you’re still figuring out which genre to shoot with it, you might want to get an idea on how it fares with landscape photography.

Medium format has been pretty popular for portrait photography, but if you’d like to experiment with other genres first, we’ve found a nice video for you. It’s especially right up your alley if you tend to shoot a lot of landscapes. You’ll also find it helpful if you’re curious about the results of the popular Yashica Mat 124G! In his quick video, John Bradford takes us to Red Rock Canyon in Oklahoma where he shot landscapes using the Yashica Mat 124G to finish a roll of Kodak Portra 400. The combo tends to be more popular for portrait photography and even some trendy fashion portraits. But if you’re not really feeling that, this should give you ideas on other genres to experiment with using medium format film.

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Neal Auch: Memento Mori Styled in 17th Century Dutch Still Life

All images by Neal Auch. Used with permission.

Thought-provoking photography projects also tend to be bold and disruptive, and this work of Canadian photographer Neal Auch certainly fits the bill. By combining conceptual photography with the styling of 17th century Dutch still life painting, he makes a strong case for his ideas on mortality. He describes his work as seeking to “engage with mortality headlong and encourages reflection on the fragility of life” done in the age-old tradition of memento mori. While death and mortality are some of the most widely explored topics in various creative disciplines, we don’t always see them interpreted as both beautiful and macabre. In this body of work, art, philosophy, and sentiment converge to inspire us to confront the fragility of life in imagery we most likely have never imagined.

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Jimmy Fallon and Drew Barrymore Mock the Catalog Photo Shoot

Out of ideas for your next photography project? A fun mock catalog photo shoot for Drew Barrymore’s furniture line should give you some out-of-the-box ideas!

One of the most challenging bits of being a photographer is coming up with ideas for a project, whether it’s for work or play. Getting an art director or creative director involved does help, but if you’re working solo, you have develop those solid concepts and themes yourself. The boldest and brightest ideas do sometimes come when you least expect it — like getting inspired by a hilarious catalog-style photo shoot segment from a recent run of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. Whoever came up with the idea to do this mock catalog photo shoot for Drew Barrymore’s furniture line is a (photography) comedy genius and we’re sure many of you will agree.

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This Dreamy Holga Photo Was Shot from the Stratosphere

If you’ve ever wondered what the most unique project ever done is using a toy-like camera, this out of this world Holga project likely takes the spot. 

Crude and low-tech as it is, the Holga remains one of the most popular cameras for nostalgic and even quirky film photography projects. But one project upped things by several notches by taking it way out into the stratosphere. The brave and bright minds behind the idea actually flew not one, not two, but four Holga cameras to make sure they snagged the shot!

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Arnaud Moro Brings Out the Glow in These Gorgeous Night Portraits

All photos by Arnaud Moro. Used with Creative Commons permission.

Nighttime has been fast becoming a favorite time of the day for many photographers to shoot portraits and fashion editorials for a number of good reasons. First, there’s the enduring trend of neon portraits (thanks to the style popularized by Brandon Woelfel), bold design directions, futuristic concepts, and some pop culture references. Then, there’s also the fact that colors are unmistakably brighter and more eye-catching when set against the dark canvas of the night. All these are especially the case in the collection of beautiful portraits by Arnaud Moro.

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Skander Khlif Captures Fascinating Scenes From Thailand’s Floating Markets

All images by Skander Khlif. Used with Creative Commons permission.

When he’s not roaming his hometown in search of eye-catching street scenes, we know that Munich-based Skander Khlif sets out to get them whenever he’s traveling. Last time we tagged along in his adventures (metaphorically speaking), we got to see destinations like Moscow and New York city through his lens. We also got to hitch a ride on his quest to capture a world on rails, which we found a perfect inspiration for travel photographers. Today, we put the spotlight on yet another of his wanderlust-inducing series, this time set in one of Thailand’s most popular tourist attractions.

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Anas Kamal Documents the Hazards of Lime Quarrying in Egypt

All photos by Anas Kamal. Used with Creative Commons permission.

The reality of working conditions around the world remains one of the most important subjects explored through documentary photography. So it’s only but proper for us to put the spotlight on projects as poignant as The White Mountain by Anas Kamal, which reveals to us the harsh environment that white lime quarry workers find themselves in, day in and day out. If you’re looking for fine examples of documentary photography projects today, we’re sure this one is worth the look.

