Andrei Mihalache Drops Valuable Knowledge For The Budding Photographer

All images by Andrei Mihalache. Used with permission.

“I think it’s the best way I have of expressing myself, and it’s also one of the things that I feel most comfortable doing,” says Andrei Mihalache when asked why he chose photography. He adds, “taking photos helps me disconnect from daily life with all its ups and downs.” Mihalache sent us a very thoughtful submission. He happily shared his personal journey, his creative process, and useful tips for the budding photographer. There’s a lot to get through in this feature. But all of it will add value to your photographic journey, as Mihalache shares the wisdom he’s obtained during a career that’s lasted over a decade.

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Guy Carpenter Documents the Beautiful Life of Sheep With No Photoshop

All images by Guy Carpenter. Used with permission.

“Of course, the vast majority of my professional life came to a crashing halt in 2020,” relates professional photographer Guy Carpenter to us in an interview. “I spent a few weeks in March and April 2020 at home, reading a lot of books. I barely touched a camera.” Guy’s words resonate with us as it speaks volumes to the general mental state of photographers. Like many other passionate photographers though, Guy also shoots for fun. So when his godmother asked him to come help with their upland sheep farm in Yorkshire Dales, he brought the camera along.

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8 Photography Goals to Work Towards in 2021 (And how to Achieve them)

Setting photographs goals is a great way of ensuring growth.

There are several benefits to setting yourself new photography goals at the start of a new year. Most obviously, it allows you to improve your skillset and get better at your craft. But it also encourages emotional growth, as you work towards targets and take satisfaction when you reach them. Having photography goals can also help you if you find yourself stagnated. And they’re useful for those struggling with their mental health, looking for a focus to help them get out of any darkness they may find themselves in. No matter the motive, goals are essential, and in this piece, we share some ideas for things you can work on throughout 2021.

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9 Photographers Highlight the Crucial Causes from Around the World

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Over the past 12 months, The Phoblographer has worked closely with photographers that are doing extremely important work. From climate change to terrible injustice, we’ve shared the stories of nine photographers from across the world. The name of the series is Visual Momentum. Designed by Fujifilm and brought to life by yours truly, we’re proud of the work we’ve highlighted, and of the hard-working photographers who strive to show you important causes. In case you missed them, let’s reflect on what has been one of our most important series to date.

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How Street Photographer Ishay Lindenberg Looks for Surprising Moments

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My name is Ishay “Jesse” Lindenberg. I was born in Israel. My father is a psychologist, and my mom is a consultant. When I was a child, my dad had an old Zorki camera and a darkroom. My sister Yaara (r.i.p.) and I constantly asked him to develop with us. I loved the process; it was magical to me. Later on, I was accepted to a personal program in the Faculty of Art, where I studied and experimented with photography and arts more deeply. In the last few years, I live and work in Berlin.

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Matthew Jordan Smith Didn’t Need Photoshop for His Fantastic Series

“There is no better feeling in the world than having that happen,” explains Matthew Jordan Smith when talking about how impressed a client was with his work. He adds, “when my client received the images, he liked them so much he told me he couldn’t decide which image was his favorite!” Smith found himself in a very privileged position. Because after a client saw one of his personal projects, they asked him to create the same aesthetic for their brand. Smith’s Still…Motion series caught our attention too. Not just because of how well-executed the images are, but because we wanted to know exactly how he created them. In this interview, he gladly agreed to share his creative secrets, providing a valuable education for photographers wanting to improve their skillset.

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The Climate Change Crisis of the Photo Industry is Nigh

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If you’ve read this site for a long time, you know my feelings about the photo industry. I love cameras. I adore what’s creatively possible with them. And I believe that while the lower end has risen up, the higher end has too. But cameras and the photo industry is in a tough state. Manufacturers have blamed smartphones for their decline since 2013. They’ve adapted to work with smartphones but have also fought them in many ways. The technology world of the photo industry will undergo massive changes in the next decade out of necessity.

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Be Amazed by Benoit Lapray’s Spectacular New Series

All images by Benoit Lapray. Used with permission.

