I’m feeling much better this week, and I’m excited to deliver a full five again. There is no theme, just some solid photography that I’ve been enjoying, and I hope you do too!
Juan María Rodríguez ( @juanmarirodriguez )
We’re starting this week’s Five with a pair that formulate incredible color imagery.
Because, I personally shoot mainly black and white, people are surprised to hear of my immense appreciation for color. I love color photography. But the color must earn its keep in a photograph. A strong photo with weak color (that’s not to say subtle or pastel – there’s a huge difference), nets a weak photograph.
Juan María Rodríguez does color photography right! Not only does he do color photography right, but he does color street photography right!
The reason most street photography is presented in black and white is because emotion is the sought after element in street photography. And color tends to get in the way of these off-the-cuff moments captured in a split second.
But in Juan’s work, the color is as much a sought after element, as the emotion! He recognizes when to utilize black and white as well, and those pieces are strong as well. But it’s his color work in North Africa that absolutely sings! I am absolutely blown away and inspired by his photography.
Bronfer ( @bronfer )
Bronfer, a Ukranian born photographer living in Tel Aviv brings the Dead Sea, street photography in Kiev, social documentary in Romania and the Balkins together in a beautiful feed. His work follows the confluence of the Middle East, Europe and Asia.
His series on bathers in the Dead Sea really sucked me in, and into these people’s lives. The imagery is almost Americana…As if Eggleston was let loose at the Salton Sea back in his day.
Despite also photographing black and white, it was his use of color in these images that strengthened the pull on me. While sometimes inconsistent, the colors form a strong character in each story. The presence doesn’t get in the way of the story, but adds and deepens a dimension in the story. And like I mentioned above, pastel or delicate color doesn’t equal weak. As in the photo included here, the subtlety of the color creates the magnetism that beckons your eyes to it.
Zoel Radenk ( @zoel_radenk )
From color, we shift back to the wonderful world of black and white. Oddly though, Indonesia is a land you would expect to see only in intense and wild colors, the flowers, the silk, the canang sari on Bali, the coral, the intense sunsets over fucking volcanoes!
But then there’s people like me that say, “Let’s see if we can do this in Black and White.”
Zoel steps into tropical territory that traditionally lends vibes of relaxation and warmth, and flips them into somber and meditative stills that evoke isolation and winters.
His eye is strong, and in Indonesia he has plenty of islands, inlets and volcanoes to create his wonderful compositions. His long exposures add to the chill that you feel when looking. you have to remind yourself that these are images from Indonesia and close to the equator, and not as you think, some fantasy land in the Roaring 40s of the great Southern Ocean.
Ekaterina Mishchenkova ( @katia_mi )
To some photographers, Ekaterina’s work may just come across as “selective color” on sepia toned images. And to those, they may see old, dated and clichéd processes.
However! What I see is something far superior to cliché. Ekaterina goes beyond the gimmick and produces beautiful and intelligent pieces of art. I can only imagine her inspiration is wood block printing or four color printing processes. If you look close enough in her work, you can see the occasional mis-registration, intentionally of course.
I love this work because it’s distinctly a style she created for herself, and it obviously took knowledge of art history and printing processes. Her work by itself has a creative and playful approach, yet based on her clientele (Leica, Manchester United, Alfa Romeo, et al), she understands the demands and gravity of advertising and commercial photography.
Hopefully looking at her work, people will see the difference between a technique that “experienced” photographers thumb their nose at with beginning Photoshoppers, and what Ekaterina creates. There is a deeper why associated with her work, and my wish is that these “experienced” photographers can put ego aside, and recognize art for what it is.
Rosa Rosa Vacek ( @rosa_luxenburg_ )
I am rather conflicted with this one. This Instagrammer has hundreds of photos that have that 70s/80s/90s Vogue feel to them. Classic photographs of the hottest of the hot supermodels from back in the day, taken by the hottest of the hot photographers during their prime.
I wish the poster would dig and learn who the photographers were, and share that knowledge. These are incredible images, and do deserve to be shared. But those that were involved with the actual creation of them deserve to be credited.
You definitely should look through the images though. You will find images that you have seen, and many that you haven’t Cindy Crawford, Christy Turlington, Isabella Rosellini… And David Bowie! (whom, if you don’t know, is pretty much my god).
While I do love to see this work, the problem I see with them, is that the curator is often mistaken for the creator by the casual passerby. Hence my conflict.
What are your thoughts? Should these kinds of accounts exist?
Thanks again for reading dear reader! Follow these people, and follow me @williambahiabay.
Feel free to comment below who’s inspiring you!
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