Bruce Gilden Talks About the Powerful Influence of Street Photography

Images by Bruce Gilden. Used with permission.

“I think it’s fine if that’s who they are and as long as they’re comfortable working that way,” says Bruce Gilden when asked how he feels about photographers adopting his style. He continues, “For me, working in that style is natural.” Gilden is a leading mainstay in the street photography community. His work has polarized and revolutionized the candid frame. And as Magnum kicks off its annual Square Print Sale, we thought it was the perfect time to catch up with one of street photography’s most influential players.

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Can the Canon RF 135mm Reproduce the Magic the Old Lens Did?

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If we take a moment to consider some of Canon’s best lenses, lots of films will cite the Canon 135mm f2 L. No matter how far behind it was on resolving their sensors, that lens was magic. It was very difficult to take a bad photo with that lens. Arguably other, third-party options leaped ahead of it. And with the Canon RF lineup, they have a new start. And we really wonder if the Canon RF 135mm L lens will be able to compete.

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The Photo Industry Needs Transparency on Its Weather Sealing

Weather-sealing and durability are incredibly important to each and every camera user these days; otherwise, we’d just use a phone.

“It can probably survive a rain shower, but we’re not going to say that,” is a common phrase we hear. Some cameras are weather sealed. Some don’t have weather sealing, but they can survive being frozen. And then there are lenses that only have weather sealing at the mount. Why? We’ve done some pretty torturous things to cameras and lenses in the past. I think that camera manufacturers need to start coming clean about the durability of their products. Weather sealing is so incredibly important these days. 

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Fotografiska New York Spotlights Incredibly Emotional Art in New Exhibits

Get your mask on, and get ready to breathe heavily at the new Fotografiska New York exhibits.

New York City is truly blessed to have two great museums dedicated specifically to photography. It reminds the public that photography isn’t just the act of taking a photo. There’s a lot more meaning behind it. Those meanings come to the fore at the new Fotografiska New York exhibits. Martin Scholler’s latest exhibit investigates folks who got off death row using video, stills, and chilling sound snippets. Naima Green has an exhibit that, to me, stood out mostly for its emphasis on the human touch. Cooper and Gorfer have the most conceptual series there that’s bound to enthrall. But you’ll start with Hassan Hajjaj–who wants to take back his country from just being a nice backdrop.

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The Fujifilm X Pro 3 Has Something Uniquely Special About It

The Fujifilm X Pro 3 is the best camera on the market for anyone who doesn’t want to stare at a screen all day.

“Aren’t you just sick of all these zoom meetings,” is what a rep called and told me on the phone earlier in the pandemic. She called me out of the blue, and I completely agreed with her. But I didn’t realize how deep her words hit me. The entire staff has discussed how we’re all sick of staring at screens. And the Fujifilm X Pro 3 is the perfect answer to that. Yes, there are options like the Leica M10-D. But you’ll probably complain about its price more than you will the X Pro 3’s screen. 

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Sándor Kereki Kept His Photos a Secret For Half a Century, Until Now

Allow us to introduce you to the work of Sándor Kereki.

If you’re unsure who Sándor Kereki is, don’t worry. Born in Budapest, Hungary, in 1952, Kereki remained unknown for the best part of 50 years. He first came into contact with photography when he was 16 years old. Soon after, he taught himself to develop photographs and prints. After keeping most of his work to himself, he’s finally released it to the public. We’re delighted that he did.

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Capture One’s CEO Hints at an Exciting AI and Mobile Future

Capture One’s CEO Rafael Orta drops a lot of possible hints at what’s coming to Capture One in the future.

Capture One has a new CEO: Rafael Orta. His background begins as an engineer and evolved into critical technological advancements. It’s no surprise that folks have been asking more of Capture One. It’s not the fastest photo editor, but it’s still the one that gives the best colors. In an interview with us, he didn’t rule out a number of possibilities. In fact, we’re fascinated by Rafael’s responses. And there are hints of AI, support for video, and the long-overdue mobile workflow.

