There’s more to food photography than mouth-watering close-ups and Instagram-worthy flat-lay shots!
While the primary goal of food photography is to trigger our cravings and make our mouths water, it can also create powerful messages and convey playful ideas. A perfect example is Break/Fast, an ingenious project by Tessa Dóniga Johnson and her studio, Fragmento Universo. If you’re looking for an out-of-the-box approach to food photography, we’re sure you’ll want to dig into this!
All street photography images by Marina Koryakin. Used with permission.
“I always liked to watch people, and create an imaginative world which I can escape to,” says Marina Koryakin. She adds, “in 2015 I bought my first camera, and I became drawn right away to the world of street photography.” Born in Ukraine and now residing in Israel, Marina has stamped her authority on the street photography scene. In just a short space of time she has grown in popularity, and her work is enjoyed by many. Her street photographs are beautifully balanced, and her exciting subjects bring them to life. Shooting out on the streets is her way of communicating with the world. In her words, “[my motivation comes from] the need to express myself and my artistic vision.”
It’s incredible how we can still see a 150-year-old wet plate camera in action today!
Some of you may already be familiar with Mathieu Stern and wet plate artist Markus Hofstaetter, who both share their photography passions on their respective YouTube channels. We’ve seen a lot of Markus’ work in particular: he’s one of our go-to guys when it comes to wet plate photography. A few months back, they also made a comparison of a “digital collodion” and a real wet plate photo, for those who are curious. The two are back in a more recent video, where Markus gave a nice rundown of the traditional process, and Mathieu had his hands-on experience with an amazing 150-year-old wet plate camera.
All travel photography images by Hannah Gabrielle More. Used with permission.
“I see, experience, and notice things that are calm and serene,” says Hannah Gabrielle More. She adds, “…so I funnel all that into what I capture.” Hannah is a London based travel photographer. However, she’s often finding a home away from home as she travels the world on a variety of assignments. We connected to her minimalist themed travel photographs: they’re easy on the eye and calming for the mind. They’re beautiful, and they make us want to live in the world she is capturing – or at the very least purchase a print and put it on the wall! While they’re simple in design, they’re complex in creation. Hannah is an extremely hard-working travel photographer, and she is meticulous in her approach. She ensures no stone is left unturned during the process of developing her work.
All photos by Neil Burnell. Used with Creative Commons permission.
Nature’s beauty and wonders come in many forms, which is why it’s no surprise that creatives find them to be potent sources of inspiration. Whatever the genre, many photographers seem to find a way to integrate nature into their work. In his latest series, UK photographer Neil Burnell brings our attention to the beauty of dainty butterflies during the summer months. Whether you’re drawn to delicate flora and fauna, or are interested in getting into macro photography, we’re sure this series is worth checking out.
All photos by Simon Åslund. Used with Creative Commons permission.
If nighttime inspires you to come up with engaging visual narratives, we’re sure you’ll like the latest work from Simon Åslund. As with his Night Series, it’s a perfect example of what the mood and unique imagery of cities at night can inspire. This time, he takes us around the empty streets of Stockholm to follow lone subjects acting out an interesting premise: shady deals in shady places.
We all get photography advice online, from fellow photographers, and from teachers. However, the occasional bit of silly technical advice also comes up.
While there are plenty of resources for photography tips and tricks out there, we also encounter some useless and absurd technical photography advice. These often do the opposite of what they’re intended to do: help us become better photographers. You can trust the folks of Reddit to discuss the matter — and keep others away from crappy information.
All images by Sally Gall. Used with permission.
“We need to pay more attention to it, artistically, spiritually, ecologically, environmentally, and simply for our mental health.” These are thoughts of photographer Sally Gall, as we discuss the human relationship with the natural environment. Her work spans over 30 years, focusing on the gifts the earth bestows upon us. Looking at her photographs, for a split second, they can be mistaken for paintings because, and this is no overstatement, they are a work of art. We were thrilled to learn Sally is releasing a new book. Heavenly Creatures is an exploration of how a natural element – wind – impacts the prosaic objects of the nurtured world. In the book, Sally takea something as uneventful as laundry and turns it into colorful, impactful images. We connected with Sally to discuss her artistic approach and learn more about her latest release.
Underwater photography and words by André Musgrove. Used with permission.
My name is André Musgrove, I’m an underwater photographer and filmmaker from Nassau, Bahamas. I’ve been shooting for 4 years. I specialize in freediving photography and filmmaking, creating and capturing concepts with freedivers, underwater models and animals in unique marine environments such as shipwrecks, sharks, blue holes, underwater statues, etc. I shoot using only ambient light (no artificial lighting or strobe flashes) in 95% of my pieces and also shoot most of my pieces while freediving (breath hold). Through my images and films, I hope to connect people to the ocean and show how humans can coexist in the marine environment to encourage people to keep our oceans safe and clean.
All photos by Jeremy Cowart. Used with Creative Commons permission.
Lighting is a crucial component of impressive portrait photography, so it pays to know the different lighting techniques to get the job done. Once you’ve mastered these, however, you’ll begin to think of different ways to break the rules and let creativity take the reins. To help inspire and give you some ideas, we present one of the recent color portraits by Nashville-based photographer and artist Jeremy Cowart. If you like your portraits with a generous helping of colors, we’re sure you’ll find this collection eye-catching.
All words and photos by Leonidas Vaggalis. Used with permission.
