There is no doubt that Steve McCurry is one of the greatest photographers of our time. His dedication and commitment to the art of photography has gifted the world with some of the most captivating images ever seen. In a recent interview Steve tell’s Kate Snow about how he started his journey into the world of photography, how he captured some of his most famous images, and how that he still has to overcome his shyness to be able to approach people in the streets. Check out the insightful video interview after the break.
Street photography may just be one way of seeing and capturing the world for many for us. But for Bombay-born, fashion design student turned street photographer Dimpy Bhalotia, it’s both the toughest and purest form of creative photography, for reasons that every street photographer out there is familiar with. It requires patience, a lot of walking around, a keen sense of observation, and perfect timing to capture the so-called “decisive moment”. Nothing is left to imagination here, and the stories captured are not works of fiction. This, she says, makes it the “most truthful art in the world.”
We love portrait photography. The creativity, the light, the imperfections all go into the photographic cocktail that gets our juices flowing. Platon, Annie Leibovitz, Richard Avedon – we’re going to keep going – Diane Arbus, Angus McBean, Albert Watson, all of them made us fall in love with the craft. And whilst we will hold them close to our hearts forever, they’ve all had their time to shine. And as the light keeps on shining a new batch of photographers will fall into it. But who?
Let me begin by saying that it wasn’t easy putting together this list. We’ve been scouring the web for some of the most stunning photography projects and series out there, and we shared with our readers A TON this year alone. This is why I had to enlist the help of our Editor-in-Chief Chris Gampat to help me pick some of the most outstanding bodies of work we’ve featured for 2018. We came up with a selection of 15 features mostly dominated by conceptual photography and impressive portraiture, with a sprinkling of landscapes, mixed media, macro, and documentary photography. Join us in revisiting some of the most eye-catching, thought-provoking, and inspiring photography that we’ve discovered for the closing year. In case you missed any of them, we hope they also inspire you to take on some projects of your own in 2019!
There are still some fantastic photography deals to be had as we head into the new year. If you have been thinking about buying a new camera, some new glass, or perhaps some new presets, actions and overlays to help speed up processing, these deals are for you. You can grab a Fujifilm X-T2 with lens for just $1,399, the Sony A7R II is just $1,598, and the Sony A7 II is still available for $998! You’ll also find the Sony A7R III with a $400 discount! If you want to save big and have the most impressive library of Lightroom presets there is a buy one get two software bundle that will come with 16,000 presets for just $39! We have also found deals on accessories and storage too. Check out the deals after the break.
When using the Fujifilm 8-16mm f2.8 R LM WR on the Fujifilm X-T3, I was both enthused and confused. In some ways, it feels like a massive prime lens as the zooming mechanic is almost completely internal. But at the same time, it’s big. At f2.8 and with a ton of weather sealing, I can sort of understand why though. This lens is designed for the photographer who needs the ability to shoot super wide and that has access to zoom capabilities. If you’re the type of photographer who prefer prime lenses then you’ll be perhaps more delighted with a lens like their very good 16mm f1.4 R WR. However, I must admit that the Fujifilm 8-16mm f2.8 R LM WR is an incredibly fun lens to use.
For photographers that need to shoot on location, lugging around heavy monolights with massive battery packs can be quite a hassle, especially if you’re working with a skeleton crew or running solo. This is where the Flashpoint eVOLV 200 TTL Pocket Flash comes in, delivering 200 watt-seconds of light output in a compact package barely larger than a conventional speedlight. While you won’t be overpowering direct sunlight with the Flashpoint eVOLV 200 anytime soon, it is a great strobe for any photographer that is looking for a versatile, portable flash. For those that may not be aware, Flashpoint is actually one of Adorama’s in house brands, with Chinese lighting equipment manufacturer Godox being the OEM. The Flashpoint eVOLV 200 TTL Pocket Flash is also sold under the Godox brand as the Godox AD200.
University students in Virginia who are joining the workforce soon may find this project helpful. Lexington-based mobile photography and headshot studio University Headshots wants to expand their equipment and reach to bring affordable professional headshots to campuses across the state through Kickstarter funding.
When Canon introduced their new Mirrorless cameras earlier on this year (The EOS R) one of the stand out features was that the lens mount was so huge. While other manufacturers like Sony have made all things Mirrorless smaller, the late comer to the Mirrorless party seems to have decided that bigger is better. In a recently released interview, Canon engineers seem to be having a sly dig at Sony by saying that lenses with smaller mounts are far less capable than those with larger mounts. Read on after the break to find out more about what the Canon engineers are wafting on about.
Photo editing has become synonymous with the act of taking photos. No matter what photographic genre you practise, the likelihood is that after each shoot you load up your images and start making adjustments. Whether it’s a slight tweak to the highlights or a big pump in contrast, the editing room is where you bring your photo to life. But why? Why are so many of us conditioned to think a photo isn’t a photo until it has been processed in post-production? I decided to free myself of the editing shackles and I haven’t looked back since. Here’s what I learned.