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Want Your Photography Project Published? Here’s What You Need To Do

A good photography project is often spoilt by poor image selection.

As the Arts & Culture editor of a popular photography publication, I’m inundated with photography project submissions. Photography projects come in daily: some awesome and some, that need a little work. Aside from receiving pitches, I’ll also do my own research, trying to find the best work out there to share with our readers. But when photographers send in the images they wish to be published, it saddens me to see how many get their selection wrong. Certain images add to a project, but only a few make it amazing. So when photographers send in images that should be b-roll, I’m left pulling out my hair! To ensure others don’t make the same mistake, here are some tips and things to consider when sending your images into editors.

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Tibor Simon Has Landscape Photos That Made Our Jaws Drop

All images by Tibor Simon. Used with permission.

“I thought a lot about how to take different, more interesting photos with a long shutter speed,” says Photographer Tibor Simon. “I once walked in a city when I remembered what it would be like if it wasn’t the subject moving during the exposure, it was me. I took some test shots as I moved and found the result interesting.” Tibor has some incredibly unique black and white photography that reminds us of drawings. But when you find out what he does to create these, you’ll be even more surprised.

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A Laser Artist Gave My Cameras a Refreshing Look

As photographers, we are immersed in a world of creativity,  expression, and individuality. Our craft is one that we pursue to create something that evokes emotion and thought, insight, and so much more. And as we continue on our journey as artists, because that is what I believe we are, we find that outside of the actual art itself, there is little in the way of individuality and expression when it comes to our equipment. Sure, some of the more adventurous among us may venture into the world of film if we only shoot digital, and some of us may start adapting vintage glass to use on our digital cameras. However, at the end of the day, we are still left with equipment that looks like every other photographer’s gear. But what if you get bored of the same black box with the same familiar lens attached?

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Allan Teger Combines Nudity and Still Life for His Majestic Photos (NSFW)

All images by Allan Teger. Used with permission.

“They see what happens in our mind as we experience a shift in perspective,” explains Allan Teger as he discusses the impact his photos have on his viewers. He adds, “that is the most important part of my work.” His photographs certainly do make you question what you’re seeing. Combining humanity with still life, Teger has amassed a body of work that removes itself from the status quo. Our readers know we love work that goes against the norm. And it felt nothing but natural to invite Teger to speak with us to talk about a series that’s lasted over 45 years.

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A 30 Year Journey Through the Wonderful Career of Dina Goldstein

All images by Dina Goldstein. Used with permission.

“This is definitely not the end,” says Dina Goldstein. She adds, “in fact, it feels like a new start.” Goldstein has worked tirelessly to create an archive that includes 30 years of work. But as she says, this is not the end. Instead, it’s the start of a new beginning. A photojournalist at her core, Goldstein has committed herself to document the world as she saw it. She very kindly invited us to join her in reflecting on the first 30 years of her career. From her successes to her most significant challenges, in this interview, she was happy to share all.

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Photographers, Stop Chasing Instagram and Focus on Sales

Instagram doesn’t care about you as a photographer; it’s done, and other platforms are better.

I’m writing this post after a year away from Instagram. It was more than just a detox. I still logged onto The Phoblographer’s Instagram to check and focus us as needed. But for the most part, Arts and Culture Editor Dan Ginn runs it. A year away from it, and so much has changed. We’ve got cool things like ClubHouse. Photographers are trying to promote themselves on Tik Tok. Then there’s Foundation, where photographers are selling images for blockchain. And a few tried and true options like Tumblr and Behance still keep me inspired. But if you put all your eggs into the Instagram bucket, they’re going to rot. 

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Mattea McKinnon Has Breathtaking Photos of Her Journies

All images by Mattea McKinnon. Used with permission.

“There’s no greater feeling than heading to a completely new country, stepping on new ground and capturing scenes from your perspective,” says photographer Mattea McKinnon. Her travel photographs, as detailed as they are, take you away from your environment. Her images transport you to where they were taken, filling you with a sense of wonder and excitement. If you’re struggling with the global restrictions right now, this article is for you. Join us as we hand our metaphorical passports to McKinnon, allowing her to take on a breathtaking journey.

