For creatives, inspiration is often found in the most unlikely of places (like the shower) and at the worst of times (like when trying to fall asleep). But what if the commonality between all those cliche places is the fact that they are boring? I was reading a novel (my favorite boredom buster) when I found one such source of unlikely inspiration and an idea to unlock creativity.
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“I think my conceptual frameworks usually come from something very personal, like working out past traumas,” says photographer Michelle Watt to the Phoblographer about how she gets her ideas. “…I’m constantly curious about how people use visuals to express what they express.” Staring into Michelle’s work is synonymous to staring into the soul of a complex human being. It has layers, skin, and its own wardrobe on top of it. And in that way, Michelle’s work is captivating and endlessly fascinating.
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The internet has become instrumental in how we share and access photography. Pictures once reserved for high-end galleries, accessible only to those with money, are now available for anyone with an internet connection. That’s a good thing. I do wonder, though, how has consuming photography online impacted the way we create. Has it, in many ways, made photographers lazy?
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“I think about the way my DNA responds to and informs my identity,” says photographer and visual artist Zach Bohannon about his personal lineage. This seeps into his surreal photography that borders on ethereal and otherworldly concepts. And he says life is all about the cyclical process of awakening and reawakening to find the right balance for each of us.
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Welcome to Asian American Heritage Month 2022. It’s the time of the year when we put a little extra focus on Asian Americans, further highlighting the incredible photography they create. We’ll be sharing a blend of new and already featured photographers, ensuring we get your eyes on the best work in the space. In this piece, we’re shedding light on some of our favorite female photographers within the demographic.
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“It is more important than ever for Asian-Americans to be seen,” opines Indian-American Zayira Ray about the increasing marginalization of her broader community in recent times. Using photography and visual arts talent, she creates unique photo projects. With a common theme underlying most of them, she tells us more about what drives her passion to break stereotypes.
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We have featured countless Asian American photographers over the past 12 years. So much fantastic work has come our way, and it’s an honor to share it with our readers. We could go back a full decade and reshare work that amazed us. However, in this article, we will share some of the incredibly talented Asian American photographers from more recent memory.
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Photojournalist and Leica Ambassador Emily Garthwaite has spoken about her experience as a potential photographer for a story pitched to The New York Times. Garthwaite alleges the original plan was for her to photograph a story covering a hiking trail in Kurdistan. Eventually, the NYT chose to pass it to a different photographer, something she says sent her into a “deep depression and [made her] almost quit photography.”
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If you clicked this story, then this was probably said to you a few times. Photographers will let out a sigh of exasperation. Non-photographers will not have any idea as to why someone would be bothered by this. But yes, you have a nice camera. And it’s very capable of taking great photos. In today’s world, no one is making bad cameras. But there are tons of awful photographs made with the cream rising to the top in certain situations.
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“Photographs of your community inspire unity,” says Cambodian-American photographer Kannetha Brown about her idea for her latest photo series. A chance trip to an art show led her to stumble upon an incredible series of portraits that heavily inspired her. Spurred by that feeling, she decided to do a similar series about members of her own ethnic community.
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Who here loves film photography? We do we do! And we know many of our readers do too. It’s shown through the number of people who read our articles about photographers using film. In line with Asian American Heritage Month 2022, we will share the best Asian American photographers working with analog cameras. Please stick with us; below is plenty of fresh film photography for you to enjoy.
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“Seeing patterns in nature encourages me to create patterns of my own,” says San Francisco-based photographer Stephanie Dolen regarding the inspirations behind her unique floral project. She enjoys documenting many of them in a flat lay layout in various patterns. These photos are minimally retouched, if at all, and she considers them a form of portraiture in many ways.
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“I usually have eureka moments in odd places,” says Indian professional photographer Harshith Dambekodi about when inspiration strikes him. He makes sure to sets aside time to pursue personal projects while juggling a handful of commercial work. This helps expand his creative skills and imaginative freedom in many ways.
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“I didn’t recognize myself in these ‘too perfect’ images,” photographer Alison Bounce tells us in an interview. “Today I modify my photos slightly to compensate for the constraints of water. They are more authentic.” Alison is an underwater photographer with work that draws inspiration from paintings. Her work is simply stunning, and I found something almost romantic about it. Once we talked to her, I discovered some incredible stories.
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In the past decade, the DSLR died. We know some of you still swear by them and that they’re still shooting award-winning photos. But let’s be honest, mirrorless cameras can do so much better at this point. There’s no way a DSLR competes with what a mirrorless camera does. To be frank, DSLRs are dinosaurs. Deep down inside us, there’s a part that thinks dinosaurs are cool. I mean, how many of us love watching Jurassic Park or Kaiju films? This is where DSLRs need to go or they’re ever going to come back.
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If you look at it, there are two schools of thought in photography: gear and photos. Some people are great with gear. Other people are great with making photos. Just because you’ve got an expensive camera doesn’t mean you can shoot a great photo. And it doesn’t mean you understand how to create a great photo, the idea of a moment, etc. I’ve also met a ton of photographers so into their art that barely know how to use their cameras.
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If you ever experienced photography before Instagram, then you hopefully got to check out the tilt-shift lens. They were used for a variety of things: architecture, landscapes, and surreal work. It’s where the idea of miniatures comes from. And almost a decade ago, they were expensive and not used as creatively. These days, the tilt-shift lens is completely missing from various camera systems. And I think that the tilt-shift should make a return, but in a totally different way.
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Photographers have long wanted to reach for f1.4 lenses while scoffing at f1.8 lenses. No, let me rephrase that. Photography snobs have long wanted to reach for f1.4 lenses. To many of them, they could easily and clearly tell the difference between f1.8 and f1.4. They claim they could even do this while looking at the whole image. This is a boomer point of view at this point. If you want a fast aperture, lean into it and go for an f1.2. But for the majority of work, I think f1.8 lenses are more than sufficient. And here’s why I prefer them.
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Whether you’re a die-hard hobbyist or a consummate professional, you likely practice photography a lot. But there comes a time in every photographer’s journey when things don’t go well. It can be a lack of enthusiasm, a struggle to find identity, or a general loss of love for the craft. When we hit lows in our journey, often the best solution is to take a break. And in this piece, we look at some signs that indicate you may need to put your camera down.
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“I have a never ending fascination with light and the lack of it,” states Finnish photographer Maria Lax regarding the duality of light that shapes her multicolored photographs of the night. It’s an ongoing project, but Night Rising has nabbed her a 2021 Fujifilm GFX Challenge regional award. She spared some of her valuable time to chat with us about the ideas behind it and how living in the Arctic Circle for many years gave her a deeper appreciation of the dark.
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“I like to get nervous,” says Mumbai-based photographer and Yoga instructor Priya Panchwadkar, about why she chose film over digital when photographing her bustling city. She thrives on the unforgiving nature each frame of a film roll produces when she’s out and about. And she wants the world to see how Mumbai looks at night, viewed through her imaginative eyes.
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