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Turning 10: Chris Gampat Gets Candid About Running The Phoblographer

The Phoblographer is turning 10! Party! Well, actually, a conversation with our EIC, Chris Gampat – even if I had to twist his arm to talk to me!

“Let me get this right. You‘re asking to interview me on my own site?” Phoblographer Editor in Chief and Founder Chris Gampat asks. “That’s right. And with the site turning 10 later this year, now’s the best time to do it” I tell him. Chris once said to me “Dan, I trust you with interviews and would like to give you as much creative license as possible.” Famous last words, as just when The Phoblographer is about to turn 10, I want to interview him! So like the annoying kid who got a voice recorder for Christmas, I relentlessly corner him until he has no escape – encouraging him to answer my questions.

It has been a great 10 years: a story full of emotion and inspiration. It’s a story I’ve only been a part of for a short period of time, but one I’ve loved every single page of so far. So, whilst Chris may have been hesitant to speak with me, I’m super stoked he did. With that, let’s take a look at the wonderful world of being an editor, business owner and pretty much everything else in between…

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Ilya Nodia Creates a Cinematic Batman Cosplay Shoot With Video Lights

All photos by Ilya Nodia. Used with Creative Commons permission.

Cosplay photography has been one of the most popular portrait photography sub-genres for a good reason: it helps bring to life the world’s most popular and well-loved superheroes. However, as any cosplayer and photographer will tell you, it’s often not as simple as getting someone to dress up as their favorite comic book character and photographing them in it. There’s also the task of making everything in the photo as convincing as possible. This is where the cosplayer-photographer tandem is put to the test: the cosplayer in how detail-oriented and accurate his portrayal is, and the photographer in how well he is able to set the scene and tell the story. Today, we take a look at how Russian photographer Ilya Nodia achieves this with his cinematic take on a Batman cosplay shoot.

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Marcus Bleasdale: Harnessing the Power of Photography in the Congo

Marcus Bleasdale talks about how photography has been instrumental in his quest to open the world’s eyes to Congo’s most devastating conflicts.

With the primary goal of photojournalism being to tell thought-provoking visual stories that explore today’s most pressing social issues, practitioners often find themselves faced with the mission to shoot photos that incite change. Such was the case for photojournalist Marcus Bleasdale, who told the poignant stories about his work in Africa during a 2013 talk for Nat Geo Live. If you’ve taken an interest to photojournalism and hope to do some compelling projects with it someday, let his story serve as inspiration for you.

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Icebergs Double as Floating Castles in Tom Hegen’s Moody Series

All images by Tom Hegen. Used with Creative Commons permission.

Looking to get inspired by yet another unique photography project? Trust Munich-based photographer Tom Hegen to deliver some of the most fascinating aerial photography projects. He has so far taken us to some of the most extraordinary locations to show us landscapes in ways we’ve never seen before. We’ve seen him transform even the most banal places into abstract works of art. Today, we look at another fine example in The Iceberg Series which he photographed during an expedition flight on the west coast of Greenland.

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Sebastian Weiss Traces Architectural Lines and Shapes Around Europe

All photos by Sebastian Weiss. Used with Creative Commons permission.

Above: Pavilion of Portugal
Location: Lisbon, Portugal
Architect: Alvaro Siza Vieira

It’s been a while since we last marveled at the architectural photography of Hamburg-based Sebastian Weiss, particularly his unique “personality” driven series Dramatis Personae. His attention to detail extends into other projects, such as his explorations of shapes and lines in the architecture of some well-known European cities. If you’re an aspiring architectural photographer looking for projects to study, you will find this body of work impressive and inspiring.

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Skanda Gautam Documents What Happens When Bricks are Made

All photos from Skanda Gautam. Used with Creative Commons permission.

The last time we featured the works of Kathmandu-based Skanda Gautam we got to see some of Nepal’s most pressing issues and vibrant festivals through his lens. Since he has more social stories worth exploring, we might as well dive in to another of his fascinating series; a close look at the everyday life of locals and migrant laborers toiling away at a brick kiln.

Skanda, a photojournalist for The Himalayan Times, has been documenting various events, occasions, and locations, to give us an idea about the culture and ways of life in Nepal. His work shows us a lot of what we already know about the landlocked South Asian country and more — from vibrant festivals and cultural events, to the myriad of scenes depicting daily life. These include what work is like for various industries and groups of people, such as the brick kiln workers he photographed in January 2018.

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