El Santo: The Mysterious Photographer Questioning Those in Power

All images by El Santo. Used with permission.

Hi! My name is El Santo, I am an anonymous Chilean photographer, publicist by title, but photographer of the soul. I have been with this digital project since 2015, photographing the day in day in the city of Santiago de Chile. In October 2019 I exhibited my first photographic exhibition in Santiago de Chile (specifically at Galería Montegrande, the gallery that hosted my artistic project). It is about two series called “Samsara” and “Special Forces”. Today due to the coronavirus I have decided to offer the experience of the exhibition completely free online. I think this project it’s very representative of the conflict of my country, so I think, why not share this project for the non-Spanish speakers. I will comment on these two photographic series after the questions and answers.

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Photographers Will Love Using the OneMo Backpack on Their Next Hike

PGYTECH’s OneMo Backpack is a versatile option for adventurous photographers in need of a bag that will keep up with them all day long.

As photographers, we tend to amass a ton of camera gear over time. While most of us would love to bring all of our equipment with us when traveling, the truth is we rarely need everything in our arsenal. Obviously, it’s a challenge when deciding what gear to bring and what to leave home. The decision becomes harder if you happen to be going on a day-long hike. Not only do you have to decide what to pack, but you’ve got to carry all of it on your back. Fortunately, the OneMo Backpack 25L from PGYTECH is a comfortable, modular, and expandable solution perfect for adventurous photographers preparing for such a trip. While it can’t tell you what you will need for your hike, the OneMo Backpack can undoubtedly help you carry it.

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5 Asian Pacific American Photographers Share Their Journeys as Artists

All images used with permission, lead image by Andrew Kung.

In celebration of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, we spoke with five of the top photographers of APA descent working in the industry today. Their specialties range from automotive, commercial, documentary, lifestyle, music, and weddings. We asked them one simple question, “How far have you come as an artist since you first began your journey as a photographer?” Here are their stories:

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Yum Tang Brings Conceptual Food Photography to the Namib Desert

All photos by Yum Tang. Used with permission.

When we speak of food photography, we envision scrumptious morsels shot in cozy locations. We are also seeing more meticulously styled dishes shot in the studio for out of the box approaches. Beijing-based visual designer and food photographer Yum Tang, however, brings an even more creative idea to the the table with her series, Food is doing surreal things in the desert. If you’re a fan of totally different kinds of photography coming together to create original works, we’re sure you’ll be amazed and inspired with this series.

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Les Garçons Crafts Visions of Spring Through Food

All photos by Les Garçons. Used with Creative Commons permission.

When we speak of spring, the first things that come to mind are images of flowers, greenery, and fields in full bloom. However, the creative minds behind Les Garçons bring us a more creative and conceptual way to see and represent this beautiful season and the refreshing imagery that comes with it: scrumptious and delicately styled food photography. If you’re looking for out-of-the-box ideas about spring or food photography, this featured series definitely fits the bill.

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Coronavirus: What Photographers are Doing to Cope

With events and gatherings across the globe being canceled due to Coronavirus, even creative activities like photography are put on hold.

All over the world, events and gatherings, including photography events and workshops, are being canceled as part of measures to keep the COVID-19 from spreading further. Social distancing is also in effect to prevent the spread of the virus, so that means no shooting portraits with models and even strangers out in the streets. Client work and paid projects are also affected, making this dreaded disease such an ordeal for professional photographers. The biggest question, therefore, is how are photographers holding up? What are they doing to deal with the onslaught of COVID-19?

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20 Women Photographers to Inspire You Through 2020

We’re very excited for the year these 20 women photographers have ahead of them.

There are many reasons to highlight the work of women photographers. Our reason is simple; we love to share greatness. As one of the photo industry’s leading publications, we’re fortunate to be exposed to talented women photographers. Street photography, documentary, portrait, product, and more: the female presence is on the rise across the board and it’s incredibly exciting! In fact, it was difficult cutting our list down to just 20! But we got there, and this is the best of best.

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How an Astrophotographer Shot a Rarely Photographed Moment

Connor M Matherne is probably the first amateur astrophotographer to photograph this occurrence at a black hole.