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How Photographer Lidia Vives Got More Creative During the Pandemic

All images by Lidia Vives. Used with permission.

“Perhaps the biggest goal is to be one of those artists who can go months without creating but keep selling so it doesn’t matter,” says Lidia Vives to us in an interview. “But I guess that’s still a long way off.” I first found Lidia through Tumblr. And I then connected with her on her Stages of Heartbreak series. Lidia’s work is emotional, experimental, and energetic. She finds ways to pack feelings and ideas into photos. Where most folks create to satisfy an algorithm on some app, Lidia doesn’t. And that’s one of the reasons why her work demands so much respect.

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The Truth About Why People Don’t Care About Meaningful Photography

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Meaningful photography has contributed to society since the late 1800s. The camera (and more importantly, those who use it) record important events throughout history. In modern times topics like climate change, inequality, and oppression are documented by our leading photojournalists and documentary photographers. The problem is, however, that the masses don’t care. They’re much more attracted to less meaningful types of photography. If that sounds like you, I’m going to explain why you’re devaluing the role photography, and why, fundamentally, you don’t care about the craft.

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Matt Yessian Is Passionate About Being Family Documentarian

All images by Matt Yessian. Used with permission. Matt was a runner up in our recent contest with Leica.

“The earliest memory of the medium was from my grandfather,” passionate photographer Matt Yessian tells us. “He shot with a Canon AE-1 and let me play around with it (I still have it!). He took a lot of pictures and would do a good job of telling a story in each photo.” Matt continues to tell us that he found inspiration in National Geographic and Life magazine when growing up. But he also admits that he got into it to impress his former boss. Now he brings his Fuji cameras with him everywhere.

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Why Every Wedding Photographer Should Get Paid and Not Work for Free

You should never do a wedding for free; always make sure that you’re shooting a wedding and getting compensated.

We’re going to get a lot of hate for saying this–we can feel it now. But no one should be doing a wedding for free these days. Wedding photography is a whole lot of work. Unless you shoot in a certain way, there’s a ton of post-production work. Then there’s also the budget. It seems like folks are trying to be cheaper about weddings and spend less money overall. But you’d be amazed at how much money is still involved in a wedding. So why shouldn’t a photographer get a chunk of that change? A good wedding photographer is a lot more than just their camera and a light. There’s a lot of work involved. I used to have to tell this to my aunt, who thought that what I did was simple. I’d retort that I’m instead just very skilled at what I do.

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Clickasnap Offers Photographers Money Per View, But It’s Not Perfect

Clickasnap is on the right path but needs a 2021 upgrade.

The Phoblographer has written a lot about photo sharing sites that screw over the photographer. Unsplash is one of the biggest culprits, for example. They take a photographer’s work, strip them of all their image rights, and don’t pay them a single penny. Payment, in their eyes, is exposure. So it’s no surprise we don’t like them. But, in steps Clickasnap. It’s a company that wants photographers to get paid, but there are some flaws in its execution.

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Female on Film: The Best Women Film Photographers (NSFW)

Let’s take a look at some of the best women film photographers we’ve featured over the years.

If you’re a long time reader of The Phoblographer, you’ll know about our soft spot for film photography. Although we love the world of digital, there’s something about creating an image on analog that excites us! Thankfully, even in the modern era, there are plenty of women picking up a film camera. The best women film photographers have surely made it to our site.

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Remembering the Greatest Female Street Photographer to Ever Live

It’s Women’s History Month, and it’s the perfect time to remember a legend.

Of course, the title of the article will raise a few eyebrows. I mean, is there really “a greatest” female street photographer? In my opinion, there is. And while 2021 makes it constantly harder to separate the genders, can’t we have a little bit of fun? So, yes, we’re focusing on women. It’s their month, and if you’re not cool with that, ahh, what can we do? So let’s look back on the most outstanding female photographer ever to shoot the candid frame: Vivian Maier.

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