“I think my Monuments series is the most successful and impactful project I have done so far,” says Benoit Lapray. He adds, “It’s the one that gives me the greatest sense of pride.” Lapray’s unique series is a large scale project. Not working alone, he built a team of creatives to help execute his concept. Shot in Paris, Monuments adds a splash of character to the well-known monuments around the French capital. It’s a concept that first came to his mind five years ago, however, it’s only recently he has been able to bring it to life. We caught up with Lapray to find out what it was like working with a team and how he feels about the series so far.

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Stop Pixel Peeping and Enjoy Your Images Stress Free

Digital Photography has given us so much good, but pixel peeping is consuming far too many photographers.

Do you pixel peep? Be honest with yourself. I’ll admit, I used to be terrible about pixel peeping, but I pulled myself out of the web it spins. Pixel peeping is one of the bad things that has come from digital photography. We can sit in front of computers and zoom in to 300% or more to see the tiniest details. Sometimes, we can even have a hard time figuring out what we’re looking at. The ability to do this is great, but the problems that come with pixel peeping will do you no good. After the break, we will explore why pixel peeping is a thief of joy and why you should stop.

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A Look at 5 Photographers Documenting Civil Rights Struggles

These photographers are doing the work we need to truly pay attention to.

In our 11 years, we’ve interviewed lots of photographers. But more importantly, we’ve stayed close to our photojournalism roots. Our platform has been used by many photographers to get the word out. Much of what documentary photography about these days is Civil Rights. It’s happening all across the world in various ways. There are stories at the top of the news every morning about it. But there are some that haven’t really been told as much. For Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday, we’re counting down a few that we’ve featured.

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Delphine Queme’s Calming Photographs will Settle the Overcrowded Mind

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“What seems lifeless, for me, on the contrary, is very alive,” says Delphine Queme. She adds, “ I love minimalism…I am searching for harmony in my photographs, something I don’t find in life, and in a world which is often too violent for me.” Minimalist photography is about scaling back. Removing the clusters of life and offering a visual that’s free of the meaningless and that focuses on the specific. With Queme’s minimalist photography, she offers something peaceful. Void of the dramatics, her work settles us as we move from one image to the next. She’s a thoughtful soul. And she’s often trying to create character in a world that can lack identity, or how she puts it, “I need to create beauty otherwise life is too dull.”

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Dear Fujifilm: We’re Due for a Fujifilm X30 Successor

The Fujifilm X30 was the last, nearly perfect compact point and shoot camera with a zoom lens.

I’m not sure how many of you remember the older Fujifilm X30 camera, but in my eyes, it was the last good compact camera with a zoom lens. Sony has the RX10 series of cameras which are great, but they’re pretty big. The Fujifilm X30 was, in my eyes, something very unique. Similar to the Panasonic LX100 series of cameras, the Fujifilm version was smaller and used a smaller sensor. But I think Fujifilm needs to bring this series of the camera back with some significant updates. Considering all they’ve done with the X100 series, I’m sure Fujifilm could create a new series of travel camera that passionate photographers will fall in love with all over again.

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On the Slow Response from Magnum on David Alan Harvey

Magnum is stepping up its investigation of the allegations made against long-standing member David Alan Harvey.

In the final weeks of 2020, The Columbia Journalism Review published an article regarding Magnum’s David Alan Harvey. 11 women stepped forward to share their experience with Harvey. All the women stated he had acted sexually inappropriately with them. The allegations ranged from inappropriate comments to masturbating in front of them without consent. Magnum, already aware of the allegation, had suspended Harvey back in October 2020. But while the investigations continue, we ask: is Magnum doing enough and should you still support Harvey’s work?

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Robert Sapp Electrified Us with His Latest Creation

Image by Robert Sapp. Used with permission.

Now and then, an image pops up that stands out from what we’re used to seeing. Photographer Robert Sapp created this latest image that captured our attention and got our mouths watering. It’s an image of static electricity running between two people. At the time of writing this, it has gathered over 25 thousand interactions on Reddit, with photographers and hobbyists alike showing their admiration for the shot. Wanting to know more, we reached out to Sapp, asking him to share the story behind the frame. Thankfully, he was more than happy to oblige.

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Can We Regain The Lost Romance of a Camera’s Shutter Sound?

