Tag: photography

Photo by Joe WilcoxApr 7, 20156:41 am

Flickr a Day 97: ‘Stranger Portrait No. 44’

I post today’s selection with sense of angst, and not for the first time in this series—whenever the photographer is absent online for sometime, which appears to be the situation with Chris Zerbes. His website generates a DNS error, the most recent status on his Facebook photography page is June 2013, and the last dated Flickr pic is October of that year.

I came to Chris’ photostream by way of this image discovered when searching Flickr for “Berlin”. The graffiti and model shot was my first choice until finding self-titled “Stranger Portrait No. 44” being used or referenced by several sites and subsequently my taking a closer look at the album/set from which it comes. The 68-pic collection is most interesting from No. 37, when he begins giving some backstory about the subject and/or his shooting technique.

Photo by Joe WilcoxApr 6, 20156:49 am

Flickr a Day 96: ‘Stranger 2/100 – The Constant Gardener’

The second of three random street portraits comes from the photographer simply known as ταηjεεr. The image is among his contributions to the 100 Strangers Flickr Group, which we met yesterday. The project’s challenge: To become a better shooter and improve social skills. Subject storytelling is part of the process.

Self-titled “Stranger 2/100 – The Constant Gardener” refers to Mohammad Nurul Huq, who “works as a Site Caretaker for the historic Lalbagh Fort in Dhaka, Bangladesh”, ταηjεεr explains. “What intrigued me most was how extremely proud he was for his work. His eyes lit up as he proudly announced that every taka he ever earned was absolutely honest”. The government employee is from Shariyatpur.

Photo by Joe WilcoxApr 5, 20157:37 am

Flickr a Day 95: ‘Stranger 51/100 | Easter Parade in New York’

We celebrate the second major Christian holiday with the first of three random street portraits. Michael Tapp captured the photo for the 100 Strangers Flickr Group, which ethos states: “Take at least 100 photographs of 100 people you don’t know. Approach anyone or a group of people, ask for permission to both take a photo of them and to post it to this group. Get to know your stranger/s. Who are they? What is their life like?”

The 100 Strangers project challenges a photographer to “step out of your comfort zone and into a new level of portrait photography”. As I write, there are 10,500 group members. From my experience as a working journalist, approaching random people for comment, photo, or video is a learning process that’s difficulty increases as you age. Youth and appearance are assets that can put anyone at ease.

Photo by Joe WilcoxApr 4, 20157:26 am

Flickr a Day 94: ‘These Boots Were Made For Walking’

Photos of doors or windows are passé, but some are nevertheless attention-getting, which is my reaction to todays selection from Susanne Nilsson. The Swedish photographer, who joined Flickr in November 2010, is more a shooter of […]

Photo by Joe WilcoxApr 3, 20157:19 am

Flickr a Day 93: Somber Salute

What introduction is appropriate for someone with about 150,000 images posted to Flickr? None. Choosing anything from such vast collection is an overwhelming task, so I let the photographer’s preferred storytelling style guide me. Elvert Barnes describes himself “as […]

Photo by Joe WilcoxApr 2, 20157:17 am

Flickr a Day 92: ‘Fuco’

Contrasts distinguish the style of photographer Stefano Bassetti. The nuances are many, such as areas of light and dark, several subjects’ position in the composition, or, with today’s selection, how beautiful bokeh draws the eyes. […]

Photo by Joe WilcoxApr 1, 20157:18 am

Flickr a Day 91: ‘Spin Cycle’

I long thought about what photo should be appropriate for April Fools. Today’s selection is about the foolish things we sometimes do—the pranks we mistakenly play on ourselves. Let me state clearly: I don’t mean […]

Photo by Joe WilcoxMar 31, 20157:10 am

Flickr a Day 90: ‘A Perfect Day in Lisbon’

Where is the year going? We end the third month in this series with a beautiful townscape from Portugal, courtesy of photographer Diego Sevilla Ruiz. He shot self-titled “A Perfect Day in Lisbon” on Nov. 17, […]

Photo by Joe WilcoxMar 30, 20156:47 am

Flickr a Day 89: Dreamy

What Gabriela Camerotti chooses not to post on Flickr is more interesting than what she does. She treats her photostream like a literal pond or stream across which pics skip like stones. Today’s selection is good example. She presents more photos from the model shoot on her Tumblr. That one, and others, deserves your attention. Her work is best appreciated seeing each image in context of the others.

There is a youthful vivaciousness to her fashion photographs—dreamy, sensual, and surreal are all appropriate adjectives. Colors typically are soft, and she shies from heavy contrast and strong saturation except when deliberately producing specific mood, such as retro-look.

Photo by Joe WilcoxMar 30, 201512:05 am

Luna Moths

On the afternoon of June 14, 2004, something quite remarkable happened in my Kensington, Md. backyard, about which I briefly posted on that day. My wife urgently called me from my basement office. Beautiful butterflies had taken up residence on my daughter’s snow sled, which she had dragged out and left for some inexplicable reason. I immediately recognized them as something better: Luna moths.

I was an amateur bug collector in my youth and teens (someday I should tell you about raising praying mantids). So interested, I came a hair’s width from majoring in entomology (e.g. study of insects) in college. I dissected a good number of animals during anatomy and physiology classes, but nothing grossed me out more than cutting open a cockroach. But I digress.

Photo by Joe WilcoxMar 29, 20156:58 am

Flickr a Day 88: ‘High Hats & Goggles’

While compiling this series for the past 88 days, my appreciation for black-and-white photography increased immensely—particularly people. Belgian Fouquier shoots little else. “I am a firm believer”, he says, “in the Ted Grant quote: ‘When you photograph people in color you photograph their clothes. But when you photograph people in black and white, you photograph their souls!'” Mr. Grant is a renown Canadian photojournalist, living in Victoria, British Columbia.

Fouquier’s photostream is filled with screaming B&W street photography that demands close attention. Today’s selection, self-titled “High Hats & Goggles”, shot on July 27, 2012, is fine example.

Photo by Joe WilcoxMar 28, 20157:40 am

Flickr a Day 87: ‘Edinburgh’

We begin, more by coincidence, two day’s study in black-and-white street photography. First up: Martin Mutch, who is founder of IT consultancy Rocela and self-described “street and social photographer”. His candid captures using Leica Camera AG M Monochrom […]