Nope….it isn’t.
Chris Buck photographed look-a-likes of some of the word’s most famous faces. Some were shot for magazines others independently. Maybe the magazines needed to economize and tried to save on commissioned photographic work by asking for the next best thing.
Chris Buck’s website: www.chrisbuck.com
Normally I don’t use PforPHOTO to talk about my own work. But today I found out that two of my photographs have been awarded an Honorable mention at the IPA, International Photography Awards 2012. Always nice to see something like that. Visit their website to see the winners and the other honorable mentions. Both professional and non-professional photographers have been awarded. So a lot of inspirational work to admire.
Even super heroes cry. They too feel the impact of the economic, social and cultural crisis that has the world under its spell. The ultimate bad guy. Nicolas Silberfaden photographed impersonators who try to make ends meet by roaming the streets and earn an extra buck in Los Angeles. So he explains on his website:
Due to the current economic, social and cultural crisis in The United States of America today, I have decided to do a photographic project consisting of a series of studio portraits of superhero and celebrity impersonators that live and work in the city of Los Angeles. Most of them unemployed Americans, they decided to suit up with their costumes and hit the streets, animate parties and events in efforts to make ends meet. Making them pose in their costumes against a colorful backdrop, I ask them to manifest feelings of genuine sadness – honest emotions that are a consequence of our current times. The result is a somber, striking visual image that contradicts the iconic nature of strength and moral righteousness typical in American superhero and celebrity imagery. Creating the illusion that Superman does exist – that he too was fallible and affected by America’s downturn.
Visit his website and have a look at the complete series. I find the portraits interesting. Nicolas has taken the subject of an iconic figure and downgraded it to a human level with all its emotions and problems.
Nicolas Silberfaden’s website: www.nicolassilberfaden.com
At fist I wasn’t sure what I was looking at. Luminescent flowers? Or perhaps some newly discovered sea creatures that live in the depths of the undiscovered ocean floors. But no, it are photographs taken by David Johnson. He took long exposures of fireworks. These long exposures make them look like enormous light emitting flowers. Visit his website to see more of these wonderful flower-like firework photographs.
David Johnson’s website: www.daveyjphoto.com
Creating something impossible is what many artists like to do. When it comes to painting or drawing a piece of art, it seems that the artist is free to create anything. In photography this seems harder to do, mainly because of the photorealism that is a big part of our understanding of photography. But with a little manipulation and with some wonderful ideas one can be as free a painter. Erik Johansson is someone who really goes the extra mile when it comes to creating an impossible photograph. And with the photorealism still intact , he manages to create weird, funny and amazingly creative photographs. Watch his TED talk and be amazed by his work.
Erik Johansson’s website: www.erikjohanssonphoto.com
Chef and co-owner of the two-Michelin star restaurant Noma in Copenhagen, Rene Redzei has been photographed for magazines before. But never like the creative team of Mexican magazine Golpe Avisa did. They used the menu of Noma and created a portrait made entirely by the food and drinks they offer to their customers. Resulting in a wonderful, edible and creative portrait. It captures the chef, the restaurant and his speciality all in a single frame. Watch the movie below and see the team working out this photograph.
Golpe Avisa’s blogpost: blogolpeavisa.com/2012/07/clase-premier-rene-redzepi/
During the hot summer days we all need water. Drink it, swim in it and cool yourself down with it. And the hot sun burning down on us is perhaps most frustrating for all the bald men out there. Tim Tadder combined bald men with water in an unusual yet wonderful way. Giving them something that might remind the men of a great set of hair, if only for a very short moment. This series is called Water Wigs.
Tim Tadder’s website: www.timtadder.com
The United States of America has and will always be a place that will inspire dreams and capture the imagination of many. The greatness of the land, the nature, the mixture of cultures and way of living, it all makes the USA a great place to travel around in. A country made for an epic road trip.
Unfortunately not everybody will be able to travel around in this vast part of the world. But fortunately Google Maps makes it possible to wander around in neighborhoods and trough the states of the Americas from the comfort of your own home. Doug Rickard undertook a trip that lasted around two years. He looked for places with vivid colors and certain compositions. Many have compared it with the works of Stephen Shore and William Eggleston. Some of the photos even remind me of paintings by Edward Hopper. Rickard’s series’ called “A New American Picture”. He lets us see a glimpse of americana by using a service meant for many things. And like all artist he makes us look differently at what is in front of us. On the screen and on the streets. So next time you find yourself traveling on your computer, think about Doug Rickard’s wonderful photo series.
Doug Rickard’s website: www.dougrickard.com
The Olympics are almost a week on their way now. Many medals have been won and many tears have been shed. Hours of training resulting in either eternal bliss or quite the opposite. All those sports and emotions reminded me of a photo series.
Back in 2009 I visited the World Press Photo. The photo series the Olympics reminded me of was that of diving men by Vincent Laforet. I liked the photos. But being a photography student at the time, I felt the need to edit the photos. By taking some pictures with my mobile, I cropped the pictures in a way that the photo’s context didn’t matter anymore. All that is left are the faces of men doing something intense.
Vicent Laforet’s website: www.laforetvisuals.com