“This jet, in particular, was not discovered until 2017, so at the very least the window of time for someone else to image this is relatively small,” explains Connor M. Matherne to the Phoblographer in an interview. He’s an amateur astrophotographer with a Masters of Science in Geology and based at Louisana State University. If he’s correct, he could also be the first amateur astrophotographer to capture the relativistic jet from the Centaurus A black hole. “In the 2017 paper published b McKinley et al., they had the help of amateur astrophotographer Rolf Wahl Olsen who shot the same target and recently updated his total exposure time to 130 hours for it. Still no C jet sadly.” Connor states that an astrophotographer needs access to both great equipment and even better skies to pull off what he did. The breathtaking image above cannot be done easily–at least not by amateur photographers. And this isn’t the only masterpiece Connor has done.

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Carl Warner Makes Landscape Images from Food, and It’s Breathtaking!

The impressive and unique work of Carl Warner will inspire you to look differently at food as subjects for photography and visual storytelling.

A highly-creative blend of food photography, still life, and advertising photography, Carl Warner’s work is a perfect example of imagination on overdrive. “I create scenes in the studio that sometimes look like real scenes, but scenes that are in nature basically made out of other things,” he described his own work in a quick interview with Wex Photo Video. While he has also expanded his style to working with other materials, food items remain his best-known medium for creating what he calls food landscapes, or foodscapes.

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Not a Camera: 20 of the Best Holiday Gifts for Photographers in 2019

In this holiday gift guide, you’ll find a handful of items any photographer would love to get this holiday season.

It’s the most wonderful time of the year again. Whether you’re looking at gifts for the photographers in your life, or just need an excuse to treat yourself, we’ve put together a list bound to have something any photographer will be happy to receive this holiday season. Since most photographers probably already have a camera body, we’ll be focusing on gifts beyond cameras.
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Nay Jiménez’s Food Story Is an Invitation to a Banquet of Colors

All photos by Nay Jiménez. Used with Creative Commons permission. 

When it comes to food photography, color is essential to produce a maximum mouth-watering effect. It’s also an effective creative component to present food in a different way, as today’s featured food photography project shows. If you’ve ever wanted to capture food through an out-of-the-box approach, we’re sure the vibrant editorial snapped by Chile-based creative director and photographer Nay Jiménez will give you lots of ideas!

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When Photographers See Models as Human Props Instead of People

Sometimes photographers forget that models are human beings.

Models provide opportunities to learn, they reignite inspiration, and connecting with them provides an excellent excuse to get out of our editing caves and meet with other creatives. As such, several members of The Phoblographer staff and I joined a model on the last day of the Photo Plus Expo and discovered a story deserving of discussion that unfolded right before our eyes. Usually, photo walks are quite fun and create great ways to connect with other photographers. But, this walk became a different sort of revelatory encounter. As the model who was hired to help with the photo walk joined us, we watched what we’ve probably seen all too often on the set of a shoot: a slow but steady dehumanization of the young woman in front of us: beautiful, photogenic, and seen as a prop instead of a person.

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Break/Fast: Clever Food Photography by Tessa Dóniga Johnson

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!

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Erik Marcinkowski’s Self Portraits Explore a Difficult Relationship with Food

All images by Erik Marcinkowski. Used with permission.

Photographer Erik Marcinkowski is a commercial shooter with vibrantly bright, colorful work. He has recently turned the camera on himself to examine his relationship with food, the path to self-love, and embracing male vulnerability. His project, aptly titled DiscomfortFood, is exceptionally crafted technically while providing the opportunity for many important and necessary discussions about our society.

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8 Fantastic Travel Photographers with Under 10,000 Instagram Followers

Oh my god, it’s back again, this time with travel photographers under 10k.

While you may not appreciate our efforts above to rewrite the lyrics of a classic Back Street Boys song, we’re sure you’ll enjoy this installment of great photographers with under 10k followers on Instagram. In this article, we shift the focus to travel photography. Quality travel photography requires skills that go beyond what happens in-camera. Having good geographical awareness, inside knowledge, and a sense of what makes a place beat are all needed to get robust and consistent travel photographs. The photographers below show they have what’s required in order to excel in this genre of photography. That’s why we find ourselves scratching our heads at why more people are not following their work!