It’s gone, and it’s probably never going to come back.

*Click* The sound of a camera’s shutter is so incredibly iconic. I don’t believe I know a single photographer that wouldn’t agree. Actually, let me rephrase that. I don’t think I know a single camera lover that doesn’t have a favorite shutter sound. Passionate photographers come in all shapes, sizes, and professionals. But camera lovers really adore their products. And you can’t necessarily call them techies. Instead, they’re admirers in the same way that watch lovers appreciate a good automatic vs. an Apple watch.

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Are Art Galleries Really Worth it for Photographers Anymore?

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I’m writing this article partially because someone asked me about how to get your work into a gallery. But I’m also writing it because I’m honestly not even sure that galleries are worth it anymore. Are they cool? Sure! When we’re all vaccinated against the pandemic, and we go back to a semblance of what the world was before, that might change. However, I think that the way the public views photography isn’t necessarily as art anymore. At least, traditional capturing isn’t really necessarily art. There’s too low of a barrier of entry for lots of folks.

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6 Creatives Who Used Photography to Overcome PTSD

Mental health is incredibly important for photographers.

All humans face adversity in life. But some people go through times so difficult that it leaves them living with trauma and PTSD. It’s a long path to healing for these people, and they have to find ways to survive and then overcome the experience they had. Amongst the many methods of healing is photography. The process of creating has allowed certain photographers to explore their trauma, understand it, and then move forward. In this piece, we look at six of our favorite stories of creatives overcoming trauma through making photographs.

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You’ll Have Lucid Dreams About This Wonderful Pentax Camera

I think creating another Pentax mirrorless camera would be pretty easy for them to do.

I’m about to propose an idea that’s positively insane. First off, it involves Pentax. They’re a camera company with an incredibly rich history. If you’re a film shooter, you probably swear by your Pentax 67. And currently, they’re choosing to simply stick to DSLRs. Why? I’m not sure. Gear Editor Brett Day I know still likes his Pentax DSLRs. But I’m visually impaired and have been long over them. Reviews Editor Hillary Grigonis still owns a Nikon DSLR. Overall, there’s a minority of folks who still like them. However, I think that Pentax gave up prematurely on mirrorless cameras. Their last solid entry was the Pentax K-01. It was oddly received at the time with its APS-C sensor inside a K-mount body. We liked it back in the day, according to our review. I believe it’s time for Pentax to bring it back.

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How Photographer Steven Gindler Makes Jaws Drop With No Photoshop

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“I grew up in the 90s being exposed to Japanese anime thanks to Toonami, and this sparked my first creative interest; illustrations,” says photographer Steven Gindler to us in an interview. “My family is full of strict conservative immigrants who are all computer programmers, and I was set to follow suit. All left-brained people, with myself as the black sheep.” Steven’s tale is one that many of us find ourselves in. And though he’s the black sheep, his creativity has flourished. His ideas and the orchestration are ones that we rarely see. Yet, we’re drawn to them and his incredibly deep story.

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Looking for Something Fresh? Look at the Unique Work of Madhur Dhingra

All images by Madhur Dhingra. Used with permission.

“Black and white images hold inside them a strange sort of mystery which is totally absent in color imagery,” says Indian photographer Madhur Dhingra. Whether or not you agree with his words, there’s one thing you cannot doubt: his work, unique in its presentation, is full of mystery. Dhingra is a street photographer offering a fresh twist on an otherwise tired genre. Unconventional, his photography stands out from the pack, delivering an aesthetic that holds you for longer than a fleeting moment. We were truly in awe of his style, and excited to dig deeper into his process and 22-year relationship with the craft we love so much.

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Timothy Ozimec Shot Beautiful Milky Way Photos with Sony Xperia 1 II

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“…it’s like I’m uncovering the secrets of the universe and seeing the impossible,” says passionate photographer Timothy Ozimec. “What appears to the naked eye as a few hundred white dots in a black sky are revealed to be a veritable sea of stars among the cosmic latte plane of the Milky Way.” What’s more, Tim gets these images using the Sony Xperia 1 II smartphone, announced earlier this year. It’s opened his eyes to what could be possible with a more serious camera.

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