If you don't know what this is about please feel free to visit my first post by clicking here. Otherwise prepared to be inspired!
#20
Mary Ellen Mark
Mark, Mary Ellen. Maharaja of Udaipur and his dog. 1996.
In this series called "Man and Beast: Photos from Mexico and India" Mary Ellen Mark documents people of different cultures and their relationships with animals. It's quite interesting to compare cultures in such a way. Their relationships to things that aren't culture bound. Either way, Mark captures a wide variety of images in this series. Some literal animals, others "beasts".
Check out Mary Ellen Mark's work here.
#19
Greg Miller
Miller, Greg. Untitled. 1999
Greg Miller isn't very religious, however he's always had an interesting relationship with faith. That is what brought about the idea to start photographing people on Ash Wednesday. His grandmother struggled with her faith when her husband passed away. Ever since he was very interested in people who visibly shared their faith. He has been photographing people on Ash Wednesday for 20 years now.
#18
Nir Arieli
Arieli, Nir. Taner.
Nir Arieli was a military photographer in Israel until he got a scholarship to go to SVA in New York where he did a series of male dancers showing the flaws in their skin. He used a special type of infrared light to show these "flaws". In doing so he shows that even these men aren't "perfect". They push their bodies to crazy limits and are successful in what they do. They don't need perfect skin and they don't have it.
#17
Amy Touchette
Touchette, Amy. Leaving Home.
It's always the photographers that get personal that produce the best work. Amy Touchette followed the life of a New York City burlesque dancer and documented it along the way. This shot is gold. The contrast and illumination from the door suggests hope for a career to come in the future. She looks hurried, she may be late, trying to get that big shot. The stairwell is poorly lit and looks old, maybe not the best area so she doesn't have a lot of money... So much goes into these photos once a photographer gets the inside scoop with the subject. Touchette steps outside the boundaries and breaks down barriers to be authentic with her work and it comes across powerfully.
If you'd like to see more of Amy Touchette's work click here.
#16
Yana Toyber
Toyber, Yana. From the series "Rebirth".
Yana Toyber wanted to explore people's reactions to going under water for brief periods at a time. The idea of capturing people's individual reactions to the same thing is genius. It shows us that we are all different in ways beyond the physical. Some people in the series were calm, others uncomfortable, some panicked. It's almost a study on human nature and for that I believe that this series is extremely successful.
Head over to Yana Toyber's website by clicking here.
#15
Ricky Chapman
Chapman, Ricky. Laura McDaniel. 2012
Ricky Chapman decided that in this age of image editing software that it was time to take a step back. He chose to do a series where there was only two photos taken. No retouching, no reshooting. I can relate to this mindset greatly right now. After moving into the darkroom this past quarter I feel as though I have a much better appreciation for everything I shoot. I take more time, think more, and have more to say. I applaud Chapman and think his project has come out beautiful.
Check out more of Ricky Chapman's here.
#14
Kim Carrier
Carrier, Kim. Pages of the Past.
Another self portrait artist, Kim Carrier uses self portraiture as an ongoing diary for herself. She believes the best way for her to keep all her memories of all the things that she experiences is to take self portraits. This captures the moments for her and brings out things she might otherwise have forgotten.
More of Kim Carrier's work can be found here.
#13
Lee Materazzi
Materazzi, Lee. Hiding Under My Mother's Dress. 2011
Lee Materazzi takes photos that make your head scratch. At first glance all appears as it should, but upon further inspection you notice it. Materazzi aims to manipulate the mundane in life, playing off the idea that we are so comfortable with the ordinary we tend to tune out the nuances in our day to day. Materazzi wants to highlight those nuances and make people more aware of them.
If you want to see more of Lee Materazzi's work check out her website here.
#12
Jim Jocoy
Jocoy, Jim. Sarah Lee in my Bathroom. 1978
Jim Jocoy was photographing in and around San Fransisco in the beginning of the west coast's punk phase. He documented his friends lives of playing music and making art. It's these kinds of works that give us a glimpse into the lives of people who lived during those times. Since he was shooting his friends, the moments were authentic, the feelings real. I think that's what gives his work the appeal.
If you're interested in more of Jim Jocoy's work click here.
#11
Sarah C Butler
Butler, Sarah C. Sprouts on Stove.
"Frozen in Time" is Sarah C. Butler's new book of photos dedicated to trying to make peace with her deceased mother's house. It's a beautiful exploration of the feelings associated with an old ugly house that lives on after your loved one. Sarah's work with highlights and shadows heighten these feelings of grief.
More from Sarah C. Butler can be found here.
One more blog post coming up! Thanks for reading hope you're inspired.