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Photography Cheat Sheet: Shoot Mouthwatering Food Photography

Learn how to take great food photography that goes beyond Instagrammable with key tips from this photography cheat sheet.

We all like to dabble in food photography, but there’s more to it than being good enough for likes on social media. If you’ve been wondering how to begin taking better, even pro-looking, food photos, we have a cheat sheet by Italian food photographer Jonathan Raho that could get you started. Here, we learn about a bunch of key elements for exploring the scrumptious side of photography. As with any kind of photography, it’s about leading the eyes of the viewer to the star of your photos (and of course, make their mouths water at how tasty the food looks!).

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9 Things a Photographer Should Purchase Besides Gear

Photographers: You’d be shocked at what the $2,000 for a lens can do to help improve you instead.

GAS: lots of photographers have it and many can understand the need and benefit of getting a brand new lens that can render all the bokeh. But after a while, you’re pretty well saturated and set in the gear you’ve got. Eventually, you realize that you’re the one who takes the pictures and not necessarily your camera. And you’ll end up at a point where you want something, but don’t need it. That’s fine–satiate your wants as much as is reasonable. But when you want things, you’ll start to realize how much of your money can be invested into things that are bound to make you more money: that’s more about doing something for yourself as you grow as a photographer. Here are just a few.

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Here are Some of the Best Father’s Day Gifts for Photographers

Father’s Day is right around the corner, and there is no better gift than the gift of photography for Dad.

If you’re looking to get Dad the perfect gift for Father’s Day this year, look no further than this Father’s Day gift list. The gift of photography is one of the best you can give for Father’s Day. It doesn’t matter if Dad will be new to the art form or if he is a seasoned shooter. A new camera, lens, or some new accessories will make this Father’s Day even more special for him. We’ve gone through our extensive list of reviews and picked gear that will put a huge smile on Dad’s face this Father’s Day. The good news is that all of these items are available at fantastic prices! Check out the gear recommendations for Father’s Day below. Continue reading…

Street Photographers Taking Pictures of Homeless People is Exploitation

Street photographers who photograph homeless people aren’t doing those people any good in today’s world.

I’ve spoken before about photographing and doing street photography with intent. And I think that when street photographers take photos of homeless people that they’re not doing these people any good. Photographing scenes where these homeless people are the primary focus and surrounded by others more financially fortunate is also not such a great thing to do. While many years ago, this could have told stories when put into the pages of credible publications, today’s world doesn’t lend itself well to this type of photographic intent. Indeed, the world has changed and actions speak louder than words. What often ends up happening is that these photographers self publish by adding images to Instagram or other platforms. These images are then passed by in a feed, double tapped, and moved onto another photo or served an ad. The result is that a person viewing the photos doesn’t want to go help a homeless person in the way that politicians and people used to do.

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Is 2019 the Year Photographers Finally Take Back Their Copyrights?

A new court ruling is the first indication that the tides are changing in regards to copyright laws and photography.

We see it time and time again; a company or an individual sees an image online that they like, so they take it and profit from it without consent from the photographer. This scenario plays out over and over again each and every day, but previous laws in the United States of America have made it virtually impossible for an individual to fight for compensation, even if the image was copyrighted. Thanks to the PPA (Professional Photographers of America) and a coalition of visual arts groups, a reform is coming that will finally favor photographers and other small creators. Continue reading…

Graceland: Food Photography Inspired by Elvis and Priscilla’s Fantasy Wedding Buffet

All images by Louise Hagger, Emily Kidd, and Alexander Breeze. Used with permission.

Making food eye-catching and mouth-watering is the bottom line of food photography. But sometimes, photographers and their collaborators get the idea to make things bigger and push the boundaries further. This is definitely what we see from Graceland, a series of food snaps that celebrate the King of Rock and Roll, Elvis Presley, and his beau Priscilla. The brainchild of food and still life photographer Louise Hagger, creative food stylist Emily Kydd, and creative director and prop stylist Alexander Breeze, Graceland recreates the couple’s wedding buffet and re-imagines it set in the titular Memphis estate to reflect the King’s “gluttonous approach to life and fulfillment in love”.

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