My name is Leonidas Vaggalis, and I come from Athens, Greece. Married to a beautiful wife and two great kids. I am a photographer in my free time and want to shoot anything that makes me get into thoughts. Generally, I like to give an emotion to each photograph I take, but I don’t always succeed. I like street photography because it’s kinda random and people act natural.
For those who wonder what inspires and pushes Bruce Gilden to keep shooting street photography, this video has some interesting answers.
Bruce Gilden remains one of the biggest names in street photography, so it’s always worth learning about his insights on the genre. Not too long ago, he sat down with another esteemed photographer, Martin Parr, and talked about some interesting stuff regarding his beginnings and “fearlessness while photographing people out in the streets.” In the video brought to us by a partnership between Magnum Photos and NOWNESS, Gilden once again talks about shooting around New York City, how his childhood was instrumental to his choice of subjects, and how the right characters are essential to a strong body of work.
Feeling stuck in your studio portrait photography? These double exposures should give you some ideas.
Once in a while, photographers hit a creative rut–and that can especially happen when shooting portraits in the studio. When that happens, trying out a new approach can shake us out of our creative stupor. Experimenting with double exposure is always a good exercise, whether you’re shooting with film or a digital camera. To give you some ideas, you might want to check out the work of Kiev-based graphic designer Victoria Ouarets.
All photos by Mitch Rouse. Used with Creative Commons permission.
If the unique abstract quality of aerial photography is your cup of tea, you must have been on the lookout for our next featured body of work. To inspire you today, we bring the stunning work of Wyoming-based Mitch Rouse, showcasing a variety of landscapes and terrains that look otherworldly when viewed from above. As latest additions to our favorite aerial snaps, they make perfect examples of how changes in perspective can reveal nature’s artistry and penchant for abstract imagery.
If you have to add a Vivitar camera to your collection, forget about their overpriced, simple plastic cameras.
Apart from rare Leicas, limited-edition models of various popular cameras, and the occasional oddballs, some of our vintage finds also include rather obscure cameras most of us haven’t heard about before. Case in point is the Vivitar 35ES. This particular item we spotted is pretty unique on its own. Whether or not it deserves a spot in your collection, we’ll let you decide.
All photos by Paolo Pettigiani. Used with Creative Commons permission.
If surreal landscapes bring you creative inspiration, you’ll be amazed at the infrared photography of Italian graphic designer and photographer Paolo Pettigiani. We’ve been keeping tabs on his projects, and we think we found our favorite among all the destinations he has visited so far. The tropical paradise of the Maldives is a natural choice, especially when given his “Infraland” treatment. While the previous installment gave us a stunning bird’s eye view of the islands, reefs, and lagoons, the latest edition lets us explore and enjoy the views from the beach.
All photos by Louis Dazy. Used with Creative Commons permission.
When it comes to double exposures, Paris-based Louis Dazy is among the photographers to pay attention to. With an impressive portfolio shot exclusively on film, he has been best known for his nostalgic and colorful juxtapositions of everyday life and neon signs. If you’ve been shooting film for some time, you’ve likely already come across his work. Otherwise, we think his Neon Life series will get you inspired to give double exposures a go, whether with film or digital.
If you’ve never tried double exposures in-camera before, the beautiful work of Luciano Meirelles using a Canon DSLR should inspire you.
Some of you may be able to tell that double exposure is one of our favorite creative techniques for digital and film photography. When done right, it produces some really cool and interesting results, as you’ll see in our featured series by Brazilian wedding photographer Luciano Meirelles. If you’re curious about this technique, his body of work is an inspiring example of it’s creative possibilities.
All self-portraits by Vikki Martinez aka Elvikkin. Used with permission.
“I have too many ideas and wanted an outlet for them,” explains Vikki Martinez, aka Elvikkin. You only have to take a look at her photography to understand what she means. Through her creative imagery, Martinez illustrates a mind bursting with thoughts and visions. Although her self-portraits may suggest she’s still figuring herself out, they deliver a message that says she’s confident in her creative capabilities. Looking at her portfolio is so much fun. To have the right balance between deeper meaning and light-hearted creativity isn’t easy to achieve. And yet, at only 23, Vikki is killing it! Her work is full of personality, color, humor, and excellent technique. If you need further evidence that she speaks for who she is through her photography, take a look at her YouTube channel. She’s certainly a character, and it’s great that she is comfortable enough to show this through both her photography and videography.
All photos by Lotte Grønkjær. Used with Creative Commons permission.
Photographing flowers is a common and popular route through which many of us get started in photography, and it’s easy to see why. With their unique, delicate, and timeless beauty, they make perfect subjects for exploring a variety of genres such as macro, nature, and fine art photography. With her stunning work, Copenhagen-based Lotte Grønkjær sets a good example for those who want to elevate photographing flowers. Clean, minimalist, and distraction-free, her work emphasizes the elegance of her chosen flowers.
If you’re looking for ways to spice up your portraits, you might want to try shooting in rear curtain sync flash.
Working with flash for portrait photography may seem daunting at first, but it can open up your work to many creative techniques and possibilities. Shooting with the rear curtain sync flash mode is a good example. We’ve seen some noteworthy examples over the years, and we’d like to add one more to inspire you to try it out. New Hampshire portrait photographer Michael Winters gives us some ideas for working with the rear curtain sync flash mode in the studio.
